"Everyone, get down on the ground."
Chu Xianglong roared. He instinctively wanted to pounce on the ordinary maidservant, but he forced himself to hold back and turned to protect the "real" princess.
The boulder crashed down, bringing with it a strong gust of wind.
Yang Yan reached behind him and grabbed the silver spear on his back. The tip of the spear trembled slightly, and the red tassel bloomed.
With a "kacha" sound, the boulder that was big enough to smash half of the emissary group into meat paste shattered into small pebbles and fell to the ground with a pitter patter.
The pebbles fell on the armor and helmets of the soldiers, but they did not hurt or itch. The maidservants who were not equipped with protective gear held their heads and squatted on the ground, letting the guards help them block the pebbles.
After a wave of probing attacks, there was a short period of silence. The other party was not in a hurry to attack.
Xu Qi 'an squinted and focused his gaze. In the dense forest high above, there stood a figure that was ten feet tall. He was taller than the trees, and his body was covered with thick black hair.
His body was not muscular, but had a thick layer of fat. His facial features were rough, and his face was covered with black hair. He licked his lips and looked down at the envoy group with eyes full of bloodthirst and killing intent.
"Crack, crack …"
There was movement in the forest in the south. Trees fell down one after another, as if they were being trampled by some kind of creature.
Not long after, a black flood dragon drilled out of the forest. It was so huge that its entire head was comparable to a two-story attic. It had black mane, black scales, and forked horns.
Just the part of its body that was exposed to the crowd was already more than twenty feet long. It was estimated to be more than a hundred feet long.
A pair of vertical pupils stared coldly at the crowd.
This flood dragon was too big. Such a body was not suitable for battle at all … In the ancient tomb, the Jinlian Taoist priest had said that the demon race did not follow the path of size … The flood dragon had the bloodline of the Devil God?
"Hmm, maybe the demon race in the north all have the bloodline of the Devil God. That's why they are on the same side as the northern barbarians who also have the bloodline of the Devil God …" Xu Qi 'an began to speculate.
"Gulp …"
He heard the sound of saliva being swallowed. He maintained a vigilant posture and quickly looked around. He found that the soldiers and guards in the envoy group all had stiff expressions, and there was hidden fear in their eyes.
Fear of more powerful creatures was the instinct of all living beings.
If an ordinary person were to encounter such a terrifying flood dragon, they would either lose control of their bowels or urinate in fright on the spot, or they would flee in a panic.
"Didn't these soldiers participate in the Battle of Shanhai Pass? Well, Chen Xiao must have participated in it. There is no fear in his eyes …" Xu Qi'an thought as he observed the black bear on the mountain and the flood dragon in the south.
If it was just two Rank-4s, then it was not a big problem. Later, he would teach them how to be human, no, how to be demons.
However, right at that moment, when everyone was filled with fear because of the appearance of the flood dragon, a bell-like laughter suddenly rang out.
Another expert arrived. She wore a red dress, and her black hair was tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon. She walked through the weeds, revealing a pair of red embroidered shoes as she walked.
With every step she took, a clump of weeds would wither by her feet. Wherever she passed, not a single blade of grass would grow, and all life would disappear.
The appearance of this woman made the anxious and fearful people of the diplomatic mission feel even more hopeless.
"It's them, it's really them …" Chu Xianglong murmured. It seemed that he was more confused than shocked by what was happening in front of him.
At this point, one thing had already become a fact. Not only did the barbarians know that the princess was going to the Northern Region, but they had also predicted the time and place.
The barbarians were not as slow as they thought.
What he was confused about was how the barbarians and demons in the north knew about this and how they had set up an ambush in advance.
"Three … Rank-4s?"
The Dali Monastery prime minister swallowed, and his legs trembled slightly.
The two censors' faces were pale, and they even seemed to be on the verge of collapse. They could resist two Rank-4s, but with the current strength of the diplomatic mission, it would be difficult for them to fight against three Rank-4s.
Even Yang Yan would probably be in danger.
After all, a civil official was a civil official. If it was a great scholar from the Confucian Academy, the diplomatic mission would have to consider how to kill or capture him alive.
"Chu Xianglong, who are they?" Xu Qi'an asked in a low voice.
He was reminding Chu Xianglong to report information. Since they were from the northern barbarians or demons, then Chu Xianglong would definitely know about these Rank-4s.
Chu Xianglong's face was dejected, and he felt his throat go dry. Even though he was a seasoned general, he still felt that he had no chance of winning in this situation.
He took a deep breath, stabilized his emotions, and said bitterly, "The Black Flood Dragon is called Tang Shan Jun, one of the three leaders of the Flood Dragon Tribe.
"The one on the mountain is the leader of the Black Water Tribe of the barbarians, Zalmuha. The Black Water Tribe is famous for their immense strength, second only to the Strength Gu Tribe of the Gu Tribe.
"As for this woman, she is a snake demon called Hong Ling. She and her tribesmen are attached to the Green Face Tribe of the barbarians, and Hong Ling herself is the favorite concubine of the Green Face Tribe's leader. "
After a pause, Chu Xianglong said in despair, "They are all Rank-4s."
They really are Rank-4s … The Dali Monastery prime minister's body swayed, and he almost couldn't stand still.
In the crowd, the ordinary princess raised her head, quickly glanced at the three Rank-4s, and then immediately lowered her head, her delicate body trembling in fear.
She was a very insecure woman, and she was also very timid. Whenever she thought of ghosts, she wouldn't dare to sleep at night.
She never thought that one day, she would fall into such a terrifying situation.
According to the rumors, the northern barbarians were savages who ate raw meat and drank blood. Their favorite thing to do was to plunder the borders of Daibun, eat the men, rape the women, and then eat them.
If they fell into the hands of the barbarians, their fate could be imagined.
… …
The three experts of the barbarians and demons listened quietly to Chu Xianglong. The beautiful woman called Hong Ling giggled.
"Eh, isn't this Deputy General Chu under Duke Huai? During the battle of Crooked Stream three years ago, he thought about you day and night."
Chu Xianglong snorted coldly, "A defeated general doesn't deserve to be brave."
"So today, this servant is looking for you again." Her voice was coquettish, and her bewitching face was always smiling. She had a kind of seductive charm.
Chu Xianglong ignored her. He gripped the hilt of his blade tightly, and his body was tense, as if he was facing a great enemy.
The bewitching woman smiled, and her gaze swept across the envoy group. Her gaze paused on the princess wearing a veil hat, and then moved away. After observing everyone, she clicked her tongue and said,
"A bunch of repulsive people. Other than Yang Yan, only you, General Chu, are passable. Obediently hand over the princess, and this servant will let you have a good time before you die. "
Before Xu Qi 'an used his Divine Vajra Arts, his body didn't shine with divine light.
"I want Yang Yan. Don't fight me for him. I'll leave the rest to you. Kill, eat, or capture, it's up to you. "
In the forest above their heads, the three meter tall giant opened his mouth and spoke. His voice was loud and clear like thunder.
"How did you track down the envoy group?"
At this moment, someone in the crowd asked in a clear voice.
Tang Shanjun glanced at him and didn't reply.
Standing in the forest, Zalmuha looked down at the crowd. He only had eyes for Yang Yan.
Only Hong Ling, who was wearing a red dress and had beautiful features, was slightly interested when she saw that the person asking was the handsome Yin Gong. She threw him a coquettish look and said with a smile,
"Guess."
"You're so coquettish …" Xu Qi 'an tightened his grip on the black gold long blade. He didn't get angry because of the other party's disdain and mockery. His other hand quietly ignited a piece of paper.
As the saying went, a woman dressed in red was either coquettish or unrestrained. A man dressed in white was either a woman or a gay … According to the information revealed by Chu Xianglong, these three fourth ranks weren't good at tracking … Then there were only two possibilities: There was a traitor among us. Or, the traitor had companions who hadn't shown themselves.
"Eh, there aren't any auras of other masters nearby. This isn't right …"
Xu Qi 'an's heart skipped a beat. He sneered and said, "I guess there's a warlock among you."
The red dress woman's expression suddenly changed. Her gaze sharpened and she re-examined him. She asked, "How did you know?"
Tang Shanjun and Zalmuha glanced sideways at Xu Qi 'an. They seemed a little surprised.
"As expected of a warlock … You're not a very smart woman. You're able to get information out of me so easily …" Xu Qi 'an's expression didn't change, but his heart sank.
The word "warlock" almost made him suffer from stress disorder.
The Supervisor who arranged for him clearly and the mysterious warlock who was suspected of implanting fate in his body were the worries of Xu Qi 'an.
"In this ambush, there's a warlock secretly manipulating it? Could it be the warlock who implanted fate in my body … Well, if it's him, his target should be me, not the princess.
"No, he won't make a move on me in the short term. He's afraid of the Shenshu monk in my body. This can be seen from the 'brush past' in the Yunzhou case.
"The main character of this incident is the princess, and the group of mysterious warlocks is plotting against her. I just got involved by mistake."
Seeing that Xu Qi 'an didn't answer, the woman seemed a little annoyed. She smiled cruelly and said,
"Forget it. You're just a small gong. When I kill you later, I'll leave you alive."
After saying that, she didn't look at Xu Qi 'an or the faces of the envoy group. She looked at Tang Shanjun and Zalmuha and said sweetly, "I'll leave Yang Yan to you. I'll take care of the rest and Chu Xianglong."
Zalmuha snorted, "I can take care of Yang Yan alone."
Tang Shanjun raised his head and let out a deafening roar towards the sky.
The ground in front of them suddenly collapsed and cracked. A muddy undercurrent broke through the ground and rushed into the sky, forming a huge waterspout.
The waterspout wrapped in sand and stones and crashed towards the envoy group.
It's an AOE attack right from the start … Xu Qi 'an didn't panic. He bit the Confucian magic book in his mouth.
Thump thump thump!
Yang Yan dragged his silver spear as he ran towards the waterspout. He suddenly stabbed out, and the tip of his spear stabbed into the swirling turbid flow. With a deep bellow, he flicked it up.
The waterspout collapsed instantly. The sky was filled with muddy rain.
The instant Yang Yan broke through the waterspout, Tang Shanjun twisted its body and charged forward with its thousand-foot-long wyrm body. On the battlefield, such a charge could easily destroy a thousand-man cavalry.
On the other side, the forest trembled. A three-meter-tall giant jumped down and pounced towards Yang Yan.
"Hahaha …"
Amidst her coquettish laughter, two daggers appeared in the hands of the red-dressed woman. Her figure was like a ghost, and her target was also Yang Yan.
What they said was a pretense. It was deliberate. Their target was Yang Yan. They planned on killing Yang Yan as quickly as possible … Everyone came to a realization.
They didn't feel a strong sense of panic or fear because of this.
"Fire!"
Chen Xiao roared.
A hundred imperial guards took out their crossbows. Some of them fired at Tang Shanjun, while others locked onto the 'big black bear' that was swooping down.
Ding ding ding … The arrows hit the bodies of two fourth-grade experts, but they were all broken. They couldn't hurt them in the slightest.
At this moment, in the crowd, Chu Xianglong suddenly picked up the concubine wearing the veil hat and ran away from the crowd …
The guards that Chu Xianglong brought along tacitly picked up the rest of the maids and left the envoy group behind.
Their escape routes were different, so they scattered in confusion.
This was the backup plan that Chu Xianglong had long planned. Once they encountered a crisis that they couldn't resist, the guards would escape with the maids. This way, even if they were caught, the other party would only get a fake concubine.
The real concubine was hidden among the dozen maids. Because of the different escape routes, they could only screen them one by one. As long as the real concubine wasn't too unlucky, she would be able to use this opportunity to escape.
At that time, with the help of an aura-shielding artifact, she would have a high chance of successfully escaping.
"Bastard!"
The Dali Monastery prime minister stomped his foot and cursed.
Seeing this scene, Constable Chen from the Ministry of Justice was furious.
If not for Chu Xianglong and the others, the envoy group wouldn't have encountered such a crisis.
It was Chu Xianglong who had implicated them.
Last night, when the official ship was ambushed, the envoy group didn't chase Chu Xianglong away. They even sat down to analyze the situation and planned to bear the burden together.
They didn't expect that when danger came, Chu Xianglong would abandon them without hesitation.
He used them as cannon fodder and made them pay for his safety.
In Chu Xianglong's mind, the envoy group of more than a hundred people were cannon fodder that could be abandoned at any time. They were pawns.
At the critical moment, he threw them away and made them scapegoats.
"Bastard!" The censor was exasperated.
"We're dead. We're dead. What should we do …" The three civil officials looked dispirited.
The hundred imperial guards were furious. They were ready to die in battle. They threw away their crossbows and drew their swords.
At this moment, Xu Qi 'an said in a deep voice, "Boss, you go and deal with that woman. Leave the other two to me."
"You …"
Constable Chen wanted to say, "You're just a small silver gong. How can you fight two fourth-grade martial artists alone?"
But the next moment, he suddenly remembered Xu Qi 'an's recent achievements. He had subdued heaven and man with two bare hands.
Yang Yan didn't hesitate. He dragged the silver spear and sprinted. As he was running, he spun his body and swept the spear.
"Whoosh …"
The spear shaft was slightly bent, making a shrill sound.
"Ding!"
The woman in the red dress crossed her daggers to block the silver spear that was sweeping towards her.
Yang Yan let go of the spear and sprinted a few steps. Then, he leaped and kneed her.
The woman in red flew backward. She spat venom in the process, but Yang Yan dodged it. The venom landed on the ground and corroded the soil.
Yang Yan held the tip of his spear, spun around, raised his spear, and struck upwards.
"Ding …" The spear shaft hit the woman's head, making a loud, ear-piercing sound. Her pupils dilated as if her primordial spirit had left her body.
Seizing the opportunity, Yang Yan stabbed hundreds of times with his spear. The spear intent was like a storm. The woman in red's body was covered with scales, and the spear tip created dazzling sparks.
Although she was temporarily unharmed, she was in great pain from Yang Yan's spear stabs.
"What are you doing? Come and save me! "The woman in the red dress screamed and looked towards the diplomatic mission.
The next moment, her expression turned sluggish. She suspected that she was hallucinating.
On the other side, Xu Qi 'an shook off the ashes and stretched out his palm towards the black flood dragon. "Lay down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot."
The ferociously charging black flood dragon came to an abrupt halt. Its cold vertical pupils were filled with confusion, as if regretting its impulsiveness and ruthlessness.
Flowers and plants were also living beings, not to mention humans.
"Ding …" The sound of weapons being thrown away rang out. On the envoy group's side, the imperial guards threw away their weapons in unison, reflecting.
Could it be that humans and demons could not get along?
"Buddhist magic is poisonous …" Xu Qi 'an mocked. He lowered his knees and squatted down. He looked up at Zalmuha, who was rushing down from the top of the mountain.
"Eat my Vajra Headbutt."
Amidst the sound of the ground cracking, he shot up into the sky like a monkey.
A dot of golden paint appeared between his eyebrows and quickly swam around his body.
He fiercely crashed into the chest of the "giant", causing the other's fat to tremble.
He crashed into the Giant's chest, causing the Giant's fat to tremble.
At this time, the Buddhist Commandment Spell was over. Tang Shanjun's eyes were no longer confused, but he did not attack. His vertical pupils stared cautiously at Xu Qi 'an.
At this moment, the Buddhist Commandment Spell was over. Tang Shanjun was no longer confused, but he did not attack. His vertical pupils stared at Xu Qi 'an cautiously.
After landing on the ground, Zalmuha, who had created an earthquake, looked at Xu Qi 'an in bewilderment.
"Invincible Vajra, a Buddhist monk?" Tang Shanjun spoke in human language. His cold pupils were suddenly burning with the flames of hatred.
The Demon Race and the Buddhist Sect had a great enmity, a blood feud that lasted for generations.
"Xu, Xu Yinluo just fought against two Fourth-ranked experts alone …" The Dali Monastery prime minister asked in a tone seeking confirmation.
"He fought against two Fourth-ranked experts alone at the Wei River and won …" The two imperial censors suddenly recalled Xu Yinluo's achievements and cried out in surprise.
Suddenly, they felt that the mountains were heavy and the rivers were flowing again.
He still has Confucian magic books?! Constable Chen of the Ministry of Justice fixed his eyes on the scroll in Xu Qi 'an's mouth.
Constable Chen was a seventh-ranked martial artist. He knew what happened at the Wei River. When he first learned about it, he was jealous. He was jealous that Xu Qi 'an had Confucian magic books.
He was jealous of Xu Qi 'an's fame.
He thought that without Confucian magic books, Xu Qi 'an was only a sixth-ranked martial artist. In the capital, where experts were everywhere, what was he worth?
His cultivation did not match his reputation at all.
Of course he was jealous.
But now, looking at the scroll in Xu Qi 'an's mouth, Constable Chen felt an indescribable sense of security in his heart.
Fortunately, he had such a scroll, it was really good.
"Xu Yinluo!"
The eyes of hundreds of imperial guards lit up. They looked at Xu Qi 'an as if he was a god.
In times of crisis, a leader who could stand up and turn the tide was even more beloved and worthy of following than an emperor.
Chen Xiao picked it up excitedly and waved it. His fighting spirit was ignited again. He shouted excitedly, "Brothers, raise your sabers and fight side by side with your excellency Xu."
"Fight side by side with your excellency Xu!" The hundreds of imperial guards cheered wildly. They were instantly filled with fighting spirit.
The fear on their faces disappeared. Their fighting spirit filled their chests.
The greatest honor for a soldier on the battlefield was to fight side by side with their beloved leader, even if it meant dying on the battlefield.
The guards brought by the Dali Monastery prime minister and the imperial censors listened to the roar of the imperial guards. They were not afraid anymore.
