Chapter 447: Setting Her Mind at Ease
Were there spies watching in secret?
Had the assassination attempt at the temporary palace not occurred, there certainly would have been. But now, Xiao Huayong was almost certain there were none. However, his actions had their own purpose. Like a burden, he hid behind Xiao Changying, occasionally kicking out a sluggish, feeble blow only when Xiao Changying restrained an opponent.
Xiao Changying gritted his teeth, his handsome face taut with frustration. He truly wanted to abandon Xiao Huayong, forcing him to reveal his act under pressure.
Yet, Xiao Huayong seemed to read his thoughts, staying persistently behind him, making it impossible to shake him off.
Dodging a sweeping long blade, Xiao Changying kicked the assailant in front of him down, twisted his wrist to seize the hilt of the weapon, and blocked three blades striking at him simultaneously. The immense pressure forced him to retreat step by step.
Xiao Huayong, pretending to flee past him, slapped Xiao Changying’s lower back and pushed hard. With this support, Xiao Changying swiftly withdrew his blade, bent backward, and swept his arm horizontally. In the darkness, a spray of crimson blood splattered through the air.
As more pursuers closed in, Xiao Changying turned to find Xiao Huayong had already vanished. He quickly gave chase.
Soon, he caught up with Xiao Huayong, running alongside him, and couldn’t resist sneering, “Your Highness, pretending to be unskilled in martial arts—don’t forget the Crown Prince is also physically weak.”
Running this fast, who wouldn’t see through the act? If he was going to pretend, why only half-heartedly?
Hearing the dense footsteps behind them and facing a fork in the road ahead, Xiao Huayong said, "One path each.”
With that, Xiao Huayong dashed to the left. Instinct told Xiao Changying that Xiao Huayong’s performance wasn’t over yet. Choosing this path meant seeing his unfinished plan through. Hesitating briefly, Xiao Changying ignored Xiao Huayong’s arrangement and followed him instead.
Xiao Huayong noticed Xiao Changying trailing him but paid no mind. He ran toward the planned reed marshes, where the reeds stood chest-high, dense enough to swallow them whole.
As Xiao Changying caught up, he heard heavy footsteps behind—at least fifty or sixty people. He saw Xiao Huayong disappear into the reeds and swiftly slipped in after him. No sooner had he hidden than a group rushed over.
As a military commander himself, Xiao Changying was more familiar with soldiers than anyone. Their marching posture, rear-guard tactics, and vigilant eyes all indicated they were highly trained troops.
Dressed in black, most did not cover their heads, but two figures with hoods and eye holes followed among them. Clearly, these were the ones sent to capture him and Xiao Huayong—Your Majesty’s men.
Xiao Changying’s heart raced. He had assumed Your Majesty hadn’t dispatched many men, but never expected such numbers. No wonder Xiao Huayong hadn’t attempted to flee—he was luring them all out to eliminate every last one.
Having fought them, Xiao Changying knew these men were agile and far superior to his own elite soldiers. The thought of Your Majesty losing over two hundred such troops here made his heart bleed, imagining the pain of losing hard-trained elites.
As this thought crossed his mind, the reeds swayed, and the night wind carried a palpable sense of killing intent.Sure enough, the next moment, the wind swept through, bending the reeds low. One by one, tall, black-clad figures emerged from the swaying reeds. They wore night attire, their lower faces masked, and their chests embroidered with a flame pattern.
More and more of them appeared, rising like a dark tide that seemed to fill the muddy reed thicket. The Invincible Army, which had been so aggressive moments before, immediately realized they had been deceived. They tried to retreat, but behind them were more black-clad figures closing in.
Trapped from both sides, the black-clad figures, clearly well-prepared, raised their arm-mounted crossbows. Short, sharp arrows shot out from the crossbows, several striking the foreheads of the Invincible Army soldiers with deadly precision. They fell, blood flowing, their eyes wide open in death.
The Invincible Army drew exceptionally long curved blades from their waists. Under the moonlight, the cold gleam of the blades flashed, so sharp it forced Xiao Changying, hidden in the reeds, to close his eyes. These were no ordinary blades carried by common soldiers.
The fierce clash shattered the deep silence of the mountain night. With no one living nearby, the sounds of battle went unheard. Warm blood splattered onto Xiao Changying’s face. His gaze was cold and steady as he watched the slaughter unfold, until one of the Invincible Army soldiers fell not far from him. He reached out and picked up the long blade within his grasp, feeling its weight and sharpness.
"This is not something you should touch," Xiao Huayong’s voice whispered softly from behind him.
Xiao Changying spun around, instinctively raising the blade in a defensive stance. Facing Xiao Huayong’s faintly mocking smile, his heart pounded with shock. Despite the deafening sounds of battle outside, which provided some distraction, Xiao Huayong had managed to stand behind him without a sound. If he hadn’t spoken, if he had intended to kill him, Xiao Changying would likely already be…
He had always known Xiao Huayong possessed exceptional martial skills, but he hadn’t realized they were this unfathomable.
"Knowing too much is not in your best interest," Xiao Huayong said, his slender, bony hand reaching out to gently take the blade from Xiao Changying’s grasp.
Before the hilt had fully left Xiao Changying’s hand, Xiao Huayong’s eyes turned cold. He pulled Xiao Changying aside and hurled the long blade forward. A short arrow shot past Xiao Changying’s face, and as he turned, he saw a man aiming in his direction, now impaled through the chest by the blade, slowly collapsing into the blood-stained mud.
"Go this way," Xiao Huayong said, gesturing to one side. "Keep going, and you’ll leave this mountain. Someone will soon come to escort you back to the palace."
"What about you?" Xiao Changying asked.
"Me?" Xiao Huayong’s lips curved upward. He appeared to be smiling, but the warmth never reached his eyes, which remained as deep and unfathomable as an abyss. "That is none of your concern."
"If you’re not leaving, neither can I," Xiao Changying said firmly.
It wasn’t that he wanted to interfere with Xiao Huayong, nor was he still worried about him. The entire situation was clearly under Xiao Huayong’s control, and there was no need for him to intervene. But if he returned without a clear explanation, how could he ensure his story was flawless?
Xiao Huayong looked him up and down. "I will not allow you to stay. If you refuse to leave on your own, I will have no choice but to knock you unconscious and have you dumped by the roadside."
The deep mountains were home to many wild beasts. If anything were to happen to him, Xiao Huayong could hardly be blamed for harming his own kin.Understanding Xiao Huayong's meaning, Xiao Changying gritted his teeth, staring intently at the composed yet unyielding Xiao Huayong. He knew full well that every word spoken by Xiao Huayong was no jest—each was a promise to be fulfilled.
He let out a cold snort and stormed off.
Turning slightly, Xiao Huayong watched Xiao Changying's retreating figure. "Let her be at ease," he said.
(End of Chapter)
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