Chapter 24: Background of Brocade Guard?

  （0024）

  In the blink of an eye, the six sentries of the Salt Hawk had vanished without a trace, but the six torches were still burning fiercely. Because the light hadn't changed much, the other Salt Hawks didn't notice that six of their companions had already died. As for the woman in the middle of the scene, she was too busy to pay attention to what was happening outside.

  At this time, there were less than ten people left around the woman. However, more than twenty people surrounded her, each looking extremely fierce. The weapons they used were all uniform goose feather knives. Seeing the goose feather knife, Zhang Zhun couldn't help but frown.

  The goose-quill knife has appeared in our country very early. During the Song, Liao, Jin, Mongol and Western Xia dynasties' wars, this kind of knife was widely used at that time, and it didn't have any special meaning, just a simple killing tool. However, during the Ming dynasty, the goose-quill knife was often associated with another type of knife, which became a symbol to distinguish identities.

  Another type of knife is called Embroidered Spring Knife.

  Embroidered Spring Knife for Imperial Guards.

  The real Embroidered Uniform Guard uses the Spring and Autumn Knife, while the fake one uses the Goose Feather Knife. This is a very common saying among the people. Although this statement may not be accurate and there is no historical evidence to prove it, many people still believe that those who like to use the Goose Feather Knife are mostly related to the Embroidered Uniform Guard. In other words, they have a background with the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

  Could it be that these people are actually the outer guards of the Brocade Guards?

  The Embroidered Uniform Guard of the Ming Dynasty, in hindsight, is indeed the most powerful and prestigious secret service organization throughout history. Except for the Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and the short-lived Inner Depot, no other organization could surpass it. After Emperor Chongzhen ascended to the throne, the power of the Eastern Depot was weakened under the severe suppression of the Donglin Party. The eunuch in charge of the Eastern Depot, Wang Chengen, did not have strong personal ambitions and did not pay much attention to the development of the Eastern Depot. As a result, among the Ming Dynasty's secret service agencies, only the Embroidered Uniform Guard remained unchanged.

  However, the number of Embroidered Uniform Guards in Shandong was not large, and only a few key areas such as Jinan, Yanzhou, and Dengzhou had Embroidered Uniform Guard commanders and deputy commanders stationed there. Other areas did not have officially posted Embroidered Uniform Guards. If something happened in a certain area, the Embroidered Uniform Guards would have to be sent from afar. Laizhou and Qingzhou were also like this.

  The root cause is that the control ability of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has begun to wane and is no longer as effective as before. At the end of the Ming dynasty, warlords held more power, and those who controlled troops were not afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Only civil officials were subject to its constraints. The wars in Shandong continued unabated, leaving scorched earth for thousands of miles, with no spoils to be had, so the Embroidered Uniform Guard did not want to suffer this punishment and was too lazy to deploy many personnel.

  However, the Imperial Guards still had a lot of work to do, and with no one to help, fake Imperial Guards emerged. They used the name of the Imperial Guards to do things for them, and each month they would pay a certain amount of "protection fees". In reality, they didn't receive a salary (they made their own income), and they weren't officially employed (temporary workers). The Flying Fish robes and Embroidered Spring knives couldn't be awarded to these temporary workers, so the Goose Feather knife was used instead.

  The originally stern and privileged Jin Yiwei department has opened its doors, and all sorts of fake Jin Yiweis have swarmed in. It's hard to tell which ones are authorized and which aren't, even the Jin Yiwei themselves can't distinguish them. The Yanling knife isn't very valuable either, it only costs three to five taels of silver to buy one, so rich people naturally use them to show off.

  However, among the salt smugglers, those who use goose feather knives are still a minority. The government's surface is to crack down on private salt, and the Jin Yiwei military officers themselves smuggle private salt, they must clear their relationship with them, it is impossible to use embroidered spring knives and goose feather knives. This group of salt smugglers in front of us, openly using goose feather knives, I don't know if they have any connection with the Jin Yiwei.

  In the past, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was indeed intimidating, with absolute power to arrest and kill without needing to go through any other departments. However, by the end of the Ming dynasty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard had become nothing special, as long as one's own strength was sufficient, there was no need to buy their favor. Only civil officials were afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, while military generals were not afraid at all. Of course, those who were extremely foolish and loyal were an exception. Therefore, Zhang Quan merely furrowed his brow and did not take it to heart.

  The salt bandits outside were extremely ferocious, wave after wave. The woman's followers were equally fierce and refused to yield, even as they fell one by one, not a single cry of pain was heard. In fact, each fallen bandit quickly lost consciousness, with no one left wounded.

  Attack fiercely, defend magnificently, no casualties.

  It was indeed a cruel battle.

  The knife tip is getting closer and closer to that woman.

  By her side, there were only four attendants left.

  From start to finish, Zhang Quan did not hear any conversation between the two gangs of salt smugglers. He didn't know if they no longer needed to communicate or if it was simply unnecessary. The woman only let out a scream and had nothing else to say. In short, watching the two sides fight to the death could be summed up in one sentence: you die, I live.

  "Hahaha!"

  Zhang Zhun seized the opportunity and suddenly jumped out of the darkness.

  He jumped out of the position, just in the place where the salt eagles were facing away from him. The light was not very clear due to the obstruction of personnel. Also, because both sides were in an intense battle, they did not notice for a while.

  Three swift thrusts of the dagger, one to the left and two to the right, and the two bandits fell dead instantly, without even a cry.

  In the fierce battle, the salt thieves were hot-headed and didn't care about someone falling down beside them. They continued to surround that woman. Since they had taken the path of a salt thief, they didn't plan on having another chance to live. When they fell, the salt thieves didn't care either.

  "Hahaha!"

  The Triangular Thorn strikes again.

  Two more salt smugglers were killed.

  But at this time, those salt bandits also noticed.

  "Who is it?"

  Some people quit drinking.

  Zhang Zhun naturally did not respond and continued to move forward in silence.

  In the blink of an eye, two more salt smugglers fell down.

  The siege of women's salted fish, hastily divided into several people, trying to intercept Zhang Zhun.

  However, Zhang Zhun's movements were extremely elusive, with three prongs stabbing left and right, up and down, each time dealing an injury to his opponent.

  To be frank, those salt bandits were all seasoned fighters who had tasted blood on the blade. However, Zhang's trident was too sinister, and because it was stained with fresh blood, it was hard to discern in the flickering firelight. They hadn't even had time to see what kind of weapon it was before they fell under its prongs.

  "Kill him!"

  Those salt smugglers saw it wasn't a road and hastily assembled their men, focusing on surrounding Zhang Zhun.

  In an instant, more than a dozen salt bandits rushed towards Zhang Zuobao, wielding similarly blood-stained goose feather knives, attempting to surround him in the middle.

  Zhang Zhuncai wouldn't be so foolish as to fall into the enemy's encirclement, he immediately started running.

  Hit and run, the most familiar routine.

  The open space between the mountains was originally very empty, and he rushed towards the place with fewer people. For a while, those salt bandits couldn't surround him at all. On the contrary, if they weren't careful, Zhang Zhun would find an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

  "Hah!"

  Zhang Zhun's moves were swift, accurate and ruthless.

  Each time the triangular blade is drawn out of its sheath, it is almost always silent and noiseless.

  A faint voice that only the person who has been stabbed can hear. To be precise, it is a feeling that can only be sensed with one's own body. However, when he hears this voice, everything is already irretrievable.

  Massive bleeding from a wound can quickly bring an end to a living life.

  In the blink of an eye, three more salt smugglers fell before Zhang Zhun.

  The salt hawk behind Zhang Zhun was both angry and anxious, the goose feather knife in his hand swung with extra force, running even faster, but still couldn't catch up to Zhang Zhun.

  There was no way, Zhang Zhun's movements were too elusive, too strange, and too agile, they didn't have a chance to surround him. On the contrary, in the process of running, they were almost one-on-one with Zhang Zhun, and ended up suffering greatly.

  Zhang's weapon was too thin and too sinister, it was hard to see clearly in such an environment. What's more deadly is that Zhang seemed to have two such weapons in his hand. Even if he was lucky enough to block the first one, the second one would stab from some angle, which was also unpredictable.

  In a short time, four more salt bandits died under San Leng's spear.

  The woman's eyes sank deeply. This sudden helper, who had nothing to do with her, was certain. If she had such a powerful helper under her command, she wouldn't have been ambushed by the enemy and almost died here. But why did the enemy want to help herself? She couldn't figure it out either. It seemed that there was no such ruthless killer among the people she knew or didn't know.

  That's right, very spicy.

  She could see at a glance that this sudden helper was really ruthless. Every time he struck, he never missed. Each salt bandit he stabbed fell down and couldn't get up again.

  The salt thieves were fierce and ruthless in their usual battles, but compared to the person in front of her, they seemed to be lacking. This person's killing efficiency was too high, having almost taken out a third of the salt thieves.

  On this person's body, it seems like there is a death god attached. As long as you encounter him, there is only one outcome:

  Death.

  Dead and gone.

  In the blink of an eye, he killed over a dozen people, what is this if not the god of death?

  There is a Death God assistant, it seems like today's predicament can be overcome.

  Those salted fish opposite her, seeing the real weird movements, didn't have such a good mood. What was originally a smooth operation, just about to win, was disrupted by a sudden appearance of a little brat.

  This little guy is extremely difficult to deal with.

  The night wind blew, and for the first time, many of the salt merchants felt a chill on their backs, as if they had been possessed by some kind of evil spirit. Thinking about the enemy's ghostly movements, they suddenly felt an intense fear that they had never experienced before.

  "Wind up!"

  "Ah ha!"

  The remaining salt smugglers had no choice but to shout loudly and retreat quickly.

  It's pointless to continue like this, there's no meaning in going on.

  These bandits indeed killed decisively and left quickly, they came suddenly and left suddenly, not even taking the corpses on the ground, and withdrew hastily.

  In a moment, the empty space in the mountains was left with only that woman and her four attendants.

  Those four attendants were also covered in scars and could no longer hold on, seeing the enemy retreat, they all fell to the ground weakly.

  Only that woman stood there unscathed, quietly staring at Zhang Zhun with a thoughtful expression.

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