In the thirteenth year of the Tianbao era: I became Yang Guozhong's eldest son.

As night deepened, only two dimly lit lanterns hung on the city wall of Yanjing County, swaying precariously in the cold wind.

The door to the back room of the county government office was gently pushed open, and Yang Xuan changed into a black, tight-sleeved long robe with a wide leather belt around his waist.

Although his outfit was neat and tidy, cold sweat seeped from his forehead with every step he took.

The festering flesh on his back, left by the thirty strokes of the cane, had become swollen and inflamed after two days of ordeal and the interruption of medication.

But the expression on his face was as cold as a block of ice that had stood for years.

"My lord, your injury..."

Pei Zhao followed closely behind him, carrying the blood-soaked dagger in his hand, and advised him in a low voice.

"The salt route to Qing'ao Well is treacherous. Mo San's men are all desperate criminals who have been living on the edge for years. You stay at the county office and oversee things. I'll take Lu Cheng and Chen Ye and handle the rest."

"No." Yang Xuan stopped and turned to look at Pei Zhao, his eyes as firm as a rock.

"This is our first real bloody battle in Yanjing County. If I don't go there in person, how can I suppress those local bullies who have been arrogant for years? How can I convince the people and merchants in the city who are still watching that I am really going to turn the world upside down in Yanjing County?"

Seeing that his mind was made up, Pei Zhao knew that further persuasion was useless, so he could only reply in a deep voice, "Yes. Your subordinate will protect you with his life."

In the courtyard, Lu Cheng, Dou Ping, and Chen Ye had been waiting with their horses for quite some time.

The horse's hooves were wrapped in thick rags, and even its muzzle was bitten to ensure it wouldn't make a sound while traveling at night.

Yang Xuan walked to the front of the horse, took a deep breath, and, enduring the excruciating pain, mounted the horse.

"Walk."

Without any unnecessary words, the five riders slipped out silently through the back gate of the county government office like ghosts, disappearing into the boundless night.

……

There is a narrow pass called "One Line Sky" on the salt road leading from Qing'ao Well to other states.

Here, there are steep stone walls on both sides, and only a dirt road in the middle that is just wide enough for two horse-drawn carriages to pass side by side.

Normally this road is very difficult to travel, but for caravans that want to bypass checkpoints and smuggle salt under the cover of darkness, it is an excellent secret passage.

At midnight, the mountain wind howled through the pass, producing a mournful sound like the wailing of ghosts and wolves.

Yang Xuan and his group of five had been lying in ambush here for nearly an hour.

Pei Zhao and Chen Ye lay in ambush on the left side of the stone wall, Lu Cheng and Dou Ping guarded the right side, while Yang Xuan hid in a grove of dead trees behind the pass.

Everyone held their breath, the weapons in their hands gleaming coldly in the darkness.

"They're here."

Pei Zhao pressed his ear against the cold stone and whispered something.

A slight, rhythmic tremor began to emanate from the ground. It was the sound of a heavily laden wagon pressing down on the hard dirt road.

Before long, a long convoy slowly emerged from the darkness in the distance.

Leading the way were three men riding tall horses, each carrying a torch to protect themselves from the wind.

In the middle were a dozen or so large trucks covered with thick tarpaulins, each accompanied by four or five burly men wielding long knives and short sticks.

Walking beside the carriage in the very middle of the procession was a lean, middle-aged man with a mustache.

This man's eyes darted around in the darkness like a night owl, revealing an undisguised shrewdness and ruthlessness.

It was Mo San.

"Everyone, perk up!" Mo San shouted in a low voice to the people in front and behind him.

"Old Tian and Manager Hu are in a hurry to get this batch of goods tonight. As long as we get past this critical juncture and reach the Nanhe ferry crossing ahead, once we board the boat, each of us will receive a reward of three strings of cash!"

A low murmur of laughter rippled through the crowd below, and their pace quickened.

They didn't take this job seriously at all.

In Yanjing County, everyone knows that Mo Sanye's goods are so well-known that even the county magistrate has to take a detour.

Moreover, the newcomer to the county government is currently being cut off from food and medicine by the Tian and Hu families, and is so hungry that he is drinking bran porridge in the government office. How could he have the strength to care about things outside?

The convoy gradually drove into the depths of "One Line Sky".

Just as the first carriage was about to pass through the narrowest part of the pass, a sudden change occurred.

"Let's do it!"

A low shout exploded from mid-air.

Pei Zhao descended like an eagle from the sky, his sword wielding immense force as he slashed straight at the face of the leading man on horseback.

The man didn't even have time to react. He only saw a bright white light flash before his eyes, and with a "whoosh," most of his head was blown off.

The headless corpse swayed on the horse's back for a moment before collapsing to the ground.

"Enemy attack!"

"Someone's robbing us!"

The convoy instantly erupted into chaos.

The burly guards drew their weapons and looked around in a panic.

Chen Ye roared excitedly, leaped down from the stone wall with his short gun, and with a thrust of his spear like a dragon, instantly knocked down the two closest men.

Lu Cheng and Dou Ping also charged out from the other side. Lu Cheng's chipped, thick-backed longsword swung wildly, each strike accompanied by a sickeningly loud sound of bones shattering.

Although these people were few in number, they were all fierce soldiers who had experienced life-and-death battles. Once they started fighting, their indomitable killing intent was something that these guards and thugs who usually only bullied the kind-hearted and were fond of fighting could not match.

Mo San's expression changed drastically. He drew his short knife from his waist and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Hold on! They outnumber us! Chop them up!"

He was, after all, a veteran who had come from the salt trade. He could tell at a glance that the other side only had four or five people. As long as he held his ground, he and his dozens of men could wear the other side down.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a cold voice came from the darkness in front of the pass.

"Who should we chop up?"

Mo San's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly turned his head to look.

A rider slowly emerged from the withered trees.

The man on horseback was dressed in black, with a cold expression. In the flickering torchlight, he looked like a god of war emerging from the underworld.

"Who...who are you?" Mo San's hand holding the knife trembled involuntarily.

Yang Xuan did not dismount. He looked down at Mo San with an indifferent gaze that regarded everything as worthless.

"I am Yang Xuan, the magistrate of Yanjing County."

The moment those eight words were uttered, the entire pass seemed to fall into a deathly silence.

The burly guards who were preparing to attack Pei Zhao and his group froze in their tracks.

County magistrate?

The new magistrate, whose food supply had been cut off by the Tian family and who was hiding in the yamen, actually led a group of men to rob people in the middle of the night?!

Mo San's eyes twitched violently, and his mind was buzzing.

He never imagined that the government officials would resort to such despicable tactics, intercepting his goods on the road.

"Your Excellency... County Magistrate..."

Mo San forced out an awkward smile, attempting to use the same tactics he used to deal with officials.

"Why have you come to this desolate place in the middle of the night? I'm just here to deliver some ordinary cloth and sundries for the Tian and Hu families..."

"Ordinary fabrics and miscellaneous goods?"

Yang Xuan sneered, casually picked up a repeating crossbow from the side of the saddle, and aimed it at the carriage next to Mo San.

"Whoosh!"

The crossbow bolt tore through the air and accurately pierced the tarpaulin covering the carriage.

"Splash—"

The tarpaulin was torn open, and the burlap sacks full of coarse salt tilted over, spilling white salt grains all over the ground, so bright in the firelight that it was hard to look directly at them.

Mo San's face turned deathly pale.