Chapter 22: The Probing of the Embroidered Uniform Guard

"Five people? Again, just the five of us?"

Even as impulsive as Shen San was, he understood that preventing the First Prince of Tamu from crossing from the Northern Barbarian lands into the Great Qian Empire was far beyond the capability of their group alone. After all, the First Prince of Tamu was not like the Third Prince of Luoyun. The former was the heir to a major tribe, the next tribal king, while the latter was merely an insignificant offspring among many. The disparity in their status naturally meant a vast difference in the treatment they received. If the captain of the Third Prince of Luoyun’s guard was a second-grade Postnatal martial artist, then the First Prince of Tamu’s captain would be at least a Xiantian (Innate) martial artist.

While Li Dao could slay a half-step Xiantian martial artist, that was precisely the limit. That "half-step" represented a qualitative shift; in simple terms, the gap in strength was at least tenfold. Unless Li Dao could take on ten half-step Xiantian martial artists simultaneously, he stood no chance against a true Xiantian warrior. Could he truly do it? In their eyes, killing a half-step Xiantian solely through physical might was already a miraculous feat. Dealing with a true Xiantian was beyond human capability. Thus, the others did not pin their hopes on Li Dao.

Wei Yun raised a hand to calm them. "Rest assured, I am not asking you five to intercept the First Prince’s retinue alone. You are merely being sent to assist them."

"Who are they?"

"The Embroidered Uniform Guards!"

The group was stunned. Shen San, in particular, stiffened; he had been dragged into the death row camp by the Embroidered Uniform Guards himself. The mere mention of the name brought back his dark history. He was torn between helping his dream girl escape her predicament and confronting his old enemies. Finally, gritting his teeth, he decided to set his hatred aside for the moment. After all, this involved not just the woman he loved, but his own freedom.

Li Dao was also surprised that the Embroidered Uniform Guards were personally overseeing this. It seemed the Emperor of Great Qian was determined to block the First Prince of Tamu outside the borders. He approved of this approach.

"Commander Wei, when do we depart?" Li Dao asked.

"The matter is urgent, but the reinforcements from the Embroidered Uniform Guards are still en route. They will arrive in about a day. You have one day to rest," Wei Yun replied.

***

Back in his tent, Li Dao sat on a rug and examined his palm. The wound from the half-step Xiantian’s staff had healed into a charred, black scab. He rubbed his palm, and the scab cracked, revealing perfectly healed skin beneath.

"Half-step Xiantian, Xiantian realm," Li Dao murmured to himself. Based on his current strength, a half-step Xiantian was no match for his physical power, though he remained uncertain about a true Xiantian. However, in terms of destructive power, a Xiantian martial artist surely possessed the lethality to kill him. He felt his current strength was still insufficient; he needed to continue tempering his physique. This was only the Xiantian realm, after all—there were still Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster level martial artists ahead. He had thought his progress was fast, but it was not fast enough.

Li Dao summoned his interface.

[Host: Li Dao]
[Physique: 31.06]
[Available Attribute Points: 9.68]

After killing the half-step Xiantian, he had harvested a significant amount of attribute points while the morale of the Tamu and Liehuo tribes plummeted. Since he could only upgrade his physique, he saw no reason to hoard them.

"System, allocate points."

As he spoke, a familiar surge of heat flowed through his body. Because this allocation was nearly one-third of his total attribute value, the effect was profound. He could visibly see his skin changing, becoming tougher and more resilient. After a dozen breaths, the process concluded.

[Host: Li Dao]
[Physique: 40.74]
[Available Attribute Points: 0]

Forty times the physique of an ordinary person? What did that mean? If an average person could lift one hundred jin, he could lift four thousand. A normal person would be crushed or killed instantly by such force. But raw power wasn't the only factor; he now possessed mobility, endurance, and reaction times forty times that of an ordinary person. Most importantly, this was only his base strength. If he combined it with speed or leverage, his output would be even higher. He was a human weapon, a meat grinder with a will of its own.

After the upgrade, Li Dao ate, pondering his future. If he completed this third task and Wei Yun kept his word, he would be a free man. Where would he go? "Forget it," he thought. "I'll wait until I’m truly free."

***

A day passed quickly. Under Wei Yun’s orders, the five of them arrived at the command tent. Inside, they found two men dressed in distinctive attire with blades at their waists. As a former Earl of the Imperial Capital, Li Dao recognized their gear instantly—they were genuine Embroidered Uniform Guards.

"You're here," Wei Yun said, introducing them. "These are the two you will be assisting."

One of the Guards glanced at the five men and frowned. "Commander Wei, these are the people you picked for us? Are you mocking us, or the Emperor?"

"This..." Wei Yun looked at the five men and slapped his forehead. He knew them, but to an outsider, they looked like beggars. It was no wonder the Guards were skeptical. "Please, rest assured. I am not mocking anyone. These five are truly capable of assisting you."

"Assist us?" The Guard smiled, and in a blink, he vanished from his spot. "Let me see if they’re truly capable."

When the Guard reappeared, he was right in front of Li Dao. A flash of cold light struck toward Li Dao’s right ear. To an ordinary person, the move was lightning fast, but to Li Dao, it was sluggish. He saw the movement and the strike clearly. Without changing his expression, Li Dao raised his right hand and caught the blade.

When the others regained their senses, they saw the Guard’s blade clamped firmly in Li Dao’s hand. The Guard’s eyes flashed with surprise; he hadn't expected his strike to be blocked. When he tried to pull the blade back, he realized he couldn't budge it.

"You..." Before the Guard could finish, the tension on the blade vanished, and the force of his own effort sent him stumbling backward.

He wasn't angry. Instead, he asked with interest, "Born with divine strength?"

"Yes."

"Impressive." The Guard nodded. He hadn't been trying to kill; it was merely a test. If he had wanted to hurt someone, he would have used far more power. He turned to Wei Yun. "Commander Wei, it seems you were telling the truth."

Wei Yun smiled. "Have you briefed them on the mission?"

"Explained," Wei Yun replied.

The Guard turned to the five men. "Because the mission is sensitive, the Emperor only sent the two of us. We need your cooperation. The task is to stop the First Prince of Tamu from entering Great Qian. If something happens on Northern Barbarian soil, it’s their problem. If it happens inside our borders, we take the blame. Remember, this is an obstruction mission, not an assassination. We only need to cause chaos."

"According to our scouts, the First Prince is carrying a unique treasure of the Tamu tribe as a betrothal gift. Our goal is that treasure. Once it is stolen, the prideful First Prince will surely abandon the marriage proposal. If we can drag this out until winter, we won't need to worry anymore."

Shen San looked puzzled. "Boss, why does it not matter once winter comes?"

Li Dao thought for a moment and explained, "The Tamu tribe is probing our borders while seeking a marriage alliance because they lack food for the winter. Once winter hits, the alliance will be meaningless, and the border incursions will cease."

Li Dao hadn't lowered his voice, and Wei Yun and the Guards heard him clearly. The other Guard, who hadn't attacked, remarked, "Commander Wei, I didn't expect you to have such talent among your men. It’s a pity they’re stuck in a border camp."

Wei Yun offered an awkward smile. He couldn't exactly tell these Embroidered Uniform Guards that his men were all from a death row camp. If they knew, who knew what they would think?