Chapter 250

At the same time, the assassinations and counter-assassinations inside Bian Liang City were fiercely unfolding in the dark night.

Translation: "At the same time, the assassinations and counter-assassinations inside Bianliangcheng were fiercely unfolding in the dark night."

At the same time, the assassinations and counter-assassinations inside Bianliangcheng were fiercely unfolding in the dark night.

Several hundred li outside Bian Liang lies Chan Prefecture, which once served as the foundation of Chai Rong and now guards an important prisoner—the failed mutineer Zhao Kuangyin—and this northern stronghold also received an unexpected guest.

Translation: "Chan Prefecture, located several hundred li outside Bian Liang, which had once been the foundation of Chai Rong and now guarded the important prisoner—failed mutineer Zhao Kuangyin—this northern stronghold also received unexpected guests."

several hundred li

The darkness, too, is the best cover here.

Translation: "The night, likewise, was the best curtain here."

A better translation would be: "The darkness, too, is the best curtain here."

The temporary detention facility inside Chan Prefecture was no ordinary jail; it was a remodeled government office turned into a heavily guarded independent compound.

Translation: "The temporary prison inside Chan Prefecture City was no ordinary jail, but a separate compound converted from an official office, with tight security."

High walls and deep fortifications were manned by elite soldiers in rotating shifts, with open sentries and hidden checkpoints forming layered defenses.

Translation: "High walls and deep fortifications, with elite soldiers rotating guard duty inside and out, with open posts and hidden checkpoints, defenses layered upon layers."

The guard detail consisted of a trusted veteran unit left by Han Tong, led by an officer surnamed Lei, known for his bravery and caution.

Translation: "Those in charge of guarding were a troop of utterly reliable veteran subordinates left by Han Tong, led by a commander surnamed Lei, known for bravery and caution."

led by an officer surnamed Lei, known for bravery and caution.

Inside the cell, Zhao Kuangyin leaned against the cold wall, his hands and feet shackled in heavy irons.

Translation: "Inside the cell, Zhao Kuangyin leaned against the cold wall, his hands and feet shackled with heavy irons."

Once full of vigor, his face now bore signs of dejection and resentment, with unkempt stubble and sunken eyes.

Translation: "Once vigorous and spirited, his face now bore despair and unwillingness, his stubble unkempt, his eye sockets sunken."

Only in those eyes, which occasionally opened and closed, lingered a spark of unextinguished wildfire.

Translation: "Only in those eyes, which occasionally opened and closed, lingered a spark of unextinguished wildfire."

He could faintly hear the wind outside.

Translation: "He faintly heard the wind outside."

The chaos in Bian Liang, the defeat in Hebei, the peril in Jinzhou—each piece of news felt like a needle piercing his heart.

Translation: "Bian Liang in chaos, Hebei defeated, Jin Prefecture perilous… each piece of news was like a needle stabbing his heart."

He didn't know whether to hope for Chen Wan's downfall or to lament the decay of the Central Plains situation.

Translation: "He did not know whether to hope for Chen Wen's downfall or to lament the decay of the Zhongyuan situation."

The Iron Crow Army… he knew of their existence, and had even had some tacit contacts with them.

Translation: "Iron Crow Army… he knew of their existence, and had even had some tacit contact."

But he never imagined that their power would be so strange, their methods so brutal, nor that he himself would end up as a prisoner, while they seemed not to have abandoned him as a pawn.

Translation: "But he never imagined their power would be so strange, their methods so cruel, nor that he himself would become a prisoner, while those people seemed not to have abandoned him as this 'pawn'."

This realization brought him little joy; instead, it stirred a deeper chill in his heart.

Translation: "This realization brought him little joy, instead arousing a deeper chill in his heart."

Just as his thoughts were in turmoil——

Translation: "Just as his thoughts were in turmoil——"

"Enemy attack——!"

Translation: "\"Enemy attack——! \""

Outside the compound, a piercing alarm cry from the guard soldiers suddenly rang out!

Translation: "Outside the compound, the guard soldiers' piercing alarm cry suddenly rang out!"

Immediately followed by the twang of bowstrings, the swoosh of blades cutting through the air, and short, fierce screams.

Translation: "Immediately followed by the twang of bowstrings, the slicing of blades through wind, and short, fierce screams!"

The sounds came from multiple directions, as if the entire compound had instantly been surrounded.

Translation: "The sounds came from multiple directions, as if the entire compound had instantly fallen into encirclement!"

"What's going on?!"

Translation: "\"What's going on?! \""

Officer Lei's angry roar rang out, accompanied by the clatter of armor and the drawing of weapons.

Translation: "Lei Officer's roar rose, accompanied by the clamor of armor and the drawing of weapons."

"Officer! Enemies are scaling both the east and west walls at once! Their skill is extraordinary—our brothers can't hold them back!"

Translation: "\"Officer! Enemies are scaling both east and west walls at once! Their skill is extraordinary—our brothers can't hold them! \""

"It's the Iron Crow Army! Definitely them!"

Translation: "\"It's the Iron Crow Army! Definitely them! \""

The panicked report confirmed Zhao Kuangyin's suspicion.

Translation: "The panicked report confirmed Zhao Kuangyin's suspicion."

His heart leapt.

The cell door was jerked open from outside, two ashen‑soldiers burst in with knives, warily fixing their gaze on Zhao Kuangyin, clearly to stop him from exploiting the chaos to act.

Zhao Kuangyin remained still, only pricking up his ears and attentively listening to every sound outside.

Shouts of killing, clashing weapons, and dying cries rang out like popping beans, rapidly advancing toward the inner courtyard where the cell was located.

The attackers' ferocity far exceeded the ordinary.

Colonel Lei's roars and commands continued, but the voices of the defenders were quickly dwindling.

"Form up! Block them!"

"Quickly light the beacon and call for aid from within the city!"

"Impossible! The signal won't go out! It seems the outside has been cut off!"

Amid the chaos, the defenders' desperate cries were intermingled.

The brutality of the battle was conveyed clearly through the sounds.

An Iron Crow Army assassin, perhaps gravely wounded by the defenders' last‑ditch counterattack, let out an inhuman roar and slammed into the wall beside the cell, shattering it and sending stone fragments flying.

Half his body was drenched in blood, a broken spear jutting from his chest, yet he still brandished a dark‑blue dagger, lunging at the cell's guards like a mad tiger.

The two soldiers met him in horror, but against this gravely wounded yet ferociously brave foe, they were instantly overpowered.

"Protect the prisoner!"

Colonel Lei, drenched in blood, led the last three or four personal guards in a flank attack, desperately blocking the dying Iron Crow assassin and several other reinforcements.

"Go!"

In the melee, it seemed someone tossed something into the cell.

Gurgle—

A thumb‑sized sphere emitting a faint white smoke rolled to Zhao Kuangyin's feet.

It was not an offensive weapon.

Zhao Kuangyin's pupils constricted slightly.

At the same time, a low, urgent voice, masked by the fierce fighting outside, slipped into his ear like a thread:

"General Zhao, do you want to take back everything that belongs to you?"

"This item can temporarily unlock your shackles; follow us out and fight! Our master is willing to give you another chance!"

It's the Iron Crow Army!

They really came to rescue him!

Zhao Kuangyin's heart began to pound wildly.

He stared at the white‑smoking sphere at his feet, then at the hellish scene outside the cell.

Colonel Lei and the last few personal guards, like a small boat about to capsize in a storm, fought to the death under the encirclement of several Iron Crow elites, constantly falling, their blood nearly staining every inch of the inner courtyard.

They were fulfilling their duty as guards with their lives.

And the Iron Crow Army, those mysterious and ruthless fellows—what exactly is this so‑called "opportunity" of theirs?

Is it to become their pawn, another puppet controlled by drugs and sorcery? Or is it a knife they wield to sow chaos and oppose Chen Wen?

Do I really want to take this path?

In an instant, countless thoughts churned in his mind.

Ambition, unwillingness, fear, and vigilance against the unknown clashed fiercely.

The fighting sounds outside gradually weakened.

Colonel Lei's roar turned into heavy panting, then finally ceased abruptly.

Only the Iron Crow Army assassin's cold, slightly hurried breathing remained.

"Time's running out, General Zhao!"

That urging voice sounded again, tinged with impatience.

Zhao Kuangyin gritted his teeth fiercely.

He didn't want to die here!

No matter what, first get out of this cage!

He stomped on the small ball with his foot, crushing it!

"Sss—"

A pungent smell spread; the powder bursting from the small ball contacted the fine steel shackles' lock hole, emitting a faint 'hiss'.

Immediately after, a soft 'click' sounded, and the shackles on his wrists and ankles sprang open!

Freedom was restored!

Zhao Kuangyin had no time to ponder the mechanism's ingenuity; he leapt up from the ground and snatched the waist blade of a fallen guard nearby.

At the prison cell entrance, the battle had ended.

Colonel Lei and the last few guards all died in battle, their bodies strewn about, blood flowing.

Meanwhile, the Iron Crow Army assassins who had stormed the inner courtyard were down to three, each wounded, their breathing unsteady—evidently they too had paid a heavy price in the earlier fight.

The leader, face masked, revealed only a pair of cold, ruthless eyes, which swept over Zhao Kuangyin, especially the blade he held.

"Go!"

Without extra words, he gave a low shout, turned, and rushed outward.

The other two followed closely behind.

Zhao Kuangyin hesitated slightly, then immediately fell in step.

Inside and outside the compound lay chaos, corpses of both sides scattered everywhere.

Of the nearly hundred elite guards stationed here, not a single one survived.

The force the Iron Crow Army committed this time likely suffered near-total annihilation.

They followed a preplanned route, blasted open by external comrades at the cost of their lives, and broke out swiftly.

The garrison within Chen Prefecture had been alarmed; in the distance came the sounds of troops mobilizing and the glow of torches.

We must burst out of the city before the encirclement is complete!

Along the way, there were still sporadic encounters and blockades.

Zhao Kuangyin swung his blade, felling a Chen Prefecture soldier trying to block him; warm blood spattered his face, leaving him dazed for a moment.

I… ultimately still walked this path.

As he followed those three Iron Crow Army remnants, relying on some 'inside information' about Chen Prefecture's terrain and their fearless assault, he finally, by a narrow margin, burst out from a weakly defended water gate nearby, plunging into the boundless darkness beyond the city.

He looked back.

Torches lined the walls of Chen Prefecture, voices roared—clearly it had been fully alerted.

Beside him, the Iron Crow Army assassins were down to two, both seriously wounded.

This sudden jailbreak exacted a grievous toll on both sides.

"Where… to next?"

Zhao Kuangyin panted, his voice hoarse as he asked, his heart filled with uncertainty about the future and a faint unease.

The lead assassin tore off his collar, tightly binding a deep, bone-revealing wound below his ribs, and gave him a cold glance.

"Go where you ought to go."

"Do what you ought to do."

"Master, arrangements have been made."

Night swallowed their silhouettes, and also swallowed Zhao Kuangyin's final fate decision.

The news that Chen Prefecture's prison had been raided and Zhao Kuangyin's whereabouts unknown struck like another heavy hammer; days later it slammed hard onto the Bian Liang court, which had just endured an assassination uproar and had not yet fully caught its breath.