As the man in black slowly approached, Li Yong's legs went weak.

He whispered to Zhao Zhi, "Miss, I've stored that box in the treasure pavilion in Lingyang. This is the proof." He released Zhao Zhi, pretended to push her back, and took the opportunity to stuff the proof into her hand, urgently saying, "Run!"

As Zhao Zhi retreated, she seized the opportunity to grab Li Yong by the back of his collar, used her lightness skill to fly backward a distance.

This turn of events caught all the men in black off guard.

They never expected that the hostage Li Yong had just captured would suddenly become his lifesaver.

They swarmed forward. It was the first time Zhao Zhi had ever been attacked by so many people, and she was terrified. She clung to Li Yong and kept backing away.

The situation was dire, and a direct confrontation was not the best course of action. Zhao Zhi made a snap decision and turned to flee. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a sharp blade cutting through the air, followed by the hissing sound of a blade piercing flesh.

Zhao Zhi noticed the pressure on her hand had increased. Turning her head, she saw a long sword embedded in Li Yong's heart. It was he who had shielded her from the fatal blow from behind.

"Quickly—escape—and retrieve—" Li Yong breathed his last before he could finish speaking.

Without Li Yong to hold her back, Zhao Zhi took out a handful of powder from her bosom and threw it behind her. The men in black thought she was sprinkling poison, so they all covered their mouths and noses and stopped moving.

"It's flour!"

By the time they realized what was happening, Zhao Zhi had already vanished without a trace.

"If she falls into my hands again, I will grind her to dust!" the leader of the men in black said viciously.

Zhao Zhi fled desperately, barely daring to breathe. But judging from the footsteps behind her, she realized she was being followed.

There was a fork in the road ahead. To the left was a treacherous, narrow path clinging to the cliff face, almost invisible unless you looked closely.

Zhao Zhi pressed her body tightly against the cliff face, took out a silver ingot from her bosom, held it in her hand, held her breath, and waited for the right moment to strike. When the footsteps behind her drew closer, she threw the silver ingot with all her might towards the man's face.

The person following him noticed an unusual gust of wind and instinctively reached out to cover his face, only to be struck by a flying silver ingot and cry out in pain.

Zhao Zhi looked down at the dark pool below the cliff, listened to the sound of the flowing water, and estimated the depth of the pool.

The pool wasn't deep, but visibility was limited at night. If she had landed on a rock, her life would have been in danger.

The best course of action is to return along the same route that led the men in black here.

Zhao Zhi suddenly realized that she had been too clever for her own good.

As I hesitated, I heard a flurry of footsteps overhead.

“There are signs of broken branches here. That person must have passed through here.”

Judging from the voices, it was the same group that had just slaughtered the bandits. Zhao Zhi and the man in black who had been following her exchanged bewildered glances.

Now, they're in the same boat.

Zhao Zhi wasn't stupid, and the man in black wasn't foolish either. The two remained locked in a stalemate, neither making another move.

Once the group had gone some distance, Zhao Zhi gestured for the man in black to leave. The man in black cautiously backed away, and Zhao Zhi followed him warily.

As soon as they reached the fork in the road connecting the cliff and the path, Zhao Zhi shot a silver needle at the man in black, but he nimbly dodged it.

Seeing that things were not going well, Zhao Zhi turned and ran.

However, the next second, she was tackled to the ground by the person behind her.

Smelling the familiar scent, the man in black suddenly laughed, "Little thief, you slept with me and stole my silver. How are we going to settle this score?"

"Bastard! Let me go!" Zhao Zhi struggled incessantly.

However, the difference in strength between men and women was too great, and she was quickly restrained by the man, who tied her arms behind her back and bound her tightly with a belt.

"What are you trying to do?!" she asked in a low voice, both embarrassed and annoyed.

The man's fingers caressed her neck for a moment. "Of course, sleep back."