At 100 years old, he joined the army in place of his granddaughter, and became a national war god.

Shen Luotang leaped into the air, her white dress drawing a clean arc in the dark forest. She used her superb lightness skill to the extreme, her figure as light as a startled swan in the night, and in an instant she chased after him for dozens of feet.

After chasing for more than a hundred paces, the dark figure ahead had already approached the depths of the dense forest, and it seemed that it was about to use the complex terrain to completely escape.

Shen Luotang's eyes sharpened. Unwilling to delay any longer, she suddenly exerted force on the longsword she was holding in her right hand. With a flick of her wrist, a sharp sword aura burst forth from her body!

hum!

A clear sword cry pierced the night wind, and fierce true energy, carrying the power of the sword's edge, blasted out from afar.

This sword strike was as fast as thunder and as powerful as a rainbow, without any superfluous moves, solely for intercepting and subduing the enemy.

The fleeing leader had no time to turn around and prepare for the attack. He felt a sharp, piercing wind from behind and was terrified. He tried his best to dodge to the side, but he was still half a step too slow.

"laugh!"

The sharp blade sliced ​​through his flesh in an instant, precisely piercing his right arm.

A sharp pain suddenly swept through his body, and the man in black trembled violently. A surge of internal energy flowed along the sword's edge and invaded his meridians, causing his blood and qi to surge.

He could no longer maintain his momentum as he hurtled through the air. His body jolted violently, and he plummeted straight down from the towering tree trunk, crashing heavily into a thick pile of dead leaves.

The dull thud of the landing was exceptionally clear in the silent forest.

The man in black gritted his teeth and gasped, his forehead instantly covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. Blood from his severed arm soaked through his black clothes, and the piercing pain made his whole body tense.

He was filled with disbelief. He had practiced his lightness skill diligently since childhood and was already considered one of the top-level guards in the Yan Kingdom. Just now, he had run away with all his might, almost using all his strength, yet Shen Luotang still caught up with him easily and even injured him with one move.

This woman's martial arts skills and movements are incredibly powerful!

A sense of crisis instantly filled his heart. He knew that if he were captured alive by Shen Luotang, he would face certain death unless he revealed the Yan Kingdom's conspiracy.

In this desperate situation, a ruthless and resolute look flashed in his eyes. Ignoring the excruciating pain from his severely injured arm, his left hand swiftly reached into the pouch at his waist. With a flick of his fingertips, several hidden weapons gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light instantly flew out of his hand!

The hidden weapon, coated with potent poison, moved silently in the pitch-black night, making a soft whistling sound as it cut through the air. It was cunning and vicious, aiming directly at Shen Luotang's vital points!

The night was dark, and the hidden weapon was extremely fast. By the time the cold blue light came into view, the hidden weapon was already close at hand, only a few feet away from the person.

Shen Luotang's heart tightened suddenly, and she dared not relax for a moment.

On the brink of life and death, she suddenly turned her body, lightly touched the suspended tree branch with her feet, and nimbly dodged to the side, clinging to the thick tree trunk.

call out!

call out!

call out!

Several highly poisoned darts grazed past her and embedded themselves hard in the branches of the old tree behind her.

The sturdy wooden fork was instantly pierced by the hidden weapon, demonstrating its formidable force. One of the most cunning diamond-shaped poison darts grazed her shoulder, its sharp blade tearing through her clothing and barely grazing her skin. It was just a hair's breadth away from piercing her shoulder bone and inhaling the deadly poison.

Having narrowly escaped a fatal blow, Shen Luotang's back was already damp with a thin layer of sweat, and she felt a wave of lingering fear.

She landed firmly on a tree branch, and looking at the trembling, poisonous-looking hidden weapon on the branch, she couldn't help but gasp.

This person is not only swift in movement, but also possesses superb skills in concealed weapons, which are cunning, ruthless, and impossible to defend against.

If I had reacted even a fraction of a second slower, I would have already fallen victim to their attack and been defeated.

The world of martial arts is treacherous, and the methods of the Yan Kingdom's secret guards are indeed extremely ruthless.

Shen Luotang's eyes were cold and deep. Just as she was about to draw her sword and pursue again, her gaze swept across the dense forest ahead, and her expression suddenly froze.

The man in black, who had just landed, took advantage of the fleeting moment of dodging, endured the excruciating pain of his severe injuries, and rushed into the depths of the dense forest. Under the cover of ancient trees and the darkness of night, he completely disappeared into the deep darkness, leaving no trace of his presence.

Looking ahead, the road was crisscrossed with trees and branching paths, and given that it was late at night, there was no way to track it.

Shen Luotang clenched her fists, her eyes filled with resentment and anger.

"Damn it, he got away again!"

But in an instant, her anger was suppressed by her strong reason.

She was well aware of the priorities in the current situation.

Tonight, assassins launched a surprise attack, their target being Xiao Yunche. The hidden dangers have not yet been completely eradicated. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, and the situation is unpredictable.

Although Xiao Yunche's martial arts cultivation was unfathomable, he could not fight against many opponents with his bare hands, and hidden arrows were the hardest to guard against.

If she continues to pursue the fleeing enemy without anyone protecting her, and if another assassin launches a surprise attack, or if someone secretly sets a trap, the consequences for Xiao Yunche would be unimaginable.

Xiao Yunche is responsible for the stability of three prefectures and is the core pillar guarding the southern border.

If something happens to him, Jingzhou, Suizhou, and Pingzhou will be leaderless, their defenses will collapse instantly, and they will fall right into Yan's trap.

After a moment's deliberation, Shen Luotang completely suppressed the idea of ​​pursuing, no longer coveting the chase and killing of the fleeing enemy. With a light touch of her toes on the tree trunk, her figure turned back like a bird, swiftly flying back towards the pavilion she had just left.

The evening wind was strong, making her clothes flutter, and in the blink of an eye, she had landed back on the open space in front of the pavilion.

At this point, the battle around the pavilion had completely come to an end.

Several black-clad corpses lay scattered on the ground, their blood soaking the bluestone floor. The thick stench of blood mingled with the night wind, permeating the entire open space.

Of the nine Yan assassins who had just formed their formation, six were now dead, their bodies cold to the touch.

Xiao Yunche was dressed in a spotless black brocade robe, his posture upright and outstanding. The long sword in his hand had a restrained cold light, and his aura was calm and stern, showing no signs of fatigue.

He did not kill all the assassins, but deliberately spared three of them, severely wounding them. He wanted to pry open the secrets from these Yan Kingdom assassins, find out the whereabouts of the Emperor of Daqian, and find out the true plot of Yan Kingdom.

The three surviving assassins collapsed to the ground, their meridians shattered by the sword energy, their bones broken, vomiting blood continuously, barely breathing, powerless to struggle, and only able to eke out a living in the pool of blood.

Xiao Yunche stepped forward slowly, his long sword lowered, the cold blade firmly pointed at the throats of the three men. His deep voice, carrying an oppressive aura, slowly echoed through the night sky:

"Tell me! Where have you hidden the Emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty?"

But no sooner had the words left his mouth than another unexpected event occurred!

The three black-clad assassins who were on the verge of death on the ground suddenly became stiff and lifeless, and the last trace of light in their eyes completely disappeared.

In the blink of an eye, the three men's heads tilted slightly, their bodies completely lifeless, and jet-black poisonous blood seeped from the corners of their mouths.

All three had poison hidden in their mouths, and before the question could be finished, they had all committed suicide!

Looking at the three people who had suddenly died, Xiao Yunche frowned deeply, a trace of contemplation and emotion flashing in his deep eyes.

These elite warriors trained by the Yan Kingdom were indeed resilient and fearless, having long since disregarded life and death. Their hearts were filled only with the obsession to serve the Yan Kingdom, and they could not be coerced or tempted.

Trying to extract even a shred of information from them is as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Just as he was deep in thought and his gaze was fixed on something, a light footstep came from behind him.

Shen Luotang slowly walked to his side, her gaze sweeping over the nine corpses lying on the ground. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she asked softly, "How is the situation? Have you found any clues?"

Xiao Yunche slowly withdrew the somber look from his eyes, gently shook his head, and spoke with a hint of helplessness.

"They're all tough nuts to crack. As soon as I opened my mouth to ask them a question, they immediately took poison and committed suicide, leaving no clues behind. They're ruthless."

"As expected." Shen Luotang sighed softly, a hint of understanding in her eyes, and said in a solemn tone, "The Yan people have always been fierce and stubborn, loyal and obstinate. These assassins have been raised and trained since childhood, and have long since lost all their emotions and desires, and are only willing to obey orders."

"It's virtually impossible to extract classified information from the Yan Kingdom's secret guards."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned to look at the handsome young man beside her, her eyes filled with a hint of reproach and worry, and she couldn't help but gently scold him:

"It's you who's too reckless, venturing into danger alone."

"In the dead of night, danger lurks in the desolate forest. You, the regent prince who guards three prefectures, have come alone to this meeting without a single guard or personal soldier by your side."

"Do you know that if something happens to you here, the defenses of the three states will be leaderless, the borders will be in chaos, which will just fulfill Yan's desire to invade Daqian, and the entire world will be completely overturned as a result!"

Her words were earnest and full of genuine concern, shedding her usual aloofness and adding a touch of heartfelt care.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yunche suppressed his chilling aura, a gentle smile curving his lips as he turned to look at Shen Luotang, whose features were delicate and beautiful, speaking in a calm and composed tone.

"If I bring a large number of guards, it will only alert the enemy and keep them hidden, making it impossible for them to find any clues."

His gaze was gentle yet resolute, filled with complete trust.

"Besides, I know you will definitely come to protect me in time. With you by my side, I have no fear of any assassination attempts."

A simple word of complete trust, gentle yet weighty, struck straight into Shen Luotang's heart.

A night breeze swept by, ruffling the stray hairs at her temples. The girl's fair cheeks flushed crimson, her ears burned slightly, and a subtle flutter stirred in her heart.

She quickly turned her head away, concealing the panic in her eyes, and said in a light, feigned calmness, "Even at such a critical moment, you're still being so cheeky."

She quickly straightened up, got back to the main point, and looked solemnly at the corpses scattered on the ground.

"Getting back to the main point, now that all the secret guards have been killed and all leads have gone cold, what should we do next?"

Xiao Yunche slowly sheathed his longsword, the blade returning to its original position with a clear, ringing sound.

"The fact that the Yan Kingdom went so far as to use its top secret guards and assassins to infiltrate the southern border to carry out assassinations and gather intelligence is enough to prove that the situation on the border is already tense."

"The Yan state has been plotting for a long time, and this secret arrangement is to pave the way for war."

"The border war between Daqian and Yan is imminent and will break out soon."

"The letter only arrived at the court today, and the court's support will not be able to arrive for a while. The only thing we can do is to defend the southern border to the death."

His tone was firm, his words resounding, clearly defining the most important task at hand.

"Pingzhou Duanyun Pass is the first vital pass in the southern frontier and the first barrier against the southward advance of the Yan Kingdom's iron cavalry. It must not be lost."

"The most urgent task is to immediately return to the prefectural government, mobilize troops overnight, reorganize the forces, rush to the aid of Pingzhou, and defend Duanyun Pass to the death!"

After finishing his sentence, he said no more, turned around and strode away, his steps steady and firm, each step carrying the resolute courage to guard the mountains and rivers.

Shen Luotang followed closely behind, and the two of them took advantage of the deep night to ride their horses at full speed and rush back to the Jingzhou government office overnight.

……

The night was dark.

The city of Jingzhou was completely silent. The ordinary people had long since fallen into a deep sleep, and the entire city was quiet except for the government office, where the lights were on all night.

Inside the solemn and imposing main hall of the government office, light and shadow flickered, and military orders were given with solemnity.

Xiao Yunche sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a dark military uniform. His brows and eyes were cold and his expression was dignified, completely different from his gentle and composed demeanor just moments before.

He summoned all the deputy generals and assistant generals of Jingzhou overnight. Inside the hall, civil and military officials lined up on both sides, all with solemn expressions, bowing and waiting for orders, and no one dared to be negligent in the slightest.

He acted decisively and issued the first troop mobilization order: immediately draw half of the elite troops from Jingzhou and Suizhou, prepare weapons and provisions, and march overnight to rush to Duanyun Pass in Pingzhou to garrison and stand ready to resist the attack of the Yan army.

Two military orders were issued at each level, and messengers on horseback immediately rode out of the city to the military camps in the two locations, without daring to delay for even a moment.

A fierce wind blew all night, and I traveled thousands of miles to the battlefield.

Military orders are absolute and must be executed swiftly and decisively.

Soon, the bugle call of the military camp outside the city suddenly sounded, the loud bugle call piercing the silence of the night and resounding throughout the heavens and earth.

Under the pitch-black night, ten thousand Jingzhou cavalrymen were fully equipped.

Xiao Yunche mounted his horse, gripping the reins, his military uniform fluttering in the wind, standing at the head of the army.

He looked back at the peaceful land to the south, then looked up at the border to the north where the smoke of war was about to rise. His eyes were filled with the vast landscape, and his heart was filled with the well-being of his country and its people.

Chaos is approaching, and war is about to break out.

As a prince of the Great Qian Dynasty, he was responsible for guarding the southern border!

Tonight, donning armor and leading troops, we rush to the border, guarding Duanyun Pass, protecting our great Qian land, and keeping the Yan army's iron cavalry outside our borders!