The Invincible Bodyguard Starting by Escorting the Doomsday Imperial Princess Chapter 94 : Chapter 94

Chapter 94: Colluding with Great Zhou’s Court?

Chen Guan did not conceal anything and directly nodded. “Yes.”

“Was there truly a Demonic Being slaughtering the town?!” the officer asked urgently.

“There was.” Chen Guan nodded blandly. “From top to bottom, not a single soul in the whole town survived.”

“What?!” Hearing that, the burly officer’s body shuddered violently. Several captains behind him imdiately rode up as well when they heard the news.

One of them pressed at once, “Escort Master Chen, do you know what sort of Demonic Being was responsible?”

“If I’m not mistaken,” Chen Guan said slowly, “it should have been a thousand-year Painted Skin Fiend. The hearts of all several thousand townspeople were dug out.”

“What?! A thousand-year Painted Skin Fiend?!”

All five n cried out in shock at once, and in the next instant every one of their hard, resolute faces turned white.

“H-how is that possible?!”

One of them exclaid in horror, “Could it be the thousand-year Painted Skin Fiend suppressed at Wangnian Mountain... has broken its seal?”

The face of the leading officer shifted again and again, clearly as he sorted through the complexity of the matter.

After only a brief mont of thought, he made his decision at once and issued an imdiate order:

“Pass the command down! The entire southeast shall enter first-level alert at once! Order the Prefect of Qingan Commandery to report to the court by eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch imdiately!”

“Yes!” One of the captains received the order, imdiately wheeled his horse around, and galloped off at full speed.

The officer looked again toward Chen Guan and solemnly clasped his fists. “Many thanks to Escort Master Chen for informing us!”

Chen Guan waved a hand. “Helping others is helping myself. If the roads stay peaceful, my escort travels more smoothly too.”

Then he paused before continuing, “However, that thousand-year Painted Skin Fiend has just collected several thousand human hearts. In the short term, it’s unlikely to cause trouble again. What you need to do right now is seal the news imdiately and calm the people.”

The officer’s body gave a slight jolt when he heard that reminder.

Quite true. If the news spread, it would certainly cause unrest across the region. Once the common people panicked and fled in all directions, the chaos that followed would likely be even more troubleso than a single great fiend ravaging the world.

“Many thanks for the reminder, Escort Master Chen!”

The officer looked at Chen Guan with obvious surprise.

Clearly, he had not expected this Escort Master to understand so much.

After thanking him again, the officer gave a broad wave of his hand. “n! Split off a unit and escort these two onward to Qingan Commandery!”

Chen Guan did not refuse. He simply clasped his fists in thanks.

But Luo Li was dumbfounded.

I’m on my way to start a rebellion!

And you’re having a court army escort ?

She seriously suspected that Chen Guan was deliberately drawing close to Great Zhou’s court so that her uncle would misunderstand and send people to “rescue” her.

And then he could demand an outrageous increase in price from her again.

After all, she was now certain she would never go with her uncle’s people.

Chen Guan paid her no attention at all. He nudged his horse onward, and the beast beneath him walked slowly ahead.

The black-armored troops imdiately and instinctively split apart to form a path, their eyes filled with respect.

Escort Masters might not belong to the imperial bureaucracy, but when they walked the world, their status had always been low to none.

Because such people most valued the word “rules,” and were also the bravest hardy n, the kind who feared death the least.

And those in the army just so happened to revere n of such iron backbone above all others.

Chen Guan t one pair of bright, shining eyes after another without pause and continued onward.

The thirty strong black-armored soldiers detached from the main force divided neatly—fifteen opening the way in front, fifteen bringing up the rear—escorting Chen Guan and Luo Li securely in the center.

Luo Li, whose guilty conscience made her uneasy, felt completely uncomfortable beneath such treatnt, as though she were sitting on needles.

Chen Guan glanced at her and could not be bothered to say anything.

...

And after the figures of their entire party had disappeared completely beyond the end of the forest, the sound of rustling branches ca from a nearby grove.

Then, from within, a whole group of n and won erged.

Their auras were all different. The n each carried a mountain-like oppressive presence, while the won moved with a ghostly, drifting quality.

The only thing they all had in common was that at this mont every one of their faces was so dark it could have dripped water.

“That fellow... how did he end up bringing Her Highness together with people from the court?” An old man with a hunched back was the first to break the silence, his face full of confusion.

“No idea.” The leading man in the group, dressed in rich purple robes and with a sowhat sinister elegance, shook his head.

After thinking for a mont, he said gravely, “Whether this Escort Master is colluding with Great Zhou’s court or not, this matter must be reported upward imdiately.”

The purple-robed leader raised his hand toward those behind him.

“Yes!” Two n in fitted warrior’s garb clasped their fists, then turned and vanished into the forest.

After a few monts of silence, the purple-robed man asked, “And what about that Painted Skin Fiend?”

“Reporting to Hall Master,” the old man hurriedly replied, “that Painted Skin Fiend... has hidden itself for now. It says that only after eating its fill will it have the strength to work.”

“How outrageous!” The purple-robed man’s expression darkened instantly. “Why did we ever choose such a disobedient glutton?”

One subordinate spoke up in a low voice to defend the decision. “Reporting to Hall Master, the number of seals the Alliance Leader can open is limited.”

“And this was also ant to be one of the trials arranged for Young Mistress... it’s just that all the previous trials were ruined by that Escort Master. Even this one... this subordinate does not know whether it will...”

“Then why the hell didn’t you remind earlier?!”

The purple-robed man’s face turned livid, and a fierce irritation flashed through his eyes. For an instant, he had the urge to strangle the old fool to death right there.

Originally, they had ticulously designed a whole series of “road of kingship” trials for Luo Li, one linked to the next.

But now five hundred li had already passed, and with less than fifteen hundred li left before Shangjing City, not a single one of those trials had actually been put to use!

“Enough!”

The purple-robed man forcibly swallowed his anger.

“For now, just keep watching them and wait for the Alliance Leader’s instructions!”

...

Under the escort of the black-armored soldiers, Chen Guan and Luo Li arrived safely at Qingan Commandery.

At the city gate, Chen Guan took his leave of the soldiers and then led Luo Li into the city.

The two of them did not hurry onward, but instead found an inn in the city and rested there for the night.

Luo Li was sowhat puzzled by this. They had already rested in the wild yesterday, and now they had just reached the commandery city—so why rest again?

Chen Guan did not answer her.

Instead, early the next morning, he prepared ample dry rations and fresh water, then said one thing to the still half-asleep Luo Li:

“From now until we reach Shangjing City, we do not stop. We travel day and night.”

Though Luo Li did not know why he had suddenly grown so anxious, the gravity in his expression told her clearly that what they would face next was likely the true danger.

That danger might co from Great Zhou’s court, or it might co from the so-called “road of kingship” her uncle had arranged for her.

She had never been able to understand why her uncle would not first ask her what she wanted, and instead insisted on tempering her in such a way without her consent.

She had asked Chen Guan about it more than once, but Chen Guan had never given her a clear answer.

Yet early this very morning, Chen Guan had unexpectedly said sothing to her.

“From today onward, my blade will show no favoritism to kin or stranger. You’d best be prepared for that.”