Nightwatcher

Chapter 192: Slay an Enemy

# 192. Slay an Enemy

According to the Geographic Records of the Great Feng, Yunzhou spanned sixty thousand li, abundant in resources such as agriculture, porcelain, and herbs and medicines. Before Emperor Wuzong’s uprising, Yunzhou’s wealth ranked in the top five among all the provinces of the Great Feng.

The national road stretched far, winding its way towards the horizon, flanked by black-soiled fields and rolling mountains in the distance.

The sun had just risen, and the air still held the chill of the previous night. A group of over a hundred people moved slowly along the road.

The sound of horse hooves mingled with the rumbling of carriage wheels.

"At the beginning of Yuanjing’s reign, Yunzhou’s population was five million. Then, every ten years, a new census was compiled, showing a gradual decline in population. By the 30th year of Yuanjing, the population was about 3.5 million. Now, in the 36th year of Yuanjing, with four years until the next census, who knows how much of the population is left?" Inspector Zhang said, lifting the curtain and sighing.

A reduction of 1.5 million people in 30 years was alarming, and the actual reduction would be even more significant. Given Yunzhou's fertile land and absence of natural disasters, there shouldn’t have been any famine-related deaths.

This meant the population should have been steadily increasing through normal reproduction.

*...From 5 million to 3.5 million isn’t a simple subtraction; the actual population reduction might be at least twice as much...* Xu Qi'an cursed under his breath: "What kind of place is this?"

Inspector Zhang glanced at him and continued, “The lost population is partly due to heavy taxation. People abandoned their fields, became vagrants, sought other livelihoods in cities, or turned to banditry—none of these people are recorded in the census.

"Additionally, rampant banditry has compounded the problem. Bandits plunder and pillage, further worsening the situation. Sometimes mountain bandits descend to abduct villagers to replenish their labour force. Of course, bandits are not recorded in the census either."

Xu Qi'an gazed silently into the distance, listening to Inspector Zhang, his mind analysing the facts at hand.

*...In the first year of Yuanjing there were still 5 million people. By the 10th year, the population had already begun to decline. By the 30th year, it had decreased by 1.5 million, and the actual loss must be even greater... Yunzhou’s sharp decline occurred over these twenty-plus years, roughly coinciding with Emperor Yuanjing’s obsession with Taoism...*

*Could it be that the emperor’s focus on Taoism gave the Church of the Warlock God an opportunity? The Church of the Warlock God's scheme, spanning over twenty years, couldn’t be a minor disruption. A major conflict between Great Feng and the Church of the Warlock God’s allied nations should be inevitable.*

As he thought, Xu Qi'an’s head tilted, and he almost fell asleep.

"You don’t look well," Inspector Zhang scrutinised him with a frown. "What’s wrong?"

Inspector Zhang remembered that Xu Qi'an had been disciplined on this journey, not frequenting the Jiaofangsi, so he shouldn’t be this exhausted.

Xu Qi'an turned to the Inspector with a wry smile, "Nothing much, just mastering the art of time management."

This was his eighth sleepless day. His brain throbbed with pain, his blood vessels felt like they were about to burst, and during breakfast this morning, he even had a slight hallucination, thinking Xu Lingyin was stealing his meat bun.

His eyes were bloodshot, with dark circles underneath, reminding him of his days working the 996 in the "blessed" society. Occasionally, he even experienced 007[^1], looking equally miserable.

"Just two more days. If I can endure these two days, I should be able to advance to the Refining Spirit stage. I can’t let myself fall asleep, or all this effort will be wasted... Why does my heart feel so uncomfortable..."

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, removed his water pouch, and poured water over his head to stimulate his body and refresh his spirits.

…

A merchant caravan of three hundred people was traveling along the official road. Flatbed wagons carried goods covered with waterproof cloth, hiding the silk, tea leaves, porcelain, and cosmetics produced in Yunzhou.

There were also some special products from Yunzhou, such as snake inkstones and yellow gemstones.

The owner of the caravan was a burly man with a face full of scars named Zhao Long. He was a well-known figure in Yunzhou’s Jianghu, respected in both legal and illegal circles.

Tired of the dangerous life of licking blood off the blade, he used his early reputation and connections to start a trading business.

He was adept at dealing with bandit strongholds along the way, ensuring a smooth passage out of Yunzhou and selling the goods across various regions, making a hefty profit.

Over time, many merchants were willing to pay a premium to join Zhao Long’s caravan for the safety it provided.

Zhao Long’s caravan eventually evolved into a combination of business and escort services.

Yang Yingying was one of those seeking shelter under this protective umbrella. She left Yunzhou as an independent traveler, paying twenty taels of silver for the caravan's protection.

After all, as a weak woman, it was impossible for her to leave Yunzhou alone. On any given day, she could be abducted by roadside bandits and made into a bandit bride.

With her looks, she would easily qualify for such a position.

Yang Yingying was originally a woman from the Jiaofangsi in Yunzhou. In her younger years, she was an oiran and later met a good man who redeemed her from the brothel, keeping her as a concubine.

Now over thirty, her beauty had not diminished. Instead, her figure had become more voluptuous, adding to her mature charm. Her bright apricot eyes glistened as she looked around.

Riding on horseback, Yang Yingying felt the intense gazes of the escorts around her. She tightened her cloak and lowered her head further.

At first glance, it seemed like she was protecting her ample bosom from the men’s lecherous eyes, but she was actually guarding an item in her possession.

It was this very item that forced her to leave Yunzhou.

One of the escorts, his eyes full of lust, looked at Yang Yingying's back. Riding on horseback, her skirt clung to her body, highlighting the tempting curve of her buttocks.

The strong escort spurred his horse to catch up with Yang Yingying, grinning as he said, "Beauty, keep me company tonight. All the silver I earn from this trip will be yours. Ten taels of silver."

Yang Yingying ignored him, neither responding nor refusing, acting as if he did not exist.

The escort muttered a few more words and, seeing no response, cursed and rode off.

His familiar companions laughed and jeered, but each had a look of disappointment. This woman was impervious to both enticement and coercion, so they had no chance either.

A few escorts with blood on their hands had a vicious glint in their eyes. If not for running into Zhao Long, this lone traveling woman would have been devoured, leaving no bones behind.

At the front of the caravan, Zhao Long raised his hand to make a gesture. The escorts immediately drew their weapons, ready for anything, though their blades were only half unsheathed—an unspoken rule in the escort trade.

In the Jianghu, they sought wealth, not needless bloodshed, unless the power difference was vast. Moreover, Zhao Long had a certain reputation, or he wouldn't be in this business.

From the dense forest on either side of the narrow path, about seventy or eighty men suddenly emerged, brandishing gleaming swords and spears. More than twenty riders, all robust and well-equipped, emerged from the side path.

Zhao Long was puzzled. He traveled this route several times a year and knew exactly where to pay respects and which hilltops to honor. Since when had such a group of fierce bandits appeared in this forest? Zhao Long gestured for his escorts to stay calm and rode a short distance forward, shouting:

“I am Zhao Long. Friends, which road were you on before…”

As he got closer, he realised something was wrong. These fierce bandits had military crossbows at their waists and standard long swords in their hands, all military equipment.

Zhao Long had heard that some large bandit strongholds were well-equipped with military supplies, including swords, crossbows, and even guns, but those were the top of the top — they shouldn’t have appeared here.

…

"Ningyan, you look like a man who's been drained by a woman," Song Tingfeng teased Xu Qi'an as they walked side by side.

Xu Qi'an glanced at him and said flatly, "I have a friend who wants to know if the Sitianjian has any pills for boosting vitality."

Song Tingfeng's smile froze.

"My friend is Zhu Guangxiao. Guangxiao, you have a fiancée; why push yourself so hard?" Song Tingfeng deflected the comment to Zhu Guangxiao.

Zhu Guangxiao gave him a silent look, feeling indignant, and retorted, "I cherish beauty, while you look too greedy. Every morning, the girls who sleep with you can't even get out of bed. You don't know how to restrain yourself and end up exhausting your body."

A martial artist's physique was robust, and their energy abundant, but even if one were as strong as a bull, working tirelessly from night till dawn would eventually lead to a depletion of vital energy.

"I'm just that good," Song Tingfeng retorted proudly, "Only the girls from Jiaofangsi can keep up with me, although even they struggle."

"Tingfeng..."

Hearing Xu Qi'an call him, Song Tingfeng turned his head, "What?"

"It's not that you're great; it's that they tolerate your inadequacies."

"Get lost."

As they bantered, Jiang Lyuzhong, the leader, suddenly said in a deep voice, "There's a scent of blood ahead. Everyone, prepare yourselves."

The sound of blades being drawn was uniform as the Huben Guards and Nightwatchers simultaneously unsheathed their swords and readied their crossbows.

"Forward!" Jiang Lyuzhong spurred his horse forward.

The Inspector General's team quickly shifted into a marching formation, advancing with remarkable speed and coordination.

After ten minutes, they reached a dense forest, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.

As they entered the forest, arrows shot out from both sides, targeting the charging Nightwatchers and Huben Guards.

Jiang Lyuzhong raised his hand and pressed down, creating an invisible wall of air that caused the arrows to fall helplessly to the ground.

He waved his hand and ordered, "Huben Guards, into the forest to kill the enemy."

As he spoke, Jiang Lyuzhong glanced ahead and saw hundreds of corpses strewn across the road, their blood staining the ground. Even the horses had been slaughtered, and the goods from the caravan were scattered everywhere.

Quickly assessing the situation, he realised that his order to rush had caught the bandits off guard. They hadn’t had time to retreat and were now ambushing from the forest.

The sounds of fierce fighting erupted from the forest. The Huben Guards, one of the five elite units of the capital, though not as formidable as the Imperial Guards, were far superior to local troops.

The numbers on both sides were roughly equal, and the exchange of arrows and blades was intense.

Jiang Lyuzhong paused, somewhat surprised, and turned to Xu Qi'an, "Ningyan, have you ever killed anyone?"

"I've killed one and seriously injured another," Xu Qi'an reported casually, his eyes scanning the bodies of the caravan members.

Jiang Lyuzhong scoffed, "Still wet behind the ears."

The Nightwatchers burst into laughter.

Aside from Xu Qi'an, who had been a Nightwatcher for less than two months, the others were battle-hardened warriors, unflinching killers.

Pointing to the forest, Jiang Lyuzhong ordered, "Go and practice. Kill at least ten."

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and replied, "Alright!"

---

[^1]: If you recall that 996 was 9AM - 9PM, 6 days a week… well 007 is 0AM - 0AM, 7 days a week