Xu Qi'an fell in the line of duty (three chapters in one)

Shouts of battle immediately rang out as the Tiger Guards guarding the outside engaged in combat with the traitors from the Five Cities Garrison. The sounds of bowstrings twanging, muskets firing, and weapons clashing filled the air.

It reached everyone's ears clearly.

With rebels in the distance and dream witches nearby, this desperate situation made the Nightwatchers's faces grim, and their hearts sank to the bottom.

Fortunately, they were all experienced Nightwatchers, accustomed to bloodshed and slaughter, and had a firm will.

"Protect Jiang Jinluo and the Governor into the inner hall!" shouted Zhao, the silver-clad official, as he drew his sword.

Jiang Luzhong grabbed the other man's sleeve, wanting to say something, but the silver-clad man spoke first before he could:

"Boss, I understand. The Dream Witch isn't good at close combat. As long as he doesn't get a single hair or piece of flesh, he won't be able to unleash his curse."

Tang Yinluo grinned and said, "Yeah, boss. We can't beat a fourth-rank martial artist, but surely we can't beat a fourth-rank dream witch? That would be too embarrassing."

Seeing their superior's confidence, the men with the gongs felt a sense of relief.

The dream witches use bizarre and unorthodox methods and are not good at direct combat; this is something they, as the gongs, only know a little about.

To the surprise of the gong players, Jiang Luzhong did not let go. This golden gong player, who was usually like a god, could not even stand steadily, but he still held on tightly to the sleeve of the silver gong player.

"Let's go!" Jiang Luzhong said.

Zhao Yinluo turned around, grinned, and said, "Boss, you're telling us to take the governor away? That won't do."

Jiang Luzhong shook his head. "You can't leave with the governor. I'm letting you go."

"Jiang Jinluo, how will you know you'll lose if you don't fight?" one of the gong players said, seemingly trying to encourage himself, and he spoke very loudly.

Zhao Yinluo suddenly pulled back his sleeve, causing Jiang Luzhong to stumble.

Tang Yinluo helped him up and sighed, "When we get back to the capital, boss, you'll have to treat us to drinks."

The last silver gong-bearer remained silent, but clasped his hands in a fist salute to Jiang Luzhong.

Zhao Yinlu raised his knife in one hand and took the crossbow from his waist with the other. He pulled the trigger, and with a "thud," the bowstring snapped, and the arrow shot out.

Bang bang bang.

The other Nightwatchers, in perfect unison, raised their crossbows and fired.

The coroner, now a puppet, roared as he stood in front of the prefect, letting crossbow bolts pierce his body, the tips of the arrows protruding from his back.

"Die!"

Zhao Yinluo leaped high into the air, flying across more than ten feet amidst the sound of cracking bricks, his standard-issue longsword radiating a distorting aura.

puff.

The coroner's puppet was cleaved in two on the spot, blood gushing out. He tried desperately to put it back together, but failed.

Prefect Mengwu nimbly dodged the blade's edge. The sharp blade energy tore through the earth, spreading all the way to the steps at the entrance of the main hall, where it made a loud "bang".

The attacks from the other two Silver Gongs followed closely behind. They crouched low and sprinted, leaving afterimages in their wake, as they coordinated their attacks on the Dream Witch.

As they attacked, information about the Sorcerer System flashed through the minds of the two silver gongs.

The Great Feng and the Witch God Cult occasionally clashed. Information about witch doctors below the fourth rank, including those of the fourth rank, was very detailed in the Nightwatchers's Office.

A ninth-rank wizard can transform a living person into a puppet, using secret techniques to unleash their potential and burn their Essence Blood, instantly granting an ordinary person extremely strong combat power. The greater the increase, the faster the Essence Blood burns, until the puppet is completely exhausted.

At the same time, a ninth-rank wizard can also unleash the potential of his companions, also at the cost of burning their Essence Blood, hence the name "Blood Spirit".

An eighth-rank wizard possesses the ability to Curse, using birth dates, personal belongings, and bodily fluids as mediums to curse and kill their target. Therefore, an eighth-rank wizard is called a "curse master."

Its advantage lies in its unpredictability, making it difficult to defend against.

The drawback is that it can only kill targets whose cultivation level is lower than its own.

The title of a seventh-rank wizard is "spiritual medium," who can manipulate corpses and ghosts. Whether it is the Great Feng or the northern Demon Race, they have all suffered greatly at the hands of spiritual mediums on the battlefield.

A sixth-rank wizard is called a "diviner," proficient in divination and able to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune. Wizards at this level can be described in two words: steady and cautious!

To describe it in one sentence: as steady as a rock.

You don't need to consult the almanac before going out; just consult a divination to know if the day will be auspicious or inauspicious.

A fifth-rank wizard is called a "Priest," who can summon the battle spirits of their ancestors through rituals to possess them. If the summoned battle spirit is a warrior, then the Priest becomes a warrior. If it is a Daoist, then the Priest becomes a Daoist, and so on.

The limitation is that you can only summon battle spirits of the same level.

A fourth-rank wizard is the same level as the prefect before us, a "dream wizard" who walks within dreams and kills without a trace. The most effective way to deal with a dream wizard is to stay awake.

"If we don't give him the chance to set up a ceremony, and don't give him the chance to summon the battle spirit, we can win!" Zhao Yinlu encouraged himself.

Just then, he heard a murmuring voice and turned his head sharply. It was an overlooked official who had cut his wrist and was drawing strange and complex patterns on the ground with his blood.

He muttered incantations in obscure and profound syllables.

Zhao Yinluo's heart sank.

The next moment, a powerful aura was generated from the prefect's body, and a wisp of black smoke rose from the top of his head, vaguely revealing a blurry human figure.

At the same time, the blades of the two silver gongs slashed down.

The long sword ripped through his clothes and struck the prefect, producing a piercing metallic clang. Black smoke billowed above his head.

Copper skin and iron body.

"Who told you that a ritual must be performed by the wizard himself? Actually, a puppet can do it too."

The shaman, disguised as a prefect, sneered, raised his hand, and grabbed the necks of the two silver gongs.

With a "crack," the two silver gong players died instantly.

Killing two Silver Gongs is as easy for a fourth-rank martial artist as crushing two ants.

"You bastard!"

From the lobby came a heart-wrenching roar, like the howl of an old beast on the verge of despair.

That was Jiang Luzhong in a fit of impotent rage, his eyes bloodshot and his face contorted with fury.

The surviving gong players were terrified, finally realizing that the silver gong players had only been trying to boost morale.

Wizards are indeed not good at close combat, but a fourth-rank is a fourth-rank, a world of difference in cultivation level. The so-called lack of close combat skills is relative to other systems of the same rank.

"Why are you being a coward?"

Zhao Yinluo shouted loudly, startling the gongs.

At this very moment, this silver-robed man, skilled in all vices—eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring—still brandished his sword, like a warrior facing death with composure.

"We need to buy Jiang Jinluo two incense sticks' time. It's still early," Zhao Yinluo shouted.

"Noisy."

But reality is cruel. The dream witch, disguised as the prefect, raised her hand, gathered her energy in her palm, and pressed down hard.

Shockwaves are generated in the air, and ripples spread outwards.

Including Zhao Yinluo, all the night Nightwatchers as if they had been struck in the chest, vomiting blood and flying backward.

With a single move, he crippled the entire group of Nightwatchers.

Jiang Luzhong seemed to have known all of this all along. He closed his eyes, no longer angry, because everyone would soon meet again in another world.

The Dream Shaman clenched his fist again. He knew the time he could use the battle spirit to possess him was limited, and he didn't intend to waste any more words with Jiang Luzhong.

After all, the main event is yet to come: taking control of Baidi City, gathering bandits, and attacking various prefectures and counties. We must take Yunzhou before the imperial court can react.

The Witch God Cult has been plotting for years; today is the day to reap the rewards.

With a single punch, the energy rubbed against the air, producing a deep, powerful roar as it hurtled towards the main hall.

A figure blocked their path; it was Zhao Yinluo. He gripped his long sword with both hands, lowered his stance, and roared as he unleashed a powerful slash.

This should be considered the pinnacle of his career.

The sword energy collapsed, the long sword shattered, and the Law Artifact gong on his chest broke. The terrifying energy propelled Zhao Yinluo into the main hall, causing the entire hall to shake violently.

Jiang Lu was also shocked. He hurriedly crawled over and held his dying subordinate in his arms.

The moment Jiang Luzhong touched Zhao Yinluo, he knew there was no hope of recovery. Not a single bone in his body was intact, nor were his internal organs.

The Bureau of Astronomy might possess miraculous elixirs that could bring the dead back to life, but Yunzhou did not.

The reason he didn't die immediately was probably the last bit of stubbornness on the part of the warrior.

Zhao Yinluo has always been a very stubborn person, always going his own way and repeatedly disobeying Jiang Luzhong's orders, just like when he forcefully shook off Jiang's hand just now.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" Jiang Luzhong asked in a low voice.

Zhao Yinluo forced a smile across his blood-stained face, his gums bleeding, and said haltingly, "Boss, I actually took another concubine this year. She's eighteen, very young."

"But I was afraid you would find out, so I didn't dare keep him at home. You often summoned us silversmiths for secret meetings and repeatedly ordered that the amount of silver we embezzled each year should not exceed five hundred taels, that peddlers and laborers should not extort more than ten coins at a time, and that shops and restaurants should not extort more than three coins at a time."

"You know what? We all laugh at you behind your backs. You even have to make regulations for embezzlement. You're the only one in the world like that. We, the lowly servants, outwardly obey you, but secretly we still embezzle as much as we want. Otherwise, how could we afford to support so many concubines? Sorry, boss, we've disappointed you."

"So, don't be sad for people like us. According to the rules set by Duke Wei, I should be dragged to the execution ground and beheaded."

"Old Tang likes to drink. If you survive, remember to pour him a couple more glasses of wine every year during Qingming Festival."

"One last request. I don't want to die in a foreign land. Take me back to Beijing."

The sparkle in Zhao Yinluo's eyes faded.

"Alas!" Governor Zhang sighed deeply, blaming himself, "It was my carelessness, it was my carelessness!"

What's the point of saying all this now?

Jiang Luzhong said this with a smile, but the sadness in his eyes could not be hidden and flowed out in torrents, turning into rolling hot tears.

Meng Wu walked over slowly, laughing heartily, "To be honest, we didn't actually intend to sever ties with Yunzhou, support mountain bandits, or stockpile troops. It was just a backup plan. It should be used when it's most needed, not like this now."

"Although the Zhou family's investigation uncovered problems with the accounting books, according to our plan, it was simply a matter of pushing Yang Chuannan out to take the blame."

"I never expected the Qi faction to be so foolish, exposing their secret cooperation with us and thus inviting your arrival."

"What surprised me even more was that a mere gong could go this far, completely disrupting my plans. I had no choice but to take action against you and seize Yunzhou ahead of schedule. Hate that gong surnamed Xu; if it weren't for him ruining things, you wouldn't have had to die."

"Now, you go first. I will find that gong and kill him."

As soon as he finished speaking, two strong gusts of wind suddenly came, and the Dream Witch raised her hand and shattered the two cold arrows.

On the wall stood a tall and proud bronze gong, holding in its hand a crossbow, Law Artifact given to it by Song Qing, the Bureau of Astronomy; however, it had now become an ordinary object.

It can only shoot three times in its lifetime.

"Am I, Xu Qi'an, really so lacking in prestige that you keep referring to 'that gong'?"

He was covered in blood, but it was all other people's blood; he had fought his way in.

After Xu Qi'an finished speaking, his gaze fell on the two dead silver gongs and the bronze gong who was seriously injured and unable to fight anymore. His carefree and unconventional temperament suddenly calmed down.

His eyes were dark and his face was expressionless.

At the west gate, a beam of silver light descended from the sky, crashing into the city wall with a deafening roar, scattering shattered bricks and raising a cloud of dust.

Wearing fish-scale armor, with her hair tied in a high ponytail and a scarlet cloak billowing behind her, Li Miaozhen stood on the shaft of a spear, staring at the soldiers who were drawing their bows and nocking their arrows.

He said in a deep voice, "Why are the city gates closed?"

Xu Qi'an, that bitch number three, was right. The city gates were indeed closed, but Li Miaozhen did not rashly break into the city and kill people. Instead, she personally descended to the city wall to question them.

"Clang!" A general drew his sword, pointing it at Li Miaozhen: "Kill her without mercy!"

Without offering any explanation, they immediately took action.

"Then there's nothing more to say," Li Miaozhen's gaze instantly sharpened.

With the clear, resonant sound of bowstrings snapping, dozens of arrows shot towards Li Miaozhen.

Without dodging or avoiding, she patted the brocade pouch, and gusts of cold wind emerged, entangling the arrows and altering their flight path.

The arrows grazed past Li Miaozhen, and the archers became masters of outlining human figures.

"Clang!"

The flying sword at Li Miaozhen's waist was drawn from its sheath, transforming into a silver lightning bolt that whistled through the necks of the city's guards, reaping lives with abandon.

The rapid clatter of hooves approached as the Flying Swallow Army galloped in, raising clouds of dust.

Four centurions at the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones Realm, leading squad leaders at the Spirit Refining Realm, stormed the city walls and, with the help of Li Miaozhen's flying sword, reaped the lives of the defending soldiers.

"Master, it's been so long since you used your flying sword." The female ghost Su Su landed lightly on the gun barrel and wrapped her arms around Li Miaozhen's waist from behind.

This flying sword was a magical Law Artifact bestowed upon Li Miaozhen by the Daoist School Tianzong sect. It was rarely used, but every time it was drawn, it meant that Li Miaozhen was in a very bad mood.

"I'm very angry," Li Miaozhen said.

"Is it because the governor was assassinated?"

"No, it's because of a bitch."

"."

Su Su frowned her beautiful brows, hesitating to speak. Had she forgotten that she was the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect? The Heavenly Sect's motto was to be detached from emotions, neither joy nor sorrow, but in the years since she descended the mountain, Li Miaozhen had become increasingly impulsive and increasingly indignant at evil.

She managed to transform herself into the chivalrous and public-spirited Flying Swallow Heroine.

The title "Flying Swallow Heroine" is largely due to the fact that her flying sword is as light as a swallow and kills without a trace. Secondly, it's because of her sense of justice and righteousness; wherever there is injustice, she flies there.

The Flying Swallow Army once again demonstrated its invincible and fierce fighting power, quickly clearing out the guards on the city wall. Then, a warrior with skin of bronze and bones of iron smashed open the city gate.

Li Miaozhen lightly leaped up, her body plummeting, then she grasped the spear, pulled it out forcefully, and fell to the ground with it.

Under her leadership, the Flying Swallow Army stormed into the city.

"Hell has no gates, so I've come here of my own accord." After a brief moment of astonishment, the Dream Witch burst into laughter.

Thud! Xu Qi'an leaped down from the wall, gripping the black and gold longsword given to him by the supervisor, and gritted his teeth, saying, "You're the one who should go to hell, you son of a bitch."

"Xu Ningyan, what are you doing here?" Jiang Luzhong's expression changed drastically. "Are you fucking courting death? You can't save us, get out of here!"

"Can I still leave?" Xu Qi'an asked with a sense of relief.

He couldn't escape, because the Dream Witch had locked onto him, slowly clenching her fist, the black smoke above her head billowing slightly, as if gathering power.

"Ningyan, you..." Governor Zhang closed his eyes, "Why are you doing this?"

Xu Qi'an remained completely calm, communicating with the monk Shenshu in his mind:

"Master, please help me kill this man!"

"Master?"

"Holy crap, Master, are you still there? Don't mess with me!"

"Master, I'll f*** your mother!"

The force of the fist rushed towards my face, and the wind and thunder roared in my ears.

At that moment, a sigh echoed throughout the hall, "To grasp the bright moon and pluck the stars from the sky, there is no one like me in this world."

Beneath Xu Qi'an's feet, an array of patterns lit up, raising a semi-transparent barrier.

"Boom!"

The energy exploded on the surface of the barrier, the sound deafening, and the blue bricks paving the ground were immediately lifted up, creating a terrifying spectacle.

Half of the main hall of the Provincial Administration Commission collapsed with a loud rumble.

After a long period of tinnitus, Xu Qi'an heard Jiang Luzhong roar, "Yang Qianhuan, you were also in Yunzhou, why did you stand idly by? Why didn't you make a move just now?"

Xu Qi'an suddenly turned around and saw a figure in white standing with his hands behind his back, his back to them.

He felt no surprise at Yang Qianhuan's appearance; all he could think was, "You damned devil, you've finally come."

Xu Qi'an had long suspected that the Warlock who kidnapped Liang Youping was one of his senior brothers from the Bureau of Astronomy, and most likely Yang Qianhuan.

As expected.

"Why should I, Yang, explain my actions to others?" These words crossed Yang Qianhuan's mind, but he didn't say them aloud. He sighed and explained:

"I came to Yunzhou on my master's orders, which is why I wasn't here earlier."

The supervisor's task for him was to keep an eye on Xu Qi'an.

Wherever Xu Qi'an is, that's where he is.

He was not present when the silver gongs were murdered.

"I'll take you away." The array patterns beneath Yang Qianhuan's feet spread out, enveloping Xu Qi'an, Governor Zhang, and the others.

"Snort!"

The Dream Witch stomped on the array, cracking its patterns. "Yang Qianhuan, you're not qualified to save anyone from my grasp."

Yang Qianhuan replied, "Holding the bright moon in my hands and plucking stars from the sky, there is no one like me in this world."

"Arrogant!" The witch's goat beard trembled, as if she were angry.

"Are you leaving or not?" Yang Qianhuan's voice transmitted to Xu Qi'an. "I can only take you with me. If there are too many people, the array patterns will be destroyed before they can take shape."

Xu Qi'an smirked. "You have another idea, take this guy with you."

"There are hundreds of rebels outside," Yang Qianhuan warned.

"I know," Xu Qi'an replied.

After a brief silence, Yang Qianhuan said, "Okay."

He stomped his foot hard, and the array patterns spread rapidly. This time, they only enveloped the Dream Witch. Before he could react, the two of them disappeared from the spot.

"Take them out of the city and fight!" Xu Qi'an shouted towards the sky.

No reply was received.

Xu Qi'an brought the two bodies of the Silver Gong into the hall and gently placed them at Jiang Luzhong's feet. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"You shouldn't have come," Jiang Luzhong said in a deep voice.

I still came. Xu Qi'an really wanted to make a joke, but the words turned into a bitter smile.

The men, supporting each other, entered the inner hall, where they meditated and practiced breathing exercises to heal their injuries.

Jiang Luzhong glanced at the surviving members of the gong corps, a hint of relief in his eyes, but the faint sounds of fighting outside were coming to an end, making him realize that they were still in danger.

"What's the situation outside?" Governor Zhang looked out of the main hall.

"There were probably four or five hundred rebels left. By the time I stormed in, the Tiger Guard had been almost completely wiped out."

The gongs opened their eyes, and their gazes were all the same, filled with despair.

"So be it, so be it," Governor Zhang said with a bitter laugh. "It seems I cannot escape this fate. I have failed the Emperor's grace and the Duke Wei's trust."

"You haven't failed them; you've failed these three dead Silver Gongs." Xu Qi'an glanced at him, then got up and walked to the threshold.

"Ningyan, you should leave. With your fighting strength, you can escape through the back hall," Jiang Luzhong urged, his eyes red-rimmed.

"Get out of here! Hurry up! I'll die here with my men today. You're someone Duke Wei has his eye on; if you die here, Duke Wei 'll dig up my grave."

"There is hope. As long as we hold on, we will receive reinforcements." Xu Qi'an could already see the rebels in his line of sight; they had stormed in.

He turned around, cupped his hands in greeting to Governor Zhang, and said, "Governor, you are a good official. Although you may have a lot of bad intentions, you ultimately put the people first. I hate this world, but I am delighted to see a good official like you. That's why I don't want you to die."

He then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Jiang Luzhong: "Jiang Jinluo is a good superior. He's an expert at drinking and carousing in the Imperial Academy of Music. If there's a chance in the future, I'll invite you to the Imperial Academy of Music again. Just tell me which courtesan you fancy, but not Fuxiang."

He looked at the corpses of the three night watchmen. "Regardless of what kind of people they were in life, at least in death they did not betray the title of night Nightwatchers."

Finally, he clasped his hands in a fist salute, raising them above his head, and said, "Duke Wei has treated me with the utmost kindness and favor in every way. There is no reason for me to be at the forefront when enjoying these benefits, and then cower in the back when danger arises."

After saying that, he closed the lobby door.

Jiang Luzhong was slightly moved, and called out hoarsely, "Ningyan!"

A man with a trembling mouth muttered, "No, no, he's trying to break through to the Spirit Refining Realm, he simply can't hold on."

Governor Zhang rose shakily, so weak he seemed about to collapse with a gust of wind, but he still stood strong and bowed deeply to Xu Qi'an's retreating figure.

They could no longer see what was happening outside, but amidst the sounds of arrows being fired, the clashing of weapons, and the cacophony of battle cries, they heard a young man's impassioned chant:

"A young man of chivalrous spirit, befriending heroes from five capitals. Their hearts are open and their hair stands on end. In a single conversation, they share life and death. A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold."

Xu Qi'an stood guard at the entrance to the courtyard, his blade flashing as he killed every rebel soldier who came.

The armor was as fragile as paper against this longsword made by the Imperial Craftsman, let alone flesh and blood.

At first, I felt uncomfortable and was terrified of having blood on my hands, but after killing so many, I became numb to it.

The rebels were mostly ordinary people, with only a few experts at the Essence Refining Realm. For Xu Qi'an, whose aura was strong and who had one foot in the Spirit Refining Realm, there wasn't much difference.

However, unable to withstand the overwhelming numbers and in such poor condition, Xu Qi'an gradually became exhausted after killing more than a dozen people. His stomach churned, his arms went numb, and he lost consciousness.

The most troublesome thing is the crossbow; these things fire in dense bursts, and a single sword simply cannot withstand them.

Fortunately, he had a Law Artifact gong strapped to his chest, so ordinary swords, spears, and crossbows could not harm him. Xu Qi'an tried his best to deflect the cold arrows aimed at his face, and let the rest of his body go.

After beheading fifty people in one fell swoop, Xu Qi'an reached his first limit. His internal energy was exhausted, his vision went black, and his spirit was like a dried-up pond. He would faint at any moment.

After he pushed past this limit, he was surprised to find that a new spring had gushed forth from the dried-up pond, nourishing his Primordial Spirit.

The surrounding scenery became clear: the soldiers' ferocious facial expressions, their bulging muscles, the trajectories of their wielding swords—every detail was captured accurately and imprinted in his mind.

This is the Spirit Refining Realm, the Spirit Refining Realm that allows one to perceive everything around them?

No, it hasn't reached its limit yet; it can still be pushed to the next level.

To live in the face of death!

Xu Qi'an suddenly understood what Monk Shenshu meant.

The relentless exploitation of the Primordial Spirit is itself a form of living towards death. But that's not enough. If we compare the Primordial Spirit to a piece of iron, an ordinary martial artist advancing to the Spirit Refining Realm is equivalent to striking it with a hammer only once.

Xu Qi'an is currently undergoing repeated tempering and refining of his Primordial Spirit, repeatedly pushing his limits on the brink of life and death.

After beheading a hundred people, he faced his limit once again. After barely managing to pull through, fresh spring water gushed forth, and his mental strength surged forward once more.

"I can't take it anymore, you stinking monk! My life is in your hands now, so don't mess with me. I still have a whole bunch of girls back in the capital who are interested in this."

After slaying two hundred people in one fell swoop, the spring stopped flowing, because Xu Qi'an died from exhaustion.

The rapid growth of the Primordial Spirit has nothing to do with the physical body. He repeatedly exploits the Primordial Spirit, which is actually also repeatedly exploiting the physical body. The Primordial Spirit has a spring of new life flowing out, but the physical body does not.

The killing machine finally stopped swinging his sword and stood leaning on it. But the rebels did not continue their attack. They gripped their swords, their faces contorted with rage, wary and fearful; they were terrified by the prospect of being killed.

"Shoot him with crossbow bolts!" a voice shouted from the crowd.

Thud. The bowstring vibrated, and the crossbow bolt shot out. Whether it was due to exhaustion or tension, the crossbow bolt, which was originally aimed at Xu Qi'an's brow, deviated and flew past Xu Qi'an's scalp.

But the rebels cheered.

"He's dead, he's dead, hahaha, that son of a bitch is finally dead."

"Chop him to pieces! Chop him to pieces to avenge our brothers!"

They swarmed forward.

But just then, a flying sword pierced through the air, slashing through the crowd and killing several soldiers at the very front.

Immediately afterwards, four warriors, seemingly like Gods and Devils, crashed through the wall and led a group of armored soldiers into the city.

At this time, the rebels still had more than three hundred men, but facing this unexpected force, they were no better off than leeks being harvested. One life after another was harvested, and one soldier after another fell, the thick stench of blood was nauseating.

After clearing out the rebels, the Flying Swallow Army witnessed a scene they would never forget.

At the entrance to the courtyard, a young man stood proudly, his body riddled with arrows, and corpses lying at his feet. He stood atop the mountain of corpses, leaning on his sword.

There was no breath of life.

Li Miaozhen, draped in a scarlet cloak, stood before him, her back view revealing a hint of loneliness.

Originally filled with resentment and anger, and having fantasized about giving him a good beating when they met again, Li Miaozhen now felt as if she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.

Li Miaozhen, her eyes red-rimmed, said, "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Miaozhen."

A centurion walked over, but his gaze lingered on Xu Qi'an.

With a "whoosh," he stood up straight, his scales clashing, and clasped his hands in a fist salute towards Xu Qi'an.

With a clattering sound, the scales of armor clashed together as over four hundred Flying Swallow soldiers simultaneously clasped their fists in perfect unison.

They didn't even know who the boy standing at the entrance to the courtyard was or what his name was. But they had a deep respect for him.

"Go in and see if the governor is dead or alive."

Li Miaozhen's voice sounded slightly hollow.

"Yes!"

The centurion bypassed Xu Qi'an and rushed into the courtyard.

Behind the crowd, the stunningly beautiful Su Su stood quietly in a corner, staring blankly at Xu Qi'an.

Are you an idiot?

Clang.

The centurion pushed open the door and saw the night Nightwatchers on the floor, and Governor Zhang, who was unharmed but pale-faced.

Despair was evident on everyone's faces.

The centurion was taken aback, then quickly said, "I am Li Hu, a centurion of the Flying Swallow Army. You are saved."

The Flying Swallow Army?!

The Nightwatchers looked at each other in bewilderment. Although they didn't understand why the Flying Swallow Army had appeared there, the shouts of battle outside had indeed stopped.

They were saved.

A miraculous escape from a desperate situation.

"Phew!" Governor Zhang staggered, the taut string finally relaxing. He gripped the table tightly to keep from falling.

"Where is Ningyan?" Governor Zhang asked. "And where is that man outside, the one with the gong?"

The Nightwatchers had narrowly escaped death, all turned to look.

The centurion suddenly became somewhat evasive, avoiding their gazes. Their eyes held hope, a longing to receive good news from him.

He died in battle.

Governor Zhang stumbled and crawled out of the main hall, crossed the courtyard, and came to Xu Qi'an.

But all he saw was a mangled human form, riddled with arrows and covered in knife wounds, showing no signs of life.

For no apparent reason, the boy's last chant echoed in his ears:

A young man of chivalrous spirit, he befriended heroes from five capitals. Their hearts were open and their hair stood on end. In conversation, they shared life and death. A promise was worth a thousand pieces of gold.

A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold

At that moment, the governor collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face.

Outside the city.

Rows of crossbows fired in unison, the clear sound of bowstrings echoing through the air; cannons roared and fired, their booming sounds deafening.

A series of array patterns lit up beneath Yang Qianhuan's feet, each with a different function. Sometimes they would create a gale that carried arrows, increasing their penetrating power, or they would change the rules of their movement to pursue the enemy.

Sometimes it summons flames to amplify the power of the shells' explosions. Other times, it simply summons lightning to obliterate the enemy.

"I am proficient in thirty-six formations, twenty of which are offensive techniques. Killing an ant like you is merely a matter of snapping my fingers," Yang Qianhuan coldly sneered.

"But what if you take back what you said before?"

What did you say?

The Dream Witch, who had summoned his battle spirits several times, was in a sorry state. Despite his unparalleled combat power, he was unable to reach Yang Qianhuan, who had mastered the teleportation array.

"You just said I'm not qualified to save someone from your clutches. Man, you've successfully provoked my anger."

"What difference does it make whether we take it back or not?"

"Take it back and I'll leave you with a whole corpse; don't, and I'll turn you to ashes. You wizards aren't good at attacking; battlefields piled high with corpses are your domain. As for this place, I call the shots."

"You can't stop me from leaving if I want to."

The Dream Witch struck with a palm from afar, shattering the cannonball. He was pushed back by the raging shockwave, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Now that Governor Zhang and Jiang Luzhong are dead, once the large army stockpiled in the mountains arrives, your only option will be to slink back to the capital in disgrace."

At this point, the Dream Witch suddenly felt a pang of fear. He frowned, retreated, and began calculating with his fingers.

For a diviner, palpitations are a sign of the Unseen omens.

"How is this possible?" the Dream Witch exclaimed in shock.

He foresaw the danger, which came from Jiang Luzhong. However, he should be dead now, without any chance of survival.

Before taking action, he consulted the oracle, which indicated that everything would go very smoothly that day. But now, upon recalculating, everything has changed.

The divination indicates a very bad omen.

Who has blocked the secrets of heaven?

"Boom boom boom"

At the horizon, a figure came running; one moment he was on the distant horizon, the next he was right in front of you.

It was Jiang Luzhong, with a ferocious face and bloodshot eyes.

The violent energy surged like a tidal wave, revealing the master's boundless rage.

The post station, the lobby.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao guarded the main hall, while only one guard, Tongluo, remained upstairs to watch over the prisoners.

The two men placed their swords on the table, neither speaking, sitting in silence for half an hour.

Suddenly, both of their ears twitched simultaneously as they heard the rumble of wheels coming to a stop at the entrance of the post station.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao grabbed their swords and ran out. In the courtyard, they saw Governor Zhang, the gong-wielding men, and Li Miaozhen with her high ponytail.

Sorrow was etched on their faces, and they remained silent.

"Where's Ningyan? Where's Xu Ningyan?" Song Tingfeng looked around in the crowd but didn't see his colleague.

"Outside," a gong said in a low voice.

Song Tingfeng's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed out without thinking. Then, he saw Xu Qi'an in the carriage outside the post station.

His face was covered by a robe, but Song Tingfeng recognized him because of the unusual knife he carried.

Song Tingfeng reached out, his hand trembling, and tore off his robe.

Half an hour ago, my companion was full of energy; now, he is expressionless, gone forever.

Song Tingfeng stood there, head down, for perhaps five or six seconds. Suddenly, he let out a heart-wrenching howl.

"Please accept my condolences," a gong-wielding man said, tears welling in his eyes.

"Get out!" Zhu Guangxiao kicked him away.

Song Tingfeng was still wailing, "Go to hell with your condolences! My brother's gone! You want me to be sad? Give me back my brother! Give me back my brother! Awooo!"

In the gray world, Xu Qi'an saw the small temple again, where a handsome young monk was sitting cross-legged.

"Master," Xu Qi'an said in grief and indignation, "I feel like I'm dead. I'd like to inquire about the health of all the women in your family. Is that alright?"

PS: This chapter has 9,000 words; it's a combination of three chapters.

Last night I was writing, and I fell asleep while writing. I got up at 5:30, washed my face, and continued writing. Because of the plot, it's not good to break the story into chapters; it's best to read it continuously for the best reading experience. So I thought, I might as well finish it all at once. So I wrote nine thousand words.

Well, the next chapter will wrap things up, and the Yunzhou case will be over. Time to go back to the capital and woo the princess.

Remember to catch the bugs for me, I'm going to catch up on my sleep.