The sound of a whip slicing through the air sent chills down one's spine.

With a few swift moves, he knocked his opponent to the ground, where he remained motionless.

Ning Yao held a long whip, her figure slender, standing backlit, her aura imposing, like a bloodthirsty blade.

And this scene came into Shen Ci'an's view.

Years later, Shen Ci'an still couldn't forget the woman's unrestrained and flamboyant manner.

"Young lady, be careful!" Hua Yan's exclamation pulled Shen Ci'an back to his senses.

The thief circled around behind Ning Yao, intending to launch a sneak attack.

Upon seeing this, Shen Ci'an immediately flew forward, grabbed Ning Yao, and dodged the attack.

"Sister, watch out!"

Ning Yao praised, "Your kung fu is quite good, but be careful!"

A cold wind brushed against Shen Ci'an's face, ruffling the hair at his temples.

A strand of hair brushed against Ning Yao's cheek, causing a slight itch.

Before she could think any further, the thieves' next attack was already underway.

With Shen Ci'an's addition, Ning Yao moved even faster.

Before long, the whole group of people were lying on the ground.

Fresh blood slowly seeped out, adding a touch of moisture to the land that had been parched for nearly half a year.

Ning Yao retracted the whip, wiped the blood off it, and tucked it back into her waistband.

"Niece, your whip is cleverly designed! The barbs on it look incredibly sharp; it seems to be something special?"

Ning Yao smiled slightly: "Uncle has a good eye. I obtained this whip by chance. It is said to be made of the skin of an ancient Teng snake, and it is very easy to use. Unlike ordinary whips, this whip has a mechanism. Pressing it will pop out the barbs on it, making it a good weapon for killing enemies."

The whip was indeed made of snake skin, but what Ning Yao didn't mention was that she took the whip from the Spirit Weapon Pavilion.

The Spirit Weapon Pavilion has a complete collection of weapons, but none of them are duplicates. No matter what kind of weapon it is, there is only one of each, making it unique in the world.

Not only were the barbs on the whip sharp, but Ning Yao also coated it with deadly poison after she got it.

Without Ning Yao's antidote, those poisoned can only wait for the poison to take effect and die.

"That's a really good thing! The whip is soft and easy to store, making it suitable for women. The world is harsh on women, but I think you, my niece, are quite extraordinary and heroic!"

"Uncle, you flatter me. It's just a life-saving skill. Let's get going!"

After the thrilling experience, the four of them mounted their horses again and set off.

The journey continued smoothly, and apart from occasionally encountering refugees, there were no other unexpected events.

As they approached Xuancheng, there didn't seem to be many refugees outside of Xuancheng.

After two days of travel, everyone was somewhat exhausted.

Hua Yan collapsed onto the horse's back, completely exhausted, barely able to hold on.

"Hua Yan, are you alright? Can you still hold on?"

"I...I'm still...able, young lady...no need...to worry..."

Seeing her like this, Ning Yao realized that she was not doing well.

If we can catch up with our parents, it would be good for Huayan to ride in a carriage.

But now she doesn't know where her parents are, whether they've passed Xuancheng or not.

The person Ning Yao was worried about was currently surrounded by the crowd.

Ning Wenyi and his party drove two horse-drawn carriages, and the roads became increasingly difficult to travel after passing Pingyang City.

The official roads leading out of Pingyang City were completely different from those leading out of the capital.

Ning Wenyi and his group had no choice but to take the official road.

Fortunately, at this time, there were very few people on the official road.

With a few men holding knives guarding the carriage, the refugees dared not approach.

They traveled peacefully for several days until they reached the vicinity of Xuancheng.

After resting for a night, we prepared to head south as soon as possible.

Who knew that their carriage had been so conspicuous all the way that it was completely targeted when they reached the vicinity of Xuancheng.

Just as they were about to set off, they discovered that a large crowd had gathered outside the carriage; they were all refugees.

The drought has lasted for half a year, with not a single drop of rain falling. Moreover, the winter winds are biting cold, and these refugees are almost all poorly clothed and emaciated.

His hair was filthy and he emitted a disgusting, fishy stench.

Those who can survive in such an environment have more or less taken lives on their hands, and their eyes are bloodshot, unlike normal people.

Now they stared at the carriage like vengeful ghosts, as if they were about to pounce on it, overturn it, and tear the people inside apart and devour them.

"Father, what should we do?" Ning Jin drew his longsword and held it in front of him.

Ning Wenyi was never a kind-hearted person. He looked coldly at these refugees who wanted to kill them and sneered, "If someone wants to kill you, would you show mercy?"

"Protect your mother and Lele!"

A riot suddenly broke out among the refugees. As if they couldn't see the swords and knives in Ning Wenyi and the others' hands, they rushed forward recklessly.

"They must have food! Even if they don't, killing them will allow us to eat the horse and the animals!"

"Mother, close the car door! Don't come out!" Ning Jin shouted before joining the battle.

Ning Wenyi stood guard by the carriage, preventing the refugees from getting close.

The carriage carrying Zhilan and the others was also attacked.

Ning Lang guarded the carriage, while Zhi Lan fought off the refugees.

Many refugees had already perished under the swords of Ning Wenyi and his group, their warm blood staining the ground.

The train carriage and people were splashed with water.

Inside the carriage, Madam Ning gripped her short sword tightly while trying to soothe Shen Cile, whose body was trembling slightly.

"Mother, I'm fine. You should go out and help my husband and father!"

Shen Cile knew that her mother-in-law knew kung fu, and if she could have more help, the outsiders would have a better chance of winning.

Over the past few days, she has gone from being terrified at the beginning to only trembling slightly now.

"Can you do it yourself?"

Shen Cile nodded, gripping the dagger tightly in her hand: "My husband gave me something that can save my life, I can do it!"

Madam Ning had long wanted to rush out to help, and through the cracks in the window and the sounds of fighting coming in, she knew that Ning Wenyi and his men couldn't hold out.

"Jin'er! Be careful!" Ning Wenyi screamed in alarm.

Blood splattered into Ning Jin's eyes, forcing him to pause for a moment.

In that brief moment of opening, the refugees swarmed forward and stabbed him in the arm with their sharp weapons.

The pain in his arm slowed Ning Jin's movements again, and more sharp weapons fell on him.

Sticks, stones, and old rakes rained down on Ning Jin.

Ning Wenyi was furious upon seeing this. He jumped off the carriage and headed straight for Ning Jin.

Madam Ning, who had just stepped out of the carriage, raised her arm and pressed the repeating crossbow on her arm.

Several crossbow bolts were fired, and the refugees closest to Ning Jin fell instantly, bleeding black blood.

This is a ranged weapon that Ning Yao prepared for her; the crossbow bolts are also coated with a deadly poison.

The poisoning is fatal and there is no cure.

With Madam Ning's arrival, Ning Wenyi felt much more at ease. He pulled Ning Jin out and pushed her to the carriage.

"Madam, keep a close eye on Jin'er!"

Be careful!