Only a little over a dozen of Ding Qirui's personal guards were dispatched first, stepping forward to intercept Li Daoxuan.
Against a lone individual, there was no need to mobilize a larger force. That was the common sense of the battlefield.
Ding Qirui's command had been simple and clear. "Take this man down."
As a result, his personal guards advanced without hesitation. Their weapons remained sheathed, hands bare, expressions relaxed. To them, this was nothing more than subduing an overly bold martial artist who had wandered too far out of line.
A storm of punches immediately rained down on Li Daoxuan.
Dull thuds echoed one after another, the sound of fists striking solid flesh.
Then, in the next instant, several of the guards staggered back, faces twisting in pain as they clutched their swollen hands.
Li Daoxuan himself showed no reaction whatsoever. His steps never slowed, his posture never shifted, and his expression did not change in the slightest. He continued walking forward as though the blows had never landed at all.
Ding Qirui frowned deeply. A confused sound escaped him almost involuntarily. "Hmm?"
On the opposite side, Zhao Bazong's lips twitched. A knowing smile flickered briefly across his face, mirrored by the men behind him. This outcome was exactly what they had expected.
Unwilling to accept it, the guards surged forward again. This time, fists and kicks came in rapid succession, reckless and desperate. One man even aimed a vicious low kick, clearly abandoning all restraint.
The result did not change.
A messy chorus of impacts followed, and once more the attackers rebounded as if they had struck a wall of iron. Some hopped backward on one foot, others sucked in sharp breaths while clutching their bruised hands. Shock and disbelief were written plainly across their faces.
Ding Qirui's eyes widened.
"Arm yourselves!" the captain of the personal guards shouted, alarm finally breaking through his composure.
At once, several men grabbed long spears while others drew their waist swords.
Blades and spearpoints were not meant for restraint. When steel met flesh on the battlefield, death was the expected result. Mercy was never part of the calculation, and no soldier would hesitate once the order to strike was given.
The spears lunged forward together.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The spearheads barely touched Li Daoxuan's body before rebounding violently, as though they had slammed into solid metal. The sharp ringing echoed across the field as the force of the recoil sent the soldiers stumbling backward several steps.
Swordsmen rushed in next. Their blades hacked down with full strength, only to deflect off Li Daoxuan's raised arm. Each impact produced a sharp metallic clang, twisting the blades slightly and jolting the swordsmen's wrists so badly that several cried out in pain.
A wave of horrified gasps spread through the ranks.
"What kind of monster is this?"
"To preserve my dashing good looks," Li Daoxuan said lightly, amusement lacing his voice, "it seems I should wear a mask."
With exaggerated elegance, he produced a metal mask and placed it over his face.
The mask bore a painted image that perfectly matched his own features, down to the smallest detail.
"What an absurd affectation," a soldier muttered under his breath, utterly baffled.
Despite the murmurs and shock, the clash did not stop. Li Daoxuan continued forward at the same steady pace, step after step, never wavering as he closed the distance to Ding Qirui.
"Charge! Take him down!"
Sensing that something was deeply wrong, the border guards finally surged in together. This time, there was no hesitation. Swords, spears, halberds, and every weapon at hand were brought down upon Li Daoxuan in a frenzy.
The air filled with an unbroken clamor of metal striking metal.
Yet, no matter how concentrated their assault became, not a single strike had any effect.
Li Daoxuan casually swung his fist once. The guard directly in his path let out a scream as his body was launched backward, crashing to the ground with limbs splayed awkwardly.
"Move aside," Li Daoxuan said calmly. "I only deal with those blocking my way."
He ignored the attacks coming from behind and from both sides, continuing his relentless march forward without sparing them another glance.
The sight was terrifying.
From atop his horse, Ding Qirui stared at the scene unfolding below. Weapons crashed against Li Daoxuan's body without pause, yet the man advanced as though he were walking through rain. With every step, he drew closer, and the painted face on his iron mask seemed to curl into a mocking smile.
"Stop him! Stop him now!" Ding Qirui screamed, his voice shrill and undignified.
No one could stop him.
Spears snapped, swords dulled and chipped, and still Li Daoxuan remained unharmed.
"He must be wearing armor under his robes!"
"How thick would it have to be? My spear would pierce normal armor easily!"
"At least two inches of iron!"
"That's impossible. The weight alone would crush him."
"And yet his build looks completely ordinary!"
"Damn it, nothing works!"
"Just stop him!"
Li Daoxuan continued forward, his steps measured and steady, each one pressing down on Ding Qirui's nerves like a hammer.
Ding Qirui's composure shattered completely. Even his horse sensed the unnatural danger and began to retreat, hooves scraping anxiously against the ground.
Animals trusted instinct more than reason, and every instinct it had was screaming that the man approaching was not human.
"What are you?" Ding Qirui asked hoarsely.
Li Daoxuan laughed and tilted his head back slightly. The painted face on the mask seemed to echo his amusement. "An emissary sent by the Heavens to reward the virtuous and punish the wicked. Do you believe me?"
"I believe you as much as I believe in ghosts," Ding Qirui snapped, forcing himself to sneer.
At that moment, a sword slashed in from the side, striking Li Daoxuan's shoulder. He caught the blade with a backhanded grip. His bare hand closed around the sharpened edge, yet no blood appeared. The soldier froze in horror, released the sword, and stumbled backward.
Li Daoxuan took the weapon and flicked his wrist, sending it spinning toward Ding Qirui. "Behold. Little Li's Flying Dagger."
The sword flew wildly and missed Ding Qirui by a wide margin.
Even so, Ding Qirui shrieked in terror and tumbled off his horse in a heap.
His attendants rushed to help him up, but the horse, completely panicked, spun around and bolted, disappearing in moments.
"My horse!" Ding Qirui shouted helplessly.
When he looked up again, Li Daoxuan was even closer.
"Form a line! Stop him!" Ding Qirui screamed.
By now, everyone understood the truth. This man was not human.
The border guards who had charged earlier now retreated step by step, courage drained from their bodies. Only a few stubborn or foolish souls remained in Li Daoxuan's path.
Li Daoxuan brushed one aside and crossed the remaining distance in a blink.
Ding Qirui's loyal retainers rushed forward. One wrapped his arms around Li Daoxuan's waist and shouted desperately, "Master, flee! I will hold him!"
"Oh, how dramatic," Li Daoxuan said lazily. "If I smashed your back a few times and you coughed blood while saying that, it would really move the audience."
The retainer froze, utterly confused.
Ding Qirui turned to flee, but Li Daoxuan lifted the man clinging to him and threw him like a sack.
The body slammed into Ding Qirui, sending both crashing to the ground.
Li Daoxuan stepped forward and placed his foot firmly on Ding Qirui's chest.
No one moved.
Ding Qirui was paralyzed with fear. He wanted to beg, but pride strangled the words before they could escape. For a high official, losing face like this was worse than death.
Li Daoxuan did not kill him. He merely looked toward Wang Ji and shook his head slightly.
"Official Wang," he said calmly, "you conduct yourself with far more dignity. Two days ago, we spoke peacefully. But this one here…"
He clicked his tongue softly.
"What a pity."