Chapter 44 - The Glow of Twilight

The winter wind viciously bit at any exposed skin. The sun had already set, casting a reddish-orange glow across the horizon.

The entire Jiading Prefecture was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

Most residents knew by now that the once-thriving Changfeng Escort Agency was in trouble. Large numbers of Imperial Guardians ran through the streets. The Changfeng Escort Agency was allegedly guilty of harboring an imperial fugitive. That was a serious offense that could result in property confiscation and familial extermination.

Everyone understood clearly that the Changfeng Escort Agency was finished. The escort agency's front courtyard was devastated, with collapsed walls and broken gate posts, and the setting sun's afterglow made it even more desolate.

At this moment, dozens more Imperial Guardians flocked into the courtyard, surrounding it so tightly that no person could hope to escape.

Ye Beizhi heard Master Wu's voice come from behind him.

"It seems there’s no way to resolve this peacefully today. Young Hero Ye, you have the best skills and greatest chance of escaping from here. I'll leave my granddaughter, Nanwei, in your care."

Ye Beizhi turned and saw Master Wu raise his trusty iron spear and shouted, "Comrades, these government dogs won't give us any way out! Slaughter our way out with me!"

"Slaughter our way out!" The people behind him chanted loudly.

The cloaked woman flicked her steel whip and said, "Imperial Guardians! Capture these people! Dead or alive! Today, I will bathe the Changfeng Escort Agency in blood!"

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Capture Ye Beizhi alive! I want to torture him myself!" Ironsmith Xue yelled.

"Kill!"

The escort agency’s fighters fought with the Imperial Guardians like waves crashing against dark rocks. The waves splashed and scattered against the unmoving rocks only to gather up and clash again.

As an elite military organization, the Imperial Guardians were well-trained with greater strength and superior numbers. The escort agency's fighters suffered heavy losses with just the first clash.

The armed guard escorts were separated into several small groups as they were surrounded by the Imperial Guardians.

Ye Beizhi watched the melee distantly as if it had nothing to do with him.

"Ye Beizhi, are you giving up?" the cloaked woman asked with a teasing smile.

Ye Beizhi responded with a swing of his blade toward the cloaked woman.

The cloaked woman flicked her steel whip, meeting the two-handed blade head-on.

Crack—

The two-handed blade shattered into pieces. A shard grazed Ye Beizhi’s cheek, leaving a trace of blood. Ye Beizhi stood silently as he held up the hilt of the shattered two-handed blade.

The steel whip came at him again, but Ye Beizhi did not dodge or evade.

He turned his head to look at the people locked in battle.

Many had already fallen, and most of them were the agency's armed escorts. The remaining few were faltering under the surrounding Imperial Guardians. Master Wu was stubbornly resisting Ironsmith Xue's assault.

The Changfeng Escort Agency was truly finished.

Ye Beizhi thought to himself that perhaps the woman was right... If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t have been so many problems. If he hadn't followed Fang Dingwu, he wouldn’t have come to the escort agency, and... he wouldn’t have met Chi Nanwei.

"Young Hero Ye! Watch out!" From a distance, Master Wu noticed Ye Beizhi staring at him, completely ignoring the incoming steel whip.

Realizing his warning wasn't enough, Master Wu threw his iron spear with all his strength!

Ye Beizhi's heart tightened, and his eyes widened in shock.

Clang!

The sound of the iron spear colliding with the steel whip reached his ears, but Ye Beizhi was stunned by something else. Before his eyes, Master Wu, after throwing his spear, was immediately hammered in the chest!

Wu Changfeng was struck by a heavy blow and lifted off the ground. Blood involuntarily spewed from his mouth and the world faded away around him.

Looking down, he saw his chest caved in, ribs shattered, some piercing through flesh, other fragments flying out.

It seems I'm really going to die... I'm a bit reluctant

.

I haven't seen Nanwei get married yet...

Wu Changfeng's vision blurred, and he tried hard to lift his head, seeing Ye Beizhi staring blankly at him.

Master Wu wanted to lift his hand but could only move his fingers slightly. He wanted Ye Beizhi to pass a message to his granddaughter, but he wasn't able to say anything.

The sun had set, and Master Wu's eyes reflected the brilliant glow of twilight.

He closed his eyes with a smile.

The skies were now dark.

Ye Beizhi was dazed as he watched Master Wu's eyes close. He felt an indescribable pang in his heart.

Surprisingly, the cloaked woman did not take this opportunity to attack.

Instead, she said to Ye Beizhi, "Hehe... what a noble old man, he sacrificed his life to save you. I guess he didn't know that the person he saved was an assassin, hahaha—"

"Shut your mouth," Ye Beizhi said without turning his head as he made his way toward Master Wu.

"What did you say?!"

The cloaked woman was enraged. She probably didn't expect Stormqueller to dare speak to her like this, given his situation.

Ye Beizhi, however, acted as if he hadn't heard her, completely ignoring her.

"I am talking to you!" The woman swung her steel whip, striking at Ye Beizhi's back.

Pah!

The whip struck hard, cutting into flesh with a crack that sent blood mist into the air.

Ye Beizhi staggered but steadied himself and continued walking.

"What a reckless fool!"

The woman swung her whip again, the strike biting into flesh..

Ye Beizhi staggered to his knees but forced himself to keep walking.

Ye Beizhi walked to Wu Changfeng, slowly extending his hand.

His fingers trembled as he hesitated.

Master Wu's face was covered in blood, and more blood was still leaking out of his chest. One hand was twisted and lying on the ground, while the other was placed on his abdomen.

Ye Beizhi didn't know what he came here to accomplish, but he felt that touching the old man's body might help him find an answer, or find something he seemed to be lacking.

A strong wind whistled from behind. Ye Beizhi knew an attack was coming again, but he had no intention of dodging it.

Ye Beizhi knelt on the ground, tremblingly reaching out toward the old man's body as if in reverence.

"Stormqueller! Time to die!" Ironsmith Xue's roar came from behind.

Ye Beizhi's hand was just a hair's breadth from the old man when the hammer fell.

Ye Beizhi fell to the ground, looking at the old man who was so close, but so far, and finally lost consciousness.

"Is this kid crazy?"

Ironsmith Xue kicked Ye Beizhi twice, confirming he had lost consciousness, then turned to the woman and complained, "He didn't even try to dodge or evade our attacks, just like a walking practice dummy."

The woman glanced at Ironsmith Xue and said, "Isn't this better? It saves us some trouble..."

She looked down at Ye Beizhi, "I didn't expect the old man's death would affect him so much. If I had known, I would have just killed the old man directly."

"Who goes there!"

"Enemy attack!" A loud shout came, and chaos erupted among the Imperial Guardians.

The cloaked woman and Ironsmith Xue quickly turned their heads. Under the moonlight, masked figures in skintight clothes were jumping over the walls.

"The Imperial Guardians are conducting official business! Who dares to cause trouble here!"

The woman swung her steel whip at one of the intruders, sending him flying. However, this drew the attention of other black-clad intruders, and they instantly rushed the cloaked woman!

The cloaked woman and Ironsmith Xue were caught off guard and surrounded. The black-clad figures were quite skilled, so the two Vice Commanders found themselves in a difficult situation.

The cloaked woman commanded the Imperial Guardians and eventually gained the upper hand.

A sharp whistle sounded from afar, and then all the black-clad figures simultaneously disengaged from battle, climbed over walls, and fled, disappearing before anyone could react.

The battle that came so suddenly ended just as suddenly.

The cloaked woman was furious. "What on earth is going on? Where did these people come from?" she demanded.

"Storm

...

Stormqueller!"

Ironsmith Xue suddenly grabbed the cloaked woman, horrified.

"He's gone!"

"What?!" The cloaked woman's eyes widened. "Those people..."

"Lords." An Imperial Guardian Captain stepped forward and whispered, "We captured a few of those people—"

"What use is there in capturing them!? The one we need is Stormqueller!" the woman reprimanded.

She took a deep breath, calming down a bit, and asked, "Did you get any information from those captured? Any clues?"

"This..." With a sweaty forehead the captain said, "These people must be death warriors, and they committed suicide as soon as they were captured—"

"What?! What are you telling that to me for!"

"But, but we still have a clue," the officer hurriedly said.

"Mm?" The woman raised her eyebrows. "Spit it out!"

"These people... are all eunuchs."

"Eunuchs?" The woman scowled. Gnashing her teeth she cursed, "So those bastards... are from the Eastern Depot!"