A middle-aged man with a smooth, pale face from the Song clan’s team, his visage filled with anger, barked, “I am here on an important mission, under the orders of the elders of the Song clan! Why are you blocking our path, friend? I have a close relationship with your Bai Lu, one of the executors.”
“Bai Lu?” The leader of the Bai clan’s team sneered, “There are tens of thousands of external executors in the Bai clan. Who knows which Bai Lu you’re talking about? This is now the Bai clan’s combat zone. No one is allowed to enter without permission, not even the king himself!”
The middle-aged man from the Song clan darkened, his voice cold, “Are you saying this to insult the Song clan? Let me remind you, one of our important cargo teams has run into trouble ahead. Just as this happened, the Bai clan sealed off this area. Is there any connection to this, perhaps?”
The leader of the Bai clan’s team burst into laughter, mocking, “Stop trying to frame us! You think just by flapping your lips, you can throw accusations at us? I’ll tell you what, I’m going to block this path, and if you don’t like it, take it up with someone who can do something about it. If you want to fight, then fight me! Step over my corpse if you can!”
The middle-aged man from the Song clan turned a mix of pale and green, his sleeves sweeping in anger, “How can a member of a noble clan act and speak like a bandit?”
“At least we aren’t cowards like the Song clan, who only talk big and never act!”
This statement enraged the Song clan’s men, but they held their tempers, not daring to fight or even retort.
In this fierce battle, the teams directly under the four major clans were well aware of each other’s capabilities. The private armies sent by each clan varied in strength. The Zhao clan’s team was renowned for its elite fighters, while the Bai clan was also formidable, though not as strong individually as the Zhao clan, but they made up for it in numbers.
In comparison, the Zhang clan’s team was unremarkable, neither in numbers nor quality, but no one dared to underestimate them, especially with the newly appointed Tianwang Zhang Boqian stationed in Evernight, which dissuaded many from making small moves.
The Song clan had the largest number of private soldiers, but a high proportion were mercenaries. Many were temporary groups, consisting mostly of adventurers, with mixed abilities. Such a team lacked cohesion compared to those raised by noble clans. Given the Song clan’s focus on commerce, their members were less inclined to violence.
Though the Bai clan’s team was smaller, they were not guaranteed to lose in a fight. Qian Ye, observing nearby, saw that the Song clan’s people were already showing signs of cowardice, lacking the will to fight, evident in their excessive talking.
The deadlock was broken when the middle-aged man from the Song clan threw out a few empty threats and led his team away, looking somewhat deflated. The Bai clan’s team jeered and taunted them.
After seeing off the Song clan’s team, this small squad continued their patrol, securing the border. Not far into their journey, the team leader felt an odd, eerie silence around them.
“Stop, stay alert!” the leader ordered. But turning around, he was shocked to find only half his team remained, with the other seven or eight mysteriously missing.
Even the remaining soldiers, standing stiffly, showed no reaction to his command.
Cold sweat rolled down the leader’s forehead, yet he managed to maintain composure, shouting, “What’s going on with you all? Didn’t you hear me?”
“They can’t hear you anymore.”
The soldiers suddenly collapsed, revealing Qian Ye behind them.
The leader, startled, aimed his gun at Qian Ye, “Who are you? Do you know who you’re messing with, the Bai clan? Are you looking to die?!”
“The Bai clan? Hah, I’m looking for precisely someone from the Bai clan.”
Qian Ye moved, a blur of speed, and somehow, the gun was in his hand. The leader, pressing the trigger, found his hands empty.
A cold shiver ran through the leader. Before he could react, Qian Ye’s hand clasped his neck, lifting him and slamming him into a massive tree.
With a thud, the leader’s body nearly disappeared into the tree. Qian Ye, seemingly in a single step, had dragged him to the tree. The impact, even without such force, would have been devastating, and the leader spat blood, his bones shattered.
“Why are the Bai clan here? Who came? Tell me, and maybe I’ll let you live.”
Stuck in the tree, the leader, undeterred, spat blood towards Qian Ye, “Kill me, if you dare. Getting information from me? Never! My death will be avenged by the clan’s experts. You and your family will suffer…”
Qian Ye dodged the spit, his eyebrows raised, “You’ve got some backbone. In my hands, it just means you’ll die more slowly. Since you hate me so much, let’s make it longer.”
Qian Ye struck him, breaking all his origin nodes, and stuffed a piece of wood in his mouth to stop his curses. He left, hiding in a tree, waiting for more Bai clan members.
As expected, another team arrived an hour later, led by a general.
Walking, he stopped, staring at a tree. Moments ago, Qian Ye was there, but now, nothing.
“Two of you, check ahead. Three of you, search the tree for traces,” the general ordered, assigning tasks. Soon, a soldier returned, reporting a strange scent atop the tree.
The general, frowning, received the report, feeling unease. Suddenly, the soldiers ahead didn’t return. “Prepare for battle!”
Turning, he saw most of his men fallen, and the rest dropping like flies.
Qian Ye appeared, striking the general. The general blocked with his shield, but Qian Ye’s eyes glowed deep blue, slowing time, seeing every flaw. With a simple, powerful strike, the general fell, spitting blood.
Qian Ye, with a flick of his fingers, shot energy blasts, killing the remaining soldiers. The general was the sole survivor.
“Now, answer my questions, and you might live,” Qian Ye said, patting his shoulder.
The general, shocked, calmed down, realizing his team was gone. He, Qian Bo, a recent recruit, had no loyalty. He quickly revealed information, mentioning a name: Bai Longjia.
“Bai Longjia? Here?” Qian Ye was surprised, given his rapid advancement. “He commands this combat zone.”
“Combat zone?” Qian Ye frowned.
“Indeed, recently established.”
Finding no more useful information, Qian Ye released Qian Bo. As expected, Qian Bo fled, fearing retribution. With his skills, he could easily find a comfortable position elsewhere.
The situation was complex, with the Bai clan setting up a combat zone, bringing Bai Longjia. Whether by imperial order or the Bai clan’s initiative, it seemed too significant for a mere merchant convoy.
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