Chapter 146: The End of the Battle!
Not far from Ganlu Gate, Jiang Lichen and the other five concealed themselves in a secluded spot for one final discussion. Once they passed through this gate, they would enter the Inner Court.
“Wild Wolf, are we really going to force our way through?” Blue Wolf asked uncertainly.
Jiang Lichen nodded solemnly. “That’s right. We have no choice but to fight our way in. The last general, Li Ji, is in the Inner Court with the Emperor. The defenses there will be impossibly tight. We made it this far mainly through disguises and surprise attacks, but that tactic won’t work in the Inner Court. The Emperor is guarded by the Black Armored Army, and every one of them is a first-rate expert. Their best fighters are nearly our equal. No matter what we disguise ourselves as, they’ll recognize us, because people of different levels of martial ability always carry themselves differently—unless you can all disguise yourselves as convincingly as Ice Wolf.” He laughed. “Our Wolf Warriors squad has relied on ambushes all the way here. That is what special forces are meant to do, but this is our first appearance before the Emperor. We must fight at least one battle face-to-face. Whatever happens, we cannot let the Head Wolf lose face. Isn’t that right?”
Mantis Wolf Shen Lingxiao spat on the ground and said fiercely, “Then let’s do it! When have the Wolf Warriors ever been afraid of anyone? I’m in!”
Blue Wolf, Ice Wolf, Jackal Wolf, and Snow Wolf Yang Wuqing shouted together, “Let’s do it!”
Wild Wolf said, “Good! Wolf Warriors—”
“Kill!”
…
After reaching their decision, the six men headed straight for Ganlu Gate. Mantis Wolf wore Cheng Yaojin’s military uniform and was impersonating the puppet general. Ice Wolf was still dressed as “Little Xie,” while the other four looked like ordinary soldiers.
Though they intended to force their way through, they still needed a strategy. The moment the six appeared, the gate guards stopped them.
“Halt! Who are you?”
Mantis Wolf replied calmly, “I am General Cheng’s deputy. This is General Cheng’s token. We captured a palace maid suspected of being a spy from the Wolf Warriors squad. By General Cheng’s orders, we are bringing her to see the Grand General.”
The guard took the token and examined it carefully. Then he said, “Very well. Follow me.”
Mantis Wolf nodded and followed the guard inside. After entering, they turned left. Having passed several pavilions, they gradually drew near Lingyun Pavilion.
The closer they came to Lingyun Pavilion, the more tense and wary the Wolf Warriors became. By this point, soldiers stood along both sides of the road, one after another. It was impossible not to feel nervous.
And the more nervous one became, the easier it was to make a mistake. When they reached the final checkpoint, the Wolf Warriors finally ran into trouble.
The soldiers stationed there were dressed completely differently from those they had encountered earlier. They wore black robes and black armor, their faces hidden beneath cloaks and masks. Every one of them was powerfully built, and simply standing there, they radiated a natural killing intent.
At the end of the narrow road, a man dressed as a black-armored general stepped forward and blocked the way. He first asked them why they had come, then carefully scrutinized Mantis Wolf and the others. Finally, he pointed at Jiang Lichen and the other three and said coldly, “All four of you are experts. You cannot hide that from me. With your skill, how could you possibly be ordinary soldiers? There is something wrong with you!”
Jiang Lichen narrowed his eyes, pushed Mantis Wolf aside, and stepped forward.
“The Black Armored Army?”
The general nodded. “You must be the Wolf Warriors squad. Very impressive.”
Jiang Lichen rubbed his wrist. “Ha. So you still saw through us.”
“To have reached this place, you are already remarkably capable. To be honest, if we had been facing only the nine strongest members of the Black Armored Army, we would never have made it this far.”
Jiang Lichen smiled with narrowed eyes. “Then I’ll take that as a compliment!”
The general threw back his head and laughed. “It was certainly meant as one. You are strong men, and you deserve the praise. Come. I’ll take you to see His Majesty.”
“Hmm? See His Majesty? Are you trying to make us surrender?”
“Surrender? You reached this point, which means you have already passed the trial. I am taking you to the Emperor so he can reward you for your accomplishments.”
Jiang Lichen shook his head. “No. Our Head Wolf ordered us to kill four generals. We are still one short.”
The general frowned. “That is impossible. Surely you can see that the ninety-four members of the Black Armored Army stationed here are all first-rate experts. You have virtually no chance of getting out.”
Jiang Lichen gave a sly grin. “To the Wolf Warriors, nothing is impossible.”
…
Inside Lingyun Pavilion, Li Er and the others saw the Wolf Warriors arrive and moved to the second-floor window, where they had a much clearer view.
“Hahaha! Who would have thought those boys would make it only this far? It is truly beyond my expectations,” Li Er said with a sigh. His eyes naturally revealed a trace of fondness, though behind that fondness lay a hidden conflict and struggle.
Li Ji praised them as well. “Indeed. I never imagined these youngsters would toy with me for an entire day. From morning until night, I could do nothing but defend passively. And even then, they still managed to kill two of my generals! Damn it! I have never fought such a frustrating battle in my life!”
Li Jing stroked his beard and looked toward the Wolf Warriors in the distance. “Your Majesty, this squad is truly formidable. Do not be fooled by their numbers—they have only nine men, but on a battlefield, they would be a razor-sharp blade. No wonder this boy is always talking about special operations. Only now do I understand what he means. A decapitation strike is the very essence of special operations!”
Li Er nodded in agreement. “Exactly. A decapitation strike—what a terrifying tactic. This is what it truly means to take an enemy general’s head from amid ten thousand troops as easily as reaching into a bag.”
Li Yi listened to the three men’s praise without either pride or surprise. He had trained the Wolf Warriors himself and naturally understood their strength, so there was nothing unexpected about their performance.
However…
“Uncle Li, Grandfather, Uncle Li Ji, I have no objection to your praise of the Wolf Warriors. But there is one thing you have gotten wrong.”
The three men stared at Li Yi in astonishment.
“What?”
Li Yi smiled. “The Wolf Warriors did not kill two generals. They killed three.”
Li Ji frowned. “Impossible! Boy, do not tell me you think the Wolf Warriors defeated Cheng by putting on his uniform. Hahaha! Let me tell you, they fell for Cheng’s scheme. At noon, Cheng reported to me that he had arranged for a puppet general to command the battle while his true body was hidden in an extremely secret location. And I will tell you this: His Majesty himself told Cheng about that place. There is no way the Wolf Warriors could find him. The man they killed was nothing more than a puppet!”
Li Er laughed as well. “Enough, boy. The fact that they killed two men has already far exceeded my expectations. They performed admirably, and I am very satisfied. You need not keep making excuses for them.”
Li Yi did not laugh. He merely watched Jiang Lichen and the others below with calm certainty.
“Uncle Li, I am not joking. I know the men I trained. The fact that they have reached this place proves that Uncle Cheng has already been killed. I am absolutely certain of that. And there is one more thing of which I am equally certain.”
Li Er frowned. “What is it?”
Looking down at the narrow road beneath Lingyun Pavilion, where the Wolf Warriors were surrounded by nearly a hundred men, Li Yi said confidently, “Not only did they kill Uncle Cheng—Uncle Li Ji will not escape them either.”
“What?”
The three men had barely cried out before they could suppress their astonishment. Then, all at once, the situation below suddenly changed.