Chapter 158: What a Grand Gesture

"Is the Shadow Guard's intelligence accurate?"

"Rest assured, my lord. This subordinate has already dispatched all the Shadow Guards. Once they discover the tracks of the Ying River Giant Bandits, they will report back immediately!"

While riding alongside Shen Yu, the Shadow Guard leader Gao Cheng explained, "The Ying River Giant Bandits seem to have tasted the benefits of burning, killing, and looting, and they know the Dongning Army will not mobilize for the time being, which is why they have become increasingly unscrupulous!"

"According to reliable information, they split their forces yesterday. Several of the Ying River Giant Bandits' leaders are each commanding their own groups to pillage various places. The mountain village before us is the group closest to us!"

"Very well. In that case, let's start with them!" Riding rapidly toward the village Gao Cheng mentioned, Shen Yu's heart was full of anxiety.

The Ying River Giant Bandits number over ten thousand. It would be better if they were all in one place; at least the scope of destruction would be limited. But once they split up to pillage everywhere, Songnan Prefecture will surely be engulfed in flames, and there is no telling how many people will suffer.

Every hour that passes, perhaps one or two villages are looted. Who knows how many people will be killed, how many families will be torn apart—this group of bandits truly deserves to die!

"Lord Shen, do you really intend to face the Ying River Giant Bandits all by yourself? That is a massive force of nearly ten thousand bandits," Gao Cheng asked, looking at Shen Yu beside him with a hint of worry.

As the leader of the Shadow Guard, he had naturally heard of the recent events. He had to admire that the Lord Shen before him dared to stand firm against such prominent clans. But the subsequent retaliation had followed in quick succession.

Although the pressure from the imperial court was being fully resisted by the Governor, dark currents were already surging in the pugilistic world. It was rumored that the Chang Family had spent a great price, driving countless experts to madness.

In this period alone, there had been no fewer than five or six waves of assassination attempts against this Lord Shen, not to mention the countless others lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity.

And this time, the Ying River Giant Bandits suddenly began burning, killing, and looting, while the Dongning Army replaced its Commander. Although even the Shadow Guard had no direct evidence, it all happened too coincidentally—so coincidentally that it did not seem like a coincidence at all.

If he faced them alone, the ten-thousand-strong Ying River Giant Bandits were already numerous and powerful, with many experts among them. If the Chang Family were to send a portion of their own skilled fighters, even an expert like Lord Shen would likely be worn down to death.

As for finding allies, sorry, this Lord Shen did not seem to have any allies around him. Let alone allies, he had few friends.

At the very least, the Shadow Guard's secret investigations revealed that this Lord Shen had made very few friends since he started, while he had offended a huge number of people.

If they knew he was in trouble, there would be plenty of people waiting to kick him while he was down. As for those who would offer help in times of need, sorry, there would likely be none. To have ended up like this, he is truly the first of his kind!

No matter how you calculate it, this Lord Shen has to face it alone, and such a choice is undoubtedly a narrow escape from death.

Yet, if he were to turn a blind eye and allow the common people to be looted and slaughtered, not to mention whether he could live with his conscience, it would first and foremost be an act of dereliction of duty. The lightest charge would be the loss of his official position.

With the Chang Family's weight in the imperial court, increasing this charge several times over would be no problem; even a death sentence would not be impossible.

How to choose? What to choose? This is an open conspiracy, forcing him to face it alone.

And this Lord Shen is even more audacious; unable to recruit help, he chose without hesitation to challenge the entire Ying River Giant Bandits alone.

Looking at Shen Yu beside him, Gao Cheng's expression was filled with pity. He wondered if he would be able to survive this battle.

"My lord, the ones ahead should be the Ying River Giant Bandits!"

"I see them!" From afar, Shen Yu saw a mountain village built in a mountain hollow where a troop was stationed. The sounds drifting from afar made him feel a surge of irritation.

As he rode closer, wanton laughter quickly filled his ears, interspersed with the helpless pleas of commoners and the heart-wrenching screams of women. Everywhere he looked, blood flowed like a river.

The once peaceful and tranquil village was now plunged into endless sorrow and pain, and what appeared before his eyes was merely the tip of the iceberg.

No one knew how much more bloody turmoil the Ying River Giant Bandits would stir up once they were completely unrestrained. No one knew where would be slaughtered next.

At this moment, Shen Yu's eyes flashed with irrepressible rage. Although there was no direct evidence, the Ying River Giant Bandits' actions were likely related to the Chang Family; everything was too coincidental.

In their eyes, what were the common people? Were they just insignificant tools for their revenge!

"Gao Cheng, stay here. Your mission is complete; the rest has nothing to do with your Shadow Guard! Also, have your Shadow Guards observe closely; if you discover any more traces of the Ying River Giant Bandits, report back at any time!"

"Lord Shen!" Suddenly calling out to Shen Yu, Gao Cheng opened his mouth, wanting to stop him, but when the words reached his lips, he did not know how to say them.

For some reason, he felt a lingering sense of unease in his heart. Especially after arriving here, this unease not only failed to diminish but grew even larger.

Yet, looking roughly at the mountain village before him, it was just a small village with at most a few hundred Ying River Giant Bandits. With so few people, let alone this Lord Shen, even their Shadow Guard would be enough to wipe them out with ease.

Perhaps the unease in his heart was just some inexplicable nervousness!

"Gao Cheng, what is it?"

"Nothing, Lord Shen. Take care!"

"Rest assured, they are just a group of petty thieves, not the main camp of the Ying River Giant Bandits. I will be back shortly!"

Flicking his horse whip, Shen Yu rode forward without looking back. In the blink of an eye, a large expanse of flowers, grass, and leaves swirled around him. From afar, he looked like an elf suddenly appearing in the mountain forest, with the vegetation and flying flowers cheering and leaping for him.

Before he even arrived, the grass leaves and flying flowers had already turned into the sharpest blades, covering everything before him like a blanket. Each ordinary leaf erupted with the most terrifying power.

The hundreds of Ying River Giant Bandits did not even last a moment against this green storm before they were reduced to mere corpses. Yet, at this moment, Shen Yu did not feel happy; instead, he frowned tightly.

From all directions, he sensed a clear murderous intent, and a vague feeling of danger welled up in his heart, making him feel slightly uneasy.

"Lord Shen, we have been waiting here for a long time!" Suddenly, a cold snort rang out, and immediately after, dense figures charged down from the hills on both sides of the village.

Behind him, tunnel entrances were pried open. Countless people rushed out from these tunnels, and countless giant shields made of refined steel were held horizontally in front, firmly surrounding him in the very center.

"I understand now!" Looking at the large number of troops suddenly surging out, Shen Yu realized it instantly. There had been an ambush here all along; it turned out that even the Shadow Guard was no longer trustworthy.

Soon, huge crossbows were pushed up, aimed directly at Shen Yu in the center. The danger he had felt earlier originated precisely from this.

"This is... the Cloud Piercing Crossbow?" This is a heavy crossbow known for being able to pierce even clouds; the Innate Qi of ordinary experts is no better than a rag before such a powerful weapon!

Even among elite imperial forces like the Dongning Army, there are only a dozen or so Cloud Piercing Crossbows. But just from what Shen Yu could see, there were no fewer than twenty, and there was no telling how many more were hidden in the dark.

To keep him here, they really went to great lengths!