Chapter 1272: First Volume, Chapter 1272: Bounty Hunter

First Volume, Chapter 1272: Bounty Hunter

"Even the reconstruction of the Black Guard Office has been carried out under the watchful eyes of the Brocade Guard."

"I know exactly who the core members of the Black Guard are, who holds power, and who oversees which region."

"If not for the need to buy time and avoid an early war with the Liang Emperor, I could have had the Brocade Guard wipe out the Black Guard Office within a month."

"Since the Brocade Guard cannot act directly, they will monitor those who can."

Qin Feng took double precautions: not only did the Brocade Guard continuously surveil Wu Heli, but he also assigned a dedicated unit of Tianji Camp Guards to operate alongside them.

If the Brocade Guard's Anwu Guards failed in their assassination, the Tianji Camp Guards would advance directly and use overwhelming force to exterminate Wu Heli by force.

Yet, all of this was merely precautionary.

After all, Wu Heli is a hero of sorts and would not stoop to such undignified acts.

Qin Feng also hoped Wu Heli would return with the heads of the Black Guard members, present them before him, and then die with honor.

In this way, Wu Heli would differ from Chen Yanzong—he would die a worthy death.

Upon learning that Qin Feng had long planned everything from afar and secured victory before the battle even began, the four women exchanged glances again, their eyes filled with admiration and pride.

To spend their lives following such a man made their own lives shine brilliantly.

Meanwhile, Wu Heli had launched another assault on the Black Guard's street strongholds.

Wu Heli wore a set of captured light armor, held a shield in his left hand, carried a long spear in his right, and had a bow and arrow slung across his back.

Aside from the subpar armor, he was fully armed.

He dressed this way specifically to ensure he could flee swiftly when the moment demanded it.

It wasn't a lack of loyalty—it was to prolong the hunt against the Black Guard for as long as possible.

Wu Heli was not only meticulous in thought but also extremely bold.

For this location was less than fifty Li straight from Jingdu, effectively under the Son of Heaven's feet.

To launch a fierce assault on Black Guard strongholds in such a place was tantamount to suicide—yet Wu Heli not only did it, he did it thoroughly.

The Black Guard pursuing Wu Heli never dreamed he would not hide but instead come right here.

This stronghold was no small operation—it housed six Black Guards and ten plus informants.

Wu Heli had eight allies: four Yuezhao Kingdom Death Warriors, not counting himself, totaling twelve men.

Despite being outnumbered, Wu Heli launched a sudden assault and caught the Black Guard completely off guard.

The informants had already been slaughtered; only the Black Guards remained, holed up inside, making a last stand.

The four Black Guards were clearly assigned roles: one guarded the door, one guarded the window, and the other two provided rear guard.

Although Wu Heli had surrounded the stronghold, he could not break through.

"Boss, only four Black Guards are left, but they're damn hard to crack—we can't get in."

"Why not set the house on fire? I bet they'll come out then."

The Yuezhao Kingdom Death Warriors communicated with Wu Heli constantly in their native tongue.

Wu Heli raised his hand and barked: "No!"

"If we burn them to death, how will we cut off their heads to claim the bounty?"

"Without money, how will we buy weapons and gear? How will we grow the business?"

The Yuezhao Kingdom Death Warriors frowned: "Then what do we do? Should we risk a direct assault?"

Wu Heli refused again: "Don't tempt fate."

"These four Black Guards are all veterans."

"The two guarding the door—one holds sword and shield in front, the other holds a Chang Mao behind. Without heavy armor, we can't force our way in."

"The one guarding the window is much the same."

Wu Heli devised a plan and ordered swiftly: "Four of you take sword and shield and form the front line. The rest, discard your weapons and draw your bows!"

Although Wu Heli always prepared for a hasty retreat, that was only under siege.

Now, the Black Guards were like ducks already cooked—he revealed his courage and decisiveness.

He held his shield in his left hand to block any cold arrows, while thrusting and slashing his long spear at the window.

Soon, the window shattered under his blows.

With the window frame gone, the Black Guards could only retreat behind the door, as several men now aimed bows at the broken window.

After further compressing the Black Guards' defensive space, Wu Heli dropped the long spear, raised his shield, and leapt through the window into the room.

"Quick! Protect me!"

Wu Heli shouted repeatedly; his bow-wielding allies rushed to the window, aiming their arrows into the room to prevent the Black Guards from rushing out and killing Wu Heli.

Wu Heli stared at the Black Guards; the four Black Guards cowering in the room's corner glared back with murderous intent.

"Damn traitors! The Black Guard Office will tear you to pieces!"

Wu Heli paid no heed to their threats.

"Traitor? I'll tear your mother apart!"

"I was never one of you. You deceived me, you killed my comrade Wu Cheng—this grudge is unforgivable."

"Even if Qin Feng hadn't put a bounty on your heads, I would still seek revenge for Wu Cheng."

Hearing this, the Black Guards clenched their teeth in fury.

"That coward Qin Feng dares not face the Black Guard Office himself—he sends you, a miser!"

Wu Heli sneered outright: "Dares not? If Qin Feng wanted to kill you, the Black Guard Office would be wiped out in an instant."

"Qin Feng's refusal to act has nothing to do with you."

"The game between Qin Feng and the Liang Emperor is beyond your comprehension—and you, this rabble of Black Guards, aren't even worthy to be the Brocade Guard's opponents."

"Even I can track your movements—how dare you claim to rival the Brocade Guard? What a laugh!"

Since all the comrades around Wu Heli had died, and after striking a deal with Qin Feng, he revealed a carefree and wild side.

This is the result of having no ties or reservations left.

Now, Wu Heli fears no one; his mind holds only one thought: to accumulate as much wealth as possible for his family before Qin Feng kills him.

With Wu Heli and the archers occupying the Window positions, two more comrades wielding Sword and Shield leapt in next.

As their numbers grew to an advantage, Wu Heli no longer held back and growled: "Kill!"

In the small room, a fierce and brief close-quarters battle erupted immediately.

Within just a few breaths, the Battle ended; all four Black Guards were eliminated, while Wu Heli's side lost two comrades.

Wu Heli severed the heads of the Black Guards and said grimly: "Record the names of the fallen comrades. When we sell these heads, they'll get their share—send it to their families."

"Six heads, Three Hundred Taels of Silver. Comrades, if we keep this up, we won't need long to save up a fortune for our families—even if we die, we'll have no regrets."