The sound of battle cries rang out, as the Tiger Guard and the traitors from the Five City Garrison engaged in combat. The sound of bowstrings, the firing of muskets, and the clash of weapons echoed clearly in everyone's ears.

With rebels in the distance and Dream Witches nearby, the Nightwatchers found themselves in a dire situation, their faces turning grim and their hearts sinking.

Fortunately, they were experienced Nightwatchers, accustomed to bloodshed and fighting, their determination unwavering.

"Protect Jiang Jinluo and the Governor into the inner hall," Zhao Yinluo, the leader, shouted, drawing his knife.

Jiang Lvzhong grabbed his sleeve, wanting to say something, but before he could speak, Zhao Yinluo preemptively said, "Boss, I understand. Dream Witches are not good at close combat. As long as we don't let him touch our hair or flesh, he won't be able to unleash his curse."

Tang Yinluo grinned and said, "That's right, Boss. We can't defeat a fourth-grade warrior, but can't we handle a fourth-grade Dream Witch? That would be too embarrassing."

The other Nightwatchers felt relieved when they saw their superior's confidence.

Dream Witches had strange and mysterious methods, but they were not skilled in direct combat. As bronze gongs, they only had a vague understanding of this.

To their surprise, Jiang Lvzhong didn't let go. The usually godlike Jinluo was now unsteady on his feet, but he still held onto Zhao Yinluo's sleeve tightly.

"Let's go!" Jiang Lvzhong said.

Zhao Yinluo turned back and grinned, "Boss, you want us to take the Governor with us, but that's not possible."

Jiang Lvzhong shook his head, "I want you to go, not with the Governor."

"Jiang Jinluo, how can we know if we'll lose without a fight?" one of the bronze gongs said, speaking loudly, perhaps to boost his own morale.

Zhao Yinluo forcefully pulled his sleeve back, causing Jiang Lvzhong to stumble.

Tang Yinluo caught him and sighed, "When we return to the capital, Boss, you should treat us to a drink."

The last bronze gong didn't say anything, but he bowed to Jiang Lvzhong.

Zhao Yinluo raised his knife and took out a military crossbow from his waist, pulling the trigger. With a loud "bang," the arrow shot out.

Bang bang bang...

The other Nightwatchers raised their crossbows in unison and fired.

The puppetized corpse, acting as a shield, stood in front of the Governor, allowing the arrows to pierce its body, with the tips protruding from its back.

"Die!"

Zhao Yinluo leaped high into the air, and amidst the sound of cracking bricks, he flew over a dozen zhang, his standard long knife releasing a distorted aura.

Plop.

The puppetized corpse was cut in half, blood spraying everywhere, as it desperately tried to piece itself back together, but to no avail.

The Dream Witch Governor agilely dodged the blade's edge, and the sharp blade aura tore through the ground, extending all the way to the steps at the entrance of the main hall, causing a loud "bang."

The attacks from the other two bronze gongs followed suit. They crouched down and ran, leaving behind afterimages, coordinating their attacks against the Dream Witch.

As they attacked, the information about the Witch System floated in their minds.

The Great Feng occasionally clashed with the God of Witchcraft. The Nightwatcher's office had detailed information on witches below the fourth grade.

Ninth-grade witches could turn living people into puppets, using secret techniques to unleash their potential, burning their essence and blood, giving them instant powerful combat abilities. The more they enhanced, the faster their essence and blood burned, until they were exhausted.

At the same time, ninth-grade witches could also awaken the potential of their companions, at the cost of burning their essence and blood. They were known as "Blood Spirits."

Eighth-grade witches possessed the ability to curse. Using birthdates, personal belongings, and bodily fluids as mediums, they could curse their target. That's why eighth-grade witches were called "Curse Masters."

Their advantage lay in their unpredictability, making them difficult to defend against.

Their disadvantage was that they could only curse targets below their own level.

Seventh-grade witches were known as "Spirit Mediums." They could manipulate corpses and ghosts, causing trouble for both the Great Feng and the Northern Yao Clan on the battlefield.

Sixth-grade witches were called "Diviners," skilled in divination, seeking good fortune and avoiding disaster. These witches could be described in two words: cautious and stable!

In other words, as steady as an old dog.

They didn't need to consult an almanac when they went out; they just needed to cast a divination, and they would know the auspiciousness of the day.

Fifth-grade witches were called "Sorcerers." They could summon the ancestral spirits through rituals and possess them. If the summoned spirit was a warrior, then the sorcerer would become a warrior. If it was a Taoist, then the sorcerer would become a Taoist, and so on.

The limitation was that they could only summon spirits of the same level.

The fourth-grade witch in front of them was a "Dream Witch," who walked in dreams and killed without a trace. The most effective way to deal with a Dream Witch was simply not to sleep.

"Don't give him the chance to set up a ritual, don't give him the chance to possess a summoned spirit, and we can win!" Zhao Yinluo encouraged himself.

At that moment, he heard a murmuring voice and quickly turned his head. It was an overlooked official, who had cut his own wrist and drawn a strange and complex formation on the ground with his blood.

He chanted obscure and profound syllables.

Zhao Yinluo's heart sank.

In the next moment, a powerful aura emerged from the Governor's body, and a graceful black smoke floated above his head, vaguely forming a blurry figure.

At the same time, the blades of the two bronze gongs descended.

The long knife tore through the clothes and struck the Governor, creating a piercing clash of metal. The black smoke above his head trembled.

As tough as bronze and iron."Who told you that the ritual must be arranged by the witch himself? In fact, puppets can also do it."

Mocking with the face of the prefect, Dream Witch raised his hand and grabbed the necks of the two silver gongs.

With a "click", the two silver gongs instantly perished.

Killing two silver gongs as a fourth-grade warrior was as simple as crushing two ants.

"You fool!"

In the hall, a furious roar came, like the roar of an old beast on the verge of extinction.

It was Jiang Lvzhong, raging with incompetence, his eyes red and his face distorted with anger.

The surviving copper gongs were terrified, finally realizing that the two silver gongs were just boosting morale.

Indeed, the witch was not good at close combat, but being a fourth-grade warrior meant a huge gap in realm. The so-called not being good at close combat was in comparison to other systems of the same grade.

"What are you hesitating for?"

Zhao Yinyin shouted loudly, startling the copper gongs.

At this moment, this silver gong, who was proficient in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling, still held his war knife high, like a brave warrior calmly facing death.

"For the time it takes for two incense sticks, we must fight for Jiang Jinluo. It's still early." Zhao Yinyin shouted.

"Nonsense."

But reality was cruel. Dream Witch, disguised as the prefect, raised his hand, gathering his energy in his palm, and pressed down forcefully.

Shockwaves were born in the air, ripples spreading.

Including Zhao Yinyin, the chests of all the Nightwatchers were hit, and they coughed up blood and flew backward.

With just one move, Dream Witch disabled all the Nightwatchers.

Jiang Lvzhong seemed to have already understood everything. He closed his eyes and no longer felt angry, because they would soon meet in another world.

Dream Witch clenched his fist again. The time for the battle soul to possess him was limited, and he didn't intend to waste time talking to Jiang Lvzhong.

After all, the real show was about to begin. Controlling the White Emperor City, gathering mountain bandits, attacking various prefectures and counties, they had to capture Yunzhou before the court could react.

The God of Witchcraft had been planning for years, and today was the time to reap the fruits.

With a punch, the energy rubbed against the air, emitting a deep roar, and directly rushed towards the hall.

A figure stood in the middle, it was Zhao Yinyin. He held his long knife with both hands, crouched down, and roared as he slashed.

This should have been the pinnacle of his life.

The knife energy collapsed, the long knife shattered, and the copper gong on his chest cracked. The terrifying energy pushed Zhao Yinyin into the hall, causing the entire hall to tremble.

Jiang Lvzhong's heart also trembled. He hurriedly crawled over and held his dying subordinate in his arms.

When Jiang Lvzhong touched Zhao Yinyin, he knew that there was no hope of turning the tide. His bones were broken all over, and his internal organs were the same.

The Bureau of Heavenly Masters might have a miraculous medicine to revive the dead, but Yunzhou did not.

The reason why he hadn't died immediately was probably the last stubbornness of a warrior.

Zhao Yinyin had always been a stubborn person, always acting against Jiang Lvzhong's orders, just like when he forcefully shook off his hand just now.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Jiang Lvzhong said in a low voice.

With a face covered in blood, Zhao Yinyin forced a smile, blood filling his mouth, and said intermittently, "Boss, I actually kept a room of concubines this year, eighteen years old, so tender.

"But I was afraid you would find out, so I didn't dare keep them at home. You often secretly meet with us silver gongs, and you repeatedly emphasize that we can't embezzle more than five hundred taels of silver a year, extort no more than ten wen from commoners at a time, and no more than three qian from shops and taverns at a time.

"Do you know, we all laugh at you behind your back. Only you would even make rules for embezzlement. We silver gongs, we listen to you on the surface, but we still embezzle as we please in secret. Otherwise, how could we afford so many concubines... Sorry, boss, for disappointing you.

"So, don't be sad for people like us. According to Wei Gong's rules, I should be dragged to the vegetable market and beheaded.

"Old Tang likes to drink. If you survive, remember to pour him two more cups of wine every Qingming Festival...

"Finally, one last request... I, I don't want to die in a foreign land, take me, back to the capital..."

The light in Zhao Yinyin's eyes faded away.

"Ah!" Governor Zhang sighed deeply, blaming himself, "I was careless, I was careless..."

"What's the use of saying these things now?"

Jiang Lvzhong said with a smile, but the sadness in his eyes couldn't be hidden, and tears flowed out like a torrent.

Dream Witch walked slowly, laughing heartily, "To be honest, we didn't actually plan to divide Yunzhou, support the mountain bandits, and accumulate troops. It was just a hidden move that we prepared for emergencies. It should be used when it is most needed, not like now.

"Although Zhou's experience revealed the problem with the account books, according to our plan, it was just to push Yang Chuannan to take the blame.

"I didn't expect the Qi faction to be so foolish and expose the secret of our cooperation. It attracted all of you.

"What surprised me even more was that a mere copper gong could achieve this, completely disrupting my plan. I had no choice but to deal with you and occupy Yunzhou in advance. If you want to hate someone, hate that copper gong named Xu. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have to die.

"Now, you go first. I will find that copper gong and kill him."As soon as the words fell, two strong winds suddenly attacked. Xu Qi'an raised his hand and shattered the two cold arrows.

On the wall stood a tall and proud bronze gong, holding a military crossbow given by Song Qing, a member of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters. However, it had now become an ordinary object.

In its lifetime, it could only shoot three times.

"Am I Xu Qi'an so unimpressive? Why does everyone keep calling it 'that bronze gong'?"

There was blood on his body, but it was all from others. He had killed his way here.

After Xu Qi'an finished speaking, his gaze fell on the two dead silver gongs and the heavily injured bronze gong. His carefree and detached demeanor suddenly became solemn.

His eyes darkened, expressionless.

.......

At the west city gate, a silver light descended from the sky and crashed into the city wall, shattering the bricks and raising dust.

Wearing fish scale armor and tying a high ponytail, Li Miaozhen stood on a spear, staring at the soldiers who were bending their bows and setting arrows.

In a deep voice, she asked, "Why is the city gate closed?"

Number three... Xu Qi'an was right. The city gate was indeed closed. But Li Miaozhen didn't recklessly break into the city to kill. Instead, she personally came to the city wall to question.

"Clang..." A general drew his sword and pointed it at Li Miaozhen. "Kill without mercy."

Without any explanation, he attacked directly.

In that case, there was nothing more to say. Li Miaozhen's eyes instantly became sharp.

With a clear sound of bowstrings vibrating, dozens of arrows were shot towards Li Miaozhen.

She didn't dodge or avoid them. She slapped a silk pouch, and a gloomy wind emerged, entangling the arrows and changing their flight trajectory.

The arrows grazed past Li Miaozhen, and the archers turned into human outlines.

"Clang!"

The flying sword at Li Miaozhen's waist unsheathed, turning into a silver lightning that whistled through the air, wandering around the necks of the defending soldiers, ruthlessly harvesting lives.

Clatter clatter clatter... The sound of galloping horses came, and the Feiyan Army rushed over, raising a cloud of dust.

Four hundred captains at the Bronze Skin and Iron Bone Realm led the sergeants at the Refining Spirit Realm, charging onto the city wall and cooperating with Li Miaozhen's flying sword to harvest the lives of the defending soldiers.

"Master, it's been a long time since you used the flying sword..." The female ghost Su Su lightly landed on the spear and hugged Li Miaozhen from behind.

This flying sword was a treasure bestowed upon Li Miaozhen by the Daoist Tianzong. She rarely used it, but every time it was unsheathed, it meant that Li Miaozhen was in a bad mood.

"I'm angry," Li Miaozhen said.

"Is it because the Governor was assassinated?"

"No, it's because of a despicable person."

"....."

Su Su furrowed her beautiful eyebrows, wanting to speak but hesitated. Did she forget that she was the Holy Maiden of the Tianzong? The Tianzong's doctrine was to be indifferent and not to like or dislike anything. However, in the past few years, Li Miaozhen had become more impulsive and resentful.

She had turned herself into a righteous and impulsive Feiyan Heroine.

The title of Feiyan Heroine was largely due to the fact that her flying sword was as agile as a swallow and left no trace when killing. The second reason was her righteousness. Wherever there was injustice, she would fly there.

The Feiyan Army once again demonstrated their formidable combat power, quickly eliminating the defenders on the city wall. Then, a Bronze Skin and Iron Bone warrior rammed open the city gate.

Li Miaozhen lightly leaped up, her figure descending, and then she grabbed the long spear and forcefully pulled it out, landing on the ground with it.

Under her lead, the Feiyan Army stormed into the city.

......

"After passing up the road to heaven, you come to hell on your own." After a brief moment of astonishment, Meng Wu burst into laughter.

Snap! Xu Qi'an jumped off the wall, holding the black gold long knife given to him by Song Qing, gritting his teeth and saying, "It's you, Xu Ningyan, who deserves to go to hell, you son of a bitch."

"Xu Ningyan, what are you doing here?" Jiang Lvzhong's face changed drastically. "Are you here to die? You can't save us. Go, go quickly."

Can I still escape... Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

He couldn't escape because Meng Wu had locked onto him. Meng Wu slowly clenched his fist, and the black smoke above his head swelled slightly, as if gathering power.

"Ningyan, you..." Zhang Xunfu closed his eyes. "Why are you doing this?"

Xu Qi'an wasn't panicked at all. He communicated with Shen Shu in his heart:

"Master, help me kill this person."

"Master?"

"Oh fuck, are you still there, Master? Don't play with me."

"Fuck, Master, you..."

A fist force came rushing towards him, accompanied by the roaring of wind and thunder.

At that moment, a sigh spread throughout the scene, "With the moon in hand, I pluck the stars. There is no one like me in the world."

A formation pattern lit up under Xu Qi'an's feet, and a translucent barrier rose up.

"Boom!"

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The aura exploded on the surface of the barrier, the sound of the explosion deafening. The green bricks on the ground were lifted up, creating a terrifying scene.

The main hall of the Bureau of Governmental Affairs collapsed half-way with a loud rumble.

After the long ringing in his ears passed, Xu Qi'an heard Jiang Lvzhong's angry roar, "Yang Qianhuan, you're also in Yunzhou. Why did you just stand by and do nothing? Why didn't you make a move earlier?"

Xu Qi'an turned around and saw a figure in white standing with his hands behind his back, facing away from them.

He felt no surprise at Yang Qianhuan's appearance, only thinking: You damn ghost, you finally came.

Xu Qi'an had long suspected that the sorcerer who kidnapped Liang Youping was a senior brother from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, most likely Yang Qianhuan.

And it turned out to be true.I, Yang Qianhuan, do not need to explain my actions to others. This thought crossed Yang Qianhuan's mind, but he did not say it out loud. He sighed and explained:

"I came to Yunzhou on the orders of my master, so I wasn't here earlier."

His task from the supervisor was to keep an eye on Xu Qi'an.

Wherever Xu Qi'an was, he would be there too.

He wasn't present when the several Nightwatchers were killed.

"I'll take you all away." Yang Qianhuan's footprints spread out, enveloping Xu Qi'an and Zhang Xunfu.

"Hmph!"

Mengwu stepped on the footprints, "Yang Qianhuan, you're not qualified to save people in my hands."

Yang Qianhuan replied, "I hold the moon and stars in my hand, there is no one like me in the world."

"Arrogant!" Mengwu's goat beard trembled, seemingly angry.

"Are you coming or not?" Yang Qianhuan's voice transmitted to Xu Qi'an's ears, "I can only take you away. If there are too many people, the footprints will not form and will be destroyed."

Xu Qi'an raised an eyebrow, "You still have another way, take this guy with you."

"There are hundreds of rebels outside." Yang Qianhuan warned.

"I know." Xu Qi'an replied.

After a brief silence, Yang Qianhuan said, "Alright."

He stomped his foot, and the footprints quickly spread out. This time, they only enveloped Mengwu. Before he could react, the two of them disappeared from the original spot.

"Take them out of the city and fight." Xu Qi'an shouted towards the sky.

There was no reply.

Xu Qi'an brought the bodies of the two Nightwatchers into the hall and gently placed them at Jiang Lvzhong's feet. "Sorry, I came late."

"You shouldn't have come." Jiang Lvzhong said in a deep voice.

But I still came... Xu Qi'an wanted to make a joke, but when the words reached his lips, it turned into a bitter smile.

The Nightwatchers helped each other into the inner hall, meditating and healing their injuries.

Jiang Lvzhong glanced at the surviving Nightwatchers, his eyes somewhat relieved. But the faint sound of fighting outside had entered its final stages, making him realize that they had not escaped danger.

"What's the situation outside?" Zhang Xunfu looked towards the outside of the hall.

"There are probably four to five hundred rebels left. When I broke in, the Tiger Guards had already suffered heavy losses." Xu Qi'an answered.

The Nightwatchers opened their eyes, their gazes were the same, filled with despair.

"Never mind, never mind..." Zhang Xunfu smiled bitterly, "It seems that we can't escape this disaster. I have let down the grace of the emperor and the trust of the Duke of Wei."

"You haven't let them down, you have let down these three dead Nightwatchers." Xu Qi'an glanced at him, got up, and walked to the threshold.

"Ning Yan, you go, with your strength, you can leave from the back hall." Jiang Lvzhong urged with red eyes.

"Go, go, go quickly. I will die here with my subordinates today. You are the person favored by the Duke of Wei. If you die here, the Duke of Wei will dig up my grave."

"There is hope, as long as we hold on, we will have reinforcements." Xu Qi'an's gaze had already seen the figures of the rebels, they were attacking.

He turned around and bowed to Zhang Xunfu, "Sir Zhang is a good official, although he also has some bad intentions, he always puts the people first in his heart. I dislike this world, but I am glad to see a good official like you. So I don't want you to die."

Then he turned to Jiang Lvzhong and bowed, "Jiang Jinluo is a good superior. The Official Brothel Sector's flower wine is excellent. If there is a chance, I will invite you to the Official Brothel Sector, you can choose any courtesan you like, except for Fu Xiang."

He looked at the bodies of the three Nightwatchers, "No matter what kind of people they were in their lives, at least at the moment of their death, they did not let down the name of the Nightwatchers."

Finally, he clenched his fist and raised it to his forehead, "The Duke of Wei has treated me with great kindness, always treating me well. It doesn't make sense for me to enjoy the benefits and hide in the back when there is danger."

After saying that, he closed the door of the hall.

Jiang Lvzhong was slightly moved and shouted hoarsely, "Ning Yan!"

One of the Nightwatchers trembled and muttered, "This won't do, this won't do. He is breaking through to the Divine Refinement Realm, he can't hold on..."

Zhang Xunfu weakly stood up, swaying in the wind, but he still stood up and deeply bowed to Xu Qi'an's back.

They couldn't see the situation outside anymore, but in the sound of bows and crossbows, in the sound of weapons clashing, in the noisy shouts of killing, they heard the passionate singing of the youth:

"Youthful heroism, bonded with the five heroes. Courageous and fearless, hair standing on end. In conversation, life and death are the same. A promise worth a thousand gold."

...

Xu Qi'an stood guard at the entrance of the courtyard, raising his knife and striking, raising his knife and striking... for every rebel that came, he killed one, for every two that came, he killed a pair.

The armor was as fragile as paper in the long knife produced by the supervisor, let alone flesh and blood.

At first, he felt uncomfortable and fearful of getting his hands stained with blood, but after killing so many, he became numb.

The rebels were mostly ordinary people, occasionally there were a few experts in the Essence Refinement Realm. For Xu Qi'an, who had a strong aura and had half a foot in the Divine Refinement Realm, there wasn't much difference.

But they couldn't withstand the tactic of overwhelming numbers, and his own condition was really bad. After killing more than a dozen people in one breath, Xu Qi'an gradually exhausted his strength, his stomach churned, his arms went numb, and he lost consciousness.

The most troublesome thing was the bows and crossbows. These things were shot in dense volleys, and a single knife couldn't withstand them.Fortunately, Xu Qi'an had a copper gong tied to his chest, so ordinary weapons couldn't harm him. He shot cold arrows towards the enemy's faces, and the rest of his body was left unguarded.

After beheading fifty people in one breath, Xu Qi'an reached his first limit. His internal energy was depleted, his eyes turned black, and his spirit was like a dried-up pond, on the verge of fainting.

But after surpassing this limit, he was surprised to find that a new spring emerged from the dried-up pond, nourishing his primordial spirit.

The surroundings became clear, the soldiers' fierce facial expressions, bulging muscles, and the trajectory of their swinging swords... every detail was accurately captured and imprinted in his mind.

... This is the realm of refining the spirit, the realm where everything can be sensed?

No, it's not the limit yet. He can continue to break through.

To be born from death!

Xu Qi'an suddenly understood what Shen Shu meant.

Continuously squeezing the primordial spirit without rest is a way of being born from death. But it's not enough. If the primordial spirit is compared to an iron embryo, an ordinary warrior's advancement to the realm of refining the spirit is like striking the hammer only once.

What Xu Qi'an is doing now is repeatedly pounding and tempering the primordial spirit, breaking through the limits on the edge of life and death.

After beheading one hundred people, he faced the limit again. After enduring it, a new spring gushed out, and his spiritual power once again soared.

"I can't hold on anymore... Stinky monk, I'm entrusting my life to you. Don't play tricks on me... I still have a group of enlightened girls in the capital..."

After beheading two hundred people in one breath, the new spring did not continue to emerge because Xu Qi'an had exhausted his strength and died.

The rapid growth of the primordial spirit has nothing to do with the physical body. Each time he squeezed the primordial spirit, he was actually squeezing the physical body as well. The primordial spirit had a new spring, but the physical body did not.

The god of killing finally stopped swinging his sword and stood there, leaning on it. But the rebels did not continue to attack. They held their swords, with fierce and vigilant expressions, filled with fear. They were terrified by the killings.

"Shoot him with crossbow arrows." A voice in the crowd shouted loudly.

Bang... The bowstring vibrated, and the crossbow arrow shot out. Whether it was due to physical exhaustion or nervousness, the crossbow arrow that was originally aimed at the forehead actually missed and grazed Xu Qi'an's scalp.

But the rebels cheered.

"He's dead, he's dead... Hahaha, this damn dog finally died."

"Chop him up, chop him up to avenge our brothers."

They rushed forward.

But at this moment, a flying sword came through the air, circling around the crowd and killing several soldiers in the front.

Immediately after, four warriors who seemed like gods and demons broke through the wall and led a group of armored soldiers to charge in.

At this time, there were still more than three hundred rebels, but facing this unexpected elite force, they were no match. Lives were harvested one by one, and soldiers fell one by one. The strong smell of blood made people nauseous.

After clearing the rebels, the soldiers of the Nightwatcher saw an unforgettable scene.

In the entrance of the courtyard, a young man stood proudly, with arrows stuck all over his body and corpses lying at his feet. He stood on top of the corpses, leaning on his sword.

There was no breath of life.

Li Miaozhen, wearing a crimson cloak, stood in front of him, her back appearing somewhat desolate.

The resentment and anger that filled her heart, the fantasy of meeting again and teaching him a lesson, Li Miaozhen, at this moment, felt a lump in her throat.

Li Miaozhen's eyes turned red. "I'm sorry, I'm late."

"Miaozhen..."

A centurion walked over, but his gaze stopped on Xu Qi'an.

"Clang..." He stood upright in place, the collision of his armor resounding, and he saluted Xu Qi'an.

"Clang..." The sound of armor colliding echoed throughout the courtyard as more than four hundred Nightwatcher soldiers saluted Xu Qi'an in unison, in perfect synchronization.

They didn't even know who this young man standing at the entrance of the courtyard was or what his name was. But they respected him from the bottom of their hearts.

"Go in and see if the governor is dead or alive."

Li Miaozhen's voice sounded hollow.

"Yes!"

The centurion bypassed Xu Qi'an and rushed into the courtyard.

Behind the crowd, Su Su, who was stunningly beautiful, stood quietly in the corner, staring blankly at Xu Qi'an.

"Are you an idiot..."

...

Bang...

The centurion pushed open the door and saw the Nightwatcher sitting cross-legged on the ground. He saw Governor Zhang, who was intact but pale.

Despair appeared on everyone's faces.

The centurion was stunned and quickly said, "I am Li Hu, a centurion of the Nightwatcher. You are saved."

Nightwatcher?!

The Nightwatchers looked at each other. Although they didn't understand why the Nightwatcher appeared here, the sounds of killing outside had indeed stopped.

They were saved.

A glimmer of hope in the face of adversity.

"Hoo..." Governor Zhang staggered, the tense string finally relaxed. He leaned on the table with all his strength, preventing himself from falling.

"What about Ning Yan...?" Governor Zhang asked, "What about the person outside, the one with the copper gong?"

The Nightwatchers who had escaped death looked at each other.

The centurion suddenly evaded their gaze, unable to meet their eyes. Their eyes were filled with hope, longing to hear good news from his mouth.

"He... died in battle."

...

Governor Zhang crawled out of the hall, crossed the courtyard, and came to Xu Qi'an.

But what he saw was a broken figure, with arrows sticking all over, covered in knife wounds, and no signs of life.Out of nowhere, the last chant of the young man echoed in his ears:

The spirit of a young hero, uniting the five city's bravest. With courage and determination, every hair stands on end. In the midst of conversation, life and death are the same. A promise worth a thousand gold.

A promise worth a thousand gold...

At this moment, the governor sat paralyzed on the ground, tears streaming down his old face.

.....

Outside the city.

Rows of crossbows were fired, the sound of bowstrings echoed clearly. Cannons were launched, the booming sound deafening.

Under Yang Qianhuan's feet, various array patterns lit up, each with different functions. Sometimes it was a gust of wind carrying arrows, increasing their penetration power, or changing their trajectory to chase the enemy.

Sometimes it was summoning flames, enhancing the explosive power of the cannonballs. Sometimes it was purely summoning thunder, bombarding the enemy.

"I am proficient in thirty-six array methods, twenty of which are for killing. Killing you, an insignificant ant, is just a matter of a snap." Yang Qianhuan sneered:

"But if you take back what you said earlier...."

"What did I say?"

The dream witch, who had summoned her battle spirit several times, was in a sorry state. Despite her unparalleled combat power, she couldn't touch Yang Qianhuan, who had mastered the teleportation array.

"You just said that I am not qualified to save people from you. Man, you have successfully provoked my anger."

"What difference does it make whether I take it back or not?"

"If you take it back, I'll leave your body intact. If you don't, I'll turn you into ashes. You witches are not good at killing, the battlefield piled up with corpses is your home ground. As for here, I call the shots."

"You can't stop me if I want to leave."

The dream witch slapped the air, causing the cannonball to explode. She was pushed back by the fanatic shockwave, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.

"Now that Governor Zhang and Jiang Lvzhong are dead, when the army hoarded in the mountains arrives, you will only have the option to flee back to the capital in disgrace."

As she said this, the dream witch suddenly felt a palpitation. She frowned, retreating while calculating.

For a diviner, palpitations mean a premonition.

"How is it possible...." The dream witch exclaimed in surprise.

She sensed danger, and the danger came from Jiang Lvzhong. But he should be dead now, without any signs of life.

Before taking action, she had divined a hexagram, which showed that everything would go smoothly today. But now when she calculated again, everything had changed.

The hexagram showed a sign of great disaster.

Who had shielded the heavenly secret?

"Boom, boom, boom...."

At the end of the horizon, a figure was rushing madly. One moment he was far away on the horizon, the next he was right in front of her.

It was Jiang Lvzhong, his face ferocious, his eyes red.

His violent aura surged like a tidal wave, signaling his boundless anger.

......

Post station, main hall.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao were guarding the hall, leaving only one gong upstairs to watch the prisoners.

Their swords were on the table, no one spoke, they sat silently. This atmosphere had lasted for half an hour.

Suddenly, both of them moved their ears, hearing the sound of carriage wheels, stopping at the entrance of the post station.

Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao grabbed their swords and ran out. In the yard, they saw Governor Zhang, saw the gongs, saw Li Miaozhen with her high ponytail.

Their faces were etched with sorrow, silent.

"Where is Ning Yan? Where is Xu Ningyan?" Song Tingfeng looked around in the crowd, but did not see his colleague.

"He's outside." A gong said softly.

Song Tingfeng's heart thumped, he rushed out without hesitation. Then, he saw Xu Qi'an in the carriage outside the post station.

His face was covered with a robe, Song Tingfeng recognized him because of his unique knife.

Song Tingfeng reached out, trembling, and pulled off the robe.

Half an hour ago, his companion was still full of life, but now he was expressionless, forever.

Song Tingfeng stood there, head down, for maybe five or six seconds. Suddenly, he let out a heart-wrenching howl.

"Condolences..." A gong walked over, tears in his eyes.

"Get lost!" Zhu Guangxiao kicked him away.

Song Tingfeng was still howling, "To hell with your condolences, my brother is gone, you tell me to be consoled.... Give me back my brother, give me back my brother.... Ahhh...."

......

In the gray world, Xu Qi'an saw the small temple again, where a handsome young monk was sitting.

"Master......" Xu Qi'an said bitterly: "It seems I'm dead. I'd like to send my regards to all the women in your family, if that's alright?"

.....

PS: This chapter is nine thousand words, three chapters in one.

I was writing last night, and I fell asleep while writing. I got up at five-thirty, then washed my face and continued writing. Because of the plot, it's not good to break the chapter, it's best to read it all at once for the reading experience. So I thought, why not just write it all at once. So I wrote nine thousand words.

Well, the next chapter will wrap up, and the Yunzhou case will be over. Time to go back to the capital and court the princess.

Remember to help me catch bugs, I'm going to catch up on sleep.