The moonlight was dim in this dark night.

On the Eye Mountain, a group of people was riding on the winding mountain road steadily.

They came from the Squad Seven of the Eastern Depot.

Recently, the Eastern Depot received a message that people sent to western tribes for Qiangwu fern had entered the Baishui Gate within Dayi's territory.

Leng Qingtang was always meticulous that he told the captains he was poisoned only after he had found the whereabouts of Qiangwu fern.

Jiang Xiong of the Squad Seven took the order to associate with his colleagues who had gone to seek this herb. He traveled day and night with twenty men, riding on fine horses, to a post house near Baishui Gate.

After they reached Baishui Gate, Jiang Xiong smoothly got in touch with his colleague. They couldn't delay any longer. After they received Qiangwu fern, Jiang Xiong and his team rested for an hour. Then they changed the horses and went on the way back.

Before they set off, Jiang Xiong and his subordinates studied the map. On their way back to the capital, there were three places they must pass.

The Goosefall Platform, the Eye Mountain, and the Immortal Stream.

No matter which way they took, they could reach the capital city. The only difference was the time they would spend.

On the way come, they went across the broad plain, the Goosefall Platform.

Now, Jiang Xiong decided to go through the Eye Mountain on the way back.

The terrains of the Eye Mountain and the Immortal Stream were much different from the Goosefall Platform. The Eye Mountain was steep and high, and there were many crags and cliffs. The Immortal Stream was turbulent and deep. It eddied a lot, and the water temperature was icy all year round.

Both the Eye Mountain and the Immortal Stream were difficult. They had to take some risks traveling through natural barriers.

However, Jiang Xiong was an observant man.

He remembered when he met his colleague and took the Qiangwu fern, both him and his subordinates felt the hostile eyes among the crowd in the post house spying on them.

During the past half-year, the Eastern Depot had experienced too many frustrations and tribulations.

Jiang Xiong had a foreboding feeling that the way back wouldn't be safe. Just in case, he still decided to via the Eye Mountain. According to their march rate, if they hadn't stopped on the road, it would have taken them four days to reach the capital city.

For his Master, lifesaving Qiangwu fern was such an important herb that he couldn't lose.

Jiang Xiong thought, if someone had an important task to perform, he would choose an unimpeded road flat and broad. If his enemy had wanted to plunder the herb or make other troubles for him, the enemy would have set many barriers on the flat road.

Therefore, in order to return to the capital city as soon as possible, his team should act in opposition to go through the Eye Mountain.

The Eye Mountain was a cragged mountain high and steep. The narrow path meandered from the foot of the mountain along the mountainside.

Up above the mountainside were protruding rocks that formed a way that could hardly go through on foot.

When they reached the foot of the Eye Mountain, it was dust. They lit up the torch and rode along the mountain path. One side of the mountain path was a straight cliff, and the other side was the ravine. Nothing could protect them in addition to some scattered trees. They must ride carefully for man and his horse could both fall if one of them missed the footing.

Jiang Xiong planned to take a rest and let go of the horses when the team arrived at the end of the mountain path on the brae. At daybreak, they would climb the cliff to cross the Eye Mountain and find new horses in the post house to press forward on their way.

A crescent moon hung on the deep blue sky as well as thick clouds. It was silent except for the hoofbeat. The horses' hooves raised clouds of dust and shook the grass and trees along the path.

Under the moonlight, the trees stretched their thick branches at will. The dense shadows of the crowns were strange and scary like gnarled monsters crowding each other, which looked bloodcurdling in the dark.

Flog covered their way. Birds flew over sometimes and uttered mournful cries. A tense atmosphere pervaded in the cool air, disturbing their minds.

In the middle of the team, Jiang Xiong rode on the horse and looked around, feeling the air of the environment.

"The head of the team, watch your way!"

He suddenly spoke out to the eight or nine men holding the torch at the head of the line,

"Speed up a little and rush to the waist of the mountain, where we will rest tonight!"

The subordinates immediately followed their captain's order. They replied to him, kicked the belly of their horses, and accelerated.

Jiang Xiong also flicked his horse to follow the team.

Suddenly, a dull thud came from the fog right in the front.

"Flapping"

A dark mass of something rose from the middle of the horizon and then flew apart, like countless ink-stained leaves hovering in the night sky.

Jiang Xiong was taken aback. His pupil dilated. He fixed his eyes upon those "ink leaves" and found they were a flock of crows flying to boundless distance.

This was indeed a weird place.

He wiped off the sweat on his forehead and shouted,

"Stay alert, everybody. After a while, we can..."

He didn't finish his words. In a sound of puff, a guard and his horse at the head of the line broke into pieces when they were running.

His blood misted in the air, and there were more people and horses fragmented in Jiang Xiong's sight as if they had run into some invisible blades.

He had no time to rein in the horse. Jiang Xiong stepped on the saddle and jumped ten feet high in the air, shouting to his men backward,

“Ambush! Get out of the way!"

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xiong twisted in the air and turned against the cliff inside. At the same time, on the ground was a tragedy of flesh and blood.

Jiang Xiong hung in the air, gripping a protruding stone with his left hand’s five fingers. He looked around and found less than ten survivors, all clinging to the cliff, just like him.

Just then, they flew out with their captain and missed those terrible blades in the front.

After a narrow escape, they looked pale, scared, and puzzled.

The smell of blood surged into their noses. They looked down in the moonlight.

A long section of the path was covered with blood and countless body parts, including arms, legs, all fours of the horses, and organs.

The scariest were those heads soaked in blood, opening the mouth as if it was still shouting, or staring angry eyes out of wrath, or looking sad and grievous... The scene was a terrible mass too horrible to look at.

Thick blood gurgled down the bare rocks. The wind blew its lingering warmth to the cliff, tearing the survivors’ grievous hearts.

Although they were not siblings, they were brothers who had experienced many missions that risked their lives. Those who were still alive and kicking died tragically in a split second, leaving not even a whole body. How heartsick were the survivors!

They shed hot tears for the dead and observed the environment. They found something in shock.

Between the two sides of the winding path, on the cliff’s steep stone and the tree-trunks across the ravine, stretched vermilion strings, zigzagging for about a hundred meters long.

Jiang Xiong was horrified. He opened his mouth in silence, and a scary word occurred to him,

"Dragon Slayer!"

Dragon Slayer was the string made of the silk of Ghost-Face Silkworm. It was as thin and colorless like spider's thread, but incredibly firm and sharp.

It was said that if it had touched the skin, it would have made the skin bleed at once. It could kill people when they could not see it. Therefore, it was given a scary name, "Dragon Slayer".

These colorless strings lay invisibly on the path even during the day, let alone the dark night.

Although Jiang Xiong's team didn't ride too fast, the Dragon Slayer was so firm that it killed people even they were dashing against it. With the inertial of running, men and horses were cut into pieces as soon as they touched the Dragon Slayer, and it showed its shape staining in blood.

These thin strings destroyed a team of twenty men in a second. How dangerous it was!

At this time, a gust of wind blew overhead. Jiang Xiong looked up immediately and saw countless shafts of cold light falling down the cliff as swift as bolts of lightning, spectacular as a meteor shower, dense as a rain.

"Watch out!"

He uttered a scream at the top of his lungs. Jiang Xiong loosened his left hand and gave a kick on the rock. He had pulled out the short silver spear with his right hand at the same time. He clung to the cliff, rotating, fended against the pouring hidden weapons with the short spear.

Screams rang in his ears.

Some guards were shot. They fell down the cliff and were cut by Dragon Slayer.

Their wounded bodies were broken into pieces at once. Some guards survived again thanks to their excellent Kungfu and rapid response.

Jiang Xiong and others clung to the steep cliff for a short time, then moved to avoid the Dragon Slayer, and landed onto the mountain path safely.

The sound of fighting arose. A group of people appeared from behind the rocks and the grass and surged over to encircle Jiang Xiong and other guards.

Each of them was armed and dressed in black with a black veil covered his head, leaving only a pair of eyes and nostrils exposed. Those eyes burst greedy and hungry light like jackals facing delicious food.

"Who are you? This is the Squad Seven of the Eastern Depot! How dare you stop us?"

Jiang Xiong stood straight in the encirclement. He reached his left hand to his waist to pull out another short silver spear when giving self-introduction. Raising two spears over his chest, he had braced himself against the enemy. He glanced around with the corners of his eyes and found the team had only five survivors, including him.

In a flash of white light, a piece of sharp blade hacked against Jiang Xiong's face. The encirclement shrank abruptly. The two parts fought at once without any crap.

Jiang Xiong wielded two spears, which reflected silver moonlight in the dark night, fighting against his enemies.

The enemy's weapon swept over like a meteor and collided with one of Jiang Xiong's silver spears. Jiang Xiong bent over to dodge his attack and stepped forward, waving another hand. In a "whoosh" and then a "bang", two veiled men were hit in the middle and thrown onto the ground by his spear. Jiang Xiong jabbed the spear down, and blood splashed.

"Captain Jiang, go now! We bring up the rear!"

A guard shouted to Jiang Xiong behind him.

He knew the Qiangwu fern that Master badly needed was in Captain Jiang's clothes, so they must protect their captain!

Four guards stood shoulder to shoulder behind Jiang Xiong with their blades against the enemies.

Jiang Xiong gritted his teeth in pain,

"Thank you, brothers!"

A gust of cold wind tore the cold fog. With a stern look, Jiang Xiong charged at the enemies again, wielding his spears. Four guards also wielded their swords, fighting with many enemies.

Silver spearhead pierced through the cool air of the night, stabbing to the enemies. From his right side, a sword chopped down. Jiang Xiong bent his body left to avoid, and his right foot stepped back.

He moved so fast that he felt his right heel stepped on air. Jiang Xiong suddenly realized that he was on the edge of the mountain path with his back to the ravine and only half of his right foot on the ground. It was a close and dangerous moment!

Jiang Xiong's eyes were cold. Pressing his lips, he rotated around flexibly when defending attacks, and changed his position. He got back on the firm ground with his face to the ravine.

The veiled man who was attacking him suddenly lost his opponent in the front. His upper body leaned forward toward the ravine and couldn't backbend.

He fell into the deep ravine with a shrill cry.

Jiang Xiong had just escaped, but he didn't stop. He ran along the mountain path with levitation, following by seven or eight veiled men wielding their swords.

Jiang Xiong had no desire to continue fighting. He kicked the ground with tiptoes and flew onto the cliff wall high above.

Screams and cries came from below one after another, and his subordinated died. One or two of them were forced to fight near Dragon Slayer. They ran into the strings and lost their heads. The rest fell off the cliff with their enemies.

Jiang Xiong cast a glance below and went on climbing up the cliff, suppressing his grief.

He was eager to get the enemy off his back and cross the mountains to return to the capital city. He was performing a significant mission. He must hand Qiangwu fern to Imperial Doctor Jiang as soon as possible and make the antidote to cure Master!

In rumbling sounds, some stones rolled down. Jiang Xiong was frightened. He failed to avoid them and was hit by rolling stones in the left shoulder. When rolling down with the hard stones, he was crushed and trod on by them.

To see from their eyes, the veiled men’s murderous intention grew stronger as they watched Jiang Xiong falling from the cliff.

They quickly scattered to hide in safe positions, waiting for Jiang Xiong to fall onto the ground, and then gathered around to chop him into pieces.

Jiang Xiong was heavily injured by the stones. When he was about a foot off the ground, he unexpectedly twisted around, bearing the pain in his bones, and thrust the spearhead into the dirt with a swing of the arm. Yellow dust raised high.

The veiled men stood back and stroked the dust with their hands to regain clear vision as soon as possible.

When Jiang Xiong fell to the ground, he vomited blood, but he immediately ran along the path without wiping his mouth.

He could felt the wind chasing him behind. A cold light flashed, and blood burst out.

Jiang Xiong's brows knotted as he got a cut. Two or three veiled men came up to block his way. One of them caught the gap of his defense on the left and stabbed him in the left side.

Jiang Xiong uttered a dull groan. Blood gushed from the wound and seeped into the soil beneath.

Another veiled man hacked him sideways. Jiang Xiong raised his right arm in pain and tried his best to hold his enemy's sword with a spear. Sparks burst out from where the weapons met. The veiled man turned his wrist and the sword cut towards Jiang Xiong along the spear.

In a shock, Jiang Xiong turned his right wrist in a bit of panic and tilted the spear. He then swept to the enemy's weapon with the spear in his left hand.

After a shrill clash, the two weapons collided together, making no concession.

Jiang Xiong gritted his teeth and used all his force to keep his enemy's weapon away from him.

Then he saw the reflection of streaks of cold and fierce light enlarging in his enemy's evil and dark pupils.

They caused fatal wounds on his back.

Behind Jiang Xiong, five or six veiled men launched attacks at the same time and dodged aside.

As the evil weapons slowly dipped, the shiny silver blades were stained with blood, playing a faint triumphant song.

Even the moonlight looked hideous.

Jiang Xiong couldn't feel any pain on the body. Instead, he felt quite easy and free, leading to inexplicable peace and pleasure.

There were stars dancing before his eyes. His body, as soft as cotton, slowly collapsed.

Supporting his dumb upper body with a silver spear, he felt his head was getting heavier and heavier that his neck couldn't bear it anymore.

"Sorry, Master, Yunxi..."

His head lowered. His pupils dilated so that he could no longer see clearly.

A pitiful smile froze on his blood-covered face.

Jiang Xiong thought of the Double Ninth Festival when they were drinking and having crabs at the table in the Eastern Depot, and the Lunar New Year's Eve when they were having hot pot and playing the finger-guessing game...

Those familiar faces, those beaming faces.