Chapter 38 The Golden Bird Guards Xiao Yu
On the outskirts of Beijing, there is an abandoned official post station, the "Eagle's Nest".
Chu Xuanyi chopped down a bandit from the Night Owl Alliance who was slashing at him with a knife with one sword, and scanned the chaotic battlefield with his eyes like lightning.
They had been attacking the official post station for some time, and the enemy's resistance was extremely stubborn and fearless. What made him even more frightened was that he could vaguely smell a burning odor and saw thick smoke rising from the roofs of several buildings that looked like warehouses in the distance!
"Not good!" Chu Xuanyi's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition came to his mind, "They are going to set fire!"
He remembered what Ah Jiu said, "There are so many fires, and so many little birds trapped in cages that are about to be burned to death"!
Those "little birds" must be the imprisoned "peregrine falcon" family members!
"Everyone, listen!" Chu Xuanyi channeled his inner strength, his voice drowning out the sounds of fighting on the battlefield. "The enemy is about to set fire to the stronghold and harm the hostages! Send half of your men to follow me to stop them from setting the fire and rescue the hostages! The rest of you, continue to mop up the remaining enemies and guard the exit. Don't let any of them escape!"
"yes!"
Chu Xuanyi led half of his men and rushed straight towards the smoking warehouse area like a sharp arrow.
Sure enough, they saw several bandits from the Night Owl Alliance holding torches, lighting fires around several houses piled high with hay and firewood. The windows of those houses were nailed shut with boards, and they could faintly hear the cries and screams of women and children coming from inside!
"Beast!" Chu Xuanyi's eyes were bloodshot, and he increased his speed by three times. The long sword in his hand turned into a cold light, and before a bandit could throw the torch into the haystack, he pierced his throat with the sword!
Seeing this, the other bandits also became furious and wanted to complete the mission at all costs.
"Quick! Put out the fire! Save people!" Chu Xuanyi shouted sternly and fought with the bandits who rushed up.
The guards of the Imperial Master's Mansion and the secret guards of the Prince's Palace also fought bravely, resisting the attacks of the bandits while trying to put out the fire that had already started and split open the nailed doors and windows.
The fire spread very quickly, and the thick smoke made it impossible to open one's eyes.
The cries in the house became more and more shrill, mixed with desperate calls for help.
Chu Xuanyi was extremely anxious. If he had been a moment later, those innocent lives would have been burned to death!
At this moment, the deafening sound of horse hooves and high-pitched shouts suddenly rang out from outside the official post station: "The Eagle Guards, under the orders of the Regent, have come to suppress the bandits! Listen up, everyone inside! Lay down your weapons and surrender immediately, and you will be spared!"
It’s Xiao Yu who has arrived with reinforcements!
Inside the "Eagle's Nest", flames shot up into the sky and thick smoke billowed.
Xiao Yu rode his horse into the chaotic post station, followed by the ferocious Eagle Guards. He immediately spotted Chu Xuanyi, his body covered in soot and blood, directing rescue efforts at the edge of the fire.
"Xuan Yi!" Xiao Yu shouted loudly, dismounted, and walked forward quickly. "What's the situation?"
"Your Highness, you've arrived just in time!" Chu Xuanyi wiped the soot from his face and said anxiously, "There are still many women and children trapped inside. The people from the 'Night Owl Alliance' are so cruel that they want to set fire to silence them!"
Xiao Yu's eyes flashed as he looked at the blazing houses and the shrill cries that kept coming from inside. He immediately ordered, "All Eagle Guards, listen up! Half of the troops will follow me and Lord Chu to rescue people and put out the fire! The other half will seal all exits and eliminate any remaining enemies. Any resistance will be killed without mercy!"
"Yes, sir!" The Yingyang Guards were well-trained and immediately took action separately.
With the addition of this new force, the efficiency of rescue and firefighting was greatly improved. The soldiers of the Eagle Guard carried buckets of water, cut through the burning beams, broke open the closed doors, and rushed into the fire without hesitation.
Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu also took the lead personally, one was responsible for command and dispatch, and the other used his superb martial arts to deal with those "Night Owl Alliance" soldiers who tried to prevent the rescue and resisted stubbornly.
Outside a woodshed where the fire was the fiercest, several small leaders of the "Night Owl Alliance" were directing their men to pour kerosene inside, trying to burn the people inside to death.
"Go! Burn them to death! Don't leave any of them alive!" A leader with a scar on his face roared ferociously.
A cold light flashed in Chu Xuanyi's eyes, and he rushed forward like a flash of lightning. The long sword in his hand danced with a sword flower, and instantly stabbed several bandits to the ground.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the scarred leader turned around and tried to run, but was kicked to the ground by Xiao Yu who was following closely. Several Eagle Guards immediately stepped forward and held him down.
"Hurry! The people inside!" Chu Xuanyi kicked open the burnt door of the woodshed without saying anything more.
A cloud of hot smoke mixed with the desperate cries of women and children rushed towards us.
Inside the woodshed, a dozen ragged, terrified women and children huddled together in a corner, surrounded by a sea of fire.
"Don't be afraid! We are here to save you!" Chu Xuanyi shouted and rushed in first.
Xiao Yu followed closely behind, commanding the soldiers of the Eagle Guard to quickly open up a passage and carry out the frightened children one by one.
After a thrilling effort, most of the trapped hostages were successfully rescued.
However, there were still a few houses that were not put out in time due to the huge fire or the deliberate obstruction of the bandits, and eventually turned into a scorched earth.
Chu Xuanyi looked at the burned houses and the women and children who were still in shock and crying after being rescued. His fists clenched involuntarily and his eyes were filled with anger.
The "Night Owl Alliance" is so cruel and vicious in its methods that it is simply outrageous!
The battle quickly drew to a close thanks to the Eagle Guard's forceful intervention. Most of the Night Owl Alliance bandits were killed or captured on the spot, with only a few exceptionally cunning individuals taking advantage of the chaos to escape through obscure secret passages.
Xiao Yu ordered a thorough search of the entire official post station, leaving no corner untouched, and making sure to find all the escaped fish and hidden evidence.
Inside the Imperial Master's residence, Ah Jiu was still sitting in the courtyard. She had long since finished her osmanthus cake, and only a bare bamboo stick remained of her candied haws. Her face was filled with worry, and she would often crane her neck to peer toward the gate.
The butler was accompanying them, also feeling restless, and kept praying in his heart that the master and the prince would be safe.
Suddenly, Jiu stood up again, pointed his little hand in a direction, and shouted, "Master is back! Master is back! Eh? Master is so dirty, like he just crawled out from under the stove! And... and His Royal Highness the Regent is back too! His... his face is also black, but his eyes are so bright!"
When the housekeeper heard this, he was overjoyed and hurried out to greet him.
Sure enough, not long after, Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu were seen walking into the Imperial Master's Mansion side by side, covered in smoke and fatigue.
"Sir! Prince!" The housekeeper's voice trembled with excitement. "You are finally back! Miss Jiu... Miss Jiu has been worried!"
Chu Xuanyi saw Ah Jiu running towards him. Although his face was still a little pale, his eyes were shining, obviously because he was happy to see Ah Jiu return safely. His heart warmed up, and his fatigue dissipated a lot.
He squatted down, touched Ajiu's head, and said in a hoarse voice: "Ajiu, good boy, I'm back, everything is fine."
Ah Jiu sniffed and frowned, saying, "Sir, you smell like so many burnt feathers! And... and so many little birds are crying! They are so pitiful..."
Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu exchanged a glance, each seeing a hint of heaviness in the other's eyes. Ah Jiu's "perception" was always so direct and heartbreaking.
Xiao Yu said, "Miss Jiu, this time, thanks to your warning, we were able to arrive in time and save many people. I want to thank you very much."
Ah Jiu blinked his big eyes at Xiao Yu, then suddenly tilted his head, pointed above Xiao Yu's head, and said in a baby voice, "Brother Xiong Xiong, there seems to be a huge golden bird flying above your head! It...it seems to be protecting you!"
Xiao Yu was slightly startled when he heard this, then burst out laughing. This girl really has a rich imagination.
Chu Xuanyi's heart skipped a beat. A giant bird gleaming with golden light? Could it be... the aura of a true dragon? The Regent, after all, was a member of the royal family, charged with protecting the country.
At that moment, a palace guard hurried over and reported to Xiao Yu, "Your Highness, the 'Sand Snake' has confessed everything! He's revealed the 'Night Owl Alliance's' organizational structure in the capital, several key strongholds, and the identity and approximate hiding place of their chief in the capital, codenamed 'Owl Lord!' He also said... 'Owl Lord' seems to be plotting a grand conspiracy against the imperial court!"
Chu Xuanyi and Xiao Yu's expressions changed at the same time!
A big conspiracy against the court?
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