Can diligence compensate for lack of talent? But I'm a martial arts genius!

Su Changqing, of course, was unaware that his performance had earned him Zhong Yue's high regard.

"Prepare yourselves and head to the military camp in Anning Town."

Su Changqing returned home and made preparations, determined to be on time for his journey to Anning Town.

Anning Town is a small town in a strategic location within Dafeng County, and a military camp is stationed next to it.

In the military camp of Anning Town, rows of tents and walls stand, and soldiers in armor and armed guard the entrance.

It was still early morning, before dawn, when the soldiers at the entrance of the military camp suddenly became alert. Looking up, they saw a man in his thirties, dressed in black and with a sharp demeanor, walking towards them.

The visitor was none other than Su Changqing, who had come all the way to Anning Town under the guise of "Mr. Niu".

"Military camp, restricted area. Unauthorized personnel prohibited!"

The soldiers on duty became more alert and shouted at Su Changqing.

"I am a ghostwriter from Mingxin Tower, here on a bounty. Please inform them of my arrival."

Su Changqing took out his identity token and handed it to a soldier.

"Please wait a moment."

The soldier took the token and went inside to report.

"My lord, please come with me. Our centurion Zhang Jiu wishes to see you."

Not long after, the soldier returned and respectfully invited Su Changqing back.

"Okay, lead the way."

Su Changqing nodded and followed the soldier into the military camp. They entered a tent that was larger than the others, where a tall man was already waiting.

The man was nearly forty years old, in his prime, and quite tall. He wore silver armor and exuded an imposing and intimidating aura.

This person was none other than the centurion, Zhang Jiu.

Upon seeing Su Changqing's arrival, Zhang Jiu greeted him with a broad smile and boundless enthusiasm, laughing heartily, "I never expected to meet the renowned Mr. Niu! I am truly fortunate!"

Zhang Jiu wasn't just being polite; his eyes were full of surprise and joy.

Their military camp did issue a reward for ghostwriters to help escort a group of death row inmates, but the reward was not high. Some ghostwriters did come, but most of them were ordinary ghostwriters who came to earn extra money.

To Zhang Jiu's surprise, a "top ghostwriter" also came!

According to Zhang Jiu, a few months ago, Xue Wuyai, who had a somewhat infamous reputation, along with the remnants of the Blood Cloud Bandits, were all killed by a ghostwriter. The killer called himself Mr. Niu and was known as the "Bull Demon King." He was a top-notch ghostwriter in Dafeng City!

The fact that this expert joined the team escorting death row inmates was naturally a good thing for them.

"I have met Lord Zhang. I will do my best to help."

Su Changqing nodded slightly to Zhang Jiu.

"It seems... this Mr. Niu is here for Chen Tieyi!"

Zhang Jiu understood perfectly well that a top-notch escort wouldn't be interested in a mission worth only a few dozen taels of silver; he was most likely after Chen Tieyi!

Chen Tieyi's son, Chen Fei, is among the death row inmates. Chen Tieyi might choose to attempt a prison break, although the probability seems low, it's still worth taking precautions.

Zhang Jiu smiled broadly: "Then Mr. Niu, please rest for a bit and change your clothes. We'll be setting off soon."

Su Changqing naturally had no objection to this. Under the arrangement of Zhang Jiu's subordinates, Su Changqing changed into a uniform of an ordinary soldier.

In the early hours of the morning, when the sky was still gray, a team was busy at work in the military camp.

One prison van after another opened its doors, and prisoners wearing shackles and chains were pushed and shoved into each one.

"Behave yourself!"

One prisoner stood out; he was tall and shackled, with silver needles inserted into his vital points to restrict his strength and movement. Several soldiers pushed him into the prison van.

"That's Chen Fei. He caused trouble near Anning Town a while ago, and it took a lot of effort to catch him."

Zhang Jiu, who was standing to the side, told Su Changqing the identity of the tall death row inmate, who was Chen Fei, the son of Chen Tieyi.

"Um."

Su Changqing nodded slightly. Chen Fei was guilty of heinous crimes, deserving of death seven or eight times over. He should be escorted to Dafeng City for trial and be executed on a chosen day to deter others from committing similar offenses.

"Set off!"

Once preparations were complete, Zhang Jiu gave the order, and forty or fifty soldiers, escorting seven prison carts, left the military camp and headed towards Dafeng City.

Among the soldiers, Su Changqing, who had changed into a soldier's uniform, mingled with the group and moved forward.

Horse-drawn carriages carrying prison carts traveled along the official road, their wheels creaking and groaning as they rubbed against the ground.

"Get out of the way!"

Occasionally, pedestrians would be encountered along the way. Upon seeing the fully armed escort team, they would hurriedly make way for them, only casting curious glances at the team from a distance, not daring to cause trouble.

Time passed by, and by noon, nothing unexpected had happened; everything remained calm.

"Um?"

As the group entered a tree-lined road, Su Changqing's eyes suddenly lit up as he noticed something amiss.

"Be careful!"

Centurion Zhang Jiu's ears twitched as he also heard the slight noise. He immediately became alert and shouted to warn everyone to be on guard!

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

A series of arrows whistled through the air as they shot out from the dense forest.

The soldiers hurriedly swung their swords to parry or raised their shields to defend themselves.

"Boohoo!"

Some arrows fell to the ground, some were knocked down by shields and swords, and some soldiers were not able to react in time and were hit by arrows, screaming in pain.

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

Moreover, a hissing sound came from these arrows, and a foul smell of sulfur emanated from them.

"Get out of the way!"

Some soldiers' pupils contracted as they saw burning bamboo tubes tied to the arrows. Realizing what had happened, they let out a terrified scream.

"Boom!"

A series of violent explosions erupted, sparks flew, smoke billowed into the sky, and shockwaves spread, stirring up sand and gravel, sending nearby soldiers flying with screams.

Even soldiers who were close to the explosion had their arms and legs severed, with blood and flesh flying everywhere!

"Hiss!"

The horses were startled and neighed loudly, throwing their owners off their backs, creating chaos at the scene.

"You bastards! You actually dared to try and break into the prison? And you even used contraband!"

Zhang Jiu shielded his face with his arm, his heart filled with shock and anger. The arrow was tied with gunpowder, which could be used to make fireworks and firecrackers to create a festive atmosphere during holidays, but it could also be used as a weapon with great destructive power. It was a contraband and strictly controlled item!

"Dad! I'm here!"

Inside a prison van, Chen Fei, pale-faced, was overjoyed and let out a shout.

Chen Fei knew that the sudden attack must be because his father, Chen Tieyi, had come to save him. His father had not abandoned him and had come to rescue him!

"Father is here... He'll definitely kill all these bastards! He'll save me from this hell!" This filled Chen Fei with joy and hope, giving him a glimmer of hope for survival.

"Help! Save my son!"

A long howl rang out, and a dozen or so martial artists rushed out from the bushes and dense forest, heading straight for the escort team.

"Prepare for the enemy! Kill them without mercy!"

Zhang Jiu roared fiercely, his face contorted with rage. He pushed off the stirrups with his feet and leaped into the air. His sword was drawn from its sheath at his waist, and with a single sweep, the gleaming blade flashed. The two black-clad warriors didn't even have time to scream before their heads were severed on the spot.

Zhang Jiu, being able to become a centurion in the Great Wind Army, naturally possesses outstanding strength and is a martial artist at the Divine Power Realm!

The other soldiers were also well-trained. After a brief period of chaos, they immediately formed battle formations in twos and threes to meet the enemy. The two sides fought each other, and the scene was extremely chaotic!