Chapter 311 Encounter

The Northern Di warrior drew his bow and nocked an arrow, the arrowhead pointing downwards into the depression.

Even more insidiously, on the only path leading to the depression, one could vaguely see animal traps gleaming with a dark light.

This is a meticulously planned and deadly trap. If those below try to break through, or if rescuers rashly venture in, they will face a double attack from above and below.

Jiang Huan's heart leaped into her throat; Huo Lin was right below her.

"Clean it up!" Sun Zheng's eyes instantly turned icy cold as he decisively made a gesture.

The silent operation commenced immediately.

Sun Zheng appointed two guards who were most skilled in stealth and archery to deal with the two most threatening archers on the right side of the high ground.

He himself led two experienced guards, who, like geckos, clung to the shadows and silently made their way to another hidden sentry in the upper left.

Jiang Huan held her breath, her hand tightly gripping the dagger hidden in her clothes.

She knew she wasn't a fighter, and she had no intention of causing trouble.

As long as you hide well and don't give the enemy any leverage, and don't block your own guards' movement, you'll be fine.

The guard on the right slowly raised a specially made small crossbow, the trigger emitting a very slight clicking sound.

Their movements were extremely slow as they aimed at the two blurry, tan figures high above.

One of the Northern Di sentries seemed to have noticed something and was slightly tilting his head to look down when...

Two short arrows pierced the air and accurately pierced the throats of the two Northern Di archers.

The two men froze abruptly, then collapsed softly into their hiding place without making a sound.

At the same time, Sun Zheng and another guard had already ghost-like circled around to the back of the Northern Di soldier in the upper left corner.

The soldier was focused on the direction below and where his comrades were hiding, completely unaware of the murderous intent lurking behind him.

Sun pounced like a cheetah, instantly covering the soldier's mouth and nose with his large hand. The other guard cooperated perfectly, his short blade flashing coldly as it precisely sliced ​​across the soldier's neck.

The whole process was as fast as lightning, and the soldier only let out a short, muffled whimper.

The remaining Northern Di soldier, who was on lookout duty and positioned a little further away, seemed to have heard the thud of his comrade falling to the ground. He turned around in surprise and asked, "Over there..."

Before he could finish speaking, another guard who had been lying in wait suddenly sprang up from behind the rock, tackled him with lightning speed, and slit his throat.

In just a dozen or so breaths, the three deadly sentries were silently and cleanly eliminated.

The traps on the path were also cleared by the remaining people, and the crisis was temporarily averted.

"Let's go!" Sun Zheng lowered his voice and gestured.

The guards immediately dispersed, forming a makeshift cover formation, and quickly advanced along the treacherous, half-buried path toward the direction from which the sounds of battle were coming.

The deeper they went, the clearer the smell of blood and the sounds of fighting became, mixed with the shouts of the Di people and the angry roars of the Liang army.

Finally, at another bend in the rock face, they were able to see the view below.

Several Liang army guards, their armor stained with blood, were protecting a corner and fighting fiercely with the Northern Di soldiers.

Jiang Huan's gaze locked onto that familiar figure in the corner almost instantly.

His armor was tattered and stained with large patches of congealed, dark brown blood.

He gripped a bloodstained longsword tightly in his right hand, the tip of which rested on the ground, supporting most of his body weight. His left hand, seemingly injured, hung limply at his side.

It was Huo Lin!

His brows were furrowed, his lips were dry and pale, but deep within his long, narrow eyes, an inextinguishable flame still burned.

"Your Majesty!" Sun Zheng roared, his eyes bloodshot, and waved his hand without hesitation, "Kill! Protect the Emperor!"

The guards, who had been waiting in ambush, charged into the battle like tigers.

Sun Zheng brought only the best of the best, and they were ruthless and coordinated perfectly, quickly routing the Northern Di soldiers.

The sudden arrival of reinforcements caught Huo Lin and his personal guards off guard.

Huo Lin suddenly raised his head and glanced in the direction from which the reinforcements had come.

When he passed through the fighting crowd and landed on the slender figure stumbling toward him, he felt as if struck by lightning.

[Jiang...Huan? What's she doing here...?]

[Is it hallucinations caused by excessive blood loss, or... am I already dead?]

Thinking about how she came to take me away when I died, it doesn't seem so painful anymore.

He blinked instinctively, trying to dispel the illusion.

But the figure drew closer and closer, and the vivid expression on its face, a mixture of ecstasy and heartache, stung his eyes.

Jiang Huan didn't care about anything else. She practically tumbled and crawled across the battlefield and rushed to Huo Lin in one breath.

"Huo Lin!" Her voice was trembling with sobs, she wanted to touch him but dared not, her hand hovering in mid-air, tears rolling down her cheeks like broken beads.

"You... how did you get hurt like this? You scared me to death, you know that!"

The cold tears fell onto the back of Huo Lin's hand, and the real touch made him shudder.

[Not a dream?]

He suddenly raised his still-movable right hand and touched her cheek uncertainly.

Warm, soft, real.

She's alive! She's really here!

But how did she get here? Who brought her? Are they out of their minds?

After the initial shock came endless fear and heartache.

"Jiang Huan?" Huo Lin's voice was dry and hoarse, trembling with disbelief.

“You…” He suddenly grabbed her wrist, his grip becoming somewhat strong due to his loss of control, but he almost immediately loosened his grip.

His gaze swept eagerly over her, greedily confirming her presence and checking for any injuries.

"I'll arrange for someone to send you away immediately." He spoke, his voice hoarse and filled with deep heartache. "Don't you know what kind of place this is? Ah? How dangerous the journey is, have you thought about what might happen... what might happen to you..."

He couldn't continue; the mere thought of the possible consequences terrified him.

Jiang Huan was stunned by his series of trembling questions, and then her tears flowed even more fiercely.

She was both angry and anxious, and her voice rose: "I braved the elements to get here, and now I'm sticking with you. Not even eight donkeys could pull me away! What do you mean by 'what if'? I don't have any 'what ifs', and neither do you!"

She made her accusations, but every word struck Huo Lin's heart like a hammer blow.

Huo Lin felt a tightness in his chest as she cried, leaving him with nothing but a deep, overwhelming heartache.

His fingertips unconsciously caressed the red spot on her wrist that he had pinched, and his throat felt like it was blocked, leaving him speechless for a moment.

The sounds of fighting nearby gradually subsided, and Sun Zheng and his men quickly dealt with the remaining Northern Di soldiers and began to guard their surroundings.

Huo Lin took a deep breath to calm himself down and softened his voice.

"This is not the time to talk about this. It's not safe here. We must act immediately..."

Before he could finish speaking, several sounds of gravel falling suddenly came from above.

Immediately afterwards, a shout came from the ground above them, and it was rapidly approaching.

One of the guards' expressions changed drastically, and he shouted hoarsely, "Oh no! There are still enemies up there! We've been discovered!"