Chapter 13: Discovered? Then Kill Them All
Taking the black iron sword handed over by Wei Yun, the first impression was its weight—hefty and substantial. Though it looked identical to a standard issue blade, it weighed seven or eight times as much, probably too heavy for an ordinary soldier to wield with ease.
With a swift motion, Li Dao drew the blade from its sheath, a sharp glint flashing in the moonlight—its keen edge visible even to the naked eye.
“A fine sword!”
Compared to the ordinary weapons he’d used before, this black iron sword was perfectly suited to him.
A sword is a tool of death; combined with the fierce whirlwind sword technique he had honed himself, Li Dao now felt a surge of eagerness, ready to test his skill.
He looked up and asked, “When do we set out?”
Wei Yun replied straightforwardly, “If you leave early, tonight is the best time.”
“Then what are you waiting for? Prepare the horses.”
“...”
---
Outside Changgu Town, the five gathered with Wei Yun.
“Why do I have to take this little lunatic with me?” Shen San rode his horse, with the so-called lunatic tied not far behind him.
The lunatic struggled fiercely, baring jagged teeth and letting out a ferocious howl that made Shen San’s scalp tingle with unease.
Wei Yun chuckled, “Because you’re the most suitable.”
Shen San glanced at the others.
The leader, Li Dao, needed no introduction—after being disciplined, the lunatic feared him most and dared not approach.
Xu Hu sat astride a horse, his enormous bulk dominating the saddle; seeing the horse struggle under his weight, even Shen San felt pity.
As for the old ghost, over a hundred years old and frail as a breeze could blow him away, how could he endure the lunatic’s torment?
Looking around, Shen San reluctantly admitted he was probably the best choice after all.
“Fine, it’s settled then.”
Shen San resigned himself; he was used to being led into a trap.
Wei Yun approached Li Dao’s horse. “I’ve marked the location for you. There’s an eighty percent chance they’ll pass by there tonight. If you hurry, you can intercept Prince San of the Luoyun tribe before his group arrives.”
“Understood.”
“Alright then, get going.”
Li Dao looked back at Shen San and the others with a nod and a slap on his horse’s flank. “Let’s move.”
---
Meanwhile, on an ancient road at the northern barbarian frontier, a few hundred horsemen slowly advanced in one direction.
At the lead rode a young man, striking and youthful, mounted on a blood-red horse and dressed in splendid attire.
This was none other than the Third Prince of the Luoyun tribe, sent to negotiate with the Tamu tribe.
Beside him was a burly armoured man—the prince’s personal chief guard.
“Third Prince, must we leave so hastily? Shouldn’t we inform the king?” the guard asked anxiously.
The prince waved dismissively, “There’s no need to trouble my father with this. I can handle everything myself. We just wait for the negotiations to finish and then report back.”
“But the Tamu tribe is near the Great Qian frontier. If Great Qian learns of our alliance, they might send forces against us.”
“What’s there to fear? The Luoyun tribe is a major power. I don’t believe Great Qian will strike first if we don’t move.”
“But—”
The guard was cut off.
“Enough with the buts. We only need to negotiate terms with the Tamu tribe and then return to report. Simple.”
The prince completely disregarded the guard’s concerns.
Yawning, he turned to ask, “Chief Jin Sheng, what time is it now?”
“Your Highness, half an hour until midnight.”
“Already so late? Have the troops stop and camp then. I want to rest.”
“Third Prince, I advise against stopping. We should push on directly to the Tamu tribe.”
“But I’m tired.”
“Third Prince—”
“Jin Sheng, can you protect me or not?”
“Yes!”
Jin Sheng answered without hesitation. As chief guard, his life was tied to the prince’s; if the prince died, so would he.
The prince smiled, “If you’re so confident, then what harm is there in me resting?”
“...” Jin Sheng was at a loss, unwilling to contradict his charge.
In the end, he bowed his head in surrender.
---
Half an hour later, the Luoyun prince’s camp was set up promptly.
True to the nomadic grassland way, the camp was ready within a short incense’s burn.
Nearby, on a hillside not far from the camp, Li Dao and his companions gathered.
“Fatty, this is your foolproof trap?” Li Dao asked Shen San, staring at the prince’s camp less than a hundred paces away.
Shen San looked innocent, “I didn’t see them stop to camp.”
Looking at the camp, Li Dao cursed inwardly.
Why stop here? Why not push on a few more steps?
The old ghost muttered, “You little fatty, you wasted my poisons.”
Li Dao and Shen San exchanged barbs, but Li Dao silenced Shen San with a kick.
Why not kick the old ghost? The hundred-year-old man was far too fragile for that.
“The trap’s useless. Boss, what now? We can’t wait till daylight—that’s too risky.”
Since learning Li Dao was leader, Shen San always called him “boss,” clinging to him despite being older.
“No waiting,” Li Dao decided, glancing at the sky.
“Then?”
“When they rest, we strike at night.”
“Night attack?” Shen San hesitated, “It’s a force of three hundred with possible experts inside. Is that wise? What if we get caught?”
“Caught?”
Li Dao’s eyes narrowed, “Then kill them all—no witnesses.”
Shen San was speechless.
Ultimately, they agreed on the night assault.
Old Ghost would administer poison; the lunatic and Xu Hu would cause chaos if discovered; Li Dao would command.
As for Shen San’s crucial task: assassinate the Third Prince.
Not that he had a better option—he was the most skilled in lightness technique.
Though this was only on the surface.
Li Dao’s main goal was to harvest the attributes of the over three hundred Northern barbarian soldiers.
“Boss, if I get caught, you better save me,” Shen San said anxiously.
Li Dao patted his shoulder, “Endurance is victory.”
---
Time passed slowly.
As night deepened, the prince’s camp grew quiet except for flickering campfires.
Li Dao and four others crept closer, cautious and nimble enough to avoid detection.
“Old Ghost, apply the poison,” Li Dao ordered.
“What kind of poison do you want? I have...” Old Ghost began, fumbling with his bottles.
“Never mind the specifics. Just give me something that keeps them unconscious,” Li Dao interrupted.
“Got it. You mean...” Old Ghost started again.
Li Dao turned to Shen San, “After Old Ghost finishes, you go for the kill.”
“Boss, don’t leave me behind.”
“I know. Enough talk.”
Li Dao then looked at Xu Hu and the lunatic.
Xu Hu obeyed without question.
The lunatic, mouth tightly gagged with bandages, struggled briefly but quieted under Li Dao’s fierce glance.
“Xu Hu, watch the lunatic. Don’t let him cause trouble.”
“Got it.”
Xu Hu roughly pulled the lunatic closer.
Perhaps because they had shared a meal, the lunatic was less hostile toward Xu Hu than toward Shen San.
After a short incense burn, Old Ghost opened a vial, feeling the night breeze before releasing a faint yellow gas drifting into the camp.
A few minutes later, Old Ghost nodded.
“Enough. Though hastily made, as long as no big commotion arises, these men won’t wake anytime soon.”
Li Dao nodded, looking at Shen San.
Shen San grimaced but nodded, slipping silently into the camp under cover of darkness.
Despite his corpulence, Shen San was surprisingly agile, his lightness skill allowing him swift entry.
Li Dao planned to let the four others retreat after the assassination, intending to stay behind for a final stir before leaving.
Completing the assassination was important, but harvesting the soldiers’ attributes was even more so.
Though Wei Yun said he wouldn’t betray those who helped him, Li Dao wouldn’t gamble his life on others' kindness.
He would seize every chance to strengthen himself.
---
Time ticked on.
Li Dao and three others hid near the camp.
Suddenly, voices erupted from within.
“Who’s there? Guards!”
“Assassin! You’re the assassin!”
“How dare you attack our prince? Die!”
Hearing this, Li Dao realized Shen San had been discovered.
“Old Ghost, your poison—are you sure it worked?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then why did Fatty cause a commotion?”
“Maybe Fatty ran into someone extraordinary.”
“What do you mean?”
“My poison only affects ordinary people.”
Before Li Dao could reply, a figure appeared nearby.
Instinctively, Li Dao raised his weapon.
“Wait, it’s me,” Shen San said.
“What happened inside?”
“I don’t know. I just got close to the prince’s tent and was spotted. If I hadn’t run fast, that guy would have cut me down.”
“Who spotted you?”
“Don’t know.”
Suddenly, the camp burst into uproar.
“Bastards! An assassin’s here and you’re all asleep? Get up!”
The loud, rough voice stirred the camp; sleeping soldiers woke en masse.
All eyes turned to Old Ghost.
He shook his head, “My poison was fine.”
Suddenly, his face paled. “Bad news—the wind changed. The poison didn’t drift in!”
Li Dao shook his head; relying on others was no match for relying on oneself.
Drawing his black iron sword, he said, “Since that didn’t work, we’ll use the second assassination method I mentioned.”
“What’s that?” Shen San asked instinctively.
“Kill everyone who finds out.”
Shen San was dumbfounded.
Truth be told, this was Li Dao’s original plan.
If not for Shen San and the others, he would have charged straight in from the start.