Translator: Ink Hub

Editor: Yoog

Luo Yu and Xiao Shaoyou followed the group from a distance. They twisted and turned through a maze of dilapidated alleys. The surrounding houses had long been abandoned, their walls covered in thick, crawling vines. They watched as the group slipped into a cluster of civilian residences.

Before entering, the men cast furtive glances around to see if any commoners were nearby. Their suspicious behavior was so blatant that they might as well have plastered the word “guilty” on their foreheads.

“They certainly don’t look like good people,” Xiao Shaoyou sneered.

“These houses have been deserted for a long time. Ordinarily, no one comes here. Yet they moved in with practiced ease. It seems they have been hiding here for quite a while.”

“Just wait.”

Luo Yu flipped his hand. The dagger, Breaking Dawn, leaped into his palm.

“They are turtles in a jar. Now that we’ve marked them, there is nowhere left to run.”

A short while later, a large number of soldiers flooded into the alleyway in silence. Roughly thirty or forty men were surrounding the houses so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak out.

“Sir, I’m here!”

The leader was named Pang Fei. He was a vice centurion under Xiao Shaoyou and an effective officer. Luo Yu had met him several times.

“About ten Qiang spies are hiding in this house. We will charge in shortly…”

Xiao Shaoyou gave a brief overview of the situation. Pang Fei drew his scimitar with a fierce expression.

“Do not worry, sir. It is only a dozen Qiang. Could they truly flip the heavens?”

“Remember, leave a witness alive,” Luo Yu reminded him. “They are useful to us!”

“Yes!”

“Do it!”

At Xiao Shaoyou’s slight wave, over twenty soldiers stood up with murderous glints in their eyes. The remaining men guarded the entrance to the alley, ensuring no one escaped the net.

Pang Fei kicked the door open and rushed in first. Soon, chaotic roars echoed through the grounds.

“Who are you!”

“Damn it! It’s the Qian army! Fight them!”

“They truly are Qiang rebels! Kill them all!”

Dozens of men fought fiercely within the cramped rooms. The shouting was intense. Fortunately, the location was remote enough that it didn’t attract much outside attention. Had news of Qiang soldiers inside the city spread, it might have triggered a riot.

Luo Yu and Xiao Shaoyou entered the courtyard. Inside, the fight was a tangled mess. The moment Luo Yu stepped through the gate, he felt a cold wind rushing from the side. A Qiang soldier pounced at him with teeth bared and claws out.

“Seeking death!”

Luo Yu shifted his footing, dodging the sharp scimitar. Simultaneously, he drove his right hand forward. Breaking Dawn plunged perfectly into the Qiang soldier’s throat. A spray of blood erupted. A single strike, a single kill.

“Hah! Good move.”

Xiao Shaoyou gave a thumbs-up. “No wonder you could win two battles in a row. How did you train such skills?”

“Stop talking nonsense. Watch out!”

Luo Yu gave a cold shout. He saw a Qiang soldier attempting a sneak attack, his blade pointing directly at Xiao Shaoyou’s back.

“Hmph! You think riff-raff like you can kill me?”

Although Xiao Shaoyou was empty-handed, he didn’t panic in the slightest. His iron fist struck the Qiang soldier square in the face. Teeth shattered, a mouthful of blood spraying out. Before the man could hit the ground, Xiao Shaoyou caught the falling scimitar and stabbed him through with a backhand strike.

Despite his scholarly appearance, he was no less ruthless than Luo Yu once the fighting started.

The two of them didn’t need to do much more. Xiao Shaoyou’s men were capable fighters. Within a few moments, they had wiped out the spies completely, leaving only one survivor gasping for air.

“This is the leader.”

Pang Fei was breathing heavily as he threw a prisoner onto the ground. He had cut down two Qiang soldiers during the fight. His blade was dripping with blood, and his murderous aura was unmistakable.

“You little Qian brats! If you have the guts, fight us fairly on the battlefield! What kind of skill is this, using numbers to bully the few!

The spy leader was defiant, shouting insults.

“You bunch of rats! You only know how to cower inside Yunyang Pass!”

“Hmph. A group of spies has the face to talk to me about fairness?”

Xiao Shaoyou’s gaze was piercing. He shouted coldly, “Speak! How did you sneak into the city? How many of you came? And who helped arrange this hiding place for you!”

Ptoey!

The Qiang soldier spat ferociously, his neck stiff with defiance.

“This old master won’t say a single word. Just kill me.”

“You have quite the spine,” Xiao Shaoyou mocked.

“I have captured many Qiang prisoners. At first, they are all stubborn. But once they taste torture and learn what it means to wish for death, they become more honest than anyone. I advise you not to look for trouble!”

It was a naked threat of terror. The Qiang soldier finally shut his mouth, a flicker of fear crossing his eyes.

“Well? Can you speak now?”

Xiao Shaoyou took a step forward and sneered, “As long as you answer honestly, I might just let you return to the grasslands alive.”

“Speak, my ass!”

Just when it seemed the Qiang soldier might confess, the fellow suddenly threw himself to the side with reckless abandon. Pang Fei, who was holding him down, was caught off guard and knocked back several steps. The spy seized the chance to flee, and in the blink of an eye, he had bolted several paces and was about to vault over the wall.

“Damn it! Cursed Qiang rebel!”

“Don’t let him run!”

Pang Fei’s face turned red with rage. He lunged forward, his scimitar swinging through the air.

“Stop!”

“No!” Luo Yu cried out. “Leave him alive!”

Puchi!

Before the words had even left his mouth, the blade plunged deep into the Qiang soldier’s back. He died on the spot. Looking at the bleeding corpse, the expressions of Xiao Shaoyou and Luo Yu turned grim.

Pang Fei seemed to realize he had made a mistake. He stood beside Xiao Shaoyou, looking lost.

“Sir… I was too rash. I was worried he would escape…”

“Forget it,” Xiao Shaoyou sighed bitterly.

“Death is death. We cannot bring him back. Take the men and clean up the scene. Move the bodies so they don’t frighten the commoners. Remember, this must be kept secret. Not a single word must leak out!”

“Yes, sir!”

Xiao Shaoyou knew Pang Fei acted out of necessity. Killing him was better than letting him escape.

“It seems the lead has broken again,” Xiao Shaoyou said helplessly. “I thought we could find something out from a live one. I didn’t expect to fail at the finish line.”

“It isn’t a complete loss.”

Luo Yu sheathed Breaking Dawn. He spoke coldly, “Just as you said, these houses are desolate, and commoners rarely visit. Yet these spies found this place with practiced ease. Someone definitely arranged it for them. What does that mean? It means there is a traitor in the city, and they hold a high position.”

“Exactly.”

Xiao Shaoyou’s gaze turned cold.

“The garrison has been questioning refugees thoroughly lately. For people like them to dodge inspection is as difficult as ascending to heaven. Furthermore, they brought weapons into the city. There must be an internal contact! But who is it?”

The two looked at each other. They had a premonition: these Qiang spies were surely let in by the same person collaborating with the enemy.

“Forget it. Let’s report this to General Kong,” Xiao Shaoyou said after a long hesitation.

“The appearance of Qiang spies is a major matter. We cannot withhold it. We will take the opportunity to tell the general about the collaboration and brainstorm a plan together.”

“That is all we can do. Besides, I have a feeling that there is more than just this one squad of spies hiding in the city.”

Looking at the corpses on the ground, Luo Yu raised his head.

“There is no time to waste. We go now!”