Blood Guards

Only after the group of blood-clad warriors disappeared from the road did Ye Tian finally snap out of his deep shock. 

"Warriors, all of them are warriors. Each of these blood-clad fighters possesses a strength not inferior to that of my father, and the spear-wielding leader far surpasses even the village chief. He must be a Martial Master!" 

Ye Tian was overwhelmed with awe. These blood-clad warriors were not only powerful but also exuded an aura of deadly ferocity, clearly seasoned veterans of life-and-death battles, far stronger than the village's warriors. 

"Strange, where did such formidable warriors come from?" 

The presence of such a strong group in this remote area puzzled Ye Tian. 

As he watched the direction in which they headed, Ye Tian suddenly frowned, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. "In these miles of wilderness, our Ye family village is the only settlement... Could it be..." 

Worried, and with dusk approaching, Ye Tian quickened his pace and ran toward Ye family village. 

At that moment, the villagers were already sitting down for dinner, and the hunters had returned. Ye Meng was searching for Ye Tian in the village, intending to call him home for supper. 

Having hunted several fierce beasts today, though none were above level six, Ye Meng had made a decent haul. He was eager to extract the blood essence from the beasts to help his son cultivate, but when Ye Tian didn't return after a long time, he grew anxious. 

"Where on earth is that boy?" Ye Meng muttered worriedly, scanning the dim forest outside the village and preparing to go look for him. 

Suddenly— 

The ground trembled, and the village's peace was shattered as the startled cries of poultry echoed everywhere. 

"It's the sound of hooves!" 

"There are many of them! Could it be bandits?" 

A wave of unease spread through the villagers as the men grabbed their weapons and followed Ye Feng, the leader of the hunting party, toward the village gate. 

Ye Meng, shocked, joined the group heading out. 

Just beyond the village, over a hundred blood-clad warriors galloped on black horses, their overwhelming aura of bloodlust startling the villagers, even from hundreds of meters away. 

"It's the Blood Guards!" Ye Feng, standing at the forefront, exclaimed, his face full of shock. 

"Stop!" One of the village's gate guards shouted at the blood-clad warriors. 

"Hmph!" 

A cold snort rang out, and from the group of blood guards, a tall figure charged forward. His eyes were piercing, his expression icy, and in his hand, he wielded a black spear whose tip gleamed coldly. 

With a powerful thrust, the stone gate of Ye family village, made of heavy boulders, shattered under the impact. The spear's energy radiated through the dusk, obliterating the gate. 

"External manifestation of true energy—he's a Martial Master!" Ye Feng and the other strong villagers were visibly shaken. 

The thunderous hoofbeats ceased as over a hundred warhorses reared, neighing loudly. 

"Bring out your village chief! The Blood Guards have questions!" The spear-wielding man's voice was icy, booming through the village, causing the villagers' ears to ring and their hearts to tremble. 

The villagers were frozen in shock, unable to respond, until Ye Feng, regaining his composure, stepped forward respectfully. "Please wait a moment, sir. I will send someone to fetch the village chief immediately." 

"Peak ninth-level warrior." 

The spear-wielding man glanced coldly at Ye Feng, nodding slightly in approval. "Not bad. I didn't expect a remote village to have such a strong warrior. Are you interested in joining the Blood Guards? I'm sure you're familiar with our reputation." 

"Sir, it has always been my dream to join the Blood Guards, but the village still needs me. In a few years, I will head to Blood Jade City to take the entrance test," Ye Feng replied respectfully. 

"Good! Loyal and righteous—I like that!" The man nodded, a rare smile breaking his cold demeanor. 

Before long, the village chief came running, and had Ye Tian been present, he would have been astonished. It was hard to believe the elderly, white-haired village chief could move so swiftly, arriving at the gate in an instant. 

"The Blood Guards!" Seeing the hundred blood-clad warriors at the gate, the village chief's expression turned grave. 

"Ye Shi, village chief of Ye family village, greets the Blood Guards. What brings you to our humble village? If there is anything we can assist with, please do not hesitate to command us." The chief's tone was humble, yet none of the villagers felt insulted. They all knew how terrifying the Blood Guards were, especially with a Martial Master among them. 

"Peak tenth-level warrior—looks like your Ye family village is among the strongest in Baiyun Town. I didn't expect to find someone of your caliber here," the spear-wielding man said with a trace of admiration before introducing himself. "I am Li Tian, centurion of the Blood Guards, and these are my men." 

"Greetings, Lord Li. May I ask what business brings you to Ye family village?" Chief Ye Shi asked respectfully, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

As Ye Tian hurriedly sneaked back into the village, he quietly slipped in from the outskirts.

"It seems these people aren't here to cause trouble. I wonder what they're discussing with the village chief?" From a distance, Ye Tian watched the man holding the spear converse with the village chief, stealthily blending into the crowd.

"Son!" Among the crowd, Ye Meng quickly spotted Ye Tian and hurriedly pulled him aside.

"Where have you been? Why are you only coming back now? Your mother has been worried sick!" Ye Meng said angrily, his voice full of reprimand.

Ye Tian smiled apologetically, knowing his father wasn't truly angry but rather concerned for him. He lowered his voice and asked, "Father, who are these people? Why have they come to our village?"

"These are the Blood Guards. Haven't I told you about them before? You even once wanted to join their ranks," Ye Meng replied gravely.

"The Blood Guards!" Ye Tian's heart immediately skipped a beat.

Within a thousand miles of the area stood a solitary city—Blood Jade City—and the Blood Guards were its elite military force, a formidable army that protected the region. The villagers regarded joining the Blood Guards as a great honor.

The threshold for entry was incredibly high. Only warriors of the seventh rank and above could take the exam, and even then, only one in ten would pass.

In truth, every Blood Guard was a powerful warrior. In this region, their presence alone was enough to deter bandits. Villages protected by the Blood Guards were rarely, if ever, threatened.

As a child, Ye Tian had dreamed of one day joining the Blood Guards, as they reminded him of the special forces from his previous life, which sparked a peculiar fondness within him.

"So, these are the Blood Guards... no wonder they're all so powerful!" Ye Tian thought to himself, squinting as he discreetly observed the group through the gaps in the crowd.

Over a hundred Blood Guards stood before him, their presence overwhelming. Each one bore a cold, indifferent expression, and the murderous intent in their eyes was palpable. They were truly iron-blooded warriors.

Ye Tian marveled. By modern terms, they were elite special forces.

"Hahaha… Farewell, Lords of the Blood Guards! This old man bids you all a safe journey!" 

After a long while, the village chief's laughter echoed. The group of Blood Guards gradually departed, like the wind, disappearing from the village in an instant.

Indeed, they came like shadows and left like the wind.

Soon, the villagers began to disperse. The leader of the Hunting Team, Ye Feng, approached Ye Tian's father and said in a low voice, "Ye Meng, come with me. The village chief has summoned us."

"Understood!" Ye Meng nodded solemnly, then turned to Ye Tian, instructing him to head home for dinner.

Ye Tian watched as his father and the other warriors of the seventh rank or higher followed Ye Feng to meet with the village chief.

"What did those Blood Guards discuss with the chief?" Ye Tian wondered as he carried the white tiger cub home. His mother, Lin Mei, greeted him warmly and called him in for dinner.

Later that evening, when Ye Meng finally returned, Ye Tian's curiosity got the better of him. He rushed over and, while his father ate, asked eagerly, "Father, what did the village chief want? Was it about those Blood Guards?"

"You nosy little brat! Grown men's affairs aren't for you to meddle in!" Ye Meng scolded with a laugh.

"Hehe, I'm just curious!" Ye Tian replied, scratching his nose in embarrassment, but his eyes still gleamed with anticipation.

After gulping down a bowl of strong liquor, Ye Meng smacked his lips and, seeing his son's impatience, finally smiled and said, "The village chief said those Blood Guards were chasing after a fierce beast of the Martial Master level. Apparently, it's about to give birth, and one of the Blood Guards spotted it and reported it to their leader, so they've been hunting it all the way here."

"Oh?" Ye Tian was taken aback, his thoughts immediately drifting to the old white tiger, its image flashing through his mind.

"You don't know how precious a beast of Martial Master rank is, especially one about to give birth. If someone could capture its cub and raise it, they'd have a mount of Martial Master rank. Even Martial Masters would envy that!" Ye Meng said enviously.

"I see!" Ye Tian nodded, but inwardly he couldn't help but chuckle. The little white tiger was already his, and that Martial Master-level mount would never belong to the Blood Guards.

"Alright, it's getting late. Go get some rest. We caught quite a few fierce beasts today, and I've already extracted their blood—it's in your room," Ye Meng waved him off, while his mother, Lin Mei, busied herself cleaning up the dishes.

"Got it, thanks, Father!" 

Ye Tian, overjoyed, dashed to his room, where he found a large basin filled with the blood of fierce beasts, far more than before.

Immediately, he skillfully performed the necessary rituals to extract the essence, but the results left him disappointed. Despite the abundance of blood, the beasts were of low rank, and the extracted essence was less than before.

"This barely amounts to a sip!" Ye Tian sighed, staring at the meager pool of essence in the basin, a look of frustration on his face.

Still, despite his disappointment, Ye Tian carefully stored away the essence. After all, his father had risked his life to bring it home, and he couldn't let it go to waste.