Chapter 736: Lying Down, Going Nowhere
With three forces joining hands regardless of cost, although Xiao Changying had brought many men, all were lost in the Qiang River region. Even he had no choice but to flee with someone disguised as Bu Shulin, solely to buy more time for Bu Shulin to enter Tibet.
The last time he endured such relentless pursuit was four years ago, when he first met Shen Xihe. Back then, exhausted and covered in wounds, he clung to a last breath. If Shen Xihe hadn’t appeared that day, he likely wouldn’t have survived until the men sent by his brother arrived.
Crouching in a tangle of wild grass, hidden by the night and the dense mountain forest, Xiao Changying took out a scented sachet. This was one of several given to him by Bu Shulin before they parted.
Although Bu Shulin had handed it to him, Xiao Changying knew these were likely life-saving items prepared by Shen Xihe for Bu Shulin. Clutching the sachet, a faint smile unconsciously surfaced in his eyes, and the bloodstains on his face seemed to fade slightly.
He admired Shen Xihe. He didn’t know how this sachet was concocted, but it not only repelled snakes, insects, rodents, and large beasts but also masked the scent of blood. Even more remarkably, its fragrance was clear and natural, blending seamlessly with the wild mountain flowers.
“Your Highness, they’re coming,” warned the man disguised as Bu Shulin—actually one of the men brought by Yinshan on Bu Shulin’s orders. Now only he and Xiao Changying remained alive; even Yinshan had already…
If not for his role as Bu Shulin’s decoy, and Xiao Changying’s protection along the way to deceive the pursuers, he would have been unlikely to survive.
As if ignoring the warning, Xiao Changying rolled onto his back, lifted the sachet to his nose, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, his expression shifted, and he tilted his hand aside just as a sharp arrow whistled past, thudding into a tree root directly opposite.
Immediately after, a volley of arrows rained down. Xiao Changying rolled swiftly, tumbling down the grassy slope—a position he had scouted as ideal. From there, he could slide into a mountain stream. The current was fairly strong, with a waterfall cascading above. Once in the water, he could ride the flow downstream.
As for Bu Shulin’s man, he would no longer protect him. Having delayed the pursuers this long for Bu Shulin’s sake, he had done all he could.
Everything went smoothly according to his plan. However, Xiao Changying never expected that when he drifted downstream and landed in the river, someone was already waiting there with gleaming blades.
“Ninth Lord, you’ve kept us waiting,” said the leader, a scar-faced man who made no attempt to conceal his identity.
“So it’s General Qian. Eighth Brother’s methods are truly impressive,” Xiao Changying recognized the man. He had once been exceptionally valiant, with both his father and brother serving in the military. However, his father died in battle due to a misjudgment in military intelligence, and his brother perished alongside him.
As the sole survivor of the Qian family, he faced ostracism in the army. After being slandered about his father and brother, he got into a conflict, accidentally killed a man, and was sentenced to exile. He escaped during the journey and had been at large ever since.
There were quite a few such skilled individuals who had left the army in resentment. As the officer in charge of training the capital guards, Xiao Changying had some knowledge of them. Scanning the men behind Qian, he noted they all appeared well-trained—far more presentable than the motley crew under his second brother’s command.It seems his eighth brother had recruited these men—individuals with remarkable skills who had served in the military but, for various reasons, had become shadows of their former selves. By gathering them under his command and rigorously training them, he had swiftly assembled a ruthless underground army.
"Is the Ninth Lord involved in this matter? Does the Fifth Lord know?" the man surnamed Qian asked. "Is the Ninth Lord joining us, or does he intend to teach us a lesson?"
Killing Xiao Changying was out of the question. Xiao Changyan had no desire to openly break with Xiao Changqing, at least not yet. If the two of them clashed too early, it would only benefit others.
Capturing Xiao Changying and using him to extract concessions from Xiao Changqing was the best approach.
"Today, I'll teach you how to behave!" Xiao Changying declared, swiftly unsheathing the soft sword coiled around his waist. With a flip, he leaped into the air, thrusting his sword directly at the face of the man surnamed Qian.
The man dodged, drawing his own sword to counterattack. Quickly, they forced Xiao Changying into their encirclement. There was no pretense of honor—their coordinated assault was seamless. Despite Xiao Changying's superior martial skills, he found himself locked in a fierce struggle, unable to gain the upper hand.
Outnumbered and overwhelmed, Xiao Changying faced relentless attacks. Though his opponents initially avoided lethal strikes, his stubborn resistance and the deaths of four of their comrades pushed them to abandon restraint. Their blows grew fiercer, and within a few exchanges, Xiao Changying was riddled with cuts. Blood soaked his fiery red robes, turning them dark, reminiscent of a past ordeal.
Then, a blade slashed across his waist, and as he dodged, it sent the scented sachet at his hip flying. Xiao Changying's eyes turned icy. Ignoring the attacks from behind, his soft sword blurred into afterimages, like countless phantom blades exploding before the eyes of his assailants.
Before they could comprehend or evade, their pupils ruptured, blood streaming down. As Xiao Changying landed, his sword swept upward, slicing their throats with a spray of crimson.
As these men fell, another sword pierced through Xiao Changying's right chest.
Two swords had been thrust at him, but at the critical moment, a shadowy figure darted out, deflecting the blade aimed at his heart. This ghostly presence moved with uncanny speed, swiftly incapacitating those he intercepted.
Xiao Changying glanced down at the sword protruding from his chest, gripped the blade, and with a flick of his wrist, drove it back into the attacker behind him. Simultaneously, he snapped the sword in his chest, spun around, and slashed with the embedded weapon, sending the assailant crashing to the ground.
He could only brace himself by leaning on his sword tip, kneeling on one knee to avoid collapsing entirely.
Xiao Changying lifted his head to face the stranger standing before him. He had noticed this person earlier, after the group appeared—someone who had deliberately revealed their presence. Initially uncertain whether they were friend or foe, he now had a guess. "I thought... cough... you were here to collect my corpse."
"The Crown Prince has ordered that you return to the capital alive. Preferably lying down, unable to go anywhere," the man recited stiffly, echoing Xiao Huayong's instructions.
His duty was to protect Xiao Changying and ensure he didn't lose his life. But for Xiao Changying's own good, it was best to render him incapable of recklessly leaving the capital or meddling in affairs beyond his reach.
Xiao Changying closed his eyes. He had nothing left to say.The person sent by Xiao Huayong said nothing more. He stepped forward to apply some medicine to Xiao Changying's wound to stop the bleeding, then lifted Xiao Changying and departed. They traveled through the night at the fastest possible speed to send him back to the capital.
I'm back, having adjusted my mindset to continue this unfinished story.
OpenNovel