Thirteen, was the King-grade warrior who tested Qi Bei when he returned to the Nord family.
As for Xiao Jiu, Qi Bei had never met him, but he thought that he was probably a member of the Nord family's shadow guards.
"Qi Bei, don't think that you and Thirteen are evenly matched. That day, Thirteen only used 50% of his strength, and the shadow guards are best at stealthy assassinations. Xiao Jiu is a dual-element mage, with earth and wind elements. His earth element is of King-grade, and his wind attribute is advanced. They will be your shadow guards in the future and will follow any of your commands." Kurt said.
"Grandfather…" Qi Bei felt a bit touched in his heart. When he first came back, he felt like a stranger to his grandfather and had no sense of family affection. But now, he could feel that this old man known as the Fox of Nord truly cared about him.
Kurt waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this. Raymond, Huai'an, you two take him to the Black Armored camp to pick out some people. You must leave within an hour."
As he watched the father and son leave the ancestral temple, Kurt came to the ancestor's tablet and whispered, "Dear ancestors, this old one may only be able to hold on for three more years. Han Mo's next big move is to trap the entire Nord family, and Qi Bei may be the only gap. This little guy has given me too many surprises since he returned alive from a hopless situation. I hope that in my lifetime, he can bring me and the entire Nord family even greater surprises."
Kurt's self-talk gradually became inaudible, his lips continued to move, but even he himself could not hear what he was saying.
.....
As the night sky darkened, a crescent moon appeared like a delicate hook, casting a spellbinding sight amidst the clouds. It seemed to beckon to the world with a sense of mystery and wonder, like a shy maiden observing the world with quiet curiosity.
In the tranquil Dreaming Moon Palace, a sudden creaking sound broke the silence of the night.
On a swing made of vines, Ming Yue held the sleeping unicorn cub and hung her head low, swaying with the swing's rise and fall. Her long hair fluttered in the wind, like her inner turmoil, which was in stark contrast to her serene face.
"Do you think I underestimated him?" Ming Yue murmured to herself in a soft voice.
"Yes," a drifting voice faintly responded, like it came from afar, yet it was also close at hand.
"Does he have the strength to compete with a King-grade warrior?" Ming Yue asked.
The voice fell silent for a moment before saying, "Perhaps he does, perhaps he doesn't."
"Can't you see through him?"
"I cannot."
"Are there still such people you can't see through?"
"I'm not a god."
"Do you think Father would let him go?"
"I don't know."
"But I guess not."
Silence…
The night breeze remained gentle, but the crescent moon was completely hidden behind the clouds, leaving only a faint halo peeking through.
The swing still swayed in the night, but the graceful figure on it had disappeared without a trace.
….
An inconspicuous carriage silently left the city. On the carriage, a father and two sons were conversing in low voices.
"Father, Big Brother, what happened? Why do I have to leave in the middle of the night?" Qi Bei asked.
"The incident at your engagement ceremony was the fuse. You, this foolish kid, tried to act like a hero and injured a Holy Land's disciple. It's like telling the whole world that you, with the strength of an Intermediate warrior, can rival a King-grade powerhouse. How powerful will you be when you grow up? The emperor originally approved your visit to West Spirit City fiefdom, but now with this incident, letting you go may make him restless. " Qi Bei's father, Raymond replied. He was both proud and worried.
"When did I become so important?" Qi Bei shrugged.
"Although the West Spirit City is chaotic, it also presents an opportunity. The capital has no control over there. No one can stop you from causing trouble. Now that the emperor has seen your potential, he may find an excuse to keep you or transfer you to a place where he can monitor you. So you must leave before dawn." Raymond said.
"I can't travel too far in one night. Won't Han Mo send someone to intercept me?" Qi Bei frowned.
"This is the route you'll take. The family will send several teams to confuse the enemy. Even if he happens to find your direction, the family will send assassins to intercept him. Once you leave the Central Province, the emperor will have to give up." Raymond handed a sheepskin map to Qi Bei.
When Qi Bei unfolded the map and took a look, he couldn't help but be surprised. The route he was supposed to take was actually the official road with many people coming and going.
But then, Qi Bei slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "The old man is truly the Fox of Nord. He mixes truth with falsehood and falsehood with truth. Several teams of people and horses from different directions are all jumbled up together, I'm afraid that only a few people would think that the teams on the official road are real."
….
Three battalions of the Black Armored Army were stationed outside the city with a total of 1,200 troops. This deployment was made in response to Huai'an Nord's arrival to report their duties. In a few days, they should break camp and march out.
At this moment, the 1,200 troops of the three battalions were like a thousand two hundred pine trees, standing straight in a square formation, exuding a fierce aura.
With a tiger-skin black armor adorning his body, Huai'an stood at the forefront. He spoke loudly to the soldiers under his command, "Two hundred and fifty of you will be selected to follow my younger brother, Qi Bei, to his fiefdom, the West Spirit City. The chosen brothers will leave the Black Armored Army and become Qi Bei, the Viscount's private soldiers, following him to fight in the chaotic West Spirit City."
After retiring from the army, many soldiers would join the private armies of some aristocrats, but the Black Armored Army, which was famous throughout the world, was the only exception. This was because they had to face brutal wars every moment, and there were only those who died in battle, not those who retired.
From a larger perspective, although the Black Armored Army is made up of soldiers belonging to the Golden Leaf Empire, in reality, they are the private army of the Nord family. Therefore, following Qi Bei, the Nord family's representative, does not cause any conflicts for them.
Besides, Qi Bei's reputation was also soaring. Surviving in the Undead Mountain Range alone, saving the soldiers of the Black Armored Army with just one sword, and yesterday he defeated the King-grade thunder mage, the disciple of a Holy Land at his engagement ceremony.
The army is the place where the strongest are most admired, especially in the Black Armored Army. Therefore, when Huai'an spoke, many soldiers in the camp showed a burning desire.
At this time, Qi Bei walked forward and scanned the rows of straight-backed soldiers with his eyes. He said, "To tell you the truth, my fiefdom, West Spirit City is in chaos, with forces large and small entrenched there. If you want to stand firm there, you can imagine shedding blood every day and possibly losing your life at any moment. But I can also guarantee one thing, as long as I, Qi Bei, don't die, I will make sure that everyone who follows me will have glory for their ancestors."
"Lie Feng, Iron Head, are you willing to follow me?" Qi Bei's gaze stopped on Lie Feng and Iron Head.
"We are willing to die for Sir Viscount!" Iron Head and Lie Feng stepped forward. Their lives were saved by Qi Bei, so they didn't hesitate to follow him.
"You can choose the rest of the people. We will set off in half an hour as a complete team," Qi Bei said.