At this moment, within the towering Zhuge mansion on Qianyuan Road in the inner city of Zhenhuang, low, unwilling roars echoed. Several gray-haired physicians knelt with hunched backs, their faces pale, trembling uncontrollably from head to toe.
"Fourth Young Master," the young maid Huan'er pleaded, her face ashen. The white silk in her hands was instantly soaked with blood as she knelt on the ground, forehead drenched in cold sweat, tears streaming down her face. "Please let the physicians examine you," she begged, voice trembling.
Zhuge Yue stood in his green robe now speckled with blood, a large wound torn open on his arm. Despite the severe injury and gushing blood, he seemed completely unaware, gripping a whip with an iron hook as he stared intently at the creature in the cage.
Inside was a fully grown spotted tiger! Its tail thick, claws sharp, body covered in torn fur and blood, its eyes filled with venomous hatred for the man. Though critically injured and near death, it showed no trace of fear or submission.
The tiger, presented as tribute from Dayu half a month ago, was now barely recognizable.
"The Master has arrived."
Someone announced, and the room immediately fell silent. Zhuge Muqing stepped slowly into the chamber, still wearing his blue court robes. After surveying the chaotic scene in the beast room, his brow furrowed slightly before he finally waved a hand. "Everyone, withdraw."
The crowd scattered as if granted amnesty, hastily retreating. Huan'er, still sobbing, tried to bandage Zhuge Yue's arm before wiping her tears and exiting the room.
The door was slowly closed from outside. Zhuge Yue remained unmoved, stubbornly standing his ground, eyes fixed on the cage in silence.
"Are you still unwilling to yield?"
The elder's voice suddenly resonated low. Zhuge Yue stood rigidly straight, remaining silent for a long time.
"Fourth Son, what has Master Qiu Yue taught you all these years?"
After a long pause, Zhuge Yue replied solemnly, "The ways of military strategy, the principles of handling affairs, and the methods of governance."
"Good," the old man nodded slowly. "Good that he didn't impulsively teach you the ways of ruling."
"Father?" Zhuge Yue suddenly looked up, his voice low with a hint of alarm.
"Fourth Son, among all my children, you possess the highest understanding. Mature beyond your years, cautious in your actions. But your flaw lies in being too stubborn. Do you remember when you were young? Old Batu paid tribute to the Emperor with a massive mastiff. You took a liking to it and went to great lengths to obtain it. You spent over two months on that mastiff, suffering countless injuries, wearing thick leather armor while eating and sleeping with it, using both kindness and severity. Finally, after much difficulty, you tamed it—only to order the servants to kill it and stew it. When I asked you why, what was your answer?"
Zhuge Yue frowned deeply, remaining silent for a long while before murmuring, "I said... what I enjoyed was the process of obtaining and taming it, not the dog itself."
"Exactly," Zhuge Muqing smiled faintly, his voice grave. "That was what you said. Your grandfather was still alive then. After hearing it, he told me that you would surely be the hope for our Zhuge family's revival. All these years, I've firmly believed it. But now... I'm beginning to doubt."
"Father?" Zhuge Yue looked up, his brow tightly furrowed. "Your son...""Si'er, for that slave, you even dared to clash with your elder brother back then, and later went so far as to pull off a clever deception to cover up the truth. You executed this scheme skillfully and covertly, but do you truly believe Father completely trusted you and dismissed your elder brother's words so lightly?"
Zhuge Mu Qing's expression instantly turned stern as he spoke gravely, "I had thought your seven years in Wolong would bring some maturity, yet I never expected you to remain this impulsive and reckless, heedless of consequences. Do you have any idea what repercussions that night's actions could bring, what obstacles and calamities they might inflict upon your future career?"
With a thud, Zhuge Yue immediately knelt on the ground, bowing his head as he said in a low voice, "Your son was rash."
"You were indeed rash!" Zhuge Mu Qing lifted his head, his tone heavy. "After the Muhe Clan's downfall, the northwestern Batuha Family has also greatly declined. Wei Shuyou met a tragic end, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day. Who knows which family will be next? If the Elder Council does not unite, we will inevitably be devoured piece by piece. Our great families must both guard against and rely on one another—this is an immutable law through the ages, the only path to our clans' prosperity for generations. At such a time, how can you divert your attention to other matters, neglecting the family's great cause?"
Zhuge Yue kept his head lowered, his expression unreadable, only his subdued voice audible as he slowly replied, "Your son acknowledges his mistake."
Zhuge Mu Qing did not respond. He walked to the cage, observing the tiger presented by Dayu, his narrow eyes gradually narrowing. Suddenly, the elder swiftly drew a long blade from the weapon rack nearby and, with lightning speed, slashed into the iron cage. The blade cut through iron as if through mud, instantly piercing the tiger's neck. A spray of blood shot skyward as the fierce beast roared violently, convulsed a few times, and then fell still.
Zhuge Yue turned his head, his brows tightly furrowed as he gazed at the blood-soaked mess, yet he uttered not a word.
"Child, even among beasts, there are differences. Dogs can be tamed and used, but tigers must be killed to avoid harm. Having grown up in the mountains for many years, I hope you understand this principle."
The night wind was cold and biting, the room thick with the scent of blood.
"This time, the Elder Council must join forces to survive this calamity. Prepare yourself."
Zhuge Yue remained kneeling, lifting his head upon hearing this to ask solemnly, "Who has the Wei Clan sent?"
"Who else could they send?" Zhuge Mu Qing sneered. "The Wei Clan truly has no worthy successors left."
Under the bright moon and sparse stars, the rain had just ceased. A ragged, emaciated army, after lengthy explanations failed to grant them entry into the imperial city, had no choice but to set up camp outside, awaiting entry the next morning. Watching the suspicious, wide-eyed city guards on the ramparts closely monitoring them, the soldiers could no longer suppress their simmering rage and began to grumble.
"What kind of mess is this?"
A young soldier had just entered the tent when his stomach rumbled thunderously. Unable to bear it, he flung his helmet to the ground and exclaimed angrily.
"Shh! Keep your voice down. Be careful the lieutenant hears you.""What if they hear? We're the elite Tianzi Battalion of Zhenhuang, yet we've fallen to this state—wearing these tattered clothes, unable to even enter the city with our tokens. I haven't had a full meal in ten days! Even the Northwestern Field Army lives better than us!"
"Exactly!" another soldier chimed in. "If the young general pities those lowly commoners, he can use his own salary to give to them. His Wei family is among the wealthiest in the land—they could build a hundred century-long porridge kitchens serving abalone and bird's nest every day without batting an eye. Why drag us into it? All the way back, we've been giving and giving. Going hungry ourselves is one thing, but even our cold-weather clothing was handed out to those commoners. Look at my feet—they're still swollen."
"Whose feet aren't swollen? My legs are swollen too! The most infuriating part is that even the military brothel camp was disbanded. These two years following Young General Shu Ye have been harder than climbing Mount Nanshan Temple."
"To be fair, the young general isn't a bad person. He treats everyone equally, but he's just too womanly. He's indecisive and fussy. Remember the battle at Yutou County? We were half an hour ahead of the Fourteenth Army, but he insisted on detouring around White Mountain Ridge, afraid the troops would trample the commoners' crops. Otherwise, how could the Fourteenth Army have snatched the credit? No wonder, despite his family background, status, martial skills, and strategies being no less than Young Lord Mu's, his promotion in the military lags far behind."
"Exactly…"
"Silence!" A sharp shout cut through the air. Deputy General Yelü stood outside the tent, his posture erect, his tone icy as he coldly declared, "Hurry up and sleep! What time do you think it is?"
The tent fell silent instantly. Yelü Yan frowned deeply, gazing at the distant tent with its fluttering entrance curtain, remaining quiet.
Two years had passed, and they had finally returned.
Three days later would be the day the Huai Song envoy arrived in Zhenhuang City. As usual, the special envoy of Huai Song was led personally by its eldest princess, Nalan Hongye.
The Nalan Clan of Huai Song was an aristocratic family from the same era as the Li Clan of Biantang, with a lineage tracing back over a thousand years. As early as the previous Great Yin Dynasty, members of the Nalan Clan had served as court officials. Particularly notable was the clan's ancestor, Nalan Jie, who repelled the grassland cavalry beyond Yaoguan, leading his troops in a charge of three thousand li deep into the desert, completely eradicating the Quanrong People of the Helan Tianshan lineage. That battle marked the first victory of the Eastern Continent against the grasslands. From then on, the grassland cavalry never recovered, until three hundred years ago, when the ancestor of Daxia, Peiluo Zhenhuang, emerged and restored the grassland cavalry's dignity. However, soon after the Peiluo clan entered the Central Plains, they changed their clan emblem and surname, completely discarding their origins from the grasslands.
A thousand years later, the Nalan royal family had dwindled in numbers. By the time of the late Emperor Nalan Lie, only one son and one daughter remained. After Nalan Lie's death in the Southern Border campaign, his young son, Nalan Hongyu, ascended the throne. The Empress Dowager Xiao was frail and unskilled in state affairs, so Nalan Hongyu's elder sister, Nalan Hongye, assumed the role of regent.
Over five years, Huai Song's national power greatly strengthened, with thriving commerce and a peaceful, prosperous state. The Nalan siblings earned immense respect within the country, and Nalan Hongye, as the eldest princess of Huai Song, held prestige and status almost on par with the emperor. Yet, unnoticed by many, this extraordinarily talented eldest princess was not yet twenty-one years old, and when she took on the responsibility in a time of crisis, she had only just reached the age of adulthood.The day was clear and bright with a gentle breeze. As she pushed open the academy gate, she saw Crown Prince Li Ce standing under the corridor like a blooming flower, his smile radiant and eyes narrowed into slits, waving vigorously at her with delight.
The young maiden, dressed in a cyan-green palace gown, seemed to ignore him entirely and turned to walk toward Shangyi Ward.
"Qiaoqiao," a clingy voice called from behind. Li Ce, wearing a pine-green python robe with a matching jade belt at his waist, looked exceptionally handsome. He strode forward quickly, blocking Chu Qiao's path, his eyes curved in a smile as he asked, "Are you angry?"
Chu Qiao took a slight step back. Beneath the corridor lay a curved emerald lake; with the warm weather, small fish were already swimming quietly, the water clear to the bottom with swaying aquatic plants.
"Qiaoqiao, I didn't mean to ignore you on purpose. I knew someone would stand up for you and just wanted to see how charming my Qiaoqiao could be."
"Crown Prince Li, this is the inner palace. Please mind your words."
Li Ce frowned, his expression falling as if hurt. "Qiaoqiao, must you keep people at such a distance?"
"Li Ce," Chu Qiao slowly furrowed her brows and said gravely, "You are really quite unlikable."
Li Ce laughed heartily, flicking open his folding fan. "This is the first time I've heard that."
"Is that so?" Chu Qiao sneered coldly. "There are few who dare speak the truth, so I might as well make it clear to you today. I detest you—I hate how you flaunt yourself in garish reds and greens before me, I hate your evasive and pretentious way of speaking, I hate your fox-like eyes, your presumptuous familiarity, and your honeyed words and hidden daggers that thrive on chaos. Since we are destined to be enemies, please stop pretending to be close friends. I have no time to act out scenes or indulge in your antics. Either put on your crown prince airs, and I will properly bow and pay my respects when we meet, or we go our separate ways without further entanglement. I am but a lowly commoner, unworthy of Your Highness's favor and affection. If you have any tricks or ideas, please find someone else to target."
With that, the woman flicked her sleeve and strode forward.
"Hey! Don't go!"
In his urgency, Li Ce grabbed her clothing from behind. Chu Qiao frowned, executing a peculiar step to evade him. With a loud splash, Li Ce lost his balance and tumbled into the icy emerald lake.
"Help!"
Shouts immediately arose from the servants in the distance: "The Crown Prince has fallen into the water!"
In the afternoon, Chu Qiao sat under the corridor of Shangyi Ward, surrounded by flowering trees and budding willow branches. The warm sunlight bathed her, bringing a sense of comfort.
Suddenly, a dark figure appeared behind her. The person approached cautiously, breathing slowly, with light, unsteady steps that nonetheless held a hint of steadiness—clearly trained in martial arts but not yet mastered.
Chu Qiao was polishing a ceramic vessel. Hearing the sounds, she calmly set down her treasure and waited quietly for the right moment.
A shadowy hand slowly reached to pat her shoulder. In the blink of an eye, the woman dropped low, seized the wrist, twisted it, and executed a shoulder throw!
With a loud thud and a man's cry of pain, a well-dressed man landed flat on his back in the courtyard. The ground there had just been watered by Chu Qiao and was now muddy, covering the man head to toe.Li Ce scrambled to his feet with a pained expression, frowning in frustration. "Qiaoqiao, I just changed into fresh clothes!"
Chu Qiao shot him a cold glance before squatting down to continue wiping the pottery.
Limping over, Li Ce squatted beside Chu Qiao. "Qiaoqiao, the Eldest Princess of Huai Song is entering the city this afternoon. Aren't you going to watch?"
"This humble servant is of lowly status and unworthy of greeting Huai Song's golden branch and jade leaves."
Li Ce familiarly sat down, forcibly occupying half of Chu Qiao's stool. "You're not going? Then I won't go either. Let's leave the city instead. I've heard Daxia's hunting grounds are vast, and now that winter has passed, the hibernating bears have awakened."
Chu Qiao's brows tightened, her voice icy. "Not going."
Propping his chin, Li Ce frowned. "Then where should we go? I'm not familiar with this place. The palace is truly dull. Emperor Xia conducts affairs rather improperly. That fellow Zhao Qi hasn't been seen for three days already. They've assigned a bunch of old men to accompany me - if I so much as yawn, they tremble with fear. Utterly boring."
"Ah! It's His Highness Crown Prince Li! This humble servant has been discourteous!"
Several female officials from Shangyi Ward approached and, suddenly noticing Li Ce, were startled, quickly kneeling to pay respects.
"No matter, no matter. Rise." Li Ce waved cheerfully at the young palace maids, appearing exceedingly amiable, his eyes nearly squinting into slits.
Watching Li Ce's demeanor, Chu Qiao's frown deepened. She felt everything she'd said that morning had been wasted words, and her self-restraint was deteriorating - she was actually getting genuinely angry with someone like him.
"Go attend to your duties. I'll sit here a while longer."
Li Ce chatted casually with the palace maids without any airs of a crown prince.
"Qiaoqiao, let's go hunting outside the city!"
Without a word, Chu Qiao stood up, carrying her water basin as she walked toward her room.
Li Ce rose and followed, saying as he walked, "What do you think? Qiaoqiao, shall we go?"
Chu Qiao remained silent and began organizing scrolls.
Li Ce circled around her, persistently asking, "Qiaoqiao, let's go, alright?"
Chu Qiao told herself she absolutely must not respond to him, continuing to maintain her composure while busying herself with unnecessary tasks, refusing to answer.
"Qiaoqiao, let's go, shall we?"
"Qiaoqiao, if you don't speak I'll take it as agreement."
"Qiaoqiao, do you actually want to go in your heart but can't bring yourself to show it?"
"Qiaoqiao, you really do want to go, don't you? I knew you wouldn't truly be angry with me. See, I didn't even get mad when you pushed me into the cold lake."
"Qiaoqiao, why haven't you changed clothes yet? When are we leaving the city? If we wait any longer it'll be dark..."
...
Chu Qiao didn't know what madness had possessed her to actually leave the city with him.
This was Chu Qiao's first time leaving Zhenhuang City when it wasn't snowing. The vast hunting grounds were covered in lush green grass, quite beautiful. Li Ce wore an exaggerated crimson robe embroidered with large peonies, rather garish, but on him it carried an air of refined elegance.
The man rode a dashing white steed with a purple silk rose tied around its neck, looking every bit like a bridegroom going to fetch his bride.After standing for about half an hour, Chu Qiao finally asked helplessly, "Weren't we supposed to go hunting? Why aren't we going?"
"How could I do something so cruel?" Li Ce widened his eyes in surprise, then leaned close to Chu Qiao's ear and whispered, "I'm not like those bloodthirsty Daxia people who show no respect for life."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Then why did you come hunting?"
"Hehe," Li Ce snapped open his fan with a flourish, wearing a triumphant expression as he said with a smile, "I just wanted to find an opportunity to be alone with Qiaoqiao for a while."
Chu Qiao had already developed immunity to his nonsensical talk. Raising her whip, she asked, "You just said Daxia people don't respect life?"
"Yes," Li Ce replied. "I heard they even have a type of hunting called human hunting, which is truly inhuman."
Hearing this, Chu Qiao felt a shock in her heart. Looking up, she asked, "What about it? Isn't the Biantang imperial family the same? How do you treat slaves?"
"As for our Biantang," Li Ce shook his head proudly, "Daxia advocates the destruction of life, while we Biantang advocate the creation of life."
"Creation of life?"
The woman frowned and asked softly in confusion. Li Ce suddenly chuckled hoarsely and leaned closer. "Does Qiaoqiao want to try it? This Crown Prince's excellent bloodline is available for your use free of charge."
Immediately understanding what he meant by "creation of life," Chu Qiao turned and gave him a cold glare, saying sternly, "A dog can't stop eating shit!"
With that, she rode forward alone. Li Ce happily followed behind, trailed by a large group of elite guards. Since Mu Hexifeng and Wei Shuyou had successively met with misfortune, the tense atmosphere in Zhenhuang City, already strained due to Emperor Xia's birthday celebrations, had become like a fully drawn bowstring—filled with urgency that made it almost difficult to breathe. Nobles now traveled with large escorts whenever they went out, and even Li Ce was no exception.
This showed how powerful the forces Yan Xun had hidden in the shadows truly were. Perhaps Chu Qiao was the only person in all of Zhenhuang City who knew that these corrupt, conscience-deprived imperial nobles would one day meet their bitter end, filled with regret and remorse.
"Qiaoqiao, wait for me! I'm not used to riding this horse."
Li Ce called out loudly from behind again. Chu Qiao sighed helplessly and turned back to see Li Ce twisting uncomfortably on his horse, which remained stubbornly rooted to the spot.
Frowning, Chu Qiao said, "Weren't you riding quite well when we first met? You even dared to shift positions on horseback—your horsemanship was excellent."
"Only that one," Li Ce smiled sheepishly. "That was a purebred horse from Nanjiang's Huoshaoliao tribute, raised by me since childhood. It listens to me best. Back then, I only learned that one shifting maneuver from the riding instructor, thinking it looked quite dashing when used."
"Then why aren't you riding that one today?"
Li Ce replied naturally, "You're riding a pure black one with a tuft of white hair on its nose. Of course I had to find a pure white one with a tuft of black hair on its nose. Don't you see? It's right here." Li Ce bent down with effort, pushing aside the rose flowers blocking the horse's nose to reveal a tuft of black hair, making it appear quite spirited.Chu Qiao immediately felt utterly exhausted. Gazing at Li Ce's peach-blossom-like face, she felt any words would be superfluous. She shook her head and said gravely, "Li Ce, if you're truly pretending, if you're secretly stirring trouble with ulterior motives, and your entire demeanor is fake, then your acting skills are truly profound."
Li Ce smiled smugly, "This Crown Prince came to Zhenhuang precisely to secretly stir trouble with ulterior motives. However, my demeanor is genuine. No matter the circumstances, this Crown Prince remains equally unrestrained and dashingly elegant."
Chu Qiao sighed helplessly. As her eyes swept sideways, a wave of intense unease surged from the depths of her heart!
Her phoenix-like eyes swept across the grassland. In an instant, the woman leaped up, pouncing onto Li Ce and knocking him off his warhorse!
"Qiaoqiao! Why must even your affectionate advances be so rough? You..."
"Shut up!"
The woman shouted angrily. Almost simultaneously, a dense rain of arrows shot over like locusts. From the distant high slope, countless enemies suddenly surged forth, all holding crossbows. The twang of bowstrings echoed continuously as more than ten guards ahead immediately fell from their horses like sieves. Masterless warhorses whinnied in sorrow. Chu Qiao dragged Li Ce into a sideways roll, narrowly avoiding the massive body of the white horse. Countless arrows densely pierced the white horse's corpse, their tips gleaming with a sinister blue light—clearly poisoned.
"Are you behind this?"
Chu Qiao demanded sharply. Li Ce was also bewildered, exclaiming in confusion, "Would I arrange an ambush against myself?"
"Damn it!"
At the same time, battle cries erupted from all sides! Countless enemies seemingly materialized on the high grassland, all wielding heavy-backed war blades and dressed as commoners, charging forward with fierce shouts.
"Protect His Highness!" Li Ce's top subordinate Meng Jiao shouted sternly, leading several personal guards forward. Fortunately, they were out hunting, so everyone carried bows and arrows, allowing them to retaliate hastily. Otherwise, they would have been completely annihilated without a chance.
Chu Qiao deflected several stray arrows and saw Li Ce standing behind her with a dazed and helpless expression. Enraged, she shouted sharply, "Do you really not know martial arts?"
Li Ce nodded hurriedly, "Qiaoqiao, you must protect me."
"Idiot!" The young woman flared up, kicking Li Ce in the knee. The man cried out in pain as he crouched down, narrowly dodging a flying stray arrow.
"Don’t panic! Front line, engage the enemy! Middle line, provide covering fire with arrows! Rear line, gather the horses and prepare for a breakout at any moment!" The young woman grabbed a crossbow, moving swiftly while launching fierce counterattacks. Her arrows seemed to have eyes, never missing their mark—each shot was followed by a piercing scream.
Battle cries surrounded them from all directions, arrows filled the sky, and the enemy forces surged forward like an endless tide, numbering at least a thousand. Meanwhile, Li Ce’s guards had dwindled to less than a hundred, all wounded and unable to mount a proper defense in such haste. Chu Qiao dragged Li Ce as they stumbled forward. Spotting a dense forest not far away, her heart leaped with hope, and she shouted, "Retreat into the woods!"
A sharp blade swung toward them. Li Ce screamed in panic. Chu Qiao rushed forward, delivering a powerful kick to the man’s groin. A pig-like screech erupted, but before it could fully draw out, Chu Qiao swung her sword, slicing off half the man’s head!
Blood instantly splattered all over Li Ce. Startled, the man actually pulled out an embroidered handkerchief from his lapel and began frantically wiping his clothes.
"Idiot! What are you doing at a time like this?" Grabbing his hand, Chu Qiao pulled him into the forest. The dense trees immediately blocked the rain of arrows from behind; only a few made it through, and their force was greatly diminished.
Seeing them take refuge in the woods, the enemy promptly abandoned their bows and arrows, brandishing blades as they charged after them.Enemies swarmed from all directions like locusts, densely packed. Chu Qiao’s swordplay was astonishing, unstoppable as she cut through the opposition. Leading the way while pulling Li Ce along, with Meng Jiao and the others following close behind, their numbers had dwindled to fewer than fifty. Everyone was drenched in blood, severely injured, and no longer capable of fighting.
Chu Qiao’s mind raced as she scanned for weaknesses in the enemy encirclement. Ruthlessly, she killed six or seven men in succession. The martial arts experience from two lifetimes, combined with years of rigorous training, finally proved its immense advantage in this jungle battle. Though petite in stature, she could utilize the terrain more effectively, leaping and slashing through the forest with almost no one able to withstand her onslaught.
"Qiaoqiao! Qiaoqiao!"
Li Ce suddenly shouted loudly. Chu Qiao turned to see a burly man brandishing a blade closing in on him. Meng Jiao, drenched in blood and swaying unsteadily, clearly couldn’t hold on much longer.
Chu Qiao leaped into the air, kicking the burly man in the shoulder, then brought her sword down from above. The Moon Breaker Sword let out a dragon-like roar as it slashed diagonally from the man’s cheek to his shoulder. With a agonized scream, the man collapsed to the ground, his skull shattered and blood gushing.
The sharp resonance of the treasured sword echoed far and wide. A man stationed at the rear mountain, ready to provide support at any moment, froze in surprise. Frowning deeply, he lifted his head and gazed toward the distant hunting grounds.
Chu Qiao was also startled. She hadn’t expected the Moon Breaker Sword to truly be a divine weapon, capable of emitting such a piercing sword cry. But she had no time to dwell on it now. A searing pain suddenly flared in her left shoulder. The young woman’s delicate brows furrowed as her left hand swiftly drew a dagger from her waist and plunged it into the eye socket of her ambusher. With a flick of her right wrist, she parried a spear thrust from the right. As the attacker staggered back, she unleashed a flurry of sword strikes, leaped up, and delivered a series of swift kicks to the man’s head and face. Her sword followed, piercing straight through his heart.
"Qiaoqiao!" Li Ce cried out in horror, rushing forward to embrace her. "You’re injured!"
"Don’t worry about me! Meng Jiao, take your master and flee west!"
"No! I can’t leave you behind!"
Li Ce stubbornly stood his ground, picking up a longsword from the ground. He brandished it with a few flashy but clumsy moves, roaring with false bravado, "You petty scoundrels! Come at me!"
Yet, hearing his words, Chu Qiao felt a chill in her heart.
She had no desire to be caught up in this undeserved calamity. With her abilities, escaping in a jungle battle would be nearly impossible for anyone in the world to stop. It was clear that the attackers were targeting Li Ce. If he left her side, she would be safe immediately. But hearing his declaration left her momentarily speechless. This man might be scheming, untrustworthy, or cunning and unpredictable—but at this moment, she couldn’t detect any ulterior motives in him. She could say with professional certainty that this was no act. Without her repeated interventions, Li Ce would have long been dead and buried.
Thwack! Before Li Ce’s sword could even reach an enemy, it sliced through his own sleeve. Unsteady, the blade clattered to the ground.
"Fool!" Chu Qiao snapped angrily, grabbing his hand and shouting to Meng Jiao and the others, "Follow me!"
The Moon Breaker Sword gleamed sharply, capable of slicing through iron as if it were mud. With a swift swish, the blade of the enemy facing her was sheared down to a stub. Terrified, the man was cut down by Meng Jiao, who followed up from behind. He collapsed to the ground, drenched in blood.Trampling over the enemies' corpses, Chu Qiao swiftly advanced upward. The group followed her up a high slope, where they saw a turbulent river below with foaming waves that seemed to carry ice fragments—it was a river that had just thawed.
"Jump down!"
Chu Qiao shouted sharply, kicking an assassin in the abdomen as she yelled to the others.
"Ah?" Li Ce stood behind Chu Qiao, craning his neck to peer downward with a frown. "Qiao Qiao, we'll freeze to death!"
"Stay here if you want to die!"
Li Ce hesitated on the high slope, unable to muster the resolve after several attempts. Suddenly, he saw a man wielding a blade charging up from below, attempting a flank attack on the young woman engaged in combat. The pampered Crown Prince of Bian Tang, mustering courage from who knows where, picked up a large rock and smashed it against the man's head. With a whooshing sound, the man instantly bled profusely and tumbled down like a gourd.
"Haha!" Li Ce, thrilled with his successful strike, continued to wield rocks in defense.
Seeing the Crown Prince display such might, the others quickly followed suit, and for a moment, the enemy's momentum was suppressed.
"Let's go!" Chu Qiao turned and grabbed Li Ce, who was thoroughly enjoying the fight, pulling him as they rolled down the slope. With a splash, everyone plunged into the water. The piercing cold instantly assaulted them, and Chu Qiao and Li Ce immediately sank to the bottom.
Chu Qiao, keeping her wits about her, swiftly tried to swim upward, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't surface. Looking down, she grew furious—Li Ce had his arms crossed, tightly clutching a large rock as if it were a gold brick.
She punched the man in the back, snatched the rock away, but before she could rise, a dense volley of arrows suddenly shot into the water. Screams echoed from both sides; clearly, Meng Jiao and the others had been hit underwater. Chu Qiao thought to herself that fools have fortune, then pulled Li Ce and swam away underwater.
The current was swift. After a while, the two surfaced. The enemies on both banks were still in pursuit but had fallen far behind.
Chu Qiao's lips were blue and pale, her shoulder stained with blood, her strength gradually failing.
"Qiao Qiao, Qiao Qiao?" Li Ce's voice grew increasingly faint. Chu Qiao turned her head with effort to see him struggling to paddle. When he noticed her gaze, he urgently said, "You have to hold on. We're about to escape."
This was the first time Li Ce had spoken to her so seriously. His face was somewhat ashen, his lips pale and bloodless. His eyes, devoid of their usual playful recklessness, held a rare earnestness, and his entire demeanor seemed transformed.
Chu Qiao wanted to tell him to stop acting so frivolous and careless in the future, but though she opened her mouth several times, no words came out. Shivering from the cold and weakened by excessive blood loss, she could barely speak.
The river ran dark red, the enemies' battle cries echoing from behind, relentless. Gradually, signal fires ignited on other hills—it seemed that no matter which direction they fled today, they were destined to be ambushed the moment they left the city. The scale of the enemy's assassination plot was immense, with a vast number of troops mobilized, making it hard to fathom.The guards' voices had vanished from their side. The sound of rushing water grew louder as the sky gradually darkened. The river water was piercingly cold, splashes rising higher as their descent accelerated. With a cry of alarm, Chu Qiao and Li Ce plunged down a small waterfall. Amid the dizzying whirl, Li Ce suddenly exerted strength to clutch the young woman tightly. As they fell from the great height amid jagged rocks, Chu Qiao's back struck a stone outcrop. Darkness swallowed her vision, and she lost consciousness.
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