Star Martial Era: The Way of Star Light Cultivation-Chapter 46 - 42 Capture Alive

The beast had been trained by a Beast Tamer, a one-star warhorse known for its enduring stamina, which was double that of a normal warhorse, and its speed was only a bit faster.

That slight bit faster meant it was even bumpier.

Barely an hour out of the city, each disciple had become rigid, clenching their teeth, wondering how long they could endure.

Brother Niu, leading the way, whispered something to Xu Jin, who then reined in his warhorse, “Rest in place for 15 minutes.”

The line of people wailed as they dismounted, dramatically rubbing their legs.

Brother Niu quietly gathered all the warhorses, providing water and feed.

Qian Xiaohu, as if nothing was amiss, helped Brother Niu tend the warhorses, a scene Xu Jin watched thoughtfully.

A few minutes later, Brother Niu came over.

“When we set out again, use strength in your back and waist, but don’t stiffen up.

By the time we reach Heshui County, we must maintain a strong combat readiness.”

“In two hours, before nightfall, we will arrive at Heshui County.

By then, the Spring Rain Department will deliver the mission target, and we’ll proceed as ordered,” Brother Niu said.

Spring Rain Department?

Xu Jin had heard of it.

An official intelligence agency of Dachen, not very famous among the common folk, but reputed to be omnipresent, about which Xu Jin knew very little.

After all, Xu Jin had been in this world for just over three months, mostly confined to Jinshan County.

The involvement of the Spring Rain Department alone indicated that this mission was not simple.

Just like in his past life, capturing an ordinary criminal didn’t require the involvement of national security.

“Brother Niu, what does the Spring Rain Department do?” Qian Xiaohu, of humble origins and limited information-gathering ability, asked casually.

“They specialize in handling clues.”

Brother Niu explained with a laugh, clearly fond of Qian Xiaohu, “From this moment on, just execute the mission, no listening, asking, or speaking.

Violators will be dealt with by military law.”

This last statement, Brother Niu’s expression had become incredibly stern.

A reminder and a warning to everyone in the squad.

While resting on the spot, Xu Jin, idle nonetheless, directly accessed the Star Palace and continued to solidify the Clearing Soul Star Pattern.

What lay ahead, Xu Jin was unclear, but with time, it was better to solidify it.

During the journey that followed, though his legs hurt, his buttocks ached, and he felt groin pain, Xu Jin’s riding skill rapidly improved.

Especially since he possessed Star Power, it gave him strong physical control, making dangers that would affect ordinary people trivial in their eyes.

Someone fell off their horse, and forcibly pulled themselves back up using the strength of their arms.

Two hours later, when the team was twenty miles from Heshui County, they stopped for a brief tea at a teahouse.

Not long after they resumed their journey, Brother Niu mysteriously received intelligence from the Spring Rain Department.

“There are five targets, with Hong Li being the most important.

However, these five targets are likely connected, but Hong Li, an expert of the seventh level of Dining Dawn and incense master of the Heavenly River Gang, entered Heshui County eight days ago, committed twelve crimes, killed nine people, raped and killed four, and sold twelve women, all under the guise of being an evil demon.

The gang consists of seven to eight people, with three possessing cultivation levels.”

“Zhao Zhen, originally a beggar from Heshui County, was lured by Hong Li after his arrival, trafficked countless boys, and forcefully robbed five households at night, stealing silver coins and abducting women for trafficking, killing all the other elderly and frail.”

“Liu San, originally a government official in Heshui County, was also lured by Hong Li.

Under the guise of an evil demon, he robbed three households in one night, killed his cousin Liu Zheng and his family, then usurped their property and wealth.”

…

After reading the intelligence sheet, everyone’s expression solidified.

They all lived in Jinshan County, where the security was relatively good, but they had not expected the security in other counties to have deteriorated to this extent.

Using the guise of acting like evil demons, they committed all sorts of arson, murder, and looting.

The government forces were all occupied in the wild lands, on defense and hunting for evil demons, allowing many cases to be easily destroyed by them, killing all witnesses, turning them into unsolvable mysteries.

But the source of all these acts was this incense master Hong Li of the Heavenly River Gang.

After Hong Li arrived at Heshui County, incidents of evil demon activities began to occur frequently.

This led Xu Jin to suddenly make connections, grasping the real objective of this mission somewhat, but still lacking other evidence.

Before nightfall, the group reached Heshui County.

Brother Niu waved his hand, leading the team straight to the Heshui County Government.

Amidst the stunned eyes of the gatekeeper, Brother Niu slapped a token onto the gatekeeper’s face.

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.

“Star Patrol Guard on duty, thirteen warhorses, take care of them.

If one is missing, off with your head.”

After giving orders, Brother Niu turned to walk away, and at that moment, a man in gray wearing a conical bamboo hat came around the corner from the side of the government building.

As Xu Jin turned around alertly, Brother Niu waved his hand, saying, “Follow him, he’s the guide arranged by the Spring Rain Department.”

Following the guide through the streets, they reached a seemingly decent residence.

“There should be people inside now.

Half an hour ago, a large quantity of food and drink was delivered, at least enough for fifteen people.

But there are likely women inside who have been captured for their amusement.

The actual number of Hong Li’s group should be more than seven but no more than ten,” the guide explained.

Hearing this, Brother Niu glanced at his team and commanded, “Hong Li must be captured alive, the others, dead or alive doesn’t matter, those who resist, execute on the spot.”

Xu Jin tightened his pack, and his long knife suddenly unsheathed, signaling he was ready.

Xu Jin had initially thought they might need to sneak in.

But in the next instant, Niu Gui raised his foot and kicked open the gate, “Let’s go!”

Boom!

As the gate shattered, Niu Gui and Xu Jin rushed in with a group of teammates.

Chaos suddenly erupted inside the main hall of the residence.

When the doors of the hall opened, a bare-chested man appeared before everyone’s eyes, visibly startled.

The next moment, he roared,

“Boss, the Star Patrol Guard, it’s the Star Patrol Guard!”

This was an informed one.

Amid the clanging sounds inside the hall, when everyone burst in, they saw a group of ten men already arming themselves with weapons.

In another corner of the hall, there were seven completely naked women curled up.

One could only imagine what these men had been doing just moments before.

The two sides faced each other but did not take the initiative to attack.

Xu Jin took a step forward and asked, “Who is Hong Li?”

No one responded, but the eyes of the other nine bandits all turned towards the same person—a tall, long-faced man with triangular eyes holding a large ghost-headed blade, looking particularly ferocious.

“Found him, it’s him!”

“Kill!”

As soon as Xu Jin finished speaking, he and Niu Gui lunged forward simultaneously, though their targets were different.

Niu Gui targeted Hong Li, while Xu Jin targeted another bandit radiating starlight.

The others also chose their targets and pounced.

With the recent days of blood battle and prisoner training, no one was hesitant in their attacks.

Xu Jin’s target was a Fifth Layer Dining Dawn bandit, with his lower body shimmering with faint starlight.

Seeing Xu Jin lunging towards him, he didn’t flinch at all.

Hong Li only glanced briefly, then sneered, “Brothers, since the Star Patrol Guard has arrived, let’s break out!

Don’t worry, their cultivation levels are all lower than mine!”

With just one strike, Xu Jin was pushed back by the Fifth Layer Dining Dawn bandit but he rolled forward, advanced again, and triggered his Star Power, continuously slashing with his long sword.

Taking advantage of the momentum, he unleashed a Star Ring with great force.

The Star Ring spread just over a meter, perfectly repelling the bandit and coordinating seamlessly with Xu Jin’s offensive.

Yet Xu Jin did not relent.

His continuous slashes, capitalizing on the Five Directions Killing Blade’s force, each slash powerfully unleashing a basic Star Skill Star Ring.

He had the bandit scrambling to defend himself.

This was one of the successes of three days of intense practice—launching basic Star Skills amidst an attack.

Of course, this was built on the foundation of the mastered Five Battles Killing Fist.

In the room, aside from Xu Jin, no one else achieved this.

After three moves, Xu Jin, employing the Five Battles Killing Fist with his left hand and punching out, also unleashed a basic Star Skill Star Arrow.

The bandit, already struggling to handle Xu Jin’s basic Star Rings, didn’t expect a sudden and swift Star Arrow.

The Star Arrow struck the bandit, causing bursts of starlight to ignite on his body.

But in that instant, the bandit also amassed a large amount of Star Power for defense.

No critical damage was done.

As the Star Arrow faded, the bandit staggered backward.

Xu Jin, like lightning, leaped forward and decapitated him with his sword!

After the first kill, Xu Jin’s movements did not pause at all; he spun like a tornado, slashing another bandit back with his sword, releasing a basic Star Ring that sent the opponent stumbling backward before he lunged again.

Second kill!

Rolling on the spot, he pounced toward Qiao Ruonan’s opponent, chopped his legs off, left Qiao Ruonan to deliver the coup de grâce, and lunged at the fourth man.

Third kill!

After three consecutive kills, the bandits originally confronting the Star Patrol Guard were greatly panicked, and in an instant, they were thrown into disarray.

Once in disarray, they were utterly defeated.

Soon, the fourth, fifth, and sixth bandits were all slain.

Suddenly, Niu Gui grunted, pushed back by Hong Li, who due to his failed Star Casting attempt years ago, only had a Sixth Layer Dining Dawn cultivation level.

“Be careful, he’s trying to escape!”

Qian Xiaohu and Song Ye, stationed at the door, lunged at the fleeing Hong Li.

“Get out of the way!”

But Hong Li made a feint and threw his ghost-headed blade at Qian Xiaohu while lunging towards the window.

He was planning to break the window and escape.

Near the window, Xu Jin swiftly turned his body, blocking the path.

“Move it!”

Hong Li roared, punching out a Star Arrow that blazed like lightning toward Xu Jin.

Xu Jin puffed out his chest, a Star Shield appearing to block the Star Arrow, and as he cleaved his sword at Hong Li, he simultaneously unleashed another basic Star Ring.

At that same moment, the recovering Niu Gui charged and directly chopped off Hong Li’s left leg.

“Keep him alive!”

Niu Gui shouted.

In the next instant, Qian Xiaohu’s sword grazed past Hong Li’s neck, while Xu Jin fiercely lunged forward, punching Hong Li’s chest right on the Star Pattern, simultaneously igniting a Star Radiance.

Boom!

Starlight burst from Hong Li’s chest Star Pattern, and as blood spurted from his mouth, the starlight around him quickly dimmed.

With the Star Pattern damaged and until it could recover, Hong Li was unable to harness any Star Power.

The first target was successfully captured alive!