Book 11: Chapter 22: Legendary Assassin
Book 11: Chapter 22: Legendary Assassin
When the darkness of night descended, Li Yingxing lowered the Brass Hawkeye in his hands.
This type of equipment that Principal Zhang left behind in Yunqin, despite being able to increase one’s range of vision several times, the degree of precision of the crystal lens Yunqin’s great craftsmen achieved already enough to leave the people of Lin Xi’s past world gasp in amazement, this type of thing made of brass and lens naturally didn’t possess high tech night vision capabilities. In the darkness of night, especially in a dark night without much moonlight, it wasn’t that useful at all.
After putting away the Brass Hawkeye that already lost its use, Li Yingxing’s left hand reached out, silently making a few gestures. Several officers repeated this gesture, and then the troops behind him began to follow him. They also began to produce food from their sacks, starting to silently chew and swallow.
This was a four hundred membered Yunqin nomadic army. Including Nomadic Officer Li Yingxing, every single person was dressed in Yunqin’s standard black leather armor. Since the battle situation was tense, just like the others on the front lines, this nomadic army’s equipment was better than usual. Every single soldier here was equipped with an arm crossbow that could release a one-time barrage of ten crossbow arrows. Half of these soldiers carried Black Stone Strong Bows, moreover equipped with small scale thrown nets.
This type of thrown net was different from the large scale steel nets used specially to deal with cultivators, instead made from special hemp string. They were extremely light and portable, only the size of a fist before they spread. When they were released from a bow, they would scatter roughly two meters in area. When many of these were released at the same time, with some steel needles mixed within them, they could trap many enemy soldiers within. This was especially the case when facing cavalry troops that were advancing at high speeds, able to instantly make them suffer miserably.
Li Yingxing was only forty something years old, but he already had close to twenty years of border army experience. He didn’t have to worry about losing his way or passing important positions because of the darkness. When he occasionally looked towards the stars in the sky, it only gave others the feeling that he was silently enduring the boredom of this march, wishing to see some starlight.
Yunqin’s troops were extremely good at, and also extremely fond of night battles.
It was because when Principal Zhang led Yunqin’s army and cultivators in that battle fifty years ago, he often said that since the heavens granted us a pair of black eyes, then they are precisely used for us to find radiance within the night. Since the night was something the heavens bestowed upon us to hide ourselves in, then why aren’t we properly using it? Since we can save on many things by moving through the night, then why aren’t we doing so?
Many times, Principal Zhang also moved at night. For example, when he took the heads of all of Xiyi’s experts that night or that night when he burned down thirteen granaries of Nanmo Country’s army in the battle of Meteor City.
That was why most of Yunqin’s weapons were specially made in a black color that didn’t reflect light in darkness.
That was why when darkness descended, Li Yingxing didn’t have any thoughts of stopping for rest, instead wishing to use this darkness to quickly complete this mission.
The howls of wolves sounded in the distant mountain forest. Li Yingxing’s brows furrowed, looking in the direction the wolf howling sounded from. His pupils rapidly contracted, his left hand also quickly raising upwards.
A black figure silently appeared in the darkness before him, as if he drifted over from within the wolf howling noise.
Li Yingxing knew that this was definitely not someone from his own troop. However, in the next breath of time, he didn’t immediately give out a military order.
It was because this black figure also reached out his hand the instant he appeared from the darkness, making a hand signal.
This type of hand signal, in Yunqin’s military, meant that they were on the same side.
In the current situation, in this type of place, this type of gesture that really wasn’t much of a secret anymore wasn’t enough to prove that the other party was definitely on the same side. However, the other party was alone, and he took the initiative to appear. This was enough for Li Xingying to retain his cool-headedness, to not immediately give out any drastic military orders.
The other party clearly understood this Yunqin troop’s vigilance and misgivings. After making this gesture, he slowly reached out his hands, indicating that he didn’t wish to use any weapons. Then, he continued forward.
Right now, the two sides had less than thirty steps between them. After this individual walked up a few more steps, Li Yingxing saw clearly that this was an archer dressed in grass colored hemp clothes. On his back was a longbow that was clearly a bit overly massive, the longbow painted grass green as well. On his face was an exquisite mask with plum blossoms embroidered on it, seeming especially bright in the night’s darkness.
Even though there was clearly no enmity in the other party’s eyes, the massive bow on his back clearly displayed his status as a cultivator. That was why Li Yingxing’s vigilance didn’t decrease in the slightest. “You are?” He used an extremely low voice to quickly ask, moreover making a gesture for the other party to stop.
Meanwhile, the instant he made a hand gesture, the other party already took the initiative to stop.
“Your traces have already been noticed by Great Mang’s troops.”
The archer who wore this exquisite mask didn’t reply to Li Yingxing’s question, only simply saying, “Right now, there are three armies that have already outflanked you… your only chance at breaking out is this side.” He looked at Li Yingxing and the army that seemed silent like one body, moving his hand to his left side. “I will first try to distract and disrupt that Great Mang army, and then you all should quickly break out from that side.”
The words of this archer who suddenly appeared made Li Yingxing and the dozens of Yunqin soldiers who heard his quiet breathing voices all suddenly stop. While his heart trembled, Li Yingxing’s eyes also couldn’t help but land on that cultivator archer’s hands.
In that instant, Li Yingxing saw that this cultivator’s hands seemed a bit pale, but also exceptionally soft, thus seeming exceptionally nimble. However, within this softness and nimbleness, they also seemed to exude a type of explosive power that could erupt at any time.
“Give me a reason to believe you.”
Li Yingxing didn’t continue asking this person about his whereabouts, only immediately asking him this.
“There is no reason needed, because they are already not far. I will immediately head over, you will also quickly know what army the other party is. At that time, you can naturally make the correct decision.”
The archer gave Li Yingxing a look. When he said this, he already turned around, entering the darkness once more.
Li Yingxing and the dozens of soldiers who heard this archer’s voice all trembled at the same time. “You are a Yunqin soldier?” Li Yingxing took a deep breath, quietly asking.
“I cannot be counted as one.” The archer didn’t turn around. “But I am a Yunqin citizen.”
“You are only a knight errant?” The other party’s reply was extremely simple, but Li Yingxing’s heart was mysteriously shaken. After a bit of hesitation, he took a few steps forward. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
In the darkness, the archer’s figure paused. “I know you all cannot divulge your objective. However, if you can, tell me what you know about the vicinity, which places have signs of Great Mang army activity.”
“A hundred li southwest near Sunset Fall Town, there is Great Mang army activity.” Li Yingxing said quietly.
When his voice faded away, that archer’s figure already completely disappeared into the darkness.
…
Lu Dengdao commanded a Great Mang light cavalry troop of a thousand five hundred men, currently waiting nervously and in expectation in a low-lying area that still hadn’t been cleared away for cultivation.
All of the warhorses in this Great Mang mounted army had thick cotton wadding wrapped around their hooves, as well as a special wooden mouthpiece in their mouths.
This type of wooden mouthpiece was soaked in a type of special medicinal liquid from Thousand Devil Nest. For warhorses, it was like the most delicious honey, so every single warhorse would bite down rigidly, moreover they would be constantly sucking on it. This way, this Great Mang cavalry would make minimal sounds.
Lu Dengdao didn’t wear the armor and helmet of this cavalry army’s commander, only wearing ordinary Great Mang light cavalry armor. An officer of similar build instead became his substitute, wearing his normal equipment.
The reason for this was because starting from ten or so days ago, on this Thousand Sunset Mountain battlefield, there was suddenly a powerful Yunqin archer assassin who appeared. Within the past dozen or so days, this Yunqin archery master already continuously assassinated seven sixth rank or higher officers, as well as six lower level officers.
They were all the same type of self-modified arrows, one shot one kill.
Almost everyone in Great Mang knew that their side had a powerful archer who continuously assassinated Yunqin officers. Meanwhile, this archer was clearly doing the same thing.
Since Great Mang’s troops didn’t even see a silhouette of that Yunqin archer, most Great Mang generals inwardly carried a bit of panic and alarm towards this invisible and unknown assassin. Meanwhile, because one of the officers killed was precisely one of Lu Dengdao’s past superiors, moreover, since that superior also seemed extremely powerful in his eyes, that was why he hated and feared this Yunqin archer a bit more than ordinary Great Mang commanders.
According to this Yunqin troop’s advancement speed, after another five halts or so of time, they would launch their attack.
However, for some reason, even though he knew that there were many Great Mang troops carrying out various missions, that there was almost no chance of him running into this archer, he even carried out preparations himself, yet Lu Dengdao still felt a bit of mysterious inward trembling. This was especially the case right now where he suddenly felt as if a pair of ice-cold eyes swept over the bodies of him and the others around him.
Chi!
The instant his left eyelid couldn’t help but jump, an extremely shrill screaming noise descended from the sky.
The entire lower jaw, as well as the flesh and bones of the nape of that official dressed in his armor not far from him were instantly smashed through.
An extremely powerful feeling of fear even made Lu Dengdao’s teeth release clatter clatter sounds.
…
Lin Xi put away his bow. He stood up from the underbrush, starting to run.
Even so, he never turned his head, always staring at the Great Mang cavalry troop that instantly entered a state of panic and confusion.
However, in that instant, he saw that there were many Great Mang troops who unconsciously crowded towards a Great Mang individual dressed in ordinary Great Mang cavalry armor. In addition, there were more than ten Great Mang soldiers who raised half a person tall giant thick shields around that ordinary armored individual.
That individual dressed in ordinary armor already completely curled up his body, disappearing behind those shields. There was already no chance for him to find an opportunity to strike, but he only extremely simply shouted the word ‘return’ inwardly.
…
Lu Dengdao felt a mysterious heart trembling, his left eyelid jumped.
He didn’t know that some things already happened in Lin Xi’s head, only subconsciously turning his head towards the officer dressed in his armor.
In that instant, a shrill miserable noise descended.
An incredibly cold and vicious metal arrow fiercely impaled his throat.
The tremendous impact of the arrow made his entire figure fly out backwards face up.
In his final moments, Lu Dengdao was completely overwhelmed by fear and confusion.
He just couldn’t figure out how even though the other party only released a single arrow… why this arrow didn’t land on that other officer’s body, but instead landed on his!
When he flew out, in his last moments, while consumed by fear and confusion, he saw that a figure stood up in a brush, on his back a longbow, now starting to quickly run.
“Chase!”
Great Mang’s cavalry troop woke up from the fear and shock of their commander being assassinated, realizing that this was precisely that legendary Yunqin assassin. After a moment of panic, they began to frantically urge their horses to chase after that fiend-like figure.
This Yunqin assassin’s traces were finally noticed by someone.
However, this was at the price of their commander being assassinated!
How did he know who the main leader was?
Everyone knew that over a thousand cavalry troops had an absolute advantage against a cultivator. However, when they began to chase after this figure that was fast like lightning, this figure that appeared before Great Mang’s soldiers for the first time , an indescribable feeling of unrealness and fear still spread through the hearts of every single Great Mang soldier.