C13 Helping Him out

The foliage ahead was verdant, and a flock of birds burst from the dense woods, soaring into the sky. A subtle but unmistakable aura of menace followed, signaling hidden enemies within the forest!

Xiao He, the captain, with his wealth of real-world combat experience, immediately recognized the danger. His face turned grave as he deduced from the birds' startled flight that ambushes lay on both sides of the official road—and not in small numbers.

"Uncle Hai, ensure the young lady's safety. At the first sign of danger, flee this place at once!" Xiao He instructed Ling Hai with utmost seriousness. He gestured, and the twelve Silver Guards formed a protective line in front of the carriage. An eerie calm settled over the area as twelve warhorses pawed at the ground, restless with trepidation. Feng Yimo's carriage, laden with an assortment of items, brought up the rear. The Marquis' daughter required everything from cookware and toiletries to military tents and spare clothes for her journey. Initially, Yimo had been expected to walk, but his slow pace and commendable behavior earned him a rare exception to ride.

The carriage driver, seized by panic, shook uncontrollably. Though he hadn't laid eyes on the bandits, he sensed impending doom. He was about to leap from the carriage and flee when an arrow whistled from the distance, pinning him fatally to his seat. The driver ahead met the same grisly fate.

"Armor-breaking Crossbow!" Xiao He exclaimed, turning to see the long, thick arrow shaft. Ordinary arrows could travel a mere hundred steps, but the formidable Armor-breaking Crossbow had a range of five hundred!

"Protect the young lady! Charge!" Xiao He made the wisest call to action, spurring his horse forward. Against the might of the armor-piercing ballista, resistance was in vain. Their only recourse was to swiftly eliminate the bandits; otherwise, they were all doomed. Besides, such elite weaponry was scarce—likely no more than one or two.

As expected, arrow shafts shot from both sides. Xiao He deftly sliced through an incoming armor-piercing arrow and charged at the forefront into the throng of black-clad assailants emerging from the forest. With a slight lean, his treasured sword cleaved through a bandit's skull. The body stumbled forward several paces before collapsing to the earth.

The twelve Silver Guards operated like a dozen lethal automatons. In just a few swift assaults, over forty adversaries in black lay slain in pools of blood. As the other Silver Guards were poised to celebrate, Xiao He's attention was drawn to the dense forest; he sensed that the murderous aura lingered, signaling that the danger was far from over.

"Friend, reveal yourself!" Xiao He commanded, drenched in blood, with droplets falling from his silver armor. His formidable presence, charged with a deadly aura, earned him silent commendation from Feng Yimo, who had been closely observing the conflict. Truly, a heroic figure!

"Indeed, to find someone of your caliber within the military is a surprise. The secular realm is not entirely filled with incompetence. With your prowess and experience, surely you are more than a mere Silver Guard? I've heard tales of the Marquis of Tiyang's eighteen elusive Gold Guards. Perhaps you are one of them?" the voice inquired.

With the echo of his words still hanging in the air, a middle-aged man in his forties emerged from the woods. Adorned with a square scarf and dressed in a dark green robe, his hair was coiled into a bun atop his head, and he approached unarmed. With each stride covering an impressive distance, he seemed to glide over the grass, rapidly closing the gap to confront the Silver Guards.

Behind them, Ling Hai wasted no time. He leapt to the driver's seat, spun the horses around, and urged the carriage into a frenzied dash. They were up against a cultivator, an opponent beyond the Silver Guards' capacity to contend with. Delaying their escape would be fatal. Inside the carriage, Ling Ya and Qiu Ju clung to the sides, their faces drained of color, too terrified to utter a sound. Never before had they seen Uncle Hai in such a state of panic.

The middle-aged man allowed himself a slight smile, making no move to pursue. To him, these soldiers were mere insects, incapable of eluding his grasp.

Xiao He's eyes narrowed, fixated on the man before him, a bitter taste in his mouth. Against a cultivator, not even a dozen Silver Guards—no, not even fifty—stood a chance. Yet, to secure precious moments for the young miss, he was prepared to fight to the death. His life would be the price paid for her survival.

"Formation, now!" Xiao He bellowed, and the eleven warhorses surged into action, encircling the middle-aged cultivator in a whirlwind of dust. Yet with a mere gesture, the cultivator dispersed the dust as if swiped away by an unseen giant hand, leaving the air crystal clear.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Undaunted by the peril, the Silver Robed Guards drew their powerful crossbows and took aim at the cultivator. With a flick of his sleeve, the incoming bolts reversed course, striking back with even greater force and piercing the guards' armor. Seven fell from their steeds in an instant. The riderless horses scattered in terror. An arrow struck Xiao He's arm, staining his silver armor with blood. Desperation in his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the carriage carrying the young miss speeding away. Clenching his sword, he spurred his horse forward, determined to confront the middle-aged cultivator head-on.

"Kill!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" echoed the cries of the remaining four guards, brandishing their weapons as they charged with tragic resolve. They knew it was a death march, yet they did not flinch. Feng Yimo, deeply touched and admiring their courage, unleashed his formidable Divine Sense, enveloping the middle-aged cultivator.

The cultivator let out a cold laugh, summoning a flying sword that glowed ominously, ready to claim the lives of the five men before pursuing his quarry. But then, an overwhelming Divine Sense wrapped around him, making his heart race. His third-level Qi Refinement was like a tiny boat in a vast sea, at the mercy of the waves. He was in the presence of a Foundation Establishment senior! Abandoning his murderous intent, he retreated in a panic, screaming, "Senior, have mercy!"

As the intense Divine Sense withdrew, the cultivator, drenched in sweat, dared not linger and fled in utter disarray.

Xiao He and the other four guards were left in shock. They had braced themselves for certain death, yet unexpectedly, their foe had turned tail. Relief washed over them as they realized they had narrowly escaped the jaws of death.

One of them assisted the captain with his wound dressing, while the other three buried their fallen comrades and regrouped with their horses. They set off in pursuit of the young lady. As they passed Feng Yimo's carriage, they were surprised to find that the newly acquired servant girl hadn't fled. Xiao He reined in his warhorse, eyeing Feng Yimo with curiosity. "Why didn't you run away?"

With a composed demeanor, Feng Yimo remained silent, pushing aside the coachman's body. She turned the carriage around and followed the warhorse.

"Come on, let's find the young miss!" Xiao He, impressed by Feng Yimo's bravery, flicked his wrist, launching a sleeve arrow into the air. The arrow soared more than a hundred feet before bursting, emitting a shrill, pleasing sound—the distinctive signal of the Marquis of Yang Earth.

Uncle Hai, who had been galloping in the distance, reined in his carriage in disbelief, looking back. Had Xiao He and his group really overcome the cultivators?

While he hesitated, twelve warhorses came into view, though seven were riderless. Trailing them was a leisurely moving carriage, now driven by the flower slave.

Ling Hai, filled with joy, whispered to Ling Ya inside the carriage, "Young Miss, Xiao He and the rest have returned!"

"Where are they?" Ling Ya, bursting with excitement, threw back the curtain and leaped out to greet the returning heroes.

...

After a thorough discussion, they resolved to retrace their steps along the original path. Considering the failed assassination attempt, they didn't expect a second assault. They had already deployed cultivators, and for such esteemed beings to fail once, it was unlikely they'd stoop to attacking mere mortals a second time. Besides, taking a detour would add ten days to their journey, time they couldn't afford. The longer the delay, the greater the risk of danger.

Once again, they reached the site of the ambush. The bodies that once littered the ground had vanished. Xiao He and his companions dared not press on.