Chapter 73: with translation of title

A few of them deftly changed into night cloaks, then sat cross‑legged, taking out the dry rations and water they carried to replenish their strength.

They also carefully inspected their weapons and the confusing drug.

They were eight in total, all experts of the Tian Shu Sect and trusted lieutenants of Lu Xingfeng; not only were their martial skills formidable, but their preparations were also thorough.

Roughly the span of a single incense stick.

The sun had fully set, and night shrouded the earth.

Except for the distant torchlight illuminating Xi Tun Guan and Lin Xian Village, the rest was pitch dark, where one could not see a hand in front of one's face.

The eight men in black split into two groups.

Four headed toward Xi Tun Guan, and four toward Lin Xian Village.

The ink‑black surroundings provided them excellent cover.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished from sight.

Soon, midnight approached.

The four men in black who reached the wall of Xi Tun Guan, relying on their superior martial skill, evaded the patrolling soldiers and sentries.

Just as they were about to employ their lightness skill to scale the wall,

one of them whispered, "Everyone stay still, I heard something moving."

As he said, he pointed toward the sky.

The other three quickly pressed against the base of the wall, holding their breath and focusing.

The four circulated Internal Strength, further sharpening their sight and hearing.

After a short while, in the still night sky, a faint buzzing sound drifted from afar.

They saw, amidst the night dotted with sparse starlight, a tiny black speck flash by.

Though they didn't know what it was, based on their wandering‑through‑the‑martial‑world experience and a master's intuition, they concluded they must absolutely avoid that thing.

After waiting patiently for a long time, they also discerned a pattern.

The object flying high in the sky would return roughly every half‑incense‑stick interval, and there was more than one.

Based on the observed pattern, the four timed the gaps, used the brief openings to quickly form a human ladder and employ their lightness skill, leaping up the wall with great speed.

They then silently slipped past the patrols on the wall.

The whole process was coordinated flawlessly and swift, allowing them to infiltrate Xi Tun Guan without trouble.

In terms of martial skill, each could easily handle dozens of soldiers.

But if exposed, facing a cavalry siege would make retreat impossible, so they remained extremely cautious throughout.

"Did you notice," a man in black whispered in a mosquito‑thin voice from the darkness, "the wall of Xi Tun Guan seems different from before."

Another in black replied, "I've noticed it too; it feels extremely hard, not like it was built of earth and stone."

One muttered, "No wonder the Yu Guo Army can't take it; such a solid wall is truly unprecedented."

"Enough, now isn't the time to dwell on this," the leader of the four reminded, "we only need to locate the Crown Prince's cell and get him out."

The group ceased discussion and slipped toward the prison.

Xi Tun Guan had never been a crucial place, so even its map wasn't a secret.

Before arriving, they had memorized the terrain and the layout map of the fortress.

As expected, the spot marked on the map led them quickly to the cell.

The cell was guarded by a heavy patrol outside.

They drew silver needles soaked in the confusing drug from their waists and flung them.

Dozens of needles finer than a hair strand successively pierced the throats of the patrolling soldier and the gate guard with precision.

In the blink of an eye, those Xuan Guo soldiers tasked with guarding the cell fell limp without even a sound.

The four men in black entered as if the place were empty, and smoothly broke into the prison.

Immediately after, they used the bewildering smoke to knock out the soldiers on guard inside, and with swift, decisive speed reached the deepest part of the cell.

At this moment, the Yu Guo Crown Prince was soundly asleep.

The leading man in black drew the short sword at his waist and struck forcefully at the chain on the cell door.

Crack!

The blade struck the iron chain, sparking a shower of sparks.

The iron chain bore only a shallow mark, while the black man's short sword split open with a large gash.

"What's happening? It won't even cut through this iron chain!"

The four men in black showed surprised expressions.

The other three also tried, but even channeling Internal Strength they could not split the chain.

"This iron chain… seems unlike any we've seen before," the leader said, gripping the chain, "its shape is only slightly different, but the material surpasses even Yu Guo's finest wrought iron, especially the lock—truly strange."

They had no way of knowing that the chain was the one Ning Jinli had sent to Xiao Qidi.

It was meant as a precaution.

The other three decisively ran to the side where a guard lay unconscious and fumbled around.

But they found no key at all.

The leader furrowed his brow, "It seems the key isn't here; it must be hidden elsewhere."

The other three asked, "What should we do now?"

"We finally managed to get in, everything has gone smoothly, the Yu Guo Crown Prince is right before our eyes—should we risk failing now?"

"Then why not just tear the cell apart!"

The leader looked frustrated and shook his head helplessly.

They only carried sharp short swords, thinking that even against a lock forged of raw iron they could still cut through.

But they hadn't expected to exceed their expectations here.

Moreover, the four short knives had already nicked and dulled while just cutting the chain, making it difficult to cut the cell's wood in a short time.

"There's no way, let's go!" the leader said after a brief thought.

Since they could no longer rescue the Crown Prince, they couldn't leave their own people trapped here.

If they lingered any longer, they might be discovered by the remaining soldiers inside Xi Tun Guan.

No matter how unwilling they were, they could only retreat.

The few were decisive; with the rescue failed, they returned without hesitation, racing back the way they came as if they had never been there.

While they exhausted themselves to no avail, another four men in black had already slipped into Lin Xian Village.

This place was indeed much larger than Xi Tun Guan, but with their skills slipping in was even easier; they just spent extra time locating Xiao Qidi.

They assumed that, as a ruler, Xiao Qidi would not live among ordinary civilians.

Sure enough, by secretly tracking the village patrol guards, they eventually discovered a camp.

Four ghostly black silhouettes, in the ink‑black night, avoided the torches and bonfire and slipped in silently.

Even though many Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers were on guard in the camp, no one expected a martial‑arts master from the jianghu to slip in; moreover, the Xuanjia Armor Armor Armor Armor Soldiers possessed strength but no cultivation, so they sensed nothing amiss.

It was already midnight.

Ning Jinli lay inside the tent, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

As a modern person, she hadn't fallen asleep before midnight for a long time.

She had thought that in such a quiet, unlit setting she could rest better, but the more she lay down, the more alert she became.

Instinctively she pulled out her phone to skim news or something briefly, but remembered there was no internet here.

The phone could no longer be used to pass the time.

"Sigh... the long night drags on, the phone can't be used, I can't sleep, it's killing me..."

Ning Jinli muttered, sat up, and looked around; through the tent she could see the glow of torches outside.

Insomnia was one thing, but the air was also stifling.

It was summer, and there was no air‑conditioning or fan here.

There wasn't even any ice.

The only advantage was that, due to a long drought, there were no mosquito bites, nor snakes, insects, rats, or ants crawling into the crude tent.

But the ancient bed inside the tent was hard and rough; even with two layers of coarse cloth, it was no different from lying on the ground.

At that moment, she missed her factory dormitory immensely.

"Ah... can't... uncomfortable," Ning Jinli wiped the sweat from her forehead, muttering to herself, "Luckily I can return to the modern world at any time; living here forever would be terrifying. The common folk of the past really have it hard, sigh..."

The deeper her experience of life here, the more she felt compassion for the ancient common folk.

Wealthy and powerful nobles fared better; regardless of clothing, food, shelter, or leisure, they could access the best resources. Though not comparable to modern standards, they were far more comfortable than ordinary people of the same era.

And as a modern person, even the ten poorest years after being expelled from the Ning Family were far less miserable than the hardships of the locals here.

Ning Jinli got up, fanning herself with her hand while pacing back and forth.

"How about just going back to the factory to sleep?"

"Order delivery for some food and chilled drinks, then eat, drink, and stream a show."

"Then take a shower and lie on my soft little bed..."

"Tch, it's beyond comfortable."

Now that she thought about it, even staying in the factory dormitory would be a heaven compared to here.

But Ning Jinli thought it over and ultimately held back the urge to go back now.

The soldiers and civilians here, tens of thousands, all live like this.

Even their dwellings aren't as good as hers.

They live a hard life every day; could they not even endure a single night?

At that moment, Ning Jinli's peripheral vision caught a shadow flicker outside the tent.

She lifted the curtain and stepped out.

A slight night breeze brushed past, giving her a hint of coolness.

"Little brother, why aren't you asleep yet?" she asked the tall figure not far away.

Xiao Qidi withdrew his gaze from a secluded spot in the camp, turned around, "I got tired of looking at the dictionary, came out for some air; why aren't you sleeping either?"

Ning Jinli replied helplessly, "Can't fall asleep... so I came out for some air too."

Xiao Qidi stepped closer, "If you're not used to it, just go back."

"Who said I'm not used to it," Ning Jinli retorted stubbornly, "I'm just... getting used to the bed; changing places gave me some insomnia, but after a couple days I'll adapt."

The camp's dim lantern light flickered gently, illuminating Ning Jinli's sweaty face.

Her delicate features seemed to sparkle with a faint glow.

Xiao Qidi was momentarily distracted by the sight.

"How is it, is the dictionary useful?" Ning Jinli asked.

Xiao Qidi nodded, "It's very useful; every word has its counterpart and annotation. I plan to let the literate locals here study it as well."

"Mm‑mm," Ning Jinli said shyly, continuing, "Then... could you get me something to eat? I'm a bit hungry."

"Follow me," Xiao Qidi said, heading toward his own camp tent.

Ning Jinli immediately followed inside.

Xiao Qidi took out a can of meat, opened it, and handed it to her.

"If it's not enough, I'll have someone fetch more,"

"That's enough, that's enough."

Ning Jinli directly reached in, pulled it out, and stuffed it into her mouth.

The canned food she previously thought not very tasty now seemed like a heavenly delicacy.

She ate heartily without regard for her image, making Xiao Qidi swallow his saliva.

Outside the tent, a shadow silently approached in the darkness.

Immediately, a wisp of light smoke drifted in through a gap in the tent.

Ning Jinli polished off the canned food in a few bites, let out a satisfied burp, and said with a grin, "Thank you for the hospitality."

Xiao Qidi turned his gaze away from her lips and said lightly, "This is still the food you brought; you needn't be polite."

"Huh? I feel a bit sleepy..." Ning Jinli suddenly felt a wave of fatigue, "I guess I'm sleepy from being full; I... can... sleep..."

Before she could finish saying "sleep," her eyes went black and she lost consciousness.

Xiao Qidi hurriedly held her up, and immediately felt his own head begin to swim.

He silently thought, "Oh no."

Earlier he had vaguely sensed a shadow passing outside the tent, not like a patrolling soldier, so he went out to check.

At this moment, an abnormal dizziness suddenly appeared, and he became certain something was wrong.

Unfortunately, his attention had been diverted to Ning Jinli, and everything happened too quickly.

He didn't even have time to call for help before he collapsed, holding Ning Jinli.

The only thing he could do was use his body to cushion her fall, so she wouldn't get hurt…

After the two fell down.

Four black-clothed figures quickly entered the tent and tightly bound Xiao Qidi.

"Who is this woman?" a black-clothed figure wondered, "Her clothes and shoes are so strange."

Two other black-clothed figures crouched down, continually sizing her up.

"Tsk, she's really beautiful."

"Her clothing is so revealing, arms and legs uncovered… her skin is so white, so delicate… how could there be such an absolutely beautiful woman in the world?"

"Could she be Xiao Qidi's favorite concubine?"

"This kid really knows how to enjoy himself…"

After discussing a bit, the two looked toward the leader of the black-clothed figures and said, "Should we also tie up this girl?"

The leader of the black-clothed figures pondered briefly, then nodded.

The three black-clothed underlings' eyes lit up, and they vied with each other to bind Ning Jinli as well.

The leader of the black-clothed figures warned in a low voice, "We're tying her up because she's been with Xiao Qidi and her attire is especially peculiar; perhaps she's important to him. Until we clarify her identity, you must not act rashly."

"What if, after we find out, she's just an ordinary concubine?"

"Then you may do with her as you please."

The three black-clothed underlings almost laughed out loud.

One of them lunged forward, hoisted Ning Jinli onto his shoulder, and greedily squeezed her thigh.

The other three together lifted the tall Xiao Qidi.

Then, one after another, they quickly left the tent.

…

Waiting until dawn broke.

Xiao Qidi opened his eyes in an unknown small mountain cave.

He immediately realized he was bound, and without even thinking about using his strength to break free, he discovered he could not mobilize his internal energy.

"Don't waste your effort." The leader of the black-clothed figures approached, crouched, and said, "I know you're strong and skilled in martial arts, so I gave you a special drug; now even running is hard for you."

Xiao Qidi glanced around coldly and saw Ning Jinli also bound, lying nearby; though still unconscious, she appeared unharmed, and he let out a slight sigh of relief.

"Since you know I'm strong and skilled in martial arts, you should know who I am," Xiao Qidi said with a sinister look, "Dare to kidnap me, aren't you afraid of death?"

"Hahaha!" the leader of the black-clothed figures laughed, "It's you we've tied up! Too bad we couldn't capture the Yu Guo Crown Prince, but catching you should be enough to report merit."

Xiao Qidi, without changing expression, observed the surroundings while asking, "Are you all sent by Yu Guo? What benefits did Yu Guo give you? I'll offer double."

The leader of the black-clothed figures gave no answer, but pointed at Ning Jinli and asked, "What is this beauty's relation to you? Who is she?"