Zhao Si lay flat on his back in the accumulated water at the bottom of the cabin.
A black arrow was buried deep in his chest, its tail end shorter than a fingernail, making it extremely difficult to notice.
Promotion.
Right up until he took his last breath, this army ruffian's mind was still spinning with pipe dreams of rising in rank and striking it rich.
As Zhao Si died, the small boat lost control and spun slowly in the current. The freezing river water seeped over the bottom of the boat, gradually submerging the back of Zhao Si's head.
On the opposite boat, the Helian man merely glanced down at Zhao Si's corpse and twitched his lips in disdain.
Even in death, he was so pathetic.
But the real business at hand was yet to be done. His gaze moved past Zhao Si's small boat, piercing through the thick fog, looking toward the southern bank.
The contents of those four carriages were the true targets for today.
Meanwhile, on the riverbank of the southern shore, Zhang Tiezhu was squatting by a campfire, warming his hands.
The fire was kept low, nestled in a small pit surrounded by just three pieces of broken stone and stuffed with a handful of dry reeds. The sparks barely reached knee-high. He cursed as he warmed his hands.
"This damn weather, the dampness is too heavy."
Beside him, Sun Liu was dozing off, his neck shrunk as he leaned against a carriage wheel, when he was suddenly shoved by He Daniu.
"Hey, do you guys feel like something's wrong?"
Zhang Tiezhu glanced at him and said, "What is it?"
He Daniu pursed his lips toward the river. "How long has it been since Brother Four rowed over?"
Zhang Tiezhu thought for a moment. "Less than half an incense stick of time?"
"It's been almost half an incense stick, so why is there no movement at all?" He Daniu frowned. "We can't even hear a single voice."
Zhang Tiezhu stood up and peered deep into the thick fog, but all he could see was a vast expanse of white.
"What's the rush? Brother Four is efficient. He's probably just haggling with those Helian barbarians..."
Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly remembered something else.
"Wait." Zhang Tiezhu scanned the surroundings. "Where is Superintendent Qian? Where did that damn fatty go?"
The twelve personal guards looked at each other; no one had noticed when Qian Fugui had disappeared.
"Huh? Why is Superintendent Qian gone? That damn fatty slipped away!"
Zhang Tiezhu's voice rose in pitch.
Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat. A petty seventh-rank official who had been scared witless by Zhao Si's knife had secretly run away at a time like this—what did that mean?
It meant the fatty knew there was danger!
Zhang Tiezhu's right hand immediately gripped the hilt of the blade at his waist.
And at that very moment.
A sharp whistle sounded from deep over the river.
The whistle lasted for only a breath before coming to an abrupt halt, but immediately following it...
The sound of oars entering the water echoed from all directions across the surface.
"Damn it!"
Zhang Tiezhu drew his waist blade and roared hoarsely, "Everyone get up! Draw your swords!"
Before the twelve guards could even find their footing, the first fast boat crashed into the riverbank from out of the thick fog!
The bow of the boat was as sharp as a blade, wedging directly into the gravel beach. The entire boat surged forward another half-zhang due to momentum.
Three men jumped off the boat, all dressed uniformly in gray sheepskin robes and wearing felt hats. The curved swords in their hands were drawn, their blades completely devoid of reflection.
The edges had been painted black!
A second boat followed closely behind.
A third.
Zhang Tiezhu had already lost count. Silhouettes of boats continuously emerged from the thick fog, and the Helian elites leaped ashore with incredible speed.
They were here to kill!
"Protect the carriages!" Zhang Tiezhu bellowed furiously, raising his blade to meet the advancing Helian soldier.
The two blades clashed, sending sparks flying.
The webbing between Zhang Tiezhu's thumb and forefinger shuddered, and his entire right arm instantly went half numb. The opponent's strength was far greater than he had imagined.
These were genuine Helian warriors!
Bang!
Beside him, Sun Liu was sent flying by a slash, crashing into a carriage wheel. His chest armor was split open, and blood sprayed across the carriage shaft.
"Where is Brother Four?! Why isn't Brother Four back yet!" He Daniu yelled as he fought.
No one answered him.
Because Zhao Si would never return.
...
Meanwhile, to the southwest of Wild Fox Beach.
In the reed marshes.
Qian Fugui believed he had never run this fast in his entire life.
The waist-deep reeds parted before him and closed behind him. The leaves slashed painfully against his face, but he couldn't care less.
His two chubby legs pedaled forward desperately. The mud beneath his feet was uneven, making it impossible to exert any proper force with each step.
He was sweating profusely, his mouth wide open as he gasped for air.
He knew the sounds of slaughter behind him had grown distant, but he didn't dare stop.
Because Xu Qinghuan's words were turning over and over in his mind:
"Superintendent Qian, there will inevitably be an incident with the Helian tribe. If anything seems wrong, run southwest. Someone will be there to receive you."
Southwest! Run southwest!
Qian Fugui desperately tried to discern his direction, but the fog was too thick. He could only rely on the direction the reeds were leaning to gauge the wind, and then use his pitiful amount of experience to estimate the general bearing.
To the southwest, to the southwest, run to the southwest!
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
The sound of horse hooves came from behind.
Qian Fugui's heart skipped a massive beat.
It was actually two horses?!
Helian outriders!
How had they caught up so quickly?
The two men had followed the trail of crushed reeds. With a physique like Qian Fugui's, the path he left through the marsh was bound to be distinct.
"Oh heavens!"
Qian Fugui wailed internally, but he didn't dare utter a single word out loud. His legs had already begun to tremble, his muscles aching terribly, and his knees felt unbearably heavy with every step.
The hoofbeats drew closer and closer.
So close that he could almost hear the heavy snorts coming from the horses' nostrils.
Thud!
His foot slipped, and Qian Fugui crashed down, pitching face-first into the muddy water, filling his mouth with foul-smelling muck.
He tried to scramble up using both hands and feet, but the ground full of sludge made it impossible to get any leverage.
He desperately twisted his head around.
Only to see two short-legged warhorses charge out of the thick fog, one after the other. The Helian outriders on horseback held their curved swords high, slashing down right at his head.
Qian Fugui's mind went completely blank.
The curved blade was already above his forehead; he could feel the coldness of the edge slicing through the air.
"Imperial Envoy, save me! This lowly one hasn't lived enough yet!"
His miserable shriek tore through the dense fog.
Whoosh—!
A muffled sound of something tearing through the air shot across from the fog in the southwest. Its momentum was so heavy that even the muddy ground beneath his feet seemed to tremble.
Bang!!!
A massive crash echoed.
The head of the leading short-legged horse, along with half of its rider's body, was struck head-on by a heavy, pitch-black object.
The dull thud of shattering bone and tearing flesh rang out.
The horse's front legs snapped on the spot, and the entire warhorse, along with its rider, flipped sideways into the mud, splashing up muck half a person high.
The Helian outrider didn't even have time to scream before his entire chest caved in. The curved sword flew from his grip, stabbing into the reeds three paces away.
A figure was then seen striding out of the thick fog. His right hand was empty, while his left hand held a heavy, pitch-black iron mace in a reverse grip, its body still dripping with blood.
