Though well-versed in traversing wild forests, each time they climbed to higher ground, they could still see the torches of their pursuers, clinging to their trail like vengeful spirits, leaving them no time to rest or choose their escape route. They could only flee deeper into dense forests and scale treacherous peaks.
By the time they finally shook off their pursuers, night had fallen completely, and they had lost their way, unable to discern the direction toward Zhenhuang.
The night was cold and heavy with mist, and a light rain fell in the early hours, causing the temperature to plummet. Fearing discovery, they dared not light a fire. Chu Qiao and Li Ce sat huddled in a thicket of low shrubs. The slender girl leaned against a tree trunk, her body aching as if her bones had shattered. Wounds all over her body oozed blood, the pain unbearable. The arrow wound in her shoulder was especially severe; even the slightest movement sent searing agony through her. The excessive blood loss left her feeling overwhelmingly drowsy and weak, as if she might collapse into sleep at any moment.
But years of training and experience told her that this was the most critical moment of their escape. If she fell now, she might never wake again.
"Qiaoqiao?" Li Ce's voice sounded beside her ear as he draped an outer robe over her shoulders. Chu Qiao frowned and looked up to see the man crouching beside her, still wearing a faint smile. "My clothes are dry," he said.
Li Ce's robe no longer carried any fragrance. Soaked in river water for half a day and battered during their forest escape, it was crumpled like a rag. The bright red garment was stained with dark patches, likely the blood of some unfortunate assassin.
As Chu Qiao shifted slightly, fresh blood seeped from her shoulder. Li Ce's face paled, his smile vanishing instantly. Flustered, he pressed his hand against her wound and exclaimed anxiously, "You're bleeding again! What should we do?"
"It's nothing," Chu Qiao replied tersely, tearing a strip from her clothing to hastily bandage the wound. "Sit down first."
"Huh?" Li Ce widened his eyes in confusion.
"Sit down!" the woman snapped impatiently, her voice weak but commanding. "We don't have much time. Rest while you can."
"Oh," Li Ce obediently sat down, then suddenly asked, "Qiaoqiao, who were those people? Do you know?"
"If you have so much energy, save it for running later. If you dare complain about resting again, I'll kill you myself to keep you from slowing me down."
The Crown Prince of Bian Tang fell silent, shrinking back as he sat on the ground, though his eyes darted around restlessly.
Of course, she wanted to know who was behind this too!
But the list of suspects was too long, and for the moment, she couldn't pinpoint the culprit.
If Li Ce were assassinated outside Zhenhuang City, Bian Tang would undoubtedly take the lead in declaring war. A conflict between Daxia and Bian Tang would be inevitable. From a broader strategic perspective, the immediate beneficiaries would be Huai Song, nestled safely along the eastern coast; the Great Barrens in the southern borderlands; and the Quanrong beyond the northwestern frontier. Huai Song, in particular, with its prosperous trade and abundant grain reserves, would instantly become a key ally for both warring nations. Overnight, Huai Song would rise from a militarily weak state to occupy a powerful strategic position.From the perspective of internal politics, if Li Ce were to die, the Biantang royal family would have no successor, allowing collateral branches of the ancestral temple to seize the opportunity for succession. Several brothers of Tang Yuanzong would also logically become rightful heirs, carving out their share from Biantang's vast territory.
From Biantang's viewpoint, aside from the Daxia royal family, the major clans and aristocratic families possess the capability to carry out such an act. After all, with the recent downfall of the Muhe Clan and Yan Xun's successive elimination of Mu Hexifeng and Wei Shuyou through borrowed knives, the great families inevitably feel the chill of shared peril and sorrow for fallen comrades. The stability of Daxia's regime has always relied on the balance between imperial power and aristocratic influence. Once one side grows excessively dominant, it would inevitably trigger a series of bloody political upheavals. With the cunning of veterans like Wei Guang and Zhuge Mu Qing, they would certainly recognize the hidden crises beneath the facade of familial prosperity. Preemptive strikes to incite warfare, forcing Emperor Xia to rely on aristocratic forces and seize the chance to reclaim military authority—such actions are not beyond their means.
However, Chu Qiao's greatest concern was whether this matter was orchestrated by Yan Xun and facilitated by the Great Alliance Society. If that were truly the case, her current situation would become exceedingly awkward.
Perhaps in all of Zhenhuang City, only Chu Qiao truly understood Yan Xun's capabilities. From Yan Xun's perspective, eliminating Li Ce could indeed be a sound strategic move. With Li Ce's death, Zhenhuang City would immediately descend into chaos, shattering the trust between the great families and the royal family. Biantang and Daxia would draw blades against each other, while Huai Song and the Great Wasteland would seize the opportunity to rise, followed by the Quanrong in the northern regions. The entire Ximeng would plunge into the flames of war. In such circumstances, Emperor Xia would be unable to spare resources to deal with Yan Xun and might even depend on Yanbei's military strength to counter the northern Quanrong threat. Yan Xun would instantly secure an invincible position, holding complete initiative.
If this were indeed Yan Xun's doing, should she immediately devise a way to reveal her presence, attempt to assassinate Li Ce, and skillfully redirect the blame onto the great families?
If it were not Yan Xun's work, since she recognized the benefits this outcome would bring to Yanbei from a broader perspective, should she adapt to the circumstances and go with the flow?
The operative's code: always prioritize the overall situation, sacrificing any cost to maximize one's own interests.
The young woman's hands slowly clenched, the dagger at her ribs emitting a chilling gleam that nearly pierced her skin. She refused to dwell on how she had reached the shore after losing consciousness, refused to recall Li Ce's stumbling steps through the forest with her on his back, refused to remember the urgency and worry in his repeated calls for her.
If not for me, he would have surely perished in the earlier assassination attempt.
An eye for an eye—heaven is fair.
Chu Qiao slowly narrowed her eyes, her fingers sliding toward the dagger at her ribs. Her calm mind swiftly erased those impractical emotions from before. She had always known what she must do, just like executing a mission. For the past eight years, her heart had yearned to return to Yanbei—nothing else mattered beyond that.Patterned with dark motifs and forged from cold iron, the blade was thin, light, and compact, wrapped in cotton cloth. By contemporary ironworking standards, it was an anachronistic high-tech marvel. The moment Chu Qiao touched the weapon, her mind cleared instantly, all unwarranted emotions vanishing without a trace as she reverted to a consummate iron-willed special agent.
Her middle and index fingers clamped the blade—draw, rotate, grip, strike!
It all happened in a flash. Li Ce’s figure abruptly lunged through the air, his face panic-stricken as he shouted, "Qiaoqiao, watch out!"
A massive hound pounced from behind Chu Qiao, and in that split second, its jaws clamped onto Li Ce’s wrist as he shielded her. Where Li Ce’s body had been, an even larger hound leaped out. The icy dagger, undeterred in its trajectory, plunged into the hound’s carotid artery—thrust, twist, horizontal pull!
Blood sprayed! Howls erupted!
Pivoting, she delivered a kick to another hound’s flank, and it yelped in agony, collapsing to the side.
Six black-clad figures, faces veiled, emerged from the woods. Their eyes were fierce, their steps steady—clearly martial arts experts. Chu Qiao stepped forward slowly, pulling the remarkably stoic Li Ce, who endured the pain without a cry, behind her. She drew the Moon Breaker Sword from her waist, her gaze icy as she faced the six opponents.
When masters clash, speed reaches its zenith. Six swift, simultaneous blade draws echoed. Under the cold moonlight, the two on the left front soared into the air, roaring fiercely as they charged the petite girl. At the peak of their ascent, their war blades descended in two sinister, chilling arcs, striking with thunderous force.
Chu Qiao crouched low, adopting a classic Japanese sidestance, one arm shielding Li Ce, the other raising the sword diagonally. Just as the enemy’s blades shadowed her head, the girl sprang upward. Their bodies crossed paths mid-air, the Moon Breaker Sword cleaving through their war blades unimpeded, swiftly slicing into one man’s shoulder. Her right foot followed, smashing into his groin, while her left hand clawed out, locking tightly around his throat.
A crisp crack of dislocated bone—the man crumpled limply to the ground, a corpse before he could even scream.
In moments, one dead, one wounded—combat prowess unparalleled.
Just then, the remaining four closed in instantly, two attacking Chu Qiao, the other two converging on Li Ce.
Chu Qiao spun around, darting to protect Li Ce, narrowly evading a blade’s gleam. As she passed the two assailants, she glimpsed an assassin swinging his sword at Li Ce. Frowning, she hurled the Moon Breaker Sword; it whistled through the air, carrying a thunderous gust. Her freed hands split apart, ghostlike, seizing the backs of the two assassins’ skulls and slamming down hard!
In a blink, a loud crack of shattered bone erupted. The swift, violent assault was over in an instant—before the assassins could react, darkness engulfed their vision, blood splattered, brains burst, and their bodies slumped, twitching briefly before falling still.At the same moment, a sharp scream erupted from Li Ce's front. Just as the man swinging his blade at him was about to succeed, a sharp sword suddenly shot over—whoosh—piercing through his chest, bloodily emerging from his heart. The sharp tip of the sword pointed forward, stopping steadily right before Li Ce.
Li Ce's face turned pale, thoroughly frightened. Before he could even scream, the last remaining assassin immediately lunged forward.
In the blink of an eye, before the man impaled by the sword could fall, the girl's figure spun like a whirlwind, instantly closing in. She yanked the Moon Breaker Sword from the man's body, her form weaving and sliding away. Blades crossed, reaching the peak of speed!
The window for a professional assassin's strike is always fleeting. As sword and blade met, sparks flew! Strike, seize the wrist, slash diagonally with the sword—both moves executed simultaneously!
Break the wrist, twist, shatter the elbow, seize the blade, turn and slash the abdomen!
Her movements were swift and seamless. In the next second, the once-ferocious assassin lay wide-eyed, a massive gash in his lower abdomen, blood gushing out, before he thudded to the ground.
At that moment, the girl had just turned back from her leaping stance. A cold breeze brushed past her, her hair stained with blood, dripping down drop by drop.
From the enemy's ambush to now, it had only been an instant—yet it tested both sides' courage, perception, speed, and skill. Clearly, the evidence showed that in this regard, Chu Qiao, the super agent from the 21st century, had the upper hand.
"Qiaoqiao!" Li Ce rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her excitedly. "You're amazing!"
Chu Qiao remained impassive, slowly pushing him away. Her gaze coldly fixed deep into the forest as she said icily, "Come out, all of you!"
Li Ce froze, his expression instantly turning cold. He glanced over and saw four men in black in identical attire slowly emerging from the dense woods. Their war blades were still sheathed, clearly having just arrived.
The four looked at the slender girl, feeling their scalps tingle. They were only a few dozen steps behind their six companions—yet in that short distance, five were dead and one injured. Just how formidable was this girl, who seemed as if a gust of wind could knock her over?
Chu Qiao wore an arrogant expression, coldly eyeing the four across from her with disdain. Suddenly, she snorted coldly and said sharply, "Will you come one by one, or all at once?"
The men cautiously remained silent, slowly drawing their war blades and raising them diagonally before them, not daring to charge recklessly.
Chu Qiao snorted again, tossing the Moon Breaker Sword aside. "Dealing with the likes of you," she sneered, "going unarmed would still be me bullying you."
The four were startled, then a wave of wild joy flashed in their eyes. They thought to themselves that this girl had boasted too highly, her mind addled to think she could take them on bare-handed—utterly reckless. They'd seen fools, but never one this foolish. As assassins themselves, there was no need for chivalry. With a unified shout, they abruptly launched their attack, fearing to lose the initiative, and lunged at her without mercy!
The blades were sharp, their aura oppressive, the cold gleam nearly touching Chu Qiao's pores. Yet the girl stood coldly still, her expression calm, a sneer curling her lips—as if she regarded them with utter contempt.The four men were instantly overjoyed, seizing the opportunity to claim this top merit. Without further hesitation, they charged forward with astonishing momentum, explosive as thunder!
Yet at that very moment, Chu Qiao suddenly sprang into action. With a flick of her wrist, four sharp throwing knives appeared as if by magic—sleek and polished like mirrors, resembling works of art.
But the four assassins had no leisure to appreciate such artistry now. Their faces paled drastically, eyes widening in terror. Faced with a killing weapon faster than a sword and striking from more treacherous angles, no one could remain unafraid. Yet it was too late to retreat. With another flick of her wrist, the girl released the knives. Instantly, the four blades shot forth like death warrants. At such close range, there was nowhere to hide. As if guided by eyes, the knives plunged simultaneously into the four men’s throats. Blood gushed, their voices turned hoarse, and they couldn’t even clearly cry out "We’ve been tricked!"
Witnessing all four assassins dispatched in the blink of an eye, Li Ce stood dumbfounded, his face ashen. After a long moment of stunned silence, he finally managed to blurt out a complete sentence:
"Qiaoqiao, you’re so despicable!"
It was unclear whether this was praise or sarcasm. Chu Qiao shot him a cold glare, then suddenly felt her entire body go weak. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed.
"Ah! Your wound is bleeding again!"
Chu Qiao no longer had the strength to respond. Spotting a wounded black-clad assassin still lying rigidly in the distance, she ordered the utterly useless man, "Go, kill him."
"Right away!"
Li Ce replied cheerfully, scavenged around for a while, and finally, out of nostalgia, picked up a rock. He hurried toward the blood-loss-unconscious assassin.
"Hmph, daring to ambush this Crown Prince? I’ll send you to the heavens now!" With that, Li Ce raised his hand and swung the rock at the man.
"Ah!" A sharp scream erupted. Chu Qiao frowned deeply, while Li Ce also looked displeased. His confident strike had not only failed to kill the man but had instead woken him up. Feeling the pain, the assassin wailed loudly, his cries carrying far into the distance—surely enough to summon enemies from miles away.
Chu Qiao’s expression could no longer be described as merely angry. Li Ce flailed about, trying to cover the assassin’s mouth with one hand while wildly swinging the rock with the other. Soon, the assassin’s head was reduced to a pulpy, unrecognizable mess—a gruesome sight.
Chu Qiao couldn’t help but feel the assassin’s death was unjust. Skilled in martial arts as he was, he had ended up dying at the hands of such a fool, and in such a wretched manner.
"Qiaoqiao," Li Ce rubbed his hands sheepishly as he returned, ingratiatingly asking, "Can you still walk?"
Chu Qiao gave him a cold look and, leaning on her sword sheath, struggled to her feet.
The roar of a cascading waterfall echoed in her ears. The horizon glowed with firelight, enemies surrounded them on all sides, and there was no telling where the emperor’s rescue team might be. They couldn’t afford to let their guard down.
"Qiaoqiao, that move earlier was amazing! Can you teach me?"
"Qiaoqiao, do you think those men were killed by the throwing knives or did they die of rage? I saw two of them died with their eyes open—they must have died with grievances."
"Qiaoqiao…"
"Shut up!"The woman cursed angrily under her breath, focusing her mind as she carefully scouted the path ahead. She seemed to have forgotten her thoughts from moments before—the idea of killing Li Ce was temporarily postponed. She recalled the hound from earlier, the wound on Li Ce's wrist still more than an inch long.
Forget it, consider it interest—let him live a little longer.
Meanwhile, Li Ce, following behind, remained completely unaware that the hound had saved his life. He stared indignantly at the fierce wound on his pale wrist, muttering in frustration, "I keep a pack of large hounds in my palace; any one of them could take down ten or eight of those."
The night mist was bleak, the path ahead uncertain, and jagged rocks lay everywhere. Li Ce carefully trailed behind the young woman, the Crown Prince of Bian Tang who had never suffered much hardship, frowning in distress. "Will Emperor Xia send someone to rescue us?"
The woman remained silent. Li Ce didn't expect her to chat with him anyway and soon continued grumbling about how the weather in the Hongchuan plateau was too cold, unfit for human habitation, and so on.
"Yes."
A low but firm voice suddenly spoke. Li Ce was taken aback, looking up in confusion as he asked, "What did you say?"
Those people didn't recognize him; they weren't from Datong. So Yan Xun must be on his way to rescue them at this very moment.
"He definitely will," Chu Qiao stated firmly, her eyes resolute, gleaming with a brilliant light.
At that time, Li Ce might not have understood what that light was called. By the time he finally comprehended it many years later, he realized he had forever missed the chance to receive such a gaze.
There is a kind of emotion that, whether in favorable or adverse circumstances, through storms or floods, over mountains of blades or seas of fire, will never be worn down by worldly affairs or eroded by time. Its name is trust.
"Crown Prince!"
A Jing reined in his warhorse, looking at the man in black robes ahead with concern, and said, "The Elite Cavalry Camp and the Green Camp Army are just ahead. Should we proceed with caution?"
"Hyah!" The man remained silent, whipping his horse's flank. His robes fluttered, his cloak billowed. For the first time in eight years, the Heir of Yanbei, who had never left the city alone, now defied all odds by riding out of Zhenhuang City and charging into the boundless grasslands.
"A Chu is waiting for me."
In the darkness, the man's voice was low as he spoke slowly, "I must hurry."
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