Chapter 447: You

Wrong! Why is there no fixed sentry at the entrance?

Xiao Ningyuan whispered, "Stop!"

Everyone stopped in unison.

Xiao Ningyuan looked around and said, "Call the Patrol Scout!"

A guard put a hand to his lips and blew a pheasant's call.

After pausing briefly, he blew three more calls in succession.

After the sound faded for a while, no one appeared, and the faint silhouettes inside the tent gave no response.

Xiao Ningyuan's gaze suddenly turned cold.

The elite under his father's command are battle‑hardened veterans; even if the heavens fell, the sentry posts would never be disordered.

Fixed sentries, Patrol Scouts, and hidden sentries are three interlocking layers, yet now there is no reaction inside or outside the camp.

"Something's off," Xiao Er placed Tuan Tuan into Xiao Ningyuan's arms, whispered, "Young master, you and the lady find a rock to hide behind; I'll go see with the brothers."

"Okay." Xiao Ningyuan tightly embraced the sleeping Tuan Tuan to his chest, "Be extra careful."

Having said that, he quickly retreated to a nearby rock.

He pulled his sister closer into his arms, covering her little ears, "Good girl, keep sleeping."

Xiao Tuanzi mumbled a sleepy "mm," nudged his head against him lightly, and fell back into deep sleep.

Xiao Er made a gesture, telling everyone to hide the packs on their backs and the spirit herbs in their arms somewhere first.

After everyone stowed their items, he drew his side blade, crouched low, and slipped along the ground into the snow.

He crawled forward silently, slipping into the shadow behind the side of the tent, where the deep snow muffled the rustle of clothing.

He glanced back at the guards who had already dispersed in coordination, took out a fire paper, gave it a gentle blow, and quickly pressed it against the corner of the tent.

The tent cloth, soaked in tung oil to resist moisture, ignites on contact with fire.

Flames leapt wildly under the biting mountain wind, and within moments they climbed to the top of the tent!

"Cough cough!"

From inside the tent came a suppressed choking cough and a few short startled shouts.

Immediately followed by several utterances in an extremely odd tone, sharp and urgent.

Xiao Er frowned, "Where are those words from? I don't understand a single character!"

Seven or eight figures burst out of the tent, short and thin yet unusually wiry; even when ambushed, they showed no sign of panic.

Three of them quickly formed a right‑triangle formation to protect a person whose eyes were narrow, nose prominent, and lips slightly protruding.

"Capture the king before the thief!" Xiao Er sprang up, rushed toward the center of the formation, raised his blade and struck.

Lu Qi and the guards leapt up at once, charging toward the others.

"Clang clang!"

Blade met blade, sparks flying everywhere.

These fighters held knives in both hands, their moves bizarre, each slash aimed at the face, neck side, or underarm.

A guard swung his knife straight down, but the white‑clad man neither dodged nor flinched, counter‑slashing toward the guard's right arm!

The blade struck the guard, then slid off and bounced, merely tearing the outer shirt without leaving a single bloodstain.

The white‑clad man was momentarily stunned, while the guard's confidence surged; he grinned, "Is that all?" and thrust a reverse slash toward the opponent's throat.

Seeing the opponent hard to subdue, Xiao Er shouted, "Form a formation!"

The guards immediately closed ranks, forming groups of three to advance together.

Lu Qi, not a regular soldier, couldn't coordinate with them, so he struck at a white‑clad man's back of the neck; the man crouched low, raised his knife and counter‑slashed.

"Fine skill!" Lu Qi shouted in praise, relying on his precious armor, he didn't dodge at all, and with a reverse slash cut the opponent down to the ground.

Seeing his subordinates fall one by one, the man in the battle circle suddenly let out a short, sharp whistle and shouted something.

The two remaining white‑clad men, hearing the sound, abruptly changed tactics, ceased fighting, and reached into their chests.

Xiao Er shouted, "Watch out for hidden weapons!"

But what they produced were not hidden weapons; instead, several black pellets the size of dragon's eyes were hurled hard onto the snow beneath their feet!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

White smoke billowed up, spreading rapidly; the dense haze rendered everything around invisible.

Xiao Er and the others covered their faces with their sleeves, held their breath, and retreated quickly.

When the mountain wind dispersed the white smoke, only a few corpses of the white‑clad men remained on the snow.

The leader and the two remaining men vanished like specters into the vast night, leaving no footprints at all.

Everyone looked at each other, wondering what kind of people these were.

Xiao Ningyuan released his hand from Tuan Tuan's ear, lifted her, and walked out from behind the rock.

Inside his arms, Xiao Tuanzi stirred, "Big brother, it's so noisy… is it thunder?"

"Yes, did it disturb you? Good girl, keep sleeping, brother's here."

Tuan Tuan didn't open her eyes, and fell back into deep sleep.

Xiao Ningyuan pointed at the corpses on the ground.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi immediately stepped forward, picked up their weapons, pulled open their garments, and examined them carefully.

Xiao Er said, "These people are neither Zhongyuan nor steppe folk; we can't discern any background."

"Looking at their weapons and techniques, they're the same style as those who attempted to assassinate His Majesty that time."

"How did they know we were here? Could they have followed us all the way?"

Lu Qi took several black pellets from a man's waist pouch, brought them close to his nose and sniffed, furrowing his brows: "Niter, sulfur, and a whiff of fishy odor, like dried sea‑creature powder; I've never seen anything like this."

Xiao Ningyuan frowned tightly, "If they could seize the camp, those brothers left behind were surely killed."

The guards couldn't help but lower their heads.

"These beasts!"

"If only they were also wearing treasure armor."

"Yes, those people's kung fu is truly impressive; if it weren't for the miss letting us wear it, I wouldn't be able to keep my life today."

Xiao Ningyuan glanced at the tent that had already turned to ash, then looked at the horses tethered not far away.

"Fortunately, they hid in the tent to ambush us, but they didn't touch the horses or wagons."

"This place is not fit for lingering; lead the horses, hitch the carriage!"

"Take the soft armor and spirit herbs; we leave tonight!"

"Yes!"

A moment later, Xiao Ningyuan, cradling Tuan Tuan, slipped into the carriage; Xiao Er personally drove the carriage, the guards kept the carriage in the middle, and the party sped toward the outside of Snow Mountain.

At daybreak, Xiao Ningyuan, uneasy, said: "Two people aren't enough; you five go together, quickly deliver the soft armor and spirit herbs back to Xibei Daying."

"Do not stop on the way, change horses but not people, keep a close watch, remember, these soft armors must not fall into anyone else's hands."

"Yes! We will not disappoint the young master! As long as one is in the armor, one is safe!"

"Good! Thank you for your hard work."

Xiao Ningyuan watched the backs of the five departing guards and said: "Xiao Er, those people are following us only for the treasure; it seems we must be even faster."

Xiao Er nodded: "As long as we are still searching for the treasure, those people will probably keep following."

Xiao Ningyuan glanced at the map: "Go! Straight for the former dynasty's imperial tomb, Qi Feng Mountain!"

"Good!"

Not far from them, a dozen or so riders kept a distance, following at a steady pace.

"Where are they heading now? Those who follow that girl are truly masters, all practitioners of Zhongyuan hard kung fu, each impervious to swords and spears."

"Everyone listen, wherever they go, as soon as they get off the carriage, act immediately!"

"Quickly find out the location of the treasure; otherwise, we cannot report back, and everyone will die! Got it?"

"Yes!"

In Xibei Daying, Xiao Ningxun stared intently at the Heavenly Son Sword in his hand, and the fourth notch lit up.

He exhaled slowly: "Tuan Tuan, big brother, you have found another place."