Chapter 222: Xin Ping
Chapter 222: Xin Ping
September 25, 2017
Shadow Guards
Special Unit
Unit Traits: Proficient in stealth, disguise, infiltration, and their combat strength increases by 50% at night.
Combat strength is halved during the day.
These are the attributes of Ma Pian's Shadow Guards, a typical unit skilled in infiltration and assassination. However, what sets this unit apart is the air of mystery that surrounds them.
The Shadow Guards originate from a military treatise that Zhao Yue'er left for Lu Hai Kong when she departed from Qiangyin County. This treatise was obtained from a mysterious dungeon, and along with it, she also left a Map of Shadows.
The treatise is used to train and select the Shadow Guards, while the map serves to transform the chosen individuals into Shadow Guards.
The process is lengthy and can even be described as cruel. The most crucial part of the entire process is the first step: finding individuals with physical bodies but who live like ghosts. When Lu Hai Kong saw this requirement, he immediately thought of the Flowing Camp.
At that time, Lu Hai Kong had no intention of training Shadow Guards, as the training process was excessively cruel. Without going into detail about the process, the fact that only Ma Pian's unit of eight hundred out of several thousand from the Flowing Camp survived to become Shadow Guards is a testament to the difficulty and cruelty of their training.
It was only later that Lu Hai Kong realized that although he had personally trained Ma Pian, there didn't seem to be a suitable place for him to showcase his abilities within the mountain camp. After much hesitation, Lu Hai Kong finally decided to pass the treatise to Ma Pian.
And so, the Shadow Guards came into existence...
In today's battle, Lu Hai Kong basically didn't take any action, even though he brought Dian Wei with him. They mostly stood by idly, and at least up until now, Lu Hai Kong's group has been on the sidelines. The entire battle was primarily carried out by the Shadow Guards.
Yesterday, the Shadow Guards arrived at Ridge City and infiltrated the Lord's Manor in batches, with some even hiding directly within the manor itself. Of course, the infiltration couldn't last indefinitely, as their disguises, no matter how good, would eventually be exposed over time. That's why they infiltrated on the second day and launched the attack on the third day.
The process was straightforward, with little to elaborate on. The Shadow Guards simply had a small group disguise themselves as soldiers, kill a few, and then the two thousand soldiers, lacking leadership, completely lost control and began slaughtering each other. During this process, the Shadow Guards only needed to occasionally fuel the flames of their self-inflicted carnage.
The Shadow Guards also possess an invisible trait: the battlefield they occupy is shrouded in fear, and within this field, the fear of those present is maximized to the point of madness.
It is for this reason that the two thousand soldiers guarding the City Lord's Mansion collapsed so quickly.
When Lu Hai Kong entered the City Lord's Mansion, he found it filled with corpses both inside and out. The Shadow Guards were still active within the manor, and whenever they spotted someone still breathing, they would cruelly deliver the final blow.
Dian Wei frowned at these ghostly figures, even though he knew they were allies. He couldn't bring himself to get close to them, which was fortunate as these Shadow Guards had no intention of approaching him, or perhaps it was Lu Hai Kong's group that lacked the desire to approach them.
The Shadow Guards have one distinct characteristic: they only obey their leader, the Shadow Leader Ma Pian. They don't hold much reverence for Lu Hai Kong, and he was aware of this from the start. However, this doesn't mean Lu Hai Kong would tolerate their provocation.
When Lu Hai Kong saw a Shadow Guard baring his yellowed teeth at him, brandishing a dagger that grazed his throat, Lu Hai Kong frowned.
With a simple mention of Dian Wei, an aura even more terrifying than that of the Shadow Guard spread like a demon's might. In an instant, all the Shadow Guards paled and screamed before vanishing.
"This is a temperamental saber," Lu Hai Kong chuckled lightly, not overly concerned. He went straight to the Lord's Hall of the Lord's Mansion, where Ma Pian was surrounded by a dozen Shadow Guards, along with Wang Hao and a middle-aged scholar.
"I never expected you to have such a team. I was caught off guard this time, but don't think you've won just yet!" exclaimed Wang Hao, looking dejected upon Lu Hai Kong's arrival.
But Lu Hai Kong didn't even glance at Wang Hao or the scholar, let alone acknowledge them. Instead, he approached Ma Pian, who was kneeling on one knee.
"You've lost some weight. You've worked hard," Lu Hai Kong patted Ma Pian's shoulder, helping him up. After a moment, he finally spoke.
Ma Pian's eyes were red throughout, as he had never been one for words or expressing emotions. So, for a while, he didn't utter a word.
However, the softening of his perpetually gloomy face indicated that he was currently in high spirits.
Lu Hai Kong then turned back to look at Wang Hao and the scholar, surrounded by several Shadow Guards. To be precise, he was looking at the scholar, as he had no interest in Wang Hao. In Lu Hai Kong's eyes, this guy was merely a lucky dog.
Xin Ping
Historical Scholar
A 100% accurate version!
Attributes:
Strength: 20, Politics: 83, Strategy: 85, Commander: 30
Skills: ???
Talent: ???
"Your political and strategic abilities are impressive. You're the one who stirred up the Allied Forces of the Elite Families, right?" Lu Hai Kong asked, though it was clear he didn't expect an answer from Xin Ping. Without waiting for a response, he ordered, "Take this guy back to the Mountain Camp, and kill the other one directly."
"You want to kill me? You're quite bold! Don't forget, this is my territory!" Wang Hao sneered, and before the Shadow Guards could act, he pulled out a yellow token from his pocket.
"Yellow Turban Warriors!"
Wang Hao's token flashed, and ten soldiers, each three meters tall like small giants, with yellow headbands and robust builds, appeared before him. Their bodies seemed to glow with a golden light.
"I could have left from the start, but I waited for you to come so that you could experience this. I spent a lot of effort to acquire this rare item. These Yellow Turban Warriors are the highest-level ones, each with a strength of 60. Even Pan Feng might not be a match for them. Although it's a precious item, using it on you is worth the price. Enjoy it!"
With a hint of pain, Wang Hao finished speaking and led Xin Ping away towards the Lord's Hall...
(Chapter End)
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