Chapter 4 Deeply Caught in a Scheme
1698 Words
“It’s alright,” Ning Bufan said arrogantly,
“I believe that such a peerless person wouldn’t make things difficult for a fool like me. My biggest worry is how to seduce… cough… how to make friends with the women of Tingyu Pavilion if I encounter them. After all, I am also a refined person who enjoys music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.”
The two walked and talked, heading towards the nearest city of Tianfeng Kingdom, with Xiao Qi following closely behind. Having just crossed a rushing stream, a vast field appeared before them. The setting sun was like blood, the forest was deep, and the hazy moon was approaching.
After walking for a long time, the noble princess was also a little tired. Without any regard for etiquette or image, she sat down to rest on a pile of pebbles.
“We’ve now left the mountains,” Jiang Ge pointed to the distant outline.
“That’s Baiyu Mountain. Willow Village is hidden halfway up Baiyu Mountain. It took me a long time to find your village. However, a person can only enter once in their lifetime. Once you leave, you’ll never have the chance to go back.”
Ning Bufan looked up and saw the majestic immortal mountain, its outline clearly defined. A few meteors that had just fallen into the night sky further accentuated its otherworldly aura.
“And what about the sixth-ranked Unknown Land?” After a long silence, he decided to continue probing the unfinished topic.
“…”
No one answered. He turned to look. The beautiful woman had fallen asleep quietly, half-lying on a large rock, her hair covering her face, her breathing even. The wolf named Xiao Qi was nestled close to her body, sitting at her feet.
"You must be exhausted," he chuckled, removing his outer garment and gently draping it over Princess Tianfeng's shoulders. He took a few steps back, found a small stone stool, and sat down, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed thoughtfully at the twinkling stars.
Dawn was breaking.
The distant sound of clashing hooves startled the two men and the wolf.
A group of heavily armored black cavalrymen rapidly approached them, their heavy hooves thundering. There were about thirty of them. The cavalry moved in perfect unison, raising clouds of dust in the distance, exuding a chilling aura. Even Ning Bufan, who had never seen cavalry before, could tell they were highly trained elite guards.
"Your Highness,"
The leading general dismounted, knelt on one knee, and shouted, "I am late! Please punish me with death!"
This was a tough, muscular man with a gruesome scar running from below his eye to the corner of his mouth. A truly frightening sight.
Jiang Ge, her expression gentle, quickly helped the man up, saying softly,
"General Hu, you've watched me grow up since I was a child, and you know I'm not a mean person. Why act this way? Liu Village is an unknown place, and the situation here is complicated. I'm so grateful that you arrived in time. How could I still hold a grudge against you?"
A cold glint flashed in Hu's eyes: "Your Highness, this place is not safe to stay long. Since Your Highness entered Liu Village, less than half a day has passed, and we've been ambushed three times. The attackers were disguised as ordinary bandits, but in reality, they were highly trained elite troops."
"Erhu, take half of the elite troops and escort the princess away first, back to Jiangbei City. I'll leave the other half to scout out the enemy's situation."
Jiangbei City was an isolated city at the border of Tianfeng and Beicang, surrounded by ambushes. Going to Jiangbei to hide was the best option at this time.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
A burly man with a scraggly beard dismounted, led his horse to Jiang Ge's side, and respectfully said,
"Your Highness, please mount your horse."
Jiang Ge turned and glanced at the expressionless Ning Bufan, pondered for a moment, then asked the barbarian general.
"How do those soldiers dressed as bandits compare to my royal Black Rhino Ironclad Battalion?"
"They're probably no less formidable," Hu Jiang replied coldly.
"This time, Her Highness has come to seek out extraordinary individuals, and the entire route has been heavily guarded by the royal Black Rhino Ironclad Battalion. There are four or five hundred guards on the surface, and dozens of top-tier experts hidden in the shadows. Yet… among these layers of guards, over a hundred have suddenly appeared in this desolate place, a place Her Highness must pass through. This is highly suspicious."
He snorted coldly, his voice chilling. "Once this matter is settled, I will thoroughly investigate the cause. Your Highness need not worry. I will protect Your Highness's safety! Erhu, bring the horse here."
Ning Bufan bent down, pressing his ear to the ground, listening intently.
"General Hu," he called softly.
General Hu, a seasoned warrior, naturally knew what the young master before him was doing. He waved his hand, and Erhu, understanding, immediately pressed their ears to the ground, catching the clatter of hooves.
"That sound...light cavalry!"
Light cavalry was rapidly converging from all directions, their numbers unknown.
"If we scatter and flee now, we'll surely die. If we unite and charge in one direction, there's still a sliver of hope."
Ning Yu stood up, dusting off his hands, speaking casually as if the matter had nothing to do with his life.
"We can't delay." General Hu summoned someone to offer Ning Yu his horse. He knew that this perilous situation was precisely because of searching for this person. This person was crucial, and his life had to be protected.
"Young Master Ning, aren't you afraid?" The noble princess showed no fear, riding her black iron warhorse with ease.
Ning Bufan stroked the black horse's sharp mane, then shook his head. "I wasn't afraid before. After all, things had come to this point, and fear was useless. But now, I am indeed a little afraid."
"Why?"
"I can't ride a horse. If a fight breaks out later, I might fall and die."
...
"Within the territory of Tianfeng Kingdom, you attempted to assassinate the daughter of Emperor Jiang, the princess of Tianfeng Kingdom. You disturbed our borders, trampled on our land. This is an insult!" The Hu general drew his sword with a clang, carefully rubbing the blade with his hand, feeling its sharp, cold edge.
His eyes flashed: "What audacity!" The scene fell silent.
He brandished his sword, his voice chilling and piercing:
"This ignorant rabble dares to audaciously attempt to encircle my Black Rhino Armor Camp? Haha! Don't they know that each of us is a warrior capable of taking on a hundred men? In a narrow encounter, the brave prevail! Only war can save us from this desperate situation! Soldiers! Are you willing to fight alongside me and carve a bloody path through them?!"
"This humble general is willing to fight to the death!"
"This humble general is willing to fight to the death!"
"This humble general is willing to fight to the death!"
A chorus of heroic words roared from dozens of men, their hearts pounding, their blood boiling, wishing the enemy would immediately arrive and slaughter them.
Good heavens, Ning Bufan's eyelids twitched slightly. This General Hu was definitely a ruthless man. Although deeply entangled in a scheme, he was willing to fight his way out with the lives of thirty-odd men, including himself. His few words had ignited their morale. Even if there was a safe retreat route, these Black Rhino heavy cavalry, their eyes burning with rage, would not retreat an inch. Thirty-odd riders sprang into action, charging north towards Jiangbei City.
Shortly, a group of light cavalry appeared ahead, numbering about forty or fifty. Their leader, with his clothes open, chest and belly exposed, wore a ferocious expression.
"Kill them all!"
"Awooo!" A group of bandits howled as they charged towards General Hu and his men.
The light cavalry moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the two groups clashed, weapons clashing and grinding against each other. General Hu, leading the charge, slashed a bandit across the chest with his sword, then, half-lifting the reins, engaged the bandit leader in battle.
Seemingly slow but actually swift, the two groups of men fell as soon as they met. Each man fought with unwavering ferocity. The heavily armored Black Rhinoceros cavalry, relying on their superior armor, held a slight advantage. Their charge allowed Ning Bufan and Jiang Ge, who had been protected, to break through the encirclement.
Erhu beside them urged, "You two head north. It's not far from Jiangbei. We can reach it in half a day. I'll turn back and assist General Hu."
With that, he signaled his men to turn their horses around and charge again.
Another cloud of dust rose as another wave of light cavalry appeared behind them, charging towards the two groups. Several hundred men were present.
Jiang Ge's voice trembled slightly: "Young Master Ning, let's go quickly. We can't let General Hu's kindness go to waste."
Fortunately, the Black Rhinoceros cavalry's horses were all well-trained steeds. Their armored bodies, once saddled, were ready to be ridden. Even Ning Bufan, who had never ridden a horse before, could handle them with ease.
“Stop,” Ning Bufan said, his eyes narrowing. He glanced one last time at the Black Rhinoceros Camp, now shrouded in a thick cloud of dust and smoke, surrounded by their armored warriors. He wondered how many of these hot-blooded men would survive this battle, perhaps even the fierce Hu general and Erhu would perish in the wilderness.
“Do you know why those men relentlessly pursued the Hu general and Erhu, yet let you and me escape?” he asked pointedly.
“Go, west.” He patted his horse’s head, and the black horse understood, turning and accelerating.
“Jiangbei City is to the north. We’re going west? That’s Beicang Kingdom’s territory,” Jiang Ge shouted, watching the man and horse disappear into the distance.
"If you want to live, listen to me. We'll talk in detail later."
- Writer
