Chapter 134 – Soldiers on Duty
Wen Wan did not come at the promised time.
That evening, he did not come find Ye Qingyu.
Ye Qingyu had long gotten used to the fact that this fellow could not be relied upon. He did not wait for him any longer.
By the time the colour of the night turned pitch black, Bai Yuanxing had not yet returned. Therefore, Ye Qingyu went downstairs, finding something casual to eat. He decided to go to the military supply department in search of him. Following the roads, and glancing curiously at the new surroundings, he headed in the direction of the military supply department.
There were strict rules imposed on the streets at night. Night patrols crossed and intersected in the streets repeatedly. Even if you were a normal military officer, without a special military order, it was forbidden for you to leave the camps. One was not allowed to walk in the streets at night.
Thankfully, Ye Qingyu held the position of patrolling sword envoy. It was a rather special role, and was not included in this restriction.
After receiving the interrogation of several of these patrols on the streets, Ye Qingyu obtained the correct directions from these patrols. Fifteen minutes later, he had finally arrived in the great camp of the military supply department.
The military supply department did not belong to the vanguard, back, the left or the right, these four main camps. But its position was very important in Youyan Pass. Funding and provisioning every troop, they were the god of wealth in the army. They were a character that everyone wanted to have good relations with.
There were less than two thousand meters of distance between the military supply department and the Pass Lord’s residence. The large majority of the buildings of the supply department was hidden under the snow and ice, within the mountain. What was exposed outside were only tens of black warehouses and three stone halls.
The ice and snow fenced these structures within.
There were elite soldiers wearing black armour that were patrolling around in all directions of the military supply base. They was a mound every ten steps and a sentry every five. The security was extremely serious. And within the large gate covered by ice and snow, there were twenty people stationed there. The group on duty would be swapped periodically every hour. No matter whether one considered how well armoured they were or their individual strength, these were the elite of the elite.
“Who is it?”
There was a cold shout in front of him.
Before Ye Qingyu had neared a hundred meter from the gates, he had already been discovered.
But he did not have the intention to hide himself. Calmly, he walked slowly step by step, and at the same time indicated to the official seal of his position. Activating his inner yuan, the formations on the official seal began to activate. It formed a diagram of two swords diagonally intersecting with a vast atmosphere and great momentum.
This was the official formation seal of the patrolling sword envoy.
Most of the surrounding cold killing intent, in this instant, largely evaporated.
Ye Qingyu knew that the hidden sentries had already retreated.
He did not hurry or slow his pace. Step by step, he walked to in front of the gates.
The four-meter-tall snow and ice fence that surrounded their base was sculpted from cold ice formed hundreds of years ago. On it, was the enhancement of formations. Yuan qi of Heaven and Earth fluctuated within. This ice wall, was even more sturdy than walls made from steel. The gates were also similarly sculpted from ice, and under the lanterns of the night, there was a translucent mysteriousness.
Before the great gates, there were ten icicles on each side with a girth that you could wrap your arms around. These were erected to the left and right of the gates.
These icicles were tens of meters high.
“Superior.” The captain of the soldiers that were on duty at the gates came over, slightly bowing to Ye Qingyu. His face was covered by the black face armour. In the colour of the darkness, he seemed like a monster of the night. Seemingly grim and unfeeling, he extended his hand. “For what matter has superior you come to the military supply department? Please, could you show your seal.”
Ye Qingyu handed over his official seal.
His gaze passed by this chilling soldier on duty that was like a monster of the night. His gaze casually flicked to above the icicles.
But in the next instant, his gaze froze while looking at the pillar.
And at the same time, the soldier on duty seeing Ye Qingyu’s official seal was slightly taken aback. He could not help but lift his head and have another glance at Ye Qingyu. Seeing that this patrolling sword envoy was unfamiliar and young, he instantly knew that this was the rumoured new patrolling sword envoy here to fulfill the empty position.
Connecting this with the matter that had happened this evening, the captain on duty instantly understood that this would not end well.
He extended his hand to hand the official seal over respectfully…
But at that time, he could only feel his vision ferociously blurring. The figure of Ye Qingyu had disappeared.
The other armoured soldiers let out shocked exclamations.
They could only see Ye Qingyu’s body, like it was a humongous avian, appearing in an instant at the tip of an icicle. His hand like a knife, he cut through an ice pillar as if it was tofu. He released a prisoner that was chained to the icicle. Holding him into his embrace, he floated back to the ground.
There was no sound as he landed, nor traces of his descent in the snow.
The twenty ice pillars outside the gates, were known as the [Punishment Pillars of Warning]. It was a place where the military supply departments punished criminals. Those soldiers who had committed serious crimes would be hung at the top of these formation ice pillars, serving as warning to everyone. Some outside people who had conflicts with the officers of the military supply department would also receive such a punishment to enforce the military authority of the supply department.
Ye Qingyu looked at the armoured soldiers on duty saying, “Why is the sword slave of White Horse Tower hung on the ice pillar? I need an explanation.”
The person in his embrace was the sword slave of White Horse Tower, Bai Yuanxing. He was already at his last breaths.
“This…” The captain of the soldiers on duty hesitated, about to say something.
Ye Qingyu quickly checked the injuries of Bai Yuanxing and his expression faintly changed. He did not tarry any longer, soaring back towards the direction of White Horse Tower.
“Whoever did it, tell him to scram to White Horse Tower and explain himself to me.”
A voice containing fury resounded throughout the night air.
In the blink of an eye, Ye Qingyu had already disappeared in the vast night air.
The captain of the guards on duty was dumbfounded for a moment, then thought of something. Gesturing for one of his subordinates to come over, he said something to him in a low voice beside his ear. This subordinate followed the order, turning and running inside the gates…
After a short while, a black-robed young man walked out.
The leader of the soldiers on duty handed over the military seal over, saying something in a low voice. He pointed in the direction of the empty [Punishment Pillars] that was still vibrating.
The face of the black-robed young man, instantly became somewhat embarrassed.
His figure flashed, soaring upwards and following along the ice pillar. Halfway up, his hands pressed down on the icicle, borrowing force to lift himself up further. Grabbing the edge of the snapped off ice pillar, he inspected the cut of the ice pillar. It was smooth and polished like a mirror. His eyebrows became even more furrowed.
This ice pillar had received the enhancement of formations. Blades and swords could hardly harm it.
But the cut was sharp and polished. According to the words of the head soldier, it seemed to have been broken by the newly arrived patrolling sword envoy…
It seems like the strength of this new officer could not be underestimated.
The black-robed young man landed back on the ground.
The leader of the soldier’s facial features was covered by black face armour and his expression not able to be clearly seen. But he had clearly witnessed that the same action of jumping to the top of the pillar, Ye Qingyu’s movement was as nimble and as agile as a snowflake, but the black-robed young man was somewhat more clumsy and heavy…
The one above and the one below was already decided.
“What did he say when he left?” the black-robed young man asked.
“He said, who acted against his people, scram to the White Horse Tower to give him an explanation.” The leading soldier on duty explained everything that had occurred in detail, not hiding anything in the slightest.
The black-robed young man nodded his head. Lowering his head to look at the official seal of the patrolling sword envoy, he did not say anything in the end. Turning around, he headed inside the gates of the military supply department.
The night wind whistled.
The floating snow was like blades.
“Superior, just what is this?” another soldier on duty came over, curiously asking.
That black-robed young man just now was called Zhao Ruyun, an officer in charge of allocating supplies in the department. Wielding power, he was namely the person responsible for allocating resources to the areas around White Horse Tower. Of the thirty-six officers in charge of allocating supplies, he could be counted as one of the most talented. With powerful strength and exceptional family background, he had received the trust and usage of the high ups. He could be counted as a rising star of the supply department.
But similar in all cases, when a young man had great achievements, he could not help but be somewhat haughty and be arrogant.
Zhao Ruyun was not an exception.
Normally, this young man was haughty and his style of work pitiless. But unfortunately, his post held real authority. A casual little action by him could make someone suffer hardship they were unable to bear. Even those who had a higher military position and strength than Zhao Ruyun would give him some face.
Today, without knowing why, as the timid sword slave from White Horse Tower came to request their stipend, Zhao Ruyun was suddenly enraged. Reprimanding the sword slave for taking the stipend in vain, he ordered people to tie him up and beat him until he fainted. He hung him on the [Punishment Pillars] for him to be frozen alive.
But it seemed like this time Zhao Ruyun had provoked a fierce character.
The White Horse Tower that had been left abandoned for four years. A new patrolling sword envoy had unexpectedly arrived.
But this patrolling sword envoy, from what it seemed like, was not going to display any sort of weakness whatsoever.
The captain of the soldiers on duty gave a glance at the soldier that had walked over, shaking his head. “Don’t ask so many whys. These are not characters that we are able to provoke. Carefully guard your position. Curiosity can kill. Manage your mouths. The things that occurred here, don’t go and spread it around. Don’t blame me for not reminding you when disaster falls on your head for speaking too much.”
The soldiers quickly nodded their heads.
As he watched his subordinates departing, the leader thought about many more things.
According to the daytime rumours, there was a newly arrived patrolling sword envoy whose smell of his mother’s milk had not yet dried*. He had a fairly sizeable clash with the guerilla warfare officer Lin Lang in the Pass Lord’s residence. Who would have thought, that only a couple of hours after, he was able to see with his own eyes, the patrolling sword envoy that entered the Death tower.
Although the territory of Youyan Pass stretched out for hundreds of miles, but in reality it was a very small circle.
Everything that happened within would quickly spread out. As long as one paid attention, they would be able to obtain the information they wanted.
He believed that the events here tonight would quickly spread out.
The newly arrived young patrolling sword envoy would unquestionably become the focus of everyone’s eyes. Countless gazes would gather on the body of this youth. This was especially so, since the position of the patrolling sword envoy was so special and it possessed significant power. If this youth was a fierce character and had great background, the moment he chose which faction to enter was when the current balance of Youyan Pass would be broken.
This was like scattering a bunch of salt into hot oil. Once the appearance of the new patrolling sword envoy was made known, it would cause the wok of oil, Youyan Pass, that was already boiling, to completely roil and roar.
Without knowing why, the leader of the soldiers had a premonition. There would soon be some incredible changes that would occur in the Youyan Pass that was as stable as a boulder in the tempest and had towered for tens of years through the battlefield.
……
“Withstand it!”
Ye Qingyu’s figure was like lighting, returning to White Horse Tower at high speed.
Bai Yuanxing had injuries on his body, but it was not life threatening. But he had been hung for several hours already on the [Punishment Pillars] and had faced a chilling cold wind that seeped into his bones. For the him that did not know martial arts, this was a torture that was hard to bear. Ye Qingyu was able to sense that the body of Bai Yuanxing was nearly completely frozen.
This was the reason Ye Qingyu did not find the people of the military supply department to settle his grievance immediately. This was the reason he brought Bai Yuanxing back immediately.
First and foremost was to save the person in question.
On the way, Ye Qingyu’s inner yuan protected the heart of Bai Yuanxing, warming his meridians and extending his last wisp of breath. Once he returned to White Horse Tower, Ye Qingyu instantly, with his full effort, inserted his inner yuan into Bai Yuanxing’s body to retain his life force.