A shadow in the forest flitted like a bat, darting left and right.
Only the faint sound of cloth fluttering could be heard.
Shhh!
A constable clutched his throat and staggered backward, collapsing against a tree trunk.
Blood soaked his lapel as it trickled down his clothes.
"Go!! Kill him for me!"
Ouyang Jianrongâs eyes tightened as he retreated quickly, gesturing repeatedly to those around him.
"Heâs still heavily injured and hasnât recovered; go at him! Tire him out!"
Each constable was a handpicked expert from Tan Yang City, with strengths ranging from first to second rank.
One after another, constables charged forward, but they couldnât even catch a glimpse of Huang Yuzhenâs shadow.
In just half a minute, eight lay dead in a pool of blood, motionless.
The remaining constablesâ hands shook so much they could barely hold their swords.
One, terrified, dropped his knife and turned to flee.
"Get in there! Any disobedience will be treated as treason! Families exterminated!!" Ouyang Jianrong said harshly, stepping forward to slash the fleeing constable to the ground.
He came here with the intention of using these country bumpkins to sap Huang Yuzhenâs stamina and endurance, worsening his injuries.
He wasnât afraid of the constables not putting forth their best effort; if they dared to disobey, their fate would be worse when they returned.
Now, if they fought desperately, there might still be a sliver of hope for survival.
"Again, as always..."
Amidst the crisp sound of blades piercing flesh.
Soon, Huang Yuzhen pulled a short knife from the back of the last constable, sighing slightly.
He quickly charged toward Ouyang Jianrong.
But the latterâs expression remained unchanged as he rapidly retreated.
"Indeed a demon, taking lives without hesitation."
Ouyang Jianrongâs face was cold, indifferent to the deaths of his subordinates, instead closely watching Huang Yuzhen, trying to assess his injuries.
One pursued, the other fled.
Ouyang Jianrong had no intention of facing Huang Yuzhen in combat.
From the opponentâs previous moves, it was clear Huang Yuzhen was seriously injured; as long as he continuously sent people to disrupt his recovery, victory was assured.
Thus, there was no need to engage in a direct confrontation at this moment.
For someone from the patrol division, preserving oneself while completing a mission was the path to longevity.
As for those constables who died, to achieve a goal, how could there be no price?
Soon, Ouyang Jianrong left the valley, staring grimly in the direction of Hundred Silver Valley.
A knife wound appeared on his arm, and his breathing was slightly labored.
"I refuse to believe it!"
Leaving a remark, he turned and left.
In Tan Yang City, there were plenty of people; even by piling up lives, he refused to believe he couldnât wear down one Huang Yuzhen!
He didnât even consider whether the local officials would defy orders.
Before setting out, he had sworn a military oath: if he didnât retrieve the Chasing Moon Saber, heâd return with his head!
If he succeeded, his future would be bright, soaring to unimaginable heights!
This matter was crucial to his life and prospects.
Whoever dared to defy orders would see their family exterminated, immediately apprehended!
*
*
*
"Relay the order, Special Envoy Ouyang commands: Team One of the Penal Division remains on standby; other teams split men to be led by captains to hunt down Huang Yuzhen."
Just as Zhang Rongfang and others had gathered, waiting quietly, an Official burst through the main gate, announcing loudly.
On the plaza in front of the Penal Division, teams lined up, readying for deployment.
Zhang Rongfang stood under a large tree with his team, contemplating the scene under the shade.
At least a hundred men were gathered in the Penal Division.
Everywhere he looked, white-armored soldiers with official knives dazzled the eyes.
Just to capture two rebels, such a force was dispatched?
Was Huang Yuzhen really that formidable?
Zhang Rongfang was skeptical.
After confirming the order, teams began to steadily march toward the gate.
"Wait." Just as the first team exited, an official in armor hurried over.
"By order of the Warden, movements of the Penal Division are postponed! Lately, there are too many major offenders, movement is to be handled by state office officials."
Zhang Rongfang squinted his eyes, sensing something amiss.
There was clearly a difference of opinion at the top.
Previously, Xu Kai mentioned Special Envoy Ouyang had gained command of troop deployment.
But now, Warden Lord Li suddenly intervened to halt the Penal Divisionâs mobilization.
This time, the envoyâs relaying official and Li Ranâs relaying official from the Penal Division came to a direct confrontation.
From a distance, they stood off against each other, quietly exchanging words.
Shortly after, the envoyâs relaying official begrudgingly backed down, glanced around, snorted coldly, and left.
"Looks like we wonât need to act for the time being." A captain next to Zhang Rongfang breathed a sigh of relief.
"This is quite peculiar, letâs observe how it develops," Zhang Rongfang said softly.
"Hope nothing happens. Sigh, even when top assassins from the black list came to Tan Yang, it wasnât this tense," another captain couldnât help but grumble.
Zhang Rongfang furrowed his brow, looking up at the dim sun, recalling the strange scene of Huang Yuzhen fleeing earlier.
In Tan Yang City, and with this so-called envoy, the discord seemed significant...
Intuition told him there was absolutely nothing simple about Huang Yuzhen.
âI havenât had the chance to take over the Golden Wing Pavilionâs operations; Xu Miaotong is managing it.
Looks like Iâll need to find time to go there to gather some intelligence.â
The Golden Wing Pavilionâs intelligence capabilities were formidable, but unless he accepted the corresponding task, non-task members werenât allowed to casually review other task materials.
As a manager, Zhang Rongfang technically didnât have the authority to browse documents freely.
Managers mainly oversaw the completion of fixed tasks and checking reward distribution.
Apart from the fixed tasks issued by the Golden Wing Pavilion, individuals had a great deal of freedom.
But, he wasnât entirely without power; he possessed some managerial privileges.
Every month, he could review intelligence corresponding to his status level.
This monthâs privilege was just the right time to use it.
In truth, Zhang Rongfang was somewhat disgruntled.
He was focused on his Innate limits, and the matter of Huang Yuzhen suddenly emerged, demanding his time and energy.
Now he barely had time for martial arts practice.
Moreover, regarding his official standing...
He couldnât rely on eliminating superiors to promote quickly anymore; doing so would be too conspicuous.
So, he planned to bide his time and eventually switch back to Mingjing Palace.
But before transferring back, he needed an achievement.
Thinking of this.
Zhang Rongfang sighed.
Considering taking credit for Huang Yuzhenâs capture might allow him to broach the subject of transferring back to the Celestial Pole.
With intelligence from the Golden Wing Pavilion and his own capabilities, the chances of success werenât small.
As for his superiors, if they were sensible, things would remain peaceful.
If they werenât...
Heâd blame Huang Yuzhen for their demise... which might even earn him additional credit for avenging them.
By now, after learning numerous secrets, he had become jaded; in officialdom, the chances of encountering good people were exceedingly slim.
Besides himself, everyone seemed wholly black.
Perhaps this was the notion of being pure amidst the darkness...