: Why not just kill them all?

Outside the city of Mingbei, the road leading to the western border is wide and smooth.

The sound of hooves thundered, and dust rose slightly.

A hundred-man cavalry unit is advancing at a steady marching pace.

Their armor was gleaming, entirely silver-white, with a roaring tiger emblazoned on the front of their breastplate.

It was the White Tiger Knights, the elite troops of the Empire, whose average level was over 30!

A chilling and murderous aura swept over them, indicating that this was a battle-hardened and formidable force.

In the middle of the cavalry column, a dozen or so magnificent steeds were clustered together.

The riders were not soldiers, but young men and women dressed in fine leather armor or light armor.

"Who's stronger, Goku or Saitama? Is there even a question? Goku is definitely stronger."

"Saitama's character is set up to be defeated with one punch. Do you understand what 'defeated with one punch' means?"

"Hehe, let's deal with Master Roshi first."

"If you ask me, number 18 is still the most powerful."

"Yes, I agree with that."

……

They chatted and laughed, a stark contrast to the solemnity of the surrounding cavalry.

Each person wore a bright silver badge on their chest, with the letter "B" clearly engraved on it.

B-rank hero.

Within the Heroes' Guild system, this is already a core force.

The lowest level is 30 or above.

In terms of both strength and status, they are far superior to ordinary adventurers or low-level heroes.

However, this team was led by neither a captain of the heroes nor an officer of the knights.

Instead, he was a plump old man wearing a loose brown scholar's robe and riding a docile packhorse.

He held a musical score in his hand, and the discussions of the surrounding heroes only made him feel agitated.

What is the point of comparing the fighting power of two non-existent people?

They weren't even in the same work!

"Teacher Mu Ran, why do you look so gloomy the whole way?"

A composed young man carrying a two-handed greatsword is also the captain of this brave squad.

"Isn't it just going to Mingbei City to verify the rumors about that 'Guardian Deity'? Every year, there are at least 80 or 100 such outrageous rumors in various places. In the end, they are all exaggerated. Let's just treat it as a publicly funded trip."

"The captain is right."

A female warrior with a ponytail and a rapier at her waist chimed in, her tone carrying her usual air of superiority.

"Leaving aside our entire team of B-rank heroes, there are also a hundred White Tiger Knights cavalry, plus you, Teacher Muran, a level 50 Divine Guide. What is there to worry about?"

"Divine Guide" is a title unique to some of the original inhabitants of this world, which can be simply understood as the awakening of a talent.

At a certain point in time, they will suddenly acquire a unique and powerful ability.

This ability is similar to "Holy Revelation," but it does not require any external equipment or medium and originates entirely from within oneself.

Once their potential is confirmed, they will receive the empire's full support.

The seemingly unremarkable, plump old man before me is none other than a divine guide.

He was also the person in charge of this investigation sent by the Hero Association.

Mu Ran listened to the team members' dismissive comments and shook his head.

"Be serious. I received news that Liu Sanguan, the city lord of Mingbei City, has been acting strangely lately, issuing orders one after another, diverting a large amount of resources, and there are reports of the Brave Squad going missing... The last place Jiang Shu's team was seen was near Mingbei City, so things are not that simple."

"Jiang Shu and the others?"

The captain shrugged, his tone becoming more subdued, yet tinged with disdain.

"That guy is too eager for quick success. He'll take on any job just to get promoted to B-rank. He might have been wiped out by some high-level monster in some corner. What does that have to do with Mingbei City? Even if Liu Sanguan is stupid, would he dare to mess with a hero registered by the Empire?"

Mu Ran didn't argue further; he simply squinted and looked ahead at the road.

His long experience and intuition gave him a sense of unease.

News from Mingbei City is heavily censored, and the information that does leak out is full of contradictions.

This pool of water is probably much deeper than the report says.

Just as he was thinking this, a lone carriage suddenly appeared on the road ahead.

The carriage was approaching them at a leisurely pace.

At the front of the line, a sergeant rode forward.

He held his lance level with the carriage and shouted sharply.

"Ahead! The White Tiger Knights are on military duty. All bystanders, please make way!"

The road was wide enough to allow two people to drive side by side.

However, it is customary for civilians to give way when the imperial elites march.

Upon hearing the sound, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

The curtain of the carriage was lifted by a hand.

A figure bent down and stepped out of the carriage.

The man was wearing an inconspicuous black travel cloak.

The hood covered most of his face, leaving only his sharply defined jawline visible.

Tall and slender, he stood atop the chariot shaft, silently facing the hundred white-armored riders and the group of gleaming warriors ahead.

The wind swept across the open fields, stirring up fine dust.

The black-robed youth's gaze calmly swept over the gleaming white tiger emblem.

He scanned the young heroes wearing "B" rank badges.

Finally, the object landed on the obese elderly man surrounded by the crowd.

Staring at him like that made his blank brows furrow even more.

He is not a rigid person and has an excellent reputation in the Hero Association.

However, the prestige of the Imperial White Tiger Knights should not be underestimated, especially when on a mission.

The black-robed youth remained silent, which he perceived as a provocation.

The knight squad leader who had given the order earlier felt embarrassed when he saw that the other party did not react.

His face darkened, and he pointed his lance forward, his tone filled with obvious anger and threat.

"The White Tiger Knights are patrolling the border! Final warning: clear the way immediately! Otherwise, you will be punished for obstructing military affairs, and will be killed on sight..."

His "theory" had not yet been fully uttered.

call--

As if a wild breeze had swept by, the curtain of the carriage opposite swayed gently.

The next instant, the knight squad leader felt a blur before his eyes.

The figure in black robes suddenly transformed into a black shadow.

It's not about moving backward, it's about moving forward!

A blurry black dotted line ignored the dozens of White Tiger Knights standing guard between the two sides and passed straight through them!

They headed straight for the squad leader!

The knight squad leader's pupils constricted sharply!

His fighting instincts were screaming, and he could feel a chill on his neck.

He wanted to dodge, he wanted to block...

But it was all too late.

"You...you..."

He only managed to squeeze out two indistinct syllables from his throat.

Warm blood was already gushing out.

Blood stained the gleaming silver breastplate.

boom!

The heavy body, along with its armor, crashed off the horse, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

It wasn't until the squad leader fell from his horse that the surrounding cavalrymen reacted.

"Team...Captain?!"

"Enemy attack!!"

"Protect the hero! Surround him!"

……

A roar and the sound of metal scraping together suddenly exploded!

Despite their shock, the well-trained knights reacted swiftly thanks to their long-established formation and discipline.

The cavalrymen closest to the front almost instinctively spurred their horses forward.

Several spears were pointed at the black-robed youth!

In just a few seconds, the originally leisurely atmosphere was instantly overshadowed by a chilling aura.

At this tense moment—

"call!"

A slightly lazy voice rang out.

A flash of red light appeared at the collar of the black-robed youth, and a small figure, about the size of a palm, wearing exquisite dark red leather armor and with wings on its back, flew out and hovered lightly on the youth's shoulder.

Her blood-red eyes darted around.

His gaze swept over the gleaming spear tips and the faces filled with shock and anger.

Finally, it scratched its pointy ears with its little paws.

"Hey, I mean... weren't you a bit too hasty? They're the Empire's elite troops, aren't you afraid they'll issue nationwide arrest warrants?"

The black-robed youth slowly raised his hand.

He pulled the hood that was covering his face back, revealing a young and calm face.

"Why not just kill them all?"