Chapter Nine: The Guards with Hearts Like Rock

Hark! Hark! Hark! Hark!

The maid glared at him with anger, while her right hand slowly and quietly reached towards her waist

... ...

The guards stood expressionless around the elderly man, as if they were completely oblivious to the surrounding chaos and the sounds of battle. Only when an enemy was about to breach their defensive circle would one of the guards draw his sword and engage in the fight

Ning Que immediately fell to the ground at a distance from the circular chariot formation, and in the process of falling, he did not forget to bring down Sang Sang and the maid who had followed him out of the tent.

He vaguely sensed what was about to happen, as the curtain of a magnificent and cold new world was about to rise, bringing forth a reality that heightened his emotions to the extreme, causing a tingling sensation on his scalp. His fingers silently stroked the bowstring, and after a moment, his breathing strangely began to slow down, and his expression became even calmer and more composed than before.

At the entrance of Beishan Road, a fierce clashing sound of blades suddenly erupted. Amidst the muffled groans and wild roars, individuals from both sides occasionally fell. The tips of knives pierced into chests and abdomens, while blades slashed open throats, and blood sprayed from the bodies of the men, soaking and staining the already damp red fallen leaves

The arrows fiercely pierced into the makeshift wooden shield, producing a dull thud akin to war drums, yet more intense and terrifying than the most frenzied of drums. Occasionally, arrows would shoot through the gaps in the rudimentary wooden shield, striking the guards and eliciting muffled groans. In contrast, the unfortunate horses that were hit by arrows were not as fierce and resilient as the men of the empire; they fell to the ground in agony, rolling and whinnying in distress.

Since they are all death warriors, the number naturally cannot be too large. However, Ning Que is very clear that in the chaos of battle, it has never been the case that the side with more people is necessarily stronger. On the contrary, a team composed entirely of fearless death warriors is the most difficult to deal with

Establish a shield

Falling heavily in the forest, he did not feel much pain because the ground was cushioned with hundreds or thousands of years of fallen pine needles from the North Mountain Path. His face pressed against the cool leaves, he listened to the dense sound of arrows whistling through the air ahead, occasionally hearing arrows whiz past above his head, silently calculating the number of archers on the opposing side and the amount of arrows they had used.

In front of a carriage, the gentle old man dressed in a worn robe sat with his eyes closed, facing deeper into the increasingly dark and shadowy depths of the forest, surrounded by layers of protection from the guards

One carriage was resplendently silent, while in the other carriage, the only elderly gentleman in the line sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, exuding an air of leisure. A sword lay horizontally across his lap, its scabbard tattered and worn, much like the robe worn by the old man

In the dim light, he noticed that many dense figures had already appeared in the thickets on both sides of the North Mountain Road. By calculating the density of the arrows previously and considering the current visibility, he roughly estimated that the number of enemies was around sixty.

Evening is the time when people are most likely to let their guard down and feel the least vigilant, and as the convoy is about to meet the supporting troops from Gushan County, it is inevitable that there will be some relaxation; these enemies are surely looking to take advantage of this.

Ning Que focused intently on the battlefield, completely ignoring her question. When he noticed the scene at the convoy, a certain possibility crossed his mind, causing him to feel a slight chill in his body

Sang Sang glanced at him, handed over the bow and arrow in her hand, and then slowly and silently took down the black umbrella from her back, placing it quietly on the fallen leaves beside her

These more than ten guards of the Tang Dynasty, hailing from the Chang'an Yulin Army, were specially selected to accompany the Fourth Princess into the grasslands as part of her dowry. They are undoubtedly the most elite members of the military; however, their performance in today's battle outside the Beishan Pass was somewhat unusual

Ning He * Tu * Shu nervously licked his numb lips, reaching out towards Sang Sang, his palm unexpectedly filled with sweat, damp and wet.

Ning Que did not understand why the guards were so vigilant, nor did he know what lay hidden among the dark leaves of the forest that the guards were watching so closely, but he knew that there must be great terror there

This brave guard made the right bet, paying the price with his own young life

At the moment Ning Que shouted that the enemy was attacking, the well-trained princess's guards reacted swiftly. One guard bravely jumped onto the yoke, blocking the window of the prince's carriage. He did not know where the feathered arrow would be shot, but he knew that the prince inside the carriage was certainly the enemy's primary target, and he could not allow the prince's life to be threatened in the slightest

The guards knelt on one knee upon the fallen leaves, dressed in cotton shirts, the edges of which faintly revealed the armor plates. Their right hands reached behind them, firmly grasping the angled knife handles, their expressions indifferent as they gazed ahead, encircling the two carriages behind them.

Like a sharp metal spike piercing through dozens of stacked wet papers, the feathered arrow struck the chest of a guard beside a luxurious carriage. The young man, sporting a goatee yet still youthful, clutched his bleeding chest and fell down.

An arrow shot fiercely into the muddy ground less than half a foot in front of Ning Que, the splattered dirt and stones hitting his face, instantly leaving a red mark. However, there was not the slightest change in his expression. He lay quietly on the layer of fallen pine needles, his gaze penetrating through the gaps between the leaves, crossing over the arrow shaft, and looking towards the distant North Mountain Road to the south

At the critical moment of intense tension, the elegant carriage window was pushed open with a creak, and a beautiful young woman leaned out, her hair slightly disheveled and her expression one of mild concern

Whoosh

"What bad luck, hetushu.com. " he murmured, turning to glance at the maid beside him. He noticed that this young lady, after a brief moment of panic in her eyes at the beginning, quickly regained her composure and calmness, and he couldn't help but silently commend her in his heart

All around the entrance of Beishan, there were the angry and anxious shouts of the guards, the commands for defense, and the heavy sound of shields being set up. Those large shields, temporarily constructed from carriage boards, were forcefully inserted by the guards at the edges of the cart, proving to be of great significance

When the rain of arrows surged from the depths of the dark forest, they quickly formed a circular defensive formation, silently taking cover behind their shields. As the enemy's assassins charged forward, they remained motionless in this stance, completely indifferent to the brutal slaughter occurring around them

From time to time, members of the same faction, the prairie savages, fall dead before our eyes; lifeless bodies occasionally collide with the convoy, producing a dull thud. They do not even blink, their faces remaining expressionless as they fixate on the depths of the dense forest, their hearts and bodies as solid as steel.

The fierce battle continues, with three individuals separated from the brutal battlefield by a line of vehicles. Judging by the situation, the conflict between the barbaric tribesmen and the death warriors is unlikely to reach this place in the short term. However, for some unknown reason, Ning Que feels an unprecedented tension, and the sweat between his palm and the bowstring has gradually dried up without him noticing.

As soon as the battle began, it plunged into its most brutal phase, yet no one retreated, no one turned to flee. Beyond the skills of combat and the art of killing, what was more evident was the fierce fighting spirit that dared to shed blood.

The fear of waiting for unknown dangers rendered the atmosphere in the arena extremely oppressive, as the sounds of fierce battles and the clashing of blades around the convoy seemed to vanish.

After all, this is within the territory of the Tang Dynasty, and the target of the assassination is none other than His Majesty the Emperor's most beloved Fourth Princess. For the sake of confidentiality, both prior to and after the event, the adversary cannot deploy a true large force and can only choose the most loyal and devoted assassins.

Regardless of the perspective, the tactical choices made by these prairie warriors are undoubtedly correct, at least in Ning Que's view. Therefore, he is quite puzzled as to why the expression of the maid beside him has become increasingly grave and somber, as if she is worried about something

The sound of arrows piercing the air, the thud of arrows striking wooden shields, the muffled groans of men, and the mournful cries of horses—all these sounds mingled together, transforming the camp, which had previously been enveloped in the warm twilight of joyous songs and laughter, into a veritable hell of carnage

At the moment when the battle at Beishan Pass was particularly fierce, there was an eerie silence within the convoy. The more than ten elite guards of the Tang Dynasty, who were supposed to accompany the bride to the grasslands, knelt around the two carriages like stone statues.

A muffled sound of "puff"

... ...

What do you want to do

The opponent did not choose to launch a surprise attack in the dense forest of Beishandao, nor did they opt for a night raid; instead, they chose to strike in the evening just as the convoy arrived at the entrance of Beishandao. Even though Ning Que had a certain natural intuition for danger since childhood, he still did not anticipate this.

Protect His Highness

Before she could say anything, the cold-faced leader of the guards beside the carriage quietly said, "Please be careful, Your Highness," and swiftly reached out to close the window, pushing her back. Although his expression was respectful, perhaps due to the tense situation, his actions appeared somewhat impolite.

The powerful figures of the empire arranged such a shocking assassination, not only employing assassins but possibly even calling upon practitioners to take action. The thought of witnessing battles among those strong individuals on the battlefield today inexplicably stirred a certain excitement within Ning Que, only to be followed by an unprecedented sense of fear

Ning Que would not allow her to expose her figure, thereby putting himself and Sang Sang in a terrifying situation. He clenched his right hand into a fist and struck her knee, causing her to fall down again

A dozen or so guards, resembling stone sculptures, knelt coldly beside the carriage, their faces shadowed yet marked by resolute calmness. Though vigilant, they exhibited no signs of fear.

These valiant nomads of the grasslands have never experienced the terrifying battles of the Central Plains. She anxiously contemplated this matter, gritted her teeth, and prepared to stand up.

The enemies in the dense forest on both sides have surged out, and the men dressed in plain gray Tang military uniforms are not masked. Wielding standard steel knives, they charge forward at high speed like a pack of wolves. Since there is no concealment of their identities, it is evident that one side will inevitably be completely slaughtered

Countless arrows, like a torrential rain, were densely shot out from the depths of the dense forest, whistling through the air, instantly drowning out the howling wind, creating an exceptionally terrifying atmosphere

The furious and shocked shouts of the guards erupted urgently

Enemy attack

The fierce marauders surrounding the convoy are bandits tamed by Her Highness the Princess on the grasslands. The previous rain of arrows has already provoked their ferocity; some have drawn their short bows to shoot rapidly, while others, howling, have unsheathed their curved sabers to charge forward

Because the few cannot withstand the many, the lone guards often find themselves quickly embroiled in a bloody battle. Nevertheless, the other guards remain utterly unmoved, not even blinking an eye, steadfastly refusing to leave the old man’s side by even a single step

The prairie warriors loyal to the princess possessed exceptional archery skills, displaying bravery without panic. In an instant, they suppressed the enemy's advancing momentum, and figures occasionally fell in the dense forest. The warriors let out strange cries as they counterattacked, gradually gaining control over the wooded area surrounding the convoy. Despite their fierce courage, they remained cautious and did not blindly expand their territory.