No title, no marriage? Do you think I'm some kind of lapdog?

As soon as Su Chuang crawled out of the mud house, he was filled with sand. He spat twice and squinted as he looked eastward.

In the pitch-black night, a string of torches swayed as they approached, accompanied by the chaotic sound of horses' hooves, suggesting a group of about a hundred people.

"They actually came."

Su Chuang rubbed his hands together, and that cowardly look returned to his face.

"This...this is way too fast..."

Xu Mengran followed behind him, her hand already on the hilt of her sword, her eyes as cold as ice.

Yue Fei had already assembled the Mo Dao Guards; their swords were not yet drawn, but their killing intent was already palpable.

"My lord."

Yue Fei spurred his horse forward, his spear, Li Quan, held horizontally in front of the saddle.

"The people who came are from 'Black Wind Stronghold,' and their leader is their third leader, nicknamed 'One-Eyed Wolf.'"

"A one-eyed wolf?" Su Chuang blinked. "Is he very powerful?"

"He's not even ranked among the bandits in northern Xinjiang; he only has about a hundred small fry under his command."

Yue Fei paused.

"But this man is greedy for money and lustful, and his methods are despicable."

Su Chuang said "Oh" and turned to look at Jia Xu.

The other party had already appeared in the shadows without anyone noticing.

"Wenhe," Su Chuang grinned.

"Your best strategy was barely announced when they came knocking on your door. That's more efficient than yours."

Jia Xu bowed and said, "It was my miscalculation."

"Miscalculation my ass."

Su Chuang waved his hand, "Perfect, let's start with them."

He straightened his collar, resumed his nonchalant demeanor, and sauntered to the front of the formation.

The torchlight drew closer.

The leader was a one-eyed man in his forties.

He had a black leather mask over his left eye, but his right eye was gleaming. He rode a scraggly horse and carried a ghost-head knife in his hand.

Behind him followed a hundred or so people, their clothes disheveled, their weapons a motley collection, and each of them had fierce eyes, clearly desperate criminals who had lived on the edge of death.

"Whoa—"

The one-eyed wolf reined in his horse, pointed his ghost-headed saber forward, and shouted in his hoarse voice:

"Is that Duke Xin, Su Chuang, up ahead?"

Su Chuang shrank back, rubbed his hands together, took two steps forward, and put on a fawning smile:

"Yes, yes... what brings you here so late at night, sir?"

The one-eyed wolf glared at Su Chuang from head to toe.

Seeing that the other person's brocade robe was wrinkled and his face was covered in dust, making him look like a down-on-his-luck young master, he looked down on him even more.

"I heard you staked 500,000 taels of gold for military pay?"

The one-eyed wolf grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Hand it over, and I'll spare your life."

Su Chuang cried out "Ouch!" and waved his hands repeatedly.

"Hero, you've misunderstood! You've misunderstood!"

"I... I'm just someone who was exiled to the northern frontier to eat sand, where would I get any gold..."

As he spoke, he leaned forward, as if he wanted to whisper something to the one-eyed wolf:

"That's all nonsense from that woman Ye Qingyue! She's trying to use someone else to do her dirty work!"

The one-eyed wolf was taken aback.

Ye Qingyue?

Marquis of Nüying?

His one eye darted around, his mind filled with doubt.

But just then...

His gaze passed over Su Chuang and landed on Xu Mengran behind him.

The torchlight shone on her face, making it dazzlingly bright.

The figure clad in red was curvaceous, especially her legs, which were straight and long...

The one-eyed wolf made a "gulp" sound in its throat, and its right eye instantly went blank.

"Hey……"

He licked his lips and pointed his ghost-headed knife in Xu Mengran's direction.

"This young lady... is really pretty."

Su Chuang's expression stiffened slightly.

The one-eyed wolf, oblivious to the danger, grinned and continued speaking, his words growing increasingly vulgar:

"Duke Su, your trip to the Northern Frontier wasn't in vain, you even brought such a beauty with you?"

"That way, I can take half the gold."

"Keep this little wench here, let her sleep with me for a few nights, consider it interest!"

The bandits behind him burst into laughter, their foul language drifting over:

"The third leader has excellent taste!"

"This woman looks really hot!"

"A big butt means good fertility!"

Xu Mengran's face was ashen, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her knuckles white.

Su Chuang had his back to her, and his shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly.

He slowly raised his head and looked at the one-eyed wolf.

The cowardly look on his face gradually faded, replaced by a very faint, cold calm.

"What did you just say?" Su Chuang asked, his voice low.

The one-eyed wolf was still lost in his lewd fantasies, oblivious to the unease, and instead leaned closer, grinning:

"I told you to leave this little wench here—"

He hadn't finished speaking.

Su Chuang suddenly smiled.

The laugh was light and lacked warmth, yet it sent a chill down the one-eyed wolf's spine.

"Pengju" (鹏举).

Su Chuang turned his head and looked at Yue Fei.

"Your subordinate is here."

"Total annihilation."

Su Chuang uttered two words, his voice as calm as if he were asking what to eat tonight.

"Don't let any of them escape."

A glint of light flashed in Yue Fei's eyes: "Yes, sir!"

He raised his spear high and roared:

"The Mo Dao Guards—!"

"exist!!!"

Three hundred people roared in unison, their voices shaking the night sky.

Before the one-eyed wolf could react, he saw the black-armored soldiers suddenly move.

The sword is drawn.

Three hundred Mo Dao swords were raised simultaneously, their blades gleaming with a dark, cold light in the firelight.

"Front Arrow Formation—Charge!!!"

At Yue Fei's command, the Mo Dao Guards advanced like a wall.

One-Eyed Wolf's expression changed drastically. Only then did he realize that the knives in the hands of those black-armored soldiers were not ordinary weapons at all!

That's a Mo Dao!

A battlefield weapon specifically designed to break through heavy armor and sever horses' legs!

"Retreat! Retreat now—!" he screamed as he turned his horse around.

It's too late.

The Mo Dao Guards had already charged into the bandit ranks.

There were no fancy moves, just neat and uniform slashing.

"Pfft—!"

"Snap—!"

Where the blade flashes, men and horses fall.

One-Eyed Wolf watched helplessly as one of his men, along with his horse, was cleaved in two, blood spurting three feet high.

"Damn it! Fight me to the death!"

With red eyes, he swung his ghost-head saber in a wide arc, aiming at a Mo Dao guard.

"clang--!!!"

The long-handled sword was laid horizontally, sparks flying everywhere.

The one-eyed wolf's jaws split open, and the ghost-headed knife flew out of its hand.

The guard swung his sword backhand, the blade grazing his neck and drawing a trail of blood.

The one-eyed wolf was so frightened that he fell off his horse and scrambled away to escape.

But all around were black armor.

The swords were like a forest.

He can't escape.

The battle started quickly and ended even faster.

In less than half an incense stick's time, all of the hundred or so bandits were lying on the ground.

The one-eyed wolf was forced to kneel on the ground by two Mo Dao guards, his face covered in blood, his single eye filled with fear.

Su Chuang slowly walked over and squatted down in front of him.

"hero."

Su Chuang grinned, but the smile was chillingly cold. "You just said you wanted someone to sleep with you for a few nights?"

The one-eyed wolf trembled all over and could barely speak:

"Your Excellency... I was wrong... I was blind..."

"Blind?" Su Chuang raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have one eye?"

He reached out and patted the black leather mask on the one-eyed wolf's face.

"How did this eye get lost?"

The one-eyed wolf stammered, "Back then, when I was robbing a road, I was... I was blinded by a镖师 (bodyguard/escort)..."

"Oh." Su Chuang nodded. "Then this eye of yours should also go blind."

He stood up and waved to Yue Fei.

Yue Fei understood, and with a thrust of his spear, he struck—

"ah--!!!"

The one-eyed wolf let out a miserable howl as its right eye was pierced by the spear tip, and blood spurted out.

Su Chuang didn't even look at her, and turned back to Xu Mengran's side.

Xu Mengran was still standing there, her hand on the hilt of her sword, her face pale.

Su Chuang reached out and gently took her hand.

My palms are warm.

"It's alright now," he said softly.

Xu Mengran looked up at him, her eyes a little red.

It wasn't fear, it was anger.

"They..." she gritted her teeth, "damn it."

"Yes, it's damn good," Su Chuang nodded, "but not now."

He turned to Jia Xu: "Wenhe, the plan can begin."

Jia Xu bowed: "My lord, do you intend to..."

"Clean this one-eyed wolf up and change him into Black Wind Stronghold clothes."

Su Chuang grinned, his eyes flashing with cold light.

"Find a few more 'surviving' bandits and let them go back to report the news."

Jia Xu understood:

"I told you... the one-eyed wolf got greedy and wanted to keep all the gold for himself."

"But the people Ye Qingyue sent to 'meet' him double-crossed him."