Chapter 15

The sound of bowstrings twanging echoed as arrows whizzed past Xiaole Tian's face. One of them pierced through his hat, sending the small melon-shaped cap with its false braid spinning away.

"Sir, be careful..." Sima Yun pounced and pressed Xiaole Tian to the ground, tiles clattering down.

"Who's on the roof?" came a terrified cry from inside the house, but a sharp arrow through the window silenced the occupants, who even blew out their lamps.

Xiao Hexin and his two companions were seasoned veterans. They knew from the angle of the arrows that their attackers were skilled. Without a word, they leaped off the roof with Xiaole Tian and fled down the dark alley.

In the darkness, Xiaole Tian had no idea how many people were surrounding them. He could only hear the rustling of footsteps in the howling wind, some on the rooftops, others chasing them down parallel streets.

The arrows were sparse but regular, clearly meant to pressure them into the trap.

"You two protect the sir, I'll go out and draw the enemies away..." Wang Huayuan, one of the three bodyguards, was the first to jump onto the wall and charge in the direction of the arrows. Soon, the sound of weapons clashing echoed, "Run, they're the Eight Banners dogs..."

"Damn! Could it be the Xiling guards? These Tartars are tough to deal with..." Xiao Hexin leaped in the direction Wang Huayuan had disappeared.

"Sir, climb on my back, don't make a sound, even if you're hurt, don't cry out..." Sima Yun hoisted Xiaole Tian onto his back and sprinted like a galloping horse through the dark alleys.

At this moment, Xiaole Tian clenched his left fist and stuffed it into his mouth, feeling his heart pounding as if it would burst. The danger he faced now was far more perilous than that night at the mountain temple.

Xiaole Tian knew that in the Qing Dynasty, bandits were more reasonable than the Eight Banners army. The Qing rulers might talk about Manchu and Han unity, but that was only for the Han officials and landlords. When it came to killing the common people, they showed no mercy.

Feeling the cold steel of the Colt revolver in his pocket, Xiaole Tian regained some courage, but the thought of only three bullets left made his heart sink.

"Sir, I'll protect you even if it costs my life. The prince and the brothers on the mountain are waiting for you..." Sima Yun, using all his strength, ran through the darkness.

At this moment, in a private room on the third floor of the largest tavern in Yixian County, Lian Er, the chief of the Xiling Inner Court, sat by the window, gazing at the city's night view, with County Magistrate Liu by his side and over a dozen Eight Banners soldiers behind him.

"Magistrate Liu..." Lian Er drawled, pointing disdainfully at the distant figures, "Look at the skills of our Eight Banners soldiers. Their archery is as good as the elite troops who entered the pass back then."

"Lian Er, you're right. The martial prowess of the Eight Banners nobles is passed down through generations, a blessing for the Qing Dynasty and the world..." Magistrate Liu flattered, almost bowing to the ground.

"Ah! I don't understand why they don't let our Eight Banners soldiers fight the Taiping rebels and instead send the Zeng brothers. They're giving the credit to the Han... Spit! These damn fools, how do they serve..."

Before he finished, a soldier rushed in, causing a commotion, and dragged in a trembling, skinny man, throwing him to the ground.

"Lian Er, spare me, Lian Er, spare me. I'll change it for you... No, no, I'll slap myself, I'll slap myself..." The skinny man, the tavern owner, slapped himself so hard that his face swelled, and blood trickled from his mouth after three slaps.

As the owner mutilated himself, a young woman with bound feet approached, holding a black lacquer tray covered in red silk, filled with silver ingots, about three hundred taels, which she could barely carry.

"Lian Er..." the woman cooed, "My lord is just a blockhead, he doesn't know how to serve. He hasn't sent the night reward to your men... Knowing you're fighting bandits tonight, it's not easy. We may not have great skills, but we have a little heart. Here, I'll make you a pipe of genuine horse hoof soil..."

The woman was the owner's concubine, skilled in pleasing men. Lian Er, the old lecher, immediately calmed down.

"Ha ha ha... That's enough, the big boss of the tavern isn't as perceptive as his own people. Go arrange the feast..."

Just as Lian Er was enjoying the scent of the horse hoof soil, a loud noise came from the stairs, "Report... The Brave Camp has surrounded two black-clad men, they are now in a fierce battle..."

"Report... The bandits are extremely fierce, six soldiers are already injured..." Before the first messenger left, a second one arrived.

"Report... The bandits have broken through the encirclement, wounded, heading south..."

"Damn!" Lian Er jumped up, throwing his pipe, "Worthless, you can't even stop two bandits? What good are you to the Qing Dynasty..." He kicked the soldier in front of him, "Seal the four gates, add more guards on the walls, dig the ground three feet deep if you have to, find them..."

Xiao Hexin and Wang Huayuan were now covered in blood. The Northern Expeditionary Force of the Heavenly Kingdom was composed of elite troops, many of whom were renowned figures from the southern martial arts world. These people excelled in guerrilla warfare, night battles, and combat in complex terrain.

If it were daytime, even a few dozen Xiling guards could have surrounded and killed them, but in the chaotic night, once they engaged in close combat with the Eight Banners soldiers, they managed to break through.

While Xiao Hexin and Wang Huayuan were fighting their way out, Xiaole Tian and Sima Yun were not so lucky. Although most of the enemies were lured away, Sima Yun could feel that four skilled archers were closing in, getting closer and closer.

Xiaole Tian noticed Sima Yun's speed slowing down, and the arrows from behind kept interfering with their progress.

"Put me down, put me down, I'll only drag you down..." Xiaole Tian struggled to get off, but Sima Yun's arms were like iron, impossible to budge. However, this time Sima Yun stopped and placed Xiaole Tian in the darkness.

"Sir, hide here, I'll distract them..." As Sima Yun turned to go back, Xiaole Tian grabbed his wrist, "Stop! What's wrong with your leg..."

In the dim starlight, Xiaole Tian saw an arrow embedded in Sima Yun's left calf, the smell of blood filling the air.

Sima Yun straightened his clothes and bowed deeply to Xiaole Tian, "I am incompetent, I can only escort the strategist to here. When your book is finished, don't forget to burn a copy for Sima Yun in the netherworld..." He then cut off the arrow shaft with his dagger.

"Live on, the world can do without me, but it cannot do without you..." He was about to charge forward, but Xiaole Tian, the seemingly weak scholar, grabbed his arm and held him back with all his strength.

"Am I your strategist? Do you trust me? Listen to me, and there's still a chance to live... Listen to me..." Xiaole Tian's voice was low but firm, leaving Sima Yun stunned.

In the darkness, the four Eight Banners archers slowly approached. They had received a strict order from Lian Er to capture the men alive, especially the young, pale-faced one. So far, their arrows had only been threats, driving the men into a dead end without killing them.

Now, in front of them, an incredible scene unfolded. One of the bandits, with blood streaming from his calf, leaned against a mud wall, clearly exhausted. The other young man stood with his hands raised, shouting.

"We surrender, we surrender... I'm a scholar, I can't fight, my hands are empty, I'm no threat... This guy is exhausted, he's no threat either..." Xiaole Tian occasionally raised his hands to show they were empty.

The four archers had heard from the Liu family's innkeeper that the bandit who seduced Lian Er's concubine was a weak, pale-faced scholar with no martial skills. Seeing him now, they confirmed he was indeed a coward.

"Ha ha, free credit, why not take it? Lian Er will be happy, we'll each get at least twenty taels..." They moved in to surround them.

Just as they were three steps away, Sima Yun, leaning against the wall, suddenly sprang up, "Tartar dogs, I'll fight you to the death..." He limped forward with a dagger.

"Ha ha ha, you cripple, you dare to fight? I'll take you down with one hand..." Before the man could finish, a sudden change occurred. The meek Xiaole Tian's face twisted into a fierce expression, and he drew the Colt revolver from his pocket with lightning speed.

"This is your fault..." Xiaole Tian roared, his finger pulling the trigger, firing the last three bullets in a second.

At three steps, the distance was too close to miss. As long as one wasn't blind, they could hit the target.

Xiaole Tian had killed before, and his hand didn't tremble. The three bullets hit the soldiers' hearts, the impact forcing them back a few steps, their hands clutching their wounds, eyes wide with disbelief at the small firearm.

Unfortunately, there were four enemies, and only three bullets. Although they had planned for Sima Yun to deal with the last soldier, Xiaole Tian underestimated the arrow wound and the soldier's strength.

"Ah!" The surviving soldier roared like a beast, kicking Sima Yun into the corner and pouncing on Xiaole Tian, grabbing his neck with both hands.

"Die, die, die... Die..." The crazed soldier choked Xiaole Tian until his eyes rolled back. Click, click, Xiaole Tian, on the verge of losing consciousness, kept pulling the trigger, but there were no more bullets to save him.