Kingdom: The Black Moon Assassin

"The group that came this time seems particularly familiar with our inner workings. The infantry we normally deploy for security purposes was completely wiped out, and even the traps were either avoided or dismantled without any issues."

"That's correct. Many of our men were killed without even putting up a fight. Honestly, I never thought there could be a military commander with such a deep understanding of our tactics near the border. Such a situation has never occurred before. It seems Wei has a skilled general infiltrating this territory, and we can't stop him."

"Moreover, they were very thorough. Soldiers were stationed at every key location to eliminate any fugitives from a distance, often leading to total annihilation. This has caused great panic among the bandits, and more than a dozen gangs have sought refuge with us. It's likely that more will arrive in the future. In that sense, this incident has its own benefits for us."

The middleaged man listening to this smiled. Every coin had two sides. The enormous threat looming over them was causing the bandits that Zhao had recruited to lose their direction.

At this moment, the White Crane Assassin Village was already one of the strongest groups along the border with Wei.

Unlike most groups, the White Crane Assassins accepted all the gangs seeking refuge with them.

Generally speaking, accepting so many different sources should have threatened the legitimacy of the chief's leadership in this village.

However, the leader of the White Crane Assassin Village was no ordinary man.

Through the effective use of fear and rewards, he managed to instill absolute loyalty in every one of his followers. Under his skilled leadership, he quickly integrated new members into his organization, allowing it to grow rapidly and seamlessly.

Perhaps in the near future, as their strategist had predicted, the White Crane Assassins could become the dominant force along the Zhao border, much like other assassin clans before them.

"But chief, although those soldiers from Wei have done us a great favor, we mustn't let our guard down. Judging by their speed, they should reach our territory in a few days!"

"Of course. It's only fair that Wei soldiers arrest the criminals who have tormented their villages near the Zhao border. However, criminals won't just stand idly by and wait to be killed. Have you investigated how many men they have and how strong their forces are?" A chilling sharpness flashed in the narrowed eyes of the elderly man named Li as he spoke.

Those who knew old Li understood that he was already devising a plan in his head.

"I've questioned the criminals who managed to escape and sent some men to investigate the various marks left in their camps by Wei soldiers. By my calculations, there are between eighty and ninety of them, and they're all highly skilled in battle."

"Very strong?"

"It's said they're as strong as a commander of five thousand men."

"This operation is likely a collaboration between a recently famous military group in Wei and their army stationed in nearby cities," analyzed the middle-aged man, stroking his beard like a sage.

"That force is terrifying." Old Li's subordinate frowned. Even though he had lived his entire life in the White Crane Assassin Village, beyond the reach of any man's domain, he still knew a thing or two about what was happening near Zhao and Wei, like how things had escalated to the point of fierce battles in the forest.

As Zhao suspected that Wei was surveying the forest connecting both borders for a future invasion, they had sent all the nation's criminals into the forest, hoping to stall the Wei soldiers.

This caused tensions to escalate near Wei's towns, with crimes rising to dangerous levels.

"This is indeed a bit problematic. If we kill those Wei soldiers, we might attract the wrath of an entire army stationed not far from our location," old Li reflected, thinking all the while that Jun's forces belonged to Wei.

What he didn't know was that Jun had orchestrated all of this in secret, spreading rumors at his whim through his information network and provoking chain reactions between both nations for his own benefit.

"If the chief is cautious about causing trouble, wouldn't it be enough to make sure no one finds out? It's not like we can't kill them all before word reaches the border soldiers."

Road bandits and criminals lived by robbing and massacring whoever they could. If judged by the strict laws of a country, they'd be sentenced to death.

The same applied to invaders. Zhao would support those who killed invaders and would even offer military assistance.

"Ha, ha, ha, that makes sense. You know me well! Since killing the Wei soldiers will bring us trouble, all we need to do is ensure there's no one left to tell the tale."

Old Li paused and said, "Spread my orders: if anyone leaks news of this operation, I'll skin them alive!"

"Yes, chief!"

"The White Crane assassins can hunt the invaders, but who says Wei soldiers can't hunt us too?"

"We'll be prepared for that."

...

Boom!

The mountain shook, and a moment later, strange cries echoed around.

A dense congregation of criminals and road assassins surged from the mountains with fierce warcries.

At a glance, assassins dressed in violet robes and dirty-clothed criminals joined Zhao's soldiers in a battle against the invaders.

With a quick calculation, one could estimate more than six hundred soldiers. This force was equivalent to the power of dozens of criminal gangs and considerable strength in assassin villages!

The desolate autumn wind blew. Wherever the army formed by numerous organizations passed, a swirl of dust followed in its wake. Gradually, they closed in on Jun and his men.

But at that moment, they were still unaware.

...

Three kilometers away, Jun stood in the ruins of a criminal village, his calm gaze set on the upcoming battle, where he planned to decimate numerous criminal villages until reaching Yuu Ren's village.

"I smell blood..." Jun closed his eyes slightly.

The tracker quickly dismounted and touched the ground, feeling slight vibrations. "They're close. It'll make things easier if they keep coming toward us."

Among the trees where Jun stood, numerous archers emerged from the branches, holding explosive arrows.

Further back, more than a thousand warriors under Jun's banner awaited the signal to launch their true attack when the bait lured the enemy close enough.