Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The official road heading south appeared exceptionally long and desolate under the dark clouds of late autumn.

The wheels rolled over the yellow earth road, which had been softened by rain and dried by the sun, leaving deep and shallow, crooked ruts, like ugly scars on the earth.

Chen tide and A Yue mingled at the rear of the caravan of laborers, their heads bowed, their faces covered with tattered headscarves, only their eyes showing. Covered in dust, they were no different from the other emaciated and listless laborers around them.

The convoy's destination was a military settlement to the south, near Heifengyu.

The escort consisted of more than twenty soldiers, led by a platoon leader surnamed Li, who was the "trustworthy brother" mentioned by Han Kun (the sentry officer).

Li, a seasoned veteran in his forties, always wore a half-smile on his face. He bossed the laborers around, but secretly took good care of Chen Xi and A Yue, two "distant relatives" whom Han Kun had specifically instructed him to visit. He not only arranged for them to be in the least strenuous positions (to help watch over several cartloads of relatively light sacks), but also gave them slightly thicker portions of dry rations (hard coarse grain cakes and pickled vegetable dumplings) than others. When setting up camp at night, he also let them be near the fire.

This "care" didn't make Chen tide feel much more at ease; instead, it made her even more wary. She didn't know exactly what Han Kun had said to Squad Leader Li, but it was clear he wouldn't reveal their true identities and situation. Was Squad Leader Li's "care" out of loyalty to Han Kun, or did he have ulterior motives? She dared not think too deeply about it, and could only, together with A Yue, more carefully play the role of "country sisters fleeing to seek refuge with relatives," speaking less and doing more, trying not to attract any extra attention.

The laborers traveling with them were mostly poor people from the surrounding areas of the prefecture who had suffered from disasters or had been forcibly conscripted for corvée labor. There were men, women, and children, and they all looked pale and had empty eyes. They had no hope for the future and just followed the caravan numbly, hoping for a bite to eat to survive.

The first day went smoothly.

The next day, the sky was overcast and the wind was biting. In the afternoon, a cold autumn rain began to fall.

The rain intensified, and darkness fell rapidly.

After walking for about half an hour, a dark outline of buildings appeared in the rain, nestled in a sheltered mountain valley. It looked quite dilapidated and was the mountain god temple that Li, the squad leader, had mentioned as the place to stay.

The crowd surged into the main hall like a tide. They huddled together in relatively dry corners, shivering as they wrung out their soaked clothes, and lit the few remaining firewood they had brought with them, building several small bonfires.

Li, the sergeant, arranged for several soldiers to guard the entrance and several severely leaky areas inside the hall. He also ordered the laborers to block as many usable vehicles as possible at the entrance to protect them from the cold wind. Then he found a dry spot near the fire, took out his water bag, and drank a few mouthfuls.

Chen tide and A Yue squeezed into a relatively secluded corner, next to several women with children.

"Sister Yue, can we... really make it to Black Wind Valley?" Chen tide asked, her voice low, barely audible to the two of them, as she gazed at the leaping flames, her voice tinged with confusion and exhaustion.

A-Yue was silent for a moment before whispering, "Yes. The route arranged by Commander Han should be fine. As long as... nothing else goes wrong." Her gaze swept over the unfamiliar faces in the hall, flickering in the firelight. "Be careful tonight. Something's not right about this place."

Something's not right? Chen tide's heart tightened, and she followed A Yue's example, quietly looking around.

Apart from the exhausted laborers and equally exhausted soldiers, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But Ah Yue's intuition is often very accurate.

"Something's not right?" she asked.

"I can't quite put my finger on it." A-Yue shook her head slightly. "The smell... and... it's too quiet."

Chen tide felt a chill run down her spine.

The thought sent a chill down her spine, and she instinctively gripped the cold dagger in her bosom.

Just then, amidst the wind and rain outside the hall, a very faint sound, different from the sound of raindrops falling to the ground, suddenly came, like... the "crack" sound of a dry branch being broken, and it came from more than one place!

Almost simultaneously, several soldiers near the door seemed to sense something as well. One of them suddenly stood up, gripping his sword hilt, and shouted sharply, "Who? Who's outside?!"

The only response he received was a sharp whistling sound! A crossbow bolt pierced through the broken door panel and accurately struck the soldier who had stood up in the throat! Before he could even scream, he fell backward, his blood spurting far away in the firelight!

"Enemy attack! Ambush!"

Li, the sergeant, reacted swiftly, rolling behind the overturned clay sculpture base and yelling hoarsely, "Grab your weapons! Guard the doorway!"

Chaos erupted inside the palace! The laborers screamed in terror and scattered in all directions, seeking cover.

Although the soldiers were in a panic, they were soldiers after all. They drew their weapons and leaned against the door frame, pillars, and wrecked vehicles, nervously looking out at the dark, rainy night outside the palace.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

More crossbow bolts rained down from outside the door and even through the broken windows! The number of enemies was unclear in the darkness, but judging from the density and accuracy of the arrows, they were no ordinary bandits! Moreover, the arrows were clearly targeting the soldiers attempting to organize a resistance! Instantly, two more soldiers fell, struck by arrows!

Is it a "Shadow Guardian" or a "Yinshan Ghost Fiend"?

Chen tide's heart sank to the bottom. Had A Yue really been right? Was this a trap set for them?

A-Yue had already shielded Chen Xi behind her, leaning against a thick palace pillar. Her hunting fork was already drawn, and her dusty face was expressionless, except for her eyes, which were as cold as knives, staring intently at the direction from which the arrows were coming.

"Don't panic! Don't go out! Hold the line inside!" Li, the sergeant, was experienced and knew that being riddled with crossbow bolts in the open was certain death; they had to rely on the buildings to hold the line.

He commanded the remaining dozen or so soldiers to block the gaps in the doors and windows with shields (wheelbarrows) and debris, and to fight back with bows and crossbows.

But the enemy was clearly well-trained, with accurate archery skills, and they took the initiative, quickly shooting down three more people.

The space inside the palace was limited, and arrows flew wildly. Every now and then, laborers would be hit by arrows and scream in agony. Panic spread completely, and cries, curses, the sound of clashing weapons, and the whistling of arrows mingled together.

"This won't do! We'll be trapped here!" Li, the sergeant, roared at the remaining soldiers, veins bulging on his forehead. "Fifth Brother! Take a few men, rush out the back window, circle around to the side, and fucking kill them!"

A fierce soldier with a scar on his face responded, pointed to a few men, and prepared to rush towards the rear palace.

However, just then, a series of urgent and strange whistles suddenly rang out in the rainy night outside the palace! This was followed by several short, piercing screams and a dull thud as something heavy fell to the ground! It seemed... the ambush outside had been attacked?!

Everyone inside the hall was stunned. Li, the squad leader, also stopped what he was doing and looked towards the door with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

The rain of arrows stopped.

Amidst the sounds of wind and rain, only the groans of the wounded and the heavy breathing of the crowd remained inside the hall.

The sounds of fighting outside quickly subsided, leaving only the mournful howl of wind and rain.

What happened? Is there another group of people?

Friend or foe?

No one dared to make a move, and they waited anxiously.

A moment later, a figure slowly walked in through the mud and water from outside the dilapidated temple gate.

The newcomer was tall and slender, dressed in a tight-fitting black nightsuit that accentuated her graceful figure. Her face was covered with a black veil, revealing only a pair of eyes that, in the firelight, were as cold and clear as stars. In her hand she carried a strangely shaped, narrow-bladed longsword, still dripping blood, its blade as smooth as water, untouched by blood. Rain dripped from her hair and the hem of her clothes, yet she seemed oblivious, like a spirit emerging from the night rain, or perhaps a deadly grim reaper.

She stood there, her gaze slowly sweeping over the terrified crowd in the hall, finally settling on Chen Xi, who was being protected behind A Yue and looking at her with suspicion. Although there was a veil between them, Chen tide felt that the other woman seemed to nod slightly at her?

Then, the woman in black spoke, her voice clear yet carrying an undeniable chill: "The tails outside have been cleared. You can continue your journey, or wait here to die."

After saying that, she didn't look at the crowd again, turned around, and was about to disappear into the rainy night once more.

"Wait, wait!" Sergeant Li couldn't help but call out, his face filled with lingering fear and gratitude. "Thank you so much for your help, heroine! May I ask your esteemed name? And which hero are you? I am Li..."

"No need to know." The woman in black interrupted him without turning her head, her steps unwavering. "Just doing what I could. Besides," she paused, seemingly implying something, "tell the people behind you that some waters are murky; don't get too involved. Be careful... you might get your shoes wet and drown."

Before she finished speaking, her figure had already disappeared into the dark rain outside the door, as if she had never been there at all.

The hall was deathly silent. After a long while, someone came to their senses and let out a sigh of relief and a soft sob.

Li, the squad leader, had a fluctuating expression, clearly pondering the black-clad woman's last words.

He waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to cautiously go out and investigate. Soon, they returned with news of seven or eight corpses of men in black lying outside the temple, all cleanly and swiftly killed with a single sword stroke to the throat. Judging by their clothing and weapons, they were the same men who had ambushed them earlier, seemingly the legendary "Shadow Guards" or professional assassins. Further into the woods, several stray horses were also discovered.

"This is fucking weird..." Sergeant Li muttered, glancing at Chen tide and A Yue with an even more complicated expression. Even if he was slow to realize it, he vaguely guessed that tonight's unexpected disaster was probably related to these two "distant relatives" that Han Kun had entrusted to him. And that mysterious woman in black, it seemed, was also after them? Was it for protection? Or a warning?

Chen tide and A Yue were equally shocked.

That woman in black...it's Ye Qingli!

Although her face was veiled, Chen tide would never forget her cool and unique aura, and that peculiar narrow-bladed longsword after just one encounter! It was her! The female knight who mysteriously appeared and then vanished in the Blackwater Ridge Canyon! How did she end up here? And just so happened to save them? Was it a coincidence? Or... had she been secretly watching him all along?

"Don't wade too deep into some muddy waters. Be careful not to get your shoes wet and drown." Ye Qingli's last sentence was clearly directed at them, or at the "person" behind them (Lin Feng?). Was it a warning or a reminder?