Green Mountain
Chapter 338 - 278, Lord of War’s Arrow

Chapter 338: 278, Lord of War’s Arrow

The raging fire in Guyuan City continued to spread toward the North.

The nighttime wind carried the scent of burning throughout the city, filling the streets with thick smoke, pungent and acrid.

On Kule Street, more than ten Heavenly Strategy Army Iron Cavalry wielding long spears surrounded Li Xuan and six civilians.

Li Xuan could only wield a sword with his right hand, holding a little girl under his left arm, constantly shifting his stance to shield the civilians behind him.

One Iron Cavalry raised a spear to attack the old man behind Li Xuan. With sharp reflexes, Li Xuan tapped the tip of the spear with his sword, emitting a sharp clang of metal.

The spear trembled under the impact, numbing the Iron Cavalry’s hand. He immediately withdrew the weapon and warned with a solemn tone, "Careful, he’s quite tricky."

Another Iron Cavalry held the reins and looked down at Li Xuan from atop his steed, sneering, "You’re barely able to protect yourself, yet still dream of being a hero?"

Li Xuan panted heavily, "Guyuan City is already yours. Why pursue annihilation? These civilians will soon be your people. Why not spare a path for them to live?"

The Iron Cavalry coldly laughed, "How would I know if these people aren’t hiding your Southern spies? Guyuan is one of the Nine Borders and critically important. We are not as foolish as the border army, leaving hidden threats behind. Purging the entire city is necessary—I would much rather it be filled with Northerners."

Li Xuan felt a mix of emotions. Even the Jing Dynasty understood this principle—why did the Ning Dynasty’s border army fail to grasp it? How could they be so short-sighted, to destroy their own Great Wall for a little tax silver by letting so many Northerners in!

Still, he retorted, "General Hu was only trying to sustain the border army..."

The Iron Cavalry exchanged glances and suddenly burst into laughter, as if hearing the biggest joke in the world: "It was those Wentao dog thieves who invited Northerners into the city for trade. What has it got to do with Hu Junxian? Your so-called General Hu had been exchanging letters with our Great Commander years ago. Even the mountain path that led us into the heart of your Ning Dynasty was guided by his trusted aides!"

Another spoke arrogantly from horseback, "Turns out you’re the real fool, sold off without knowing it! That talk about ’opening the city gates to protect Guyuan’s civilians’ was just a ruse—the excuse to deceive his border army soldiers. Truth is, Hu Junxian had long wanted to offer Guyuan to our dynasty!"

Li Xuan froze in shock: "How could this be? How could this be!"

The Heavenly Strategy Army Iron Cavalry, seeing his momentary loss of composure, instantly thrust four spears at him!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Li Xuan’s sword blossomed with dazzling flourishes, parrying all four incoming spears.

One spear was severed by his sword; as the spear tip fell, Li Xuan kicked it forward.

The broken tip, carrying the force of a storm, pierced the hindquarters of one warrior’s horse. The shocked horse reared in pain, nearly throwing its rider to the ground.

No one could have anticipated Li Xuan’s agility and skill, even rattled, he remained formidable.

As Li Xuan prepared to take advantage and strike the fallen Iron Cavalry, a piercing whistle echoed from afar. In an instant, a sharp signal arrow hurtled in his direction.

The arrow came at an uncanny angle, forcing Li Xuan to withdraw his sword defensively, knocking the whistle arrow aside.

In the Heavenly Strategy Army ranks, someone murmured gravely, "He’s not from the border army. He might be a Seeking Dao Realm Grand Official! Once the signal arrow calls reinforcements, we’ll encircle and eliminate him!"

The same realization struck Li Xuan—although the cavalry seemed like a common Jing Dynasty scout unit, their tactical coordination was flawless: one group suppressing him psychologically while another attacked from a distance. Their assault and defense were seamless, leaving no openings.

He could already hear reinforcements approaching, summoned by the signal arrow.

Li Xuan surveyed the surrounding area and asked in a deep voice, "The things you said about Hu Junxian earlier—was it just to distract me? You are merely ordinary soldiers; how could you know military secrets?"

One of the cavalry began circling Li Xuan and the civilians at a leisurely pace, taunting, "That’s no secret within our Heavenly Strategy Army... You’re not border army—are you Yulin Army? I’m curious, how come you’re here alone? Where are your comrades? Did they all abandon you? Why not surrender to the Heavenly Strategy Army? Riches and glory await."

Li Xuan suddenly recalled Chen Ji’s detached, aloof gaze but quickly refocused. He realized that the Iron Cavalry was stalling for time until reinforcements arrived, and he could do nothing about it.

No, this couldn’t drag on!

He stepped forward, intent on breaking through the encirclement.

But as he moved, the Heavenly Strategy Army immediately aimed their spears at the civilians, forcing him to retreat defensively. Another signal arrow flew from the darkness in the distance, narrowly missing his scalp.

A Heavenly Strategy Army soldier mocked loudly, "As expected from the Dandy Army, soft-hearted! A Seeking Dao Realm officer, yet trapped here for a few helpless civilians—pathetic!"

They had a firm grasp of Li Xuan’s weakness. Every time he acted, they would attack the civilians, trapping him in perpetual defensive maneuvers. Caution governed their every move; they avoided pressing too hard until reinforcements arrived!

Li Xuan felt conflicted—he considered abandoning the civilians, but when he turned back and saw their tearful faces, he just couldn’t bring himself to do it.

One Iron Cavalry coldly jeered, "Since you’re so saintly, why did you come to the battlefield? Next life, be reborn in a wealthy family and don’t come seeking death."

Li Xuan abruptly shook his sword, its resonant hum vibrating: "If I cannot protect the people behind me, what purpose does my cultivation serve?"

The Heavenly Strategy Army scoffed, "The Dandy Army’s noble sons—masters of empty words... Huh!"

Mid-sentence, a splash of blood suddenly sprayed across Li Xuan’s face.

Li Xuan looked up sharply, seeing the Iron Cavalry speaker widen his eyes in shock. A black iron arrow pierced through his mouth, with blood flowing down his opened jaw.

Everyone turned in alarm, directing their gaze toward the source of the iron arrow!

Could the Divine Archer have missed their mark?

Impossible! The Heavenly Strategy Army’s Divine Archers were capable of hitting a willow leaf at a hundred paces, even under wind their aim never faltered, let alone striking ally troops!

Someone within the ranks shouted angrily, "Take cover! The Divine Archer’s bow has been seized..."

A loud thud followed as another iron arrow shot through the chest of the speaker, carrying immense force, even surpassing the prowess of the Heavenly Strategy Army’s Divine Archers!

Li Xuan’s mind raced: What was happening? Who was aiding him?

With no time to dwell, he saw a lapse in the formation and immediately cleaved through, breaking their ranks.

One Iron Cavalry draped himself over his horse’s flank, using the animal to block incoming arrows. But Li Xuan swung downward—his blade slicing through the gap between shoulder armor and helmet, severing the rider’s head!

Li Xuan joined forces with the unseen archer hidden in the night, striking from north and south simultaneously. His eyes blazed, cutting through figures in rapid succession, throwing the Heavenly Strategy Army into chaos.

"Retreat! Summon the Centurion!" shouted one fleeing Iron Cavalry, trying to regroup with reinforcements. But in the night sky, another iron arrow sailed forth, effortlessly severing his reins.

Without the reins to guide him, the rider fell forward, half his body dangling beneath the horse’s belly. In that split moment, another arrow struck, piercing his skull cleanly.

His foot caught in the stirrup, his body was dragged farther as the horse galloped away.

Li Xuan’s eyes dilated in shock.

He had encountered many of the Heavenly Strategy Army’s Divine Archers that day, but none executed such ruthless precision, leaving no room for defense.

After dispatching the last Iron Cavalry, Li Xuan couldn’t help but glance toward the direction of the iron arrows, but only the pitch-black night stared back at him, concealing the identity of the archer.

Was it a Ning Dynasty spy within the Jing Dynasty—or a skilled officer from the border army?

Vaguely, he glimpsed a shadow leaping across rooftops, approaching quickly.

Uncertain if the figure was friend or foe, Li Xuan placed the civilians behind him, sword at the ready, holding his breath.

In the next moment, he gasped aloud, "Chen Ji?!"

Under the dark roofline, Chen Ji had changed into a Heavenly Strategy Army Divine Archer’s black armor, wearing a pheasant feather helmet with a black plume pointing straight toward the crescent moon overhead.

Chen Ji held a bow in one hand, an arrow in the other, with two quivers strapped to his waist—a sign that two Divine Archers had already fallen victim to him!

"It’s you?!"

Li Xuan was taken aback. The earlier arrow that cut through the galloping horse’s reins—that precision—even the Heavenly Strategy Army’s archers might struggle to achieve such a feat.

Most surprising of all was Chen Ji’s arrival to save him—he had warned Li Xuan with his gaze earlier by the alley. Why return now?

Li Xuan murmured, "You..."

Chen Ji’s eyes swept coldly over Li Xuan and the civilians before he said calmly, "Why haven’t you left yet?"

Li Xuan quickly hoisted the girl onto his back and began running north. But after only a few steps, he heard hoofbeats blaring ahead—more Heavenly Strategy Army cavalry raised by the signal arrow!

He turned west; hoofbeats resounded there as well.

Stopping, Li Xuan strained to listen, discovering that cavalry approached from all directions—escape was impossible.

He looked back at Chen Ji, bitterly apologizing, "Sorry for dragging you into this. You should leave on your own; they shouldn’t be able to stop someone with your skills. But could you take this little girl with you? She’s still so young..."

Chen Ji shot him a peculiar glance, then pointed west-northward: "Go that way, through a narrow alley, then north."

Li Xuan shook his head. "There are enemy troops there too—no way out. These Heavenly Strategy Army soldiers are relentless; if they latch onto us, none of us will survive."

Chen Ji didn’t reply but casually pulled three signal arrows from his quiver, lining them all on the bowstring and shooting them toward the east.

Sharp whistles tore through the night sky.

Li Xuan froze—he heard the hoofbeats heading in his direction suddenly scatter, redirected toward the origin of the signal arrows.

Signal arrows were the flag commands within this dark battlefield, guiding the Heavenly Strategy Army’s movements!

Li Xuan widened his eyes, finally understanding Chen Ji’s intent in killing two Divine Archers. Possessing the signal arrows allowed him to mislead the troops, creating an uncontested escape route!

Such audacity, to perform a maneuver so reckless—yet it worked perfectly!

Li Xuan quickly urged the civilians, "Follow me, hurry!"

Carrying the girl, he dashed toward the west-north alley. Before ducking inside, he turned back, but Chen Ji’s silhouette on the rooftop had already vanished.