Chapter 264: Infiltrating the Camp to Slay Hunxie

As the bonfires in front of the tents rose, the night grew deeper. Bursts of cheering could be heard from within the camp, and the people in the ravine could faintly hear the sounds.

Jiang Jinshi quietly calculated the time. When the sounds in the camp gradually subsided, it was the deepest part of the night.

"Follow the plan!" Jiang Jinshi whispered a reminder, then took his blade and slipped alone into the darkness.

The cavalry behind him did not respond, only nodding heavily, their eyes fixed on Jiang Jinshi as he left.

Jiang Jinshi did not jump into the water immediately, but kept walking downstream along the river.

This was the advantage of moving alone; it was far too easy to hide one person in the darkness.

Only when Jiang Jinshi could clearly see the layout of the tents did he slowly stop.

He first observed the camp's layout, the pattern of the guard rotations, the locations of the bonfires, and where the horses were tethered.

Quickly calculating various possibilities in his mind, Jiang Jinshi saw a shadowed area behind the Golden Tent, right next to the river—a blind spot in the guards' line of sight.

With guards patrolling back and forth, there was no opportunity to sneak into the front of the Golden Tent; it would be better to slip into this spot first and wait for a chance.

Thinking of this, Jiang Jinshi did not hesitate. He began to remove his armor to prepare for the water, carrying only a short blade on his person.

Holding the short blade in his mouth, Jiang Jinshi, dressed only in a thin undergarment, slipped silently into the icy river water.

The water was cold—bone-chillingly cold.

Jiang Jinshi gritted his teeth, exposing only his nose when he needed to breathe, drawing ever closer to the Golden Tent.

Upon reaching the bank, Jiang Jinshi did not rush to climb out. He first observed the surrounding environment to ensure everything was normal before slowly crawling out of the water.

Hiding in the darkness, Jiang Jinshi slowly moved his stiff limbs and gripped the short blade, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Now, he just had to wait for the time to come, for the cavalry to create an opportunity for him.

The cavalry in the ravine calculated the time perfectly. At the moment Jiang Jinshi had specified in advance, they immediately lit torches and held them high.

Many of the remaining men lit fire arrows and shot them toward the Xiongnu tents.

At this distance, it was impossible to hit anything, but they shot as far as they could.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The cavalry shouted from where they stood, striving to attract as much attention as possible for Jiang Jinshi.

Sure enough, the next moment, the Xiongnu guards discovered the anomaly.

"Enemy attack!!"

The guards' attention was entirely diverted, and those still on patrol moved toward the front.

Jiang Jinshi knew this was his only chance. He flashed out from the darkness, circled to the front, kicked open the tent flap, and rushed inside.

Inside the Golden Tent, candles were burning brightly.

Lying in the center was an old man with white hair, looking as if he had just been startled awake by the commotion.

Seeing Jiang Jinshi, a flash of surprise crossed the old man's eyes, but he immediately regained his composure.

"A Da Qian person?" The old man could actually speak the Da Qian language, his voice hoarse but powerful. "To be able to reach this place—remarkable."

"Hunxie?" Jiang Jinshi asked, gripping his blade tightly.

"Indeed!" The old man slowly stood up, not a hint of fear in his eyes. "What is your name, young man?"

"Ming Army Captain, Jiang Jinshi!"

"Ming Army? Jiang Jinshi?" Hunxie repeated. "I will remember it! Can you tell me how you found this place?"

Outside the tent, the sounds of Xiongnu horns, hoofbeats, and battle cries had already begun.

Jiang Jinshi knew he didn't have much time. "An old man from the Lan tribe named Su Lei showed me the way."

Hunxie laughed. "Su Lei... so it was him! I killed his entire family; he has every right to hate me!"

He took a curved saber from the tent wall. Though aged, his posture remained upright. "What is the Ming Army? I have never heard of it!"

Jiang Jinshi charged forward, his short blade meeting Hunxie's curved saber. "It is the strongest army on this land!"

"Is that so? Then let me see if your blade is sharp enough!" Hunxie did not avoid the fight, nor did he even call for guards.

He had absolute confidence in himself; even if he was old and not what he once was, he was not someone a young man who had just stepped onto the battlefield could defeat.

Moreover, he was very interested in Jiang Jinshi, especially the Ming Army the other spoke of, so he decided to spare the young man's life for a moment.

Clang!

The short blade and the curved saber collided!

The two were evenly matched in strength. Jiang Jinshi's hand went numb, and Hunxie's look of astonishment showed that he was not having an easy time either.

"I didn't expect you to have some brute strength!" Clearly, Hunxie still did not hold Jiang Jinshi in high regard. His massive frame displayed agility inconsistent with his size, and he slashed at Jiang Jinshi even more rapidly.

Jiang Jinshi dodged with minimal movement, avoiding those seemingly fierce strikes without a trace of panic in his eyes.

Suddenly, Hunxie delivered a powerful downward slash. Jiang Jinshi crouched to avoid it, and the curved saber bit deeply into a wooden table nearby.

This was the opportunity Jiang Jinshi had been looking for; he thrust his short blade straight at Hunxie's waist and abdomen.

"Pfft!"

Hunxie had not expected that he would be no match for this person, and finally, his expression began to panic. He even wanted to shout for the guards to save him.

But how could Jiang Jinshi give him that chance? He pulled out the short blade with force and thrust it again, aiming for the throat Hunxie had exposed in his panic!

"Ssh!"

Clean and efficient—a single blade to seal the throat!

Hunxie's words were still stuck in his throat, and he would never have the chance to speak them.

Jiang Jinshi did not flee immediately, but instead plunged the blade into Hunxie's heart once more to ensure there was no mistake, only then pricking up his ears to listen to the movement outside.

The cavalry upstream kept attracting the Xiongnu's attention, and seeing the Xiongnu beginning to rush toward them, they started to retreat.

"Go, go, go! Follow the plan!"

They didn't know if their captain had succeeded, but they had done everything they could. The rest was up to Captain Jiang!

Hearing the hoofbeats rushing toward the outside, Jiang Jinshi immediately dashed out of the tent and ran toward the location of the horses he had scouted earlier.

This action was finally discovered by the Xiongnu, as Jiang Jinshi's attire, which was clearly different from the Xiongnu's, was far too conspicuous.

"Who are you?" Two Xiongnu who had just been startled from their sleep were rushing toward the stables when they unexpectedly saw the unusual Da Qian person on the way.

This shout attracted the attention of more Xiongnu. A dozen of them immediately turned around, and upon seeing Jiang Jinshi, they shouted, "It's that damned Da Qian person!"

"Damn it! How did he get in?"

Jiang Jinshi ran with his head down. He was now in a race against time; once more and more Xiongnu discovered his trail, he would truly have no path to heaven and no door to the earth.

A dozen Xiongnu chased after Jiang Jinshi, shouting in the Xiongnu language that Jiang Jinshi couldn't understand at all, though he assumed they were cursing him.

Jiang Jinshi reached the stables. He had no choice at all; he picked the horse closest to the door and vaulted onto its back.

"Giddyup!"

The Xiongnu behind him saw this and also vaulted onto their horses, chasing after Jiang Jinshi with all their might, looking as if they would not stop until they caught him. ===== CHAPTER 265 =====