Chapter 3, The Black-Clad Warrior

At the foot of the mountain, the morning dew hanging on the green leaves swayed with the gentle breeze and slowly fell, dripping onto Wang Xu's face. His tightly closed eyes gradually opened, but at that moment, the scene before him forced him to close his eyes once more.

At this moment, Zhou De saw the dawn and urgently said: "Rest assured, as long as you escort me back to the royal city, I will immediately order the release of them and promise you one hundred thousand taels of gold!"

"Hey, big brother, look quickly, there are two people ahead." A warrior dressed entirely in black, wearing a black hat and carrying a long sword at his waist, whispered to the two other black-clad warriors beside him

No

Wang Xu noticed the hesitation of the three and felt a surge of joy within. He continued, "On the contrary, if you were to kill the prince, it would indeed be a grave sin. Not only would the court pursue you, but even the heir would not allow you to live; for you know too many of his secrets. Once he ascends to the throne, you will have lost your value for exploitation."

Wang Xu shook his head noncommittally and suddenly said: "Old man, what exactly is your identity? You can completely trust me; I will not harm you."

Cut it out, what are you acting like? Do you think you are a prince?

The next morning, dawn was just breaking on the horizon. A series of cold winds swept across the land, bringing with them a hint of chilly freshness

"Hello, wait a moment, we are already in your hands. Allow me to say a few words before I die." Wang Xu's shout caused the two men in black to stop.

Who I am is not important, the prince is here, you can fully trust me

The old man set down the horse's leg in his hand, and with his greasy hands, he adjusted his beard, feigning profundity as he said: "Do you see that great mountain ahead? Beyond that mountain lies the ancient capital of the Western County. Once you arrive there, you will know who I am."

Wang Xu had already woken up and initially intended to feign death to evade detection. However, he did not expect the black-clad individuals to be so ruthless, sparing not even the dead. With no other choice, he had to wake up

Parents, wife, and children

Such a great temptation lay before the three men in black, and Zhou De believed that anyone who was not a fool would accept it. However, in the end, he was disappointed, as the expressions of the men in black only flickered for a moment before returning to normal.

After some thought, Wang Xu said: "If you kill the prince, will your parents, wives, and children not be held accountable? You must understand that under heaven, all land belongs to the king, and all subjects and princes are the legitimate representatives of the court. You should be loyal to the prince, indeed.

Zhou De could hardly believe his eyes. Faced with three black-clad warriors, he had resigned himself to his fate, feeling utterly helpless. Unexpectedly, at the critical moment, it was Wang Xu who saved his life. Even more commendable was that, in order to save his own life, he did not hesitate to make such a vicious vow to the Dragon God. Zhou De secretly vowed that as long as he could return to the Ancient Western Palace, he would certainly reward Wang Xu handsomely.

Indeed, the disheveled old man is Prince Zhou De of Gu Xi.

Big Brother! The invisible sword that had been resting on the shoulders of Wang Xu and Zhou De has been retracted. The sword has returned, and the two of them are indeed moved, turning to seek Big Brother's opinion.

Half a month ago, an unusual phenomenon suddenly occurred in the sky over Jingliao County, where a massive vortex covered half of the county, seemingly intent on devouring everything. Within the vortex, thunder and lightning roared, and a golden dragon spiraled around. Such a sight had never been witnessed before, and Zhou De, as the Prince of Guxi County, would certainly not miss it. He immediately dispatched five hundred Feathered Forest troops to Jingliao County. However, contrary to his expectations, as soon as he arrived in Jingliao County, he was ambushed by bandits, resulting in the complete annihilation of the five hundred Feathered Forest troops

Wang Xu nodded. He continued to persuade for a while.

Wang Xu looked bewildered, feeling increasingly confused as the conversation progressed. He forced himself to regain his composure and said, "Three brave warriors, please allow me to speak a word."

"Only by killing you can our loved ones be safe and sound; you shall die." A man in black said fiercely

"Prince, you are on the brink of death. I do not hesitate to inform you that we are the loyal warriors of the heir. Prepare to meet your end." Two long swords sliced through the air, accompanied by a faint whistling sound. The chill emanating from the swords caused both Zhou De and Wang Xu to shiver simultaneously

You young man, what do you know? If we had taken the official path, we would have been dead long ago.

What? Who is to be killed

At this moment, the lives of the two individuals hang by a thread. The only way to survive is to take action against these men in black. If they can be persuaded, that would be fortunate; if not, then they must be prepared to fight for their lives.

The man in black suddenly let out a self-deprecating smile, inadvertently revealing a look of pain on his face; thinking of his parents and wife and children still in the hands of the prince, and recalling the orders given before his departure, he tightened his grip on the sword once more, for only by completing the mission could his loved ones remain safe and sound

"Everyone, rise. Upon our return to the palace, there will be rewards for all."

Two black-clad warriors led the way, while Wang Xu and Zhou De each carried a roasted leg of horse, closely following behind. Another black-clad warrior guarded the rear; the group of five slowly began to ascend the mountain, making their way toward the palace

Wang Xu secretly chuckled, wondering what the Dragon God was. He still had not figured it out, probably equivalent to the likes of the Buddha or Guanyin Bodhisattva in his previous life. Not to mention that Wang Xu never believed in such supernatural beings, even if they were to come true, what difference would it make? Faced with the choice of life and death, Wang Xu had no way out

"Who are you?" The man in black, undeterred by the immense temptation, asked.

Wang Xu has already sworn allegiance to the Dragon God, and the man in black no longer has any reservations. He knelt on both knees and said earnestly: "Your Highness, we are willing to serve you and escort you back to the palace."

Hey, wait!" Wang Xu was startled and turned over, "Old man, wake up quickly.

"How can we trust you? Are you bold enough to swear a poisonous oath to the Dragon God?" said the man in black once again

He can offer you benefits that I can also provide. If you are willing to escort me back to the royal city, I will give you one thousand taels of gold

Accompany me to escort the prince back to the palace. After returning to the palace, I assure you that both you and your wives and children will be safe and sound. Furthermore, the prince will reward you with ten thousand taels of gold. At that time, you will be able to take your parents, wives, and children away from this place, living without worries about food and clothing, and from then on, enjoy a comfortable life.

"O Dragon God, I, Wang Xu, hereby swear that if I cannot rescue the parents, wives, and children of the three brave men and restore their freedom, then let him (pointing quietly at the old man) descend to the eighteen layers of hell after death, never to be reincarnated again." Wang Xu bowed three times, completing the ritual

The three individuals gradually approached, holding a portrait in their hands, repeatedly comparing it with the old man. Slightly, the warrior holding the portrait commanded: "This is the one, kill him!"

It seems that this is yet another power struggle for the throne, a plotline that is all too familiar in television dramas, and Wang Xu is no stranger to it

Wang Xu's words undoubtedly struck at the very heart of the black-clad individuals. If one could truly take their wife, children, and elderly parents away from the mundane world to live a peaceful and stable life, who would be willing to entrust their parents, wives, and children to others, to be threatened and to serve them

It has stopped, it has finally stopped. Wang Xu breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, he was profoundly shocked, not expecting that the old man was indeed the Duke of Guxi County. However, isn't the heir the son of the prince? Why would he want to harm him?

Wang Xu's call awakened the old man, who stood up. The three men in black did not intimidate him; he had seen such things many times before. The old man also knew who wanted to put him to death. What pained him was that familial ties were so easily shattered in the face of power, willing to commit patricide in order to obtain the throne

The three exchanged glances, as if persuaded, and one of them said: "Our wives and children are in the hands of the heir; can you rescue them?"

"Can we pack up what we can't finish? We have to climb such a big mountain tomorrow. If we don't eat enough, we won't have the strength to walk." Wang Xu tore off a chunk of horse meat and took a big bite, complaining as he ate, "I said we should take the official road, but you insisted on climbing the mountain. If you had listened to me, we would have arrived at the county town by now."

The two of them exchanged words and laughter, conversing until midnight, and then fell asleep with their feet touching