As the footsteps gradually approached, a tense atmosphere quickly spread in the Royal Guards camp.
The soldiers woke up from their sleep, hurriedly grabbed their weapons, and got ready to fight at any time.
Xue Zhongfu stood in the center of the camp, looking around with a cold gaze.
He knew in his heart that any panic at this moment could lead to unpredictable consequences, so he tried to remain calm and tried to use his calmness to influence the soldiers around him.
"Everyone, listen!" Xue Zhongfu shouted. "Maintain your formation and don't panic! Anyone who leaves the team without permission will be executed without mercy!"
His voice, though a little hoarse, revealed an undeniable majesty. Upon hearing his command, the soldiers braced themselves, gripped their weapons tightly, and prepared to respond to any emergency.
At this moment, the footsteps in the distance suddenly became hurried.
Immediately afterwards, a group of refugees dressed in tattered clothes and holding sticks appeared in the sight of the Royal Guards.
They looked exhausted, with greed and despair flashing in their eyes. When they saw the glittering official silver in the Royal Guards camp, a fire of madness suddenly ignited in their eyes.
"Officials, please be kind and give us something to eat!" A refugee leader shouted loudly, his tone full of pleading and helplessness.
However, the imperial guards did not let down their guard. They knew that although these refugees looked pitiful, once they went crazy, they would probably do anything to steal the government silver.
"Leave immediately! This is not the place for you!" a general shouted.
However, the refugees showed no sign of retreating. They waved their sticks and roared, trying to break through the Imperial Guards' defenses.
Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Xue Zhongfu hurriedly waved his hand to signal his trusted followers to push out the carriages loaded with fake official silver.
"If you want money, it's in the boxes on these carriages!" Xue Zhongfu shouted, "But you must promise not to harm our lives!"
When the refugee leader saw the heavy boxes, a glimmer of greed suddenly flashed in his eyes.
He waved his hand, signaling his men to pause the attack, then walked up to Xue Zhongfu and looked him up and down.
"Are you serious about what you said?" asked the refugee leader doubtfully.
"Absolutely true!" Xue Zhongfu answered without hesitation, "The money in these boxes is enough for you to live a rich life. But you must keep your promise and not hurt us!"
The refugee leader hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Okay! We promise! As long as you hand over the money, we'll let you go!"
After saying this, he turned and waved to his men, signaling them to stop attacking. The refugees dropped their sticks, walked over to the carriages, and eagerly opened the boxes.
However, when they saw that the box was filled with stones and sand, anger and disappointment appeared on their faces.
They turned around and rushed towards the Royal Guards, trying to regain the dignity and interests that had been deceived.
At this moment, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded in the woods, breaking the tranquility of the early morning. Both the enemy and the friend were startled. Then, figures flashed among the treetops, and masked men jumped down lightly. They were agile and quick, and it was obvious that they were all martial artists who had undergone rigorous training.
This scene made the soldiers of the Royal Guards feel nervous. They immediately realized that this encounter was not just an ordinary harassment by refugees.
Xiao Gan heard the noise and hurried out of the tent.
He looked around, a puzzled look on his face when he saw two different groups of attackers.
The appearance of these masked men clearly disrupted his plans. He had originally planned for a group of hungry refugees to cause chaos, but he hadn't anticipated the involvement of another force.
"Everyone, prepare to fight!" Xue Zhongfu shouted, his voice firm and decisive. At this critical moment, he knew he had to stabilize the morale of the troops and lead them to resist the attacks of these two enemies.
The masked men did not attack immediately, but instead surrounded the Royal Guards in a strange formation. Their gazes were cold and sharp, as if they were searching for the perfect moment to strike.
At the same time, the deceived refugees also picked up their sticks and rushed towards the Royal Guards with a roar. Although their fighting ability was not strong, they were numerous and the power of anger could not be ignored.
Facing the pincer attack from these two enemy forces, the Royal Guards displayed a tenacious fighting spirit, tightly gripping their weapons and working in close coordination, they faced the enemy with resolute steps.
But at this moment, a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats suddenly sounded, and an elite cavalry team appeared in the sight of the Royal Guards. They were holding long spears and wearing armor, looking majestic and invincible.
The cavalry quickly passed through the crowd of refugees and arrived in front of the Imperial Guards camp. The leading general dismounted, walked up to Xue Zhongfu, and saluted respectfully.
"Deputy Commander Xue, I'm sorry that I was late and frightened you!" the general said apologetically.
Xue Zhongfu breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the cavalry that had suddenly appeared before him. He recognized the general as the commander of the garrison of a nearby prefecture, who had apparently arrived to support them after receiving their call for help.
"Thank you, General, for arriving just in time!" Xue Zhongfu said gratefully. "These refugees are trying to steal the government silver. Please help us drive them away!"
The general nodded and waved his hand to signal the cavalry to form a battle array. Then, with a single command, the cavalry charged towards the refugees like arrows from a bow.
Under the powerful impact of the cavalry, the refugees were defeated and fled in all directions. Although they were numerous, they seemed so vulnerable in front of the well-trained cavalry.
Seeing the refugees being dispersed by the cavalry, the morale of the Royal Guards was greatly boosted. However, at this critical moment, a masked man suddenly jumped out from the chaos, holding a dagger and stabbing at Xue Zhongfu.
The masked man was agile and swift, clearly a master. He took advantage of Xue Zhongfu's unpreparedness and intended to kill him with one strike. Although Xue Zhongfu was brave, he was also startled by this sudden attack.
However, at this critical moment, a flash of cold light passed by, and Xue Zhongfu suddenly attacked, the long sword in his hand accurately blocking the masked man's short sword. The two swords intersected, making a crisp metallic collision sound.
"How dare you, you bold thief, attack me by surprise!" Xue Zhongfu shouted angrily, and with a sudden movement of his body, he began to fight with the masked man.
As the two sides were in a stalemate, the garrison commander quietly approached, suddenly attacked from behind the masked man, and stabbed him in the shoulder with a sword accurately.
The masked man cried out in pain, his strength instantly dissipated, and he could no longer compete with Xue Zhongfu.
The Royal Guards took the opportunity to rush forward and quickly subdued him to the ground.
"Keep alive!"
Xue Zhongfu ordered loudly, his voice echoing over the battlefield, clear and powerful.
Upon hearing this, the soldiers stopped and did not cause any more harm to the masked man, ensuring that this important person could be kept alive for subsequent interrogation and to investigate the truth.
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