Chapter 54 Ah Sha

Ling Wei opened her eyes and peeked out from behind a corner of the carriage curtain.

A hundred paces ahead, at the bend in the official road, stood a carriage. The carriage looked ordinary, but the horses pulling it seemed restless, snorting and pawing at the ground.

Five or six people, dressed as merchants, were standing next to the cart, seemingly inspecting something around the wheels. Some were even squatting on the ground, as if checking the axle.

If it were just a common carriage malfunction, it wouldn't be worth mentioning, but Ling Wei's gaze swept over the seemingly busy figures of those people, and she couldn't help but frown.

These people appeared to be performing maintenance, but their positions subtly suggested a protective stance, completely blocking the view of the carriage door.

Their actions were less like repairing a car and more like being on guard. Moreover, the person squatting on the ground checking the axle moved with such gentle and cautious movements as their fingers brushed across the wheel and the ground that they seemed more like checking for any unusual marks than clumsy merchants.

What made Ling Wei even more suspicious was that their caravan was very impressive, and the sound of horses' hooves could be heard early on the empty winter road.

When ordinary people and merchants see a procession, even if they don't rush to make way, they can't help but take a few more glances, their expressions showing either awe or curiosity.

But these people only glanced up at the convoy when it first appeared, and then never looked at it again, focusing only on repairing the cars.

He was too calm, unusually calm.

"Go slowly, no need to stop," Ling Wei lowered the carriage curtain and whispered the instructions.

"yes."

The caravan maintained its pace, moving forward at a leisurely speed, getting closer and closer to the broken-down carriage—thirty paces, twenty paces...

Just as Ling Wei's car was about to pass by, a sudden change occurred.

From the withered woods beside the road, a thin, swift figure suddenly darted out—a woman in tattered clothes and disheveled hair. She seemed to have used all her strength, rushing recklessly towards the green-canopied carriage, her voice hoarse and broken as she cried out, "...Sister! Sister! Let...let go..."

The merchants' expressions changed drastically. The one closest to them reacted quickly, turning around abruptly and grabbing the madwoman's shoulder, trying to subdue her and drag her away.

But the crazy woman was unusually slippery and narrowly avoided the grab. She lunged at the side of the carriage and banged her head against the carriage wall with a dull thud. At the same time, she used her hands and feet to pry open the gaps in the carriage door, her fingernails scraping against the wooden board with a harsh sound.

"Where did this madman come from! Get out of here!" another merchant shouted, raising his foot to kick him.

"stop!"

Qing Shu's shout rang out almost simultaneously with the opponent's movement.

She had already leaped off the horse. Although the knife was not yet drawn, the scabbard whistled sharply as it precisely blocked the foot that was about to kick the madwoman.

The merchant staggered backward, a flash of shock and anger crossing his face.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

Ling Wei's convoy has stopped.

The well-trained guards quickly brought the horses under control, and several men formed a semi-circle around the green-canopied carriage and the merchants, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords.

A somber atmosphere suddenly filled the empty official road in winter.

Seeing that they were surrounded, the merchants exchanged glances quickly, their initial shock and anger swiftly replaced by a cold wariness.

They stopped trying to hide, stood up straight, and subtly shielded the carriage in the middle, their hands hanging at their sides, the outline of a hard object faintly visible at their cuffs.

The leader was a tall, thin man who managed a forced smile as he bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Ling Wei, who had stepped down from the carriage: "My esteemed lady, it's all a misunderstanding. This madwoman appeared out of nowhere, spouting nonsense and disturbing your journey. We've been very kind. We'll take her away immediately and won't delay your trip at all."

As she spoke, she winked at her companions, signaling them to drag away the madwoman who was still clinging to the carriage and wailing.

The madwoman, however, found strength from who-knows-where, and clung tightly to the gap in the car door, her fingernails almost breaking, refusing to let go no matter what.

A pair of bloodshot eyes stared intently at the carriage, as if they could see through the wooden planks inside, and a hoarse, trapped animal-like sound came from its throat.

Ling Wei's gaze swept over the green-canopied carriage.

The carriage doors and windows were tightly closed, and the curtains were drawn, but the horses pulling the carriage became increasingly restless, constantly shaking their heads and trying to break free of the reins.

"What's in this car?" Ling Wei asked.

The tall, thin man's smile froze: "Reporting to Your Excellency, it's just some ordinary fabrics and miscellaneous goods, something we small-time business owners..."

"Open it and take a look," Ling Wei interrupted her, her voice carrying the imposing aura of someone accustomed to a superior position.

The tall, thin man's eyes gleamed, and there seemed to be a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead: "This... esteemed sir, when traveling, it's truly inconvenient to show one's belongings. I would be so kind as to grant you this favor..."

"What," Ling Wei raised an eyebrow slightly, "do I need you to provide me with convenience?"

The moment the words "This King" were uttered, the expressions on the faces of those men changed drastically.

The tall, thin man's face paled slightly, and he bowed even lower: "I dare not! So it is Your Highness before me! I was blind and ignorant, I deserve to die! But... but there is nothing special in this carriage, I fear it may offend Your Highness's noble eyes..."

"It's alright." Ling Wei stopped looking at him and said to Qing Shu, "Open it."

"yes."

Qing Shu accepted the order and stepped forward, followed closely by two personal guards.

The tall, thin man and his companions tensed up almost simultaneously, their hands reaching into their sleeves.

"Clang—!"

Several flashes of cold light were drawn simultaneously, and the standard longswords of the guards clashed instantly with the short blades, splitting daggers, and other unusual weapons in the hands of the opponents, producing a piercing sound of metal clashing.

Almost simultaneously, several cold and sharp spiritual energies pierced through like poisonous needles, a common tactic of assassins in the martial arts world.

However, Ling Wei's personal guards were seasoned veterans and had a tacit understanding in dealing with such treacherous sneak attacks. Their mental connection was as strong as an iron wall, steadily crushing the chilling impact.

Qing Shu even fought two opponents alone, his blade flashing like snow, forcing them to retreat repeatedly.

In the chaos, the madwoman seized the opportunity to break free, picked up a stone from the ground, and smashed it hard against the door latch of the carriage.

"Bang!"

The door latch was askew; she lunged forward and pulled with all her might—

She suddenly pulled the carriage door open a crack, and a strong smell of blood rushed out from the gap.

At this moment, three assassins had already been dealt with by the guards. The remaining two, seeing that the situation was not good, exchanged a glance and suddenly threw several black pellets to the ground.

Thick, pungent white smoke burst open instantly, enveloping an area of ​​several meters in radius.

"Protect His Highness! Hold your breath!" Qing Shu shouted urgently.

The guards quickly moved in, surrounding Ling Wei and the carriage, covering their faces with their sleeves.

As the white smoke dissipated somewhat in the cold wind, the two men, using the smoke as cover, fled in disarray into the depths of the withered forest beside the road.

Qing Shu wanted to give chase, but Ling Wei raised her hand to stop him: "The forest is deep and dangerous, be careful of ambushes. Check the car first."

The crazy woman had already taken advantage of the chaos to rush to the open carriage door and was trying to drag the people inside out, sobbing as she did so.

Ling Wei walked over and looked into the carriage.

The light was dim, but enough to see the scene inside: a woman, tightly bound with thick hemp rope and with a rag stuffed in her mouth, was huddled in a corner, her clothes tattered and stained with blood, especially a dark red, damp patch on her left shoulder. She was unconscious, her face ashen, and her breath weak.

It was Ah Sha, the one who gave her a hint at the mine and then mysteriously disappeared.

"Help!"