Joy of Life: Invincible Starting from Basic Swordsmanship

Chapter 53: An Unexpected Choice

The leader of the ambush group at the foot of the mountain waited for a long time, but the men who had gone up did not return, so he lowered a new rope.

At that moment, he guessed that something had happened to the person who went up.

"Oh dear, I miscalculated. I should have known better than to change the plans!"

The plan to climb the mountain was definitely not going to continue.

Now he's considering whether to retreat or continue waiting.

They have now all retreated to the back of the mountain.

There's a wildfire on the front mountain, so it's impossible to get up there in a short time. Conversely, Fan Xian and his group can't come down from the front mountain either.

If Fan Xian and his companions wanted to get down the mountain as soon as possible, the cliff at the back of the mountain would be a good way down.

"Perhaps there's still a chance: disguise ourselves as border troops and deliver a fatal blow to Fan Xian and Ye Chengfeng!"

However, they are currently unable to quickly obtain the standard armor for the border troops.

"No, that's not the case. The border troops who followed Yan Xiaoyi in attacking Fan Xian seem to have deserted and are hiding in a nearby mountain stronghold!"

The ambush leader had even figured out how to persuade the group of rebels.

He was Li Yunrui's confidant. He would tell the rebel leader that their master would take them in, and he didn't believe the group wouldn't be tempted.

Without hesitation, the ambush leader immediately left with several trusted men.

The border troops who ambushed Fan Xian back then, since they were able to accompany Yan Xiaoyi on patrols of the border,

This means that their strength is definitely not weak, and there must be many experts of the seventh or eighth rank among them.

Most importantly, they were a regular army, and their combat strength was far superior to that of the martial arts practitioners led by the ambush leader.

The only drawback was their small number; according to the intelligence known to the ambush leader, this border troop consisted of only a little over a hundred men.

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This is the border area, where bandits are rampant.

After the border troops who had accompanied Yan Xiaoyi on his inspection tour defected, they chose to capture a mountain stronghold and set up camp there.

The reason they defected in the first place is entirely Ye Chengfeng's fault.

If Yan Xiaoyi hadn't died, he would have been the military commander and could have taken the blame upon himself.

Even if Fan Xian impeaches him later, Emperor Qing will only let it go lightly.

However, Yan Xiaoyi was killed by Ye Chengfeng and Haitang Duoduo.

This border troop won't have a good ending, because they'll be without a commander to take responsibility for them.

In ancient battles, why were the commanders usually the ones who survived?

Besides the fact that the general was highly skilled in combat, it was also because his soldiers fought desperately to protect him.

In the stronghold of Poison Wolf Mountain, a young general dressed in the armor of a captain drank wine in utter dejection.

They escaped and saved their lives, but their families were not so lucky.

"I shouldn't have followed the 'Yan bandits' in the first place to attack Fan Xian, otherwise I wouldn't be in this predicament!"

The captain was very clear-headed and knew who he was to blame for his current predicament.

Is it Fan Xian's fault? Or is it Ye Chengfeng and Haitang Duoduo's fault?

That's definitely not acceptable. They went to kill someone, so it's only natural for them to retaliate. They can't be blamed at all.

Their operation was entirely Yan Xiaoyi's personal matter, so why should they follow along?

He knew that if he didn't go with them, Yan Xiaoyi might kill him to silence him.

Just as he was pondering his future, his subordinates came to report.

"General, a wandering swordsman has come down from the mountain, saying he has important matters to discuss!"

"What urgent matter? Just kill him."

"General, he said he was working for the Princess and that he could give us brothers a chance to get revenge."

The captain was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself that if he were to pledge allegiance to the princess at this time, he might actually be able to protect himself and his brothers.

After a moment of contemplation, he decided to meet the man and see what he had to say.

Soon the ambush leader was brought to the Hall of Righteousness.

"Speak, what brings you here?"

"What does the general think of killing Fan Xian and Ye Chengfeng?"

Upon hearing Fan Xian and Ye Chengfeng's names again, the captain was clearly angered, and the hilt of his long sword creaked as he gripped it tightly.

The ambush leader naturally saw this and thought to himself, "Looks like things are looking promising; the other side seems to hate Fan Xian and Ye Chengfeng intensely!"

"Tell me, how do we kill these two? They have quite a few experts around them, as well as guards from the delegation."

"We have over a thousand men, all with a cultivation level at least at the sixth rank. Furthermore, the delegation is currently trapped on the mountain. What does the general think?"

The captain did not answer immediately.

But his thoughts were completely opposite to what the ambush leader had guessed.

"This might actually be an opportunity. Fan Xian will surely rise to great heights upon returning to the capital. If we pledge our allegiance to him, he might be willing to protect us!"

Even if I become Fan Xian's bodyguard in the future, it will still be better than what I am now!

Why didn't he consider joining Li Yunrui, but instead thought of joining Fan Xian?

The reason is simple: how can a princess who has lost power compare to Fan Xian, who is at the height of his power at this time?

Secondly, how old is Fan Xian?

Sixteen years old!

He also has many titles to his name and will marry the daughter of the current prime minister in the future.

Princess Li Yunrui? We don't know her at all!

"I agree. Go back and make the arrangements. Just leave one person behind to guide us. I need time to prepare."

The ambush leader was surprised by the other party's quick agreement and, without suspecting anything, left behind a seventh-rank martial artist and rushed back without stopping.

He also knew that time was of the essence. If the situation dragged on for too long, even if the border troops arrived with reinforcements, it would be of no use.

"General, are you really going to help them?"

After taking the ambush leader away, his men immediately asked their general, who was reluctant to take the risk.

At least for now, news of their situation has not yet reached Kyoto.

The family is safe for the time being.

But this time, things might be different if they take action again.

"Interrogate that person first. We know too little right now. Let's find out the specifics before making any plans."

"Yes, General, I will take care of it immediately!"

After some questioning, the captain finally learned the whole story.

The captain summoned several of his squad leaders to discuss the matter.

"Everyone should know what really happened by now!"

The captain spoke first.

One of the sergeants, a man with a burly appearance, immediately complained, "Those Jianghu people are really useless. There are over a thousand of them, and the lowest-ranking among them is sixth grade. They still can't take down the delegation. I think we shouldn't get involved in this."

Although the other corporals didn't say anything, their expressions basically conveyed the same meaning.

The captain waved his hand and said, "I already know what the brothers are thinking, but I still intend to take action."

"General, are you saying we should take a gamble?"

They weren't too opposed to their captain's decision. After all, with their future ruined, taking a gamble might actually help them escape their current predicament.

"That's right, let's take the risk, but we're not going to kill Fan Xian, we're going to save him!"

The captain's words were astonishing!

Don't underestimate these people just because they don't hold high-ranking positions.

One captain, several squad leaders, and over a hundred soldiers—but they were the Imperial Guard!

Unfortunately, Yan Xiaoyi had only just been transferred to the border army and had not yet completely subdued them.

"I know my brothers are worried, but this may be our only chance to protect our family."

This is the truth. Even if Fan Xian doesn't accept their allegiance, he will definitely protect their families out of consideration for their rescue efforts.