In the moments before dawn, darkness enveloped the earth. The rippling lake surface reflected faint, cold, and pallid glimmers. Footsteps on both shores, like vengeful spirits demanding lives, finally closed in at this moment. Chu Qiao’s shoulder was stained with blood, her lips pale and blue. Continuous battles and fleeing while injured had pushed her physical strength to its absolute limit. Yet when the scent of enemies drifted into her nostrils, she rose with immense willpower, her eyes narrowing like those of a sharp and agile leopard, poised for the moment of crisis.
Soft footsteps trod upon newly sprouted grass, silent and stealthy. This small team consisted of over twenty people, along with four vicious hounds. The leader was an experienced jungle pursuit specialist. Perhaps having witnessed the gruesome deaths of their companions, they understood that their target was no lamb for slaughter, prompting them to proceed with heightened caution. Not a single sound came from the twenty-strong team; even the hounds held their breath obediently, advancing slowly.
Under the bleak moonlight, the night was filled with an aura of slaughter. Chu Qiao’s expression remained calm and composed. As a super-commander of the National Security Agency, maintaining composure in moments of crisis was a necessary rule and ironclad principle. Agent 005’s outstanding track record across years of arduous missions was no coincidence. Though her individual combat skills might not match those of the super agents from Action Division 9, her cool and collected mind, sharp and acute intellect, lightning-fast adaptability, and unwavering confidence undoubtedly placed her at the forefront within the military, ensuring her invincibility in battle.
The crowd slowly closed in. Suddenly, the hounds dashed to the left, erupting in frenzied barks.
The black-clad assassins were overjoyed. One of them coldly declared, “Quick! The target is over there!”
Over twenty people swiftly swept past Chu Qiao. The young woman tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand, took a deep breath, and stealthily trailed the enemies. The group was wholly focused on the hounds leading the way ahead. The clamor of barking in the jungle drowned out all other sounds, leaving them completely unaware that the grim reaper was slowly approaching from behind.
Clutching her dagger, she caught up with the rearmost enemy, clamped a hand firmly over their mouth, and drove the blade downward into the carotid artery. A twist and a horizontal pull sent blood silently spurting. The person struggled briefly before succumbing, with no chance to retaliate under Chu Qiao’s precise knowledge of lethal human pressure points.
The group continued to advance rapidly, utterly oblivious to the rear. Swiftly swapping clothes with the deceased and wrapping her head and face, Chu Qiao seamlessly blended in as another black-clad assassin. In the pitch-black darkness, no one would notice.
Mingling among the crowd, Chu Qiao dispatched two more assassins using the same method while the hounds barked wildly. Then, the hounds halted, circling a large tree and barking incessantly. The assassin leader cautiously stepped back and said in a low voice, “The target is in the tree! Light the torches!”
Bright torches flared to life instantly. The assassins drew their crossbows, poised and waiting for the right moment. The leader shouted coldly, “Those up there, you can’t escape!”A sudden cold wind blew through the crisp, verdant branches when a flash of crimson clothing swiftly passed by. A dense volley of arrows followed, whizzing like locusts through the air. Yet moments later, not a single cry of pain was heard—clearly, they had missed their mark.
A rustling sound abruptly echoed from the treetops as a red hem flickered into view, faintly revealing someone maneuvering through the forest. The group’s spirits lifted, and they unleashed another round of sharp arrows, but after a long while, they still came up empty-handed.
The leader frowned deeply, remained silent for a moment, then suddenly spoke in a low voice, "Cut down the trees!"
The others were taken aback but quickly drew their combat blades and began felling the trees.
Chu Qiao, clad entirely in black, went completely unnoticed as she dutifully joined the bustling crowd of tree-cutters.
Ancient trees towered all around, massive and sturdy—chopping one down was no easy feat, especially without proper tools. After much effort, just as they were about to succeed and a tree swayed precariously, a soft whoosh sounded. Everyone looked up just in time to see a red figure flash across the dark sky, leaving a faint crimson trail before vanishing into another tree.
They were dumbfounded. Could this be the legendary qinggong?
The Hongchuan plateau stood at a high altitude with a frigid climate, its trees thick, tall, and cold-resistant, yet not as densely packed as a tropical rainforest. Staring up at the vast gaps between branches, the group felt a chill run down their spines.
What kind of formidable opponent were they facing?
"You there, go up and check!" the leader commanded sternly.
The named individuals turned pale but, bound by orders, cautiously began climbing the tree. Everyone else stepped back, none daring to take the lead.
The tree was extremely tall, reaching over twenty meters, with dense foliage only at the top. Once the eight assassins ascended, the ground below seemed emptier. The leader’s sharp eyes swept the area, and he frowned. "Why are we short on people?" he demanded.
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances. The leader reacted fastest, drawing his saber and growling, "We have an enemy!"
But before he could locate the threat, the terrifying sound of crossbow bolts filled the air. Panic seized the group—at such close range, how could they defend? In that hurried volley, five men fell dead.
Torches dropped to the ground. Having just rained, the forest was damp and gloomy, and the flames were instantly extinguished, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
Everyone was dressed alike—how could they tell friend from foe? The leader was horrified when a short, black-clad figure suddenly appeared beside him and whispered, "The target is over there!"
The leader hesitated and looked up, but in that instant, he knew he had been deceived. An assassin’s killing opportunity lasts only a fleeting moment, and even with his awareness, it was too late. An icy dagger plunged into his throat, silencing any cry before it could form.
"Boss?" someone foolishly called out from the darkness ahead.
The only reply was a bloodthirsty arrow, instantly sealing the speaker’s throat in a spray of blood.Chu Qiao moved like a phantom, darting forward before the other could even scream. With the same swift motion, she drove her blade into the chests of the two remaining assassins. In the time it took to drink a sip of tea, nine seasoned assassins had all been efficiently dispatched—not a single one left alive!
Just then, the eight assassins above had reached the treetops. Seeming to sense the situation below, they remained silent, relying on their experience as they quickly began descending.
Chu Qiao approached the tree that had been mostly sawn through earlier. Finding the right angle, she suddenly raised the war blade from the ground and hacked fiercely at it.
A series of cracking sounds echoed through the air. The men above immediately realized what she was doing, their souls nearly fleeing their bodies in terror as they hurriedly sped up their descent. But at that moment, the tree abruptly snapped, hurtling toward the giant tree where the others were perched. With a thunderous momentum, it crashed into the tree with a deafening roar. The impact sent the men plunging from over twenty meters high, their bodies thudding heavily against the ground. For a moment, not a single one could rise unharmed.
Chu Qiao would never give them time to catch their breath. A dense volley of arrows followed, and in an instant, there were no more living souls left on the ground.
The tree still swayed, and the surroundings fell into a deathly silence. A red shadow drifted down from above. The girl pulled down her black face covering and reached out to catch the red figure.
A chorus of chirping sounds emerged—wrapped within the red robe was a young yellow bird. Bound by the heavy fabric, it couldn’t fly high, only fluttering and gliding between the trees, its cries muffled by the cloth.
The girl’s pale, slender fingers brushed over the bird’s soft yellow feathers. Even in her black attire, she couldn’t conceal the thick scent of blood clinging to her. She gently released the bird, and with a joyful chirp, it spread its wings and flew away.
In the darkness, the girl’s figure moved like a phantom, vanishing swiftly into the dense night.
“Li Ce!”
The girl’s clear voice echoed by the pond.
“Qiaoqiao, I’m still here.”
The man stood up, happily waving his arms as he watched Chu Qiao leap swiftly to his side. He glanced behind her and asked, “Did you take care of all of them?”
Chu Qiao remained silent, walking to the edge of the pool. She cupped her hands, scooped up some water, and drank.
“Qiaoqiao, you’re amazing!”
Li Ce cheerfully crouched beside Chu Qiao. She frowned at his tattered clothes and casually tossed his outer robe back to him, saying, “Put it on.”
“Oh.” The man obediently put on the robe, his expression excited, showing no awareness of being the prey.
“Qiaoqiao, should we go after the others now?”
Chu Qiao frowned. Li Ce froze, suddenly a bit embarrassed, and explained, “I just thought we could take them all out. It would make our escape easier.”
The girl raised a finger and slowly shook it, her voice low and firm. “First, it’s me, not us. Second, there are over a thousand enemies. How many do you think I can kill? If you keep screaming at the sight of a mouse like you did earlier, you’ll get me killed sooner or later. Don’t blame me for not warning you—when there’s no way out, I won’t hesitate to hand you over in exchange for my own survival.”Li Ce furrowed his brows, adopting a sorrowful expression as he tugged at Chu Qiao’s sleeve. “Qiao Qiao, don’t be so heartless.”
The girl suddenly let out a muffled groan, startling Li Ce into hastily withdrawing his hand. Fresh blood was already seeping profusely from the spot he had just tugged—clearly, a new injury had been aggravated.
Chu Qiao frowned as she examined the wound. Beneath her left rib, there was an arrow injury—not very large, but bleeding rapidly and excruciatingly painful. Strangely, she hadn’t noticed it earlier.
“Qiao Qiao, you’re hurt again,” Li Ce said with a worried frown. “How is it? Is it serious? You have to hang in there.”
Chu Qiao pressed her hand over the wound, closed her eyes, and leaned against a tree, her voice low and firm. “Bandage it for me.”
“Huh?”
“Bandage it!”
The girl’s voice sharpened instantly. Li Ce nodded repeatedly, clumsily tearing a strip of cloth from his garment. He lifted her clothes, revealing her delicate skin stained crimson with blood.
An arrowhead was deeply embedded beneath her left rib, the surrounding area swollen and red. Gripping the broken shaft, Li Ce frowned and said, “Qiao Qiao, if it hurts, cry out. Or you can bite me.”
Chu Qiao closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and remained silent.
An unusual gravity settled on Li Ce’s face. He gripped the arrow shaft, frowned suddenly, and yanked it out in one swift motion!
Blood spurted out instantly. Li Ce pressed a cloth tightly against the wound. Chu Qiao groaned in agony, her body lurching forward. Li Ce opened his other arm and caught her, holding her tightly against his chest.
“Qiao Qiao? Qiao Qiao?” Panic tinged Li Ce’s voice. Unable to see her face, he could only feel the sticky blood on his hands, making his heart clench. He called out urgently, his expression tense, “Qiao Qiao? How are you?”
“Not dead yet.”
A low, hoarse voice responded slowly. The girl took a deep breath, her chin resting on Li Ce’s shoulder as she breathed heavily.
Li Ce sighed in relief and quickly bandaged the wound to stop the bleeding. The night was dark and bitterly cold, and the girl’s body felt icy. Li Ce suddenly realized she couldn’t endure another fight.
But just at this critical moment, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance. Both of them tensed like startled rabbits, sitting up straight with furrowed brows and sharp, alert eyes.
“What should we do?” Chu Qiao’s brow was deeply creased. She had lost her combat strength, and the heavy scent of blood around them meant staying put would only lead to death. The only way out was to seize Li Ce—using her current disguise to create chaos and make a safe escape.
Her gaze drifted slowly toward the man sitting beside her. He was frowning deeply, his expression unusually solemn and serious.
She was no savior. Saving others had to be within her capabilities. When righteous acts threatened her own life, a smart person would know what choice to make.
Moreover, Li Ce’s death would bring immense benefits to Yan Xun. She knew what she ought to do, had to do, and was duty-bound to do it. She still carried heavier responsibilities; someone was waiting for her. Her life was too precious to throw away lightly.
Her fingers moved heavily toward the dagger strapped to her calf, poised and ready to strike."Qiaoqiao!" Li Ce suddenly turned his head, his expression grave as he said solemnly, "I'll lure them away. You take the chance to escape—be extremely careful!"
Chu Qiao froze, her eyes widening in surprise.
Li Ce took off his outer robe and draped it over Chu Qiao's shoulders. Then, from his waist, he retrieved a metal cylinder and placed it in her hand. "I don't know martial arts," he explained. "This is a self-defense weapon my father specially made for me. Just pull the trigger, and fifty poisoned needles will shoot out. The poison is lethal upon contact, and it can be fired three times consecutively. Keep it safe—it could save your life in a critical moment."
Chu Qiao stared blankly at the metal cylinder, her brow furrowed as she gazed at Li Ce with a puzzled expression, as if trying to see through this man.
"Heh, have you suddenly realized you've fallen for me?"
Li Ce suddenly broke into a smile, revealing a row of white teeth, and patted Chu Qiao's shoulder playfully. "Don't worry, you'll still have a chance when we return to Zhenhuang."
"Li Ce!" Chu Qiao suddenly grabbed the man's arm as he was about to leave and said firmly, "Take this. I don't need it."
"I don't need it either, honestly. I'm not very good at using it. The way they described it sounded so terrifying—I'm afraid I might accidentally shoot myself with the needles. Wouldn't that be a disaster? You test it out for me first. If it works well, I'll have more made when we get back."
Chu Qiao frowned, biting her lower lip lightly, and finally released her grip. "Be careful," she said gravely.
Li Ce smiled. "You too, Qiaoqiao. When we get back, I still want to learn martial arts from you."
Chu Qiao nodded. The man then stood up, stumbling as he pushed aside the thorns on the ground and headed in the direction of the noisy footsteps.
"Hey! Take the dagger with you!"
Li Ce didn't look back, merely waving his hand casually. Under the cold moonlight, he could be seen clutching a jagged, bloodstained rock. His clothes were tattered, his steps unsteady—not a trace remained of the Crown Prince of Biantang's dignified bearing. He looked more like a destitute beggar.
Chu Qiao watched his retreating figure and slowly loosened her grip on the dagger.
Sorry, everyone, I've fallen ill again. I'll work as quickly as I can and, if possible, make up for yesterday's chapter tonight.
OpenNovel