Chapter 92 Mixed Doubles

The snow had just stopped on the official road outside Liangzhou City.

The returning army was a grand and imposing procession, with banners obscuring the sun. However, Shen Jin and Jiang Mianmian, who were walking at the very front, were not sitting in the luxurious carriage that symbolized their status.

The two rode together on a single horse. The warhorse, named "Treading Snow," snorted, seemingly a little unhappy about carrying two people on its back, but it became obedient under Shen Jin's stroking.

Jiang Mianmian nestled in Shen Jin's arms, wrapped in a thick white fox fur coat, holding a bag of freshly roasted chestnuts in her hands, and was eating them with relish.

It smells so good!

These chestnuts are roasted to perfection, soft, sweet, and fragrant. Peeling them is a bit of a struggle though; it would be great if someone could help.

She looked up at Shen Jin.

Shen Jin held the reins in one hand and rested the other on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his eyes scanning the surrounding mountains and forests warily. Although the main army was behind him, as the commander-in-chief, his sense of danger had never dulled.

"Want some?"

Shen Jin looked down at the chestnut she was holding, and without her even having to say anything, he naturally lowered his head and took the chestnut kernel from her fingertips.

Jiang Mianmian: 【…Hey! I told you to peel it, not to eat it!】

Fine, I'll give you a reward since you're handsome.

At this heartwarming moment, a strange bird call suddenly came from a narrow mountain pass ahead.

"Coo-coo-"

Chen Jin's eyes narrowed instantly, and he pulled on the reins.

"Whoa—"

The warhorse stopped.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Mianmian noticed the tension in his muscles and pulled the bag of chestnuts back into her sleeve.

"There's a murderous aura about him."

Chen Jin's voice was soft, yet it carried a chilling undertone, "Moreover... he's a top-tier expert."

Before he could finish speaking...

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Dozens of pitch-black chains, like venomous snakes, emerged from the snow on both sides, barbed and heading straight for the two men on horseback!

This is no ordinary assassin.

This is a "Soul-Locking Array" specifically designed to hunt down martial arts masters!

"Hold on tight!"

Shen Jin gave a low shout and leaped into the air, but he did not abandon Jiang Mianmian. Instead, he put one arm around her waist and brandished his sword with the other.

"Clang—!"

The sword light flashed like water, instantly severing three chains.

But more chains surged in from all directions, and at the same time, twelve assassins dressed in white and wearing ghost masks sprang up from the snow.

They were the Empress Dowager's last trump card—the "Twelve Zodiac" assassins.

Each of them was a master who could take on a hundred men, and they worked together seamlessly, having assassinated countless political enemies for the Empress Dowager.

"Regent, today is your death day!"

The leader of the "Rat" shrieked and aimed his Emei dagger straight at Shen Jin's throat.

Shen Jin was in mid-air, his old strength exhausted and new strength yet to be generated. He still had to protect Jiang Mianmian in his arms, seemingly facing a desperate situation.

However.

There was no sign of panic on his face, and he didn't even glance at the enemy who was attacking him from behind.

Because he knew his back was safe.

[Dare to touch my long-term meal ticket?]

[You're asking for it!]

Jiang Mianmian suddenly turned around in Shen Jin's arms.

She didn't use any weapon; instead, she simply pulled out a... pre-prepared, square, golden piece—

BRICS.

This is something she casually stole from Liu Deshui's secret room; it weighs twenty jin and is solid pure gold.

"Take this—Rich Man's Blow!"

"call--!"

Jiang Mianmian swung her arm, and the gold brick, accompanied by a whistling sound, slammed precisely into "Ugly Ox," who was sneaking up on Shen Jin's back.

"Bang--!!!"

A dull thud that made your teeth ache.

The unfortunate assassin didn't even have time to scream before the "money-smelling" brick slammed into his face. His features instantly caved in, and he flew out like a kite with a broken string, embedding himself deeply into a nearby tree trunk.

"What?!"

The other assassins were greatly alarmed.

What kind of hidden weapon is this? And why is it golden?

Before they could react, Shen Jin had already landed.

Without pausing, he twirled his soft sword and thrust it straight at the three enemies in front of him.

Jiang Mianmian is like a part of his body.

Shen Jin dodged the attack to his left, and Jiang Mianmian took the opportunity to slip out from under his right armpit, the gold brick in her hand flying out again, smashing the knee of the enemy on the right.

As Shen Jin's longsword swept across the battlefield, Jiang Mianmian ducked and bent over to avoid the sword's edge. At the same time, she delivered a sweeping kick, breaking the bones of an enemy who was trying to sneak up on Shen Jin's lower body.

There wasn't a single word exchanged throughout the entire process.

There wasn't even a single glance exchanged.

But their movements were as smooth as if they were one person.

The direction Shen Jin's sword pointed was Jiang Mianmian's defensive blind spot. The direction Jiang Mianmian's bricks struck was Shen Jin's attack blind spot.

This is a visual feast called "Mixed Doubles".

One is as aloof as a banished immortal, his sword aura unstoppable; the other is as violent as a demon, bricks flying everywhere.

One is strong, the other gentle; one is elegant, the other vulgar. Yet, at this moment, they have created the most deadly tacit understanding in the world.

[On the left! The one with the hook! Trying to hook your belt? You pervert!]

Jiang Mianmian cursed inwardly as she threw the gold brick from her hand.

"when!"

The gold brick accurately knocked the hook away, and incidentally broke the man's wrist.

With a slight smirk, Shen Jin swung his sword and delivered the final blow, sealing Shen Jin's throat.

[Hey you on the right! The one trying to use the poison needle! I think you're got a cerebellum wrapped around your foot!]

Jiang Mianmian took out a handful of lime powder from her spatial storage and threw it directly at the target.

"Ah! My eyes!"

Shen Jin flashed forward and kicked the blind assassin away.

Twelve top-notch assassins couldn't even last the time it takes to brew a cup of tea against this pair of "male and female slayers".

A moment later.

The snow-covered ground was littered with corpses and wailing wounded.

Red blood, white snow, golden bricks.

The visuals are extremely alluring.

He calmly sheathed his sword, his composure unwavering, not even the hem of his clothes was disheveled.

He turned around and looked at Jiang Mianmian, who was wiping the bloodstains off the gold bricks with snow.

"Your Highness," a composed voice tinged with amusement, "this gold brick... is it any good?"

"good."

Jiang Mianmian weighed the gold in her hand, her face full of heartache. "It's a bit soft and easily deformed. Look, it's dented here! My money!"

[What a waste! I should have used iron bricks! This is pure gold!]

Shen Jin walked over, took her hand, and picked up the deformed gold brick.

"fine."

He took out a handkerchief from his robes and carefully wiped the dirt from her hands. "When we get back, I'll have someone recast it for you. Cast... a hundred-pound one?"

"One hundred pounds? That's too big, it's inconvenient to carry."

Jiang Mianmian thought about it seriously for a moment, "Let's make them into meteor hammers instead? Two fifty-pound ones, one in each hand, the kind with spikes."

Shen Jin: "..."

He imagined the scene.

His own stunningly beautiful princess, wielding two gleaming golden meteor hammers, slaughtered her way across the battlefield...

The scene was too beautiful for him to bear.

"Okay, as you wish."

He gently and affectionately ruffled her hair.

At this moment, the main army from the rear finally arrived.

Shadow One rushed over with his men, saw the corpses all over the ground, and saw his two masters discussing the design of the "Golden Meteor Hammer." He silently put the knife he had half-pulled out back in.

Redundant.

They are really superfluous.

"Your Highness, these assassins..." Yingyi asked.

"Clean it up."

Shen Jin coldly glanced at the corpse on the ground. "Take off these twelve masks, pack them up, and send them to the Empress Dowager. Say it's... a return gift from me as her birthday present."

"yes!"

Jiang Mianmian put the gold brick back into her sleeve and climbed back onto the horse.

"Calm and cautious."

"Um?"

"Would you call this... a perfect understanding between two people?"

Jiang Mianmian hugged his waist from behind, pressed her face against his back, and asked with a grin.

Shen Jin grasped her hand that was wrapped around his waist, their fingers intertwined.

"No."

"Huh?" Jiang Mianmian was taken aback.

"This is called...forever and ever, never to be separated."

With a spur of his horse, Shen Jin propelled it forward, and the warhorse neighed as it galloped toward the capital.

In the wind and snow, only his domineering yet affectionate words remained, echoing through the valley.

Mixed doubles?

No, this is unique to them, written with blood and tacit understanding—

love letter.