The night wind carried the faint, cool scent of the Chishui River, gently brushing against their collars. The sky was studded with stars like glittering gems embedded in the celestial canopy, radiating a soft glow. A crescent moon hung crookedly among the stars like a curved hook, casting a hazy, silvery light over the grass below.
With a calm expression, Chu Qiao rode on horseback through the war-torn Wupeng City, dashed out of the wide-open city gates, and galloped across the desolate grassland.
The night was deep, and Wupeng City had already vanished into the darkness. In the distance, half the sky glowed red from the fires. The night wind was cold, and the moonlight was serene. After riding for most of the night, Chu Qiao had finally left Wupeng City behind.
She had to kill Zhu Shun—there was no room for compromise. If she had failed to find him before because he was lost in the vast sea of people, this time, she absolutely could not let him escape right under her nose.
Chu Qiao knew she carried a heavy burden of guilt. As things stood, she could not kill Zhuge Yue to avenge the children of the Jing family, nor did she have the power to eradicate the Zhuge residence entirely. There were practical reasons, personal reasons, and many other complex factors at play. That was why she was so desperate to eliminate Zhu Shun—in a way, it was her own selfish desire, a form of compensation.
She was human, with human emotions and selfish desires. More often than not, she could not remain entirely rational.
Just as back then, if she had truly been rational, she should not have stayed by Yan Xun’s side out of impulsive loyalty. And now, she should not have given up the chance to kill Zhuge Yue.
That was just the kind of person she was—unable to bear debts or accept favors without repayment.
At that moment, she saw the turbulent Chishui River surging in the distance. Dark, jagged rocks towered menacingly along the bank, while countless white waves crashed against them one after another, shattering into thousands of glittering fragments like broken crystal. Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats approached from behind, and Zhuge Yue’s furious voice rang out, “Stop right there!”
Chu Qiao turned her head coldly and said in a low voice, “Why are you following me?”
“Did I say I was letting you go?”
Zhuge Yue, dressed in brocade robes, had sharply arched eyebrows and lips that looked unnaturally red in the darkness. Rope marks were visible on his wrists and ankles, and the bindings on his feet were still intact—clear signs that he had been ambushed.
Both were outstanding talents of their generation, and in a direct confrontation, it would be difficult to determine a winner. But when it came to ambushes, deception, or assassination, Zhuge Yue was no match for Chu Qiao, who had received professional training as a special forces soldier.
They glared at each other angrily, neither willing to yield.
Finally, a sudden gust of wind swept through, carrying a strong, bloody scent from afar. Chu Qiao froze for a moment and looked into the distance.
Across the tranquil wilderness, dark grasses grew waist-high, obscuring most of the horses’ bodies. Within that deep darkness, something seemed to lurk—pairs of faint green eyes shifting subtly.
Wolves!
There were wolves here! Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue exchanged a glance simultaneously. No matter how confident they were in their abilities, if they were attacked by a wolf pack in such a desolate wilderness, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“Zhuge Yue, how about a temporary truce?”
Zhuge Yue glanced at her sideways, let out a light snort, and turned his head away."I'm hunting my enemy, you're eliminating a family traitor—we each have our needs. We should cooperate."
Chu Qiao urged her horse forward, continuing to persuade him.
Zhuge Yue leaped off his horse with a thud and began walking ahead. Chu Qiao hurried after him, but the moment she took a step forward, her warhorse's hooves suddenly sank. Zhuge Yue grabbed her hand and swiftly pulled her back by the waist.
Then, Chu Qiao watched in stunned silence as her warhorse gradually disappeared into the barren grass, letting out agonized whinnies!
"This is a marsh. Be careful."
After speaking, Zhuge Yue took the lead, walking ahead as he said, "If we cross this marsh, we can reach Xiangma Pass before those bandits."
Chu Qiao asked, "So you agree to cooperate with me?"
Zhuge Yue glanced at her indifferently but didn't respond. Chu Qiao was slightly taken aback, feeling a twinge of unease. This atmosphere felt dangerous to her—she wasn't a fool. What status did Zhu Shun hold to warrant Zhuge Yue personally capturing him? And when it came to fugitive slaves, wasn't her own crime as a runaway slave more severe?
Zhuge Yue's voice sounded calmly, "I'll scout the path ahead. Follow me." Without further concern, he strode in as casually as if strolling through his own courtyard. This treacherous place, which even locals dared not enter lightly, he entered with such ease, without a hint of hesitation.
Chu Qiao watched his blue-robed figure gradually fade into the mist, her narrow phoenix eyes slowly narrowing. In the darkness, her expression was unreadable. After a quiet glance at Zhuge Yue, she flashed forward and quickly followed his footsteps.
In the darkness before dawn, the surroundings grew increasingly gloomy and pitch-black. It seemed that ever since entering this marsh, the environment had abruptly changed—not the imagined eerie winds, nor rampant beasts, venomous insects, or scattered remains. Instead, there was a deathly silence devoid of everything, as if there were no people, no animals, no life, not even a breath of wind. The air in the entire space felt congealed, with only the sound of their breathing and footsteps slowly echoing through the marsh.
Suddenly, Chu Qiao's foot sank softly. Thinking she had stepped into quicksand, she hurriedly looked down. But at first glance, she nearly cried out. Zhuge Yue turned to see it was a headless corpse, its chest torn open and entrails scattered everywhere, unclear what beast had attacked it.
"You're afraid of this?"
The man's voice held faint mockery. Chu Qiao shot him a cold glare but didn't retort.
"Here, hold this."
Chu Qiao looked down to see it was the Moon Breaker Sword. She froze momentarily as Zhuge Yue said, "You dare carelessly discard my belongings? Quite audacious."
Chu Qiao frowned at him. "Wanting to kill you isn't a new thought for me. Why would I fear offending you by losing your things?"
"Hmph, a woman with no honor!" Zhuge Yue snorted coldly, turned away, and trudged ahead sullenly.
Ignoring him, Chu Qiao focused on recalling the marsh survival skills taught during her military training, carefully advancing step by step.
"Didn't you hear me? Hold it properly."Zhuge Yue flew into a rage, whipping around sharply. Chu Qiao immediately retorted angrily, "Why should I listen to you? Are you stronger than me?"
"If you're not convinced, then come and test me!"
Chu Qiao's face flushed crimson as she snapped, "Zhuge Yue! If you think you're so remarkable, then let's go our separate ways. I'll seek my revenge, and you can hunt your runaway servants—no need to mix together. If you want to cooperate, then act like it! Stop snarling and shouting at me every time. I'm no longer your servant and have no obligation to endure your temper!"
Zhuge Yue's face turned ashen with fury, his chest heaving. Chu Qiao shoved him aside and strode forward.
Unexpectedly, Zhuge Yue seized her arm, his grip like iron pincers, his eyes blazing with anger. "Listen carefully—this swamp is fraught with danger. Without knowing the path, nine out of ten will perish here, devoured by wild dogs. Don't think your martial skills make you invincible. Without me leading the way, you won't make it a hundred steps. If you want to die, go die somewhere far away—don't flaunt it in front of me!"
Chu Qiao didn't even bother retorting. She shook off his hand and turned to leave.
Zhuge Yue was taken aback. He stepped forward and grabbed her again, demanding furiously, "Where do you think you're going?"
"Didn't you tell me to go die far away? Perfect—I intended to keep my distance from you anyway."
"You!" Never in his life had he been so provoked. For a moment, he was utterly dumbfounded by rage. He glared at Chu Qiao with venomous intensity, as if wishing to devour her whole. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and said, "Let's call a truce."
A sly smile curled Chu Qiao's lips as she nodded. "Agreed."
"But I warn you—"
"Watch your tone and attitude!"
The conversation was truly impossible to continue. Zhuge Yue's eyes burned crimson as he thrust the Moon Breaker Sword toward her and growled, "Take it."
Chu Qiao had emerged utterly victorious. Happily, she grasped the sword hilt.
Night lay heavy and deep, shrouding everything in pitch-black darkness. A biting wind, cold as iron, carried an icy chill.
Zhuge Yue spun around in a fury, his right foot stomping onto the dusty, muddy ground. With a slight tug, he pulled Chu Qiao closer to him.
In that perilous swamp, the two advanced cautiously and silently. Between them, an unbreakable black iron from the East Sea bound them tightly together.
Though furious, they were safe.
The swamp stretched vast and endless. After nearly an hour of walking, the surroundings remained monotonously unchanged. Chu Qiao grew suspicious. Just as she was about to speak, a faint human voice drifted over. She froze instantly, holding her breath and straining to listen.
"Xi Jiu, why hasn't the boss arrived yet? Could something have happened?"
A deep male voice spoke, punctuated by sharp inhalations, as if the speaker bore significant injuries.
"Wait another half-hour. If they still haven't come, we'll leave first." Unexpectedly, a cold, sharp female voice cut through the dead silence, sounding eerily out of place.Just then, another voice suddenly spoke up: "What the hell is this godforsaken place? The bite I got earlier still hurts like hell. The Yun family's red medicine is completely useless. One of these days, I’m going to sneak into the Yun family and steal that old man Yun’s concubines. Xi Jiu, why did the boss insist on meeting here? Aren’t we just asking for trouble?"
Xi Jiu replied in a low voice, "Do you think Tian Rucheng’s reputation all these years is for nothing? Don’t underestimate him just because he’s old—he’s still as formidable as ever. If we were on flat ground on horseback, he’d catch up to us in less than half an hour, and then we’d be at their mercy. But here in the marshlands, it’s different. The terrain is treacherous, and we’re close to Wupeng City. No matter how clever Tian Rucheng is, he’d never expect us to be hiding right under his nose. Even if he finds us, we can use the complex terrain to escape. Wupeng is not an easy bone to chew—we must tread carefully. Ah, if it weren’t for the chaos in Daxia lately and the lack of big merchant caravans, our earnings wouldn’t be so poor, and we wouldn’t have to resort to such desperate measures."
He paused briefly, then continued in a hushed tone, "If it were up to me, after we succeed, we should hide in the city. They know we’re a horse gang, so they’d never think to search for us there. Once they’ve all gone out to pursue us, we can split up and find a chance to escape. That would give us a much better shot at survival."
Hearing this, Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao were both taken aback. The depth of this woman’s cunning and the boldness of her plan were truly astonishing. A small horse gang daring to openly attack a heavily fortified city, and then instead of fleeing, planning to stay hidden within the city—yet they had to admit, the strategy was remarkably effective. After all, if they themselves had learned of such a scheme, their first instinct would have been to search outside the city.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through. Chu Qiao’s layered robes, imbued with a subtle fragrance, fluttered in the breeze, and the scent drifted toward the three horse gang bandits.
Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao tensed instantly. In the darkness, the three bandits were momentarily startled, but as seasoned outlaws who had long navigated the edge of life and death, their silence lasted less than a second. Xi Jiu and the other two immediately decided to strike first. Their figures lunged forward, attacking the upper, middle, and lower paths of the two with swift, fierce movements. From the very first move, they aimed to kill, even at the cost of severe injury.
A cold smile curled on Zhuge Yue’s lips as his sword flashed from its sheath. The blade’s gleam intensified, and with a lightning-fast arc through the air, three sharp clangs rang out. Three gleaming daggers were sent flying backward. Xi Jiu and the others stared in shock, leaping back to land around Zhuge Yue in a triangular formation, encircling him but refraining from further attacks.
At that moment, Chu Qiao sprang into action. Her movements were as agile as a leopard’s. She kicked one of the men squarely in the chest—the sound of cracking bones echoed sharply, and with a pained cry, he was sent flying backward.Zhuge Yue's face was cold and grim, his low voice echoing eerily in the deathly still air: "Tell me your Horse Gang's designation, hideout, and retreat routes, and I'll spare your lives."
With a sharp "swish," the woman named Xi Jiu suddenly threw her combat blade to the ground and said casually, "We're no match for you. I'll tell you what you want to know, but you must let me and my companions go."
Zhuge Yue was taken aback, not expecting this female bandit to be so pragmatic. He nodded and said, "Of course."
"A gentleman's promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold—don't go back on your word. We're just small Luoluo in the gang; we work for whoever pays us."
"Good," Zhuge Yue said. "Tell me, and not only will I let you go, but I'll also give you some money."
Xi Jiu nodded. "That's fair," she said, then slowly moved closer, appearing perfectly normal as she prepared to reveal their hiding place.
However, as she watched the figure clad in black, Chu Qiao suddenly felt a sense of unease. And at that moment, Xi Jiu was only a step away from Zhuge Yue!
A wave of intense foreboding suddenly struck Chu Qiao's heart. She couldn't pinpoint the source of this panic, but this instinct honed through years of life-and-death situations had saved her too many times. So in that instant, she chose to fully trust her intuition. She suddenly sprang up, her figure darting forward with her dagger held horizontally before her, using absolute formidable strength and posture to swiftly shatter that cold glint.
"Watch out!"
Yet this awakening still seemed somewhat too late. Xi Jiu's body, struck by the dagger, flew backward, but a faint, sinister smile curled at the corners of her mouth. Chu Qiao instantly knew that the desperate slash at the end of one's tether couldn't harm her vitals, but as a top assassin's hidden weapons launched from the optimal position—that was completely sufficient to deliver a fatal blow!
This was the true portrayal of a desperate move to seek life from the jaws of death!
Just as Chu Qiao was horrified, a crisp sound suddenly rang out before her. A dagger gleaming with dark cyan light instantly split into two pieces, falling to the ground and quickly sinking into the swamp below.
Zhuge Yue's face was dark, his eyes icy as he said in a deep voice, "You're truly stubborn."
Xi Jiu crouched low like a wildcat, one hand supporting herself on the ground. Her gaze was cold as she stared at Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue, her voice frosty as she sneered, "Are you dreaming in broad daylight? If I said that if you surrender to our Horse Gang, I guarantee you'll live in luxury, do you think you'd agree?"
Chu Qiao coldly retorted in anger, "Incurable!"
Like a magician, Xi Jiu reached into her bosom and produced another short dagger. Suddenly springing up from the ground, she moved like an agile wildcat, meeting the attack head-on without retreating a single step.
Though the other two spoke crudely, they were rarely calm experts. Even though one was severely injured, he still fought desperately. The two coordinated without a word, charging toward Zhuge Yue like lightning with their long blades, their movements fluid and precise.
Chu Qiao hadn't expected that a mere Horse Gang would have people with such remarkable skills.However, they did not possess particularly advanced combat skills. These individuals might excel in assassination, tracking, and agility, but they were certainly not masters of martial arts.
Sure enough, the fight ended within moments. Zhuge Yue remained standing calmly in the same posture as before, as if he had never moved at all. His gaze was cold and composed, his long sword resting against Xi Jiu’s neck as he said in a low voice, “Will you speak or not?”
Xi Jiu was bent over the swamp, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Since she was dressed in black robes, it was impossible to tell whether she was injured. However, it was clear that her body had already begun to sink slightly into the soft marsh.
Xi Jiu, however, seemed not to hear his words. Instead, she turned to her two companions and said gravely, “We can’t escape.”
The two nodded slightly, their eyes calm and devoid of any panic. Suddenly, they raised their daggers and, aiming for their hearts, plunged them in with brutal force!
The daggers were clearly poisoned. After only a slight convulsion, the two collapsed heavily to the ground.
Zhuge Yue moved swiftly, stepping forward to restrain Xi Jiu and prevent her from committing suicide.
But just then, a cold smile flickered across Xi Jiu’s lips. Chu Qiao’s mind raced, and her hand shot out like lightning. Without a moment’s thought, she lunged forward, crashing hard into Zhuge Yue’s shoulder. In that instant, a silver needle, thin as an ox hair, shot into Chu Qiao’s arm with a soft thud. A dark blue poison spread instantly, numbing and swelling her entire arm.
“Are you alright?” Zhuge Yue exclaimed in alarm, grabbing hold of Chu Qiao. Chu Qiao frowned deeply, tearing off a strip of cloth and tightly binding it above her arm to prevent the poisoned blood from reaching her heart.
“I’m fine.”
“Fine?” Xi Jiu sneered coldly, her tone sinister. “I’ll be waiting for you in hell!”
“Wretched woman!” Zhuge Yue punched the woman hard in the face, the sound of bone and flesh cracking echoing in the air. Enraged, he said in a low voice, “Hand over the antidote!”
Xi Jiu let out a cold laugh, lying in the swamp with half her body already submerged. Black blood gushed from her mouth, but her eyes were filled with a cold, mocking glee.
A chill ran through Chu Qiao’s heart. Xi Jiu’s methods were ruthless and vicious, relentless in achieving her goals, even willing to sacrifice her own life. Though she might not possess extraordinary combat skills, she was meticulous, adept at concealment, ambush, and poison, with unwavering determination and patience. She was truly a first-rate assassin.
“Where is the antidote? Speak!” Zhuge Yue tightened his grip on her neck.
“Who are you?” A hoarse voice suddenly spoke. Chu Qiao looked down and saw that the question was directed at her. Zhuge Yue stared at Xi Jiu and said coldly, “Give me the antidote, and I’ll tell you.”
Xi Jiu snorted disdainfully, as if such trivial information was hardly worth an exchange. Seeing her refusal to divulge anything even in the face of death, Chu Qiao felt a sense of respect for this resolute female assassin. She replied gravely, “I am Chu Qiao of Yanbei.”
Upon hearing this, Xi Jiu’s pupils widened instantly. After a long moment, she let out a slow, deep breath and whispered, “No wonder…”
The night was pitch black, the sky shrouded in dark clouds, not a single star visible.Only then did Xi Jiu let out a cold laugh. After a moment, she weakly whispered, "So it's... someone from Yanbei... If... you hadn't... opposed us... I might have saved you. What a pity..."
She suddenly began coughing up blood. Chu Qiao knew that people like her carried poison capsules in their mouths. Once captured, they would immediately commit suicide to avoid suffering.
"Can Yanbei... truly achieve... Great Harmony..."
Zhuge Yue frowned deeply, his arm loosening. Xi Jiu's corpse rolled a few times and sank into a pit, gradually disappearing into the marsh. After a short while, not a trace of her remained.
"Are you alright?"
Zhuge Yue helped Chu Qiao up. She shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "It's not a potent poison."
"We'll head to Tang Capital immediately. The imperial physician Zhu in the Tang Capital palace is highly skilled and will surely be able to cure your poison."
Chu Qiao frowned slightly and said gravely, "Aren't you going to wait for your subordinates?"
Zhuge Yue lifted her onto his back without hesitation and replied firmly, "There's no time."
A cold crow suddenly flapped its wings, fluttering across the swamp as it flew into the distance.
Zhuge Yue carried Chu Qiao on his back, running urgently across the swamp.
The long night was finally coming to an end. ——————Break——————
Second update today, third update at 2 p.m.
OpenNovel