Chapter 15: The Race to Defect

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Qu Yang was an elder of the demonic sect. To secure his position, he had committed countless acts that provoked the wrath of heaven and man, resulting in his family being implicated and retaliated against by enemies. Only a treasured granddaughter remained alive. Even though Wu Tiande had yet to uncover the full story, he could guess most of it with little doubt.

However, Wu Tiande never imagined that Master Xue was actually the biological father of Xue Ke and Xue Baoqin. The classic novels "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" and "Dream of the Red Chamber" were truly intertwined so closely in this alternate world?

Upon reflection, it seemed quite reasonable. On one hand, Master Xue was a martial figure in the Jianghu; without faking his death to escape, he would surely be discovered, bringing disaster upon his family. The current emperor had already declared the Sun Moon Sect a demonic cult, and as a close relative of the sect’s leader, his family would likely be implicated and destroyed.

On the other hand, his cultivation focused on robust defensive arts like the Golden Bell Shield and Iron Cloth, which, while not forbidding proximity to women, certainly discouraged indulgence in sensual pleasures lest his hardened steel body turn fragile. If he remained at home surrounded by beautiful wives and concubines, how could he maintain control?

It was better for him to leave quietly, leaving the legitimate wife and children to manage the family business and dismiss the troublesome concubines, so he wouldn’t have to worry about domestic affairs while roaming the Jianghu.

Now that Master Xue had revealed his family’s details and showed sincerity in cooperation, there was no need for suspicion. But a potential danger still loomed.

Before entering Beiping City, Master Xue had rested two days at the Purple Sand Fortress and was interrogated several times by a purple-clad envoy sent from Blackwood Cliff. Master Xue feared that if the envoy discovered any clues and reported back, it would spell great trouble.

“This is simple,” Wu Tiande eagerly suggested. “I’ll immediately notify Deng Gang, the hundred-unit commander of the Divine Mechanism Camp. He’s been itching to earn some merit and get the ‘trial’ off his title.”

Obviously, if Deng Gang succeeded in promotion, Wu Tiande would benefit greatly as well.

Master Xue frowned. “That purple-clad envoy is formidable. Can a mere hundred-unit commander really capture him? Be careful not to alert him and let the cat out of the bag.”

Wu Tiande chuckled, “No worries. Although Deng Gang can’t handle it alone, he can rely on the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Feng Tang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, is a good partner.”

Hearing that Wu Tiande could persuade Feng Tang to join, Master Xue felt relieved. Even he, Master Xue, was slightly inferior in skill to Feng Tang. Taking on a purple-clad envoy would be a sure win.

Besides, Master Xue would first return to Purple Sand Fortress to serve as an insider and give that envoy a lesson.

After urgent discussions, the Embroidered Uniform Guard mobilized 150 elite troops under Commander Feng Tang, while the Divine Mechanism Camp sent over a dozen retainers. Deng Gang led around twenty soldiers to cooperate.

Feng Ziying and Wu Tiande naturally joined the fray. Eliminating the sect’s secret base within Shuntian Prefecture was a major achievement; who wouldn’t want to share in the glory?

Jia Zhi, Jia Yun, Jiao Fu, Jiao Gui, and others, armed with sticks, swords, and spears, gathered before Wu Tiande, filling him with a sense of pride—after all, he was a junior commander leading troops into battle.

As for the younger guard Jia Jun, he was left behind due to his youth.

“Wu, brother, how much have you earned these days running your fast-food business?” Feng Ziying asked on the way.

Short on funds, he wanted to try some trade to supplement his household income and had heard Wu Tiande’s fast-food venture was profitable, making it a possible path.

But upon learning it only earned twenty to thirty taels of silver monthly, his enthusiasm waned.

Within the Divine Martial General’s Residence, dozens of retainers were paid two to three hundred taels monthly. Even if Feng Ziying ran a fast-food business, such meager earnings wouldn’t cover a tenth of the retainers’ wages—not worth his effort.

Looking at Wu Tiande’s few guards, who couldn’t even afford uniforms and wielded mismatched weapons, Feng Ziying lost interest altogether.

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Feng Ziying thought to himself, how foolish I was to consider learning fast-food business from Wu Tiande just now.

“You think the business is too small? Big business exists, but ordinary people can’t handle it,” Wu Tiande taunted.

“Do you think our Divine Martial General’s Residence can’t handle it?” Feng Ziying retorted. “I’ll be honest with you, my father is expected to be promoted soon to Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, rank fourth grade. What business in Beiping City can’t our residence take?”

“Ha ha, fair enough. When that day comes, we’ll discuss the big business in detail,” Wu Tiande replied.

Meanwhile, the Sun Moon Sect’s base at Purple Sand Fortress appeared before them.

It was a large estate. Moonlight bathed the entire manor in a cold, pale glow. The vermilion gate’s paint was worn, and verdigris on the door rings gleamed dimly under the moon. The slightly ajar door revealed no light inside, resembling a silent, lurking beast.

Inside, old locust trees twisted their branches toward the night sky. Their leaves cast interlacing shadows on the cobblestone path like splattered ink.

Occasional cicada cries drifted through the trees but were quickly scattered by the night wind. The manor stood in the moonlight, exuding an unfathomable depth, as if hiding countless unknown currents.

The stakes were high, but fortune favored the brave.

Feng Tang and Deng Gang, eager for promotion through merit, were enthusiastic about eliminating the sect’s base.

They split forces: Feng Tang led the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s mounted troops to storm the front gate, while Deng Gang led Divine Mechanism soldiers to guard the rear gate to prevent any escape.

The sounds of battle soon erupted inside, but Wu Tiande remained unfazed, his gaze fixed on the Divine Mechanism soldiers arrayed around him.

They all wore black iron armor, each holding a bronze hand cannon—the metal gleaming coldly, barrels aimed forward, arms taut.

At their waists hung curved sabers, the bronze rings on the sheaths jingling softly with each step, ready to be drawn swiftly during the cannon’s reload.

Their weapons balanced length and versatility perfectly, with offense and defense seamlessly connected.

Wu Tiande absentmindedly rubbed the general’s command token at his waist, his eyes cold and indifferent, quietly imprinting the formidable formation in his heart.

“Wu, brother, are you mesmerized?” Deng Gang’s familiar teasing voice came from behind.

Wu Tiande turned to see Deng Gang holding a wine pouch, smiling as he waved it at him.

He composed himself and cupped his fists. “Commander Deng, the Divine Mechanism Camp’s gear is indeed rare.”

“There’s more where that came from. They may be lazy usually, but when it counts, they pull through,” Deng Gang said as he stepped forward, following Wu Tiande’s gaze. Then he shifted tone, “You’re a general now; you should have some personal guards. But from what I see, your men are either reckless brutes or naive kids. Hardly fit for serious duty.”

He paused, spinning the wine pouch. “This operation against the sect’s base relied on the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Our merits will be halved. In future, if we keep needing outside help to earn credit, there won’t be much left for you.”

His words hit home. Wu Tiande did not argue; he knew Deng Gang spoke sincerely—within the army, loyalty was everything. Without reliable personal guards, no matter one’s skill, true power was hard to grasp.

Lowering his eyes briefly, he then looked up with earnestness. “Yes, yes, Commander Deng is right.”

The wind rose again, fluttering nearby banners. Seeing Wu Tiande’s acceptance, Deng Gang laughed and patted his shoulder. “You’re smart; no need for me to teach you. Just remember, personal guards must be chosen and trained by yourself—don’t be flustered when the time comes.”

Wu Tiande nodded and glanced back at the Divine Mechanism soldiers. The cold gleam of hand cannons and curved sabers intertwined before his eyes. Deng Gang’s words echoed in his mind, but his heart was cool as he silently calculated: Jia Zhi, Jia Yun, Jia Jun, Jiao Fu, and Jiao Gui were agile enough to suffice for now. He must find a way to procure some hand cannons and pair them with short swords... How many taels of silver would that cost?

As for merit, he would take it step by step, accumulating slowly.

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard a shout from inside the manor: “Search thoroughly! Don’t let that Xue escape!”

Wu Tiande was startled. “What’s going on? Didn’t we agree that when both sides stalemate, Master Xue would act as insider to redeem himself? Why are the Embroidered Uniform Guard now hunting him?”

As he hesitated, a shadow flashed overhead—a disheveled figure, likely Master Xue himself.

Wu Tiande sensed something had gone awry with the plan. Yet Deng Gang was more decisive.

Deng Gang fired a random shot into the night sky, then laughed loudly, “Good, good! If this man were easy to hit, he wouldn’t be Master Xue. Brothers of the Divine Mechanism Camp, follow me and storm the manor. Capture this fellow!”

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Wu Tiande thought it over. Master Xue’s matter could wait; if not now, when to storm the manor and reap rewards?

The group surged inside, rushing toward the grand mansions.

Lacking enough men to split up, Wu Tiande followed closely behind Commander Deng, scavenging some leftover spoils.

For instance, while Deng’s men stormed the main bedroom, Wu Tiande and a few guards searched the side chambers.

The Sun Moon Sect had stationed over a hundred men here, overseeing hundreds of tenant farmers and renters on the estate.

When the Divine Mechanism troops burst in, they took whatever they found: gold, silver, clothes, and silk—each seizing their share.

Though Wu Tiande felt reluctant to harm the poor, he found several ordinary cult members among the rooms, from whose quarters he confiscated unjust wealth worth hundreds of taels.

During the raid, Wu Tiande also rescued two courtesans and one opera performer.

“I’m Yun’er, a courtesan from the Fragrant Pavilion, and this sister beside me is Xia’er. We have no ties to those demons. I don’t know which damned madam sent us here without a background check, saying a new leader had come to this Purple Sand estate who liked operas and was generous. We rushed here hoping to finish business quickly and return to the city. But these shameless beasts locked us in this yard for days without sunlight. If not for you officers, we’d have died without a grave.”

Yun’er wept, her tears like raindrops on pear blossoms, looking pitiful. Her clothes were torn and slit in many places, revealing much pale skin, causing Jiao Fu and Jiao Gui to stare shamelessly.

“What are you staring at?” Wu Tiande snapped.

The two brothers laughed sheepishly, as if they had found a great bargain.

The opera performer looked pale. “I won’t hide it—I’m Qi Guan from the Loyal Obedient Prince’s mansion. Someone tipped me off that a house and land were being sold here, so I sneaked over to take a look. Who would’ve thought I’d walk straight into a den of thieves, barely escaping. Talk about bad luck.”

“The Loyal Obedient Prince’s mansion?” Wu Tiande was shocked.

He stepped closer and whispered in Qi Guan’s ear, “This matter must not be spread.”

“Yes, yes, please watch over me, officer. I’m forever grateful,” Qi Guan bowed.

Qi Guan’s real name was Jiang Yuhan. He specialized in playing young female roles, his features handsome and demeanor gentle.

If the Loyal Obedient Prince learned he had been defiled by the cult, his future would be grim.

“Too late now; the city gates are closed. How about this—you endure a little longer, disguise yourself as one of my personal guards for this operation. At dawn, you can return to the city with me,” Wu Tiande smiled.

“Thank you, officer, for saving my life,” Qi Guan bowed again.

Wu Tiande wanted to continue searching for loot—even a few sacks of grain would be good.

But Feng Tang’s commander sent word inviting all leaders to convene. Wu Tiande had no choice but to call it a day.

“Commander Deng, General Wu, good to have you here. Each of you may keep what you’ve gained; no need to account for it collectively. However, this manor and its thousands of acres are registered with the government and can’t be moved. They must be handed over to the court, which I’m sure you understand,” Feng Tang said bluntly upon entering a hall.

“All according to Commander Feng’s orders,” Deng Gang and Wu Tiande said in unison. “But please, sir, guide us further in earning merit.”

Only then did Wu Tiande learn that when the Embroidered Uniform Guard stormed in, the purple-clad envoy defected before Master Xue, handing over the manor’s wealth. By merit and reward rules, he was sure to gain an official post.

In other words, he betrayed Master Xue, leaving him no way out, forcing him to flee humiliated.

“Are these two scrambling to betray each other? Is there no honor left among martial artists?” Wu Tiande grumbled silently.