Xiao Chengjing and his entourage traveled lightly, disguised as a merchant caravan, and discreetly embarked on the official road heading north. Their guards were all elite secret agents, maintaining a high level of vigilance despite the apparent relaxed atmosphere.

For the first few days, all was calm. The landscapes of Jiangnan were gradually replaced by the desolate beauty of the north. Xiao Chengjing spent most of his time sitting in the carriage, concentrating on his plans for returning to the capital and possible clues for the palace banquet.

Upon reaching a mountain path called "Fallen Eagle Gorge," the terrain suddenly became treacherous. Steep cliffs and jagged rocks lined both sides, and the narrow official road allowed only two carriages to pass side by side. It was a place where mountain bandits frequented and were prone to ambushes.

"Your Highness, there's something wrong with the atmosphere in the canyon ahead," Shadow One, the leader of the guards responsible for escorting the carriage, said in a low voice as he rode closer to the window.

Xiao Chengjing, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, a cold glint in his eyes: "Be on guard."

The order had barely been given when a sudden change occurred!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Sharp whooshing sounds rang out from the cliff tops on both sides! Dozens of crossbow bolts, tempered with a cold blue light, shot down like venomous snakes, their target being the carriage where Xiao Chengjing was!

"Protect His Highness!" Ying Yi shouted sharply!

The well-trained guards reacted instantly, their blades flashing and forming a net that deflected most of the crossbow bolts! The carriage was specially made, with thin steel plates embedded in it, which blocked the arrows aimed at it, producing a dull thud. The horses pulling the carriage neighed in fright!

However, the attackers were clearly not just one wave! Just as the guards were doing their best to block the rain of arrows, dozens of masked men in black, wielding sharp blades and with fierce eyes, surged out from both the road in front and the retreat route behind, silently attacking! They moved swiftly and coordinated perfectly, clearly not ordinary bandits!

"Form ranks! Kill!" Ying Yi drew his sword, its cold light gleaming, and took the lead in meeting the enemy!

On the narrow mountain path, a fierce battle erupted instantly! The sounds of clashing swords, shouts of battle, and screams filled the air! Although the guards were elite, they were outnumbered and fearless, and were quickly entangled!

A cold arrow, pierced by a tricky angle, bypassed the guards' parry, pierced through the gap in the carriage's side window, and shot straight toward Xiao Chengjing's face!

At the critical moment!

With a sharp clang, the trusted guard who had been standing guard on the carriage shaft, disguised as the driver, drew his sword with lightning speed and deflected the arrow with pinpoint accuracy! The arrowhead grazed Xiao Chengjing's temple, tearing a few strands of hair from its trajectory!

Xiao Chengjing's eyes were icy cold, showing no sign of panic. Although he couldn't fight, his aura was as imposing as a deep pool and a towering mountain. He quickly assessed the situation: the opponent's intention was to ambush or delay, not a deadly strike of the suicide squad level, otherwise they wouldn't have used only crossbows instead of explosives and firearms.

"No need to get entangled! Shadow Seven, clear the way! Charge through!" he commanded in a deep voice, his voice piercing through the sounds of battle.

"Yes, sir!" A shadow guard, moving like a ghost, stepped forward, his longsword transforming into a flash of silver light, instantly piercing the throats of two men in black blocking his path! He tore open a gash like a sharp knife!

The coachman jerked the reins sharply, and the horse, in pain, pulled the heavy carriage, and with Ying Qi and several bodyguards fighting desperately to protect it, smashed through the black-clad men blocking the way and galloped wildly toward the canyon exit!

The man in black tried to give chase, but was held back by the rear guards. Another hail of arrows came, but the carriage had already gone out of the crossbows' optimal range.

A sudden ambush came and went quickly, leaving behind the corpses of more than a dozen men in black and several wounded guards. Ying Yi quickly surveyed the battlefield and found an inconspicuous bronze plaque with strange patterns engraved inside the clothes of one of the men in black. His expression changed drastically.

“Your Highness, it’s someone from ‘Photo Studio’!” Yingyi presented the bronze plaque.

Xiao Chengjing took the cold bronze plaque, his fingertips tracing its strange patterns, his eyes flashing with even more cold light. "The Photo Studio"—a江湖 (jianghu, a martial arts world) assassin organization that only took dirty jobs and cared about money. It seemed someone didn't want him to return to the capital smoothly, nor did they want him to continue his investigation! This small bronze plaque precisely exposed the guilty conscience and urgency of the person behind it all.

"Clean up the traces, treat the wounded, and speed up our journey!" Xiao Chengjing put away the bronze token, his voice cold. This failed assassination attempt not only failed to stop him, but also strengthened his resolve to uncover the truth! He gazed towards the capital, his eyes sharp as knives. Wei'er, wait for me!