Chapter 38: Interception

De Ke Jun Cheng is a medium-sized city; its walls are not high, but they are sturdy. Outside the city lies an open plain, dotted with only a few scattered patches of forest that, in the twilight, resemble frozen ink spots upon the earth.

When Linlei and his party arrived, it was already evening.

The setting sun dyed the horizon a dark red, like silk soaked in blood. In the distance, De Ke Jun Cheng showed its silhouette against the twilight; faint figures of patrolling soldiers could be seen on the city walls. The main road outside the city was already empty of travelers; only the night wind swept up dust, swirling as it rushed past.

They found a small, hidden grove outside the city to settle in. The grove was not large, but its trees were dense enough to provide cover. Linlei stood at the edge of the woods, his gaze sweeping over the surrounding terrain—the north was an open main road, the south held a dry riverbed, and the west consisted of rolling hills. If the situation changed, there were at least two escape routes.

"This will do," Saisile said, looking around. His withered fingers rubbed his staff. "It's not far from the main road, and the view is open. Their convoy should come from the north; we just wait here. I can set up a few undead sentries; any movement within a li will not escape our notice."

Linlei nodded, his gaze falling on that main road leading into the distance.

The Li Bei Ka sisters were settled deep within the woods. The two girls, having endured a bumpy journey, both looked unwell, yet neither complained. Li Bei Ka held her younger sister, whispering comfort, and used a handkerchief to wipe the dust from the girl's face. Zhan Ning Si had built a small fire nearby, cooking dried rations; occasionally he glanced up at the two sisters, his eyes filled with pity.

"Drink some hot water," he said, handing over the boiled water.

Li Bei Ka took it and thanked him in a low voice. Her sister had already fallen asleep in her arms, her small face weary but sleeping soundly.

Aikesi leaned against a tree, took a sip from his waterskin, glanced at the little girl, then shifted his gaze to the distance. He remembered from the original story that Li Bei Ka was a stubborn girl who, after her parents died, fled with her sister and suffered greatly along the way. Traveling with Linlei and the others this time, she would at least no longer need to worry about being caught by people from the Radiant Church. This book is first published at ttks. tw, a thoughtful novel platform waiting for you to read, providing you with error-free chapters and a seamless reading experience.

"Is Lampson's intelligence accurate?" he asked.

"It should be fine," Saisile said, sitting beside him and lowering his voice. "I used soul search to dig the information out of his brain; it cannot be fake. The escort convoy is guarding five people, reportedly important 'cargo' valued by the Radiant Church, to be delivered to headquarters. As for exactly who they are, even Lampson is unclear; he only knows those five are not weak in power, all Level 7 Warriors, so the escort convoy is also strong. The leaders are two Level 9s, plus more than a dozen Level 8s, and one Light Mage."

Aikesi said nothing, but a vague suspicion formed in his heart.

Five people, all Warriors, Level 7, valued by the Radiant Church—this description was too familiar.

The five Bake brothers.

In the original story, descendants of the Undying Warriors, captured by the Radiant Church, later rescued by Linlei, becoming one of his earliest core members. But now, these five should not yet know their bloodline, thinking themselves ordinary Mercenaries. Their ancestors were powerful figures from the Dragonblood Warrior era; the Undying Warrior bloodline flows within their bodies. Even without awakening, their physical bodies are far more formidable than Warriors of the same level. The Radiant Church capturing them was probably not merely to escort ordinary prisoners—they were eyeing these five physical bodies as Vessels for the descent of angels.

"Wait," Linlei said.

He sat on a stone, closing his eyes to rest. The perception of a Dragonblood Warrior was even sharper at night; he could hear the distant chirping of insects, smell the scents carried by the wind, and feel the faint vibrations transmitted from the earth. Beibei lay on his lap, his small ears twitching, his black, round eyes darting around, vigilantly watching the surroundings.

Night gradually deepened.

After Saisile finished setting up the undead sentries, he leaned against a tree and dozed. He was old; although his power was formidable, his energy was not like that of the young, and he needed to rest fully to deal with the battle that might come. Zhan Ning Si, holding the Li Bei Ka sisters, also slept. The fire was extinguished, leaving only the faint glow of embers.

Aikesi did not sleep.

He leaned against a tree, holding the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl in his hand. Moonlight filtered through the branches and leaves, coating the pearl with a layer of silver luster. The crimson patterns within the pearl flowed slowly, like living things. He could feel the soul energy contained within the pearl, vast and pure; if fully refined, it would greatly aid in the tempering of the soul.

He put the Soul-Stabilizing Pearl away and directed his gaze toward the main road. Nothing could be seen clearly in the night, only the sound of wind and insects. But Linlei had said that convoy should pass here tonight. In Lampson's memories, the escort convoy moved along a fixed route; tonight they would definitely take this main road.

Time passed bit by bit.

In the latter half of the night, when the moon tilted west and the night was at its darkest.

Aikesi suddenly opened his eyes.

Horsehoof sounds came from the distance, very faint, but they could not escape his perception. He stood up and looked toward the main road. In the night, a convoy was slowly approaching; the light of torches stood out vividly in the darkness, like a moving fire dragon.

"They're here."

Linlei and Saisile woke up simultaneously. Beibei jumped down from Linlei's lap, perked up his ears, and emitted a low growl from his mouth.

The three lay prone at the edge of the woods, watching that convoy approach.

The torchlight grew closer; the general scale of the convoy became visible—front were more than a dozen mounted Warriors, clad in leather armor with swords at their waists, vigilantly watching the surroundings. In the middle was a prisoner cart pulled by four horses; the wheels creaked as they rolled over the main road. Behind the prisoner cart were several escorting soldiers, holding spears, their expressions numb.

The configuration was much the same as the previous convoy.

But the situation inside the prisoner cart was different. Last time, seven or eight people were squeezed together; this time there were only five. Each was bound by thick chains; the chains wrapped around their entire bodies, binding hands and feet tightly. Under the moonlight, faint magical runes could be seen on the chains, glowing faintly in the darkness.

"Those chains..." Saisile squinted, his gaze fixed tightly on the prisoner cart. "They are engraved with runes of sealing magic, specifically used against Warriors. Bound by these, no matter how great their strength, they cannot exert it. Moreover, the chains dig directly into the flesh; over time, even blood flow becomes sluggish. These five fellows have suffered quite a bit."

Linlei's gaze fell on those five people.

From this distance, their faces were unclear, but it was evident they were all burly men—sturdy builds; even bound and sitting in the prisoner cart, they gave off a sense of oppression. The one who was the most burly had broad shoulders and thick arms; even bound by chains, he still kept his spine straight, refusing to bow his head. Another looked somewhat younger, leaning against the bars of the prisoner cart, muttering something unknown.

"Shall we act?" Aikesi asked.

"Wait a bit longer," Linlei said, staring at the convoy. "Wait until they are closer. Saisile, have your undead ready; once the signal is given, immediately surround them. Leave those knights to your undead; I and Aikesi will deal with those two Level 9s and the Mage."

Saisile nodded and began silently chanting spells, communicating with the undead beneath the ground.

The convoy drew closer.

The leading few knights were speaking in low voices; occasionally laughter drifted over. They clearly did not expect to encounter an ambush here, so their vigilance was low. This stretch of the main road had always been peaceful; no bandit gangs dared to provoke the Radiant Church's convoys. These knights had escorted prisoners many times and were long accustomed to such boring journeys.

When the convoy entered range, Linlei stood up.

Dragonblood power surged; black-green dragon scales drilled out from beneath his skin, covering his entire body. His aura climbed from Level 8 all the way to Nine-level Peak; muscles bulged, dragon claws sharpened, and his pupils became vertical slits, glowing eerily in the darkness.

He did not charge out immediately but looked at Saisile.

Saisile nodded and slammed his staff heavily on the ground.

The ground cracked open; skeletons crawled out from underground, green soul-fire burning in their eye sockets. Immediately followed were zombies, ghosts, and several massive undead creatures—a bone wolf, two ghouls, and a rotting giant. The Undead Legion appeared silently at the edge of the woods, especially eerie in the night, yet making not a single sound.

"Attack."

Linlei charged out first.

His speed was extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, he reached the very front of the convoy. His dragon claw swept down, raising a shriek that tore the air. A knight, unable even to scream, was slapped flying, crashing into the prisoner cart; his chest collapsed, and he died on the spot. Blood splattered on the bars of the prisoner cart, still warm.

"Enemy attack!"

Only then did the remaining knights react, drawing their swords. But the Undead Legion had already flanked from both sides; skeletons and zombies surged toward the crowd, while ghosts floated in the air, emitting piercing shrieks that disrupted their perception. Several warhorses, startled, reared up, throwing the knights on their backs.

The battle erupted in an instant.

Aikesi did not rush to act but stood at the edge of the woods observing. He noticed three figures in the convoy with stronger auras, likely Level 9s—two Warriors and one Mage. Those two Level 9 Warriors were engaged in combat with Linlei; sword light flashed, battle qi exploded, but Linlei's dragon-transformed body possessed terrifying defense; their sword strikes left only shallow white marks upon it.

The Mage stood at the rear of the convoy and had already begun chanting spells. Holy light condensed in his hands, growing brighter and brighter; it seemed about to be released—that should be the Radiant Church's Purification Art, specifically countering undead.

Aikesi raised his hand; a flame arrow formed from Falling Heart Fire shot forth.

The flame drew a bright trail across the night sky, heading straight for the Mage. Sensing danger, the Mage hastily interrupted his chant and raised a holy light shield. The flame arrow struck the shield and exploded with a boom; the shield instantly became covered in cracks, then shattered. The Mage was knocked back several steps, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, looking toward Aikesi's direction in terror.

But Aikesi's second arrow had already arrived.

This arrow pierced directly through his chest, exiting from his back and carrying a spray of blood mist. The Mage looked down at the blood hole in his chest; his lips moved, but no sound came out; he slowly fell to the ground. Holy light dissipated from his body, turning into scattered points of light.

The two Level 9 Warriors, noticing the Mage had been killed, turned pale. One roared, "You hold them off; I'll go kill that Mage!" Saying this, he tried to break combat and charge toward the woods. But how could Linlei let him leave? His dragon claw swept horizontally, forcing him to turn his sword to block.

"Do you think you can leave?" Linlei sneered, his assault growing even fiercer.

Another Level 9 Warrior took the opportunity to thrust his sword into Linlei's back; the tip pierced the dragon scales and sank half an inch in. Linlei didn't even frown; he turned and swiped with a claw, forcing that man to retreat in a disheveled state. A Dragonblood Warrior's physical recovery is astonishing; such a minor wound would heal within a few breaths.

Saisile's Undead Legion had already controlled the situation.

Those Level 7 and Level 8 Knights were entangled by skeletons and zombies, struggling on all sides, utterly unable to break free. Several bone wolves darted through the crowd, biting specifically at horse legs. War horses neighed and collapsed, throwing their riders, only to be swamped by surging zombies. A few Knights tried to charge toward the prison cart, but ghosts interfered with their minds; instead, they began hacking at each other, blades striking comrades, blood splashing on the spot.

Screams, the clashing of weapons, and the low growls of the undead wove together, echoing in the night sky.

Aikesi did not look at the battle on Linlei's side but walked toward the prison cart.

The chains on the prison cart were thick, wrapped around the bars, sealing the door shut. Complex runes were carved into the chains, glowing with a faint golden light under the moonlight—this was the Radiant Church's sealing technique, specifically designed to suppress Warriors. He reached out, grasped the chains, and activated the Fallen Heart Flame.

Flames instantly engulfed the chains, emitting a hissing sound. The chains turned red-hot; the runes flickered a few times, then shattered. Within a few breaths, the chains snapped, falling to the ground with a clatter.

The five burly men inside the prison cart froze.

They stared at the young man before them, at the flames still not fully dissipated on his hands, and for a moment didn't know what to say. The burly man with the injured arm was the first to react; he struggled to his feet and crawled out through the broken chains. The other four followed, climbing out of the prison cart and stretching their stiff limbs.

"Thank you, brother, for saving our lives!" the burly man said with a fist-palm salute, his voice booming, clear even amidst the chaotic battlefield. He looked to be in his early thirties, his face covered in stubble, a blood-stained cloth wrapped around his arm, yet his eyes were bright, radiating a bold spirit.

Aikesi waved his hand, said nothing, and turned to face the battlefield.

The battle on Linlei's side was already nearing its end.

Two Level 9 Warriors lay—one dead, one injured. The injured one had been knocked unconscious by a single claw swipe from Linlei, lying motionless on the ground. The dead body lay in a pool of blood, its chest pierced through by a dragon claw. Linlei exited his Dragon Transformation state, took several deep breaths, and calmed the surging Dragonblood power within his body.

The remaining Knights were either dead or injured, posing no further threat. Saisile's undead were still pursuing the scattered survivors, but most had been killed on the spot. Several who attempted to flee were caught up by Beibei; the little Ying Shu was astonishingly fast, biting each of them once on the leg. Poison entered their bodies; after running a few steps, they collapsed.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the battle ended.

Saisile commanded the undead to clear the battlefield, dragging the corpses into the woods for disposal. Most of the Knights' horses, frightened, had fled; the few remaining ones he casually collected and tied at the edge of the woods. They were fine horses, well-trained; even without riders, they did not run wildly.