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

The 17th day of the 11th lunar month.

Chen Yuanyin got up at 11:00 AM and packed his things.

A goose-feather saber, a crossbow, thirty arrows, a dagger, a tinderbox, salt, and dry rations. And most importantly—the bronze plaque found on Scarface, and a copy of the sheepskin map.

The original document has been given to Zhang Meng, who kept a copy.

My master once said, "Always keep something in reserve."

By the time we finished tidying up, it was just getting light.

Chen Yuan wrote a letter and put it under his pillow; it was for Zhang Meng.

The letter was simple: "Commander of Hundred, there is an urgent matter at home that forces me to return. I will be back within five days. If the Tartars invade, there is a secret passage east of the city that leads to the local temple three miles outside the city. —Chen Yuan"

The secret passage was built in the previous dynasty, and few people know about it. The Seventh Night Scout Squad discovered it by chance during a mission and used it as an emergency escape route.

Chen Yuan took one last look at the barracks, then turned and left.

Instead of going through the city gate, he went around to an abandoned house in the east of the city. He lifted the stone slab under the stove, revealing a hole just wide enough for one person to pass through. This was a route he had scouted beforehand; he had actually been preparing to go home all along.

They entered the secret passage and lit the fire tinder.

The tunnel was narrow and reeked of mold and rat droppings. Chen Yuan hunched over and hurried forward. After about fifteen minutes, light appeared ahead—the exit.

Pushing open the wooden door disguised as a stone slab, Chen Yuan emerged.

This is the backyard of the local earth god temple, overgrown with weeds.

The temple has been abandoned for many years, the statues have collapsed, and it is covered with cobwebs.

Chen Yuan patted the dirt off his clothes and looked around.

The snow has stopped, but the sky is overcast.

In the distance, the city wall of Xuanfu Town lay quietly in the morning mist, like a gray line.

He walked to the front of the temple and bowed to the dilapidated statue of the Earth God.

"Please bless Xuanfu with peace."

"Please also bless the Chen family with peace."

Then he turned around and walked in the southeast direction.

Yingchuan is in Henan, 1,200 li away from Xuanfu. Normally, it would take seven or eight days to reach it by horseback, and at least half a month to reach it on foot.

But Chen Yuan couldn't wait that long.

He needs a horse.

Merchant caravans frequently passed by on the official road, but Chen Yuan had no intention of buying any—he only had a few taels of silver on him, not enough to buy a good horse. Besides, buying a horse now would easily attract attention.

He wants to "borrow" a horse.

At noon, Chen Yuan arrived at Black Wind Ridge, fifty li southeast of Xuanfu.

This is a crucial point on the trade route, and also a place frequented by bandits.

However, it is winter now, and the bandits find it too cold to move around much.

Chen Yuan lay in ambush on the hillside by the roadside, waiting.

An hour later, the target appeared.

It wasn't a caravan, but a troop of soldiers escorting three prison carts. There were about twenty men, led by a captain riding a yellow horse. The rest walked. Inside each cart were three prisoners, their hair disheveled, their faces obscured.

Chen Yuan frowned.

Prisoners are usually not transported via this remote mountain road, unless the prisoner has a special status.

He lowered his body and observed carefully.

The prison van was specially made, with iron bars as thick as an arm. Although the three prisoners were disheveled, they sat upright, unlike ordinary prisoners. Especially the one in the middle, although his head was down, the skin exposed on his neck was very white, indicating that he was not someone who had been doing manual labor for many years.

"A scion of a prominent family."

Chen Yuan made his judgment.

At this moment, the procession stopped and rested by the roadside. The captain dismounted, walked to the prison cart, and said something. The prisoner in the middle looked up, revealing a young face, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes; even though his face was covered in dirt, his heroic spirit could not be concealed.

"Young Master Chen, have some water."

The officer handed over a water bag.

Is your surname Chen?

Chen Yuan felt a chill run down his spine.

The young prisoner took the water bag, took a sip, and suddenly said, "Commander Wang, you've had a hard journey."

"You flatter me. We all know that Young Master Chen is innocent. The truth will be revealed when we get to the capital."

The young prisoner laughed, a bitter laugh. "The Chen family of Yingchuan is about to perish, so what's the point of talking about being wronged?"

Chen Yuan stopped breathing.

The Chen family of Yingchuan.

He stared intently at the young prisoner and finally recognized him—Chen Xi's only son, Chen Jin. Three years younger than him, he had always followed him around calling him "Brother Yuan" when they were children.

Chen Jin was supposed to be studying at the Shangyin Academy in Xuanfu, north of Nanjing. Why was he arrested?

Something terrible has happened to the Chen family!

Chen Yuan's brain was working at lightning speed.

The fact that Chen Jin was escorted to the capital indicates that the case has alarmed the imperial court. What exactly did the Chen family do wrong? Treason? Corruption? Or were they framed?

He remembered the words "family in danger" written on the note.

It seems to be more than just a danger; it's a catastrophe.

The team rested for fifteen minutes before continuing their journey.

Chen Yuan quietly followed, keeping a distance of about a hundred paces.

He needs more information.

The mountain road became increasingly rugged, and as they reached a bend, a rain of arrows suddenly rained down from both sides of the hillside!

"There's an ambush!"

Commander Wang shouted and drew his sword to parry.

But it was too late.

The first volley of arrows felled seven or eight soldiers, including Captain Wang—an arrow struck him squarely in the throat.

The remaining officers and soldiers were thrown into chaos and scattered to hide.

More than thirty men in black, armed with steel knives, rushed down the hillside and headed straight for the prison van.

"Help!"

The leader of the men in black shouted.

Chen Yuan lay motionless in the grass.

The man in black was targeting Chen Jin.

They cut open the prison cart and dragged out three prisoners.

Strangely, they only took Chen Jin with them; the other two prisoners were killed on the spot.

"Hurry! The pursuers will be here soon!"

The men in black dragged Chen Jin and ran into the mountains.

Chen Jin struggled: "Who are you?"

"By order of the patriarch, we are here to rescue the young master."

"Where's my dad?"

"The patriarch has already... Young Master, please accept my condolences."

Chen Jin was struck dumb, frozen in place.

Without saying a word, the man in black picked him up and ran.

Chen Yuan's eyes turned cold.

These men in black are not here to rescue people.

Their movements, coordination, and methods of killing indicated they were from a military background. Moreover, when they killed the other two prisoners, they were ruthless and showed no mercy—if they were from the Chen family, they would never treat their retainers like that.

It was to silence them.

Chen Yuan moved like a shadow, sliding down the hillside and rushing towards the rear of the group of men in black. The last man in black heard the sound of the wind, turned around, and only saw a flash of a blade.

The goose-feather blade sliced ​​across his neck, and blood spurted out three feet.

Chen Yuan didn't stop. He charged forward, his blade flashed again, and another person fell.

"later!"

The leader of the men in black reacted and drew his sword to fight.

But Chen Yuan moved too fast.

He didn't fight the leader head-on at all, but instead hovered around the edge of the group, targeting those who were alone.

Three breaths later, two more collapsed.

"Form ranks!" the leader roared.

The men in black immediately formed a circle, protecting Chen Jin in the middle.

Chen Yuan stopped and stood ten paces away, blood dripping from the tip of his knife.

"Who are you?" the leader demanded.

Chen Yuan didn't speak, but just stared at Chen Jin, who was caught in the middle.

Chen Jin looked at him, her eyes shifting from confusion to shock.

"Yuan...Brother Yuan?"

"Chen Jin, come here."

"Don't move!" The leader held a knife to Chen Jin's neck. "Move again and I'll kill him!"

Chen Yuan laughed, a cold laugh: "Then kill them."

Everyone was stunned.

Chen Jin's face turned deathly pale: "Brother Yuan, you..."

Chen Yuan slowly said, "Chen Jin, when you were seven years old, you stole your father's jade pendant to pawn for candy. When you were discovered, your father wanted to beat you. Who took ten lashes for you?"

Chen Jin's eyes widened.

"When you were twelve, you got into a fight with the son of a vice minister at the academy and pushed him into the pond. Who carried you back to Yingchuan from the capital overnight, killing two horses in the process?"

"You were fifteen when you fell for a courtesan at a brothel and stole five hundred taels of silver from your family to ransom her. Who settled the girl in and then raised the money to cover the loss?"

Tears welled up in Chen Jin's eyes: "Brother Yuan, it really is you!"

Chen Yuan stared at him: "Now, I'll count to three, and you squat down. One."

The leader realized something was wrong and tightened his grip on the knife: "You dare!"

"two."

Chen Jin suddenly squatted down.

At the same instant, Chen Yuan suddenly flung his hand! The next moment, three crossbow bolts shot out from his sleeve, heading straight for the leader and the two men in black on his left and right.

The leader parried with his sword, deflecting the crossbow bolt with a "clang." But the two men on either side were not so lucky; the bolts struck them squarely in the throat, and they fell to the ground dead.

In that brief moment of slack, Chen Yuan arrived.

The goose-feather blade, like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, pierced towards the leader's heart.

The leader managed to turn sideways, the tip of the knife slicing through his ribs, drawing blood.

He roared and swung his knife in retaliation, but Chen Yuan had already circled behind him and struck him hard on the back of the head with the hilt of his knife.

The leader collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Half an hour later, of the more than thirty men in black, nineteen were dead, eleven were wounded, and three escaped.