I slaughtered my way through the border at the start, I am the Great Ming's Night Raider!

As the fire grew weaker, Chen Yuan added some more firewood.

The wind howled outside the temple, like the cries of countless wronged souls.

He suddenly remembered what Old Zhou, the owner of the veterans' tavern, had said: "In this world, human life is worth less than a dog's."

Yes, even worse than a dog.

Dogs can wag their tails to beg for mercy, but people don't even have the chance to wag their tails.

At the third quarter of the hour of Yin (3:45 AM), Chen Yuan heard a commotion.

It wasn't the sound of the wind, but the sound of footsteps, very light.

At least three people came from the west, about fifty paces away.

He immediately extinguished the flames, picked up his twin swords, and darted to the door.

In the darkness, Chen Jin also woke up and looked at him nervously.

Chen Yuan made a shushing gesture and pointed to the corner of the wall, indicating that he should hide.

The footsteps grew closer.

"Damn it, this awful weather." A man's voice, with a northern accent, said.

"Stop talking nonsense and find somewhere to shelter from the snow." Another voice said, "It's freezing! This job is inhuman."

"Who told us to get into this mess? The eunuch has ordered that we must see him alive or dead."

Chen Yuan's eyes turned cold.

The people from the Eastern Depot have caught up with us.

Judging from the sound of their footsteps, all three were skilled in martial arts, but not top-tier.

It was probably just a preliminary exploration.

He gripped the knife handle tightly, calculating the opportune moment to strike.

The three people stopped at the temple entrance.

"There's a temple here, let's go in and rest for a while."

"Be careful, that kid is dangerous. Liu San and his group of over thirty people were all wiped out."

"What are you afraid of? The three of us can't handle an injured guy?"

The man in the lead peered into the temple, and Chen Yuan was behind the door.

A flash of light.

The man didn't even have time to scream before his throat was slit.

Chen Yuan pushed the body away, causing it to fall towards the two people behind him.

"There's an ambush!"

The other two reacted quickly, drawing their swords and slashing.

However, the temple gate was narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time, which prevented them from fully utilizing their abilities.

Chen Yuan rushed out of the temple gate, his twin blades slashing like scissors at the neck of the man on his left.

The man raised his knife to parry, and with a "clang," his tiger's mouth was split open.

Chen Yuan pressed down with his left sword and flicked up with his right sword, the tip of which pierced through Chen Yuan's chin.

Upon seeing this, the third person turned and ran.

But the snowy road was slippery, and he had only run two steps when Chen Yuan caught up behind him and stabbed him in the back.

The battle ended in less than ten breaths.

Chen Yuan sheathed his sword and began searching the corpse.

A search of the three men yielded an Eastern Depot waist token, some loose silver, and a portrait—a portrait of him and Chen Jin, though only seven or eight parts similar, but with distinct features.

In addition, there was a letter.

The letter was addressed to Yang Hong, the garrison commander of Juyong Pass, and bore the seal of the Eastern Depot. It read, "Two criminals may have infiltrated the capital. Please thoroughly investigate all passersby and detain them immediately, regardless of whether they are dead or alive."

Chen Yuan carefully put away the letter, and also took the waist token and loose silver.

Then he dragged the three bodies to a distance and buried them in the snow.

By the time I finished doing all that, it was already dawn.

Back at the temple, Chen Jin was pale.

"Is it the Eastern Depot?"

"Hmm." Chen Yuan sat down. "We can't go through Juyong Pass anymore. Yang Hong will investigate thoroughly."

"What should we do then?"

Chen Yuan didn't answer. He took out the sheepskin map from his bag—it had been found on the Tatar commander and marked with border terrain. He studied it carefully for a while, his finger stopping at a certain spot.

"Go this way."

"Where is this?"

"Eagle Sorrow Gorge," Chen Yuan said, "is an ancient road built in the previous dynasty, abandoned for many years. The terrain is treacherous, but it can bypass Juyong Pass and lead directly to Changping."

"Is it dangerous?"

"It's dangerous," Chen Yuan said, looking at him, "but safer than falling into the hands of the Eastern Depot."

Chen Jin nodded: "I'll listen to you."

The two ate some simple dry rations and packed their belongings.

Chen Jin's injuries have healed somewhat, and he can now ride a horse on his own with some difficulty.

Chen Yuan also led the white horse onto the leash—an extra horse would be useful in a pinch.

Before setting off, Chen Yuan left a mark in the temple: three stones stacked in a triangle, with the pointed end pointing southeast. This was a scout's mark, meaning "This road is blocked; find another way."

If any other scouts escape, they will know how to get there once they see the marker.

Although he knew the possibility was extremely slim.

The snowstorm subsided slightly, but the mountain path became even more difficult to traverse. Eagle's Sorrow Gorge is deep in the mountains, with no path at all; one can only feel one's way forward along the ridge.

In some areas, even horses have to be led, as a slight misstep could send them sliding off a cliff.

After walking for about two hours, a ravine appeared ahead.

The rift valley is bottomless and about three zhang wide, connected only by a natural stone beam in the middle. The stone beam is less than a chi wide and covered with ice and snow, making it slippery and impossible to walk on.

"Will this... pass?" Chen Jin's voice trembled.

Chen Yuan didn't speak. He untied the rope from the horse's back, tied one end around his own waist, and the other end around Chen Jin's waist.

"I'll go first, you follow closely. Remember, don't look down, take it one step at a time."

He walked onto the stone beam.

The wind was strong, making his robes flutter loudly. The ice and snow on the stone beams were crushed underfoot, falling into the abyss with a soft patter, the sound of them hitting the ground unheard. Chen Yuan walked very slowly, making sure each step was firmly planted before taking the next.

When we reached the middle, the stone beam suddenly swayed—either from the wind or from years of disrepair.

Chen Yuan's body swayed, and he almost fell. He quickly squatted down, grabbed the edge of the stone beam with both hands, and was suspended in mid-air.

"Brother Yuan!" Chen Jin exclaimed.

Chen Yuan didn't respond. He used his arms to climb back up the stone beam.

His palms were cut by the ice blades, and blood flowed freely, but he didn't care.

I got up and kept walking.

We finally reached the other side.

He secured the rope to a boulder: "Chen Jin, come here."

Chen Jin gritted his teeth and stepped onto the stone beam. He was even more nervous than Chen Yuan; his legs were trembling. When he reached the middle, a gust of wind swept over him, and he slipped—

"what!"

Chen Jin slid off the stone beam, hanging only by the rope around his waist. He swayed in the air, with a bottomless abyss below.

"Hold on tight!" Chen Yuan roared, pulling the rope with all his might.

But Chen Jin's left shoulder was injured, so she couldn't exert any strength and could only grip the rope tightly with her right hand. Blood seeped from the wound on her shoulder, staining her cotton-padded coat red.

Chen Yuan's veins bulged as he slowly pulled Chen Jin ashore. When they reached the stone beam, he grabbed Chen Jin's wrist, pulled hard, and finally got him on the bank.

The two collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Chen Jin looked at her trembling hands and suddenly laughed, her laughter tinged with tears: "I...I almost died..."

"But you didn't die." Chen Yuan sat up. "Remember this feeling, the feeling of being on the verge of death. You won't be afraid when you encounter danger in the future."

Why?

"Because you've already experienced the worst-case scenario," Chen Yuan said. "What's left is all profit."

Chen Jin stared at him blankly, seemingly understanding but not quite.

After resting for fifteen minutes, the two continued their journey. Once they passed Eagle's Sorrow Gorge, the road became easier.

As evening fell, they crossed the last ridge, and a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before them.

Below the mountain lies a plain.

Further away, the outline of the city wall can be vaguely seen.

"That's... Changping?" Chen Jin asked.

"Hmm." Chen Yuan nodded. "Changping Guard is still 120 li away from the capital."

We're almost there.

But Chen Yuan felt no joy, only heaviness.

Changping is a strategically important area surrounding the capital, heavily guarded. How did he and Chen Jin, two "prisoners" wanted by the authorities, manage to sneak in? Even if they did, how would they get into the capital? And once they were in the capital, how would they seek revenge?

A series of questions remained unanswered.

But he had to keep going.

Because there was no way to retreat.

The two descended the mountain and stopped in a grove of trees near the official road.

Chen Yuan told Chen Jin to wait while he went to scout ahead.

There weren't many carriages or horses on the official road, but there was a checkpoint every five li, and the garrison soldiers checked things very carefully.

Chen Yuan observed for a while and saw a caravan being stopped. The driver bowed and scraped as he handed over his travel permit, which the guards examined for a long time before letting them pass.

Road sign.

They don't have that.

Chen Yuan returned to the woods and told Chen Jin what had happened.

"Then we..."

"Wait until dark," Chen Yuan said. "We'll cross the border at night."

"Will it work?"

"We have to do it, even if it's not feasible," Chen Yuan said. "The guards at Changping Garrison are garrison soldiers, not border troops, so they're not very vigilant. Besides, in this weather, they don't want to stay outside for too long."

The two ate something and waited quietly.