Lu Xuan threw the knife to Lieutenant Li.
"Come with me, we don't have much time left."
Lieutenant Li thought for a moment, then remained silent and followed. The other party didn't seem to have any ill intentions, and more importantly, he didn't have a better option.
Lu Xuan led Lieutenant Li through several small gates to a small courtyard. Standing in the courtyard was a man, and Lieutenant Li nearly jumped up at the sight of him. The man was none other than Lai Xi, the Japanese envoy to Tang China who had been hunting him down in this area for over a year.
Lai Xi had come out to investigate after hearing the commotion. He was surprised to find his target there and immediately drew his sword and charged. With a clang, his blade was blocked by Lu Xuan.
“There are only a few dozen bandits searching outside. If they hear us, they will surely wipe us all out. So, let’s calm down first. Lord Raixi, I know you came here to hunt him down. But unfortunately, you cannot kill him for the time being.”
"I possess the Imperial Sword bestowed by the Emperor. I can execute any criminal on the Ministry of Justice's list without prior approval. Unless the Emperor himself is present, anyone who tries to stop me will be killed without exception." Lai Xi exuded confidence; after all, with the Emperor of Tang's backing, he couldn't afford to be weak.
“Once this is over, you can do whatever you want, but we need manpower right now. There’s a Tang Dynasty caravan outside the Great Horse Camp. The sandstorm wiped out the entire caravan’s guards, leaving only one soldier. Lieutenant Li is currently helping to escort the caravan. If you kill him now, you’ll have to escort it yourself.”
"I am the emperor's secret envoy, and I have no choice but to do this."
"That's right. But first you have to fight your way out of the Big Horse Camp. I'm giving you a friendly heads-up: the Big Horse Camp isn't just made up of those few dozen swordsmen outside. Mr. An has at least a hundred more of those swordsmen under his command. They're currently tracking down the caravan."
Even if you manage to fight your way out and find the caravan, Mr. An has the Turks behind him. A force of several hundred Turkic soldiers has already infiltrated the area. You'll then have to face their pursuit. Can you handle it alone?"
After hearing Lu Xuan's words, Lai Xi scrutinized Lu Xuan with a strange expression.
"Even if what you're saying is true, how do you know these things? And how can you prove that they are true?"
“I don’t need to prove anything. We just need to hold out here for an hour or two. Everything will come to light, but by then we might not be able to leave. Also, I know all this because I have informants within Mr. An’s network.”
He had already reached an agreement with the Turks a few days ago. Some Turkic soldiers had already infiltrated the city. Now, even more Turks were almost there. Once the Turkic army arrived, they would completely seal off the Great Horse Camp. Knowing the Turks' character, to prevent leaks, no one in the entire Great Horse Camp would survive. At that point, whether it was true or false, whether you believed it or not, would be meaningless.”
Rachel's expression softened slightly.
"Okay, I'll assume you're telling the truth for now. But why are you doing all this? You have a shop here, and business is booming. Why get involved in this mess?"
As Lai Xi spoke, she stared intently into Lu Xuan's eyes, as if trying to discern something from his face.
"First of all, running a mutton soup restaurant in a lawless place where every day is uncertain is never the life I want. I want to go to Chang'an, to live the life a normal person should live, and I want great wealth and honor. Moreover, I firmly believe that wealth and honor are found in danger."
I have sources who know that the goods in the caravan were specifically requested by the Turkic Khan. I think it's not unreasonable to deliver what the Turkic Khan wants to the Tang Emperor in exchange for great wealth and power.
"Fortune favors the bold. I'll believe you for now. What's your plan?" Lai Xi said she believed him, but her grip on the knife hilt remained firm. Lu Xuan hadn't expected the other to truly believe him so quickly. But he knew the evidence would soon surface.
"Let's take the necessities and leave the camp to rejoin the caravan. Then we'll decide on our next step."
"The entire Da Ma camp is teeming with bandits. How are we supposed to leave?"
"Just follow me."
"Wait for me," Lai Xi called to the crowd, then turned and went back into the house, soon emerging with a young woman. Lu Xuan remembered the girl's name was Wen Zhu. She was the daughter of a general stationed nearby. Because a great battle was approaching, her father had entrusted Lai Xi to take her back to Chang'an.
"Let's go." Just as everyone was about to leave the courtyard, a loud banging came from outside the door.
"Ignore that side." Lu Xuan didn't even look over there, leading the group directly into a narrow alleyway, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. After passing through the alley, the group quickly headed towards the east gate. Along the way, they encountered two groups of bandits searching for them. However, the combined fighting strength of Lai Xi, Lieutenant Li, and Lu Xuan was far superior to that of the bandits.
Before they could even give the signal, they were swiftly and cleanly cut down. However, as they approached the east gate, Lu Xuan's expression suddenly changed slightly, and he waved for everyone to quickly take cover.
Before the group could even ask any questions, they heard the heavy sound of horses' hooves. The sound was completely different from that of the bandits. Those present were all experts; they could tell at a glance that this was not the sound of bandits, but the movement of armored cavalry.
The group hid behind a pile of firewood and saw four knights in heavy black armor rapidly approaching.
"Turkic Wolf Guards..." Captain Li exclaimed. He had fought against the Turks for many years and naturally recognized these elite warriors. Lai Xi also gave Lu Xuan a strange look, clearly trusting him more. After all, these elite Turkic warriors were not easy to find, even on the battlefield.
After the Turkic wolf guards quickly passed by, Lu Xuan led the group to approach the east gate.
“The door is closed,” Rachel said in surprise.
However, Lu Xuan seemed oblivious to the situation and continued leading the group forward. Just as they reached the east gate, the gate suddenly opened. It wasn't fully open, only a crack was visible, but enough for everyone to pass through.
Outside the door, the old man and Xiao Si were holding military crossbows, on guard. Seeing everyone come out, they immediately led their horses to greet them.
Lu Xuan had prepared six horses, which was a perfect match for the six people. Without lingering, the group quickly mounted their horses and rode away.
Shortly after they left, Mr. An, leading a troop of Turkic cavalry and a group of bandits, also walked out of the east gate.
"Keep up with them..."
------------
Chapter Ten Red Stone Gorge
The group ran for a while and rejoined the caravan more than ten miles away.
The remaining soldiers were completely bewildered.
Didn't you go to hire a knife-wielder and a coachman? Why are there old people, children, and women all here, but no decent knife-wielders and coachmen?
"Wait, what's going on? What's this?"
Just as Lieutenant Li was about to speak, he saw Lai Xi take out a jade-colored token from his body and extend it forward.
"I am a special envoy of the Emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty. Seeing this token is as if I were seeing His Majesty..."
This startled Lieutenant Li. He had initially thought Lai Xi was just a spy, but he hadn't expected the man to possess such a high-level token. This meant the man was directly responsible to the Emperor. Although the rank wasn't high, the Emperor's favor with him was undeniable.
He instinctively wanted to bow, but Rachel stopped everyone from doing so.
"This is an emergency, so keep things simple. I need to know what exactly the caravan is carrying."
The soldiers were bewildered by the series of unexpected events and only came to their senses at this point.