Isolated town in northern border region

The entrance to the valley was narrower than he had imagined, probably only wide enough for three people to walk side by side.

The two walls are steep and sheer, and you can only see a sliver of sky when you look up. The gravel crackles under your feet, and the stone walls on both sides are covered with moss and vines, making it dark and damp.

He walked for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when a slightly wider open space suddenly appeared in front of him, but the openness ended there.

A horse-drawn carriage was blocking the middle of the road, its axle broken and its carriage tilted, like a wall that had been deliberately pushed down, completely blocking the way.

In front of the carriage stood twelve masked men dressed in black. No one was in front, and seven were behind. They were as silent as stones, with fish-scale belts around their waists. The man at the very front had his arms crossed and looked like the leader.

They held crossbows, short knives, and chains, indicating that they had been waiting for a long time.

Xu De was bound hand and foot next to the carriage.

His mouth was stuffed with a rag, his hair was disheveled, there were several bruises on his face, and his sleeves were torn, revealing a dark red wound on his arm.

His eyes were still bright, but the moment he saw Xiao Lie, his whole body tensed up, and he made a whimpering sound, shaking his head desperately.

Xiao Lie reined in his horse, neither turning back nor retreating.

He looked at the twelve men in black and spoke.

"Release them!"

"The rest is a matter for the Xiao family."

"Right and wrong, life and death... are determined by the knife in my hand!"

Of the twelve, the leader did not move. He remained silent for a moment, as if he understood Xiao Lie's meaning, or as if he was weighing something.

Then he waved his hand, and the two men behind him pushed Xu De forward and untied the ropes binding his hands.

As soon as Xu De was freed, he immediately ripped the rag out of his mouth and shouted hoarsely.

"Your Highness! Run! There's more than just them... there are others behind! It's a trap!"

But it was too late.

At the entrance behind them, ten more men in black appeared silently, completely blocking their escape route.

Twenty-two people, the encirclement has been completed.

Xiao Lie dismounted, threw the reins to Xu De, took the iron bow from the saddle, and held the horse spear in his hand.

Xu De was taken aback.

"Your Highness?"

Xiao Lie only said one sentence.

"Run towards the valley entrance later. Ledo is there; he'll meet you there."

Xu De did not answer.

"And what about you?"

Xiao Lie had already turned around, slammed his lance into the ground, and the shaft stuck into the soil with a dull thud.

"What? You, the 'Imperial Physician of the World,' intend to stay and lend a hand?"

Xu De's eyes instantly reddened. He wanted to say something, but Xiao Lie pushed him.

"Walk!"

Xu De gritted his teeth, turned around and ran towards the valley entrance.

He wasn't afraid of death, but rather afraid of dragging Xiao Lie down with him!

He's a doctor who can't even kill a chicken; staying here will only distract Xiao Lie!

The ten people behind him initially refused to give way, so Xiao Lie looked at their leader.

"He's just a doctor; it doesn't matter whether he's killed or not."

"What matters is that I die here, isn't it?"

"You are all royal guards, so by rights, you are considered servants of the Xiao family!"

"Give me some face and step aside."

The leader lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. The ten men behind him made way for Xu De, who led Xiao Lie's warhorse through.

"Your Highness! Xiao Lie! You must hold on!"

"I'll go get reinforcements right away!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu De mounted his horse at the fastest speed he had ever done and galloped away. Xiao Lie turned his head and saw that the whip was almost leaving afterimages!

Xiao Lie smiled.

"Gentlemen, this entire Wolf Gaze Mountain should belong to your people, right?"

"Now that things have come to this, stop covering your face."

"Anyway, it's not my life or death today, but all of you who did the dirty work won't survive."

"Just pick it, make this last shiver quick and easy."

The leader narrowed his eyes and looked Xiao Lie up and down, clearly not expecting Xiao Lie to react this way.

After a moment's hesitation, the leader removed his mask.

"Secret Guard, Eleventh, greets the King of Northern Frontier!"

The leader started it, and the remaining twenty-one also took off their masks.

"Secret guards, number twelve...thirty-two, greet the King of the Northern Frontier!"

Twenty-two people, their tones almost identical, equally silent, equally cold.

Xiao Lie twirled his spear and asked jokingly.

"Only a number, no name?"

"It would be too humiliating for me to die at the hands of someone who doesn't even have a name."

Eleven clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"I've long forgotten my name. Once I joined the secret guards, all I had was a number."

Xiao Lie looked up and sighed softly.

"The Xiao family, we are so sorry..."

"If I manage to escape today, Great Chu will have no more secret guards!"

All the guards were stunned, and Eleven looked at Xiao Lie with a newfound warmth in his eyes.

"Thank you, Your Highness... It's just a pity that it's not you who sits on the dragon throne."

Xiao Lie shrugged.

"I don't care!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xiao Lie mounted his horse and brandished his spear!

"Come on! Let's settle this once we've faced life and death, then we can talk slowly!"

Eleven nodded slightly, and the other guards also lowered their heads...

suddenly!

All twenty-two guards raised their hands at the same time, and their right crossbows fired simultaneously!

The arrow pierced the air and arrived!

Xiao Lie raised his hand, using his arm guards to protect his face, and charged straight at Eleven like a mad bull!

To catch the thief, first catch the king!

"kill!"

Relying on his finely crafted steel armor, Xiao Lie withstood a volley of fire and rushed to Eleven. His lance shot out like an arrow, aiming directly at Eleven's throat!

In the blink of an eye, Eleven suddenly fell backward, dodging the thrust with a backflip, and then, like a python, used both hands and feet to entangle the spear in Xiao Lie's hand!

The next moment, the chains of the two bodyguards on the left and right were tied up!

Xiao Lie's pupils dilated suddenly. He immediately used the force of Eleven's downward press to plant his eighteen-foot spear diagonally into the ground, using the spear shaft to block the closing chains. He then ducked down and crawled out from under the chains.

"Clang!"

With his Taiping Blade drawn from his waist, Xiao Lie turned and swept his blade, forcing the two men on his left and right back. He then found an opening, used his shoulder armor to knock aside the guard on his left who was holding a mace, and plunged the Taiping Blade into the chest of the guard on his right!

The Taiping Blade pierced through Xiao Lie's chest, but the guard seemed to feel no pain. He just let out a muffled groan and used his arms to lock Xiao Lie's right hand!

"Oh shit!"

Xiao Lie mustered all his strength and swept his sword and body around, forcing the surrounding guards back!

After this brief exchange of blows, the two sides separated again. Facing the carriage, Xiao Lie forcefully pulled the Taiping Blade from the chest of the guard.

"His name is Nineteen...is that right?"

Eleven, who had gotten up again, threw the lance aside.

"Yes, Your Highness has a good memory."

Xiao Lie casually tore off an arrow embedded in the armor plate, drawing out a little blood, and turned to look at the twenty-one guards.

"Ruthless! Just like the wolves of northern Xinjiang!"

Eleven drew his twin swords from his waist.

"If we weren't ruthless, we wouldn't be alive today!"

Xiao Lie tore a piece of cloth from his waist and tightly wrapped the Taiping Blade around his hand.

"You have a choice: leave on your own and live a peaceful life..."

"If you are afraid of being investigated by the Chu Emperor, you can go to the northern frontier."

Eleven smiled bitterly and gripped the two swords in reverse.

"Then... what right do you have to live?"

Xiao Lie was speechless.

What kind of world is this?

What kind of damn organization is the Dark Guard?

To train a group of living, breathing people into machines that have no meaning other than performing tasks!

What exactly is the Xiao family of the Great Chu doing?!

Xiao Lie shook his head helplessly and asked the last question.

"Is dying here a relief for you?"

For the first time during the National Day holiday, I was momentarily stunned!

He turned to look at his brothers behind him and received the same answer from their eyes.

"Calculate!"