Chapter 138: A Single Piercing Arrow Calling for Reinforcements

On the imperial highway outside Wu'an, nearly thirty fine steeds galloped at full speed, stirring up fallen leaves that swirled high into the air.

Having traveled this road once before when returning to Wu'an, Wei Wuji was somewhat familiar with the route and naturally recognized the way.

With both hands gripping the reins and his feet planted firmly in the stirrups, Wei Wuji beamed with high spirits as he sped swiftly forward.

The Wu'an encampment was not situated near the main highway, so after traversing the well-paved sections, they turned onto a slightly more rugged path.

However, since it had been specially constructed for the Wu'an encampment, it was not in terrible condition, merely lacking a smooth surface.

Upon leaving the main highway, Wei Wuji and his men naturally reduced their horses' speed; first, because there was no need to rush, and second, although galloping at top speed was exhilarating, it was also exceedingly exhausting.

"At this pace, we should arrive about an hour before the wine and meat!" Riding atop his horse, Wei Wuji bobbed up and down as he spoke.

"That sounds about right!" Zheng Dali was forever Wei Wuji's loyal listener, chiming in precisely when the moment called for it.

The group pressed onward. Unlike when they were charging at full tilt, now that the pace had slowed, Wei Wuji was once again ringed tightly in the center by his guards.

While this certainly provided security, it also thoroughly blocked Wei Wuji's field of vision.

They say life is a journey, and what matters is not the destination, but the scenery along the way. If so, Wei Wuji was destined to miss a great deal of scenery.

Unable to look at his surroundings, Wei Wuji could only raise his head to gaze at the sky.

Yet to his utter frustration, there was hardly any sky to be seen; it was entirely obstructed by the dense canopies and branches of the trees lining both sides of the path.

"If some assassin were hiding up in those trees right now, I reckon surrounding myself with more guards wouldn't do a bit of good!" Wei Wuji shook his head with a bitter smile, realizing he possessed zero anti-air defense capabilities whatsoever!

Anyone with even halfway decent archery skills, simply crouching in the trees, could pick off a person or two with absolute ease.

"Dali, do you think I should wear armor when I go out next time?" Wei Wuji tilted his head and asked Zheng Dali.

"Of course that would be good, Young Master! That way, it would be even safer." Zheng Dali replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

What a blockhead... Wei Wuji thought to himself, wondering how this fellow failed to catch the sarcasm in his words.

Continuing forward, aside from the sound of hooves striking the earth and occasional neighing, Wei Wuji and his men remained silent.

Against the backdrop of the quiet forest path, the solitary sound of hoofbeats made the surroundings seem even more tranquil.

When the silence deepened to a certain degree, it began to feel eerie and chilling. A faint breeze blew past, causing Wei Wuji to shudder involuntarily.

Noticing this, Zheng Dali immediately sidled up to him, asking anxiously if Wei Wuji had caught a chill.

At this, Wei Wuji waved Zheng Dali away as if swatting at a fly; why couldn't this fellow ever utter something auspicious?

The further they went, the farther they strayed from the main highway. The trees grew taller, and their foliage became even denser.

For some inexplicable reason, Wei Wuji suddenly developed the sensation of being trapped inside a giant urn, a feeling that made him extremely uneasy.

Glancing once more at the surrounding forest, the dense leaves stirred a trace of dread in his heart, setting his imagination running wild.

Could there really be assassins lurking about? Wei Wuji thought to himself. The harder he tried not to dwell on the thought, the more vivid the image became in his mind.

"No matter what, getting through this place quickly is definitely the right move!" Gripping the reins tightly, Wei Wuji dug his heels into the horse's flanks, preparing to accelerate.

He cast another look around, the quiet atmosphere amplifying his apprehension.

"Listen up, everyone! Destination: Wu'an encampment. Advance at full speed!" Sitting tall in the saddle, just as he was about to swing his riding crop, Wei Wuji issued the order to his guards.

Though they did not understand what prompted this sudden change, since the Young Master wanted to play, the others naturally had no reason not to comply.

"Accelerate..."

Before Zheng Dali's loud shout could finish, sudden change struck.

"Swish, swish, swish..."

That was the sound of arrows leaving bowstrings, which meant the arrows were upon them.

"Protect the Young Master..." Zheng Dali's reaction was swift; he immediately threw himself in front of Wei Wuji.

Through the jarring impact, Wei Wuji discovered that Zheng Dali had actually worn a layer of armor underneath his clothes.

In that very instant, three of Wei Wuji's guards were struck by arrows and tumbled from their horses.

At the same time, heavy nets fell across both ends of the road, sealing off the paths forward and backward for Wei Wuji and his men.

"Dismount and use the horses for cover!" Zheng Dali roared at the top of his lungs.

In truth, he did not need to remind them; all the guards were battle-hardened veterans who knew these basic survival tactics by heart.

Thus, the only one who truly took Zheng Dali's words to heart was Wei Wuji himself.

Leaping swiftly from his saddle, Wei Wuji ducked among the horses, and the others followed suit without exception.

Lacking specialized shields, they had no choice but to rely on this makeshift defense, which happened to be the most effective countermeasure at hand.

"It really went and happened..." Leaning against Zheng Dali, Wei Wuji felt a bitter taste in his mouth, wishing he could tear his own crow's beak of a mouth off.

Immediately afterward, the second question arose: exactly who wanted him dead?

A name flashed instantly into Wei Wuji's mind, the person with the strongest motive.

"Madam Wei..." Wei Wuji gritted his teeth, utterly unable to think of anyone else.

He had wondered why she remained completely unresponsive despite all the commotions he had caused in recent days; it had seemed rather strange.

He simply had not expected her to be lying in wait for him right here, determined to deliver a fatal blow.

What to do? What to do? Wei Wuji repeatedly asked himself.

Having inexplicably transmigrated to this world in his past life, he had no intention of perishing in such an muddled fashion now.

"I am a noble scion of the State of Wei! There is still so much luxury and wealth I have yet to enjoy, and so many princesses I have yet to capture to warm my bed. I... cannot die!" Wei Wuji wept inwardly.

Outwardly, however, he maintained a stern and composed expression; he could not afford to panic, or he would undoubtedly die all the faster.

Since there were still quite a few horses, gathering them together formed a decent defensive barrier, rendering the arrows outside largely ineffective except for killing the mounts.

Gradually, the whistling sound of arrowheads began to subside.

Yet Wei Wuji and his men all knew this meant the enemy was preparing to launch a frontal assault.

Minus the guards who had been wounded by arrows, the number of combat-ready men remaining by Wei Wuji's side was only twenty-five or six—hardly a formidable force.

Peering through the gaps between the horses, Wei Wuji spotted figures in black emerging from the forest, their faces entirely concealed by black cloth so that their features were invisible.

Looking closer, he saw there were no fewer than fifty of them—precisely twice the number of Wei Wuji's men.

To mobilize an assassination squad of this scale, the opposing faction undoubtedly wielded immense power, further corroborating Wei Wuji's suspicions.

The men in black closed in slowly, stopping less than twenty meters away from Wei Wuji's perimeter.

"Who are you people?" Teeming with grievance and indignation, Zheng Dali roared fiercely.

After a brief pause, a chilling voice drifted from across the way: "The ones who have come to kill you!"

It was an attitude of absolute condescension. Wei Wuji could sense that the enemy was looking at them as if they were mere bugs.

"Fish in a barrel, even worse off than bugs," Wei Wuji muttered to himself.

"Young Master, we will fight to the death to cover your escape!" Catching Wei Wuji's murmured words, Zheng Dali immediately voiced his plan.

"Fight we must. They want to silence us, and we certainly won't act like lambs to the slaughter." Wei Wuji was the first to stand up, casting a cold gaze at the figures not far away.

Zheng Dali and the remaining guards rose to their feet as well, lifting their swords one by one to steel their resolve.

Without a shred of cowardice, Wei Wuji drew the sword at his waist and declared coldly, "Brothers! Today, either they die, or we do!"

"We are willing to lay down our lives for the Young Master!" The guards let out a unified roar of rage.