Chapter Ninety-One: The Bloody Battle

As soon as Ye Pei made his move, what was the situation like in the military camp below...?

To put it in terms everyone would understand—it was chaos.

Beyond the fact that they had killed people and then appeared to mock them, what was even more outrageous was Ye Pei’s remark:

“This camp of yours has been thoroughly scouted by me, Ye, personally.”

What did that mean? It was a rare moment when Ye Pei openly scolded them—that is, he was saying: your camp, your defenses, your enemy—I, Ye, have already infiltrated and examined everything here, and none of you noticed me.

Immediately, the awake soldiers started flinging open the city gates, rushing out, calling for reinforcements, ready to tear Ye Pei and Jiang Zhongqing apart. Naturally, Ye Pei was no fool; grabbing Jiang Zhongqing, he turned and ran. The two leapt down from the city wall. The iron chains of the gate clattered loudly as they swept like the wind toward the place where their horses had been tied.

Just as the two mounted their horses, soldiers, led by several officers, charged out with fierce shouts, and it was quickly discovered that their officers had suffered heavy losses—dozens dead, including a commander of a ten-thousand-strong corps.

“Ride!” Without the slightest hesitation to fight, Ye Pei and Jiang Zhongqing spurred their horses eastward, not looking back. Under the cover of night, they still had a chance to escape; if caught by dawn, their fate would be grim.

“Zhongqing,” Ye Pei said calmly on the road, “Did you really have to use that move? I originally thought we could quietly deal with those city guards and escape much more easily.”

Jiang Zhongqing, slightly flustered, replied, “Brother Pei, when I saw the situation, I thought that was the best way to deal with an ambush. Besides, the ‘Star Jade Blade’ technique channels internal energy so the sword’s light is bright—it would have been noticed anyway. And Brother Pei, what you did afterward seemed even more extreme.”

Ye Pei dug his heels into the horse's side. “Since you went that far, I might as well take it a step further. I meant to leave quietly, though.”

Jiang Zhongqing asked, “Brother Pei, so what’s the plan now?”

Ye Pei said, “I’ve thought it through. Once we see the forest, we’ll release the two horses and enter the woods on foot. It’s the dead of night, and we’re both wearing dark travel clothes. The distance will grow slowly; they won’t be able to tell if anyone is still riding those horses.”

Jiang Zhongqing laughed, “See, you always have a plan.”

Ye Pei shook his head with a smile. “There’s truth to what you say.”

As planned, when they reached the forest, the two released their horses, which galloped along the original path. Ye Pei and Jiang Zhongqing quietly vanished into the woods without a trace. To avoid being hunted in the hills, despite their exhaustion, they dared not linger, swiftly moving through the darkness. After shedding their night cloaks, they continued on the road back to Jiazhou.

However, although Lin Yuzhe’s troops could not pursue Ye Pei rapidly, their messengers could move faster.

Just as the two felt they were about to return to Jiazhou, a line of soldiers blocked their way.

The leader was Hua Yun, the commander of Huasu City west of Jiazhou. He had previously sent troops to support Jiazhou, but most hadn’t returned. He was furious at the eastern rebels and had orders from Lin Yuzhe not to act rashly—only to monitor the rebels from afar. This had frustrated him deeply.

Unexpectedly, news arrived yesterday that two audacious assassins who had brazenly infiltrated the military camp were likely heading this way. Hua Yun’s scouts had spotted two riders speeding across the open plains without horses—clearly Ye and Jiang.

Upon hearing this, Hua Yun was almost certain these were the two assassins. Anyone who could stroll through the enemy’s camp and emerge unscathed was no ordinary fighter but undoubtedly two rare masters. Judging by their speed, the odds were over ninety percent.

“Bold traitors! Surrender at once!” Hua Yun shouted.

Ye Pei rubbed his forehead, muttering, “This is going to be difficult.”

“Who goes there? State your names!” To recover their depleted internal energy from the journey, Ye Pei decided to stall with conversation, allowing them to channel energy. Both their internal energy arts had unique advantages for rapid recovery, so during this exchange, they could regain quite a bit.

Mounted high on his horse, Hua Yun laughed heartily. “I am Hua Yun, commander of Huasu City! By order of the young lord, I await you two again! Who among the rebels are you?”

Ye Pei nodded. “A man of honor does not change his name or identity: Ye Pei.”

“Jiang Zhongqing!”

Hearing this, Hua Yun’s joy was evident. Pointing his great blade forward, he shouted, “Charge! Do not kill the one who seems unarmed!”

At this moment, battle was clearly inevitable. Ye Pei slowly drew his spear from his waist; Jiang Zhongqing had already unsheathed his long sword.

“Zhongqing, there are at least two thousand of them. Are you afraid?”

Jiang Zhongqing said, “Afraid. But my life has already been saved by luck once; there’s really nothing left to fear.”

Ye Pei replied, “It’s alright to be afraid. To be honest, this is a close call. Unless we can shatter their formation, our chances of escape are slim.”

“Brother Pei, how likely do you think your plan to break their formation is?”

Ye Pei slung his spear over his shoulder and smiled, “I just thought of it. Let’s not talk about whether we can break their ranks—can we even escape? Never mind. Man proposes, heaven disposes. Let’s not dwell on it.”