Chapter 73

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Jieshangchuan urgently shouted when he saw the group appearing from the left.

"Jiejun! Who are those people!"

"They must be the dark merchants' warriors! They're probably using the excuse of intervening because the trade they were overseeing has gone awry!"

"Then what do we do? Fight?"

Ji Yuncheng shook his head.

"What's important now is the thief running ahead, Master! If we can secure him first, we can claim the legitimate ownership of the map!"

At his shout, Jieshangchuan looked around and then raised his right hand, extending it forward. The pursuit team began to speed up. It was a good judgment. They needed to quickly charge forward and secure the map before the horses got tired.

The warriors of the Ji family were all equipped with decent horses and skilled in horsemanship. Thanks to their rapid speed, they managed to run parallel to the dark merchants who had intervened. The dark merchants, seemingly having the same idea, were also rushing towards the map.

At that moment, Jiyuncheng saw the Taiping Army appear from the right. He couldn't help but smirk. Compared to the over a hundred dark merchants and the Ji family, they seemed to be only about thirty in number. If each of them were at the level of the martial alliance patrol or the imperial army, those thirty would have been a terrifying number. However, from the interrogation of Gao Long, he knew that they were just a ragtag group of commoners banded together under a prestigious name.

But his face soon twisted in horror.

"Ugh!"

"Kuh!"

The Ji family warriors didn't even scream loudly. Some of them, with arrows sticking out of their bodies, still managed to stay on their horses. Surprisingly, black arrows started flying from the group of dark merchants on the right side of the Ji family.

The Ji family warriors, despite their panic, deflected the arrows with their weapons, but the archers were not just one or two. At least dozens, about half of the dark merchants, had drawn their black bows and arrows and were shooting at the Ji family pursuit team from their horses.

"What, what is this! They're starting a fight!"

The panicked Jieshangchuan raised his hand, about to signal a counterattack.

"Master! Wait!"

"What! What is it now!"

Ji Yuncheng, drawing his sword from behind his back, cut through the incoming arrows and shouted.

"First, pull the troops back!"

"But you said to charge forward!"

"That was before they attacked us!"

Jieshangchuan's face twisted.

"What are you trying to do! They attacked us first! We should naturally counterattack!"

"Stay calm, Master! The dark merchants are just scoundrels who can only be dealt with in the back alleys of Xincheng! They don't have the nerve to attack us like this!"

"But they did attack us!"

Ji Yuncheng swung his sword again, cutting through another arrow. He looked at the archers. They were dressed the same as the other half of the dark merchants, but their eyes were calm, and their lower bodies, waists, and the way they drew their bows were very stable.

At that moment, an arrow aimed straight for the center of Ji Yuncheng's forehead. It was a lightning-fast arrow. Ji Yuncheng barely deflected it with his sword, but he couldn't prevent a cut on one side of his forehead.

At the same time, a flash of insight struck him.

Well-trained warriors can be found anywhere, but a powerful military unit of dozens is not something anyone can easily cultivate. The end result of such cultivation is the imperial army, and those who emulate them are the ancient families. Therefore, the warriors attacking the Ji family must be of a similar level to the ancient families.

They must be other warriors of the ancient families disguised as dark merchants.

Jieshangchuan needed a feat to stabilize his shaky position as the successor. Lacking experience, he readily jumped at the mention of the old Li family's map. Of course, the inexperienced young man failed the transaction. However, the family head and elders, who wanted to give him one more chance, provided him with a hundred troops to support him.

The hundred warriors were separated from the main family by a few days' journey.

The Ji family is an ancient family rooted in Xincheng with significant influence in the martial alliance. Although their roots are naturally in the Central Plains, they were pushed out by the rivalry with other ancient families. However, their reputation is such that the martial alliance, also based in Xincheng, cannot ignore the snorts and coughs of the Ji family. The head of the martial alliance probably didn't like it.

In fact, Jieshangchuan's failure in the transaction was largely due to the sudden attack by the Taiping Army.

Ji Yuncheng felt his mouth go dry. This was a trap to lure the Ji family's troops out and annihilate them. It wasn't just one but a collaboration of the ancient families, the dark merchants of Xincheng, and, unbelievably, the martial alliance.

Was the map also a fake? Probably not. It likely appeared during the negotiations and the game was set up immediately. Then, what was the starting point of those negotiations?

It must have been the Yan family. The Yan and Ji families have been long-standing rivals, and not long ago, the Yan family had planted spies to uncover the Ji family's secrets. Therefore, the mounted archers riding and shooting arrows must be the famous Yan family cavalry.

He looked at Jieshangchuan. His head throbbed at the thought of how to explain this. Given that the archers were from the Yan family, retreating wasn't the only option. His mind was a jumble of too many thoughts.

As he hesitated, Jieshangchuan couldn't make a decision either. Nothing he had learned or practiced in the family came to mind. With his mind blank, Jieshangchuan finally shouted.

"Charge! Don't give them the distance to shoot arrows! Attack!"

The Ji family warriors, trained not only in martial arts but also in unwavering loyalty, would follow the orders of their superiors even if it meant death. This was modeled after the imperial army, and their loyalty was such that they would follow orders to the death.

Thus, the Ji family warriors, who had been silently deflecting or taking arrows, surged forward like a dam breaking, charging towards the dark merchants.

However, the archers didn't easily give up the distance. They retreated as the Ji family warriors approached, turning their bodies to draw their bows.

As the Ji family, originally chasing Yang Hong, turned to charge the dark merchants, the dark merchants retreated, pushing the two forces out of the map pursuit.

But the dark merchants didn't retreat so easily. Their group split into two: the archers and the non-archers. The archers, with the Ji family troops in pursuit, moved to the left side of the wilderness. The other warriors, stealthily separating from them, moved towards Yang Hong and the pursuing Taiping Army. Despite the large number, even after splitting, they still numbered about sixty to seventy.

* * *

Yang Hong, riding hard, glanced back. Thanks to this, he could see the clash between the dark merchants and the Ji family.

"Good for you, damn family brats! You back-alley merchants should all die too!"

Laughing to himself, he soon frowned as he looked to the right. There, the Taiping Army, wearing yellow headbands and wielding weapons, was charging towards him.

The leader, Bai Shajing, shouted.

"You! Thief! Where is Zhang Jian?"

"Don't know, yellow bastard!"

Yang Hong shouted back and focused on maintaining his lead. He needed to keep this position and look for an opportunity. After all, he had the map and was leading the pack. He was the closest to the legacy of Li Shimin.

Suddenly, a chill ran down Yang Hong's neck. He stiffened and managed to turn his head to look back.

In the distance, Zhang Jian and his horse, Cao Cao, were charging without hesitation. Despite Yang Hong's escape with the map, Zhang Jian's expression remained calm. This only made Yang Hong more afraid. If Zhang Jian had just been angry, he could have responded, but Zhang Jian was unpredictable. Moreover, Cao Cao, usually playful, was now galloping with fierce eyes and heavy breathing, like a dragon with hooves, making the ground shake with incredible speed.

"Damn... Why are they already here? Shouldn't they have slept in until morning after their fun?"

Despite the goosebumps on his neck, Yang Hong muttered and urged his already hard-charging horse.

"Yellow bastard?"

Meanwhile, Bai Shajing and the Taiping Army, chasing Yang Hong, felt uneasy at his curses. Perhaps this was a name they would have to bear if they continued to wear yellow headbands. Suppressing his feelings, Bai Shajing narrowed his eyes and tried to catch up to Yang Hong.

But then, he turned his head to the side and saw the dark merchants charging. They were wielding various crude weapons like swords, knives, spears, and maces.

Gritting his teeth, Bai Shajing then realized a rumbling sound was coming from behind. Turning around, he saw a warrior on a horse, eyes cold, rapidly approaching. Bai Shajing had only seen his back in Xincheng, but he knew who it was.

"Zhang Jian!"

The other Taiping Army members also recognized him. Their bloodshot eyes, having lost many comrades in the past few days and not slept for a night, were all fixed on Zhang Jian.

But Zhang Jian was unfazed by their strangely frenzied gazes. To him, who had experienced life and death, their half-hearted hostility was no threat. Instead, he looked at the approaching dark merchants. Though vicious, they were more threatening than the Taiping Army.

The Taiping Army's reaction was incorrect. Instead of turning their heads to look back, they should have been wary of the approaching dark merchants.

The price of foolishness was death. A mace, suddenly close, shattered a Taiping Army member's head. The member, with a crushed skull, fell off his horse, and only then did the others realize what was happening.

"Draw your weapons!"

The Taiping Army members drew their weapons and engaged the dark merchants. A mounted battle ensued as they continued to chase Yang Hong. The dark merchants, without hesitation, also approached Zhang Jian, weapons drawn.

Zhang Jian responded with a swift strike, aiming for their necks.

Clang! The sound of metal rang out, and two dark merchant warriors fell off their horses. Their riderless horses slowed down and fell behind.

Seeing their two comrades fall instantly, the other dark merchant warriors focused on Zhang Jian. A particularly large warrior raised his hand, pointing at Zhang Jian and shouting.

"Get him first!"

At his shout, the dark merchant warriors near Zhang Jian charged, their horses' heads close together. Most of them fell off their horses, unable to block Zhang Jian's single strike.

After knocking down three dark merchant warriors, Zhang Jian tugged on Cao Cao's reins. Cao Cao, roaring like a wild beast, charged forward. Among the fastest horses, Cao Cao moved as if he were a different creature altogether.

Zhang Jian's sword flashed in the air. The dark merchant warriors, whether approaching or not, had their necks severed by the sliding blade. Even as they died, they tried to swing their weapons, but none of them reached him. The clumsy attacks couldn't even get close, and the rest were all repelled.

Zhang Jian and Cao Cao's path split the dark merchant warriors like a bamboo stalk. The riderless horses followed the others aimlessly.

Chasing a dark merchant warrior, Zhu Xian saw the scene and shouted to Bai Shajing in fear.

"That's a monster! We need to run!"

Bai Shajing's expression was also a bit pale. However, he stabbed a dark merchant warrior and shook his sword, saying,

"Zhu Xian! Lead the other Taiping Army members and chase the map!"

"What about you?"

"Hurry!"

After a moment's hesitation, she stabbed the dark merchant warrior she was fighting, creating a hole in his neck, and shouted,

"Taiping Army! Don't engage them, just charge forward faster!"

The Taiping Army members didn't need to push the dark merchant warriors away. The dark merchant warriors, who had been fighting the Taiping Army, were all now targeting Zhang Jian. Despite their fear, they all had a determined look, wanting to land a blow on Zhang Jian.

Thus, the Taiping Army shook off the interference and charged after Yang Hong. Bai Shajing remained behind, watching Zhang Jian's prowess.

With Cao Cao's superior speed and Zhang Jian's excellent swordsmanship, the result was terrifying. They moved almost as if flying low over the ground, showing a speed the other dark merchant warriors couldn't match. The end result was that about half of the dark merchant warriors were killed. Only then did the remaining dark merchant warriors, in fear, turn their horses and flee towards the ancient families fighting in the distance.

As they fled, Zhang Jian and Cao Cao paused for a moment. Zhang Jian, with a lowered sword and deep-set eyes, and Cao Cao, breathing heavily and sweating, creating a light mist, stood there.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Jian's eyes met Bai Shajing's. Despite seeing the recent battle, Bai Shajing's eyes showed surprise and a bit of fear, but no terror.

Zhang Jian, seeing him stop at a distance where his voice could be heard, said,

"I said I would kill all of you the next time we meet."

"···Gao Long is dead."

Bai Shajing dismounted. Seeing this, Zhang Jian smirked and also dismounted, leaving the still panting Cao Cao.

"Then you didn't hear my warning. Do I need to repeat it?"

"No. I will offer your head to my master to console his grief and Gao Long's spirit."

Zhang Jian and Bai Shajing faced each other from a distance of about three zhang. As they were about to engage in a single round, the Ji family and the dark merchants, disguised as the Yan family, continued their fierce battle, Yang Hong desperately fled, Zhu Xian and the Taiping Army pursued, and the unseen Li Lian also chased Yang Hong.

In the vast wilderness, various schemes and wills clashed.