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The fierce siege during the day had exhausted the last vestiges of noise from both sides. Above and below the city walls, only the night wind howled, carrying an overwhelming stench of blood and acrid smells, as it swept through the crumbling walls and piles of corpses.

Scattered torches flickered between the two camps, illuminating the weary yet vigilant figures of the sentries, while most soldiers were either in a deathly slumber or groaning in pain.

About ten miles from the city of Merv, nestled against a low hill, lay the main camp of the Arab forces. It was vast, with tents stretching like a dark cloud. Although the daytime siege had failed, resulting in heavy losses, Ziad's strict discipline meant the camp remained well-organized. The outer perimeter consisted of layers of chevaux-de-frise, moats, and scout posts. Inside, the tents were divided by tribe and function. The central command tent was brightly lit, and even late at night, generals were seen entering and leaving, indicating that military discussions were still ongoing.

However, even the most well-organized military camps, after a day of intense siege warfare, inevitably show a hint of relaxation and fatigue after nightfall.

At the third quarter of midnight, the moon was hidden and the stars were few.

About a mile east of the Arab camp, in a dry, rocky riverbed, dozens of figures seemed to emerge from the ground and quietly gathered together.

These were Bai Qing'er and the thirty elite Xuanwu Guards she had personally selected, the most skilled in stealth and assassination. All of them had changed into specially made night-clothes that blended perfectly with the darkness, even their weapons were coated with a matte material to prevent any reflection. Their auras were completely concealed, like a group of lifeless stone statues, only their eyes flashing with cold, indifferent killing intent in the darkness.

Bai Qing'er stood before the crowd, also dressed in black, except for her overly pale hands and serene eyes, which stood out starkly in the darkness. She held out a simple yet precise sheepskin map, marked with a special potion the layout of the Arab camp, the intervals between sentry shifts, and the possible location of the central command tent. This intelligence came partly from rumors circulated by Xue Rengui's subordinates and partly from the urgent interrogations of prisoners captured during the day.

Bai Qing'er's voice was as clear and cold as an icy spring: "Qiyad is in the core of the camp, in the largest golden-roofed tent under the eagle flag."

My fingertip traced several paths across the map.

"Remember, our objective is not annihilation, but decapitation. Retreat once you have succeeded, and do not linger in battle. If I send the signal or you have not returned by dawn, you shall withdraw to Mulu on your own and report to Commander Xue."

"Yes!" The crowd nodded with an almost imperceptible gesture.

Bai Qing'er put away the map and glanced at everyone: "Qiyad must have skilled bodyguards by his side, and there may even be priests or sorcerers accompanying him. Kill them without mercy, show no mercy. Move out."

Without any further encouragement, after a simple order was given, thirty dark figures dispersed silently, like water droplets falling into sand, and stealthily headed towards the massive military camp not far away.

To a master stealth expert like Bai Qing'er, the sentry posts and scouts surrounding the Arab camp were riddled with flaws. Like true ghosts, they used the terrain's shadows, the wind, and even the sounds of livestock within the camp as cover, moving with incredible agility and speed through blind spots of the patrols, narrow gaps between barricades, and even through the shadows of seemingly insurmountable trenches. Occasionally, a vigilant sentry seemed to sense something amiss, but upon closer inspection, only emptiness and darkness remained. The Xuanwu Guard's stealth techniques, combining the Yin Gui School's secret methods of concealing breath with the essence of assassination, were almost illusionary.

The closer they got to the central command, the tighter the security became. The number of visible and hidden sentries increased, and patrols became more frequent. But Bai Qing'er and her group always managed to find those fleeting loopholes.

In the central command area, the tents were noticeably taller and more magnificent, and the guards were all burly and fierce-looking, clearly seasoned veterans. Around the golden-domed tent stood dozens of guards armed with spears and swords, forming an impenetrable fortress.

Bai Qing'er lay in the shadow of a tent piled with miscellaneous items, her gaze calmly sweeping over the defenses of the golden-domed tent. Inside, the tent was brightly lit, and shadowy figures could be vaguely seen moving about; there seemed to be sounds of arguing emanating from within. Ziad was clearly still awake.

“There are thirty-two guards outside the tent, divided into two shifts. There are also four more hidden figures whose auras are concealed; they must be experts. Inside the tent… there are at least five people, one of whom has a powerful and violent aura; he must be Ziad himself.”

Bai Qing'er secretly transmitted her voice to her two deputies: "A direct attack is not advisable. Create chaos to lure them out, or sneak up and kill them with one blow."

A moment later, from the direction of the stables not far from the central command area, several sharp neighs of horses and muffled thuds of horses collapsing to the ground suddenly came! Immediately afterward, a tent storing hay burst into flames without warning, and the fire spread rapidly in the night wind!
"Fire!...Oh no!"

The silence of the central army camp was instantly shattered by shouts and running sounds! Some of the guards were drawn to the fire and the commotion.

In that fleeting moment of distraction!
Bai Qing'er's figure seemed to transform into a wisp of black smoke, drifting out of the shadows at such speed that only a blurry afterimage remained on the retina! With an unnatural zigzag trajectory, she stayed close to the ground, using the shadows of tents, vehicles, and flagpoles to cover dozens of feet in a few breaths, arriving at a dark corner on the side of the golden tent where the light couldn't reach!

The two guards standing on the flanks seemed to sense the slight movement of air. Just as they were about to turn their heads, they simultaneously felt a chilling, bone-deep pain in their throats, and their consciousness was plunged into eternal darkness. The invisible force of energy flicked from Bai Qing'er's fingertips had precisely severed their throats.

Without pausing, Bai Qing'er ducked down and slithered like a snake into the gap between the bottom of the tent and the ground, silently slipping into the tent!
Almost simultaneously, the members of the Xuanwu Guards on the outer perimeter also launched their attack! They emerged from unexpected angles—the tent roof, the sides and rear, and even from inside adjacent tents—to launch a deadly assault on the guards outside! Short blades, poisoned darts, and sharp claw techniques erupted instantly, aiming to inflict maximum damage in the shortest time and prevent them from returning to reinforce the tent!

Inside the golden-roofed tent, the lights were on full display.

Ziad was not wearing armor, only a magnificent Arabic robe, and was facing a map, arguing fiercely with several trusted generals. He was about forty years old, with a rugged face, a thick beard, and deep-set eyes, his gaze filled with irritability and violence. The daytime siege had failed, and the news of the complete annihilation of the "Shadow of the Crescent" army and the capture of their leader had only fueled his rage.

"We must launch a stronger offensive before dawn! Those infidels are almost at their breaking point!"

Ziad slammed his fist on the map: "And that nobleman from China... we must find out who he is! That piece of trash Hassan!"

"General, our army has suffered heavy casualties and the soldiers are exhausted. Should we postpone the production for a day and have the craftsmen make more equipment?" a general said cautiously.

"Slow down? That word doesn't exist in the dictionary of Allah's warriors!"

Ziad roared.

Just then, a sudden commotion, the neighing of horses, and cries for help to put out a fire came from outside the tent.

"What's going on?!"

Ziad and the other generals were startled and instinctively looked towards the tent entrance.

In that split second when everyone's attention was drawn to the outside world—

A sudden change has occurred!

Without warning, a tear appeared in the thick wool carpet on one side of the tent! A figure in black shot out from the ground like a ghost, moving at a speed beyond human comprehension! "Protect the general!"

The four generals inside the tent, besides Ziad, reacted quickly. Two of them drew their swords and roared as they lunged at the dark figure, while the other two pushed Ziad backward with all their might!

However, in Bai Qing'er's eyes, their movements were as slow as snails.

She didn't even change her forward trajectory when faced with those blocking her way; she simply waved her left and right hands seemingly casually.

With a flick of his left hand, as swift as a willow branch, a faint gray aura, barely perceptible to the naked eye, swirled around his fingertips, precisely striking the side of the blade of the general lunging from the left. With a soft "clang," the steel scimitar bent abruptly as if struck by a giant hammer, the general's hand snapped, and the sword slipped from his grasp!

Bai Qing'er's finger strike, still powerful, swept across his chest. The general shuddered violently, his face turning ashen. He staggered backward, collapsing to the ground, barely breathing.

Her right hand, like a venomous snake striking, slammed into the back of the blade the general on her right was wielding. A chilling surge of "Mysterious Yin True Qi" rushed in, and the general felt an irresistible cold current surge up his arm's meridians, instantly numbing and paralyzing him. His curved blade clattered to the ground. Bai Qing'er's palm strike wasn't over; she changed from a slap to a press, gently striking his chest. The general's eyes bulged, and without uttering a sound, he flew backward, crashing into a low table, lifeless.

In the blink of an eye, two fierce warriors were killed!
At this moment, only two generals remained between Bai Qing'er and Ziyad, who were trying to block each other with their bodies, and Ziyad himself, who was pushed to the corner of the tent by them, and was both shocked and angry, and was struggling to draw the gold-inlaid scimitar from his waist!

"Stop her!"

Ziad's eyes widened in fury as he roared. He finally saw his attacker clearly: a woman in black robes with black hair, possessing an exquisitely beautiful yet icy demeanor! An unprecedented shadow of death instantly gripped his heart.

The last two generals exchanged a glance, both seeing fear and resolve in each other's eyes. They roared and charged forward, brandishing their swords, trying to buy Ziad even a moment's time.

A cold glint flashed in Bai Qing'er's eyes, and her figure swayed slightly, as if she had transformed into two shadows that were difficult to distinguish from reality, passing through the gap between the two generals' swords! At the same time, her ten fingers bloomed like lotus flowers, and countless fine and cold finger energies shot out like a storm, covering the major acupoints on the two generals' bodies!

"Puff puff puff puff..."

Amidst the soft, dense pattering of raindrops on banana leaves, the two generals froze, dozens of tiny bloody holes instantly bursting open on their bodies. The blood didn't gush out; instead, it quickly congealed into dark red ice crystals. They fell straight to the ground, still in their sword-wielding stances, their lives extinguished.

From the moment Bai Qing'er burst into the tent to the moment she killed four generals, the entire process took only two or three breaths! It was so fast that Ziad couldn't even fully draw his scimitar!

At this moment, only Bai Qing'er and Qi Yade, who was leaning against the tent wall with his hand on the hilt of his curved sword and his face ashen, remained standing inside the tent. The shouts of battle and the clash of weapons outside the tent grew increasingly intense, clearly indicating that the Xuanwu Guards were desperately blocking the personal guards who had come to their aid after hearing the news.

Bai Qing'er slowly turned around to face Qi Yade. Her body was spotless, without even a drop of blood on it. Only her cold eyes, like an ancient, icy pool, reflected Qi Yade's terrified and distorted face.

"Who...who are you?!" Ziad roared in broken Chinese, trying to dispel his fear with his voice. His scimitar was finally fully drawn and held horizontally in front of him. He could feel the suffocating pressure and killing intent emanating from the other person, far surpassing that of the assassins outside the tent.

Too lazy to waste words with a dead person, Bai Qing'er gently raised her right hand, her five fingers loosely closed, as if she were picking an invisible flower. The pale gray Xuan Yin True Qi swirled and pulsed around her fingertips, causing the surrounding air temperature to drop sharply.

Knowing there was no way out, Ziad roared and used all his strength to pounce on Bai Qing'er! The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, accompanied by a shrill sound of it tearing through the air, and its momentum was astonishing!

However, when faced with an absolute disparity in strength, bravery is meaningless.

Bai Qing'er didn't move her feet, but just as the blade was about to strike her, she lightly flicked her clenched fingers.

"Om-"

A concentrated, tangible, dark gray finger strike arrived first, hitting the spine of the scimitar with unparalleled precision!
"Crack!"

The gold-inlaid curved sword, crafted from fine steel, broke in two as easily as fragile glass! Ziad felt an irresistible, chilling force emanating from the hilt, and his entire arm instantly went numb and lost sensation, the broken half of the sword flying out of his hand.

His forward momentum came to an abrupt halt. He staggered to his feet, gripping the broken hilt of a knife, his face filled with utter shock and despair.

Bai Qing'er's figure appeared like a ghost, inches away from him. Her fair, jade-like hand, yet containing terrifying power, gently pressed down on Qi Yade's unsuspecting dantian.

Ziyad's body trembled violently, his eyes bulging out! A surge of extremely cold and insidious true energy, like thousands of ice needles, instantly pierced through his protective true energy, rushed into his dantian, and then exploded with a bang! It not only shattered the foundation of his internal strength that he had painstakingly cultivated for many years, but also injected terrifying cold poison into his internal organs and meridians!
"Uh... ah..."

Ziad let out a bloodcurdling scream, the blood spurting from his mouth mixed with tiny ice shards. His tall body, as if its bones had been removed, slid limply along the tent wall to the ground, his eyes fixed on Bai Qing'er, filled with endless resentment. He could feel his life rapidly slipping away, yet his body was chilled to the bone, as if even his soul was about to be frozen.

Bai Qing'er glanced at him coldly, confirming that his heart was shattered and beyond saving, so she didn't linger any longer. With a flicker of her body, she slipped out like a wisp of smoke through a small hole in the top of the tent.

Outside the tent, the battle was nearing its end. The Xuanwu Guard's elite squad, fighting ten against hundreds, though all wounded, had managed to hold off the Imperial Guard's frenzied counterattack with exquisite teamwork and ruthless killing moves, killing most of them in the process. The chaos created by the remaining forces throughout the camp had reached its peak; fires broke out in multiple locations, and the entire camp was in complete disarray, filled with shouts and the neighing of horses.

Upon seeing Bai Qing'er's signal to retreat, the Xuanwu Guards did not linger in battle. They immediately unleashed poisoned hidden weapons to block the enemy, providing cover for each other, and retreated swiftly towards Mulu City along the predetermined route, at a speed even faster than when they arrived.

Bai Qing'er glanced back at the Arab camp engulfed in chaos and fire, then, without lingering, her figure in black robes vanished into the deepest darkness before dawn.

As the first rays of dawn pierced through the smoke and dust above Mulu City, Xue Rengui received a report from the front-line scouts: flames were shooting up in the direction of the main camp of the Arabs, and extreme chaos could be vaguely seen, indicating that the enemy army seemed to be retreating!

Soon, more detailed news arrived through "rumored" channels and confirmation from the withdrawn Xuanwu Guards—the Arab commander Ziad had been assassinated in his army the previous night and died from his injuries! His camp had been attacked, suffering heavy losses!

On the walls of Mulu Fortress, the exhausted defenders initially could not believe their eyes, then erupted in a deafening cheer! (End of Chapter)