Arrows rained down upon Hua Zhi one after another. Clearly, Jia Yang had not yet resolved the threat in such a short time. She dodged frantically, and to make matters worse, a crowd of people surged out from the alley, charging straight toward her—a dense mass of over thirty individuals.
Shen Qi, who had been keeping a close watch on the commotion outside from inside the silver shop, rushed out in desperation. Hua Zhi rolled on the ground to evade the arrows and shouted, "Get back inside!"
Without pausing, she scrambled toward the silver shop, pushing Shen Qi inside as she stumbled and slammed the door shut. She pulled out her token granting free access to the imperial palace and forced it into his hand, urgently saying, "Go to the palace immediately and inform the Crown Prince that the Chao Li Tribe's target is the capital."
Noises erupted from outside. Peeking through a crack in the door, Hua Zhi saw that Yu Mu had arrived and felt somewhat relieved. Turning back, she added, "It is highly likely that Ling Wang's wife is a remnant of the Chao Li Tribe. Please ask the Crown Prince to immediately send men to arrest everyone in Ling Wang's residence, including Ling Wang himself. If my judgment proves wrong in the end, I will submit to Ling Wang's punishment."
Clutching the token tightly, Shen Qi nodded without hesitation. He had already realized that staying would be futile. The Grand Tutor was the enemy's target, and any move she made would draw their pursuit. Rather than wasting time on futile resistance, it was better for him to leave quickly and summon reinforcements as soon as possible.
"Also, see if you can find a trustworthy person to deliver a message to the Grand Tutor, asking him to enter the palace immediately. I fear His Highness may struggle to maintain control."
"Yes, this official will ensure it is done."
"Go now." Hua Zhi dared not delay any longer. After giving her instructions, she gripped her dagger tightly, pulled open the door, and charged toward the crowd. Yu Mu, after all, was outnumbered, and by now, he bore several wounds.
Shen Qi took one last look at the determined young lady, who fought without mercy, then hurried toward the back door. The more he understood her, the more he felt he was not worthy of her. Strangely, he no longer felt regret—only that fighting alongside her would have been a privilege.
After repelling one wave of attackers, Hua Zhi and Yu Mu stood back-to-back, vigilant and breathing heavily. Hua Zhi had confirmed her earlier suspicion: these assailants were indeed from the Chao Li Tribe.
Yu Mu whispered, "Hold on a little longer."
Hua Zhi understood—before arriving, Yu Mu must have found a way to notify the Heir Apparent Residence for backup.
The enemy launched another fierce assault. Fortunately, Jia Yang had dealt with the archers and rushed over, his long whip lashing out and hurling one of the outer attackers away before he even reached them. His arrival eased some of the pressure on the other two. With Jia Yang's whip, Yu Mu's sword, and Hua Zhi's dagger, they formed an impenetrable defense, leaving the enemy no opening, while the attackers' casualties mounted.
But the enemy had no intention of prolonging this stalemate. Three of them charged forward recklessly, ignoring the whip lashing their bodies and the sword piercing their flesh. They pressed on relentlessly, using a crude but brutally effective tactic to break the trio's defense and expose Hua Zhi—the weakest link. Several attackers swarmed her, all their weapons aimed directly at her.
"Miss!"
Jia Yang and Yu Mu were horrified and tried to rush to her aid, but the enemy would not allow it. More attackers surged forward to entangle them, refusing to retreat no matter how severely wounded—they were determined to kill Hua Zhi, even at the cost of their own lives.
"Ah..."A scream erupted as the men charging at the front suddenly covered their eyes and stumbled backward, dragging those behind them along in their retreat. Seizing the opportunity, Hua Zhi pressed forward, scattering another handful of medicinal powder. She silently thanked her own foresight—ever since her last injury, she had made a habit of carrying several pills of the medicine Shaoyao had prepared for her, just in case of emergencies. And now, it had come in handy.
"Jia Yang!" Hua Zhi tossed a pill into the air. Understanding her intention, Jia Yang swung his whip, shattering the outer wax coating and releasing the powder into the air. Some of the Chao Li tribesmen dodged swiftly, but half of them still fell victim to its effects.
This was the medicine Shaoyao had prepared for Hua Hua for self-defense. Even the notoriously robust Chao Li tribesmen writhed in agony on the ground. As the three prepared to finish them off, those who had avoided the powder showed no concern for their comrades and relentlessly charged at Hua Zhi once more.
How determined they were to take her life!
Hua Zhi retreated behind Yu Mu and Jia Yang, her chest heaving violently. She couldn’t sustain a prolonged fight, yet a quick resolution seemed impossible. Their only hope was to hold out until reinforcements arrived—though she prayed it wouldn’t be the enemy’s backup that arrived first.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, footsteps echoed from the end of the road. Her heart leaped with hope, but the relief was short-lived as her anxiety soared even higher. As the saying goes, bad luck always strikes when least wanted—it was the enemy’s reinforcements arriving first!
Jia Yang stepped in front of Hua Zhi. "Miss, you must go now!"
"There’s no escape." Hua Zhi glanced back and saw figures dressed identically blocking their path. With both routes sealed, it was clear the enemy had planned this meticulously. It was uncertain whether their own reinforcements would even make it in time.
And the Hua family...
Hua Zhi looked toward home. She couldn’t return there—she couldn’t lead these pursuers back. What about heading to the Heir Apparent Residence? That route might be blocked as well.
"Into the silver shop. We’ll make for the palace."
"Yes."
Before they could be completely surrounded, the three fought their way backward toward the silver shop, covering one another. Hua Zhi crushed the last pill and threw it. Knowing its potency, the Chao Li tribesmen immediately retreated. Seizing the moment, Yu Mu shut the door, while Jia Yang dragged several heavy objects to barricade it, then escorted Hua Zhi toward the back exit.
The area was close to the main street, with wide, straightforward alleyways that were usually easy to navigate. But now, this worked against them. "Do you know these alleys well? We need to take the smaller paths."
"I know them well," Yu Mu replied, taking the lead. Aware of Hua Zhi’s physical condition, he dared not move too quickly. Hua Zhi adjusted her breathing as she ran, grateful she hadn’t neglected her training these past days—it was proving useful now.
The sounds of their pursuers remained close behind.
Jia Yang whispered, "I’ll draw them away."
"It’s no use," Hua Zhi panted. "Their target is me. You won’t be able to divert them. Splitting up will only weaken our defense. How much farther?"
"Still some distance."
"Speed up. Don’t worry about me."
Yu Mu glanced back at her with concern but finally quickened the pace.
Yet no matter how fast they moved, how could they outpace the Chao Li tribesmen, especially with Hua Zhi slowing them down?
The sharp whistle of arrows signaled the pursuers’ arrival. Jia Yang deflected the projectiles with his whip. "Yu Mu, take Miss and go!"
Yu Mu hesitated for a moment—he knew this wasn’t the time to argue. He tried to push Hua Zhi forward, but she sidestepped.
"Jia Yang can’t hold them off alone. It would only give them a chance to pick us off one by one. Jia Yang, give your bow and arrows to Yu Mu. Yu Mu, get on the roof and take out their archers first."Without a word, Jia Yang tossed the bow and quiver he had seized from the enemy to Yu Mu. Yu Mu caught them and immediately leaped onto the roof. Hua Zhi took cover behind Jia Yang’s back, dagger in hand, ready to strike at any moment. The commotion here would not go unnoticed—the Crown Prince would surely send someone to rescue her, provided she stayed alive.
And she must survive, no matter for whose sake.
PS: Happy Lantern Festival to all the ladies! I’ll make up for the missed updates with three extra chapters tomorrow.
OpenNovel