Shu County Mines.
Jiang Jiaojiao lifted the carriage curtain and urged, "Faster—faster!"
Dao Qing's whip was cracking so hard it was sparking.
The carriage sped along, and the mine was soon in sight.
suddenly--
"boom--"
A deafening roar erupted from the sky, followed by a collapse at the mine entrance. Dao Qing shouted, "Watch out!"
Startled, the horse neighed and reared up. Dao Qing pulled hard on the reins, and with a loud thud, the horse fell straight to its knees, foaming at the mouth.
Jiang Jiaojiao jumped down and ran towards the mine entrance.
But before she could run a few steps, Qiu Xiang suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her way. Her long sword was drawn, gleaming coldly, and her expression was unusually solemn as she warily scanned her surroundings, as if she had sensed some kind of hidden great danger.
Dao Qing reacted swiftly, drawing his sword almost simultaneously and leaping in front of Li Yan, who had just lifted the carriage curtain to look out. He shielded Li Yan behind him and became fully alert.
Xiangling, trembling as she held onto the carriage, watched as a huge black cloud rose from the distant mine, as if a demon or monster had been born.
Even the ground beneath our feet was shaking, and the trees on both sides were trembling as if they were startled.
Seeing that huge black cloud, Jiang Jiaojiao turned pale and her heart sank to the bottom. The mine had still exploded!
Or...did they fail to stop it?
"As expected of Kyoto's guards, they were discovered so quickly."
Accompanied by a piercing laugh, a group of thugs dressed in short jackets emerged from the dense woods and instantly surrounded Jiang Jiaojiao and her group.
The leader had a pointed, monkey-like face, and his triangular eyes gleamed with cunning and treacherous light, making him instantly repulsive.
His body was so thin and frail that it seemed as if a gust of wind could blow him over; he was clearly drained by wine and women.
The man's sharp-tongued, monkey-like gaze swept over Jiang Jiaojiao, moving from her fair face to a certain part of her ample bosom. His unbridled, disgusting gaze made Jiang Jiaojiao tense up instantly, her skin crawling with goosebumps.
"call out--"
Without hesitation, the hidden arrow flew from Li Yan's hand and pierced straight into the man's eyes!
With a sudden turn of its head, the monkey-like creature splattered a string of blood droplets, revealing a deep, bloody wound that cut from its eyebrows to its jawline, exposing the bone.
"Ahhh—"
With its pointed snout and monkey-like cheeks, it let out a bloodcurdling scream like a pig being slaughtered.
Suddenly looking up, she stared intently at the man who was slowly stepping down from the carriage with Dao Qing's help. He was handsome and otherworldly, his clothes fluttering in the wind, and his face looked pale, but this did not diminish his peerless beauty in the slightest.
No wonder the young lady couldn't forget him; she even dismissed all the men in the backyard for his sake!
This is the person the young lady has taken a liking to; he cannot be touched.
but……
The men with their pointed mouths and monkey-like faces all turned their venomous gazes toward Jiang Jiaojiao, determined to make her pay for this grudge.
Make her wish she were dead!
To avenge this arrow wound!
With his pointed snout and monkey-like face covered in blood, his eyes bloodshot, he stared at the hidden dart embedded in the tree trunk. "Heh... What a pity, this is Shu County. I've been waiting for you guys here for ages!"
"Did you blast up this mine?"
Jiang Jiaojiao pointed angrily at the mine in the distance, which was shrouded in dark clouds. Her voice trembled with rage, and her face was extremely ugly.
How could these people be so ruthless?
This is absolutely outrageous!
Upon hearing Jiang Jiaojiao's question, a crazed sneer appeared on his blood-stained, monkey-like face. He turned his head and looked Jiang Jiaojiao up and down with a playful gaze, as if he were examining an interesting prey.
How do you know the mine exploded, and didn't just collapse on its own?
Could it be that word leaked from someone close to us?
Impossible. In this Shu Commandery, who would dare to betray the governor?
"Aren't you afraid of retribution for treating human life so lightly?"
Jiang Jiaojiao gritted her teeth. Although Dao Hong had gone first, the mine was still blown up. She didn't know how the people at the bottom of the mine and her cousins were doing.
"Heh, they're just a bunch of lowly commoners. So what if they die? We have plenty of people in Shu County."
With its pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks, it was extremely arrogant.
Jiang Jiaojiao was furious. "Who is your master? Prefect Mei or Miss Mei? They're waiting for us here, and they even know we're from the capital?"
"It seems your master has also guessed our identities. Kidnapping a prince and a princess is a capital offense punishable by death and the extermination of nine generations of one's family!"
"Hahaha--"
A flicker of fear flashed in his bloodshot eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahahaha... The prince and the princess are naturally enjoying themselves in the capital!"
"We just happened to catch a few audacious petty thieves, who might even be the culprits behind this mine disaster! We must take them away and interrogate them properly!"
"Hehe, I'm giving you all a friendly piece of advice: don't resist. Swords have no eyes, and it wouldn't be good if you were accidentally injured!"
"My master just wants to invite you over for a cup of tea; perhaps it will even lead to a wonderful marriage."
His pointed, monkey-like eyes fell on Li Yan, with a meaningful look in them.
The expressions on their faces changed simultaneously.
Jiang Jiaojiao, in particular, glared at him, her eyes wide with anger, and shouted, "Don't even think about it!"
He was about to pull out the poison powder hidden in his sleeve!
Qiu Xiang subtly tugged at her sleeve. With a single glance, Jiang Jiaojiao immediately looked at Li Yan, only to see him smiling gently and shaking his head without a trace of panic.
Arrest them all!
With a wave of their arms, the men with pointed mouths and monkey-like faces charged towards Qiu Xiang and the others, brandishing sharp blades and looking ferocious.
Without hesitation, Qiu Xiang shielded Jiang Jiaojiao behind her.
Despite her slender frame, she unleashed astonishing power, her longsword drawing out sprays of blood. However, she was no match for the combined might of dozens of people, and Qiu Xiang gradually felt overwhelmed by their attacks.
On the other side, Dao Qing's situation was even more dangerous.
Dozens of thugs surrounded him, their swords flashing and flashing, making it impossible for him to escape.
The other dragon guards did not appear.
Just then—
Suddenly, a rapid and loud sound of horses' hooves came from afar.
The man with the pointed snout and monkey-like face suddenly raised his head, his heart tightening as he realized something was wrong. Without hesitation, he shouted, "Brothers, let's finish this quickly!"
At his command, the thugs swung their weapons even more fiercely.
The sound of horses' hooves in the distance grew closer and closer.
"stop--"
Jiang Jiaojiao heard a very familiar shout.
Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw the plump daughter of the prefect, who was running wildly and shouting excitedly, "Sister—I've come to save you!"
Behind her was the clattering sound of a group of horses' hooves.
His narrow, sinister eyes, with their pointed snout and monkey-like cheeks, narrowed to slits as he stared intently at the lone Li Yan, like an eagle eyeing its prey.
The man with the pointed snout and monkey-like cheeks suddenly uttered a low, short command: "Go!"
Before he finished speaking, he pounced on Li Yan like an arrow released from a bow.
Jiang Jiaojiao's expression changed, and she was about to rush over. However, just as she took a step, she caught a glimpse of him giving her a reassuring look.
Although his gaze was brief, the profound meaning it contained made Jiang Jiaojiao instantly understand his intention.
So she stopped in her tracks, watching helplessly as he fell into the hands of the weasel-faced man, who quickly took him into the dense forest and disappeared.
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