Almost simultaneously, the hidden guards and sword guards appeared in the shadows and surrounded Fu Zhun in the pavilion.
"An Yi, stop standing there like an idiot, fire the signal flare!" Jian Yi shouted, reminding An Yi who had been knocked away.
To avoid being spotted by a large group, Fu Zhun brought several of his bodyguards, who were skilled in stealth, with him when he arrived.
Now, facing a frenzied attack from numerous guards, they cannot hold out for long.
An Yi, ever since being knocked away by Fu Zhun, had been clutching his chest, still in shock, his face ashen.
He never imagined that his lord would treat him so cruelly because of Su An's assassination attempt!
Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but now Su An is going to such lengths, his intentions are malicious. I was only trying to protect him, why...?
It wasn't until Jian Yi's words brought him back to his senses that he saw the guards surrounding him. He wanted to curse Su An to death in his heart and immediately fired a signal flare.
Bang!
The signal flare exploded in the air like a dazzling firework.
Upon hearing the signal, the soldiers who had been waiting in the valley rushed out from all directions like a surging tide.
"kill--!"
The two sides exchanged blows, but Fu Zhun's personal guards were well-trained and far superior to these ordinary guards. Several of them were the first to charge into the enemy ranks, their swords flashing and each move deadly.
The guards, on the other hand, provided support from the side, launching their hidden weapons at opportune moments to accurately strike the enemies attempting to launch a sneak attack.
As time went on, the guards gradually became outmatched.
"Brothers, the envoy has already escaped. There's no need for us to continue throwing our lives away. Let's get out of here!"
Someone shouted, causing many guards to waver and begin to retreat while fighting, their formation gradually falling into disarray.
"Your Highness, shall we continue the pursuit?" The soldier leader frowned, cupped his hands, and asked Fu Zhun.
Although the two sides are enemies, the other side is, after all, a royal guard of the Chu Kingdom.
It's a real pity that he didn't die defending his country, but instead died at the hands of his own people!
But the only response he received was Fu Zhun's hoarse, angry voice: "They are accomplices to evil, why show them mercy? Kill them all!"
"This... Ah! Yes, ma'am!"
The leader immediately charged ahead with his sword, leading the rest of his soldiers in pursuit.
Fu Zhun tightened his grip on Su An's arms and coldly ordered, "Jian Yi, lead men to hunt down the escaped envoy and bring him back to me!"
"Yes!" Upon receiving the order, Jian Yi clasped his hands in salute and led several guards with good lightness skills and tracking abilities to chase after He Cheng in the direction he had fled.
Fu Zhun turned around and led the rest of his men back towards Jinzhou.
...
Inside the inn.
Su An was carefully placed on the simple bed. Her body was like a broken porcelain doll, covered with shocking whip marks.
When Xie Qingfeng arrived, he was instantly shocked by what he saw. "How did it get so messy?"
His usually irritable face changed slightly, and he said solemnly, "I can't treat this injury by myself. I need to call a few maids to help."
Fu Zhun clenched his fists tightly and immediately told An Yi to go and call for help.
"Her consciousness is being controlled; she may have been poisoned. Check her carefully!"
Xie Qingfeng nodded solemnly, and after several maids came over, he asked Fu Zhun to go out and wait.
It was well past midnight when Xie Qingfeng finally emerged from the house, his face showing signs of exhaustion and helplessness.
"How is she?" Fu Zhun asked in a hoarse voice, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.
Xie Qingfeng shook his head: "Your Highness, the whip marks on her body are not a big problem. After she recovers, she can use my special ointment to apply them and her skin will be restored to its original state."
"But she was poisoned with a unique poison used by the Shadow Guards, the Drunken Spring Breeze."
He sighed, "This poison is extremely dangerous. Su An did indeed lose consciousness because he was controlled by the poison. Although I have a way to detoxify him, Jinzhou City is suffering from a drought, and the necessary medicinal herbs have become scarce here, so..."
"So it can't be solved?" Fu Zhun slammed his fist on the wheelchair.
Xie Qingfeng touched his nose innocently, "Without medicinal herbs, even a skilled cook can't cook without rice!"
"There is another way. The largest city in the north is Baizhi City. It has all kinds of rare and exotic herbs from all over the world, so it is also known as the Medicine City. If you want to detoxify as quickly as possible, you can only try your luck there. Otherwise, the longer it is delayed, the deeper the toxin will penetrate, and even if you are detoxified in the future, you will still have sequelae in your brain."
Fu Zhun's face instantly turned icy and tense. He looked at An Yi and ordered, "Prepare the carriages. Travel light. We'll head to Baizhi City immediately to find herbs."
An Yi was secretly shocked by the news that Su An had been poisoned and controlled, and realized that he had misunderstood her.
Upon hearing the order abruptly, he hesitated for a moment.
“My lord, the north is the source of the drought, and the riots are likely to be even more severe. Perhaps I could send my subordinate on a trip there.”
"A round trip will take at least a month, but this poison can't wait that long. You also need to take Su An with you. Once you find the herbs, you need to subdue him immediately," Xie Qingfeng reminded him quietly.
Fu Zhun's brow bulged with a vein, "Hurry up and go!"
An Yi was filled with complicated feelings. His intuition told him that if he disobeyed his master's orders again, his job as a bodyguard would be over.
They had no choice but to go and prepare.
On the road leading to Baizhi City, sandstorms raged and the scorching sun beat down, as if a giant furnace was baking the earth.
Even though it's late autumn, the air here is still incredibly hot.
Fu Zhun and his party had been traveling hurriedly for five days, and even with light travel, the horses were already showing signs of fatigue.
"Master, let's stop and rest for a while," Jian Yi said at the right moment.
In order to streamline the manpower, he was specially recalled to guard the group, but even he is a little overwhelmed right now.
"Where are we?" A slightly tired voice came from inside the carriage.
"Having just passed Feiyun Pass, it will take about three more days to reach the northern passes."
Fu Zhun gently stroked the hair of the unconscious Su An with his fingertips before closing his eyes and saying, "Let's have a cup of tea."
Upon receiving the order, Jian Yi nodded to An Yi and several soldiers, then dispersed slightly to rest.
Little did they know, danger was quietly approaching.
Just as they were taking out their rations to fill their stomachs, suddenly, bowstrings twanged from hidden places on both sides of the road, and countless arrows flew straight toward them like a black rain of bullets!
A sharp whistling sound shattered the brief silence, startling everyone.
"Someone is lying in ambush here! Protect the carriage!"
Jianyi and Anyi, the two who reacted the fastest, spoke up and, along with several accompanying soldiers, quickly drew their weapons and fought desperately to block the arrows.
At the same time, He Cheng's triumphant voice rang out from the nearby hill: "Fu Zhun, didn't expect this, did you! You're surrounded. Surrender obediently!"
The loud laughter echoed between the two hills, carrying a repulsive arrogance.
Inside the carriage, Fu Zhun heard this voice and his expression instantly turned frosty.
"messenger!"
He actually set up an ambush here. Did he already know that I would take Su An to find herbs?
Before they could think any further, a volley of arrows rained down, leaving Jian Yi and his men wounded and severely weakened.
The guards on both sides of the hill seized the opportunity and surged down like a tide to surround them.
"Sword One, Dark One, you escort Su An out of here, I'll cover the rear!" Fu Zhun shouted decisively.
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