Immortal Travel of Longevity

"A tiger ahead, pursuers behind..."

After Tang Zheng checked the most recent Geographical Maps, a wave of unease washed over him.

"Yingfeng Valley lies just ahead. If we want to reach Within Yu Army Pass as quickly as possible, this is the only route. If we detour, it will delay us by half a day. Half a day... I fear the forces ahead are already in position, just waiting for us to walk right into their trap."

"This is the only way?!"

"The only way!"

The situation had grown rather thorny.

Tang Zheng had led these brothers out of Nanbeilou. Naturally, he didn't want the men who trusted him to fall into danger, let alone a life-threatening crisis like this.

Just then, Tang Yuerong walked in.

"What are you all discussing?"

"There is no need to rest," Tang Yuerong said. "The sooner we leave this place, the sooner we will be safe."

"Mhm."

Tang Zheng turned back around, an extra layer of worry in his eyes.

They didn't have enough men!

The Imperial Court had simply moved too fast!

It was as if they had prepared for this long in advance.

Tang Yuerong sighed softly. "The Imperial Court has been wary of our Tang Family for a long time. I imagine they planted people along our route heading south early on. Now, those preparations are really paying off."

Tang Zheng offered a warm smile. "Don't worry, little sister. We will definitely make it through."

"I hope so," Tang Yuerong said.

Tang Zheng gave a slight nod, his mind already churning as he considered their options.

Should they ask the tower master for help?

Or perhaps seek aid from White Night?

Tang Zheng shook his head with a sigh. Neither option felt like a real solution.

"His Highness Prince Yu dispatched some men," Tang Yuerong said. "But the incident happened so suddenly that we couldn't meet up. If we can find them, there might be a way out."

Tang Zheng's eyes lit up. "Is that so?"

"We could perhaps ask White Night's people about it," Tang Yuerong suggested.

Tang Zheng blinked in surprise, then nodded.

It seemed his younger sister was far more familiar with these affairs than he was.

Tang Zheng immediately took a few men to the nearest city. Locating White Night's local branch, he inquired about Prince Yu's forces.

"A group did indeed infiltrate the Imperial Court's territory recently. According to our intelligence, they are currently heading south, not far from your position. They have set up camp at Qiulin District, about fifty li away."

"Is this information accurate?"

"When has White Night's intelligence ever been false?"

"Many thanks!"

"You're welcome. It is merely a transaction, after all."

Tang Zheng immediately led his men toward Qiulin District.

In truth, Prince Yu's forces had been trailing behind them all along. The distance between the two groups was short, and it wouldn't have been long before they ran into each other naturally.

But meeting up sooner was undeniably the better outcome.

Tang Zheng presented his Nanbei Tower Waist Token as proof of identity, smoothly securing a meeting with the men Prince Yu had dispatched.

However, when he actually saw the leader, he froze in surprise.

"Shijing?"

Tang Shijing had never expected his eldest brother to be the one approaching them. Caught off guard, he asked in a daze, "Big brother, why are you here?"

As the two brothers reunited, both realized the other had aged significantly. Traces of hardship and weathering now lined their faces.

Tang Zheng explained the entire sequence of events.

In turn, Tang Shijing explained why he was here.

The Tang Family was in peril. As sons of Tang Manor, how could they sit back in peace and let others handle it? The two brothers had the exact same thought, and both had set off for Shangjing. However, because the Yu Army territory was so far from Shangjing, Tang Shijing hadn't arrived in time. Nanbeilou was closer, allowing Tang Zheng to intercept their younger sister perfectly.

"Where is sister? Take me to her quickly."

When the three descendants of Tang Manor finally gathered in one place, they found themselves at a loss for words, a faint sense of awkwardness lingering in the air.

They could no longer roughhouse and play with the seamless intimacy of their childhood; an invisible barrier seemed to have grown between them.

"Are you the one leading Prince Yu's forces, little brother?" Tang Yuerong asked.

Tang Shijing nodded. "I noticed some unusual movements, so I asked His Highness to dispatch troops. One group went to Jindi to escort the manager there, while I led the other group toward Shangjing. Who would have thought that by the time I arrived, Tang Manor had already been sealed off? I asked around and learned that you had successfully escaped, sister, so I led my men in pursuit all the way here, right up until big brother found me today."

Tang Yuerong stared blankly for a moment before asking, "You went to Shangjing..."

"Oh, right!"

"Little brother, do you have any news about the seven retainers from the manor? Did you manage to find anything out?"

Tang Shijing hesitated. "They..."

Seeing him wanting to speak yet holding back, Tang Yuerong instantly understood.

"Did none of them survive?"

"Six of them died under a flurry of blades," he said quietly. "The last one, knowing he was outmatched and refusing to live on in disgrace, threw himself onto a Jinwu Guard's Sword. It pierced his heart, and he stopped breathing moments later."

Tang Shijing could only pat his sister's back to comfort her.

"Our Tang Family will never forget them."

"Mhm."

Compared to Tang Shijing and Tang Zheng, Tang Yuerong, as a woman, was naturally more sentimental. Hearing this tragic news, her eyes reddened.

"What foolish people... If only even one of them had survived..."

Tang Yuerong murmured, staring off into space.

A bitter taste filled her mouth. Their Tang Manor truly owed those retainers far too much.

"What we need to do now is survive and safely reach Within Yu Army Pass. We can't let them die in vain!"

"Right!"

...

Yingfeng Pass.

This location was already heavily guarded by troops.

It seemed they had predicted long ago that Tang Yuerong's group would pass through here.

Archers had already been positioned atop the valley cliffs, equipped with rolling boulders. They were just waiting for their targets to arrive, ready to seal off the route heading south.

Tang Yuerong sat inside the horse carriage, her palms slick with sweat. Listening to the rumble of the wheels, the anxiety in her heart only deepened.

"Where are we...?"

"Miss, we'll reach Yingfeng Valley in another five li."

"Mhm..."

Tang Zheng and Tang Shijing led the way at the front, constantly vigilant of their surroundings.

Just a short distance from Yingfeng Pass, figures suddenly surged out of the surrounding woods.

"Enemy attack!"

Tang Zheng instantly drew his sword.

The men behind him drew their weapons one by one.

"Treasonous rebels, surrender at once!"

The leading commander bellowed, immediately leading his troops out of the forest in a fierce charge.

Inside the horse carriage, Tang Yuerong instantly heard the sudden clash of battle.

Her hands gripped the edges of the carriage tightly, her heartbeat accelerating rapidly.

"So many... there are so many of them..."

Listening to the sheer volume of the noise, Tang Yuerong could roughly deduce that the forces stationed at Yingfeng Pass were likely far more numerous than they had imagined.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly called out, "Big brother, little brother! Let's get out of here, quickly!"

Tang Zheng and Tang Shijing had also noticed that something was terribly wrong.

The Imperial Court had simply brought too many men!

Their own group numbered just over a hundred men at most. Yet the imperial soldiers before them—just from a single glance—appeared to number nearly five hundred.

"This is bad!"

Tang Shijing knitted his brows. At this point, forcing their way through Yingfeng Pass was likely impossible; their only option was an immediate retreat.

"Retreat!"

But the men at the rear hadn't pulled back very far.

A scout rushed up to report.

"There are imperial troops blocking us from behind as well!"

Tang Shijing's expression changed drastically.

"We're doomed!"

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