Xu Qi'an's Plan

Just as everyone was getting excited, Xu Qi'an suddenly put down the scroll and said, "Everyone, escort the lords away. Do not interfere in the battle."

It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over everyone's heads.

Chen Xiao was extremely anxious. "Lord Xu, I am willing to fight alongside you, even unto death."

The imperial guards growled, "We are willing to fight alongside Lord Xu, even unto death!"

If you have artillery and ballistae, I wouldn't mind if you helped me with the rearguard action, but how can we compete with their massive, muscular forces relying solely on these small pistols like crossbows? Xu Qi'an said angrily, his face grim:

"That's an order!"

The Imperial Guards were both angry and anxious, not understanding why he had issued such an order.

Xu Qi'an was on high alert, wary of a sudden attack from two fourth-rank officials. Seeing that Chen Xiao still refused to obey, his anger flared up, and he said fiercely:

"You'll only be throwing your lives away if you stay. If you don't leave, I'll kill you right now."

Chen Xiao understood. Lord Xu insisted on their retreat to protect them, not wanting to see his brothers sacrifice themselves in vain.

His eyes welled with tears, and he cupped his hands in respect, saying, "Lord Xu, please, please take care."

The Imperial Guards understood Xu Qi'an's meaning, and their eyes immediately reddened.

"Lord Xu, I am deeply grateful. If I can escape this crisis, I will surely repay you in the future." The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review walked to Xu Qi'an's side and bowed deeply.

The two imperial censors bowed deeply and said, "Lord Xu, please take care."

You've used all of these methods; it's rare for a censor of such integrity.

Chief Constable Chen cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, remaining silent, but the gratitude and respect in his eyes were no less than the previous two. Behind him, several other constables also cupped their hands in a solemn manner.

"Get lost."

Xu Qi'an ignored them and put the book back in his mouth.

Tang Shanjun and Zhamuha, two fourth-rank experts, did not stop them. They watched the onlookers leave with indifference, their eyes fixed on Xu Qi'an.

"His qi fluctuations aren't strong, indicating he's not a fourth-rank martial artist. However, he has an extremely thorough understanding of the Vajra Divine Skill."

Tangshan Jun twisted his dragon body, examined it for a moment, and gave his opinion.

"He's chewing on a Confucian School book of Law Technique. His combat strength isn't even at the fourth rank. Ha, books always run out eventually. Kill him."

Malzahar, covered in black fur, sneered.

Tang Shanjun's abdomen swelled up, revealing a "round ball" that rushed up to his throat and suddenly spewed out.

In an instant, a thick, foul-smelling "rain" swept across the area, covering Xu Qi'an within a radius of several dozen meters, leaving him no way to escape.

A radiant Golden Core rose up, emitting light. The viscous, foul-smelling liquid that touched its light was completely swatted away, not a drop touching it.

Ta-da!

At this moment, Zharmuha seized the opportunity to charge forward, his ten-foot-tall body colliding with Xu Qi'an, and attempting to snatch the scroll from his mouth.

"Smack!"

Xu Qi'an snapped his fingers, igniting the paper he was holding between his fingers, as well as a black hair inside the paper.

Zharmuha, who was running wildly, suddenly stopped, as if he had been hit on the head with a wooden stick, and knelt down in pain.

Curse Killing Technique!

Just as Xu Qi'an was about to seize this opportunity to beat the dog when the wind whistled past his ears and Tang Shanjun's dragon head crashed down fiercely.

The sound was like a resounding bell, and Xu Qi'an flew backwards and embedded himself in the mountain, causing rocks to tumble down.

The next moment, he rushed out unharmed, tore off a few pages of paper, held them in his hand, and coldly stared at the two fourth-rank experts.

Aside from his magic book, his strongest attack is "Heaven and Earth One Slash," but due to his own cultivation level, it's impossible for him to break through the physical defenses of a fourth-rank expert.

On the contrary, it will leave you in a weakened state.

Therefore, aside from the defensive Vajra Divine Skill, he did not intend to use the "Heaven and Earth One-Slash Slash," but instead used the Confucian School magic book to restrain the enemy.

But as the two fourth-ranked individuals said, the spellbooks will eventually run out.

Fourth-rank martial artists and Demon Race are known for their resilience, and Xu Qi'an doesn't believe he can kill anyone using the magic book unless he Confucian School innate skill: Law Follows Speech.

However, the consequences of his Law Follows Speech were too great. During the battle between Celestial Person and man, he almost lost his soul because his "Primordial Spirit was strengthened tenfold." It was Li Miaozhen who helped him recall his soul.

Yang Yan, this crude and uncouth martial artist, clearly doesn't possess the sophisticated and high-class skill of summoning spirits; he'd be more suited to digging up graves, Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

Therefore, the key to victory or defeat in this battle is not whether he can kill the enemy, but when Yang Yan can kill the enemy.

Turning his head, he saw that although the woman in the red dress was at a disadvantage in every way, she had managed to hold on to Yang Yan's gun. No matter how Yang Yan stabbed her, she didn't cry out and tried her best to fight back.

There are strong and weak among fourth-rank martial artists, but it's hard to determine a winner in a short time. This woman is not only seductive, but also more durable than I imagined. Xu Qi'an sighed helplessly.

He showed no sign of anxiety, spat out the scroll, held it in his hand, swung it a few times, and laughed, "The Law Technique in this book are indeed limited, but they're enough to deal with the two of you."

As he spoke, he tore off another page of paper, burned it, and smeared the ashes on the blade of his black and gold longsword.

In an instant, the black and gold longsword seemed to come alive, "whoosh" as it pierced through the air, nimbly circling and flying, attacking Tangshan Jun from different angles.

The seventh rank of Daoist arts, the Qi-absorbing level, allows Daoists to manipulate Law Artifact; their signature skill is the flying sword.

A massive body implies an advantage in strength, but the corresponding drawbacks are also revealed. Apart from using his aura to impact the "flying knife," Tang Shan Jun lacks other effective means.

If it were an ordinary weapon, it wouldn't have caused any pain or discomfort. But this blade was exceptionally sharp, and when it struck the scales, it caused excruciating pain.

call.

Zharmuha picked up a huge rock and threw it at Xu Qi'an.

Boom boom boom!

Huge boulders rained down on him, Xu Qi'an ran wildly up the mountain, dodging the meteor-like rocks.

Tang Shanjun, enraged by the pain from the "flying knife," roamed the mountains and forests, chasing Xu Qi'an. Trees snapped and boulders rolled down, becoming weapons for Zharmuha.

"Boom!"

After a giant boulder blocked the road, Tang Shanjun intercepted Xu Qi'an. His enormous dragon head looked down from above, emitting a deafening roar:

"Got you!"

Its hundred-foot-long body shrank dramatically, transforming into a two-foot-long body as thick as an arm, which completely bound Xu Qi'an.

Taking advantage of the fact that his hands and feet were bound, Tang Shanjun opened his mouth and bit Xu Qi'an's face, trying to take away or destroy the scroll.

It missed its target, Xu Qi'an's figure suddenly disappeared, reappearing a hundred meters away. He raised his hand and gently blew away the ashes in his palm.

The Warlock's teleportation array.

"You have the capabilities of every system?" Tang Shanjun roared.

The cooked duck flew away, nearly causing the duck to lose its temper and wreak havoc.

They're too difficult to deal with.

The scroll in the silver gong's hand contained far more Law Technique and covered a wider range of topics than Tangshan Jun and Zhamuha had imagined.

A scroll like this is more precious than most Law Artifact.

Who is he to possess such a priceless treasure?

Because Xu Qi'an was a martial artist, the two did not consider his identity as a student of Confucian School academy, and guessed that he had another true identity.

Suddenly, the woman in the red dress, who was engaged in a fierce battle in the distance, let out a shrill scream, then abandoned Yang Yan and fled to the north.

This is a signal to evacuate.

Tang Shanjun and Zhalmuha glanced at Xu Qi'an reluctantly before retreating with the woman in the red dress.

Whew, they're finally gone! Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief.

If this continues, the "magic book" that Dean Zhao Shou gave him will really be exhausted. Even so, he has already used a quarter of it, and he feels so heartbroken that he can hardly breathe.

"Martial artists are indeed difficult to deal with. Unless there's a huge difference in rank, it's impossible to determine a winner in a short period of time. Hmm, if I were a fourth-rank martial artist, I might become a maverick, always using only one strike—either you die, or I die."

Thinking to himself, he turned to look at Yang Yan and said loudly, "Boss, proceed according to plan. You go find the delegation, I'll go rescue the princess."

Yang Yan nodded, hesitated for a moment, and replied, "Can you do it?"

Xu Qi'an grinned and said, "I haven't used the Confucian School Law Technique of 'Law Follows Speech law' yet. I was just warming up. Don't worry, boss, don't fret about me."

"With my current skill level, even a fourth-rank martial artist can't stop me from leaving."

His Vajra Divine Skill's defensive power even surpasses that of an ordinary fourth-rank martial artist.

After parting ways with Yang Yan, Xu Qi'an communicated with the monk Shenshu in his mind, "Master, remember not to destroy your Primordial Spirit when you kill someone."

The gentle voice of the monk Shenshu echoed in my mind, "This humble monk understands."

Ever since deciding to retaliate against the northern Demon Race last night, Xu Qi'an had been trying to communicate with Shen Shu to awaken him, but to no avail. In frustration, he shouted in his heart:

Shen Shu nmsl.

Shen Shu then woke up

Shen Shu Monk readily agreed to Xu Qi'an's suggestion without the slightest hesitation. The Essence Blood of a fourth-rank expert was nothing short of a powerful tonic for Shen Shu Monk.

Such prey is rare on ordinary days, and this opportunity is now extremely rare.

Even the monk Shenshu was more anxious than Xu Qi'an. If Yang Yan hadn't been there, Tang Shanjun and Zharmuha would already be dried corpses.

"Perhaps there are more than three fourth-rank officials. They must have had helpers, otherwise they wouldn't have let Chu Xianglong escape just now." Xu Qi'an said as he tore off the paper recording the Qi-Watching Technique.

Detecting fate can sometimes be used as a tracking method.

"For this humble monk, the more the better," said Monk Shenshu, his gentle voice tinged with a smile.

Chu Xianglong traversed mountains and valleys, carrying the imposter princess on his back as they fled for their lives.

He was a fifth-rank expert in martial arts, and among the generals under the Prince of Zhenbei, he could only be considered above average. Of course, leading troops in battle cannot be judged solely on individual martial prowess.

Chu Xianglong possesses exceptional leadership skills and extensive battlefield experience. The Prince of Zhenbei would feel much more at ease entrusting an army of 50,000 men to him than to a mere fourth-rank military officer.

"If I escape with the 'princess,' I'll become the target of everyone's attacks and their primary target. Once they catch up, I'll throw the woman off my back."

"Once they realize it's fake, at most they'll send one person to hunt me down, or they might not even hunt me down at all, but instead gather their forces to intercept the rest of the people."

"If my training hadn't gone awry, I could have run even faster. I hope Yang Yan can hold out a little longer. Xu Qi'an's Vajra Divine Skill is no less defensive than a fourth-rank expert; even killing him wouldn't be easy. Add Yang Yan to the mix, and he should be able to hold out against three fourth-rank experts for half an hour without any problem."

"If Xu Qi'an still had Confucian School Law Technique scrolls, he could buy me some more time. But hey, there aren't that many of those things; they're definitely gone. That's not important. As long as I can buy some time, I can escape."

"The members of the delegation are probably in grave danger. It doesn't matter if they die; they're just insignificant people. How can they be compared to the Princess or my life? Especially Xu Qi'an, who has been opposing me at every turn. He deserves to die."

As Chu Xianglong ran and pondered, he suddenly heard a sharp whooshing sound.

His martial artist's instincts allowed him to move without thinking, and his extraordinary fifth-grade internal energy allowed him to ignore the momentum of running. He nimbly leaped to the left, dodging the attack from the air.

Where I had been standing, a white, thread-like object appeared, resembling a ball of silk spun by a spider.

Chu Xianglong looked up at the sky, and then his expression suddenly changed drastically.

In the azure sky, a monster resembling a spider, but with wings sprouting from its ribs, floats in the air.

On its back stood a man dressed in a tiger skin, tall and imposing with rugged features, a typical northern appearance. But unlike ordinary barbarians, he had a vertical eye on his forehead.

This person is called Tianlang, the leader of the Jinmu tribe among the twelve tribes of the barbarian race.

The Jinmu tribe is the flying cavalry among the twelve tribes of the barbarian race. Every adult member of the tribe keeps a feathered spider, which is a natural scout.

In the battles against the barbarians, the Jinmu tribe was always the most troublesome force for the northern garrison. As everyone knows, warriors below the fourth rank cannot fly.

Even those at the fourth rank can only fly briefly, and their flight altitude is limited.

However, the real reason for Chu Xianglong's drastic change in expression was not surprise that the enemy also had a fourth-rank member, but rather that fine threads hung from the protruding fangs of the feathered spider, and at the end of each thread was a maidservant bound by the silk threads.

The real princess was among them.

Chu Xianglong thought that when the clam and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits, but in reality, the other party is the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

Sirius removed the hard bow from his back, drew out an arrow, pulled back the string, and the massive bow instantly bent into a full moon.

With a snap, the strings vibrated, and the arrow transformed into a streak of light. Chu Xianglong gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve, lifting the woman he was carrying on his shoulder high, using her as a shield.

Puff!

The arrow suddenly changed direction and sank into the surrounding soil, avoiding the princess.

Collapse, collapse, collapse.

The wolf with a vertical eye between its brows kept drawing its bow, its arrows shooting straight or curving, attacking Chu Xianglong from all angles. But as long as he was determined to use the princess to block, the arrows would automatically dodge.

Chu Xianglong ran with his head down, not using his eyes to see, but relying solely on a martial artist's instinct for danger to catch the arrows.

Deep craters kept exploding in the ground, caused by arrows falling around him. Occasionally, an arrow would break through the princess's shield and hit him, only causing Chu Xianglong to stagger slightly.

But a strong sense of anxiety welled up in Chu Xianglong's heart.

"Tianlang is a fourth-rank official. His arrows carry 'intention,' and at most ten arrows will break my copper skin and iron bones. If I am accidentally hit in the same spot by two arrows at the same time, three arrows will break through my defenses."

What to do, what to do?

The situation spiraled out of control; the real queen was now trapped, so he couldn't escape either, because the enemy would no longer divide their forces to hunt down the scattered maids, but would instead focus all their efforts on killing him.

Suddenly, Chu Xianglong saw that the dense forest ahead was covered with a layer of white frost, as if it were covered with snow.

Upon closer inspection, it turns out to be clumps of spider silk. This silk is not poisonous, but it has a strong adhesive force.

If he recklessly barges in, he'll surely be covered in spider silk, making his movements sluggish.

Sirius deliberately drove me this way; he had already set a trap. In a flash of thought, Chu Xianglong noticed that there was a plain on the left and a mountain range on the right, so he immediately chose the mountain range.

Ignoring inertia, it turned to the left, attempting to escape into the mountains.

The best way to deal with flying riders is to hide in the dense forest and avoid being seen.

At that moment, Wu Fu's dangerous intuition allowed him to detect the arrow that Tian Lang had predicted, and without thinking, he dodged it with a sidestep.

Clang. Thud. Two different sounds. An arrow struck Chu Xianglong in the back and broke off. A second arrow followed closely behind, striking the same spot.

The second arrow pierced his back.

"Hehe."

Chu Xianglong is not dead; he still has a sliver of hope.

Sirius, riding the Feather Spider, descended and walked up to Chu Xianglong. Meeting his gaze, he said calmly, "You're lucky. Those two arrows weren't aimed at you; you ran right into them."

"Don't trust a warrior's intuition too much. It can only detect malicious attacks for a fleeting moment. In that fleeting moment, if another attack occurs, it cannot provide a warning."

"This was all your plan," Chu Xianglong stared intently at him, his face full of resentment.

"Isn't it a hunter's duty to set traps?" Sirius said indifferently, without a trace of smugness.

He picked up the trembling "princess" and carried her back to Yu Zhu's side, placing her with the other maids.

Then I stood beside the feathered spider, stroked its back, and waited silently.

A quarter of an hour later, the woman in the red dress, the giant Zharmuha, and Tangshanjun, who had transformed into human form, arrived together. The energy beneath their feet exploded, propelling them into the air.

The three landed not far away.

"You look disheveled. The three of you couldn't kill Yang Yan even when you joined forces?" Tianlang said expressionlessly.

His gaze lingered on the woman in the red dress for a moment, then swept over the three men's waists, but Yang Yan's head was nowhere to be seen.

"We've run into trouble. There's a tough one in the delegation," Hongling explained with a grim expression.

"A tough nut to crack?" Sirius frowned.

"My injury was inflicted by Yang Yan, while the two of them were tied up," Hong Ling snorted.

Tianlang cast an inquiring glance at Tangshanjun and Zhamuha.

"A mere silver-ranked monk, whose strength is nothing special, yet he possesses the Vajra Divine Skill of Buddhist School protecting him; he seems to be a martial monk," Zhamuha said.

"He possesses a Confucian School book that records various systems of Law Technique, making him extremely difficult to deal with. Even the two of us combined were unable to subdue him." Tang Shanjun, dressed in black robes, possessed a feminine demeanor, but his vertical pupils were cold and ruthless.

Tianlang nodded, not taking it to heart, then turned to the hooded princess and said, "This is fake; the real one should be among these maids."

Hongling lifted the veil of the fake princess, revealing a pretty face. The imposter princess was pale, her eyes filled with immense fear, and her shoulders trembled.

"Slurp."

From Hongling's small mouth, a long, forked tongue emerged and licked the fake princess's cheek. She smiled and said, "Tell me, who is the real princess?"

Her voice was soft and charming, but her Great Feng was not quite standard.

"I... I don't know."

The fake princess trembled, her pretty face drained of color, and stammered, "I am just a maidservant who serves the princess. The real, the real princess is not here."

The woman in the red dress sighed, "I'm not satisfied with this answer, so I'll grant you a kiss."

She lowered her head and kissed the fake princess's lips passionately in front of the three men.

The fake princess's eyes suddenly widened, and her limbs convulsed violently, as if she had experienced extreme pain. Her cheeks quickly withered, her flesh dissolved, and she became a skin and bones desiccated corpse.

The woman in the red dress let out a satisfied sigh, her face radiant.

Seeing this, the maids bound by the spider webs turned pale. Some trembled convulsively, while others broke down in tears, fearing they would be next.

The princess was among them. She stared blankly at the tragic death of her personal maid, feeling a pang of envy amidst her grief and sorrow.

Because she knew what fate awaited her: falling into the hands of barbarians, even death might be a luxury.

No one can save me, no one can save me from the hands of four powerful figures from the north, unless the Prince of Huai comes in person. The princess thought tremblingly.

It has finally come to this. When leaving the capital, I was filled with anxiety, both fear of meeting the Prince of Zhenbei and uncertainty and worry about the road ahead.

Until she saw Little Silver Gong on the deck that day, she suddenly felt much more at ease, thinking that at least the journey would go smoothly.

This feeling was strange. Ultimately, it was probably because that kid's record was truly impressive, which made her feel safe from the bottom of her heart.

Then the official boat was ambushed at the scree beach, and her worries became a reality, causing her heart to clench.

That's why not long ago, she cautiously probed Xu Qi'an, asking him if he would abandon the princess.

At that time, she experienced for the first time what it felt like for a vulnerable woman to depend on a man.

His answer was disappointing.

By now, the princess had given up all hope. In the Great Feng, there were very few people who could single-handedly rescue her from four fourth-rank martial artists—no, probably only the Prince of Zhenbei.

He was in the north at that time.

It seemed the delegation was alright; they hadn't been able to do anything to Xu Qi'an. He had actually forced back two fourth-rank officials. The princess's eyes filled with tears, but she felt a little comforted.

"Deputy General Chu, why don't you tell me who the princess is?" Hongling picked up the dying Chu Xianglong and threw him in front of the maids.

Chu Xianglong's gaze swept over the maids, and he grinned, "Who told you the Princess Consort was here? The Princess Consort never left the capital; you've all fallen for their trap."

A sense of melancholy welled up in the princess's heart, a feeling of shared sorrow. Although this deputy general was annoying, he was indeed loyal to the Prince of Huai.

Tang Shanjun said ominously, "Then I'll eat all these women."

"Eat, eat quickly!"

Chu Xianglong, panting heavily, sneered.

The princess's heart sank. Chu Xianglong wanted her dead. What the Prince of Huai could not have, even if destroyed, should not fall into the hands of the northern barbarians.

He's lying.

The sound came from the dense forest. Everyone turned to look and saw a young man in white standing with his hands behind his back and a faint smile on his face.

You've come at the perfect time.

"Giant" Zharmuha said in a deep, booming voice, "Use your Qi-Watching Technique to see who the queen is!"

"I can't see it." The white-robed Warlock shook his head.

"A magical Law Artifact that can conceal one's aura?" Sirius mused.

"Use your brains! The princess is an absolute beauty, how could these ordinary women compare? She must be carrying a magical Law Artifact to conceal her aura."

The white-robed Warlock raised his chin, seemingly disdainful of the intelligence of the barbarian and Demon Race experts present, and sneered:

"Use your not-so-bright brains to think about it. Just strip them naked and remove their jewelry, and you'll know who the princess is."

"Great idea!" Hongling giggled.

"You Warlock are all so arrogant and annoying, but I really like your idea. Tsk tsk, it's rumored that the Queen is the most beautiful woman in the Great Feng Dynasty, elegant and noble. I'd like to see if she's really that noble after all, and see how she's any different from us common beauties."

The princess bit her lip tightly, her eyes filled with despair.

Just then, another laugh came from afar, responding to the woman in the red dress:

"Is it the difference between one being set with diamonds and the other with glass?"

Hongling, Tianlang, and the others suddenly turned around and saw a young man wearing a sable hat and carrying a long sword at his waist, standing in the grass dozens of feet away.

When did he appear?

The moment the princess saw Xu Qi'an, her dark, moist eyes suddenly lit up with an unprecedented light, as if they contained stars.

But in the next moment, it turned into anxiety and worry.

What is he doing here, coming to his death?

"Oh, it's you."

Hongling scrutinized him with suspicion, then her eyes darted around before she said sweetly, "Where's Yang Yan? Where is he hiding? Are you two really not afraid of death, daring to walk right into our trap?"

"Who is he?" Tianlang frowned.

"That's the Silver Gong I mentioned earlier. He's not very skilled, but he's extremely difficult to deal with because of his Confucian School scholarship." Tang Shanjun's vertical pupils were icy, and his tone was chilling.

The wolf with a vertical eye between its brows chuckled, "Confucian School books are good things; with them, they can be surprisingly effective in battle."

The giant Malzahar nodded. He and Tangshan Jun understood this best, and their greed was even greater.

Hongling raised her hand, held up three delicate white fingers, licked her lips, and smiled, "Finish him off within three breaths, before he has a chance to cast Law Technique. Otherwise, even if we manage to snatch the Confucian School scrolls, there won't be enough to go around."

Tang Shanjun sneered, "Whoever beheads the other gets half a page."

Giant Malzahar, Sirius, and Red Lotus nodded slowly, "No problem."

Tang Shanjun added ominously, "I wonder if there are any Daoist School or shamanic Law Technique for raising ghosts in the scrolls. I want to raise him into a vengeful ghost, keep him by my side to torment him, and make sure he can never be reincarnated."

That kid just embarrassed him.

The four experts seemed to be eyeing prey, and a rare and desirable one at that.

"Don't rush, let me see if there's anything strange about him first." The white-robed Warlock laughed, "He dares to come here alone, he must have something to rely on. Perhaps, this is just an avatar."

After speaking, he used his Qi-Watching Technique to scrutinize Xu Qi'an.

Hearing the conversation between the northern experts, the princess's heart skipped a beat, and she screamed, "Xu Qi'an, you ignorant brat, you scoundrel, get out of here!"

Her voice was suddenly interrupted by a scream.

The white-robed Warlock raised his hands, covered his eyes, and streaks of blood seeped from between his fingers.

The princess stared blankly at the white-robed Warlock, wondering what had happened to him.

"Escape, escape quickly! Take me with you!" The white-robed Warlock squeezed out these words through gritted teeth.

The expressions of the four experts, Hong Ling, Tang Shanjun, Tianlang, and Zharmuha, changed drastically.

PS: Thanks to "MySw" for the generous donation. This chapter has a lot of action scenes and is quite long, so the update is late.