Ye Qiu’s eyes narrowed.
If Xiao Jiu was heading to Beigu Pavilion with two adjutants to pay respects, and Ye Qiu were his enemy, he would choose Beigu Pavilion as the place to ambush Xiao Jiu.
What puzzled Ye Qiu, however, was that Xiao Jiu was the top-ranked expert on the Dragon List. Ambushing him would be an enormous risk. Who would have the audacity to attempt it?
“Could it be that Xiao Jiu was ambushed?” Ye Qiu asked casually.
To his surprise, the War God nodded, “Correct. Xiao Jiu was indeed ambushed.”
Bloody hell, someone actually dared to make a move on Xiao Jiu!
Ye Qiu’s heart jolted, and he asked, “Who did it?”
“Experts from the neighbouring country,” the War God replied. “For the specifics, let Wei Lingxin explain.”
The War God immediately instructed Tang Fei, “Go fetch Wei Lingxin.”
“Yes, sir!” Tang Fei responded and quickly left the conference room.
Ye Qiu asked, puzzled, “Who’s Wei Lingxin?”
The War God explained, “Wei Lingxin is Xiao Jiu’s adjutant. He’s been with Xiao Jiu for years and has his deep trust.”
Three minutes later, the conference room door opened.
“Reporting, sir, Wei Lingxin has been brought,” Tang Fei announced, ushering in a middle-aged man in camouflage.
The man walked with steady steps, his strength considerable, comparable to a Dragon List expert.
“Wei Lingxin reporting to the commander!” the man saluted Old Tang and the War God.
“Wei Lingxin, let me introduce you. This is Ye Qiu, an ace member of our Underworld Palace,” the War God said, introducing Ye Qiu. “You were present when Xiao Jiu was ambushed. Tell Ye Qiu the details.”
“Yes, sir!” Wei Lingxin began immediately, “Yesterday, the Marquis went to the Beigu Pavilion Martyrs’ Cemetery to pay respects, accompanied by two adjutants—myself and Jiang Chao.”
“When we arrived at Beigu Pavilion, everything seemed fine.”
“Following the Marquis’s instructions, Jiang Chao and I unloaded several cases of wine from the vehicle and placed them in the cemetery. Then, we returned to the vehicle to wait for the Marquis.”
“Around four in the afternoon, a group of villagers appeared.”
“This raised suspicions for both Jiang Chao and me.”
“Ever since the Battle of Beigu Pavilion, the villagers living there were relocated. No villagers had been seen in the area for a long time.”
“For so many to suddenly appear…”
“Hold on,” Ye Qiu interrupted Wei Lingxin. “How many villagers are we talking about? Give me an exact number.”
Wei Lingxin replied, “About three to four hundred.”
Ye Qiu pressed, “They weren’t actually villagers, were they? They were assassins, correct?”
Wei Lingxin nodded, “Correct. They were highly trained assassins, extremely skilled.”
Ye Qiu asked further, “More skilled than you?”
Wei Lingxin glanced at Ye Qiu, surprised, wondering how he knew the extent of his abilities. Still, he answered truthfully, “At least fifty of those assassins were as skilled as I am.”
Ye Qiu’s heart sank.
Wei Lingxin’s skills were on par with a Dragon List expert. If fifty such experts were attacking Xiao Jiu, the Marquis was in serious trouble.
Wei Lingxin continued, “Jiang Chao and I realised something was off with the villagers. Jiang Chao got out of the vehicle to question them.”
“But as soon as he stepped out, he was attacked and killed on the spot.”
“Seeing the situation deteriorate, I immediately started the vehicle and sounded the horn to warn the Marquis.”
“However, the assassins ignored me and rushed straight into the cemetery to kill the Marquis.”
“But they were no match for him. The Marquis’s martial skills are exceptional. He fought his way out of the cemetery and was about to reach the vehicle when the assassins, realising they couldn’t stop him, began destroying the cemetery.”
“The cemetery houses the remains of the Marquis’s brothers. Seeing this, the Marquis was consumed with rage. He turned back to fight them and ordered me to return for reinforcements.”
“I rushed back and led a regiment to Beigu Pavilion. When we arrived, we found only the bodies of the assassins. The Marquis was nowhere to be seen.”
“This was a grave matter, so I didn’t dare keep it to myself and immediately called the War God.”
At this point, Wei Lingxin’s eyes welled with tears. He looked at Old Tang and pleaded, “Sir, please save the Marquis. I beg you.”
With a thud, Wei Lingxin dropped to his knees.
“Wei Lingxin, stand up!” Old Tang said. “Xiao Jiu is a vital asset to the nation. I won’t stand idly by.”
“Thank you, sir,” Wei Lingxin said, rising to his feet.
The War God asked, “Wei Lingxin, aside from you, does anyone else in the Northern Border military know about Xiao Jiu’s situation?”
Wei Lingxin shook his head, “Only I know.”
“The soldiers of the Northern Border are fiercely loyal to the Marquis. If they learned something had happened to him, they wouldn’t sit still.”
“I feared this could destabilise the Northern Border, so I didn’t tell anyone in the military.”
The War God nodded approvingly, “You did well. This is a critical matter. For the stability of the Northern Border, you must keep this confidential. At least until we find Xiao Jiu, not a word of this can leak.”
“Yes, sir!” Wei Lingxin responded loudly.
“Adjutant Wei, if I may ask, where do you think the Marquis might be right now?” Ye Qiu interjected.
Wei Lingxin glanced at Old Tang and the War God, hesitated, then said, “I suspect the Marquis has entered the neighbouring country’s territory.”
“Beigu Pavilion is at the border of our two countries. Ten miles north lies enemy territory.”
“When I led my men in pursuit northward, we found numerous assassin bodies along the way.”
“Without orders from above, I didn’t dare lead troops into the neighbouring country’s territory, so I stopped the pursuit.”
Ye Qiu’s expression grew solemn. He asked, “Old Tang, you called me here to rescue Xiao Jiu?”
Old Tang nodded, “Correct.”
“Xiao Jiu may currently be in the neighbouring country’s territory, surrounded by danger. We can’t act on a large scale; the rescue must be discreet.”
“The War God recommended you.”
“Ye Qiu, you’ve always performed admirably. I hope you won’t disappoint me this time.”
Old Tang said gravely, “Xiao Jiu, as Champion Marquis and guardian of the Northern Border, is a loyal servant of the nation. He must not come to harm.”
“This time, you must find him and bring him back to the Northern Border.”
“And if—if something has happened to him… you must bring him back, do you understand?”
Ye Qiu understood.
Old Tang meant that whether Xiao Jiu was alive or dead, he had to be brought back.
“Rest assured, sir, I’ll do my utmost,” Ye Qiu said, then asked, “Sir, will I have support for this mission?”
“Yes,” the War God answered. “Tang Fei will lead a special operations team from the Underworld Palace to assist you.”
Ye Qiu thought for a moment and said, “The assassins are numerous and highly skilled. They dared to ambush the Champion Marquis, so they must have something up their sleeve.”
“Plus, we’re going deep into the neighbouring country’s territory. This mission is too dangerous. I won’t take Tang Fei and the others.”
“Old Tang, I’d like to borrow someone from you.”
Old Tang asked, “Who do you want to borrow?”
“Ye Wudi!”
