Xuanqing Guard-Chapter 37: Night Raid

"Old Xiao, I just heard from Wang Jian at lunch that your boy turned one yesterday. Here, here’s a red packet for your son. From now on, if you have happy occasions like this, you have to let me know. That way I can come over and join the fun and have a few drinks too."

Shen Hao sat outside the carriage compartment, pulling out a big red silk pouch and handing it to the warrior driving the cart.

Old Xiao didn’t dare accept it, totally surprised that such a small matter at home could trouble the General Flag; for a moment, he didn’t even know what to say.

"Get a Longevity Lock made for the boy, for good luck. I told you to take it—what, you won’t even give me this bit of face?"

Hearing this, Old Xiao couldn’t refuse anymore and had to accept. Weighing the pouch in his hand, his heart trembled even more—this wasn’t Small Yuanbaos inside, this was definitely gold, pure gold!

The General Flag really is generous.

Having accepted the red packet for his son, Old Xiao kept feeling embarrassed. He hesitated for quite a while before stammering out an invitation to Shen Hao to come for a drink. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Haha, sure, I’ll come to your place and... hmm?"

Shen Hao hadn’t finished speaking when he suddenly sensed a wave of killing intent rising up from the pitch-black street ahead—and his instincts screamed that danger was hurtling toward them.

"Dodge!"

He only managed to lean back half a body’s width when he felt dozens of invisible, razor-sharp strikes tear through the darkness from all directions at full speed.

"Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!"

A burst of stabbing pain shot from his right shoulder, then his left leg. Shen Hao didn’t have time to think—enduring the pain, he leapt straight off the slow-moving carriage, with Old Xiao, who had just been joking with him, tumbling to the ground with him a heartbeat later.

Shen Hao tried to grab hold of him, but flashes of deadly light once again rained down over his position from the darkness.

"Old Xiao!"

A roar, but Old Xiao lay motionless on the ground. Shen Hao could only roll quickly away, drawing his Yanji Saber to swirl a shield of steel in front of him.

"Dang dang dang dang..."

Dense metallic clangs filled the air, the blows so strong they left Shen Hao’s right arm numb. Still, he didn’t get hit again, and managed to retreat to a corner beside a wall.

He stole a quick glance at his right shoulder and left leg, only now seeing what had wounded him.

"Breaking Arrows!?"

Shen Hao’s thoughts sank fast. Breaking Arrows weren’t ordinary weapons: only the Xuanqing Guard and Conquest Army were issued them—even local Garrison didn’t have access. Private possession was a capital crime, just like trafficking them.

Shen Hao understood—any group able to use Breaking Arrows to ambush him was definitely no ordinary foe.

As for who? He had no time to care—because the third volley was already here!

The speed and force of Breaking Arrows far surpassed normal arrows, and they could even pierce the True Qi Shield of Qi Refining Realm cultivators—one of the deadliest weapons against them.

Shen Hao was pressed into a corner with nowhere left to dodge; he could only plant his legs and hurl himself against the wall behind, his Yanji Saber a blur before him.

"Boom!"

Maybe luck was still with Shen Hao—the wall at his back wasn’t sturdy. He smashed a hole through it instantly and tumbled into a shop, just as another deadly rain of arrows punched into the wall and floor where he’d stood, saving him yet again.

But the arrow in his right shoulder was buried in the bone, and his last few saber swings had torn the wound even worse. His whole arm started to go numb—a sign the arrow had scraped his meridians.

The wound in his left leg was even more troublesome—the blood was pouring out, and there’d be no stopping it for a while. If this went on, he’d bleed out and faint within the time it’d take to eat a meal.

It was only because he was at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer that he was still on his feet—a cultivator with lower cultivation would already be lying on the ground gasping for breath.

"Huff huff huff..."

Shen Hao panted heavily, forced himself upright, and broke off the foot-long arrow shaft sticking from his left leg, leaving just the arrowhead embedded inside. He did the same with his right shoulder, making it easier to move.

But a symbol on the shaft left Shen Hao with a cold certainty.

"This must be the batch of Breaking Arrows from the recent Hao City logistics robbery."

Shen Hao had just reviewed the file, so he remembered it clearly—and that case had been assigned to Li Bing’s Jia Flag for investigation.

"Li Family!"

He cursed under his breath, gnashing his teeth, as he glanced around and realized he’d barged into a clothing shop.

He tore a strip of fabric from the racks and tied it tightly above his left leg wound, hoping to slow the bleeding as much as possible.

Shops like this usually had a back door; he planned to find it fast.

But almost immediately, the sound of shattering glass crashed overhead—five black shadows with long, dark sabers leapt in through the roof, murderous intent crashing down on Shen Hao once more.

All five were dressed in black from head to toe, hoods concealing their faces except for a pair of cold, staring eyes each.

They were definitely highly trained killers—no wasted motion, and they clearly knew the Combined Attack Skill. Without a word, they surrounded Shen Hao and attacked as one, blades flashing.

Shen Hao’s Yanji Saber was slowing as his wounded right arm gave out. In a blink, blades had slashed two cuts each across his chest and back, blood spilling everywhere.

Worse, those new wounds immediately began to tingle and itch with a strange sensation.

Their long sabers were poisoned!

The toxin spread fast—within a few heartbeats, Shen Hao’s chest and back felt nothing but that odd itching. His head was dizzy, his legs felt like he was treading cotton; he could collapse any moment.

He couldn’t even activate the Thunder Charm or Summoning Talisman in his grip—his True Qi was too chaotic to meet the conditions.

"Am I going to die?"

But as death closed in, Shen Hao stayed calm. He’d brushed shoulders with death so many times he was long past caring. He’d killed plenty—no reason he couldn’t be killed himself. Sooner or later, it happens to everyone.

With the worst in mind, it was as if strength returned for one last burst. Shen Hao raised his Yanji Saber and managed to block two more vicious strikes.

But that was all he had left.

The next instant, he saw a saber swing for his neck. Paralyzed, unable to dodge, he knew this might be the last thing he ever saw.

But then...

Without warning, a surging, ferocious power exploded from Shen Hao’s chest, flooding his whole body in an instant. The poison was forced out at once, and a fierce blaze roared up inside his almost burnt-out body!

"Clang!"

Just for a split second, what should’ve been certain death felt like a last flash of life. Shen Hao was burning up inside, but suddenly filled with wild, explosive strength begging for release.

He swung up his saber and blocked the lethal slash at his neck.

"What is this..."

No time to think. Shen Hao gripped his Yanji Saber tighter and fought back desperately. He didn’t know where this new lease on life had come from, but he could guess—it must be related to the Black Beast Tattoo on his chest.

Because even through his clothes, he could feel something writhing madly beneath his skin.

"Kill, kill, kill..."

A savage urge took over Shen Hao’s mind. To his shock, he realized he was moving faster, hitting harder, the True Qi tip on his saber actually started to extend beyond the blade itself...

The word that fit him best now was: berserk!