"Shut up!" Shen Jintang's clenched teeth bled as she tried to pull upwards, only to find that her right arm was already weak.

Gu Zhixing's weight caused her to slowly slide down, and the sword blade slid out inch by inch through the crevice in the rock.

On the cliff top, the black-armored cavalry finally broke through the defenses.

The leading general took the lead, using his spear to knock away two of the crown prince's personal guards.

In the midst of the chaos, the crown prince was retreating in a sorry state under the cover of his personal guards.

"Hold on..." Shen Jintang's voice was hoarse beyond recognition, "Our people are here..."

Gu Zhixing looked up at her.

Rain dripped down her chin and onto his face.

He suddenly noticed that there was a broken arrow stuck in her left shoulder, and blood had soaked through most of her back.

"You're injured," he said softly.

Shen Jintang did not answer, but instead gripped his wrist even tighter.

Her fingernails dug deep into his flesh, as if she could snatch him back from the clutches of death.

The soil at the edge of the cliff continued to collapse, and Shen Jintang's body slid down a few more inches.

The sword was bent to its limit, making a teeth-grinding "squeak" sound.

“You can’t hold on,” Gu Zhixing said, looking at Shen Jintang. “Let go…”

“If you dare finish saying that,” Shen Jintang interrupted him, a terrifying fire burning in her eyes, “I’ll jump down and join you.”

Gu Zhixing was stunned.

He saw the stubborn madness in her eyes and suddenly chuckled softly.

The smile aggravated the wound on his shoulder, causing him to gasp in pain, yet he still smiled.

"Really..." he said softly, "I'm defeated by you."

Shen Jintang gripped Gu Zhixing's hand tightly, trying to pull him up, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, and warm liquid instantly blurred her vision.

In her last moments of consciousness, she saw her fingers gradually loosening and Gu Zhixing's pupils suddenly dilating.

"master!"

The moment Xing Huifei lunged forward and grabbed the hem of her clothes, the two figures had already disappeared into the vast rain and mist.