Chapter 30

◎Of course I will kill the witch◎

Xie Yutang had poured all her inner strength into her sword strike, and then received a palm strike, causing her dantian to churn. She suppressed the sweet, metallic taste in her throat and scoffed, "A mere guard, how dare you question me?"

The bearded man's eyes flashed with intense killing intent behind his mask, but he quickly composed himself. He glanced around, stared at the wooden house behind her for a moment, and then chuckled to himself: "While my master is guarding the front lines, I'm hiding in the back meditating and adjusting my breathing. I didn't know that Princess Ning'an would show such pity for a mere guard, even risking her life to protect him?"

Xie Yutang wiped the blood from the sword blade with two fingers together; the poison had been used up, and a fierce battle was inevitable. She raised her eyes and looked directly at the bearded man: "What if he wasn't just an ordinary guard?"

The bearded man's pupils suddenly contracted.

Xie Yutang knew he had made the right bet.

The bearded man's expression was strange when he first saw Su Lu. If it weren't for that moment of hesitation, the two of them might not have been able to escape unscathed.

However, Su Lu grew up in the Mu Qing Prince's mansion and later entered the palace alone as a hostage. Until she took him into her mansion, every step he took was like walking on thin ice. He didn't even have the opportunity to develop his own power, let alone get to know these people.

Then there is only one possibility for Qiu Ran Ke's unusual appearance—Su Lu's appearance is very similar to that of an old friend he knew.

The bearded man sneered, "Don't try to fool me. If you really knew something, why would you wait until now?"

"If you really think I know nothing, why bother talking nonsense with me?"

The bearded man was silent for a moment: "Tell me the truth, and I will spare your life."

Cui Hu was shocked upon hearing this: "What did you say—"

A short sword grazed Cui Hu's temple and went straight into the tree trunk. Cui Hu's lips moved for a long time, but in the end he fell silent.

The bearded man took half a step back and slowly withdrew his sword.

In that instant, Xie Yutang struck with lightning speed, his longsword aimed straight for his opponent's vital point. The bearded man was prepared, dodging the attack with a spun body, and roared, "You're courting death!"

Since this woman is so unreasonable, he will kill her first, then take her guard back. With the full strength of the nation, he is determined to get to the bottom of this.

The bearded man held back, each step a deadly move. Xie Yutang was already at his limit. His attack had failed, and the bearded man's sword technique, infused with his inner power, had left his arm numb and his chest feeling as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing down on it. He endured it again and again, but a mouthful of blood still seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"I'm giving you one last chance."

Xie Yutang did not answer, but slowly pulled the red tourmaline bracelet under her sleeve with her left hand. This was a life-saving item left to her by her father. Pulling the bead mechanism would release a thousand poison needles at once. At this distance, even the best master would not be able to escape death.

This is her last resort, and she will never use it unless absolutely necessary.

Just as the sword was about to activate the mechanism, Xie Yutang was suddenly enveloped by a familiar yet chilling aura behind her. The person spun her around and flicked the tip of the sword with their finger, causing the bearded man's sword to turn around and attack its master instead.

Su Lu didn't glance at anyone else in the room; his gaze was fixed solely on Xie Yutang: "Are you injured?"

Before she could answer, the boy's palm was already pressed against her back, and his continuous internal energy was sent in as if it were free.

Xie Yutang stopped his movement, secretly loosened the beads on her wrist with her left hand, swallowed the metallic taste in her throat, and said as calmly as possible, "It's alright."

The most important thing now is to hold off the bearded man until Zhuang Hongfei arrives with reinforcements.

The bearded man grabbed the sword that Su Lu had thrown back, spun around to dissipate the force, and then looked up. The moonlight and torchlight shone on the boy's stunningly handsome face.

Despite being prepared, the bearded man stared unblinkingly at the boy before him, as if looking at someone else, and unconsciously took a step back: "It must be you...it's you, isn't it?"

"What are you all standing there for? Charge! There's a big reward for whoever kills these two!"

Cui Hu didn't know what illness the bearded man had, but seeing the situation, he knew he couldn't delay any longer. There was no turning back once the arrow was released. If Xie Yutang and the other man escaped, their theft of military equipment would also be exposed, and then he would be the one whose entire family would be executed!

Today, we will kill Xie and Su on the spot, no matter what!

The guards understood, and their eyes turned red with rage. One of them, eager to make a name for himself, was about to launch a sneak attack from behind when his long sword suddenly jerked, and he fell to the ground with his eyes wide open, dead.

A short knife was stuck in his throat.

The field fell silent for a moment.

Tell me, who is your mother?

The bearded man stared intently at Su Lu, his eyes red-rimmed.

"Qiu bearded guest!"

Cui Hu stared in disbelief at the suddenly dead guard and questioned the bearded man, "What do you mean by this?"

"Defection in the face of battle?!"

"Do you know what you're doing?! Aren't you afraid that the North will find out you've broken the agreement?"

Xie Yutang's eyes darkened slightly, and her long eyelashes fluttered.

The bearded man, too lazy to waste words with Cui Hu, was about to raise his hand to shove him away when he remembered something. He turned his hand in mid-air, lifted Cui Hu up, and pointed him directly at Su Lu: "You tell me, what is his background?"

"I think you're crazy—"

His words abruptly stopped as Cui Hu stared at the short knife pressed against his neck, his expression finally turning completely pale.

The bearded man: "Speak."

"...All I know is that Prince Su's mother was a Hu (non-Han) dancer. General Su was ordered to lead troops to the Northern Rong. After his triumphant return, he met a Hu dancer in Kaqiu City. The dancer and General Su fell in love at first sight, and she followed General Su back to Dayan. The following year, she gave birth to a son—Prince Su."

One was a young general with outstanding military achievements, and the other was a stunningly beautiful dancer from an enemy country. Their story spread throughout the entire Da Yan region back then, and it is said that it even alarmed the emperor. It is not surprising that Cui Hu knew about it.

"It is said that General Su and his wife had a very deep affection for each other, and even refused the emperor's bestowal of marriage. It seemed that he doted on one person exclusively. However..." Cui Hu glanced at Su Lu and continued intermittently, "Later, for some unknown reason, Madam Su suddenly passed away. General Su refused all those who came to offer condolences and only ordered that Madam Su be buried hastily. I heard that... she was not buried in the ancestral tomb."

After years of searching, a clue suddenly appeared. The bearded man struggled to control his trembling hands: "What's her name?"

"I really don't know... General Su strictly forbids anyone in the manor from mentioning Madam Su's name..." The maiden names of married women in Da Yan were rarely revealed to outsiders. Cui Hu suddenly remembered something, "I remember when Madam Su was still a dancer, everyone called her... Hong... Yes, Hong Fo Nu!"

Red Buddha Woman.

The bearded man offered his hands and took a step back in a daze.

Light gauze, thin silk, afternoon.

A girl reclining on a chaise longue with a sketchbook.

Fragments of memory flashed back rapidly.

The bearded man seemed to have been struck by something, and his breathing became rapid.

“Red Buddha Girl… Nannan, I should have realized it was you, I should have realized it sooner… If only I had found you sooner…” Suddenly, he looked at Su Lu, his eyes shining with a strange light of something lost and found, “Come with me!”

He stammered, managing a weak explanation: "Come with me first, don't worry, afterwards I—"

He almost recklessly tried to pull Su Lu away, but froze when he saw the other's calm expression and the sword held in front of him. The raging blood around Qiu Ran Ke slowly calmed down. Recalling the various rumors of the past few days, he became even more annoyed with Xie Yutang. He drew his long sword from his waist: "Fine, I'll kill this demoness first, then knock you out and take you away."

“Su Lu”.

Xie Yutang spoke up, and Su Lu turned around, giving her a reassuring look.

The son he had been searching for all these years was now completely preoccupied with another woman. Where was the man in all his glory?

"You're so unambitious!" the bearded man roared in fury, thrusting his sword straight at Xie Yutang's vital point, only to be blocked by Su Lu.

At first, the bearded man held back against Su Lu, after all, this man looked like a delicate porcelain doll. No matter how angry he was at Su Lu's lack of courage, he did not intend to really kill him. However, after only a few moves, he suffered a hidden loss at the hands of the other party and was also injured.

The bearded man's eyes gradually brightened. He had thought that the young master was a spoiled brat who had been pampered by women, but the young master suddenly became more assertive. This was quite a pleasant surprise.

Qiu Ran Ke is a martial arts prodigy recognized by all the tribes of Bei Rong. He has been immersed in martial arts for decades and has never met his match in the martial arts world. However, he never expected that in front of this nameless mountain cabin, under the moonlight and firelight, in the midst of a turbulent situation, he would be able to rediscover the thrill of holding a sword for the first time.

A worthy opponent.

Exhilarating.

The bearded man's gaze behind the mask grew increasingly intense. He laughed loudly and shouted "Good!" three times in a row. Unexpectedly, Su Lu suddenly leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Get out of the way." The bearded man was startled and instinctively twisted his body. An arrow grazed his neck and was cut off by Su Lu's sword.

The bearded man's expression changed as he saw Wei Xianxi standing on a hilltop not far away, his bow and arrow still in his hand.

After finding the person, Cui Hu fired a signal flare. He and the bearded man led a large number of men to reinforce him. For some reason, the bearded man suddenly seemed preoccupied. Upon seeing the signal flare, he didn't wait for him and, relying on his superior martial arts skills, left them all behind.

Wei Xianxi arrived with his men just in time. Upon hearing what Qiu Ran Ke had just done, he knew that if Qiu Ran Ke turned against him, the consequences would be unimaginable. He thought it would be better to shoot him first. He deliberately chose an excellent opportunity, but unexpectedly, Qiu Ran Ke still managed to dodge it.

Wei Xianxi's attempt to assassinate them backfired, but he wasn't embarrassed. He calmly put away his bow and arrows, raised his hand, and the archers who had surrounded the crowd all raised their bows and aimed at the three people in the arena.

“Bear-bearded stranger, I’m giving you one last chance. Kill His Highness and Prince Su, and I will pretend today’s events never happened.”

Such a fierce barrage of arrows would be difficult to withstand even with the combined efforts of two peerless masters, Qiu Ran Ke and Su Lu; all that was needed was time.

"Of course I'll kill that witch." The bearded man spat out a mouthful of blood and pointed at Su Lu. "I'm taking this person with me."

Wei Xianxi sneered.

You idiot, don't you even know if you have the right to negotiate?

"In that case, the three of you may stay here together." Wei Xianxi was about to raise his hand to give the order when he suddenly heard a soft laugh.

"Commander Wei."

Under the gaze of hundreds of people, Xie Yutang used the stones to support herself as she stood up. She was quite badly injured, but she walked steadily step by step to the front of the crowd and stood alone like a cypress in the deadly place surrounded by arrows.

Wei Xianxi's right eyelid suddenly twitched.

"You don't actually think that I did nothing while you locked me up for three days, do you?"

An ominous premonition began to spread in Wei Xianxi's heart.

He waved his hand almost frantically: "Fire! Fire arrows!"

"Let's see who dares!"

This shout, imbued with internal force, echoed through the valley, causing the archers' arrows to tremble slightly. For a moment, no one dared to fire.

Shooting down members of the royal family is an act that requires immense courage in any dynasty, and even now, no one wants to be the first to do so.

"A bunch of useless trash." Wei Xianxi gritted his teeth, kicked an archer aside, snatched the bow and arrow, and drew it.

Xie Yutang suddenly raised his hand and clapped three times.

*Slap.* *Slap.* *Slap.*

The sound, though not loud, sounded like a thunderclap to everyone.

Wei Xianxi held his breath for a moment, and seeing that nothing happened, he finally laughed out loud: "You're about to die, what tricks are you still playing—"

The last note abruptly ended.

A tiny spark appeared in the shadowy forest, and then more and more sparks lit up one after another, growing faster and faster, stretching across the entire mountain range and forming a giant fire dragon coiled among the mountains.

Xie Yutang clutched her chest; the exertion of her inner strength had left her internal organs in pain, yet she still laughed and scolded loudly, "Zhuang Hongfei, Song Zhen, if you keep watching this show, even my guards will run off with someone!"

Upon hearing these two names, Wei Xianxi and Cui Hu turned deathly pale.

Prefect Song Zhen, and General Zhuang Hongfei.

Xie Yutang had been delaying for three days because he was waiting for reinforcements!

Zhuang Hongfei, clad in armor and seated atop a tall horse, raised his hand and tossed an object onto the field: "Wei Xianxi, Cui Hu, your secret plan to transport military equipment has been exposed. Surrender now, and you can plead with the Emperor to spare your families."

What he threw onto the field was a bloody human head!

The man's eyes were wide open, his face filled with terror.

It was the camp guard commander sent by Wei Xianxi to receive the transport of military equipment.

Nothing is more impactful than a bloody human head, especially when that person was standing right in front of you, talking to you, just moments before.

The crowd gasped in shock; some of the more timid even wet themselves.

With a clatter, someone threw down their bow and arrows, knelt down, and kowtowed: "I surrender! I beg you, sir, spare my wife's life! She's about to give birth; my death is nothing to regret. Please, sir, show mercy to my family..."

More and more people threw away their bows and arrows. From the very beginning, they were forced by the powerful onto a path of no return. They did not want to steal the weapons, nor did they want to kill the princess. Because of the dark lust for power of the sedan chair bearers, they could only carry the sedan chair high and keep going without looking back.

Finally reaching the edge of the cliff, facing a death sentence, he breathed a sigh of relief.

The General's forces far outnumbered their own, and they had a legitimate reason for attacking, so their momentum was at its peak.

Going any further would be a capital offense punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family. It would be better to stop now and perhaps be granted a grace so as not to implicate one's family.

More and more people have come to this realization and have thrown away their weapons.

Zhuang Hongfei directed his men to take the surrendered guards into custody one by one. Seeing that the situation was settled, Xie Yutang's nerves, which had been tense for several days, finally relaxed. In addition, due to the exhaustion of his internal energy, he was about to call Su Lu over to give some instructions when he fainted before he could even raise his hand.

The young prefect rode his horse down the mountain, excitedly heading towards Xie Yutang.

Song Zhen had a lot to report, but he remembered to bow first. However, as soon as he raised his head, he saw Princess Ning'an being carried by her legendary lover and bodyguard, Su Xiaoshizi, in an extremely precious manner, and rushing straight into the military camp without even giving him a glance.