Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Li Yun recognized the familiar buzz of the troops’ crossbows instantly, but he was confused about the direction they came from.

Before he had time to think about it, more arrows pierced through the air, precisely saving the troops that almost died.

This isn’t right! Are they reinforcements? Li Yun was delighted. Who would seek death if they did not have to?

He stopped thinking and utilized his rifle once again; he swiftly killed two enemies. He shouted, “Guys, the reinforcements are here!”

Reinforcements? Could it be that the troop member that went to find their Langjun accomplished his mission?

A strong desire for survival ignited in their hearts. They suddenly became spirited, exuding a strong resistance.

As if to confirm Li Yun’s words, countless arrows buzzed by him. The bodies of the Tsing Yi Army continued to collapse. After two rounds of shooting, a group of troops dashed out from the darkness, Meng Hun in the forefront. Fury rang through their screams. They came to revenge their brothers’ deaths!

The Tsing Yi Army did not set the mountains on fire. Instead, Jiang Pengji’s troops set them on fire.

Agonizing cries blended with the screams. It was a massacre; people died every second.

Jiang Pengji laid down her crossbow, pulled out the long sword on her waist, and rushed towards the battlefield. Using the sword in her hand, she killed people with every move. Her body was soon blood-stained.

Li Yun lifted his rifle again to look for the bandit chieftain, but he had already escaped. The chieftain fled when he realized the tide had turned against him.

“Where is he?” Suspicions grew in Li Yun’s mind. He killed people as he ran, but he couldn’t find the burly bandit chieftain.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure. His eyes lit up.

He was about to charge forward to kill him, but someone beat him to it. The chieftain’s head flew in the air.

A pair of unfamiliar hands held the decapitated head. Li Yun was speechless. Who killed him?

“Enemies will be beheaded, and those who don’t surrender will die!” The skinny young man was holding the burly man’s head high. His hoarse voice was full of resilience.

Of course, Jiang Pengji was not satisfied. The troops that she carefully trained and raised almost died at the hands of the Tsing Yi Army. She would not feel as though justice was served until they were dead. However, she knew if things were not controlled, more people would die.

Even so, both parties had no intention of stopping.

The remnants of the Tsing Yi Army regained their rationality and knelt to surrender only when they realized they were at a disadvantage. Charred corpses covered the foot of the mountain, and the rich and the scorching smell of meat assailed their noses.

“Count the number of captives. The rest of you, put out the fire to avoid burning the forest,” Jiang Pengji ordered in a hoarse voice. She threw the chieftain’s head aside with a fierce look in her eyes, making people afraid of her. “We’ll get even with the Tsing Yi Army sooner or later. They deserve to die for hurting my subordinates!”

Meng Hun clenched his fists. His calm face was brewing with rage.

The finished cleaning the battlefield just before dawn. There were only 1,800 people left, including the troops Jiang Pengji brought with her.

“Lord…” Meng Hun opened his sore eyes. He looked as if he could cry in the next second.

He could not help but feel distressed. Out of the 3,000 troops that had left Chongzhou with him, there were only 1,800 of them left.

The casualty ratio seemed small, but every troop member was the best of the best. It was distressing to lose one of them, let alone losing nearly half of them!

“Have they been buried?” Jiang Pengji frowned but did not reveal much emotion. She was used to death. She would, at most, be emotional for a moment. She refused to dwell in sadness.

“They’re buried.” Meng Hun originally wanted to bring their corpses back, but the current situation did not allow him to do so. He could only reluctantly bury them. Each of them had a grave.

The only comforting thing was that their graves were all in one place, so they would not feel lonely.

“Take the troops back…” With a grave look on her face, Jiang Pengji scanned her surroundings quietly, and her gaze fell on Li Yun. Seeing the condition of his right arm, she raised her eyebrows a little and asked Meng Hun, “Who is he? Why haven’t I seen him before?”

He did not appear to be one of her troop members.

Upon hearing her question, a troop member summoned up the courage to speak, “Brother Li is our benefactor.”

“Benefactor?” Jiang Pengji looked at Li Yun. “What’s going on?”

When it came to Li Yun, many people felt that they were really lucky to know him.

Li Yun was from Fengyi County. His parents had passed away when he was young. He learned martial arts from his master, who taught him technical skills in the mountains near Fengyi County.

Li Yun happened to be passing by the mountains when the troops were trying to outrun the Tsing Yi Army. He heard about how awful the Tsing Yi Army was, so he formed an alliance with the troops. He enthusiastically helped the troops find their way through the mountains. He was a young man who looked aloof, but he was naturally sociable. He had a frank and open personality but was not hypocritical. Moreover, he had already rescued the troops multiple times. He was soon accepted by the troops, and they treated each other as brothers.

“Oh,” Jiang Pengji responded flatly. “Do you have anywhere else to go?” she asked Li Yun.

Li Yun replied, “My master told me to explore, but he didn’t specify where I should go.”

In fact, his master originally said that the world was evolving, and one could only improve his martial arts skills by constantly challenging and fighting people. His master told him to widen his horizons and leave the mountains. If he returned with scholarly honor, he could marry a good wife and carry on his family line.

Dongqing emphasized literature and restricted military force, so learning martial arts was far less popular than learning literature. Initially, his master said that Li Yun would end up in a difficult position.

The world was in chaos, so it was a good opportunity for the warriors to rise and run the world.

“If you don’t have a fixed destination, why don’t you come to the Xiangyang District? Everywhere north of Dongqing is chaotic. It’s very dangerous for you to be alone.”

Li Yun thought about it for a moment and nodded readily. “Sure.”

He saw that the skinny young man in front of him was very skilled in martial arts. If he went to the Xiangyang District, he could potentially learn from him.

Although Li Yun was smart, he had a blind trust in his master. He would not forget why he was told to leave the mountains: to improve his martial arts skills and to obtain scholarly honor and marry a wife.

The audience in the streaming room said that it was a quaint scene.

Tumi Dalao: “#cuppingmycheeks. Just like that, the streamer has kidnapped Prince Charming to the Xiangyang District. Doesn’t he know that there’s no way out? He can refer to the pitiful Coach Luo for information. He’s so worn out from working overtime.”

Buxiangjiageng Zhixiangsi: “I foresee a delicate flower withering gradually under the pressure of working overtime.”

Lai Huxiang Shanghai Ah: “The streamer wouldn’t… That insane, right?”