The four men in the room looked at each other.
Zhou Henn took out a Communication Talisman Disc and pinched a talisman to listen. After a moment, he said helplessly, "Lord Zhou says the order was issued by someone from the Front Army Governor Mansion, supposedly one of the Left Governor’s men. A friend of Lord Zhou tried to intervene but was rebuffed. The Left Governor of the Front Army Governor Mansion hails from the King Jue Demon Sect and later switched to being a Martial Cultivator. As a First-Grade Official and a Celestial King of the current dynasty, he’s utterly ruthless. Even the Martial King is wary of him."
"Lord Zhou also asked the Guard Commander. The Guard Commander said a note was delivered by someone he couldn’t refuse. The Five Armies Commander’s Mansion is the military’s supreme command. The Front Army Governor Mansion oversees the north, and its status is far above that of the Night Guard. Once they issue an order, no one can overrule it except the Emperor. The crucial point is that with the Demon Race invading from the south, we’re in a state of war. If you’re confirmed to have defied a military order, you can be executed on the spot! That Tang Enxuan is just waiting for you to do so. Lord Zhou isn’t in the Divine Capital, and the Guard Commander’s hands are tied. Once the Governor’s Mansion comes to arrest you, even I won’t be able to protect you."
"Brother Han, can you think of anything?" Li Qingxian asked.
Han Anbo shook his head. "I know plenty of people from all walks of life, from hustlers to street vendors, but I don’t know any high officials. The Governor’s Mansion is incredibly powerful. Every one of them is like a regional lord, and who knows how many masters from the Martial Arts World they’ve recruited. They far surpass the Night Guard."
The Martial Arts World holds military power.
Li Qingxian sighed softly. The Left Governor of a Governor’s Mansion was a Senior First-Grade official. Not only was he a high-ranking member of the Cabinet, but he was also a First-Grade master. In contrast, the Night Guard’s Guard Commander merely held a Junior Second-Grade position. The disparity was immense.
Hex Lei’s voice came from the doorway. "General Zhou, Qingxian, if you don’t come out soon, they’ll report it to the Front Army Governor Mansion and this will blow up. General Zhou, you should verify the order first."
Zhou Henn pinched the talisman again, heaved a sigh of relief, and said, "Lord Zhou wants me to accompany you north. He said we must stop at Northern Garrison Pass, no matter what. He’s already figured out a solution."
"We’ll do as Uncle Zhou says," Li Qingxian said with a nod.
Zhou Henn took out a slip of paper and handed it to Han Anbo. "On here is an address and a code phrase. If something major happens, go there. I’ll be notified immediately. But you can only use it once."
"I understand," said Han Anbo.
Li Qingxian gave Han Anbo and Yur Ping a long, meaningful look. With a wave of his right hand, he retrieved the Sound Insulation Talisman and strode out of the room, Zhou Henn following close behind.
"What about the birthday banquet?" Yur Ping yelled from inside the room.
"It’s still on! Wait for my return!" Li Qingxian called back.
Li Qingxian glanced at Lü Biao and the man holding up the token, then sneered. "Issuing two tokens just for me... you’re too kind! I’ll leave now. However, the Divine Capital Bureau has its own rules. I am a Fate Master, so General Zhou Henn will be accompanying me."
The newcomer, who was dressed in the same Seventh-Grade Iron Tiger Chest Armor Battle Suit as Lü Biao, hesitated. Lü Biao quickly interjected, "The military order is for Li Qingxian to travel with us to Huaimu County. Whether General Zhou Henn accompanies him or not has nothing to do with us. Let’s get moving!"
"Let’s go!" the man said with a nod.
As the group headed out, the other Night Guards, realizing something was wrong, began to cause a stir.
"Brother Li, don’t you worry! If something really happens, I might not dare to storm the Five Armies Commander’s Mansion, but making life difficult for their junior officers would be a piece of cake."
"The Night Guard may be a shadow of its former self, but we’re not completely toothless. We won’t be bullied so easily."
"Don’t be afraid, Brother Qingxian! The Night Guard has your back."
Lü Biao and his men had no choice but to quicken their pace.
A troop of horsemen was waiting just outside a side gate of the Night Guard Office.
Five men stood with sixteen tall, powerful horses. They were all a uniform, date-red color, with fur on their chests and shoulders as bright and vivid as fresh blood.
"General Zhou, we don’t have enough Demon Blood Horses," said Lü Biao.
"One moment," said Zhou Henn.
So, everyone waited.
Lü Biao ordered, "Bring two horses over for Li Qingxian."
One of the men led two horses over and handed the reins to Li Qingxian.
The eyes of the two Demon Blood Horses glinted with a faint red light as they glared at Li Qingxian.
Magical Power flowed through Li Qingxian’s eyes. He gave the horses a casual glance, and they immediately lowered their heads, letting out soft whinnies.
The others were slightly taken aback.
A moment later, a Night Guard emerged, leading a horse with a white coat and grayish-yellow spots.
Everyone stared, stunned. The horse had an enormous belly and an extremely stout body. It was exceptionally ugly, with a crooked mouth and a sunken nose. It even had a disdainful expression, as if it were giving everyone the side-eye.
Li Qingxian took a closer look and realized the horse’s eyes were actually crooked.
Zhou Henn cupped his fist in a salute. "Brother Horse," he said, "we’re counting on you for this long journey."
"NEIGH..." The Dappled Horse gave a soft whinny, gently lifted a hoof, and kicked the bottom of the Night Guard holding its reins. The startled guard let go.
The Dappled Horse trotted over to Zhou Henn, lowered its head to sniff him, then snorted. It stuck out its big tongue and gave his face a huge slurp, letting out a series of neighs.
Zhou Henn wiped his face, vaulted onto the horse, and looked at the others.
"Mount up!" Lü Biao commanded. Everyone swung onto their horses, each person riding one while leading another.
Zhou Henn said, "Protect your inner thighs with Magical Power. Otherwise, you’ll be hurting the entire way."
"Right." Li Qingxian took out a Yellow Talisman and slapped it on himself.
A faint golden light flashed for an instant, and his skin took on a shimmer as if coated in water.
"You’re using a Vajra Talisman just for riding a horse?" Lü Biao couldn’t help but exclaim. "A Tenth-Grade Martial Cultivator could hack at one of those for a good half hour!"
"A friend gave them to me. I have plenty, and they’d just be gathering dust otherwise," Li Qingxian said.
Lü Biao shook his head and glanced up at the sky. It was just past midnight and pitch-dark.
From his horse, Lü Biao said, "Alright, listen up. We ride until dawn without stopping. We’ll rest roughly every six hours, traveling day and night without fail. On the return trip, we’ll get six hours of rest per day. It’s about a two-day trip there and a four-day trip back. Everyone here is a veteran who’s traveled this road at least ten times. Barring any surprises, we’ll get you back safely. I’ll leave it at that. My job is just to see you delivered. Let’s go. Keep up."
Lü Biao gently nudged his horse’s belly with his heels. The Demon Blood Horse started forward, its hooves pounding the ground.
A dense clatter of hooves echoed through the Divine Capital under the cover of night.
Li Qingxian wasn’t an experienced rider, but by using his Magical Power to keep the Demon Blood Horse in check, he quickly got the hang of it.
Zhou Henn rode his Dappled Horse over to Li Qingxian and handed him a blue cloth bundle sealed with a Yellow Talisman.
Li Qingxian took it. The Yellow Talisman looked familiar—it was the same type of Spirit Talisman used on Zhou Chunfeng’s copy of the *Five Thunders True Method Collection and Annotation*.
Zhou Henn sent a mental message: "Back then, Lord Zhou suspected we’d been targeted by Deceit, so he left the city to find you. But then Songg Yunjing sent out a distress call, and he had to leave. Before he did, he gave this *Fragmented Poem Book* to Guo Xiang of the Black Lamp Department. His instructions were that if you encountered a Deceit you couldn’t handle, you were to burn this Grand Scholar’s fragment. You could then rely on the Grand Scholar’s Vast Righteous Qi to briefly resist the Deceit and find a way to get you out. In the end, it wasn’t needed, so Lord Guo gave it to me for safekeeping. I just spoke with Lord Zhou on the Communication Talisman Disc. He said I should give this to you, just in case. If any Evil Demons get close, this book is sure to issue a warning."
Li Qingxian remembered his first encounter with the Yellow Springs Mysterious Land in the Imperial Prison West Courtyard. Zhou Chunfeng had taken out a yellowed book back then as well.
Li Qingxian slowed his horse slightly and infused a bit of Magical Power into the bundle. The cloth slid open to reveal a yellowed, ancient book—identical to the one from that day.
"A Grand Scholar’s fragment can briefly resist Deceit... it must be incredibly valuable, right?" Li Qingxian asked.
"Precious doesn’t even begin to describe it," said Zhou Henn. "This isn’t an ordinary Grand Scholar’s fragment; it’s a Life Meaning Treasure. Though it’s a little worn, it far surpasses a Third-Grade Magical Treasure and is nearly Second Grade."
’A Grand Scholar’s Life Meaning Treasure...’ Li Qingxian sent another pulse of Magical Power into it, and the cloth slid shut, rewrapping the book.
An ordinary Cultural Treasure is one that has accompanied a scholar for many years, gradually transforming into a true Treasure after being nurtured and refined by Literary Qi.
When an Entering-Grade scholar dies, their entire Essence, Qi, and Spirit erupts from their body and coalesces into a unique and immensely powerful Cultural Treasure. Because the process is akin to sacrificing one’s life for a greater cause, it is known as a Life Meaning Treasure.
"Does Uncle Zhou have many Cultural Treasures of this caliber?" Li Qingxian asked.
"Do you think Upper-Grade Treasures grow on trees? Even Lord Zhou only has one," Zhou Henn retorted.
"Honestly, Uncle Zhou..." Li Qingxian sighed. "He’s the one going off to fight demons and protect the city, which is far more dangerous..."
Li Qingxian patted the blue cloth bundle and tucked it inside his robes.
Once the troop was outside the city gates, Lü Biao yelled, "Pick up the pace! Hyah!"
Lü Biao dug his heels hard into his horse’s flanks and cracked his whip against its body.
The others spurred their horses on, accelerating as well.
THUDDATHUDDATHUDDA...
From a distance, the troop looked like a streak of red light speeding along the main road.
Trailing behind the streak of red was a fat Dappled Horse. It looked bloated and its gait was a bit lopsided, yet it somehow managed to keep pace with the team of date-red horses, never falling behind.
Time slowly trickled by, but the troop never stopped.
Sweat gradually beaded on the chests and shoulders of the Demon Blood Horses, soaking their red coats and making them glisten like fresh blood.
Li Qingxian sat on his horse, the summer wind caressing his face, feeling cool and exhilarating.
At first, the novelty of it all was thrilling. But as time wore on, discomfort began to set in. The stirrups were too narrow and made his feet ache; the saddle was too hard, digging into his bones; his body was constantly jolted and rocked by the horse’s movement...
The group rode on numbly, pushing forward, ever forward.