Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

The faint light of dawn pierced the haze above Ghost Crying Valley, but it could not dispel the stench of blood and sulfur lingering at the valley entrance.

The dozen or so people with mild symptoms who were lucky enough to be rescued huddled shivering under the cold rock wall.

The doctors hurriedly treated the exposed wounds with liquor and lime, their expressions as solemn as iron.

A biting cold wind swept across the canyon, blowing up the still lingering sparks and ashes, as well as the chattering sound of Wang Tietou's teeth chattering in extreme anger.

Chang Baishan's deep voice scraped across everyone's eardrums, bringing a bone-chilling chill.

He ignored the bleeding from the torn wound on his palm and tightly grasped the blood-stained secret order handed to him by Liu Yueli.

His eyes were fixed on the half-green bird pupil mark that was staring at him like a living thing.

"When we raided Zhu Tao's lair in Suzhou, we found half of an identical jade talisman hidden in a red sandalwood box in his study! Half a fragment of a scroll!"

Liu Yueli's already pale face instantly lost all color.

The burn on her left arm was wrapped in thick cloth, but the cold insight she possessed was even stronger than before.

"Northern Sage King! Not only does this old villain intend to spread plague and wreak havoc in Hedong, he's also prepared a pledge of allegiance! Once Zhujiabao is about to fall, he'll offer up his Azure Luan Pupil, symbolizing the highest authority in the North, to lure the Northern Sage King southward and exact revenge! This is the true double-edged sword of his plan to wipe out the entire family!"

Wang Tietou suddenly spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva and smashed the pickaxe hard on the rock.

Sparks fly:

"He...he wants us to have a plague here, kill everyone, and then let that cheap prince take advantage of the situation?! Let this entire region, no, the entire border, become a pasture to fatten up the Northern Sage King?! That old bastard!"

Time is like a solidified ice crystal, and every second hangs over the heads of thousands of people.

"That's too late!"

Chang Baishan turned around abruptly, the storm in his eyes raging in the dawn light.

"With Scarface and the others lying dead here, Zhu Tao must have realized his plan has been thwarted! In his desperation, he'll definitely resort to another diabolical scheme! He'll either have Mute Dog spread the list of names, or he'll directly send that half of the Azure Luan Pupil into the northern border! We must get there before he does!"

His gaze was like a sharp arrow, sweeping across the wounded but undiminished fighting spirit of the crowd:

"Wang Tietou!"

"Here!" Wang Tietou straightened his back like a wounded tiger.

"You are to lead these miners, protect the doctor and those with mild symptoms, and quickly retreat to safety! Report this situation and the matter of the Blue Luan Eye to General Wei Zhong! He is to immediately dispatch men to seal off this area and strictly isolate it! Within ten miles of Guikuao, all wells and streams must be sprinkled with quicklime! The bodies... must be buried deep on the ground and covered with a thick layer of lime! Anyone who disobeys orders and approaches will be killed without mercy!"

The order was cruel, but there was no choice.

"General! We can still fight! I'm going to Zhujiabao and kill that old dog!"

Wang Tietou said anxiously.

"I have something more important to teach you!"

Chang Baishan's tone left no room for doubt.

"Your life, and the lives of these brothers, must be used to stop the spread of the plague! This is the first line of defense! How many lives are at stake if Wei Zhong can stop the Ya Gou men and stabilize the situation? Do it well!"

Wang Tietou gritted his teeth and nodded heavily:

"...As ordered! General, don't worry. Zhang Huoya knows the directions to the shacks and post stations where those bandits are going! I'd rather die than let even a single poisonous seed pass through!"

"Good man!"

Chang Baishan patted his shoulder fiercely and then looked at Liu Yueli:

"Yueli!"

Liu Yueli had torn off a corner of cloth and was quickly outlining the route and marking it with a piece of charcoal.

"On the back wall of the Zhujiabao ancestral hall, on the third pillar from the east, there's a hidden spring about a foot high, and behind it is a secret compartment. The second brick from the left under Zhu Tao's desk in his study is loose. If you pry it open, you'll find a secret box. Qingluan Tong must be in one of these two places! I'll go with you!"

She raised her eyes, and there was the sharpness of a wise man and the determination of a comrade in her eyes.

"I'm familiar with their mechanisms, and the Tongbao Pavilion's secret detectives have a plan to support them inside the fort! In this life-or-death situation, stealth is the only way to retrieve the item! A forceful attack... is too slow."

Chang Baishan met her gaze, and without further ado, they both saw the other's decision.

This is a solo dance on the edge of a knife. If you are not careful, all your previous efforts will be wasted, or even the tiger will be released back into the mountains!

"go!"

With a low shout, Chang Baishan and Liu Yueli brought along the three remaining elite guards who were slightly injured but still able to move quickly.

Like a ghost, he once again entered the dark and deathly ghost road, aiming directly at the center of the battlefield where flames were already rising to the sky - the core ancestral hall of Zhujiabao!

……

Zhujiabao Ancestral Hall.

The thick smoke obscured the sky and made it impossible to open one's eyes.

The sounds of shouting and weapons clashing were very close, the walls had collapsed in many places, and the firelight reflected the desperate faces of people.

Mute Dog had already followed Zhu Tao's orders and quietly left the fort with the list stained with blood and pus and twenty assassins to carry out another vicious plan.

After making a decision.

Chang Baishan also rushed there quickly with his men.

A group of five people, like cheetahs lurking in the shadows, took cover from the dense smoke and collapsed walls and ruins as they moved quickly through the chaotic core area of ​​Zhujiabao.

The thick smoke was pungent and the flickering flames illuminated the stains of blood and sweat on their faces, making their eyes look as sharp as knives.

Liu Yueli endured the severe pain caused by the burn on her left arm, and took every step in the precisely calculated shadows and blind spots, bringing the stealth skills accumulated by Tongbao Pavilion over the years to the extreme.

Three personal guards followed closely behind, breathing short but steady, vigilantly scanning every corner where an arrow might be shot.

The majestic yet dilapidated outline of the ancestral hall is already before our eyes.

Huge tongues of flame were licking the carved beams and painted buildings. Half of the roof had collapsed, revealing the ancestral tablet inside, which was illuminated by the fire. It was crooked and exuded a doomsday weirdness.

Shouts and cries of killing came from the side of the ancestral hall. Obviously, the loyal army and some of the servants in the fort who resisted Zhu Tao were still making their last resistance.

"Hurry! The back wall on the east side!" Liu Yueli shouted, her voice hoarse due to the thick smoke.

Just as the five people slipped into the shadow area behind the ancestral hall's wall, the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to vibrate in a low, regular and continuous manner!

Rumble…

It wasn't a shout or explosion close at hand, but rather a sound from far away, like the reverberation of thousands of horses galloping, echoing across the mountains! The sound was like thunder rolling through the earth, muffled yet incredibly clear, carrying the power to crush everything, coming from far away and approaching at an extremely fast speed!

Chang Baishan's face changed drastically, and he suddenly looked up at the night sky in the north!

It was not an illusion. In the north of the thick smoke, the edge of the sky was tinged with an unusual dark red, like a wildfire, or like... a blood-red light formed by millions of torches held high by armored cavalry!

"The sound of horse hooves! From the north!"

A personal guard said in horror, his voice changing in tone.

Chang Baishan's heart sank to freezing point.

Northern Wise King! You came too fast!

That old dog Zhu Tao is probably even crazier and more cruel than they expected!

The dumb dog brought the plague list and half of the jade talisman, maybe it was just a cover, or just a casual move. The real killer was that the old thief Zhu Tao could actually use some extremely secret channel that they didn't know yet to deliver the letter of surrender directly to the hands of the Northern Wise King in such a short time!