The princess regretted it.

Chapter 207: Reappearance of Jade Button

On the left side of the dense forest, the previously arrogant and ruthless man in black, the leader of the military rations robbers who had called himself "this master," had completely lost his former arrogance. Protected by several other men in black, he was frantically running through the dense forest. The dead branches and leaves beneath his feet crunched under his frantic steps, as if sighing helplessly at his hasty escape.

His figure was no longer as steady and powerful as when they first met, but rather staggered slightly. One hand clutched his right arm, clearly injured. His once cold and ruthless eyes now revealed a hint of panic and fear. The several black-clad men assigned to protect him also wore nervous expressions, vigilantly monitoring movements behind them and occasionally quickening their pace to keep up with their leader.

Not far behind them, another group of men in black were in hot pursuit. Each of these pursuers was nimble and swift, following behind like a shadow. Their eyes held a resolute determination to achieve their goal. The sharp blades they clutched gleamed coldly in the dappled light filtering through the branches, as if eager for blood.

"Young master, hurry up and leave, they are chasing us too closely!" A man in black who was protecting Dark Night shouted anxiously, with undisguised panic in his voice.

The young master gritted his teeth, his heart filled with anger and resentment. He had never imagined that the operation he thought was a sure thing would turn into such an embarrassing escape.

"Hmph! Don't give me the chance, or I'll make them pay!" He cursed viciously under his breath, but he didn't dare to stop for a moment. He continued to run desperately in this rugged jungle, hoping to get rid of these ghostly pursuers behind him as soon as possible.

On the original mountain path, some men in black were still counting casualties and bandaging the wounded soldiers of the grain transport team. They were clearly part of the group of men in black who had been chasing the robbers through the woods. The bodies of many of the remaining robbers were piled together on the ground. One man in black was sorting through the jade buttons he had taken from them. Two others were collecting the robbers' weapons and placing them on the grain cart.

At the front of the mountain road, the team led by Wu Anshuo was almost wiped out, because some of them were killed by Wu Anshuo himself, that is, a group of wealthy young men who looked like dandies, because they were with the group of men in black.

When the men in black surrounded them, Wu Anshuo stood in front to fight them off, only to be attacked from behind. He was nearly killed instantly. If a group of men in black hadn't suddenly appeared from behind and intervened, he would have survived. However, he's now unconscious, with serious injuries to his hands and legs. Even if he'd survived, he'd have been practically crippled. Fewer than ten soldiers were left transporting the grain.

Wu Changfeng's casualties were fewer than his father's, though he still had a number of wounds, both large and small, but thankfully none were deep. The most serious injury was the arrow in his leg, which had struck his left knee. This would likely affect his ability to walk. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain as the men in black applied medicine.

The man in black didn't remove the arrow, but simply trimmed the tail, leaving the arrowhead and the shaft. He sprinkled hemostatic powder on the wound and bandaged it. After bandaging it, he said to Wu Changfeng, "Prince Wu, this is the only way I can bandage your wound. When we get to the border, I'll ask the military doctors of the Zhenbei Army to remove the arrow and re-dress it."

Wu Changfeng also understood that the arrow could not be removed casually, so he could only grit his teeth and nod. He allowed the other men in black to carry him onto the grain cart. He could no longer ride a horse.

After a while, a rustling noise suddenly came from the dense forest, which was originally quiet and somewhat depressing. The soldiers transporting grain and the men in black who survived on the mountain road became alert instantly. They looked warily at the dense forest where the sound came from.

Soon, several more men in black emerged from the dense forest. They were dragging a tightly bound man. It was none other than the young master of the previously arrogant group of men in black. The young master had lost his previous arrogance. His veil was gone, his hair tangled and tangled. His eyes were filled with fear and anger. A rag was stuffed in his mouth, and he could only make muffled "woohoo" sounds as he struggled in vain.

The men in black on the official road saluted after seeing who was coming. "Young Master, Young Master."

A closer look reveals significant differences in the attire of the two groups of men in black. The latter group's clothing is crafted from a carefully selected, breathable fabric. This fabric is not only soft to the touch, but also ensures comfort and dryness even during extended periods of movement, without the stifling heat affecting agility. Two of the men in black have dark embroidered patterns on their clothing. They must be the 'Prince and Young Master.'

Looking back at the group of black-clad men who resembled robbers, except for the young master, who wore a black silk garment that highlighted his unique status, the others' black garments were all made of durable, sweat-absorbent cotton. While practical, this cotton had become noticeably frayed at the sleeves and collars due to frequent use. Many areas had frayed, and some had even turned slightly white, giving them a rather worn look.

However, what was surprising was that, whether it was the young master's exquisite black satin robe or the others' shabby black cotton robes, they all had a jade buckle at their waists. The jade buckle's texture was warm and delicate, emitting a soft luster in the sunlight, clearly no ordinary item. Furthermore, the weapons they held were clearly military-standard, with straight blades, a cold gleam, and an extremely sharp edge. The patterns on the hilts were clearly visible, clearly forged according to the military's unified standards.