After that, another person came and started whispering in their ears, "I heard that this year they're making fires and fighting ghosts at the same time. If you outsiders want to watch the excitement, go to the square in front." After saying that, he ran off.
An Ke curled her lips and raised an eyebrow. So obvious, huh!
Fu Heng also looked preoccupied until An Ke slowly moved to his side. After the two looked at each other, Fu Heng's heart gradually calmed down.
Yes, they had already made arrangements yesterday. Even if someone deliberately tries to isolate them from the master today, the master can still escape safely and unscathed.
Encore: Proceed according to plan!
Fu Heng: It's wrapped!
Wherever there's excitement, there's Little Swallow. As soon as she heard this, Little Swallow insisted on dragging Ziwei and the others to the square to join the fun.
The old man was also very interested; no wonder his uncle thought Xiao Yanzi was his daughter. They were both equally fond of joining in the fun. A hint of helplessness flashed across An Ke's face.
"Master, let's go take a look up ahead. It's so lively up there!" Little Swallow's cheerful voice rang in my ears.
Little Swallow stared straight ahead, her eyes practically screaming "I want to go!"
The master also wanted to put on airs, but seeing Xiao Yanzi's expression, and considering his own interest in the bonfire festival, he closed his folding fan and said, "Let's go then, let's all go to the square and take a look."
An Ke didn't stop them. After all, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Let An Ke have a go at the White Lotus Sect.
"Qing'er, you must stay by your uncle's side at all times." An Ke whispered close to Qing'er's ear. She had already made arrangements with Uncle Fu yesterday. There would be many guards protecting her uncle, so being by his side was the safest place.
Qing'er trusted An Ke completely; An Ke must have her reasons for saying that. To avoid worrying An Ke, she said, "Okay, I'll follow Master's lead."
Anke smiled and patted Qing'er on the shoulder.
After finally squeezing through the crowd, we arrived at the square that the people had been talking about. There was indeed a large bonfire, and a group of people wearing ghost masks were dancing wildly on stilts around it.
If An Ke hadn't known that this was part of the White Lotus Cult's plan, she would have said that this "chaotic dance of demons" was quite an eyesore.
"Before grilling, after grilling, all ailments are cured and impurities are removed. Grill your face, grill your hands, and health and fortune will stay with you forever." I never expected there to be such a unified slogan.
The White Lotus Sect really went to great lengths. They must have suffered a lot and rehearsed for a long time in order to catch Uncle, this "big fish".
An Ke looked around. The area was full of civilians. If a fight broke out, the civilians would scatter in all directions, and the White Lotus Sect might infiltrate them, making them difficult to capture.
An Ke frowned deeply, and Fu Heng, standing beside her, also looked displeased, clearly having considered the same issue.
Listening to their slogans, the old man remarked with a sigh, "So this is an activity for improving health! But is this kind of fire-warming and ghost-fighting really effective?"
Upon hearing the master's speech, An Ke couldn't help but look up at him from her tangled thoughts. Then she looked up at the vast crowd of people.
Some people even went to inns just to catch a glimpse of fire. Anke thought this behavior was utterly bizarre, but in feudal society, it was understandable. There was no other way but to do as the Romans do.
Even the learned Ji Xiaolan remarked, "This custom of 'baking away all diseases' is usually held on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month. Qijiang Town is doing the opposite."
Anke: It's not that we're going against the grain; it's that we went to great lengths and wasted a lot of time and money to catch my uncle.
"I think I should go warm myself by the fire, so I won't be plagued by villains all the time." Little Swallow said and rushed forward without a second thought.
Seeing this, Yongqi just frowned. It wasn't that he was worried about Xiaoyanzi; he was just wondering why he had ever fallen for her in the first place.
Benjamin hesitated, but was dragged out by Fu Erkang. They were preparing to call Xiao Yanzi out.
But doesn't Little Swallow know this? Faced with such a fun and lively event, how could she possibly want to come out? She's determined to experience it for herself.
The lord was completely unprepared and said to the ministers behind him, "Since it's a fire festival to cure all diseases, why don't you all go up and roast yourselves and enjoy the festivities with the people?"
Actually, they had been eyeing it for a long time, but they didn't dare to go unless the master gave the order. Now that the master had spoken, they all rushed up in droves.
Standing beside the master were Ziwei and Qing'er. Even Anke stepped forward to create an opportunity for those people. Ertai followed the princess wherever she went.
"Ziwei, why aren't you going to warm yourself by the fire?" The master asked casually, after all, even a composed little girl like An'an had already gone up to play. Could Ziwei be even more composed than An'an? He couldn't be sure.
"What if there's no one to serve the master?" Ziwei asked tenderly, completely ignoring Qing'er standing to the master's right.
Qing'er ignored her and didn't reply, only staring intently at An Ke. The master also watched them playfully bickering together.
Even some stilt walkers were crowding around the master, but he just smiled and waved his hand in refusal.
Anke, with her sharp eyes, spotted this scene immediately. It seemed they would have to think of another way. Anke's eyes narrowed dangerously.
“It’s really inconvenient for us to stand here. There’s a tea stall over there, let’s sit there and have a cup of tea.” The master made way for the people behind him and led Ziwei and Qing’er to sit at the tea stall.
"Waiter, bring a pot of tea," the master called out.
"Alright, bring me a pot of tea!" the waiter called out loudly.
He quickly carried a pot of tea over, and the closer he got to the master, the heavier his steps became.
Anke quickly concealed herself and moved towards the master.
The waiter tossed the teapot up into the air, and the hot tea began to pour down. At this point, what could the master possibly not understand?
The waiter, with a fierce expression and a sharp knife in his hand, ran towards the master, yelling, "You dog emperor, prepare to die!"
The old man was quite skilled; with a flick of his folding fan, he blocked the waiter's knife. Anke was momentarily unsure whether to praise the old man's fan or the fan ribs themselves.
The uncle kicked the waiter three meters away. Then he grabbed Ziwei and Qing'er and ran away.
Fu Heng remained relatively calm, knowing these unexpected situations were likely to arise. The hot-tempered Zhao Hui, however, disregarded everything else and shouted, "Protect the master!"
The followers of the White Lotus Sect were not to be trifled with; how could they allow them to get close to the master? Suddenly, the stilt dancers with ghost masks who had just been dancing with them brandished swords and knives at them.
They could only resist while trying their best to get towards the master.
Just as Anke had predicted, the common people scattered in panic upon seeing these figures. They didn't even know who the White Lotus Cult members were, let alone be able to get close to the master. What a brilliant move to cut off their supply lines!
Fu Heng nodded to An Ke from another group of people. An Ke understood; it meant that her uncle had someone protecting him, so there was no need to worry too much for now.
However, to ensure that there were no casualties, An Ke still used his light-footed skills to leap away, stepping on the shade set up by the roadside stalls.
Meanwhile, a pair of sinister eyes were watching Anke's movements from the teahouse.
Anke felt a strong gaze fixed on her, and looked up, surveying her surroundings. In the southwest corner, she saw the masked man.
Anke whistled and then went after the master, leaving the mysterious masked man to the others.
If the master were alone, he could easily get away, but with two helpless "burdens" dragging him along, he was truly exhausted.
There were quite a few people chasing Uncle, at least seven or eight. They were all ruthless assassins. The master wanted Qing'er and Ziwei to hide, but when he turned around, they seemed to be surrounded, and there was nothing he could do.
At this critical moment, the hidden guards mobilized in full force to rescue the trapped master.
If the White Lotus sect members were so willing to back down so easily, how could they have left the Qing officials at a loss? Suddenly, more men joined the pursuit of the master, shouting, "You dog emperor, prepare to die!"
An Ke flew forward, drawing the soft sword from his waist. He instantly dealt with the men behind the master.
Knowing there was a tough battle ahead, Anke didn't wear any of her more ornate dresses, opting instead for a clean, light blue outfit. This would make fighting much easier, unlike those dresses which would feel restrictive.
Anke dashed out like lightning, her soft sword flashing incessantly, as agile as a silver snake. Wherever she went, a red line appeared around the necks of the masked dancers.
Before she could even utter any vows, she collapsed and died. Leaving survivors wasn't something Anke should worry about or be responsible for; her job was to eliminate them all.
Whether it was Anke's growing interest in killing or the excitement of his weapons being licked by blood, wherever he went, White Lotus cult members lay dead.
With Anke and the secret guards protecting them, the master's side was naturally safe and sound.
“Uncle, please take them back to the inn first. I imagine the officials from Qijiang Town are already on their way. Don’t worry about the situation here; you should find a safe place first.” An Ke had just finished off the person in front of her, her hands were covered in blood, and there were even a drop or two of blood at the corner of her eye, making her look extremely beautiful and alluring, yet also very heroic.
These two completely different qualities, when blended together, don't feel out of place on An Ke. In fact, they complement each other perfectly, making one feel that An Ke was always meant to be this way.
The master knew he was the White Lotus cult's primary target, and staying would only serve as a live target, drawing more enemies to Anke and the others. Without hesitation, he instructed, "An'an, you must protect yourself." After receiving Anke's nod of agreement, the master hurriedly led them away.
Without the master and Qing'er holding him back, An Ke seemed much less restrained. A mischievous smile even appeared on her lips before she swiftly charged towards the White Lotus Cult members.
There are no obstacles in Anke's path, only attacks and counterattacks, fierce counterattacks.
The leader was indeed a wise man; those who had just come on stage were merely some low-level members of the White Lotus Cult, and their purpose was simply to exhaust their strength.
At this moment, a group of people surged up from behind An Ke. An Ke had been practicing martial arts for a long time and was able to withstand the attack.
These guards were merely servants trained by Fu Heng and had not undergone any secret royal training. Their physical strength was clearly insufficient, and two or three of them were already injured.
An Ke wanted them to retreat, but these guards were all stubborn. They claimed that wherever the princess was, they would be there too, and they wanted to protect her.
At this moment, Ying was already struggling, and someone came up from behind to launch a sneak attack. Anke could only fly forward to stop him.
An Ke might not remember the others clearly, but this figure seemed to have always been by Fu Heng's side. He was the one who handled the last matter, so he must have held a special place in Fu Heng's heart.
Just then, one of them suddenly changed targets and charged at Anke with a knife.
How could An Ke not see their little tricks? She leaped forward and kicked the masked dancer away.
However, the one who was holding his own against her also possessed considerable skill. The situation became extremely tense for a time.
At this point, most people realized that, apart from that dog emperor, An Ke was probably the most distinguished person present, so more and more people started heading towards An Ke.
Even with all her energy, Anke couldn't withstand the constant sneak attacks. She had just dealt with one and was preparing to fight the masked dancer in front of her when another attacked.
Ertai happened to witness this scene. His eyes widened in fury, and he leaped forward, kicking the man to the ground. He then leaned against Anke's back, acting as her eyes from behind.
Anke felt a little relieved and focused on dealing with the person in front of her.
With focused concentration, Anke quickly dealt with him. At that moment, the masked mystery man directing from above also leaped down from the inn, followed by several other people wearing different masks than the masked dancers from before.
"It is said that Princess Yong'an of the Qing Dynasty is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and possesses extraordinary courage and wisdom. You must be her, right? I have long admired you!" The masked mysterious man seemed to have altered his voice.
Anke scoffed, "So what if it is? So what if it isn't? You've lost so many men, you must be furious now, right?"
The masked man applauded An Ke, "As expected of the eloquent Princess Yong'an, you almost tricked me. It's just a pity that you didn't take the dog emperor's life, but you can live as well, since you also have the blood of the Aisin Gioro clan."
"If you want my life, you won't live to see that day." An Ke narrowed his eyes, his right hand gripping the soft sword tightly.
"Alright, then I'll wait and see." The masked man waved his hand, and the masked men surrounded Anke and his companions again.
For a moment, they were caught in a pincer movement, yet Anke still had time to chat with Ertai. "You shouldn't have come. You should at least have brought some help. Now it's going to be very difficult to break through."
"It's alright, I will definitely protect the princess." Ertai promised earnestly.
The masked man immediately drew his sword and confronted An Ke, struggling somewhat, while some of the guards were already exhausted. Ertai and the guards dealt with the masked man.
Just as Anke and the masked mysterious man were locked in fierce combat, a stranger suddenly rushed up. Without a second thought, Ertai leaped forward and took the blow for Anke.
Ertai clutched his chest and killed the man in retaliation, then collapsed to the ground before Anke's shocked gaze.
Just then, the governor of Qijiang Town arrived, bringing with him a large number of men. Seeing that things were not going well, the mysterious man immediately shouted for a retreat.
Anke didn't chase after him, but slowly squatted down.
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