223 Prisoners of the New Recruits

clever by sending people to track me, my lord would have already left long ago. Therefore, your failure today is what you chose yourself. When Ren Qining understood the meaning behind Mo Xiuyao’s wor...223. Captive New Recruits

223. Captive Qilin New Recruits

A cheer rang out in front of a rock wall at the base of a cliff, "It's open! It's opened!"

The people gathered at the foot of the mountain were all delighted. Although they had found this entrance several days ago, even with the most skilled tomb raiders and construction experts of the present day working together, it still took them quite some time to open the entrance to the imperial mausoleum without damaging it. After all, from outside, one could see nothing; it was impossible to estimate what kind of mechanisms might be inside. A single misstep could cause the entire tomb passage to collapse. Then, instead of digging for an entrance door, they would have to dig out a mountain or even several mountains. Fortunately, someone finally thought of tunneling into the mausoleum from the side and confirming the situation and location of the mechanisms inside before opening this hidden imperial mausoleum that had been concealed for hundreds of years. This also proved that Tan Jizhi hadn't lied to them; the treasure map he provided was indeed a map leading to an imperial mausoleum.

The person who emerged from inside the entrance, with a beaming smile on their face, said, "This is truly an imperial mausoleum. The underground palace is still quite far away; this imperial mausoleum is very vast indeed. Quickly report to our lord!"

Before long, various parties had arrived and no one was left behind. Lei Tengfeng frowned as he looked at the entrance before him and asked, "Is this the entrance to the imperial mausoleum of the founding emperor of the previous dynasty Isn't it a bit too small" Someone in the crowd stepped forward and said, "Prince, you are mistaken; this tomb is different from ordinary imperial tombs. From the beginning, there was no plan for future generations to pay homage, so the entrance appears in such an extremely remote location, likely as a preventive measure against tomb raiders. Besides, this might not be the only entrance. Based on my deduction, it should still be at least ten miles away from the center of the underground palace." Lei Tengfeng nodded and glanced at Beirong's Seventh Prince, Beirong Crown Prince, and Da Chu Liwang Mo Jingli standing beside him, his sword-like eyebrows furrowing.

Originally, he had thought that obtaining the treasure map was a secret matter. But after finding the place, he discovered that this so-called treasure map was in everyone's hands. Immediately, Lei Tengfeng realized they were likely being duped by Tan Jizhi. However, this treasure map was clearly genuine and they had already found the location. Could it be… that Tan Jizhi wanted them to fight each other to death while he reaped the benefits Upon thinking of this possibility, Lei Tengfeng's heart skipped a beat and he didn't hurry to enter the imperial mausoleum anymore. With a smile, he looked at the crowd staring back at him and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Crown Prince, Liwang, Seventh Prince, what are your plans"

The people present had various expressions but none of them could avoid being wary of each other. They were all from royal families and naturally knew what they would encounter if they entered the imperial mausoleum. But if others got ahead of them… while gold and jewels were important, if someone else took the Imperial Seal first, that would be truly troublesome.

Yelü Hong chuckled with a caution and shrewdness uncommon to nomadic tribes in the north, saying, "This small king is merely curious about the imperial tomb of the founding emperor of Central Plains' previous dynasty. Sending someone inside for a look suffices." With a wave of his hand, a group of men dressed as guards who had been standing behind Yelü Hong stepped forward and entered the entrance first. Lei Tengfeng narrowed his eyes slightly, a dark gleam flashing in them, and nodded with a smile, saying, "Prince Yelü speaks sensibly. Although it's an imperial mausoleum, there's still something ominous about it. We don't need to personally explore inside ourselves. Alright then, you may go in to have a look as well so that you can report back to your father king." Behind him, a group of people dressed in golden-yellow brocade robes bowed slightly toward Lei Tengfeng and rushed in after them. Yelü Hong and the others present were momentarily stunned; those were the Golden Robed Guardsmen of Prince of Southern Tranquility, following Lei Tengfeng.

Lei Tengfeng smiled at Mo Jingli as he said, "What's your take on this Liwang, are you not going to have a look inside"

Muttering disdainfully, Mo Jingli said, "A gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. A mere imperial mausoleum is nothing in my sight." With a wave of his hand, the guards behind him entered as well. Nearby, Yelü Ye naturally did not lag and sent his own men to enter the imperial mausoleum.

From a distant concealed spot, Han Mingxiu looked at the crowd still gathered in front of the entrance who had no intention of entering or leaving, becoming angry, "What's their game They're obstructing us even if they don't go inside."

"They won’t enter," said Han Mingyue suddenly from beside him.

Han Mingxiu was stunned for a moment and turned to look at Han Mingyue, asking, "Why" Han Mingyue gave him a glance and said coolly, "Who are they Either princes or dukes, with high status and power. They are not tomb raiders; even if they want what's inside, they won't risk their lives personally. Once dead, everything is gone." Lowering his head to think about it for a moment, Han Mingxiu had to admit that his elder brother was right and became even more despondent and angry, "Then what does Mo Xiuyao mean by this He told me to come here just to watch these people without doing anything myself Is he playing with me" Han Mingyue remained silent; he now cared neither for Mo Xiuyao nor the others present. All he wished was that his brother would not enter and die.

"Mr. Han." A deep male voice suddenly appeared behind the two people at an unwilling spot, startling Han Mingxi and causing him to leap up in alertness towards the unexpected man. The man was wearing dark green clothes with his face painted in green dye; even after standing for so long, Han Mingxi could not tell what模樣這人洗乾淨臉會是什麼模樣。他皺了皺眉，發現對方冇有敵意才問道：“你是什麼鬼？”男子沉聲道：“麒麟訓練營第十二小隊新兵。奉隊長之名轉告韓公子，麒麟執行任務，請韓公子迴避。”the man did not mean any hostility, Han Mingxi asked: “What are you” The man solemnly said: "New recruit of the 12th squad in the Qilin Training Camp. On behalf of our captain, I am instructed to inform Mr. Han that the Qilin team is on a mission and requests your avoidance."

"Mission" Han Mingxi was puzzled for a moment before he immediately understood, pointing at the group still confronting each other in the distance and asked: "Them"

The man stood solemnly with his eyes fixed ahead as if he hadn't heard Han Mingxi's question. Han Mingxi narrowed his eyes and looked at him unhappily, asking: "If I don't avoid them, what will you do then" The man wasn't courteous either; he snapped his fingers behind him, saying, “Grab them!” Even high-level experts like Han Mingxi and Han Mingyue couldn’t react in time. Dozens of agile figures pounced over to pin down and gag Han Mingxi and the others before carrying them away. Throughout his life, even when he was being chased by various martial arts sects as a teenager, Han Mingxi had never received such treatment; anger flushed his face red, and despite being bound, he struggled continuously. A man walked up from behind and patted his shoulder softly, saying: "Brother Han, this is because you didn't cooperate willingly, brother can do nothing about it. Don’t worry, we will release you in at most two hours. We are just executing the command of the Queen Consort, so please don’t be angry." Han Mingxi turned back with indignation; he had merely mentioned it casually and never expected these scoundrels to take him seriously.

Turning around, he found that this man painted like a ghost was exceptionally familiar. "Wuuu..." Xu Qingfeng!

Xu Qingfeng smiled at him with bared teeth: "Brother Han, I apologize. After we complete the mission, brother will buy you drinks and make amends."

"Wuuu!" What nonsense! There wasn’t a single decent person in Xu Family!

Ignoring his fiery gaze, Xu Qingfeng waved his hand to order his men to take away the captives for concealment. Thus, Prince Wind and Moon suffered their first true retribution in life. Because Han Mingxi et al were still acting as characters, they naturally couldn’t spare any manpower to escort them out; so a secluded mountain cave was chosen at random to leave them there, with branches and dry grasses chopped up for camouflage before he left triumphantly, leaving behind Han Mingxi lying under the bushes cursing in his heart.

Having dealt satisfactorily with Han Mingxi, Xu Qingfeng lay on the slope observing movements of people around the royal tomb entrance. It wasn't that he wanted to oppose Han Mingxi but rather that this kid had chosen a spot too good for him to let it go; it was exactly where he needed. As for those so-called Prince Regent, Duke and Crown Prince opposite him, Xu Qingfeng’s eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation; living such a life was much more interesting than studying or doing official duties at home. "Captain, all the outsiders have been cleared away except those left. Shall we move now" A squad member quietly crawled up beside Xu Qingfeng and whispered this question. Xu Qingfeng shook his head and said softly: "Those people are all important figures who fear death; there must still be hundreds of guards around them. There is also that... Lei Tengfeng, Ye Li Hong, Ye Li Ye, Mo Jingli, they are all experts. If we let any of these guys escape, it would ruin everything we have done so far. Wait until the others arrive and then act together."

"Why can’t we move when we got here first..." The young soldier felt不甘心. They arrived first; if they were to catch those people themselves, their team would be the undoubted number one.

Xu Qingfeng slapped his head and said, "We only have a dozen men, facing so many people is already difficult enough. If we let any of them escape... don’t forget what the Queen Consort and Commander Qin demanded." They must capture or kill all; if even just one escapes, it would be considered a failure. The soldier touched his head and obediently lay down.

Soon afterwards, something flashed on the opposite hilltop. Xu Qingfeng’s eyes lit up as he chewed on a blade of grass and said with a smile: "Look, which ones have arrived" The soldier got up to observe carefully; their chosen position was good, allowing them to see clearly both sides’ targets and surroundings. He grinned and reported back to Xu Qingfeng: "Squads one through sixteen are here already. Seventh and fifteenth squad are blocking upstream and downstream of the river respectively. Others have dispersed around."

Xu Qingfeng nodded in satisfaction, “Let your brothers get ready; follow the original plan to work together with other squads’ brothers to encircle those people and move towards the center in a thorough sweep, no one can escape. After all squad reunions, the deputy captain will lead and we’ll cooperate with other captains to capture them.”

"Yes!"

While Lei Tengfeng et al were carefully probing and defending against opponents below the cliff, they didn’t know that a group had already silently taken out their over one thousand men nearby and were slowly approaching. Lei Tengfeng was sitting by a tree, his gaze occasionally sweeping over Ye Liye’s team as he calculated in his heart whether those under him would be enough to retrieve the imperial jade seal if it wasn’t them who got it; or how they could escape from the surrounding groups if it was their people who took it. While he was thinking, others naturally weren't idle either, so when he raised his head this time, he met Mo Jingli’s wary eyes.

Lei Tengfeng smiled amiably at Mo Jingli but only received a silent disregard in return; Lei Tengfeng didn’t mind it. He and his father had long analyzed Mo Jingli; they agreed that the man wouldn't amount to anything and thus wasn't worth worrying about.

Finally, sounds came from inside the tomb. Everyone immediately stood up tensely watching at the exit. Soon someone rushed out with a disheveled appearance, showing the danger they encountered in the royal tomb was no ordinary thing. Mo Jingli stepped forward to grab his man and asked sternly: "Found the imperial jade seal"

"Your Highness... we were tricked by Tan Jizhi. Inside... there is actually no imperial jade seal!" The guard’s arm hurt from being grabbed, but he still reported resolutely.

The group's expressions changed, and soon others rushed out with similar news. Yelü Hong brought back the imitation jade seal but its glaringly obvious fake character in one corner seemed to mock everyone, causing their eyes to hurt.

"Tan Jizhi!" Mo Jingli gritted his teeth. Everyone else's expressions turned equally grim, especially when they heard that most of the precious burial items were large and hard to move. Lei Tengfeng was straightforward; since he didn't find what he sought, he planned to report back immediately to Li City. He snorted loudly and said, "Let’s go! Back to the city!" The guards hiding nearby did not respond at all. Lei Tengfeng quickly realized something was amiss, his expression turning even more grim. Others also noticed something off; Mo Jingli sternly called out, “Come forward!” Below the cliff, only his voice echoed back. Over a hundred guards hiding in darkness remained motionless.

A clear yet deep laughter came from不遠處: "On Northwest land, desecrating graves without permission. Your boldness! If you don't surrender swiftly and wait for His Royal Highness and Lady to deal with it."

Mo Jingli sneered, “Could this grave belong to Mo Xiuyao” The other side responded with the same cold laugh: "Though not belonging to the王爺, it is on his land. Moreover… You nobles from various countries can actually do such despicable acts, truly impressive. Just that you shouldn't commit such acts in Northwest territory. Still believe our王爺doesn’t exist I'll count to three; come over and surrender yourselves or don't blame us for being impolite."

Lei Tengfeng smiled, "May I ask which general's麾下各位是？不會是…定王妃屬下的麒麟吧？如此，本王倒是想領教一二."

Yelü Ye stepped forward and smiled, "Prince Southern Peace said it correctly; I also want to see the skills of a麒麟." Yelü Hong and Mo Jingli exchanged glances, preparing for battle. The appearance of Ye Li's麒麟was too quick and mysterious. If they could probe into them now, it would be beneficial.

"Then, we'll have our hands full!" Before finishing his sentence, several figures suddenly leaped out towards the group. Unlike usual chaotic fights, their movements were well-coordinated, each group targeting a specific person. Other guards were swiftly dealt with by casually rushing麒麟. After clearing surrounding guards, these麒麟organizedly surrounded the battlefield, seemingly both watching and preventing enemies from escaping.

Lei Tengfeng swung his long sword against those around him, noticing their默契配合and flexible formations. As soon as one group showed weakness, another would assist. Though individually formidable, collectively they overwhelmed him; even four together left him struggling.

The battle ended after a cup of tea's time, with all four captured without懸念。一人對周圍的麒麟示意，歡呼著四散消失在山林中。低頭看著脖子上的短刀和利索反綁自己的人，Lei Tengfeng無奈歎服道：“麒麟果然名不虛傳。”捆綁他的人盯著綠墨的臉笑道：“多謝世子誇獎，我們還不是正式的麒麟。” Lei Tengfeng含笑未語，心中卻沉甸甸。如此戰力，在任何軍隊都是精銳中的精銳；若非正式麒麟，真正的麒麟該有多強？看著這些看不出真麵目的臉，一股寒意升起。

"How are the people we brought" Yelü Hong asked.

一人啊了一聲，摸著腦袋想了想道：“上麵交代了幾位大人物要毫髮無傷，其他人隨意。聽話的都綁了，不聽話的都殺了。”Yelü Hong的臉色也變了變，北戎勇士威名遠播，他實在無法相信這麼多高手悄無聲息就被解決了。對此，Lei Tengfeng心中有了底也不激動，隻盤算著這次落入定王和定王妃手中要付出多大的代價。

In a flat forest, Ye Li in white robes stood gracefully. Behind her, Qin Feng and Zhuo Jing Linhan wore black. Nearby were enraged Han Mingchi and bewildered Han Mingyue.

Seeing the soldiers still energetic after marching and fighting for over twenty-four hours, Ye Li nodded approvingly: "No need to bow; you've all shown great performance today. We’ll discuss your weaknesses later but overall we're very satisfied." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and thanked her.

Ye Li smiled at the visibly excited young men, saying softly: "Therefore, I declare now that you officially leave training camp to become full麒麟members."

The team cheered again. Qin Feng, who was standing behind Ye Li, stepped forward with ill intentions and said to the excited subordinates: "Don’t be too happy. Truly becoming a member of Qilin means that your future days will be even more arduous than before."

"Reporting to Commander, we are not afraid!" A soldier from the team stepped forward and stated firmly.

"Not afraid" Qin Feng rarely smiled but did so now. The soldier felt a chill run down his spine. He heard Qin Feng continue: "Then, in order to welcome and celebrate each of you officially becoming members of Qilin, I have prepared gifts for all of you — one month of wilderness survival training in the Lingyun Mountains northeast from here, 300 miles away. Requirement: no civilian resources can be obtained by any means, nor can local garrisons be disturbed. As for those who fail…" Seeing their originally excited faces immediately turn to sobs, Qin Feng smiled coldly and said: "Those who fail will have to wash all of Qilin's clothes for the next three months!" Everyone silently cursed; the endless training at Qilin made their uniforms so filthy they didn’t want to touch them. Even if there weren't a thousand people in Qilin, there were still seven or eight hundred. Washing that many clothes was worse than death.

Qin Feng clearly couldn’t empathize with his subordinates' resentment and dissatisfaction; he looked at the warriors who had been painted but whose anger could be clearly seen despite it and waved: "Now then, everyone, head northeast!"

"Yes!"

"Twelve Squad’s captain stay behind," Ye Li said.

Xu Qingfeng, who had originally intended to run away with them, was startled but remained in place.

"My Lady" Xu Qingfeng asked不解地問道。

Ye Li smiled and said, "Third Brother, your training is over." When Ye Li called him Third Brother, it meant they were now on a personal level. But Xu Qingfeng didn’t want to discuss this as private matters. After a moment’s silence, Xu Qingfeng reported: "My Lady, I would like to stay and train with them." Ye Li frowned and said, "That wasn’t the original plan." Xu Qingfeng had joined halfway through; although his training results weren't worse than others', from the beginning no one planned to keep him at Qilin. Even Xu Qingfeng himself probably didn’t have such intentions. Originally, what he yearned for was commanding troops on battlefields rather than this small team. Qilin was destined not to face direct battles. Moreover, due to its confidentiality, if Xu Qingfeng truly joined Qilin, it meant that at least within several years he couldn’t get married or have children, nor could he spend long periods with his family. This probably wasn't what his aunt and uncle would want.

Xu Qingfeng said seriously, "I’ve made up my mind. I believe I’m not worse than anyone else; please give me a chance to prove myself."

Ye Li frowned slightly and asked Qin Feng: "What do you think, Qin Feng"

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow and said, "Xu San’s capabilities are beyond doubt. Actually, My Lady can wait until he returns from this mission to decide on his future; there will also be time to discuss with Mr. Xu and the two fathers."

Ye Li thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright then, Third Brother, go ahead."

Hearing Ye Li’s words, Xu Qingfeng was delighted; he bowed to Ye Li and Qin Feng before turning around to catch up with his team.k from the door. It’s better not to get too close to his injuries. I've already sent someone on horseback back to the capital to inform Mr. Zhu Liang. Perhaps very soon, Master Zhu Liang will come per...