Chapter 66

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

Amidst the cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of the promise written there.

The most intense attacks were directed at the demon cultists, and ironically, the demon cultists were also the least affected among the guards. If the demon cultists were the weakest in terms of armament among the groups engaged in this brawl, then the Imperial Army was the opposite. However, the enemies did not care about armament or numbers, and despite their strong martial arts, they concentrated their attacks on the demon cultists, who were merely dressed in black and armed. But these were not just any followers; they were elite members of the Heavenly Wolf Brigade, carefully selected from within the demon cult. They all easily deflected arrows while patiently waiting for Mo Xiang's orders, which were soon given. As soon as the attack began, Mo Xiang issued orders to Shi Jin.

"Take ten to the left, ten to the right. Shi Jin, eliminate the enemies on the cliff appropriately, then leave the battlefield and lead Ma Hua directly to Suzhou."

Shi Jin's expression changed strangely at the strange order from his superior, whose intentions were hard to fathom.

"Sir? But..."

"Stop talking and do as I say. Go to Suzhou and show Ma Hua around sufficiently before returning to Bonta. Execute the plan. And Ma Hua, follow Shi Jin. I would like to guide you myself, but it seems more interesting here."

Shi Jin's expression was bizarre, filled with doubt and dissatisfaction, but he could not disobey Mo Xiang's command.

"Yes, sir!"

At the same time, the Heavenly Wolf Brigade began to climb the cliffs on both sides, deflecting the arrows raining down from above at an incredible speed.

As soon as the battle between the Heavenly Wolf Brigade and the enemies on the cliffs began, Commander Jin, who had noticed the situation, issued another order.

"Advance! Escape from here quickly."

An orderly retreat began, leaving nearly fifty corpses behind. Although arrows from the enemies occasionally flew, the intense concentrated fire was no longer possible because a fierce battle had already begun above.

"Attacking the Imperial Army, who could they be...?"

At this, Mo Xiang, standing beside Commander Jin with a blank expression, said:

"They are likely a group trying to harm the princess. They seem to be martial artists, and the soldiers stationed in the fortress have probably all been killed. Some of them are likely waiting at the end of Taizhen Ridge."

"Surely... In that case, we should return."

"The enemies seem to be well-prepared. They are likely waiting at the rear exit as well. And the enemies who just rained arrows are still around."

"Then what about the scouts who went 30 li ahead?"

"They have probably all been ambushed and killed."

"Hmm, a difficult situation..."

"I have a good plan. Since we are few and they are many, it would be best to divide into two groups to deceive the enemy."

"It's a good suggestion, but if we do that, our strength will be reduced..."

"Let the princess change into plain clothes and break through the enemies waiting at Taizhen Ridge, then escape to the left. Leave the princess's friend in the carriage as a decoy. They will be willing to sacrifice their lives for the princess. Although our strength will be halved, we don't need to engage in a direct battle with the enemies. We just need to buy time until we can join the soldiers in Gangshou."

"It's a good suggestion."

Commander Jin, grateful for the wise advice from this black-clad warrior, immediately put the plan into action. If he had known the sinister intentions of his opponent, he would never have used this method...

The situation was so sudden that Commander Jin had no time to think deeply, but this method was a very old and worn-out tactic commonly used in the martial world. If they had abandoned the carriage and changed clothes to escape from the beginning, it would have been different, but since one group had the carriage and the other did not, even a foolish martial artist could easily tell which was the decoy... However, the urgent situation and the pathological anxiety for the princess's safety, along with the slight guilt of sacrificing the princess's friends—high-ranking nobles or royal family members—made the plan seem very plausible. The guilt, especially, made the plan seem very reasonable, and Commander Jin firmly decided to use the black-clad warrior's suggestion.

Once they reached a safe place away from where the enemies were lying in ambush, Commander Jin approached the large carriage where the princess and her friends were and began to explain the situation to the princess.

"Princess, the situation is very bad now."

"What do you mean? The Imperial Army of the Great Song Dynasty is being pushed by a mere band of bandits?"

"They are not bandits. They are highly trained groups who seem to have prepared meticulously, knowing that you would pass through here. Therefore, we have no choice but to use a plan to protect the princess."

"What kind of plan?"

"I heard that the princess has learned horseback riding. It would be best to change into plain clothes and escape in the opposite direction while I guard the carriage to deceive the enemies."

"Is the situation that serious?"

"Yes, even if we go to the nearest government office, it's at least 100 li away. Given the scale of the enemies we just experienced, the small local defense forces would be of no help. We need to join the soldiers in Gangshou to be safe. The most concerning thing is that the enemies are likely lying in wait at the end of Taizhen Ridge. If they are, we must use my plan. Please prepare."

"I understand."

After a while, the princess came out of the carriage in plain clothes, and Commander Jin ordered his subordinates to bring a horse that had belonged to a fallen soldier. As the princess mounted the horse, they began to move forward again.

When they reached the end of Taizhen Ridge, as expected, the enemies were waiting. There were not just a few but about 300 of them. It might seem incredible how such a large force could infiltrate this far, but if you think about it, it was actually quite easy. With only about 200 Imperial soldiers now, the nearly 1,000 elite soldiers the enemies had deployed could easily disguise themselves as merchants or travelers without drawing much attention. Moreover, there were martial artists who carried weapons freely without government interference, so they could move around the main roads without being stopped.

The enemies, confident in their numbers, did not even bother to ambush but waited on horseback for their prey to emerge from the jar. Commander Jin was a bit taken aback to see that all the enemies were on horseback. If the enemies had been lying in ambush, even if they used light martial arts, the Imperial soldiers on horseback could have evaded them to some extent. However, if the enemies were also on horseback, it would be natural for the pursuit to be intense even if they split into two groups and fled.

He hesitated for a moment but, with no other clear plan, decided to proceed with the original plan.

"Prepare for the charge!"

At Commander Jin's command, the Imperial soldiers all held their thick shields in their left hands and their spears in their right, forming a charge formation.

"Charge!"

Led by Commander Jin, the Imperial soldiers charged at the enemies. The initial clash was advantageous for the Imperial soldiers, who were equipped with shields and long spears, as the enemies mostly had short weapons like swords and axes or bows. However, after the initial clash, the two sides mixed, and a fierce melee ensued.

Once the battle turned into a melee, the Imperial soldiers, with their long spears, had a slight advantage in mounted combat, but the enemies, being martial artists, began to press with their superior skills in using swords and axes.

A small group of Imperial soldiers broke through the path secured by the leading soldiers and escorted the carriage. As the carriage carrying the princess left the battlefield, the Imperial soldiers split into two groups and began to escape in different directions at full speed. One-third of the Imperial soldiers escorted the princess to the left, while the rest escorted the carriage in the opposite direction. The enemies also split their forces, but in a completely opposite ratio: one-third pursued the carriage, and two-thirds pursued the group without the carriage.

Commander Jin, the leader of the guards, also escorted the carriage to lure the enemies. Seeing the majority of the enemies charging madly in the opposite direction, he realized his mistake, but it was too late. The Imperial soldiers he led were not heavily armed for a battle but lightly armed for a guard mission, making it difficult to fight against the experienced martial artists. The light armor they wore was no match for the skilled martial artists, and their only defense was their thick shields. When one of the enemies attacked from behind with a dagger or an arrow imbued with internal energy, the light armor was as good as nothing. In this situation, it was impossible to break through the enemies quickly, and Commander Jin could only watch as the casualties increased, feeling helpless.

The princess's group began to escape from the battlefield as soon as they broke through the enemies. The group escorting the princess consisted of 48 soldiers, while the rest escorted the "fake princess" in the carriage and escaped in the opposite direction. However, they soon realized that their trick had backfired when they saw that over 150 enemies were pursuing them. It was impossible to turn back and join Commander Jin's group, as they lacked the strength to break through 150 enemies.

Zhang Zhe, a fifth-rank officer tasked with protecting the princess, had no choice but to split his forces to evade the pursuit. It was crucial to get the princess as far away as possible. Leading the princess into combat with the enemies, especially when she was unprepared and inexperienced, was too dangerous. Therefore, he decided to send 20 soldiers to delay the enemies while the rest, including the princess, would escape to Anjin Mountain, about 15 li ahead. From there, they could ambush the enemies and gradually retreat.

Wu Shun, a subordinate of Zhang Zhe, led 20 Imperial soldiers and charged at the enemies. Zhang Zhe, hoping Wu Shun would buy them more time, spurred his horse toward Anjin Mountain. Zhang Zhe, with over ten years of military service, considered this mission the worst he had ever undertaken. The main problem was how to safely deliver the princess to the command post of the soldiers in Gangshou, but he had little confidence in himself.

'Well, I'll do my best. If it doesn't work, it's fate...'

The princess's poor horsemanship was the biggest problem, but thanks to the 20 soldiers led by Wu Shun, who fought for nearly two hours, they managed to reach Anjin Mountain. Zhang Zhe encouraged his remaining 27 soldiers to start moving up the mountain, placing them in positions suitable for sniping. After about 10 li, the remaining soldiers were down to 17. The hired martial artist had no bow and no hidden weapons, so he was excluded from the mountain combat.

As the forest became denser, the horses were of little help. At this point, Zhang Zhe had a brilliant idea. He asked the martial artist, who was riding next to him:

"Hey, how is your light body technique?"

"It's pretty good."

"Then you'll take charge of the princess. Hey, Zheng Wei!"

A soldier riding next to him responded:

"Yes."

"Take six soldiers and lead the remaining horses to escape in the other direction. I will take the princess and choose the mountain path. Your task is to escape as quickly as possible and get as far away from the enemies as you can. Can you do it?"

"Yes!"

After giving the orders, Zhang Zhe approached the princess, who was riding and sweating profusely.

"Princess!"

"What is it?"

"Though it may be impertinent, has the princess learned martial arts?"

"No, I have not."

The princess answered coldly, and Zhang Zhe sighed inwardly, hoping she didn't notice.

"The black-clad guard will protect the princess. Follow him. Even if your dignity is slightly compromised, please forgive him."

Zhang Zhe called out to his subordinates.

"Hey, follow me. This is mountain combat, so spears are not needed. Step on the branches and use your light body technique to leave no traces on the ground. Pass the reins to the person in front of you. Now, escape!"

At the same time, they passed the reins to the person next to them and, following Zhang Zhe, used their light body technique to leap into the mountains. Despite their heavy armor, they moved swiftly, leaping from branch to branch, following Zhang Zhe.

As Zhang Zhe and ten Imperial soldiers leaped from the horses and used their light body technique, the black-clad guard approached the princess, said "Excuse me," and, without waiting for a response, lifted her onto his horse and leaped into the air. The princess, suddenly in the arms of a stranger, blushed and, as she felt herself flying through the air, let out a sharp cry.

"Put me down!"

As the princess shouted, Mo Xiang quickly suppressed her pressure points to prevent her from making any more noise and silently followed the formation. Unaware that her voice had been silenced, the princess's face gradually turned pale as she experienced the rapid movement and the ups and downs of flying through the branches.

Zhang Zhe, seeing the black-clad guard's stable movements even while carrying the princess, decided to modify his plan and continue leaping through the branches for a longer distance. After moving about 2 li, they finally landed on the ground.

Just before landing, Mo Xiang subtly released the princess's pressure points. After landing softly, he gently placed the princess on the ground, and a sharp sound echoed.

"Who dares..."

But the black-clad guard, whether he was slapped or not, remained expressionless. In fact, Mo Xiang, who was not affected by a slap from an inexperienced woman, watched as the princess, whose palm was now sore, frowned, trying to suppress a smile. The princess, feeling even more enraged, growled. She had been terrified during the flight.

"Who dares to touch this lady's body... You will be torn to pieces."

Mo Xiang, who was well aware of the consequences of angering the princess, but also knew that it would be quite troublesome, thought:

'She's being so difficult. But it will be even more interesting later...'

"I apologize for touching the princess in such a hurry. It will not happen again. Please forgive me."

Mo Xiang spoke in a low, polite voice, but anyone who listened closely would have noticed that he had no respect for the royal family.

The princess, knowing that she couldn't waste time killing this foolish man in such a critical situation, had no choice but to endure it.

Zhang Zhe, thinking the matter was settled, gave the signal to move again. However, with the princess, who had no martial arts skills, walking, their progress was inevitably slow. Carrying her was not an option, and Zhang Zhe's mouth was dry with worry. He approached the princess and spoke in a polite tone, thinking that if he mentioned it directly, she would be furious.

"Princess, are your feet not hurting?"

"Why do you ask? I am fine."

"We have no palanquin or horse, and we have a long way to go. It would be better if you ride on the back of the guard."

The princess's face turned red, and her eyes flashed with anger, so Zhang Zhe had no choice but to remain silent.

'Damn, to act so stubbornly... Does she not realize the situation? How many people have sacrificed themselves for her? There's nothing I can do. It's fate...'

Zhang Zhe stopped and waited for the black-clad guard to catch up. When the guard arrived, Zhang Zhe spoke to him.

"From what I saw earlier, your martial arts seem quite high."

The guard, who was usually taciturn, replied:

"Not that high."

"What is your specialty? Can you handle hidden weapons?"

"No, I'm not good with weapons. My specialty is light body technique. My martial arts are not weak, but I am the weakest among my comrades. That's why I was left behind in the previous battle. Usually, I just deliver messages using my light body technique. I can run fast, and not many people can catch me."

"Hmm, but if you were properly trained, your sword skills would be better than ours. Now, we have about ten soldiers left. If we engage the enemies, it will be impossible to protect the princess. Your light body technique seems reliable. Can you take the princess to the command post of the soldiers in Gangshou when we meet the enemies next time?"

"I will do my best. But will she agree to go with me?"

"Even if I have to force her, I will. And doing your best is not enough. You must succeed."

"Understood. I will do it."

"Good. When we meet the enemies next time, I will lead my soldiers to buy as much time as possible. You take the princess and escape as far as you can."

"Alright."

Mo Xiang, like anyone given a difficult task, sighed and reluctantly accepted. But in reality, he was trying his best not to let the joy of the situation show.

Mo Xiang's willingness to accept the stubborn warrior's request was not to protect the princess from the villains. In fact, he didn't care whether this troublesome woman lived or died. He had deliberately sent 30 of his subordinates to worsen the situation.

However, there was a reason Mo Xiang had to prevent the princess from being captured by the enemies. The princess was an extremely important hostage. If she were captured, she would be treated well, but her freedom would be somewhat restricted. But if Mo Xiang took her, he would face a miserable journey with no freedom or special treatment until he could safely hand her over to the soldiers in Gangshou.