Patrol Captain

Tianxiong Pass, Zhonglang Hall.

In the dead of night, the night was deep and cold, and breath turned to frost. The palace doors were wide open, and inside, candlelight flickered, illuminating a few gleaming armor and blurry figures.

Suddenly, a beam of white light tore through the night sky above the plaza outside the palace, crashing down in the center of the plaza with a resounding clang and stirring up a howling wind that made the flags on the plaza flutter wildly.

The milky white light dissipated, and a figure stepped out from it.

He was dressed in dark blue armor, had a gray-white goatee, held a knife at his waist, and walked with a powerful gait.

As the figure appeared, the armored guards outside the hall surged forward in two rows. Immediately afterwards, two burly figures emerged from the hall to greet him.

General Qi Tian and local Lieutenant General Wei Chong, one after the other, paused for a moment, somewhat puzzled, when they saw the old general emerge from the teleportation channel. They still went to greet him, descended the steps, and covered the distance of about a hundred feet in a few strides, arriving before him and offering a slight handshake.

"So it's Mr. Gongsun. Why didn't General Chen come?" Qi Tian didn't bother with formalities and asked directly. The mysterious Martial Saint had reached the outskirts of Tianxiong Pass, and naturally, he immediately sent a message to Chen Yuan via teleportation to seek support. He originally thought that Chen Yuan would come in person, but unexpectedly, it was one of his advisors who came.

It's not that I look down on Gongsun Yang; this Mr. Gongsun is quite capable, practically Chen Yuan's shadow. It's just that there are more important matters that need to be discussed with Chen Yuan in person.

The messenger, Gongsun Yang, returned the greeting. His eyes gleamed brightly. Seeing that Tianxiong Pass seemed normal, which didn't match the information in the message, he temporarily suppressed his doubts and replied:
"The Fusi is now at a critical moment in preparing for war. The demon race has begun to interfere. The general needs to oversee the overall situation and is temporarily unable to leave. After receiving your letter, I was specially dispatched to assist you. The general will make a decision."

At this point, his tone shifted, a hint of doubt appearing in his eyes as he looked around. "However, General Qi, your letter mentioned a Martial Saint descending upon Tianxiong Pass, but now it seems..."

Qi Tian naturally understood what he meant, and his eyes darkened. "That mysterious martial saint has left, but there is something more important to do right now."

Gongsun Yang raised an eyebrow, but did not rush to ask.

"Let's talk as we walk. The imperial court has sent people, but there was a slight mishap." Qi Tian's expression was somewhat unpleasant. As he spoke, he glanced to his left and said, "Wei Zhonglang, you tell Mr. Gongsun what happened."

Standing to his left and behind was Wei Zhong, a local military officer, who had been holding a bow. He lowered his hand.

"Yes."

Then, the three of them walked towards the Zhonglang Hall in twos and one after the other, slowing their pace. Wei Zhong recounted the events to Gongsun Yang from the side.

"Lord Jiang, the Chief Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, led officials of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, palace attendants, and 500 imperial guards nine days ago, following a meticulously planned journey along the Baoxie Road to Sichuan. This morning, about 5,000 li outside Tianxiong Pass, they were ambushed by unidentified individuals."

According to the story, the only one who escaped in the end was the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, who, holding the Emperor's flag, fled from the hands of the mysterious Martial Saint all the way to Tianxiong Pass, whereupon the Martial Saint retreated.

"Let's leave aside the matter of the imperial entourage being intercepted and killed for now," Gongsun Yang stopped on the steps near the palace gate and turned to ask, "The most crucial thing is that you didn't mention what these people were here for under imperial orders, General Wei?"

Just then, a deep, resonant voice suddenly rang out from inside the hall.

"We have come on His Majesty's orders to bestow rewards and rewards upon the soldiers of Shu."

The voice sounded deep and resonant, but upon closer listening, it seemed somewhat lacking in strength.

Gongsun Yang followed the sound and looked toward the flickering lights of the main hall, where he saw a figure in a crimson robe suddenly appear, standing not far from the entrance.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yang slightly raised his eyelids, and without making a sound, stepped forward, entering the hall with General Qi Tian. Under the flickering lamplight, Jiang Yi, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, wore a red robe and a jade belt. His graying sideburns were neatly combed, and he stood with his hands behind his back, exuding a gentlemanly air, though his face was somewhat pale.

Upon seeing this person, Qi Tian broke the somber atmosphere, saying, "Lord Jiang's injuries are quite severe, and he should rest and recuperate in the backyard. We can discuss this later."

Jiang Yi shook his head. "With such strong spatial fluctuations, I thought that General Chen had arrived and I should come out to meet him. We cannot delay important matters. After all, so many people have died, and I cannot shirk my responsibility."

The Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices spoke with a suppressed anger.

As he spoke, he looked at Gongsun Yang and said, “I have met you before. You accompanied General Chen, who was then a Lieutenant General, to the capital. This shows how much General Chen trusted you. I suppose they relayed the details of the events to you through my oral account.”

"I want to see your general."

"This matter must not be left unresolved!"

Gongsun Yang and the other two could feel the suppressed anger of the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. All his men were dead, he was being hunted down like a stray dog, and the supplies he was to be rewarded with had been intercepted. His trip out of the capital had completely failed, and he could hardly report back.

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Yang's eyes flickered with a hint of sarcasm, but he spoke calmly.
"You may see my general!"

"But judging from what you've said, sir, it seems you've made progress in identifying the people who ambushed you?"

"Can you tell me?"

"Under the current circumstances, who else would dare to ambush my imperial envoy, especially in the Longling Mountains of Shu? Although those people were dressed as江湖人士 (jianghu figures), they acted with discipline and discipline, displaying the bearing of a military. I think you all have guessed it by now." Jiang Yi's voice was as cold as iron, and he snorted coldly.

The implication was that these words referred to none other than the people sent by Xiao Zhongtian of Beiliang.

Their whereabouts have been exposed, and he doesn't know when it was leaked, but now there's someone who has the motive.

Moreover, he could also glean some clues from the opponent's movements.

Gongsun Yang and Qi Tian exchanged a glance, and they both knew the answer.

This is nothing unusual; it's not surprising that the Northern Liang rebels intercepted and killed the imperial envoys sent by the court.

It's baffling why the people of Beiliang were able to detect the presence of the imperial court, especially since the incident occurred in an area not under their control. This only proves one thing: the imperial court has been thoroughly corrupted, and even a secret order of this magnitude was detected by Beiliang.

"Lord Jiang said that His Majesty rewarded the soldiers in Shu. May I ask if those rewards were intercepted?" Gongsun Yang suddenly asked this question.

"That's right. Most of them were intercepted, and the rest were taken by me. His Majesty heard that Shu is recruiting soldiers to fight against the demon race. This is His Majesty's favor towards the soldiers of Shu, but it has been taken away by treacherous officials. I'm sure General Chen will be just as angry as I am when he hears about this."

Gongsun Yang wasn't concerned with the reasons behind the Emperor's sudden bestowal of honors; he only cared about the rewards themselves. Fortunately, this Lord Jiang did have some merit.
"Oh, if that's the case, then Lord Jiang can immediately set off with me to see my general!"

Gongsun Yang is very realistic. (End of Chapter)