Chapter 368

First Volume, Chapter 368: Pyrrhic Victory

As the Night Owls abandoned their concealment, the brocade-clad spies hidden around them also emerged at once, drawing bows and loosing a barrage of arrows at the Night Owls.

In just a few instants, thirteen Night Owls were reduced to six, yet they still reached the carriage.

The brocade-clad spies beside Qin Feng shot three arrows in succession, eliminating another Night Owl; facing the remaining five fearless warriors, they could no longer hold them back, so they dropped their bows, drew their waist sabers, and charged forward.

"Damn it, get back!" Qin Feng bellowed.

But it was too late.

The brocade-clad spy, with a suicidal rush, slashed one Night Owl to the ground, but was simultaneously cut down by the other four.

Shen Ke leapt onto the carriage, ignoring the iron plating before him, drew his waist saber, and stabbed downward; with a screeching scrape, the iron plating proved utterly feeble against the blade, pierced like paper, then he slashed hard—splitting the entire plate in two.

Just as Shen Ke was about to succeed.

A shadow flashed past; before Shen Ke could react, a flash of cold light severed his right arm, then a kick to his chest sent him tumbling off the carriage.

The remaining three Night Owls, seeing Shen Ke's severed arm, showed no hesitation whatsoever and charged forward with relentless ferocity.

Jing Qianying's sword movements were lightning-fast—left, then right—first slicing arms, then chopping shoulders; two more Night Owls fell.

The last Night Owl ignored Jing Qianying's superior Sword Art, employing a "one-for-one" suicidal tactic, swinging his blade straight at Qin Feng.

Jing Qianying thrust her sword forward, piercing straight through the Night Owl's chest.

Yet the Night Owl didn't even blink.

At this critical moment, a roar echoed beside him.

"Vermin! Eat this, little master's hammer!"

As the words fell, under Qin Feng's close gaze, the mace struck the Night Owl's skull—with a wet *plop*—the man's head exploded.

Warm, sticky fluid splattered across Qin Feng's face; the Night Owl's blade, still in hand, hovered less than two fingers from his skin—if Li Lang had been even a moment slower, Qin Feng would be dead.

The battle ended, yet no one relaxed.

Even Jing Qianying's gaze was heavier than ever, her voice filled with disbelief: "These people's martial skill is at best second-rate; if faced one-on-one, I could slaughter them all night. But… they've repeatedly driven us to the brink, nearly succeeded multiple times…"

"Is this the famed Night Owls, the top-tier espionage unit of Beidi?!"

Jing Qianying felt her worldview shattered.

Before this, she had always judged heroes by martial prowess—but now she saw that before these professionally trained Dead Soldiers, even the highest personal skill meant nothing.

Though we won, it was a pyrrhic victory.

Li Lang is wounded; over ten brocade-clad spies sacrificed!

Xiao Xiangxiang's life hangs by a thread…

At this moment, everyone understood: in the war between nations, every individual is utterly insignificant.

Thud!

Li Lang crashed heavily to the ground, a knife wound to his belly, half an arrow still embedded in his shoulder; from blood loss, he could no longer muster an ounce of strength.

"Qin… Qin Da Ge, these Beidi Spies' tactics clearly draw from the Tianji Camp Guards."

"You changed the very nature of this war…"

Yes.

Qin Feng also realized the gravity of the problem.

The enemy he faced were living men—they learned from defeat, adapted!

After suffering losses against the Tianji Camp Guards, they studied and copied Tianji's tactics—so today, Qin Feng nearly fell to a method he himself had created.

But more than shock, anger still dominated.

Because he had just given blood to Xiao Xiangxiang, Qin Feng's body was utterly weak; leaning against the doorframe, he sat down slowly, staring at Shen Ke, lying beneath the carriage, his right arm severed.

Shen Ke stared back at Qin Feng with equal intensity, showing not the slightest fear despite being a prisoner.

Qin Feng did not rush to interrogate Shen Ke; instead, he looked up, scanning the surrounding grass, voice weak: "How many brocade-clad spies are nearby?"

The diplomatic envoy beside him replied quietly: "Forty in total. Ten sacrificed, eight aiding the wounded—twenty-two remain."

It was truly brutal.

Qin Feng nodded: "Search every inch within a five-li radius—look for any survivors."

The envoy did not obey, but explained: "Young Master, no order is needed—the brocade-clad spies have already counted the Night Owls' corpses; the numbers match. The Night Owls are annihilated. For safety, they've dispersed around the carriage, ready for any sudden threat."

Though tonight's mishap occurred, Xiao Xiangxiang was gravely wounded, and Qin Feng nearly died.

But this was not the brocade-clad spies' fault.

After all, the enemy were elite among elites—and they came in such numbers; achieving this result was already extraordinary.

"Now tell me—what exactly happened?"

The envoy's gaze grew heavy with guilt: "This begins with the siege of Beixi County. A Tianji Camp Guard launched a Decapitation Operation, infiltrating the Enemy Army's Camp and shooting Chen Si in the shoulder—unfortunately, only a glancing wound. But Chen Si's wound worsened; he was bedridden and recalled to Jingdu for treatment by the Beidi King."

"The Heiwei Si learned of this. The Emperor ordered an ambush en route to kill Chen Si—but since it was enemy territory, the assassination failed. The Beidi King retaliated in kind, sending the Night Owls to assassinate you."

"Though the brocade-clad spies had uncovered all this and were secretly protecting you, they still underestimated the Night Owls' numbers."

Qin Feng nodded, understanding.

Since the two nations turned hostile, spies and Jianxie had infiltrated both sides without restraint; no one knew how many agents lurked in each kingdom.

The Night Owls encountered tonight were not sent from Beidi—they had been embedded in Shedynasty all along.

Learning the full story, Qin Feng looked down at Shen Ke and sighed deeply.

"I know your Beidi Night Owls are the equal of the Heiwei Si. To think you'd crack under interrogation is an insult to your professionalism."

"But I still want to try."

"First, to test the brocade-clad spies' interrogation methods; second, to vent my anger. Whether I extract any valuable intelligence? That's irrelevant."

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Shen Ke drew a deep breath, his gaze unwavering: "I advise you not to waste your effort. Those of our trade prepare for the worst from day one."

Qin Feng merely waved his hand, calm and detached: "No. You don't understand."

Qin Feng pointed at the short bows scattered on the ground: "These were all copied from my Tianji Camp?"