Тhе others had rеlаxed uрon seеing thеir соmраnion cаpture Han Yan, and аftеr all this running, thеy wеrе sоmеwhat fаtiguеd. Тhеу jokеd, "Don't keeр hеr all tо yourself. Lеt the brothеrs have а tаstе lаtеr."
Тhе Western Rоng wеre ореn in their сustoms, аnd kеeping mаlе yоuths was not uncоmmon. At this momеnt, thеу all аssumed Han Yаn wаs а beаutiful уоung bоу, аnd wickеd thоughts arоse in thеir minds. Since shе was а dеаd pеrsоn аnуway, why nоt let themselves havе some fun? Thе burly man whо had саught Hаn Yan was a bit farther away from the others. In his mind, Han Yan was now a prey with no strength to resist, so he let his guard down. He crouched down, leering as he reached to undo Han Yan's clothes. Han Yan, terrified, scrambled backward. Seeing her like this only inflamed the man's desire further. Han Yan stumbled as she crawled backward, and the others watched the scene with great interest. The burly man laughed heartily, enjoying this game of cat and mouse, and leisurely pursued her. Han Yan panted heavily, and when the man felt he had played enough, he gave a sinister grin and leaned in to tear off her clothes. To his surprise, he saw a flash of coldness in the dark, gleaming eyes of this fair-skinned youth, followed immediately by a sharp pain in his left eye as blood suddenly gushed forth.
"Ah—" A piercing scream startled the birds in the forest. The others were shocked by this sudden turn of events, only to see Han Yan holding a blood-dripping Plum Blossom Thorn, her eyes icy and fierce.
The burly man clutched his left eye, blood seeping through his fingers. He never dreamed that this seemingly defenseless youth would suddenly strike, blinding him in one eye. Before he could recover, Han Yan twisted her body and kicked out. The man let out a blood-curdling scream as he plummeted into the bottomless abyss.
Earlier, she had painstakingly lured him unnoticed to the edge of the cliff, all for the sake of certainty. Chai Jing had once said that when killing someone, the method doesn’t matter. What matters is being sure to kill them.
She tucked the blood-stained Plum Blossom Thorn into her sleeve, bent down to pick up the large blade the burly man had dropped, and coldly glared at the men before her.
Even in death, she would take a few with her. Her gaze was fierce, her clothes splattered with blood, some even staining her face. Yet, this only made her complexion appear even fairer, the shocking red and pure white creating a startling, breathtaking contrast. At the edge of the broken cliff, she stood alone, holding the large blade. The wind tousled her disheveled hair, but the young woman remained unmoved, unyielding, not fleeing, not crying out—like a vengeful Asura from hell.
For a moment, no one dared to act rashly.
Perhaps one of them finally saw clearly: "This is a woman!"
The others stared intently, all filled with doubt and surprise. If this was a woman, then she couldn’t be the Crown Prince of the Great Dynasty. Who was this woman?
"Who are you?" one of them demanded.
Han Yan suddenly threw her head back and laughed wildly—a laugh she had never allowed herself in her entire life. She knew that even if these men realized she wasn’t the Crown Prince, they wouldn’t spare her. They might even capture her to interrogate her about the Crown Prince’s whereabouts. She would never tell, not just for the Crown Prince, but also for Zhuang Hanming. Since death was inevitable today, what was the point of being polite to these men?
"I am the Crown Prince of the Great Dynasty," she declared.Her movements were steady and composed, unhurried and calm. Even these desperadoes, who had lived most of their lives, had never seen a woman like her. Clearly, she appeared to be a young girl, so petite, yet her actions were as cunning, clever, and ruthless as an adult who had experienced the world. Yet, an intangible aura of nobility emanated from her, dignified and unassailable.
Who was she?
They had already come to believe that this young girl before them was no ordinary person—she might even be a member of the royal family. The thought that they had been manipulated by this little girl, even losing many of their companions in the process, ignited a surge of fury within them. With a loud shout, they cried, "Then you shall pay with your life!" With that, they raised their swords and charged forward.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, the Crown Prince trembled with fear. Footsteps echoed from outside once more, and this time, they seemed even more numerous than before. He glanced at the unconscious Zhuang Hanming, unsure whether he and the boy could escape this calamity. Zhuang Hanyan had risked her life to carve out a path for them, but that path now seemed anything but smooth. Thinking of Zhuang Hanyan, his heart ached with bitterness. When his royal uncle found out, he would surely be heartbroken.
Lost in thought, the footsteps drew closer. The Crown Prince clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with despair.
A hand parted the weeds in front of the cave.
The sky seemed to darken, and a cold wind swept through the cave entrance, chilling the Crown Prince to the bone. His teeth chattered uncontrollably. Yet, a voice accompanied the wind: "It's me."
Suddenly, warmth enveloped him.
As if grasping a lifeline, the Crown Prince felt the tension in his heart instantly dissolve. "Royal Uncle!"
Fu Yunxi patted his back reassuringly, his gaze falling upon Zhuang Hanming lying nearby. When he spoke again, his voice was icy cold: "Where is she?"
Who was "she"? The Crown Prince naturally knew Fu Yunxi was referring to Zhuang Hanyan. Gritting his teeth, he raised his head and tremblingly pointed in a direction. "She went that way."
Without another word, Fu Yunxi immediately ordered several guards to protect the Crown Prince, then mounted his horse.
"Royal Uncle!" the Little Crown Prince called out from behind. Fu Yunxi turned his head. The Little Crown Prince's gaze was hesitant, tinged with a hint of hope. "She's still alive, isn't she?"
Fu Yunxi said nothing. In silence, he cracked his whip, and the horse galloped away. The man in white on horseback, his gaze as calm as water, betrayed his emotions through his tightly pressed lips.
Zhuang Hanyan, you must survive.
Atop the cliff, the air was thick with the stench of blood and filth. Two of the seven men had already fallen—eight-foot-tall, burly men struck down by the broadsword of this young girl who had not yet come of age. They had never seen a girl so fearless, and calling her a girl seemed almost excessive. When her cumbersome outer robe was discarded, her slender frame revealed a child's body. Yet, how could such bloodthirsty eyes exist, as if they were all already dead?In the heart-stopping confrontation, Han Yan was already covered in wounds. A burly man, seizing the moment when her strength was failing, delivered a heavy blow from behind. It felt as if her entire heart began to tremble. Han Yan fell heavily to the ground, a mist-like spray of blood staining the air. Struggling to stand, she was immediately kicked in the back of the knee by another assailant. Her legs gave way, forcing her to kneel. She lifted her head, her face smeared with blood and grime, bearing no resemblance to the gentle and lovely girl she once was.
In this world, life is the least subject to one’s own will. A mocking smile escaped Han Yan’s lips. Despite her careful planning, she still could not escape a certain death. Was this fate conspiring against her? If so, why had it granted her a chance at rebirth? She hated it all—the unfairness of heaven, the people who had harmed her. But now, was she truly about to die? Relying on the few moves Chai Jing had taught her and her own desperate resolve, she had finally killed two people, yet she felt no hesitation.
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