A Pawn's Passage

As Qi Xuansu approached the county government office, someone finally noticed his unwanted presence. Three Green Phoenix Guards in rain ponchos blocked his way.

The leading captain took a step forward and shouted, “This area is closed off by the Green Phoenix Guard. Retreat immediately!”

Qi Xuansu asked unhurriedly, “Is Li Hongwen inside?”

His voice was loud enough so that the Green Phoenix Guards could hear him clearly over the rain.

The Green Phoenix Guards were alarmed and instantly drew their long sabers in unison.

These ordinary guards were not senior enough to be issued the Slim Tiger Saber and were given the Sheep Saber. Although the leading guard was also a captain, he was not favored enough to own a Slim Tiger Saber.

Zhou Feilong and Li Sanxin were assistant majors. However, the former spent the majority of his life climbing to the position of assistant major and would probably end his career in this position. On the other hand, Li Sanxin, who was only in his thirties, was already an assistant major and was rumored to be promoted to a major the next year. It was evident who, among them, was more favored.

The three Green Phoenix Guards, equipped with the standard-issue Flying Squirrel Armor and Sheep Saber, rushed toward Qi Xuansu. The guard at the front was the captain, flanked by two lieutenants, positioning themselves in a formidable wedge formation.

Unfortunately, their opponent was Qi Xuansu.

The captain slashed at Qi Xuansu’s head, but Qi Xuansu turned sideways to dodge the attack and took the opportunity to grab the captain’s saber-wielding wrist. Qi Xuansu tightened his grip slightly, forcing the captain to loosen his fingers and let go of the Sheep Saber.

Qi Xuansu caught the falling Sheep Saber and casually warded off the other two Green Phoenix Guards, who staggered back from the force. Qi Xuansu kept advancing, brushing past the captain, who had lost his saber.

The next moment, the captain’s midriff split open, his guts spilling all over the ground. He covered his lower abdomen with both hands and slowly slid onto his knees, dying with a look of disbelief on his face. His blood quickly disappeared in the heavy rain.

The other two lieutenants were horrified by this scene.

The Flying Squirrel Armor was like paper against this saber.

Before the two lieutenants could recover from the shock, Qi Xuansu charged at them.

The blade of the Sheep Saber cut through the rain curtain, splitting the falling raindrops into two. The beads of water formed a line visible to the naked eye through the rain curtain.

As Qi Xuansu brushed past the two lieutenants, a bright red slit appeared on each of their throats. Blood slowly oozed from their wounds.

The lieutenants dropped their Sheep Sabers and covered their throats as they collapsed to the ground, eyes wide open with nolition in the face of death.

Qi Xuansu stood still after killing the three Green Phoenix Guards.

Although the rain was loud, Qi Xuansu could still hear the steady march of footsteps against the stagnant water that pooled on the ground due to the heavy downpour.

Qi Xuansu looked up through the rain curtain that formed along the brim of his bamboo hat, spotting multiple guards in ponchos who were marching toward him from the other end of the long street.

A platoon of Green Phoenix Guards had arrived.

Qi Xuansu threw the Sheep Saber forward, splitting the rain curtain.

The saber penetrated one of the leading guards’ chests with such impact that the guard staggered back and collided with his comrade.

The Sheep Saber buried itself up to the hilt in the first guard’s chest and pierced through the back of the second guard behind him. The tip of the saber that stuck out of the second guard’s back even penetrated the third guard’s heart.

The three guards resembled a stick of candied hawthorns.[1]

The senior captain, who was the highest-ranking Green Phoenix Guard there, was fearful of Qi Xuansu when he saw how six of his skilled comrades had died so easily at the hands of this young man.

However, any guard who retreated in a battle would be punished severely. The thought of this gruesome punishment forced the senior captain to suppress his fear and shout out orders. “Crossbows!”

The crossbow was the most common weapon used by the Imperial Court to suppress skilled fighters. Especially when used as a collective, crossbows were deadly to ordinary fighters.

Among the many types of crossbows, the one most commonly used by the Green Phoenix Guard was the Jackdaw Crossbow, named after the bird due to its resemblance to the shape of a Jackdaw wing. The captain of the Green Phoenix Guard who died in the funeral home had used the same Jackdaw Crossbow on Qi Xuansu.

Following the senior captain’s order, twenty crossbows were raised and aimed at Qi Xuansu.

“Twang!”

The trigger of the crossbow was particularly harsh amidst the pouring rain.

Although Qi Xuansu heard only one twang, more than twenty crossbow bolts were fired at him.

Almost at the same time, Qi Xuansu swung his large, soaked cloak, blocking all the incoming bolts. All twenty bolts fell to the ground; none had slipped through the cracks.

The senior captain stared fixedly at this mysterious young man, who turned out to be a master swordsman.

Normally, the Green Phoenix Guard could defeat a master swordsman with collective brute force. However, there were only twenty regular troopers in this platoon. Thus, it was simply unrealistic to think that low-ranking soldiers could besiege and subdue a master.

Thinking of this, the senior captain turned to look at the county government office behind him.

In the pouring rain, the tall black gates of the county government office were tightly shut, making it seem particularly desolate.

The senior captain was aware that there were two assistant majors in the government office. They were the true masters of the Green Phoenix Guard.

At times, only a master guard could defeat a skilled fighter.

......

The rain continued to pour, turning the street outside the county government office into a small stream and the courtyard of the county government office into a shallow lake.

A few banana plants were grown in the courtyard, which was unexpectedly quiet at this time. The only sound that could be heard was the raindrops pattering against the banana leaves.

Zhou Feilong stood in front of the courtyard, staring out at the banana plants. He sighed and recited, “The sound of raindrops against the banana leaves brings sorrow. Like entrusted feelings, both are gone with the flowing water. Our guest has arrived. Unfortunately, there’s no appreciation.”

He emphasized the word “unfortunately.” However, his voice waned by the end of the sentence, with an added chill to it.

Li Sanxin was still in the hall. He picked up the gaiwan again and sipped on the tea slowly.

Dozens of Green Phoenix Guards were stationed in the courtyard, clad in rain ponchos and Flying Squirrel Armors and armed with Sheep Sabers as well as loaded Jackdaw Crossbows.

They seemed disconnected from what was happening outside the county government office. These Green Phoenix Guards were unmoving, like stone sculptures. Nothing could faze them, not even the violent storm or the impending massacre.

Li Sanxin stood up from the chair while holding the gaiwan. He walked toward the eaves in front of the hall and listened as the sounds of fighting outside dwindled. He stared at the rain curtain in front of him and remarked, “He’s a master of at least the Baodan cultivation level. This is surprising, but this just proves that Li Hongwen is not as simple as he seems.”

Zhou Feilong muttered, “The most fearful thing about crossing a river is not knowing its depth. Once you know the depth, you have an idea of what to expect. I felt uneasy earlier because I didn’t know a thing about the opponent. Now, I can put things into perspective.”

Li Sanxin smiled perfunctorily. “Brother Zhou, since you know what kind of opponent he is, why don’t you take him down? I’ll meet with the self-righteous Li Hongwen. Let’s see if he still insists that he hasn’t formed a secret party to pursue his selfish interests.”

Li Sanxin’s tone was not exactly commanding, but he left no room for negotiation.

Unlike Zhou Feilong, Li Sanxin was the Lieutenant Colonel’s confidant. Li Sanxin had a bright future and could very well become Zhou Feilong’s superior one day.

Zhou Feilong hesitated for a moment before he responded with a smile. “Sure.”

As soon as Li Sanxin raised his hand, two Green Phoenix Guards standing in the corridor came over to lead the way.

Immediately afterward, two more Green Phoenix Guards trailed behind Li Sanxin, surrounding the latter in a protective formation. Li Sanxin walked slowly to the residence in the back of the county government office, the gaiwan still in his hand.

Zhou Feilong watched as his colleague left. Although he was frustrated, he was good at maintaining his composure after years of practice as an assistant major in the Green Phoenix Guard. Thus, his expression did not change in the slightest. After retracting his gaze, he waved a signal at the few guards in front.

All the guards on site turned around at the same time and walked toward the gates of the county government office.

In line with the regulations, the grounds outside the county government office spanned around 300 square meters and had nothing else except two massive stone lions. Its vastness added to the government office’s grandeur.

At this moment, the vast grounds were littered with corpses, which were soaked by the rain. Blood, mixed with rainwater, flowed into the ditches and culverts.

Qi Xuansu was the only person standing in the middle of the grounds. He looked at the dark gates of the county government in silence.

The next moment, the gates of the county government office burst open. Dozens of Green Phoenix Guards filed out and lined up along the two splayed walls on both sides of the gate with an intimidating stance.

Zhou Feilong, who was wearing the official uniform of an assistant major, strode across the high threshold and came to the stone steps in front of the gate.

When he saw the scattered corpses in front of him, his expression turned somber, and his gaze toward Qi Xuansu turned hostile.

Qi Xuansu stood there, fearless.

Zhou Feilong had no choice but to speak in a deep and threatening voice. “Killing any member of the Green Phoenix Guard with the intention of rescuing prisoners of the Imperial Court is a serious crime punishable by death. You will be beheaded for this!”

Qi Xuansu did not reply. Instead, he shook out his cloak, revealing the Slim Tiger Saber that was hanging on the right side of his waist.

As soon as Zhou Feilong saw the saber, he knew that his trusted subordinate had met his demise while attempting to capture the rest of Li Hongwen’s cronies from The Inn. Zhou Feilong’s subordinate was merely a captain in rank, but he was a skilled fighter, better than many senior captains above him.

Zhou Feilong had his suspicions, but he still asked, “Did you kill the Green Phoenix Guards at The Inn too?”

Qi Xuansu leaned forward slightly, confirming the allegation.

Zhou Feilong glowered at Qi Xuansu and said in a chilling voice, “You really deserve to die.”

1. A popular Chinese snack that is dipped in syrup and served on a bamboo skewer. ☜