Green Mountain

When the dense iron cavalry arrived at the city gate, only the guards were left pressed to the ground.

The mountain talisman suspended in the air slowly burned, like a lantern hanging in the sky, its firelight illuminating everything with immense weight.

Leading into the firelight, the Hu Ben Army’s horses collapsed under the strain, and the cavalrymen behind hurriedly tightened their reins, stopping outside the firelight.

The Great Commander of the Hu Ben Army sat upright on his horse, looking up at the talisman paper: "Wait, it’s the Temple of Martial Arts’ Mountain Talisman."

The mountain talisman took another thirty minutes to burn out completely, and the Great Commander spurred his horse forward, looking down at the guards awkwardly getting up: "Did Chang Sheng and Qiubai from the Temple of Martial Arts come by just now?"

The guards quickly clasped their hands in answer: "Reporting to the Great Commander, it was indeed Chang Sheng and Qiubai."

The Great Commander expressionlessly asked again: "Did they take the thief away?"

The guards were startled: "No, it was them who let the thief go, and even this city gate was broken by Qiubai!"

The Great Commander was somewhat surprised.

Within the Hu Ben Army, a close confidant whispered, "Great Commander, Chang Sheng and Qiubai are people from the West State Road, Chang Sheng’s father is the current Governor of Zhenzhou, and Qiubai’s father was once the Military Governor of the West State Road... Could it be that the West State Road covets the Temple of Martial Arts?"

The Great Commander raised his right hand to stop the conversation and signaled with a light wave to the people behind him: "Kill all who know."

Ten Hu Ben Army members immediately dismounted, drew their swords, rushed into the city gate, and grabbed the guards by the hair to slit their throats one by one. After killing the guards, the Hu Ben Army rushed up the gate tower and slaughtered the crossbowmen and the Vice General guarding the city together.

Over a thousand Hu Ben Army soldiers stood silently below the city, listening indifferently to the cries and pleas coming from the city tower.

The Hu Ben Army, bloodied, returned to stand before the Great Commander, clasping their hands: "Great Commander, the thief slaughtered all the West Gate’s guards while escaping, not one survived."

The Great Commander grunted: "Release the Mao Jun, find them."

Three Hu Ben Army members came forward, each with a Mao Jun perched on their arms, wearing hoods. The Hu Ben Army members removed the hoods, gave a shake of their wrists, and the Mao Jun spread their wings, flying into the night sky in the directions of north, east, and west.

After a while, the Mao Jun flying to the west circled in the sky and returned first.

The Great Commander spurred his horse out of the city heading west: "Chase."

The confidant whispered next to him, "Should this matter be reported to Master?"

"No need," the Great Commander replied without turning his head: "The homing pigeon that arrived from Shangjing today stated to kill without mercy."

...

...

In the darkness, Zhaolei was steaming white all over, her steps had slowed significantly, but she still persisted.

Chen Ji looked back and saw the Hu Ben Army not pursuing, then patted Zhaolei: "Take a break, you’ve been running since morning, it’s been tough."

Zhaolei neighed and slowed her pace.

Chen Ji dismounted, took the water pouch from the saddle, and put it to Zhaolei’s mouth, giving her more than half: "Bai Xingzhen wasn’t wrong, you really shouldn’t have been penned in the Duke Huang Mansion. Don’t worry, you’re family now and won’t be tied up in the stables every day."

Zhaolei raised her head, stepping in place with her hooves, her mouth wide in a happy grin.

Yuan Xing, unconscious at some point, was lifted off the horse by Chen Ji, and was awakened by pain.

He glared angrily at Chen Ji with muffled objections, signaling with his eyes for Chen Ji to close his jaw.

Chen Ji dropped Yuan Xing to the ground, casually lifting his chin back into place.

Yuan Xing, hands bound behind his back, began insulting, "You bastard, to hell with your ancestors..."

Before Chen Ji could react, Zhaolei with her short temper rushed and bit at Yuan Xing’s head, startling him into rolling on the ground to dodge.

Wu Yun, on Chen Ji’s shoulder, was dumbfounded: "So fierce!"

Chen Ji grabbed Zhaolei’s reins, squatted in front of Yuan Xing, and removed the cloth in his ears: "I thought you were some hero, yet you’re scared of a horse."

Yuan Xing was incensed: "It’s a beast, I can’t reason with it, do you expect me to sit and wait for it to bite? This is such bad luck today, meeting you, losing nine years of my life, and ending up like this!"

Chen Ji calmly said: "Answer a few questions, and I’ll tend to your wounds."

Yuan Xing cursed: "You mother..."

Halfway through, seeing Zhaolei about to rush up again, Yuan Xing swallowed his words.

Chen Ji asked, staring into Yuan Xing’s eyes: "The Right Martial Guard guarded outside Shangjing City but was able to catch up immediately, who was informing you?"

Yuan Xing sat cross-legged on the ground, lips pale: "Stop the bleeding on my leg first!"

Chen Ji tore the hem of Yuan Xing’s inner garment and tied it around the wound on his calf.

With only the inner garment left, Yuan Xing’s large belly was exposed, causing him to rage: "Son of a..."

Zhaolei turned to look, and his voice abruptly stopped, only mouthing curses silently.

Chen Ji remained indifferent: "Answer my question."

Yuan Xing caught his breath: "Last night, my spy stationed in Shangjing reported seeing that woman who broke into the Temple of Martial Arts, so I pursued."

Chen Ji frowned, deep in thought: "Your own spy found her? What’s his name?"

Yuan Xing sneered: "Zhang Lang, why would I lie to you about this? Quickly fix my arm back!"

Chen Ji remained still and continued to ask, "Now the Hu Ben Army wants to kill you, but you’re of no use to me anymore. It might be better to throw you to them, so they stop chasing me. Or you can tell me how you’re still useful, and I might take you with me."

Yuan Xing said impatiently, "If you hadn’t taken me hostage, how could they have had a legitimate reason? You can just find a city and release me in public, and they’d have to withdraw."

At that moment, Wu Yun suddenly perked up its ears, "The pursuers are coming."

Chen Ji flipped onto his horse, "The Hu Ben Army is catching up. Taking you along is a burden, without you, their horses can’t catch up with me."

Yuan Xing thought he was bluffing, sitting firmly on the ground without making a sound.

But the next moment, he heard the sound of horse hooves in the distance, and immediately scooted across the ground, shouting, "Hurry, take me... take me with you!"

Chen Ji looked down at him from the saddle, "What’s in it for me?"

Yuan Xing angrily rebuked, "It’s clearly your fault that I’m in this state, and you’re asking me for benefits?"

Chen Ji looked at him calmly.

Yuan Xing changed his tone, "What do you want? I’ll even give you my concubines, including Lady Hu from the Western Regions and those red-haired barbarians from overseas!"

Chen Ji remained unmoved.

Yuan Xing’s eyes rolled, "As long as you get me to Shangjing City, I’ll give you a five-courtyard mansion in Qinglong Square, countless beautiful maids, and ten thousand gold coins immediately!"

Chen Ji continued to be unmoved, "It’s all too far away."

The sound of the Hu Ben Army’s horse hooves grew closer, Yuan Xing gritted his teeth, "I have an official door technique that no one else practices. If I survive this, I’ll recite it to you!"

Chen Ji thought for a moment, bent down, and picked Yuan Xing up, placing him on the horse’s back, then headed north.

But curiously, as soon as he went north, the sound of horse hooves immediately followed him north, as if they could see his movements a few miles away.

Wu Yun meowed, "Above us!"

Chen Ji looked up to see an eagle falcon silently circling above them in the night sky. The falcon, keeping a distance of a few dozens of yards, didn’t come closer, circling for a while before flying back.

"It’s the Mao Jun from Tianxia’s cavalry," Yuan Xing whispered, "Kid, didn’t you practice the Sword Seed Path? Bring it down."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Yuan Xing wondered, "Can’t your sword seed reach it? An Innate Realm sword seed can kill invisibly within a hundred steps, and a Seeking Dao Realm sword seed can arrive instantly within a hundred yards. Isn’t this falcon an easy target?"

Chen Ji still didn’t answer.

Yuan Xing suddenly opened his eyes wide, "You haven’t reached the Seeking Dao Realm? No, when we fought, your strength was definitely that of the Seeking Dao Realm..."

Chen Ji reached out to dislocate Yuan Xing’s jaw, as Yuan Xing wriggled on the horse’s back to avoid Chen Ji’s right hand, "Don’t, don’t, kid, we’re in this together now, I might be able to guide you to a way out!"

Chen Ji withdrew his hand and looked up at the night sky.

The falcon returned after a while, flying back over their heads, once again guiding the Hu Ben Army’s direction before heading back.

Yuan Xing said to himself, "There is a way to deal with this kind of falcon. Just find a hidden spot to hide, once it can’t see you, it’ll swoop down looking for you, and you can shoot it with an arrow."

Chen Ji looked around, the vast plains stretched to the horizon, without even a mound to be found.

Yuan Xing urged, "If you want to escape, head to Panjin in the west; the Panjin Governor is my uncle’s direct line. Once there, you’ll be safe, and I’ll have him give you a thousand taels of gold!"

But after observing for a moment, Chen Ji continued to drive Zhaolei north.

Yuan Xing earnestly advised, "Kid, Panjin also has a port. If you get me there, I’ll give you a large ship to sail out of the Jing Dynasty."

Chen Ji calmly said, "No."

Yuan Xing’s face changed, "Not going to Panjin leads only to a dead end!"

However, at that moment, Yuan Xing suddenly heard horse hooves coming from ahead too. His expression changed, "There are people ahead too... no, that would be my Right Martial Guard."

Yuan Xing had changed horses at Hai City Posthouse and gone ahead. The remaining Right Martial Guard had rested their horses there and departed two hours later, just arriving.

Chen Ji drove Zhaolei to charge at the Right Martial Guard and said to Yuan Xing, "Have them stop the Hu Ben Army."

Yuan Xing angrily retorted, "Do you know how many people will die if you do this? You sneaky bastard!"

At this moment, the Right Martial Guard was getting closer, their leader shouting, "Who goes there?"

Someone in the Right Martial Guard, under the moonlight, tried to make out the approaching Chen Ji. They couldn’t see him clearly, but Zhaolei was too recognizable, "Deputy Commander, I think that’s the thief who tricked the Great Commander this morning!"

Upon hearing this, the Deputy Commander raised his long spear in shock, "Kill!"

Chen Ji pressed a sword seed against Yuan Xing’s neck, "Either they die, or you die."

Forced into a corner, Yuan Xing loudly shouted, "Yuan Feng, the Hu Ben Army is trying to kill me, stop them!"

The Deputy Commander exclaimed, "Great Commander! It’s the Great Commander!"

Yuan Xing quickly added, "It’s me, this punk next to me..."

Chen Ji manipulated a sword seed to pierce an inch into Yuan Xing’s flank, "Think carefully before you speak."

Yuan Xing cried out in pain, gritted his teeth, and said, "This kid is my savior, don’t touch him!"

The next moment, Chen Ji tugged the reins and brazenly passed through the right flank of the Right Martial Guard, as behind him, the Right Martial Guard and the Hu Ben Army clashed fiercely.

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