Although Eric had already warned them about this, they still found it unbelievable. Like all the boys in town, they had caused plenty of trouble before—some incidents even more serious than bride snatching—yet the Xuanfu Army had never come for them, and now there were eleven soldiers, a whole small squad.

No one dared make a sound. The boys huddled together like a flock of meek sheep. Jack stood close to Grace; seeing her terrified little face, a sudden surge of courage welled up in him. He squeezed to the front, puffed out his chest, and shouted, “I’m the one who took her. Take me away, it has nothing to do with them. Grace... Grace is already married to me, she can’t marry into the Shen family again. Even if you take her back, it’s useless.”

The Xuanfu soldiers stood silent as statues, as if from another world, completely unmoved by the boy’s words.

After a long while, one of the soldiers finally spoke. Of the eleven, he was the only one who had never dismounted, sitting upright on his horse, his voice cold and merciless: “Violating the law of the land is unforgivable. You will all receive the punishment you deserve.”

Baldy could no longer hold back and burst into loud sobs.

Chapter Six: The Veteran’s Warning

Ten boys had thin ropes tied around their right wrists, linking them together in a line, spaced about ten feet apart, walking back along the old road. Even Grace received no special treatment; she walked at the very end, quietly sobbing, with Jack just ahead of her.

She wasn’t the only one crying. Spurred on by Baldy, more than half the boys had tear-streaked faces. None of them could have imagined that a single escape would land them in such big trouble.

The Xuanfu Army was even more terrifying than the legends. They were adults, towering even higher on horseback, each equipped with a longsword and shield. The occasional clatter of their gear made the boys’ hearts pound with fear.

The only one who had spoken was clearly the leader; he alone wore a red silk sash at his waist and a matching ribbon draped diagonally from his right shoulder.

It was obvious the Xuanfu Army didn’t choose their leaders by height, as this man was the shortest among the eleven soldiers. But that didn’t diminish his coldness in the slightest. It was on his orders that the boys’ wrists were tied, forcing them to walk like prisoners between two groups of soldiers.

The return journey was listless, especially for Eric. It had been his idea to take the back road, and now, not even a day later, they’d been caught. He regretted it deeply. If he could do it over, he thought he should have forced his friends to travel through the night instead of stopping to eat and rest—or simply escorted Jack and Grace back to Wildwood Town. Looking at the pitch-black Xuanfu soldiers, Eric leaned toward the latter option, but sadly, he couldn’t choose again.

“My dad will save me. He’s the one who reported it to the authorities, right?” Eric whispered, trying to give himself some confidence and comfort his friends behind him.

“This isn’t a serious crime, is it?” Lance, walking behind Eric, asked with a sob in his voice. “We’ll just say... just say Jack forced us into the forest.”

“No need. As long as I can convince my dad... I can do it, don’t worry.” Eric regretted helping Jack, but he still wasn’t thinking of betraying him.

Lance nodded dejectedly. “My parents are going to kill me...”

The gloomy mood quickly spread through the whole group. Baldy was crying so hard his shoulders shook, stumbling along and barely keeping up. “I don’t want to go to jail, I... I need to pee.”

“No talking.” The Xuanfu officer spoke again. He was clearly a very strict man, stopping his horse at the roadside and watching the little offenders pass by one by one. Under his orders, even the boys’ breathing became cautious.

As Jack walked past, he glanced up. His panic had faded, and his ability to observe returned. Suddenly, he had a feeling that this cold-voiced officer wasn’t very old.

The officer’s face was hidden behind his helmet. Noticing Jack daring to look up, he raised his riding crop threateningly.

Jack became even more certain the officer wasn’t an adult. He was surprised—how could a child have the authority to command ten fully armed Xuanfu soldiers? Then, he began to think about escape.

The chestnut horse was still there, docilely following at the rear. If he could just untie the ropes and get Grace on the horse, maybe they could escape the soldiers’ pursuit. Jack’s plans were always simple, and he still didn’t intend to ask anyone for help.

The chance to untie the ropes came soon enough.

Two hours after setting out, the group returned to the main road. The boys were surprised to find that after walking most of the day yesterday, they hadn’t actually gone very far into the forest.

The officer decided to stop and rest.

One of the soldiers took off his helmet, revealing a weathered, resolute face. “Sir, we’d better keep moving. No matter what, we must reach Xiao’er Fort before dark.”

The officer said nothing, nor did he remove his helmet, stubbornly staring at the soldier who dared to voice a different opinion, as if deeply offended.

The veteran’s face flushed slightly, but he still stood his ground—after all, it was his duty. He lowered his voice a bit and bowed his head, “The talisman master warned us this place isn’t safe, we shouldn’t linger. The Taoist we met yesterday said the same...”