Chapter 115: Dragon Knight (2)

Beyond the Third Brother’s plans and amidst their flight, Ye Lang played a significant role. He somehow managed to keep the warhorses galloping incessantly, even pushing them beyond their natural limits, allowing the group to speed toward the border.

What was his method? Everyone was curious. They only saw Ye Lang feed each horse a small pill, which allowed them to sprint for a long time; then, he would feed them another, and they would keep running!

Did they know about stimulants? No, here it should be called a fortifier. As an alchemist, it would be pathetic not to have such a concoction! However, once these warhorses were off the medication, they would likely fall deathly ill.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash! You’ve been chasing them for days, not only failing to catch them, but letting them run even further away!" For days, Zhao Ya’s temper had been abysmal, and many had suffered because of it.

By now, she had successfully ascended as Empress, seizing supreme power over the realm, though the bloody methods used in the process were things the common folk would never know.

Across the nation, everyone believed that a group of inconceivable traitors had betrayed the Emperor and murdered him. Following this, Zhao Ya appeared, denounced their crimes, and ordered them to be hunted down and killed without mercy!

Of course, many suspected that Zhao Ya had staged a coup herself, but no one dared to speak of it. She was the Empress now, and unless one wished to commit treason, one had no choice but to obey her.

"Him? Isn't it 'them'?" Those around Zhao Ya found it strange. Why did the Empress always refer to these people as "him"?

"No matter what methods or costs you use, you must not let him escape!" Zhao Ya scoffed. Then, she turned to a young girl beside her. "Do you truly have the confidence to create alchemy weapons superior to his?"

"I can, I definitely can!" The girl nodded, speaking with confidence.

"Fine! Tell me whatever you need, and I will fulfill all your requests!" Zhao Ya looked at the girl. She could see a brilliant future for this Shalan, but she also saw the darkness within her.

"If you people can't do it, then deploy the final trump card!" Zhao Ya gritted her teeth and made a decision—a decision that was clearly no small matter.

"The final trump card? Could it be..."

"Third Brother, my admiration for you is like a surging river, endless and continuous..." Ye Lang looked at the Third Brother, his eyes wide and watery, full of worship.

At this moment, he wasn't riding a horse of his own; instead, he was riding with Ye Lanyu. This time, he wasn't sitting backward, but holding her waist with both hands, looking entirely relaxed, not at all like someone being pursued by a massive army.

"Go on, stop acting like a clown!" The Third Brother waved his hand dismissively, though his expression betrayed that he was somewhat pleased by Ye Lang’s adoring gaze.

They were now on the border of the Xiang-Kong Empire. The imperial army was watching them triumphantly pass by from six miles away. There were many more troops behind them, but there was little hope of catching Ye Lang and his group.

During this period, Ye Lang and the others had been traveling openly through the empire, yet they frequently split into small groups to create diversions, leading the imperial army on a wild goose chase.

The Third Brother’s clever arrangements had the empire dancing to his tune, keeping the initiative firmly in their hands, to the point where one might wonder who was actually being hunted.

While it sounded simple, it was not easy to execute. Fortunately, they were all top-tier experts capable of carrying it out flawlessly.

Later, experts would study this escape, realizing the importance of understanding the enemy and the necessity of winning through unconventional tactics.

Regarding understanding the enemy, the Third Brother relied heavily on the military loopholes of the Xiang-Kong Empire; without knowing these flaws, the plan would have been impossible. As for winning through the unexpected, that was something to be grasped intuitively; it meant staying ahead of the enemy's expectations without falling victim to one's own traps.

Through these strategies, Ye Lang’s group successfully crossed the imperial defensive line by diverting the border troops to their rear. By the time the army realized the situation, it was already too late. The border troops, which should have been their greatest obstacle, had been dealt with with surprising ease!

Therefore, Ye Lang did not hold back his admiration, his eyes practically shooting sparks at the Third Brother.

"Enough joking around. We can't let our guard down yet. If we get caught, we will be doomed beyond salvation, and there will be no hope left!" Ye Yi cautioned.

While they had shaken off the main imperial army, if they were surrounded, even their immense strength wouldn't save them.

This was the border; the military presence here was several times that of the capital. Moreover, they lacked the terrain advantages of the imperial city; here, there was nothing but them and the army!

In such a situation, if they were pinned down, even if they were all Earth-ranked experts, it would be difficult to escape unscathed! Not to mention, there were only two Earth-ranked experts among them!

Hopefully, no accidents would occur!

However, fate often defied human wishes. Although Lady Luck had always favored Ye Lang, it didn't mean she wouldn't let him suffer a little.

"Dad, Grandpa... am I seeing things? I see something in the sky that shouldn't be there." Ye Lang looked up, his tone turning heavy, no longer playful.

Ye Lang's change in demeanor made Ye Yi and the others alert. They followed his gaze...

Upon seeing what Ye Lang meant, their faces turned grim, filled with shock! Clearly, the appearance of these things was completely unexpected!

"You've got to be kidding. They deployed these? They hold us in too high regard!" Ye Chengtian gritted his teeth.

"Indeed. Even during the war with the Vermillion Bird Empire fifty years ago, these weren't deployed. We’re just a small group on the run—is it really necessary?" the Third Brother said angrily. The appearance of these things would completely ruin his escape plan. To have such a turn of events right as victory was within reach—anyone would be furious.

"What do you see?" Those with poorer eyesight, like the mage Ye Lanyu, could only see a few black specks, like birds.

"Dragon Knights!" Ye Lang uttered an answer that brought despair to many.