Chapter 33: Pretending to Be the Embroidered Uniform Guard

Whoosh! A white streak shot into Dongfang Xing's brow. Dongfang Xing felt as if pierced by a sword; the surging blood in Dongfang Xing's body was instantly suppressed. Dongfang Xing swayed, on the verge of collapsing.

The dark qi vanished completely.

Miss Dongfang! Chen Yi He lunged forward, catching her before she fell and pulling her into an embrace.

Shuangdao Wang knelt there, gasping heavily, fear sweat mingling with his feeble blood, spreading across his body. His face turned pallid, older than before, his head spinning, his ears ringing with sharp and ghostly sounds. He wanted to submit, to submit beneath endless darkness! He was nothing but a speck of dust!

He was engulfed by darkness! 'Ahhh!' He clutched his head, howling toward the heavens, 'What on earth is this?!'

Are you okay? Are you okay? Ah?! Chen Yi He held Dongfang Xing, cupping her small, moist face with his hand—this was Chen Yi He's first time feeling such despair, a despair without cause! 'Wake up quickly!'

Dongfang Xing didn't know whether she had fallen into a coma or was already dead; damp tears clung to her curved eyelashes, with no breath, no movement.

That white streak stopped at Dongfang Xing.

Zhao Kuang pressed his hands together over his sliced wrist, staggering along; he and the Cat Girl supported the dazed Double Blade King as they slowly walked away. Those forty-five thousand taels of silver—they knew that today, here, not even their lives could buy them back.

The mastermind behind the white streak hadn't even shown up, yet had already crushed them!

Hmph! You might get past us, but you won't get past the thirty-thousand-strong Embroidered Uniform Guard army! Giddyap!' After spitting those harsh words, Li Lan turned and galloped away on horseback without looking back.

Chen Yi He didn't know whether that white streak had saved their lives or harmed Dongfang Xing.

Let me have a look.' The Dragon King took Dongfang Xing's wrist, felt her pulse, and saw no injury on her forehead, then smiled, 'All good, all good, nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong.'

Chen Yi He let out a deep breath; he had really been frightened by Dongfang Xing just then.

Having gone through a life-and-death battle, all three of them survived, yet before even entering the Ten Thousand Layers Gate, they had already faced the most extraordinary trial.

Did you notice the dark qi she was just emitting?' The Dragon King lowered Dongfang Xing's wrist and asked Chen Yi He.

Chen Yi He nodded thoughtfully; just then, a tremendously powerful demonic aura had burst forth, but it vanished in an instant, so much so that he didn't even know what had happened.

As it turns out, you felt it too. But when I took her pulse, I sensed not a trace of demonic qi—I thought I must have been seeing things.

You… what are you… talking about?' Dongfang Xing asked weakly; she had awakened.

You're awake?' Chen Yi He asked with a smile, clearly agitated.

Dongfang Xing only then realized she was leaning in Chen Yi He's embrace; her face flushed again, a faint rose appearing on her deathly pale cheeks… 'Cough.' She couldn't hold back a light cough.

Are you okay?' Chen Yi He asked Dongfang Xing.

No… no, I'm fine.

Chen Yi He then gently helped Dongfang Xing to her feet; the three of them stood on the main road, with Southern Border City ahead.

The carriage's been destroyed—how are we supposed to get into the city?' Chen Yi He asked the Dragon King.

With all these gems, if we can't take them, we might as well leave them—carrying banknotes would be easy enough!

No way!' Chen Yi He refused firmly.

The Dragon King gazed at Southern Border City, seeing faint signs of heads moving on the walls, 'I'd guess Southern Border City has been blockaded from the outside by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.'

Thirty thousand Embroidered Uniform Guards—we'll probably be shot full of holes… We should have captured Li Lan earlier and threatened the Embroidered Uniform Guard to let us into the city!

Li Lan's strength is hard to gauge; just managing to save our lives earlier was already good enough. Yi He, you're overthinking things…

At that moment, a small troop wearing armor came running out from the woods behind, shouting 'Giddyap! Giddyap! Giddyap!'

Got it!' Chen Yi He slapped his head—an idea struck him!

We… we are Eunuch Zhang's people—how dare you treat us like this!

If Eunuch Zhang finds out, you're dead!

We're here with an important message for Southern Border City—by detaining us, you're delaying the imperial edict!

After all that blah-blah… the seven Embroidered Uniform Guard guards were trussed up and tossed into the pit where Zhao Kuang had just plopped down; three people stood at the edge, their silhouettes blocking the sunlight.

The imperial edict?' the Dragon King asked.

Exactly! Scared? Then let us go!

The Dragon King gave a heh-heh laugh, jumped into the pit, and searched the Embroidered Uniform Guard from head to toe—sure enough, he found a letter sealed with the characters 'West Depot' stamped on the envelope.

Don't touch it! You'll lose your head!

If you utter another word, we'll bury you alive—believe it or not?' Chen Yi He threatened, while he was stripping the Embroidered Uniform Guard's armor.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard fell silent at once…

The prince must enter the Ten Thousand Layers Gate; all other contenders are to be killed. Eunuch Zhang.' The heavens are high and the emperor far away—the Dragon King didn't care whether it was the emperor or Eunuch Zhang, he opened the envelope, finished reading, handed it to Chen Yi He, and sneered, 'What a ruthless Eunuch Zhang, what a ruthless emperor! Now there's fun to be had!'

Using Eunuch Zhang's mouth to issue this final ultimatum—the emperor certainly has a hand in this! Hmph.' Chen Yi He scoffed at such tactics… 'Since they're so keen to kill us, we might as well stir things up!' Having said that, he pocketed the envelope, took brush, ink, and paper from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, lay on the ground, and began to write.

The Dragon King watched Chen Yi He write; those crooked characters were truly ugly—'The prince must not enter the Ten Thousand Layers Gate; all other contenders are to be released. Eunuch Zhang.'

You're sure this is how a senior court official would write?' the Dragon King exclaimed, half-laughing, half-crying.

Written in haste, sadly lacking a seal, but getting away with it once should be fine.' Chen Yi He admired his own handiwork… and nodded in satisfaction.

Chen Yi He picked out another three pieces of Embroidered Uniform Guard armor. 'You're small—make do with this one!' He handed the smallest piece to Dongfang Xing.

Dongfang Xing wearing the Embroidered Uniform Guard armor felt like a kid in adult clothes—but it's armor, so once on horseback it's not too obvious; if it were ordinary silk clothing, this baggy, long getup would be absolutely unsuitable.

After seeing to the armor, Chen Yi He loaded the heavy gems onto the horses' backs, distributing the load evenly among the seven mounts—just enough.

Um, I can't ride a horse, Dragon King—will you take me?' Chen Yi He only then realized the problem; a month and a half ago, in a patch of white flowers, a runaway wild horse had given him a proper lesson… leaving him with a deep-seated trauma…

No way—with all these gems, I'd have to drive six horses alone; bringing you would be too much!' The Dragon King glanced at Dongfang Xing, 'Let her take you!'

Well…

Come on up.' Seeing Chen Yi He's dilemma, Dongfang Xing spoke up voluntarily.

Chen Yi He didn't know whether he could ride a horse, but the previous trauma was too great, and besides… besides, there's a beautiful woman along for the ride—why not?

You… your hand…' Dongfang Xing lowered her head, seeing Chen Yi He's hands reach out from her waist and pull her close.

I'm afraid I'll fall off—I need to hold on tight…

Uh…' Dongfang Xing was too embarrassed to go on.

Giddyap!

Giddyup!

"Help! Who will come save us!" The Embroidered Uniform Guard's cries for help were gradually left behind...