At the tender age of eight, he was hastily dragged out and made emperor!

"hurry up!!"

"Shoot it, you bastard!!"

"pay close attention!!"

North of Yuchuan Post Station, on a slope, illuminated by torches, a burly, ugly man gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, glaring and roaring at the young men on either side, each wielding a powerful crossbow and bow.

Wave after wave of arrows rained down on the burning Yuchuan Post Station.

However, compared to the initial rain of arrows, it now appears much looser.

"what!!"

Among the hundred or so bandits wielding crossbows and bows, some occasionally roared in pain, their hands beginning to tremble.

"They're coming!!"

In this situation, someone suddenly shouted.

The bandits gathered on the slope could all clearly feel the slight tremors beneath their feet and hear the approaching sound of hooves and neighing horses.

"Brother! Cavalry are attacking!!"

On the slope, a thin, middle-aged man looked panicked at the burly, ugly man, his voice trembling as he said, "We'd better hurry and get out of here!!"

"Fuck you!!"

Upon hearing this, the burly, ugly man glared angrily and kicked the thin, middle-aged man hard, yelling, "Get your ass out of here! You still know you're a cavalryman?!"

"Brothers, prepare to meet the enemy!!"

"They've already been shot down quite a bit. Shoot them all! Once you defeat them, the one who returns to the village alive will be rewarded with ten gold coins to carry on the family line for the women—"

The burly, ugly man's roar excited many of his men. For them, the temptation of such a generous reward and the women he could obtain was simply too great.

"Awooo!!!"

"Shhhh-"

Roars erupted here, and the sound of air being torn apart seemed to increase.

Huang Long, leading his troops, kept waving his spear to deflect the incoming rockets, but his brows furrowed. The shouts in the dead of night told him that the attackers at Yuchuan Post Station were a band of ruthless bandits!

Huang Long couldn't understand why this band of bandits was so courting death.

Disturbing an official post station is a capital offense!

If they hadn't done this tonight, they might still have a way out. But they did this anyway. If this matter is reported to the local authorities, the army will surely come to suppress them.

"Marshal!!"

A roar sounded.

Among the Imperial Guards following Huang Long, those equipped with Yuanrong crossbows were all on edge, awaiting the order to attack.

"Three-round rapid fire!!"

Huanglong brandished his spear, pointed it at the firelight, and roared.

"Shhhhh-"

"Shhhhh-"

A dense whooshing sound rang out as wave after wave of crossbow bolts, fired at an extremely fast rate, hurtled towards the bandits' stronghold. Soon after, screams of agony began to erupt.

"roundabout!!!"

The roar of the Yellow Dragon rang out once again.

"Da da da--"

"Whoosh!!"

Amidst this atmosphere, the sounds of hooves and neighing horses continued to resound. Huang Long could sense the excitement of his imperial guards, and even amidst the din, he could faintly hear some rapid breathing.

This was the first time the Imperial Guard had fought against an enemy since its inception.

Even though what was killed was a mob.

But it's still different.

Back in the Shanglin Garden, the Imperial Guards, regardless of age, underwent training as elite troops selected from the Shanglin Army, all so that one day they could fight on the battlefield.

Although during their training at Shanglin Garden, the Imperial Guards often participated in hunts organized by the Emperor together with the Imperial Guards, killing many wild beasts and birds, and in a sense had seen blood, this was different from fighting with other people.

As for the young men in the Imperial Guard who accompanied the emperor back to the palace, they participated in the arrest and execution of batches of treacherous and corrupt officials, and also faced the bloody execution ground, but this was different from fighting with other people.

"Hold on!!"

“Follow me!!”

The roar of the Yellow Dragon rang out from time to time, which made the increasingly numerous Imperial Guards cavalry form a tight formation as they continued to gallop, with dozens of Imperial Guards cavalrymen holding crossbows at the center.

"Boss!! All teams have returned to their posts!!"

Jing Qing's roar echoed through the cavalry.

We have to launch a rapid charge to get through!

Hearing the roar, Huang Long's tiger-like eyes flashed with murderous intent, then he brandished his spear and roared, "Your Excellency is now under your command! Suppress the bandits!!!"

"Imperial Guards!! Attack—"

Huanglong's roar instantly split the cavalry into two parts: one part charged ahead with Huanglong, while the other part followed Jingqing to the rear.

"Rapid Fire, Rapid Pressure!!"

"Control the horse's speed!!"

"Hold the quiver firmly!!"

Jing Qing roared incessantly, and his dozens of elite crossbowmen, advancing in formation, continuously pulled the wooden triggers, adjusting the angle to fire at the gathering of the bandits.

"what!!!"

Screams came and went.

"kill!!!"

As the distance between them and the bandits drew ever closer, Huanglong saw, in the firelight and moonlight, that the attacking bandits were in disarray, especially on the slope where they were in complete chaos. Raising his spear and roaring, he spurred his horse and charged forward.

During the charge, Huang Long would occasionally swing his spear to deflect stray arrows.

"Kill!!"

The Imperial Guards, leading the charge, wielded long spears and charged towards the bandits who outnumbered them several times over. Behind them on both sides, their comrades, armed with sabers, formed two arrow formations as they advanced rapidly, heading towards the bandits' flanks.

"Lance, throw!!"

As Huang Long led his spear-wielding Imperial Guards cavalry rapidly toward the bandits, Zhang Feng, who was in charge of bringing up the rear, roared and, as his mount galloped at full speed, suddenly stood up, grabbed a lance, and hurled it at the bandits in front of him.

"call--"

A sharp whooshing sound appeared, and soon more than ten lances followed behind.

"Hold on!!"

"Don't panic!!"

In contrast, the chaotic bandits roared continuously, showing that they had completely lost their composure after ambushing the Imperial Guards heading north at Yuchuan Station.

They never expected that this government cavalry would launch such a fierce counterattack and act so fearlessly.

This is completely different from what their leader told them before the battle.

"what!!"

"my hand--"

"puff!!"

The moment the lances were thrown, more than a dozen unarmored bandits were struck by them, their screams echoing through the air.

"call--"

"Da da da!!!"

Almost simultaneously, another rapid whooshing sound rang out as Huang Long's spear-wielding Imperial Guards charged forward alongside the lances flying overhead, creating a visual impact that terrified many of the bandits.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!"

But this is not the end.

Jing Qing's Yuanrong crossbow cavalry fired rapidly at them wave after wave, which terrified many of the bandits. Seeing the bloody scenes around them, they began to flee in panic.

"Don't panic!!"

"Suppress them!!"

The burly, ugly man on the slope brandished his tiger-headed broadsword, roaring with wide, angry eyes. He never expected that the government cavalry unit that had stopped at Yuchuan Post Station would be so fierce.

But his roar was caught by Huang Long, who was charging into the enemy ranks.

"kill!!!"

Huang Long, wielding his spear, roared as he rapidly approached the slope. His Imperial Guards followed closely behind him.

Dust flew everywhere.

"Throw!!!"

Seeing his general leading his comrades galloping up the earthen slope, Zhang Feng grabbed a lance and angrily threw it forward, and the Imperial Guards on both sides roared and threw their lances as well.

"what!!!"

"Run away!!"

The chaos deepened.

Huang Long gripped the reins tightly, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and tautly controlled the horse to gallop. As he climbed the hill, his mount let out a roar.

"Shhh!!"

Huang Long thrust his spear forward like a dragon.

"what!!!"

Faced with this sudden turn of events, the burly, ugly man suppressed his fear and roared as he swung his tiger-headed broadsword. But the spear that was thrusting at him seemed to come alive. It deflected the broadsword and its shadow flickered before his eyes. Then, the burly, ugly man was plunged into endless darkness.

"The bandit leader has been executed!!"

"Those who resist, die!!!"

Huanglong roared as he withdrew his spear.

"The bandit leader has been executed!!"

"Those who resist, die!!!"

"The bandit leader has been executed!!"

"Those who resist, die!!!"

The Imperial Guards who accompanied the enemy into battle roared angrily, and this sudden scene terrified many people, causing the ambush bandits to become even more chaotic.

"Run away!!"

"Do not kill me!!"

"I surrender--"

"what!!!"

A cacophony of sounds filled the air as Huang Long's Imperial Guards, their fighting spirit soaring, ruthlessly slaughtered any bandits who resisted, plunging the battlefield into chaos!

The chaos extends far beyond this place.

At that time, the area around Yuchuan Station.

"quick!!"

"Get me some water!!"

"Put out the fire quickly!!"

Illuminated by the firelight, the chaotic crowd frantically tried to extinguish the flames in various places, turning the sizable Uogawa Post Station into a complete mess.

"Put out the fire quickly!!"

Under these circumstances, Li Qi, the postmaster of Yuchuan Post Station, ran quickly carrying a wooden bucket. He glared angrily and shouted, "As the postmaster, Yuchuan Post Station under my jurisdiction has been attacked by bandits and many places have been burned. If I cannot control the situation and reduce the losses of Yuchuan Post Station as soon as possible, then it will not be as simple as just being dismissed from my post!"

"Sir!! Water——"

As Li Qi was rushing, a man carrying a wooden bucket came running up. Li Qi instinctively raised the empty bucket, intending to hand it to the man. As he took the bucket from the man, Li Qi suddenly widened his eyes and looked at the man in disbelief. Then he lowered his head and looked at the arrow stuck in his body.

"you!!"

Li Qi suddenly grabbed the man's hand.

"I'm so sorry, sir!!"

The man grinned maliciously and drove the arrow even deeper.

"Uh--"

Li Qi struggled to make a sound, but his body trembled uncontrollably, and his strength seemed to be fading away!

"Oh no!!"

"There are assassins!!"

Under Li Qi's angry glare, one hand gripping the arrow shaft and the other carrying a bucket, the postmaster Guo Hezhi screamed in terror, causing many of those busy putting out the fire to stop.

They looked at each other with different expressions.

"Someone has attempted to assassinate the postmaster!!"

Guo Hezhi fell, water spilled out, and his blood-stained hands were covered by mud and water.

In the chaos just now, no one noticed him and Li Qi at all, so when this scene happened, many people were shocked and quickly ran towards Li Qi who had fallen to the ground.

"grown ups!!"

"Yicheng!!"

"Catch the assassin!!"

"Quickly, put out the fire!!"

Various sounds rang out incessantly. Li Qi, who was being held, tried to break free from one of the people's grasp, but a cold arrow coated with poison pierced his body, making Li Qi feel waves of coldness. He wanted to speak and identify the murderer, but the words that were on the tip of his tongue could not be uttered.

"Who knows medicine?!"

"Please save my master!!"

Guo Hezhi, who came running over crying, pushed aside the people blocking his way, grabbed Li Qi's hand in a fit of rage, and roared back and forth in agitation.

why! ! !

why! ! !

On his deathbed, Li Qi roared inwardly, unable to understand why his honest and dutiful subordinate would attempt to assassinate him.

In that instant, Li Qi thought of the Shanglin Army soldiers who had stayed overnight!

But he will never be able to verify this conjecture.

"grown ups!!!"

Guo Hezhi roared hysterically.

"The person is dead."

Among the gathered people, a middle-aged official frowned and said, "Hurry up and put out the fire!"

"Ah~"

Some sighs were heard.

People are destined to part ways.

"Don't go!!"

"My family member can't die!!"

"Someone please save my family!!"

Guo Hezhi, weeping bitterly, held the lifeless Li Qi and wailed, but beside him, apart from a courier who was also crying, there was no one else.

"Put out the fire quickly!!"

"Don't panic—"

"hurry up!!"

The shouts and cries drowned out Guo Hezhi's wails.

"My lord, I'm so sorry."

Guo Hezhi, wailing, glanced warily around, his hand gripping Li Qi tightly. "If you don't die, then I won't live."

The night was extremely long.

The chill in the air made people shiver.

At dawn, the sky began to lighten with the pale white of fish's belly.

crackle~

The sound of the campfire burning was crisp.

"Shasha~"

The sound of footsteps made Huang Long look on alert, and he saw Jing Qing walking over with a cold face. As she walked, Jing Qing looked at the several corpses neatly arranged.

Jing Qing's hands clenched tightly.

"Have you gotten any answers from the interrogation?"

Huang Long said in a low voice.

"The interrogation has yielded results."

Suppressing his anger, Jing Qing lowered his head and said to Huang Long, "This band of thieves is a group of bandits who have been entrenched more than 30 miles away from Yuchuan Post Station. They are mostly composed of refugees."

"Many people were interrogated at the scene, including leaders and bandits, but none of them knew why the bandit leader, who had already been executed, had led them to harass Yuchuan Post Station."

"do not know?"

A murderous intent flashed across Huang Long's cold eyes.

"Yes."

Jing Qing frowned and said, "Before attacking Yuchuan Post Station, the bandit leader was under the guise of intercepting wealthy households, but he suddenly changed his route under the cover of night. Although some people raised questions during this time, they were suppressed by that person."

"what do you think?"

Huang Long frowned.

"I'm afraid there's a conspiracy behind this."

Jing Qing said in a deep voice, "It seems that someone predicted that we would stay overnight at Yuchuan Post Station, which is why there was this night raid on Yuchuan Post Station. But I don't understand why so few people knew about our secret departure from Shanglin Garden. Moreover, the news of the Northern Barbarian delegation's visit was urgently sent to Yudu by the General of the Northern Expedition."

"Furthermore, the police repeatedly inspected a batch of powerful crossbows and bows. Although they were about to be scrapped, they were not civilians' possessions, but rather were only issued to the border troops guarding the northern frontier."

"It seems that the visit of the Northern Barbarian delegation is more complicated than expected."

Huang Long slowly rose to his feet. "Send the order back to Yuchuan Post Station and escort all the captured bandits back with you!"

"Yes!!"

Jing Qing immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and shouted.

Huang Long looked down at the corpses of his comrades, anger surging in his heart. These were his comrades who had been with him day and night, one of whom was an only son in his family, but now he had died on his way to the northern frontier.

Last night's battle resulted in the deaths of over a hundred bandits, and many were captured, but Huang Long felt no joy whatsoever. Five of his comrades had perished!

They should have been galloping across battlefields, but now they lie dead in this nameless wilderness. This ignited a surge of rage in Huang Long's heart. He wanted to uncover the truth, and he wanted to avenge his fallen comrades!