Chapter 5

Hastily rushing, Wu Fan, who had yet to receive an official promotion, left the city of Luoyang with his current superior, Commander Qian Rui.

Outside the city of Luoyang, all 2,300 men of the Thousand-Man Battalion were present, standing solemnly on the vast rammed-earth road, maintaining strict discipline.

The Thousand-Man Battalion's Commander Wu Zhao did not personally appear; instead, Deputy Commander Zhao Xi put on a fine set of armor, sat on a majestic warhorse, glanced at the almost fully assembled troops, waved his hand, and signaled to set off.

"Spit, spit! Damn it! The cavalry battalion is a bunch of bastards! They made me eat dust again!"

Due to the mission requirements, the Thousand-Man Battalion was divided into the "Cavalry Battalion" and the "Armored Infantry Battalion," which were the mounted and the foot soldiers, respectively. Out of ten hundred-man battalions, three were cavalry battalions, and the remaining seven were armored infantry battalions. Normally, there was no noticeable difference, but once such a long-distance mission arose, the cavalry battalion, equipped with warhorses, had a significant advantage, while the armored infantry battalion had to follow behind, eating dust, causing much dissatisfaction among the men.

Wu Fan covered his mouth, running while complaining to his subordinates, "Say less, when you talk, you just end up eating more dust."

Wu Fan, at least a small flag leader, had twenty men under him. He usually appeared very aloof and did not like to form cliques. However, he was the top fighter in his hundred-man battalion, with martial arts far superior to other Eagle-Brave Guards, so the men respected him and were willing to follow him.

"Boss Wu! Have you heard?"

A young man in his early twenties squeezed next to Wu Fan, his face feigning mystery but unable to hide his smile.

Wu Fan raised an eyebrow, having some idea, but pretended not to know, asking, "Heard what?"

The young man whispered, "Hundred-Man Battalion Commander Chen... No! Chen Yucì is a spy for the Maitreya Sect, and you beheaded him. His vacancy will certainly be filled by either Commander Qian or Commander Guo! You think, with the great merit you've earned this time, the vacant Commander position..."

"Say what should be said, and don't say what shouldn't be said! The higher-ups will naturally consider it," Wu Fan shook his head, neither confirming nor denying. "We should save our strength, so we don't get weak in the hands and feet when we face the Maitreya Sect, and end up as ghosts under their blades."

Hearing Wu Fan's words, those around him who were listening in all fell silent, adjusted their breathing, and followed the main force in silence.

They ran for over ten miles.

"Surround it!"

Deputy Commander Zhao Xi finally spoke, loudly ordering the Eagle-Brave Guards to surround half of a mountain outside Luoyang City.

"Advance!"

After a brief rest for the Eagle-Brave Guards, Zhao Xi issued the order to search and destroy.

The 2,300 Eagle-Brave Guards of the Luoyang Thousand-Man Battalion, having confirmed the location of the Maitreya Sect's hideout, poured out in full force. The Eagle-Brave Guards, armed with weapons, advanced in a carpet-like formation up the mountain, with very short intervals between them.

This mountain, named Whitehead Mountain, was very high, reaching over 300 zhang (about 1,000 meters), with dense forests and thick shrubs, making it an excellent hiding place. The only disadvantage for the Eagle-Brave Guards, which was also good news, was that the other side of the mountain was a steep cliff and a ravine formed between the mountains, through which the Luo River flowed. In short, the Maitreya Sect, once targeted by the Eagle-Brave Guards, had no choice but to face them head-on, with no way to retreat.

After entering the dense forest, Wu Fan drew a three-foot steel decapitation knife from the fourteen weapons, becoming more alert.

He couldn't help but be alert! The Maitreya Sect members were not weaklings who would easily give up their heads for merit; they were powerful martial artists, not to be trifled with. Why did the Southern Liang Dynasty fall? Because these people were dissatisfied with the Liang emperor's policies, causing constant unrest, leading to the Southern Liang's internal turmoil, which the Sui Empire took advantage of to defeat them.

In theory, the Maitreya Sect members should have been considered indirect contributors to the Sui Empire's victory over the Southern Liang and should have been accepted. However, the Sui Empire's high officials were also wary of these people. After the fall of the Southern Liang, they immediately launched a massive manhunt and massacre, going so far as to kill a thousand innocents to ensure no one escaped. Under heavy persecution by the Sui Empire in the south, the Maitreya Sect began to move north, starting to retaliate against the Sui Empire. Within a month, they had already set their sights on the Sui Empire's eastern capital, Luoyang.

Wu Fan knew little about the Maitreya Sect, but he understood that they were the Sui Empire's top concern, aside from the Northern Yan Kingdom. This was why he dared to use the Maitreya Sect to his advantage, killing his superior, Hundred-Man Battalion Commander Chen Yucì. At this moment, Wu Fan was focused, licking his lips like a wolf who had spotted its prey. The reason was simple: he needed money and merit! The heads of the Maitreya Sect members and the wealth they carried were what he needed!

"Rustle, rustle!"

The leaves underfoot were crushed, making a rustling sound.

The pungent smell of decay mixed with the faint scent of earth and leaves, both foul and fragrant.

It was too quiet, unnaturally so.

Wu Fan waved his hand, signaling his twenty subordinates to stop. He pretended to listen carefully, then signaled for others to advance.

Indeed, Wu Fan himself did not advance.

"Swish! Thud, thud!"

He tapped the back of the fourteen weapons case, and a steel cable with a sharp spike nailed into the trunk of a tall tree. Wu Fan ascended from the ground to the tree, then used the mechanisms of the fourteen weapons to move between the trees, like a monkey.

"Ahhh!!!"

Screams suddenly rang out, and nearly a hundred Eagle-Brave Guards, including several of Wu Fan's men, fell into a pit. For a moment, the cries of pain were incessant.

Looking at the sharpened wooden stakes in the pit and the people still screaming and hanging on them, Wu Fan, perched on a tree, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "Indeed, my premonition was correct! The Eagle-Brave Guards discovered the Maitreya Sect, and the Maitreya Sect also discovered the Eagle-Brave Guards, and they were well-prepared!"

"Kill these government dogs!"

A roar like a tiger's echoed through the forest, and a muscular man holding two short axes charged out from the depths of the forest.

Immediately, countless Maitreya Sect members charged down from above.

"Someone came out, which means there are no more traps on the ground."

Wu Fan thought for a moment, disengaged from his aerial state, and landed on the ground, shouting, "Form the formation! Kill the Maitreya Sect demons and avenge our fallen brothers!"

The fourteen men who did not fall into the trap immediately followed Wu Fan's lead, forming a small conical formation.

This was a military formation practiced by the Eagle-Brave Guards, specifically designed to deal with martial artists skilled in one-on-one combat. Forming a unit of twenty or a dozen men, they could overwhelm and kill the martial artists with a barrage of blades.

"Kill!"

Perhaps because Wu Fan's formation changed faster than the other Eagle-Brave Guards, it caught the attention of the leading Maitreya Sect man. The man, wielding two axes, roared and charged over.

"Looking for death!"

Wu Fan sneered contemptuously, placed the weapons case on his waist, and tapped it.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...!"

Dozens of steel needles, laced with potent poison by Wu Fan, shot out at incredible speed toward the man.

The fourteen weapons were not just fourteen knives; they were a small arsenal containing everything from large swords to small needles, hidden weapons, bows, and even telescopes and steel cables. "One case in hand, no need to worry about escape," have you heard of it?

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The man saw Wu Fan's hidden weapon action and frantically swung his axes, trying to deflect all the needles. Unfortunately, his internal cultivation was not at the level where he could ignore hidden weapons, and one needle pierced his chest.

"Thud!"

The poison on the needle took effect instantly, and the man, before reaching Wu Fan, fell to the ground, his face turning blue and foaming at the mouth.

"Swish!"

Wu Fan took a large step forward, chopped off the man's head, and held it in his hand, claiming the first blood.

Holding the head in one hand and pointing his blade at the approaching Maitreya Sect members, Wu Fan shouted, "You petty scoundrels, how dare you rebel? Brothers, follow me!"

Seeing their superior so brave, the dozen men below roared and followed, treating him like a god.

Wu Fan silently retreated into the formation, thinking to himself, "You will soon know why I don't like to interact with you. It's easier to use you when there are no feelings involved! Speaking of which... can I earn evil points by sacrificing my teammates to die and then picking up the credit? Sigh! I am indeed a bad person."

...

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