Chapter 82 - 80: Dongcang Three Dragons
By the afternoon of the next day, news spread throughout Donglai County City!
The Bandit Army from Tengya mountain has left their nest, charging toward the County City with great momentum!
War is about to begin!
This news was like a thunderclap, thoroughly stirring up the County City.
How long has it been since Donglai County City saw the flames of war?
Twenty years? Or thirty years?
For the younger generation like Song Changming, since they were born, they have lived in a peaceful era.
No matter the changes outside, the County City has always been absolutely safe.
Today, this sense of peace seems about to be shattered.
"Are those bandit troops crazy? Attacking the County City can completely be seen as rebellion!"
"I have long said, how could we allow others to snore beside our bed; if we don’t eliminate the Bandit Army from Tengya mountain, it will surely lead to endless trouble!"
"I really don’t know what our Lord Governor is thinking, why he has been inactive all these years, allowing that bandit army to camp there!"
"I heard from the merchant convoy that escaped along the way, the bandit army is vast, a terrifying sight! Do you think our County City will fall?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible! No matter how fierce that bandit army is, they are just bandits; how can they compete with the County Governor’s regular troops? Rest assured, once the bandits descend the mountain, they are no more than stray cats sending themselves to death."
"God forbid those bandits break in..."
For a time, the city was in a state of panic.
Even Father Song and Song’s Mother were restless in the Song Residence.
Zhao Huaiming brought the third sister Song Yu to find Song Changming, seeking to verify the matter.
In their view, Song Changming, who works in the Public Security Bureau, surely knows more than they do.
"Don’t worry, the city walls of the County City are tall and solid; those bandits can’t break in," Song Changming reassured his family.
In fact, he also believed in his heart that the bandit army couldn’t break in.
After all, the Donglai County Soldiers are not to be trifled with, and this large County City can’t be breached just like that.
He was just concerned that other dangers may be lurking, coordinating with the bandit army tonight, and that would be an unpredictable variable.
Purely the bandit army can’t breach the city, but with other variables involved, it’s hard to say.
When Father Song and Song’s Mother heard what Song Changming said, they were slightly relieved.
Then Song Changming advised the elders not to leave the house and asked Zhao Huaiming to keep the patrol guard looking after the alley where the Song Residence is located tonight before rushing back to the General Department.
War is imminent; although their patrol guard doesn’t need to charge onto the battlefield, they have other tasks to accomplish.
The Patrol Armor Bureau within the city needs to cooperate with the Governor’s Mansion to console the populace and suppress any signs of chaos.
The patrol guard of the General Department also needs to allocate some to collaborate with the Government Soldiers in guarding the interior and exterior of the Governor’s Mansion.
And Song Changming was individually dispatched to the Xiao Mansion, responsible for ensuring the safety of Miss Xiao’s Fourth Daughter.
Regarding this, Mr. Xie had nothing to say since the other party is the Lord Governor’s youngest daughter.
Their requests, he would try to accommodate them as much as possible.
As dusk fell, when the last rays of sunset scattered away, noise could be heard outside the city.
It sounded like the galloping of ten thousand horses, with overwhelming shouts and cheers, intermingling with the sounds of horns and war drums.
Many citizens in the city could hear it.
In the Xiao Mansion, within a beautifully landscaped courtyard.
Song Changming stood with his arms folded, leaning against a nearby rockery, carrying a Dragon Pattern Saber on his back, dressed in armor that didn’t appear bulky, but rather thin and fitted to his body to minimize effect on his agility.
Besides that, he had abandoned the helmet typically worn by patrol guards.
While helmets can protect the head against heavy blows, they can also hinder the dispersion of his senses, which for someone of his strength is actually a restriction.
When strength reaches a certain height, he also gradually understood why the heroes and martial experts in Jianghu always go into battle lightly clad, with just a sword and simple attire.
Now he somewhat understood the reason.
For the strong, many protective gears are but burdens.
When one’s flesh and bones are tempered to their limit, the body itself becomes ironclad and indestructible like Vajra, so why need other external protections?
Tonight, with black clouds covering the sky, the stars were dim, suffused in a hazy light.
It was truly an excellent night for murder and arson.
He could also hear the thunderous sounds from afar outside the city, indicating that the battle seemed to have commenced.
Suddenly, the sound of a zither resonated within the courtyard, its melody melodious and soothing, drowning out the distant noisy and chaotic sounds.
It also calmed many people’s restless hearts within the courtyard.
Song Changming’s gaze turned towards the nearby pavilion.
Several maids, carrying lanterns, stood around the pavilion in the courtyard, with two personal guards, Min’Er and Xiu’Er, positioned at both sides.
In the center sat Xiao Shuyun, playing the zither alone in the pavilion.
Outside the pavilion, apart from Song Changming’s patrol guard, there were many other guardians holding weapons.
Most were Jianghu Guests summoned by Xiao Shuyun over the past year, with others being guards from the Xiao Mansion.
Add them all up, just guarding Xiao Shuyun tonight involved nearly a hundred people!
And this was just in the vicinity of this courtyard, the defense forces of the entire vast Xiao Mansion were yet unknown.
The vigilance was so tight, that probably not even a mouse could sneak in.
While smoke rose outside the city, a group of invaders arrived at the Governor’s Mansion within the city.
They quietly broke into the room where the Second Grade Official had previously stayed, but did not find the esteemed guest from the Governor’s Mansion as intended.
The room was empty, with no signs of habitation, even the large bed was neatly made.
"Shoot arrows!"
Suddenly, flames ignited outside, and flaming arrows shot through the windows and door gaps into the room.
The arrows ignited the room and the large amount of kerosene smeared on the walls, quickly sparking a huge blaze.
"It’s a trap!"
The invaders quickly realized the situation was bad, and one of them, with a huge hand like a fan, slapped the flaming door.
The entire door shattered instantly, and everyone displayed their divine techniques, charging out of the fiery room, landing in the courtyard outside, surrounded by Armored Warriors.
At the outer layer were numerous long-range shooters equipped with crossbow arrows.
Additionally, there were numerous martial arts experts stationed at the Governor’s Mansion, standing at the forefront of the encirclement, gazing at this group of invaders.
"Nine Extremes Sword Mo Xingyun, Liu Zheng of the Jujing Sect, Lu Yanliang from the Golden Saber Sect, along with experts who left Fuhua Sect and Blood Transformation Sect...
Today’s event is lively, what brings you all here tonight? Who has such influence to invite you famed Jianghu experts together!"
A guest stationed at the Governor’s Mansion coldly spoke.
"Pah, willing to be government dogs, truly deserve death!" Liu Zheng spat, mocking these Jianghu guests at the Governor’s Mansion.
One guest sneered: "You all abandoned your sects, abandoned your foster parents, what face do you have to bark here."
"Kill!"
Without much cursing, the ten-plus Jianghu experts came to an understanding with a glance, and attempted to break out, heading outward to kill.
"Since you’ve come, stay!"
The government guests attacked together; they too were extraordinary and famous Jianghu experts who had since joined the government, rarely involving themselves in Jianghu matters.
The two sides engaged in a fierce battle, causing sand and stones to fly and strong gales to rise in the courtyard.
"So strong!" Zhou Sixin watched the Jianghu experts from various sects fighting, feeling immense pressure.
With his vision, he could barely assess that this group of martial arts experts had body refining cultivations at least above the Fifth Realm.
Facing anyone randomly from the group, he wasn’t confident to withstand three moves.
Even Lu Zheng beside him frowned, his expression solemn, evidently he too felt the pressure.
Undeniably, Jianghu is vast, and these famed experts are indeed formidable individuals.
Now, to assassinate the Second Grade Official, such a large gathering of experts is exaggerated.
The one who could bring so many Jianghu experts together proves that the person behind this has immense energy.
"Hmph, no matter how formidable you Jianghu experts are, you’ll have no return this time!" Xiao Jingchuan stood with civil servants outside the encirclement, coldly speaking.
County Governor Ji Xuechang beside him frowned, cupping hands to Xiao Jingchuan, "Sir, these Jianghu people show no signs of panic and match your guest’s skills effortlessly, they don’t seem hurried to leave."
Xiao Jingchuan, hearing this, perceived some clues.
"If..." Ji Xuechang hesitated.
"Impossible, how could they know where I placed Lord Li... Shihuan, go have a look!" Xiao Jingchuan, uneasy by the end, addressed Xie Shihuan.
Xie Shihuan nodded, turned, left the Governor’s Mansion, and swiftly rode away with his ten Personal Guards.
He arrived at the Xiao Mansion, passed through heavily guarded layers, reaching a secluded courtyard.
In the courtyard sat one person alone, sipping tea and admiring flowers.
This person was the Second Grade Official, Li Zhe, who had previously stayed at the Governor’s Mansion.
Seeing Xie Shihuan’s hasty arrival, Li Zhe put down his jade cup, sighed lightly.
"Mr. Xie, it’s a trap."
Startled, Xie Shihuan quickly realized, his face dramatically changing.
"Indeed, thank you for leading the way." Three figures leaped over the courtyard roof, arriving elegantly.
One wore heavy iron armor, shouldering a Serrated Saber, another with an open collar, holding a Longsword.
The third wore a gray short outfit, a black band tied on his head, a long stick behind his waist.
Xie Shihuan deeply regretted, realizing he should’ve thought of it; the opponents never knew Li Zhe’s whereabouts, logically more anxious than them.
But now, a simple trick distracted them, and none could sit still.
His attempt to verify Li Zhe’s safety now inadvertently exposed Li Zhe to the enemy.
Indeed, it was the case.
"If I’m not mistaken, you three are the Dongcang Three Dragons of old." Li Zhe glanced at the three in the courtyard, calmly stating their identity.
"Didn’t expect after so many years, someone still remembers us." Jiang Kan put down his Serrated Saber, looked at Li Zhe.
"Considering you recall our names, we’ll leave you a whole corpse today." Luo Haolin smiled, lightly flicking his wrist, the Longsword spinning in his palm.
"Rumor has it the Blood Dragon feeds on blood, why so lenient today?" Li Zhe said faintly.
"You’re mistaken, I’ve quit that bad habit, switched from feeding on blood to drinking wine, rest assured, won’t torture you before you die." Luo Haolin grinned, dismissively.
"Why say more to him, just kill, best take his corpse back too." Xu Dabao with the black band said, intending to act first.
As for Xie Shihuan, mere General Director of the city, Xu Dabao didn’t consider him significant.