Chapter 93: Peripheral Guardian

  During their escape, they encountered foggy areas multiple times and dodged them without hesitation. When encountering active humans, they would avoid them if possible, and hide if they couldn't be avoided. Having just spent half a year training in the Illusory Forest, they had learned many survival skills that were now coming in handy.

  Perhaps in the subconscious of the search team from the Spiritual King's Manor, they still thought that Tang Ye was being guarded by the three great martial kings including Tang Ba, and inferred that they should be hiding in a very dangerous place, naturally ignoring some faint auras.

  Tang Yan and Du Yang made their way safely and luckily moved towards the outer edge of the forest.

  On the western edge of the mystical forest, a group of soldiers with armor and swords scattered around, robust and resolute in appearance, emitting an intense murderous aura. Each one sat on a Thundercloud Leopard, ferocious and sinister, with eyes revealing a fierce glow.

  They are a hundred-strong squad of the Falcon Brigade, responsible for guarding and patrolling this area.

  "Captain, all outposts are clear, everything is calm as usual." After the daily routine inspection, the deputy centurion found the centurion to report the situation.

  A hundred strong and sturdy men, exuding an intimidating aura, stood facing the rising sun, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth: "Continue searching, can't miss any place."

  "It's all arranged, the brothers haven't let their guard down. Bai Ren Zhang, do you think the Tang family can really escape from the Da Zhou Empire through here?" The deputy commander furrowed his brow and gazed out at the vast expanse of forest, his expression tinged with annoyance.

  "They dare not return to the Northern Wilderness, as the southern mountains are surrounded by a large number of super powerful demonic beasts, including the legendary Ancient Fierce Beasts. The eastern part is guarded by the notorious Blood Burial Troops of the Sha Luo Empire, who drink blood and are cruel and poisonous. Unless the Tang family wants to stay in the Mystic Forest forever, they have no choice but to choose this place. Why did the Commander arrange fifteen hundred-man teams here? This is the reason."

  "We've been guarding this place for almost a month now, and there's still no news. If they want to leave, it's best to do so as soon as possible."

  "Be patient, the commander of the legion sent several secret orders a few days ago, and we must strictly investigate, not letting go of any clues. Whoever comes out from inside will be detained, regardless of who it is, until the Tang family members are caught."

  The deputy captain of the hundred-man squad said no more, turned around and looked at the iron cage in the distance, where many idle mercenaries were being held. They were all caught from the dense forest during this period, regardless of men, women, old or young, they were all arrested.

  Noticing his gaze, the mercenaries inside the iron cage scowled one by one, their teeth itching with hatred. If they weren't afraid of the reputation of the Hawk Group Army, they would have rebelled long ago.

  "Who's there!! Come out!!" A sudden shout came from afar, instantly attracting the attention of nearby troops. Bai Ren's spirit was shaken, and he grabbed his broadsword and rushed over immediately.

  The iron cage suddenly burst into a loud noise.

  "Hmph, another unlucky soul."

  "If you have the ability, go and capture those three butchers from the Tang family, what's the point of showing off here?"

  "They can only show off their might in front of us, if the three butchers from the Tang family were to rush out from here, they could wipe out this hundred-man squad with just a lift of their hands."

  "Alas, the old master of the Tang family is really protective, directly throwing three Wu Wangs to that young master. The Ling Wang Fu continuously dispatches strong men to participate in the pursuit, fearing that if they are not careful, they will lose a few more offerings."

  "Stop yelling, just bear with it for a few more days. The Ling Wang Fu isn't one to be trifled with, I reckon they'll catch the Tang family soon enough."

  In the depths of the forest, thirty or forty soldiers surrounded two people with terrified faces. One was an old man with white hair and a wrinkled face, looking extremely aged. The other was a pale-faced, thin and weak teenager.

  "What are you doing?" The leader of the hundred men rushed over, his tiger eyes glaring, and two sharp lights shot out, looking intimidating.

  "Everyone, we...we...are gathering herbs." The old man trembled slightly as he untied the medicine bundle and handed it to the soldier in front of him.

  The soldier snatched it away, rummaged through it hastily, and shook his head at the hundred-man squad leader.

  A hundred people looked at the young man: "What's in your basket?"

  "Medicine." The young man took two steps back in fright.

  "Bring it over and take a look."

  "No...no way!" The young man hastily hugged the bamboo basket and nervously looked at the officer in front of him.

  "Huh?" The expressions on everyone's faces slowly turned cold.

  The old man hastily smiled and bowed: "Everyone, those are the precious medicinal herbs we guessed, you just spare us, don't snatch them away. We've been walking in these mountains for over two months, my child's father unfortunately fell to his death, and it was only with great difficulty that we managed to pick up those few herbs... you... just be kind to us."

  The young man clung tightly and stomped behind the old man, looking flustered and nervous.

  "Don't worry, we don't want your medicine. Lately, the mountain has been quite unstable. Have you noticed any suspicious people?" The leader of the hundred men had originally wanted to take it away and investigate further, but seeing the pitiful state of this old man and child, he didn't insist anymore.

  "We only pick medicine and don't care about other things." The old man smiled apologetically, pitifully stretched out his hand, meaning to ask the soldier for his own basket.

  "Take it away." The soldier smiled slightly and casually threw it over.

  "Thank you, sir, thank you, sir." The old man thanked him repeatedly and carefully packed up the herbs as if they were his treasure.

  "Alright, it's fine. You two go over there and stay for a while." The leader of the hundred men waved his hand in instruction, not wanting to make things difficult for these two pitiful people.

  "What? We have to go home and hold a funeral for the child's father."

  "Let you pass then pass, where did so many idle words come from."

  "Yes." The old man looked at the iron cage in the distance and walked towards it with the young man.

  "Wait!" The deputy commander suddenly shouted.

  The old man and the young boy exchanged a brief glance before returning to normal: "Is there anything else you'd like to instruct, sir?"

  "Are you gathering herbs? It seems there's no village nearby?" The deputy hundred-man commander dismounted from the Thundercloud Leopard and came to the old man, carefully examining his body, even touching his dry skin to confirm whether he was disguised or not.

  The old man explained: "We live in the south, where there are relatively fewer ferocious beasts and poisonous insects. We basically all start from here and go around to the south."

  "Alright, don't bother them anymore. Disperse and return to your respective posts." The hundred-man commander waved his hand, ordering the arrest of the Tang family members, the three great martial kings, two young men, and an old man and a child who were completely unrelated and not worth wasting time on.

  The deputy hundred people looked at the two of them deeply, feeling that something was not quite right. His own Lei Yun Bao was still on high alert, and after a slight hesitation, he said: "Let me take a look at your basket!"

  "This was earned with Father's life, I won't give it!!" The young man hugged the basket tightly.

  "I'm not negotiating with you, hand it over!!" The vice captain grabbed a basket.

  "You robbers, all you know is to snatch our medicinal herbs!" The young man shouted in grief and anger, hugging them tightly and refusing to let go.

  "All right, don't make it difficult for them." The hundred-man commander was getting a bit impatient.

  "Hundred People's Leader, this winnowing basket... is very heavy! Not just ordinary heavy!" The Deputy Hundred People's Leader looked slightly surprised, his sharp eyes fixed intently on Du Yang.

  Huh? The gazes of a hundred people focused on him, and even Lei Yunbao, who was sitting down, became somewhat anxious.

  "There's his father's ashes inside, in a porcelain jar. Please, don't make things difficult for us two elders." The old man pleaded.

  "I'm telling you again, I'm not negotiating with you. Let me go, or else I'll have to use force." The deputy captain's face was cold and indifferent.

  "Two great ones..." The old man begged again.

  "Give it to me!" The deputy hundred-man snatched it away, and the basket crashed to the ground with a dull thud, as if a massive boulder had fallen rather than a basket full of herbs.

  The soldiers who had not gone far stopped one after another and turned their heads towards them.

  "It must weigh several hundred pounds, you're quite strong for a young man." The deputy hundred people's leader looked at the youth with vigilance, sneered and reached out to the bamboo basket.

  The old man and the young boy were both pale with tension, neither of them speaking a word, their hands clenched slowly in their tattered sleeves.

  "Except for the first two, the rest are all Wu Ling. If we fight to the death, how much chance do we have?" Du Yang reminded in a low voice.

  "Don't act rashly, my body is too weak. There must be more big shots around here. If things get messy, it won't be good for us."

  "If I don't make a move now, I'll be discovered."

  "Not unless absolutely necessary, can't make a move." Tang Yan didn't think the soldiers were so vigilant, but his own body was too old and couldn't withstand intense battles. Du Yang's meridians hadn't recovered yet, and he could only exert 20% of his strength. They weren't a match for this group of iron-blooded soldiers.

  "What are you two nervous about?" The vice hundred man observed the expressions of the two, his hand slowly reaching down, passing through the pile of herbs, but in the next second suddenly let out a loud cry, violently pulling his hand back, with the right hand covered in armor and blood.

  The soldiers nearby changed their faces and pressed their hands on the hilt of their swords. The atmosphere in the forest suddenly became tense.

  The deputy director's face turned pale and he sucked in cold air. "What's inside?"

  The young man quickly carried the basket back and hid behind the old man: "I warned you, don't touch the things inside."

  "What's your origin? Take them down!!" The hundred-man commander shouted an order, and three soldiers immediately rushed up.