The escape plan

Inside the tent, Yang Yan sat cross-legged on a soft cushion, accepted the tea offered by the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and said, "The one that attacked the official ship was a black dragon, probably from the dragon tribe of the northern Demon Race. It's quite powerful, a fourth-rank demon. I can't defeat it in the water."

He wasn't a talkative person; he finished speaking concisely, comparing his own strength with that of his opponent, and then remained silent.

Chu Xianglong's expression changed drastically.

Upon hearing of the existence of a fourth-rank dragon, the Dali Temple official and others displayed strange expressions, ranging from astonishment and fear to anxiety.

Officer Chen frowned and asked, "General Chu, do you know anything about that dragon?"

As he spoke, he squinted at Chu Xianglong.

Everyone turned to look at him, and the invisible pressure made it impossible for Chu Xianglong to remain silent any longer. After hesitating for a moment, he said in a deep voice:

"Black Dragon, fourth rank. If I'm not mistaken, it should be Lord Tangshan."

He did indeed recognize the Black Dragon. Xu Qi'an's eyes flickered slightly. The enemy ambushed at the Flowing Stone Beach was from the Northern Demon Race. Since the Northern Demon Race Clan had been mobilized, what about the Northern Barbarians, who were always allied with him?

Furthermore, the fact that the princess was going to the northern border was kept secret, and the official ship was traveling north at a very fast speed. Logically speaking, it would have been impossible for the northern Demon Race to have laid an ambush beforehand.

Unless they already knew the princess was going north.

Our number one beauty of the Great Feng is indeed extraordinary, worthy of the barbarians' elaborate ambush deep into enemy territory. Judging from Chu Xianglong's expression just now, he seemed extremely surprised, clearly shocked by the northern Demon Race's move. Countless thoughts flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind.

Officer Chen asked in a low voice, "Yang Jinluo, besides the Black Dragon, are there any other enemies?"

Yang Yan shook his head. "Didn't find anything."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review felt much more at ease and said, "If there's only one fourth-rank official, we don't need to worry too much."

After saying that, Xu Qi'an sneered and said, "The northern barbarians and the northern Demon Race are of the same blood. Now that the Demon Race have made their move, how far behind can the barbarians be?"

"If I'm not mistaken, there are skilled assassins lying in ambush at every major pass leading to the Northern Territory. Believe me, Non-Self abandon the wagons and supplies and cross the mountains, we'll be ambushed again sooner or later."

These days, there are only a few official roads, but countless narrow paths. These paths, worn down by people, are difficult even for horseback riders, let alone horse-drawn carriages or flatbed carts used for transporting supplies.

In ancient times, highway robbers only needed to occupy a main road and rob passing caravans and travelers to make a fortune.

Upon hearing this, the two censors and the vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately looked at Constable Chen, as they no longer trusted Chu Xianglong.

Although Constable Chen holds a low official rank, he is an experienced martial artist and one of our own, so his statements are the most trustworthy.

Officer Chen nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "Lord Xu's analysis makes a lot of sense, it's even the truth. I even think that since there's a fourth-rank official on the waterway, what about the other ambush points? Could there also be a fourth-rank official, or even more?"

"If the northern barbarians and Demon Race unite, deploying a certain number of fourth-rank warriors would be no problem."

In the martial arts world, a fourth-rank master is a big shot, a local tyrant. But in the imperial court, while fourth-rank masters aren't as numerous as hairs on a cow, they are certainly not lacking.

This is a very simple principle: if there are more fourth-rank officials in the martial arts world than in the imperial court, then the imperial court would not be the one ruling the world.

The northern barbarians and Demon Race were essentially a united court in the north.

"What, what should we do?"

The three civil officials were getting anxious.

If the enemy has even two fourth-rank soldiers, their team is in danger; if there are three, they will be completely wiped out.

The atmosphere inside the tent became silent and serious.

The three civil officials and Constable Chen frowned deeply. Despite the presence of a hundred imperial guards outside, along with their respective personal guards, they felt no sense of security whatsoever.

In fact, the delegation's security force was already quite sufficient, with a hundred imperial guards, dozens of bodyguards, four silver gongs, eight bronze gongs, and one fourth-rank gold gong.

Such a team, as long as it doesn't attract the attention of powerful forces, is enough to roam freely throughout the Great Feng, and can even escape unscathed from the north and northeast.

When Governor Zhang led his delegation to Yunzhou, it was of a similar size, and the journey was uneventful.

However, the current situation is that they are likely to be ambushed and targeted by the northern Demon Race and barbarian race, with a powerful force dominating the north behind them.

"Why did the northern barbarians and Demon Race ambush the princess? And how did they set up this ambush beforehand?" Constable Chen stared sharply at Chu Xianglong.

"This is none of your business," Chu Xianglong sneered.

Head Constable Chen angrily retorted, "If you knew beforehand that the enemy was a northern Demon Race and barbarians, why didn't you send the Imperial Guards to escort them? Why did you have to hide them inside the delegation?"

The terrible situation enraged him, and he no longer cared about Chu Xianglong's identity, adopting a confrontational attitude.

Yes, if we are mentally prepared for an ambush, wouldn't it be safer to directly dispatch the Imperial Guard for escort? After all, this is the territory of the Great Feng. Sending a large Imperial Guard to escort the Princess would only result in defeat for the northern barbarians and Demon Race, even if they send fourth-rank experts. After all, the Imperial Guard would definitely carry powerful magical Law Artifact, and there are many experts in the army itself.

But Emperor Yuanjing secretly sent his princess to infiltrate the delegation, without anyone knowing, to secretly leave the capital. This horrifying thought flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind:

They were guarding against enemies within the imperial court!

There were people within the court who didn't want the princess to go to the northern border to see the Prince of Huai. What would happen if the princess went north? There was indeed a deeper story behind it all.

Furthermore, how did the Demon Race and the barbarian race find out in advance and set up an ambush?

These clues are scattered and disorganized, giving me a headache.

Hearing the argument between Chu Xianglong and the three civil officials, Xu Qi'an pinched the bridge of his nose, lost in thought.

"Actually, I have an even simpler method: lure them into a trap, deliberately draw in experts from the barbarian and Demon Race, and extract information from them."

The more Xu Qi'an thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed. First of all, he possessed the Vajra Invincible skill, which was comparable to or even surpassed that of a fourth-rank expert. Even if he couldn't win a one-on-one fight against a fourth-rank expert, it would be difficult for the opponent to kill him.

After all, martial artists wouldn't target the Primordial Spirit with attacks. If it were a fourth-grade Daoist School, Xu Qi'an would have turned and left without a word, since his Primordial Spirit level was still at the sixth grade.

Even if his Primordial Spirit is stronger than most sixth-rank cultivators, he still couldn't possibly be a match for a fourth-rank Daoist School expert.

Secondly, he possesses a magic book gifted by Confucian School, which, in the game, would be an extremely rare skill scroll.

Even though my level is low, I'm willing to spend money on in-game purchases.

In the battle between Celestial Person and Man, it was precisely because of the effect of the Confucian School magic book that he compensated for the weakness of his Primordial Spirit, thus defeating Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen.

Finally, he also possessed a divine monk within him, which was his greatest source of confidence.

However, the existence of the monk Shenshu cannot be revealed. Even if he is summoned, it must be done without any teammates, otherwise the only option is to kill him to silence him. If it were just to save the princess, it wouldn't be worth me risking my life like this. Xu Qi'an rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb.

Rescuing the princess was just a side effect; his real purpose was to extract information.

"The north is the territory of the Prince of Zhenbei. If we go directly there, we'll be right under his surveillance. Every move we make will be under his watchful eye."

"In that case, I'll either not investigate the case at all, or I'll fight the Prince of Zhenbei to the death."

For a skilled and logically astute person, it's impossible to put themselves in such a passive position.

We must gather more clues and intelligence before reaching the north in order to formulate a plan and begin the investigation.

At that moment, the arguing stopped.

Chu Xianglong spread a map on the ground and said in a deep voice, "Has Yang Jinluo been followed along his journey?"

Yang Yan shook his head.

As a peak-level fourth-rank martial artist, few people could track him; a martial artist's intuition is not just for show.

Chu Xianglong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "Very good, then we still have a chance. In this situation, we definitely can't turn back. We should reach Jiangzhou City as soon as possible and seek help from the Jiangzhou Provincial Governor and the Jiangzhou Military Commander, asking them to mobilize the troops from the garrisons for defense."

Everyone nodded slowly.

Jiangzhou City is the main city of a province, with no shortage of troops and experts. Once inside Jiangzhou City, it will be safe. If any fourth-rank barbarian or Demon Race dares to invade the city, they are destined to never return.

"As long as we can successfully reach the main city of Jiangzhou, we can request aid from the imperial court, or directly dispatch the Jiangzhou army to escort the princess to the north," Chu Xianglong said.

"That makes sense." The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review nodded slowly.

"So next, we need to plan our marching route," Chu Xianglong said, pointing to the map.

"The shortest route to Jiangzhou is the official road we're currently on, which will take two days. However, this road is also the most dangerous. Therefore, we have to take a detour."

Constable Chen shook his head and retorted, "Taking a detour is just as dangerous. There are too many of us, including Zizhong and the women; we simply can't move fast. And the other side are skilled fighters traveling light and easily; they'll be locked on and caught up sooner or later."

Chu Xianglong smiled and said, "Therefore, we must abandon our carriages, horses, and some of our heavy equipment. We will travel light and avoid the official roads, instead engaging in guerrilla warfare with them."

It must be said that this was a very smart decision.

Although the opponent is highly skilled, it's impossible for them to bring troops when infiltrating enemy territory to set up an ambush. This would result in insufficient manpower, making a large-scale search impossible.

It was at this moment that Chu Xianglong truly demonstrated the qualities of an experienced general.

Such desertion is not uncommon during military campaigns.

Everyone looked at Xu Qi'an.

He's got some skills; to reach the position of Deputy General of the Prince of Zhenbei, he can't be mediocre. Xu Qi'an also felt that this arrangement was the best choice at present.

"I'm fine," he said calmly.

Chu Xianglong smiled smugly, his eyes filled with provocation and contempt as he looked at Chief Administrator Xu, as if to tell him:

That kid's still too green, he's not fully grown in. He needs to learn from him.

Immediately, the officials came out of their tents, gathered their troops, and issued orders to prepare for a night march.

Chu Xianglong woke up the maids, then stopped beside the carriage where the princess was, bowed and said, "Your Highness, something has happened."

A few seconds later, a woman's calm voice came from inside the carriage. "What is it?"

Chu Xianglong said in a low voice, "The ship was ambushed on the water and has sunk. We are still not out of danger, and the enemy may very well be pursuing us."

The maids, rubbing their eyes as they left the carriage, gasped in surprise upon hearing this.

The older woman, who was mixed in with the maids, shrank back in fright, a look of panic flashing in her eyes.

Chu Xianglong continued, "This humble general has decided to take the mountain path to evade pursuit. I urge Your Highness to prepare immediately and leave tonight."

The elderly woman hurriedly returned to the carriage to pack her luggage and provisions, displaying an astonishingly strong will to survive.

The maids then realized what was happening and began to busy themselves with their own tasks.

Abandoning some of their heavy loads and carrying only dry rations and water, the mission departed the official road, traversed fields and plains, and crossed mountains, beginning their arduous journey.

Yang Yan led the troops to the front, while Xu Qi'an led the Imperial Guards to the rear.

At dawn, the team took a short rest at the foot of the mountain to replenish their food and recover their strength.

Xu Qi'an munched on a tasteless sesame seed cake, took a sip of water, and was glad he hadn't brought his mare with him, otherwise his beloved mount would have been lost.

Soft footsteps approached, and turning around, I saw a tired-looking old lady.

She stood a short distance away, hesitant for a moment. Seeing Xu Qi'an looking over, she gritted her teeth, strode over, sat down beside Xu Qi'an, and whispered:

Will we be able to reach the North safely?

Xu Qi'an replied, "You are a maid in the Prince's mansion; you should ask Chu Xianglong about this."

I don't trust him. Holding the water bottle, she glanced worriedly at the crowd and whispered, "I'm a little scared."

She was terrified, so she instinctively sought out Xu Qi'an. Perhaps in her heart, within this delegation, the one who truly made her feel safe was neither Jin Luo Yang Yan nor Chu Xianglong, who swore allegiance to the Prince of Zhenbei.

Rather, it was the young Nightwatchers kept teasing her along the way; the silver gong who made a name for himself in the magical duel; the man who, on the Wei River, subdued heaven and man with both hands.

"Are you afraid of dying?" Xu Qi'an asked expressionlessly.

She nodded, then shook her head.

"Chu Xianglong's plan is sound. If we're lucky, we'll arrive in Jiangzhou safely. Once we're there, we'll be safe. Besides, what's there to be afraid of, you're just a lowly maid? If things go wrong, just run away. Why would a fourth-rank master like him bother with you?"

Xu Qi'an mocked her for being timid.

"I'm afraid I won't make it to Jiangzhou," she sighed.

After traveling all night for just over two hours, her legs were already weak and she could no longer walk.

"Shall I carry you on my back?" Xu Qi'an suggested.

She shook her head.

"If, if the pursuers intercept us, will you—" she changed her mind, "Will the Nightwatchers protect the princess?"

When she asked this question, her eyes sparkled with hope, like stars.

It seemed that she would feel at ease as long as Xu Qi'an gave her a positive answer.

"Of course not," Xu Qi'an refused outright.

"Our mission is to investigate the case, not to protect the princess. Her life or death is none of our concern. If the enemy is too powerful, we'll just run away ourselves. After all, their target is the princess."

I see. The light in her eyes dimmed little by little. She silently got up, returned to her seat, and hugged her knees.

She stood out from the crowd, appearing lonely and pitiful.

Fifteen minutes later, Chu Xianglong stood up and shouted, "Continue on!"

The well-trained imperial guards and personal guards silently rose, shouldered their packs, picked up their weapons, and prepared to depart.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qi'an's hair stood on end. The next moment, an image naturally appeared in his mind: a huge rock crashing down from the forest above.

Almost simultaneously, Yang Yan, who was in front, suddenly looked up, his gaze fixed intently on the mountain behind him.

call.

A huge rock, about two zhang tall, was thrown down the mountain and landed at the heart of the group.

The other warriors in the delegation were a beat slower, only reacting when the boulder was thrown. The ordinary soldiers and maids, however, hadn't even realized what was happening yet.

PS: I spent a long time working on the detailed outline today.