A boy with a formidable bone tempering technique and refined martial skill, despite his low cultivation. Yet the trust and coordination between him and this other slave were not those of master and servant, but of comrades who had fought side by side.
Clearly this boy was a slave, so how had he come into possession of such rare and valuable things?
Gao Haoyu forced the thoughts aside and refocused on the present. His ears sharpened as the faint shuffle of approaching soldiers reached him. His expression darkened as he glanced over his shoulder, spotting distant torches drawing closer through the night.
"You entered this dragon's lair and now you wish to leave?" Si hissed.
The words snapped Gao Haoyu's attention back. His eyes burned as he glared at Si with unrestrained hatred.
If looks could kill, Si would have died a dozen times over. Yet with Weijie standing beside him, that outcome was nearly impossible.
"This little brat ruined everything," Feng growled through clenched teeth, pain etched into his voice but unable to suppress the fury boiling within him.
"We leave now," Gao Haoyu said, his brows drawn tight.
The mission had failed.
But before they could act, Si moved first.
He burst forward into a sprint, charging at the pair alone, a vicious gleam flashing in his eyes.
"I DO NOT REMEMBER GIVING YOU PERMISSION TO LEAVE!"
Weijie reacted instantly, rushing after him. He could not allow this hot-blooded youth to throw his life away before his worth was even recognized.
Gao Haoyu's expression twisted, turning dark and savage as he watched Si close in.
"Brat! Since you are so eager to die, I will send you off myself!"
Swish!
His saber flashed, slicing horizontally toward Si from the left.
Hmph!
Contrary to all expectation, Si did not dodge.
"Ossuary Guard!"
His bones thickened to their peak defensive state as he raised his left arm to shield his face, continuing forward without hesitation.
"COCKY! DIE THEN!" Gao Haoyu roared.
"No!" Weijie shouted in alarm.
Bam!
The blade drove into Si's arm, cutting deep until it struck bone. It pierced halfway through, but could not sever it.
"IMPOSSIBLE!!!"
The cry tore from Weijie, Gao Haoyu, and Feng at the same time, but the true shock had only begun.
Even with steel embedded in his flesh, Si did not stop.
Blood poured from the wound as bone ground against metal, sparks bursting where blade met reinforced skeleton. He surged forward regardless, closing the distance in an instant.
His fist rose.
Gravebreaker Fist!
Bam!
Gao Haoyu's head snapped back violently. His grip loosened, his saber slipping free as his body was thrown backward by the force of the strike.
His nose collapsed inward, blood and shattered bone mixing with a choked cry of pain.
But it was far from over.
Si seized him by the collar and yanked him in, trapping his head beneath his arm. His legs wrapped tightly around Gao Haoyu's waist, lifting him off balance.
With his weight increased under Ossuary Guard and Gao Haoyu already destabilized, the man's knees buckled beneath him.
He fell.
Si twisted sharply, nearly a full turn, forcing Gao Haoyu into a grotesque angle before driving him into the ground.
Bang!
A cry tore from Gao Haoyu's throat, raw and desperate, like an antelope caught beneath a tiger's jaws.
White Coffin Embrace!
"Young master!" Feng roared, charging forward.
He took two steps.
The second was his last.
Weijie's cracked swords pressed against his neck, the edges biting just enough to draw a thin line of blood that ran down the blade to the hilt.
At that same moment, the approaching soldiers arrived within sight.
A group of nearly twenty guards rushed forward, and at their center stood General Zhèn Huá himself, his blue tiger glaive resting upon his shoulder, his armor hastily secured.
They had come prepared to kill.
Instead, they found two intruders subdued by two slaves.
___ General Zhēn Huá's Tent ___
The spacious tent was large enough to hold a bed and a sturdy desk lit by a single lantern. Two stools were set before it, where Zhēn Huá and Bi Xian sat facing one another.
Between them stood low tables, each bearing a jug of wine and a whole boiled chicken.
Kneeling some distance behind them were Weijie and Si. Before each of them rested a plate with a thick, meaty chicken thigh, along with a shared jar of wine and two cups placed between them.
"Go on, eat. You have earned it. Hahahahahaha!"
Zhēn Huá laughed heartily, the booming sound of his voice filling the tent like that of a man who had already claimed victory over his enemies.
To think that a covert attempt to destroy their siege weapons had instead delivered the only son of Commander Gao Muchén directly into his hands.
And all of it had been made possible because this slave boy had spotted the intruders.
When questioned earlier, Weijie had not attempted to claim the credit. He had made it clear that Si was the one who noticed the infiltrators slipping past the slave camp and alerted him, prompting their pursuit.
Combined with the fact that Si himself had subdued Gao Haoyu despite the overwhelming difference in cultivation, his achievement had been magnified several times over.
The war had not even begun, yet this slave had already secured a contribution that many soldiers would fail to achieve even after its conclusion.
"I must thank you, Lord Bi, for training your slaves so well!"
Zhēn Huá did not hold back his praise.
Bi Xian laughed, his hands cupped politely, though his face flushed red with excitement. The slaves responsible for this triumph belonged to him, and their victory naturally elevated his own standing.
Even if rewards were to be distributed, he would be the one to benefit the most.
How could he not be pleased?
"It is nothing, my lord. This lowly commander merely fulfills his duty in service to the kingdom."
Bi Xian inclined his head slightly, and another round of laughter echoed between the two men.
Zhēn Huá's gaze shifted to Si, lingering with interest. In these times of war, Yunhe needed talents like this youth. It was precisely why Bi Xian had been promoted.
'I will take this slave from your hands once this war ends,' Zhēn Huá decided silently.
Unbeknownst to Si, his freedom had already been secured before the first clash of battle had even begun.