Chapter 01 Part 04 - True Self (1/2)
Chapter 01 Part 04 - True Self
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Riding in the dark with her fellow riders, Bai Chuan found herself lost in thought: the joy of victory earlier today did not dispel her doubts, how did we win so easily? The Demons had the advantage, yet they suddenly retreated; and when the Calvary of House ZiChuan attacked, they were barely met with any organized resistance… that was not the usual etiquette of the powerful and the fierce Demon Army.
But in the end a victory is a victory, irreplaceable and beyond doubt. The sea of Demon corpses stretched as far as the eyes can see, like the crops in the fall, waiting to be harvest… that was the proof. Only then did she realize her back was soaked in sweat. If there was the slightest error in her judgement, then the ones lying on the ground right now would have been the riders of House ZiChuan. And she would have to take responsibility for it. Even if she was fortunate enough to survive the battle, she wouldn’t be able to escape the punishment from the Military Constables of Ministry of Supervision[[1]]… I can’t take any more risks, she thought, surely the G.o.ddess of luck would not be so generous, to look after the same person twice.
“Stop chasing.” She gave the order.
Like taking a weight off their shoulders, the riders brought their horses to a swift halt. They were completely exhausted after chasing five hours nonstop, but none dared to suggest it to their lady tyrant… Everyone saw what happened to Chang Chuan the last time he tried. For the common soldiers, she seemed way scarier than the supposedly invincible Demon G.o.d King himself.
“All units make camp, send out the scouts, increase the number of guards a.s.signed to each sentry post at night time from four to eight, double the scout’s recon range and light torches as warning!”
The couriers left as soon as she finished, Bai Chuan went on: “From now on, Deputy Banner Master Chang Chuan is in charge of the camp, I will go see Master Xiu.”
Chang Chuan stepped out behind the riders with an inhospitable look on his face: “So, I’m in charge? Is Master Bai not afraid of me taking all the credit for myself?”
In return, Bai Chuan gave him the sweetest of all smiles, and instantly, Chang Chuan’s anger subsided over half, and the rest… well, it no longer mattered.
“Are you still mad at me? I’m apologizing to you now, aren’t I? Chang Chuan, you are a man amongst men, surely you won’t stoop down to the level of a girl, right?”
Chang Chuan’s mouth twisted into a wry grin: “Fine, you win. It is not like I haven’t been hit by you before.”
“I’ll let you in on something, I just questioned some of the captives and they told me a strange story. They said that during the attack, their Commander Ge Sha and Deputy Commander Yun Shen were both a.s.sa.s.sinated. Without the head of their chain of command, their morale buckled and their forces collapsed on its own.”
“Really!” Bai Chuan was taken by surprise: “Who did it? They sure did us a big favour.”
“I only know it was done by a Human… as you may already know, for a demon, we all look the same, in a sense, it is just like how those green skinned monsters all look the same to us. Anyways, he was a very terrifying human according to the demons; he hid himself in the sand and waited for the Demon Commanders to walk past him before he struck them down from below. Both of them were killed in one stroke. ”
Bai Chuan considered the possibility: “I didn’t know someone like that existed in the Far Eastern regions, not only skilled, but also patient and ruthless. To hide himself in the sand….” She shuddered at the thought.