The orcs retreated into the depths of the mountains overnight, fearing they would be spotted and tracked back to their lair.
The camp, which had survived a major battle, had returned to calm, with only the soldiers on guard duty still keeping watch.
A scream of pain jolted the drowsy soldier awake. He then noticed a figure appearing in the distance and hurriedly struck the gong.
This was all thanks to Qin Mu's training. Normal sentry duty involves both overt and covert methods, deployed simultaneously. Qin Mu was no exception, but his soldiers all knew to stay away from firelight and hide in the shadows when on duty. Therefore, apart from patrols, the camp appeared almost empty.
The most furious were the attackers. Everyone was gagged, horses had their bells removed, and their movements were to be completely stealthy; they couldn't make a sound even in death. With over two hundred martial arts experts scouting ahead, the sentries should have been silently deployed. But to their surprise, there were no sentries outside the camp. Of course, this wasn't surprising to them, given their experience with wild beasts.
However, there were unexpectedly many traps outside the camp, and quite a few people and horses had been injured. Fortunately, none of them were seriously injured and they made no noise. However, they did not expect that there was a large pit outside the camp. This was a pit for protection against wild animals, which was large and deep, and contained sharpened wooden stakes. At this point, the injured people could no longer help but scream in pain.
It was also a coincidence. Who would dig so many pits for no reason when setting up a camp? It's just that outsiders didn't know that one of the training methods Qin Mu brought was hunting wild beasts, with thousands of people going out every day. So they noticed something was wrong in advance and set up a lot of traps.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The sound of the gong rang out rapidly, startling the entire camp.
Everyone rushed out of the tent, and Qin Mu, who was sitting cross-legged, also rushed out, quickly heading towards their respective areas of responsibility.
It was the darkest time of day, with only a few stars in the sky. The campfires inside and outside the camp were weak and looked like they might go out at any moment.
"Kill!" Seeing that the sneak attack had failed, they launched a direct assault. When Qin Mu arrived, countless dark figures had already appeared outside the camp, and they were very close.
It must be said that the surprise attack caught Qin Mu and his men completely off guard, and most of the soldiers were jolted awake from their daze. Panic was inevitable, their defenses were weak, and close combat ensued quickly.
The battle was intense from the start, but fortunately, the camp had built so many barricades that they caused great trouble for the attackers.
As Qin Mu charged out, he grabbed a javelin and hurled it. His righteous energy hadn't fully recovered, so Qin Mu could only give commands while simultaneously attacking with the javelin. To defend against the beasts, the camp had stockpiled a large number of javelins, all placed on the outer perimeter for easy access.
Attack! A fierce attack. This was the first time Qin Mu had faced a large-scale attack by human soldiers, and they were indeed far more formidable than beasts. Squads of soldiers formed ranks, their bloodthirsty aura converging, and only the same method could withstand them. Qin Mu secretly estimated that he could only withstand a maximum of three moves.
Of course! Not everyone can cultivate bloodthirsty energy, but through their cooperation, the barricades and fences were quickly moved and destroyed. Moreover, many experts within the enemy ranks, taking advantage of the soldiers' distraction, suddenly appeared and created an opening.
"Huai Dao! Go and stop them!" Cheng Huai Mo roared as he watched a troop of cavalry and experts charge straight at the central army.
It wasn't that he didn't want to stop them, but rather that he and Cheng Huaimo were both tied down. Li Chongyi had set up a military formation, and he couldn't break free either.
Qin Mu was also very anxious. In the very center of the camp, not only was the princess there, but his sister was also there! Seeing that the breach had been blocked, he turned around and rushed back into the camp.
Qin Mu unleashed the Fierce Bird Scattering Technique, channeling his spiritual energy to quickly reach his tent. He leaped up, jumped onto the back of the one-horned rhinoceros, and slapped it hard.
The rhinoceros seemed to sense its owner's anxiety, and it ran headlong, crashing through the guardrail and galloping forward.
When Qin Mu arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief, only to find that the enemy had already been held back by the Xuanjia Army. Qin Mu had witnessed the power of the Xuanjia Army once before, but not in such numbers. Now, seeing a force of five hundred, he realized that neither the Six Doors soldiers nor the Left Guard nor the Left Valiant Guard were nearly as formidable.
With only three hundred men, they managed to hold off the enemy cavalry. When Qin Mu arrived, two squads of Xuanjia soldiers on horseback charged forward from the left and right.
It is no exaggeration to say that their momentum was unstoppable. Even when riding warhorses, the Xuanjia Army's bloodthirsty aura was so strong that it was like hot oil being poured into cold water, rapidly evaporating the enemy.
The cavalry was blocked, but this was not the enemy's trump card. Their target had always been the princess. Hidden experts among the enemy ranks took to the air and rushed into the camp from both sides.
"Die!" Zhai Changsun wielded a crescent-shaped blade, slashing out and instantly felling two men. Then, he opened his eyes and rushed out.
Although Zhai Changsun blocked some of them, others were still charging forward. However, four girls appeared in front of them! The one leading them was a slightly chubby girl, carrying a staff the size of an egg.
The assassin didn't take the girls seriously, subconsciously thinking it was just a matter of taking care of them easily.
However, they soon paid the price for their arrogance. As they swung their swords, their vision blurred, and they collapsed to the ground, feeling dizzy and disoriented. Just as they tried to get up, they felt excruciating pain, and blood gushed out.
Too late for regrets, that was the assassin's thought. The man who had fallen to the ground used his remaining strength to look ahead. He saw three girls holding weapons, guarding the entrance to the tent. Only the girl with the stick had actually attacked.
With a single swing of the staff, devoid of any bloodthirsty aura, a simple, unadorned strike sent a person flying. Sword broken, man dead—that was the only outcome. The whooshing sound of the staff cutting through the air spoke volumes about its immense power.
This was the first time Qin Mu had ever seen Princess Changning go all out, and he realized why no one in Chang'an dared to mess with this powerful girl! The force with which she sent someone flying ten meters with a single blow was comparable only to that of a dinosaur.
"A female tyrannosaurus!" A thought flashed through Qin Mu's mind, and he couldn't help but shiver. He regretted teasing her.
A flash of blood-red light pierced towards Princess Changning, like a ray of light, both fast and long.
With a loud "bang!", the stick struck the sword, and Princess Changning staggered back a few steps. Looking down, she saw that the stick in her hand had been cut in two.
"What a formidable little girl!" the assassin said in a hoarse voice, then slowly walked forward.
Princess Changning's expression was more serious than ever before, and spiritual energy gathered around her body, with a faint blue light flashing on the staff.
Seeing Princess Changning retreat and her staff break in the distance, Qin Mu became extremely anxious. Without thinking, he reached out and grabbed a scroll, which he then unfurled. A flash of white light shot into the sky.
Just as the assassin was about to make his move and kill Princess Changning, he suddenly sensed a powerful threat behind him. Startled, he opened his eyes wide, turned around, and swung his sword.
A massive burst of blood-red light slashed out. In his mind, no matter who it was, they would have to temporarily avoid its edge, or they would have no choice but to take the blow head-on.
With a loud "bang!", blood and white light exploded. The assassin felt a huge force pushing him. He quickly tapped his toes and took the force back.
"Pfft!" The assassin spat out a mouthful of blood, looked ahead, and couldn't help but feel glad that he had retreated. If he had really taken the hit head-on, he would probably have lost half his life, if not died.
The place where the fight just happened was filled with flying dirt and a large crater. Those who came with them were thrown back by the aftershocks and fell to the ground. Those who were injured and fell earlier were left with only broken limbs.
"Who are you?" The assassin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looking at Qin Mu warily. He couldn't believe that the attack had come from this young man, but he was the only one who had appeared just now.
"Are you alright?" Qin Mu ignored the assassin and asked Princess Changning with concern.
"I'm fine! Be careful, this person is very strong!" Princess Changning felt a sweet warmth in her heart seeing how much Qin Mu cared about her, and reminded him with a smile.
"How about a sword!" Qin Mu saw that her stick was broken, so he flipped his hand and took out a sword with his back to her and handed it to her.
"Hmm!" Princess Changning responded, dropping the stick in her right hand and taking it. In fact, the people of Chang'an did not know that both Li Yuanba, the Prince of Zhao of the Western Prefecture, and she, the legendary Little Li Yuanba of the Li family, were Taoists, not martial arts practitioners.
"Youngsters! Get out of the way now, or I'll spare your lives!" the assassin said with a gloomy face. Although he was wary of Qin Mu, he guessed that Qin Mu must have used special methods just now. Otherwise, someone so young couldn't be so powerful, injuring him in one move while he himself was completely unharmed.
"Go and protect the princess!" Princess Changning whispered her instructions.
"Okay!" Qin Mu knew that staying would only get in the way, so he agreed and stepped back.
Seeing Qin Mu retreat, the assassin became even more certain of his guess. His eyes lit up, and without a word, he thrust out his sword again.
Princess Changning's eyes narrowed, and she swung her sword to meet the attack. The sword flashed, and although it wasn't as dazzling as an assassin's, she was still no match for him.
Qin Mu watched the battle between Princess Changning and the assassin with bated breath. Suddenly, he saw several people who had been knocked away earlier stand up again and rush over with their heads down.
Qin Mu reached into his robes and pulled out a token, which he tossed forward. While the token was still in mid-air, the figure of a fierce tiger appeared and pounced on the assassin. This was the token Li Ji had given him; in this urgent situation, he had no choice but to use it.
"Hmph!" Seeing that Qin Mu only cared about Princess Changning, Xiangli Yanran snorted with some dissatisfaction. Then she took out two mechanical puppets from her pocket and threw them forward.
The mechanical puppet transformed upon landing, instantly becoming much taller than a human, and swung its fist at the assassin.
These assassins were unlucky. They had just regained consciousness when they were blocked by a huge tiger. They knew that this was a beast soul and not as powerful as the real body. They originally wanted to leave someone behind to hold it off, but then two tall mechanical puppets appeared.
Seeing the assassin blocked, Qin Mu quickly shifted his gaze to Princess Changning. Although Princess Changning was extremely strong, her cultivation level was not high, and she could only parry the assassin.
Seeing Princess Changning retreat step by step, Qin Mu's expression turned solemn, and he began to read aloud.
The poem "Magpie Bridge Fairy" was read aloud with intonation and rhythm, and then a surge of righteous energy emanated from Qin Mu and soared into the sky.
Qin Mu liked to call this move "Flying Star Conveying Hatred"! His righteous energy transformed into a shooting star, which fell from the sky to attack the enemy. He used his spiritual power as a guide, so he didn't have to worry about missing the target.
The moment Qin Mu began reciting and the aura of righteousness appeared, the assassin's expression changed. Then, seeing the aura of righteousness rise into the air, he was so frightened that he forced Princess Changning back with his sword and leaped up, retreating several feet.
Unfortunately, he still couldn't dodge it. He had barely regained his footing when the attack was already upon him. The assassin hurriedly swung his sword again. As he swung, he was already prepared, not only using his blood and qi to protect his body, but also retreating rapidly once more.
This time, the impact wasn't as strong, and there were no injuries, which relieved the assassin.
The assassin, of course, did not know that the first attack was the first strike of the secret scroll, which was more than 30% more powerful than the woman's, while this attack was an illusion created by Qin Mu, and its power was not nearly as great.
Before the assassin could even rejoice, "thud!" a throwing knife pierced his heart.
A chill ran through him, and his heart throbbed with pain. The assassin looked down in surprise, then collapsed to the ground. His last thought was, "I actually died from a flying knife."
Even Yuchi Lian, the instigator, did not expect that she would kill the assassin by simply throwing a flying knife as a habitual act of beating a drowning dog.
Generally speaking, with the protection of vital energy and malevolent energy, weapons are difficult to harm, let alone hidden weapons. However, the assassin was unlucky because he had just unleashed his full power, consuming 80% of his vital energy and malevolent energy. He was in a state where his old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated when the throwing knife appeared.
It's like a pool of water. Even if there's a lot of water, the pipe is only so big, so the flow can only be slow. When it bursts, it's like the water in the pool is being drained by external force. So, if water is to be output through the pipe again, it will take some time to recover.
And so, a general-level expert died at the hands of a seventeen-year-old girl, who was also a martial arts master at the early stage, two major realms below her.
When the assassins saw that their leader was dead, they panicked and were quickly killed by Princess Changning.
"I killed him!" Looking at the only wound on the assassin's body, Yu Chi Lian asked in disbelief.
With the battle at the front almost over, Qin Mu felt a little relieved and said with a smile, "Of course you killed them! You're amazing!"
"Pah! Huai Dao, how dare you make fun of my sister! Do you think I'm some kind of fool who can't even see that?" Yu Chi Lian spat.
"No, no! I'm just telling the truth. Everyone knows I'm the most honest person." As expected of someone from the Yuchi family, even when family members are criticizing each other, they're so direct. Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh as he spoke.
"Hmph! Still trying to be honest? I think you're the most dishonest one. Princess, you'd better keep a close eye on him from now on!" Yu Chi Lian rolled his eyes at him and said, pulling Princess Changning along.
When she realized that she was being dragged into this, Princess Changning blushed. After all, she was still an unmarried young woman, and being teased in front of so many people made her very shy.
"Ahem! Well, you guys protect the princess, I'll go check things out ahead!" Qin Mu quickly made an excuse to leave.
"Princess, Huai Dao is really good. You should hurry up and catch him. I heard that there are quite a few people in Chang'an who are after him!" Yu Chi Lian reminded her.
"Yes! Yes! I heard that the Duchess of Yi is helping him choose a marriage partner." Yu Chi Qing, the third sister of Yu Chi, nodded in agreement.
"No! Sister Ruoxi is older than Brother Qin!" Xiangli Yanran hurriedly said.
"Is Yanran getting anxious?"
"Yanran is indeed anxious!"
"Yanran also likes Qin Huaidao."
"Yanran is protecting her food!" The Yuchi sisters chimed in, analyzing the situation with great seriousness.
"I...I didn't!" Xiangli Yanran said shyly and guiltily, glancing at the group.
"It's alright, we'll compete fairly. Who Huai Dao likes is still unknown!" Princess Changning said generously, hugging Xiangli Yanran. However, her mind involuntarily flashed back to the little things that happened with Qin Mu.
Xiangli Yanran was secretly pleased, but when she saw the two enormous creatures in front of her, their gazes fell on her again, and she suddenly became unhappy. Suddenly, she felt that she had no chance of winning at all.
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