In the tent, Yang Yan sat cross-legged on a cushion and took a cup of tea from the Dali Monastery prime minister. He said, "It was a black flood dragon that attacked the official ship. It should be from the northern demon tribe of the Jiao tribe. Its strength is not bad, fourth rank. I can't beat it in the water. "
He was not a talkative person. After giving a brief and comprehensive explanation, he compared his strength with the other party and then fell silent.
Chu Xianglong's expression changed dramatically.
Hearing about the existence of the fourth rank flood dragon, the Dali Monastery prime minister and the others had strange expressions. There was shock, fear, and anxiety.
Constable Chen frowned and said, "General Chu, do you know the details of that flood dragon?"
As he spoke, he squinted at Chu Xianglong.
Everyone looked at him. The invisible pressure made it impossible for Chu Xianglong to remain silent. He hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice,
"Black flood dragon, fourth rank. If I'm not wrong, it should be Lord Tang."
"He really knows the black flood dragon …" Xu Qi 'an's eyes flickered. The enemy who set up an ambush at the Flowstone Beach was the northern demon tribe. Since the northern demon tribe had made a move, what about the northern barbarians who had always been united?
In addition, the princess's trip to the Northern Region had been kept secret. The official ship had been traveling very fast, so it was impossible for the northern demon tribe to set up an ambush in advance.
Unless they already knew that the princess was going to the north.
Our Daibun's number one beauty is really not simple. She is worthy of the barbarians going deep into the enemy's hinterland to set up an ambush … Just now, I saw Chu Xianglong's expression. He seemed to be extremely shocked by the northern demon tribe's action … Countless thoughts flashed through Xu Qi 'an's mind.
Constable Chen whispered, "Yang Jinluo, are there any other enemies besides the black flood dragon?"
Yang Yan shook his head. "I didn't see any."
Everyone was relieved. The Dali Monastery prime minister felt relieved and calmed down. He said, "If there is only one fourth rank, we don't have to worry too much …"
Then Xu Qi 'an sneered and said, "The northern barbarians and the northern demon tribe are united. Since the demon tribe has made a move, the barbarians won't be far away.
"If I'm right, there are masters ambushing us at all the major passes to the Northern Region. Believe me, unless we abandon the carriages and supplies and cross the mountains, we will be ambushed again sooner or later. "
In this day and age, there were only a few official roads, but there were countless winding paths. However, the paths made by those people were difficult to ride on horses, not to mention carriages and flatbeds used to transport supplies.
In ancient times, the thieves only needed to occupy an official road and rob the passing caravans and pedestrians along the way to make a fortune.
After hearing his words, the two imperial censors and the Deputy of the Supreme Court hurriedly looked towards Constable Chen. They no longer believed Chu Xianglong.
Although Constable Chen's official position was low, he was an experienced martial artist. He was also one of them. His attitude was the most trustworthy.
Constable Chen nodded lightly and said in a low voice, "Lord Xu's analysis is very reasonable. It's even the truth. "I even think that since there is a Rank-4 on the waterway, what about the other ambush points? Would there also be a Rank-4, or even more Rank-4?
"If the northern barbarians and the demon tribe work together, it's not a problem to send out a certain number of Rank-4s."
In the Pugilistic World, Rank-4 martial artists were big shots. They were the local overlords. However, in the imperial court, Rank-4s were not a dime a dozen, but they were definitely not lacking.
This was simple logic. If there were more Rank-4s in the Pugilistic World than in the imperial court, then the imperial court would not rule the world.
The northern barbarians and the demon tribe were equivalent to the northern joint imperial court.
"What, what should we do?"
The three civil officials were anxious.
As long as there were two Rank-4s, their team would be in danger. If there were three, then they would be completely wiped out.
The atmosphere in the tent became silent and solemn.
The three civil officials and Constable Chen frowned. Although there were a hundred Imperial Guards outside and their respective escorts, it did not give them the slightest sense of security.
In fact, the security of the diplomatic mission was already very sufficient. There were a hundred Imperial Guards, dozens of escorts, four Silver Gongs, eight Copper Gongs, and a Rank-4 Jinluo.
With such a team, as long as they were not targeted by the major forces, they could do whatever they wanted in Daibun. They could even escape unscathed from the north and northeast.
When Inspector Zhang led the team to Yunzhou, it was also a team of this size. Their journey was safe and sound.
However, the current situation was that they were likely to be ambushed and targeted by the northern barbarians and the demon tribe, backed by the major forces in the north.
"Why would the northern barbarians and demon tribe want to kill the princess? How did they set up the ambush in advance? "Constable Chen stared at Chu Xianglong with a sharp gaze.
"This is not something you should know." Chu Xianglong snorted coldly.
Constable Chen said angrily, "If they knew that the enemies were the northern barbarians and demon tribe, why didn't they send the Imperial Guards to escort them? Why did they have to hide in the diplomatic mission?"
The terrible situation made him extremely angry. He no longer cared about Chu Xianglong's identity, and his attitude was tit for tat.
That's right, if they were mentally prepared for an ambush, wouldn't it be safer to send the Imperial Guards to escort them … This was Daibun's territory after all. If they sent a large group of Imperial Guards to escort the princess, even if the northern barbarians and demon tribe sent out their Rank-4 experts, they would only end up with grievances. After all, the Imperial Guards would definitely carry large scale killing artifacts, and there were already many experts in the army …
But Yuan Jing Emperor asked the princess to sneak into the envoy group and secretly leave the capital city without anyone knowing … Xu Qi 'an thought flashed through his mind.
They were guarding against the internal enemies of the imperial court!
There were people in the imperial court who didn't want the princess to go to the north to meet Duke Huai … What would happen if the princess went to the north? There was definitely a deeper story behind this.
Also, how did the demon tribe and barbarians find out in advance and set up the ambush?
These clues were messy and clueless, and it gave him a headache just thinking about it.
As he listened to the quarrel between Chu Xianglong and the three civil officials, Xu Qi'an pinched the space between his eyebrows and was immersed in his own thoughts.
"Actually, I have a simpler method, and that is to invite them into the trap. I will take the initiative to attract the experts of the barbarians and demon tribe, and extract information from them."
The more Xu Qi'an thought about it, the more he felt that this plan was feasible. First of all, he had the Invincible Vajra Body, which was comparable to or even stronger than a Rank-4 expert. Even if he couldn't win against a Rank-4 expert, it would be difficult for the other party to kill him.
After all, Warrior didn't know how to attack the primordial spirit. If it was a Rank-4 expert, Xu Qi'an would turn around and leave without a second word. After all, his primordial spirit was still at the Rank-6 level.
Even if his primordial spirit was stronger than most Rank-6 experts, there was no way he could be a match for a Rank-4 expert.
Secondly, he had the magic book given to him by the Confucian Family. In a game, this was a super rare skill scroll.
His level might be low, but he knew how to spend money.
During the battle between Heaven and Man, it was precisely the effects of the Confucian Family's magic book that helped him make up for the weakness of his primordial spirit, which allowed him to defeat Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen.
Lastly, he still had the Shenshu Monk within him. This was his greatest source of confidence.
However, the existence of the Shenshu Monk couldn't be exposed. Even if he summoned him, he had to do it without any teammates. Otherwise, he would have no choice but to silence him … If it was just to save the consort, I wouldn't have to risk my life like this … Xu Qi'an rubbed his chin with his index finger and thumb.
Saving the consort was just a side benefit. His goal was to extract information.
'The north is the King of Zhenbei's territory. If I go there directly, I'll be plunging straight into his surveillance range. Every move I make will be right under his nose.
'If that's the case, I either won't investigate the case, or I'll fight to the death with the King of Zhenbei.'
For an expert in logical reasoning, it was impossible for him to fall into such a passive situation.
He had to obtain more clues and information before he reached the north. Only then could he formulate a plan and carry out the investigation.
At this moment, the argument ended.
Chu Xianglong spread out a map on the ground and said in a low voice, "Was Yang Jinluo followed along the way?"
Yang Yan shook his head.
As a Peak Rank-4, there were not many people who could follow him. The Warrior's intuition was not just for show.
Chu Xianglong breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Very good. Then we still have a chance. In this situation, we definitely can't turn back. "We should reach Jiang State Capital as soon as possible and ask for help from Jiang State's administrative envoy and Jiang State's commander-in-chief. Ask them to mobilize the city guards for defense."
Everyone nodded slowly.
Jiang State Capital was the capital of a province. There was no shortage of military and elites. Once they entered Jiang State Capital, they would be safe. If the Rank-4 barbarians and demons dared to charge into the city, they would definitely not be able to return.
"As long as we can successfully reach Jiang State Capital, we can ask for help from the imperial court or deploy the Jiang State army to escort the consort to the north," Chu Xianglong said.
"That makes sense." The Dali Monastery prime minister nodded slowly.
Chu Xianglong pointed at the map and said, "That's why we have to plan our route next.
"The shortest route to Jiang State is the official road we're taking now. We can reach it in two days. "However, this route is also the most dangerous. "That's why we have to take a detour."
Constable Chen shook his head and retorted, "The detour is equally dangerous. There are too many of us, and there are also Zi Zhong and the women. We can't go fast. "Moreover, the enemy is an elite who travels light. They'll be locked on and caught up to sooner or later."
Chu Xianglong smiled and said, "That's why we have to abandon the carriages, horses, and part of Zi Zhong. "We also have to travel light. We can't take the official road and fight them as a guerrilla."
It had to be said that this was a very smart decision.
Although the other party was an elite, they could not bring an army into the enemy's territory to set up an ambush. This would result in a lack of manpower and would not be able to carry out a large-scale search.
At this moment, Chu Xianglong truly displayed the qualities of an experienced general.
This kind of desertion is not uncommon in a march or a battle.
Everyone looked at Xu Qi 'an.
He had some skills. To be able to become the deputy general of the King of Zhenbei, he could not be a mediocre person … Xu Qi 'an also felt that this arrangement was the best choice at the moment.
"I'm fine with it," he said lightly.
Chu Xianglong smiled proudly. He looked at Leader Xu with provocative and contemptuous eyes, as if he was telling him, "You're still too young.
You're just a kid whose hair hasn't fully grown yet. You're still too inexperienced.
Immediately, the officials walked out of the tents, gathered their men and horses, and issued orders to prepare to march through the night.
Chu Xianglong woke up the maids and stopped beside the princess's carriage. He bowed and said, "Princess, something happened."
A few seconds later, the calm voice of a woman came from the carriage. "What happened?"
Chu Xianglong said in a low voice, "The ship was ambushed on the waterway and has sunk. We are still in danger. The enemy is likely to chase after us."
The maids who were rubbing their eyes and leaving the carriage exclaimed when they heard this.
The old auntie who was mixed in with the maids was so frightened that she shrunk her head and her eyes flashed with panic.
Chu Xianglong continued, "I have decided to take the mountain road to avoid being pursued. Princess, please make preparations quickly and leave through the night."
The old auntie quickly returned to the carriage and packed her luggage and rations. Her desire to survive was terrifying.
The maids reacted quickly and started to busy themselves.
…
Abandoning part of Zi Zhong, the envoy group carried their rations and water and left the official road. They walked through the fields, plains and mountains, beginning their arduous journey.
Yang Yan led the group to the front while Xu Qi 'an brought up the rear with the Imperial Army.
At dawn, the group rested at the foot of the mountain to replenish their food and recover their strength.
Xu Qi 'an chewed on the tasteless sesame seed cake and drank some water. He was glad that he did not bring the little mare along. Otherwise, he would lose his beloved mount.
Soft footsteps approached and when he turned around, he saw a tired old auntie.
She was standing not far away and was hesitant. When she saw Xu Qi 'an looking over, she gritted her teeth and walked over in big strides. She sat beside Xu Qi' an and whispered,
"Will we be able to reach the North smoothly?"
Xu Qi 'an replied, "You are a maid of the Prince's Residence. You should ask Chu Xianglong about this."
I don't trust him … She hugged her water bottle and looked at the crowd worriedly. She whispered, "I am a little scared."
She was very scared and subconsciously came to look for Xu Qi 'an. Perhaps in her heart, in this envoy group, the one who could truly give her a sense of security was not Yang Yan of Jinluo or Chu Xianglong who swore loyalty to the King of Zhenbei.
Instead, it was the young night watchman who kept teasing her along the way, the silver gong who shocked everyone in the battle, the man who suppressed heaven and man with his bare hands on the Wei River.
"Are you afraid of death?" Xu Qi 'an asked expressionlessly.
She nodded and shook her head.
"There is no problem with Chu Xianglong's plan. If we are lucky, we will be able to reach Jiang District safely. We will be safe once we reach Jiang District. Besides, you are just a little maid. What is there to be afraid of? If you see that the situation is not good, just run away. He is a fourth-grade master, why would he care about you? "
Xu Qi 'an laughed at her cowardice.
"I am afraid that I won't be able to reach Jiang District." She sighed.
It had only been four hours since they had stayed up all night to rush on the road. Her legs were already weak and she could not walk anymore.
"Let me carry you?" Xu Qi 'an suggested.
She shook her head.
"If, if the pursuers stop us, you …" She changed her words and said, "Will the night watchman protect the princess?"
When she asked this question, her eyes shone with a hopeful light, as if there were stars in them.
It was as if as long as Xu Qi 'an gave a positive answer, she would feel at ease.
"Of course not." Xu Qi 'an refused immediately. "Our mission is to investigate the case, not to protect the princess. The princess' life and death have nothing to do with us. If the enemy is too strong, we can just run away ourselves. Their target is the princess anyway. "
'Is that so …' The light in her eyes dimmed. She quietly got up and returned to her seat, hugging her knees.
She was in the crowd, but she did not fit in with the people around her. She looked lonely and pitiful.
…
After a quarter of an hour, Chu Xianglong got up and said loudly, "Continue forward."
The well-trained Imperial Guards and guards got up in silence. They carried their luggage, picked up their weapons, and were ready to move out.
As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qi 'an's hair suddenly stood on end. The next moment, an image naturally appeared in his mind. In the forest above his head, a huge rock suddenly crashed down.
Almost at the same time, Yang Yan, who was in front, suddenly raised his head and stared at the mountain behind him.
"Whoosh …"
A huge rock about six meters tall was thrown down from the mountain towards the center of the group.
The rest of the martial artists in the envoy group were a beat slower. They only sensed it when the huge rock was thrown. Meanwhile, the ordinary soldiers and maids had not reacted yet.
