Chapter 424 Encountering an Enemy of a Certain Force
Fortunately, the group was in a hurry and used their light-footed skills to walk through the forest to take a shortcut. The dense forest obscured their view, so they did not notice the two carriages on the path in the distance.
"Could something have happened at the checkpoint?"
The border between the two countries is a melting pot of people, making it the most vulnerable point for unexpected events at the entry checkpoint.
Ta Ying gripped his longsword tightly, his voice tinged with tension.
Xie Yun frowned and looked back at the carriage: "Don't rush. Let's hold our position. They look like they're in a hurry and are obviously on their way. Let's wait for them to go first, and we won't run into them."
Before he finished speaking, a slight rustling sound suddenly came from the woods.
Xie Yun was startled and quickly looked back at the figures that were moving further and further away.
The figures moving through the woods suddenly stopped and turned to look towards the valley.
It was the soft sound of horses' hooves crunching on the stones that finally caught their attention!
Xie Yunyang knew something was wrong and reached out to press down on Ta Ying's sword hilt, signaling him not to act rashly, as he wanted to observe the situation further.
But those people moved extremely fast, leaping out of the dense forest with a light touch of their toes. Their dark robes drew sharp arcs through the withered reeds, and in the blink of an eye, they were about to approach the path.
Xie Yunyang had no choice but to withdraw with Ta Ying to defend.
However, those people were clearly no less skilled than the Four Dark Guards. The moment the two made their move, those people immediately noticed their presence.
Who is it?
The leader shouted sharply at the source of the fluctuations in the void. Xie Yunyang's heart tightened. He realized that these people were skilled in martial arts. Defeating them one by one was not a good idea. He had no choice but to rush back to the carriage.
"Ta Ying, protect Miss!"
"Yes, young master!"
The two men's actions made the others even more vigilant, and they pursued relentlessly, their hands on the swords at their waists, their eyes scanning the carriages exposed to their view like hawks.
When he caught a glimpse of the two expensive-looking carriages and the swords at the waists of Zhui Feng and the others guarding the carriages, his pupils suddenly contracted.
Today, they disguised themselves as imperial guards to conceal their true identities. They were secretly escorting a batch of contraband under orders, and temporarily changed their route to avoid the main road and human habitation. However, they did not expect that there would be other people in this desolate valley.
"Damn it! Could it be someone from another faction? Who leaked our whereabouts!" one of the men whispered to the leader. "This matter must not be revealed, or we'll all lose our heads!"
The leader's eyes hardened, and without uttering a single unnecessary word, he raised his hand and swung it towards the two carriages: "No matter who they are, kill them! Leave no one alive, everyone who sees us must die!"
A flash of cold light appeared as several long swords were simultaneously drawn and slashed straight at the carriage and the crowd.
Zhui Feng and Zhu Yue were prepared and immediately drew their swords to meet the attack. The crisp sound of metal clashing instantly shattered the tranquility of the valley.
Chasing the wind and pursuing the moon lead the way, while embracing the clouds protect from behind.
Amidst the chaos, Sheng Sheng could sense that this time was different from the past. Lan Yun, who was protecting her, looked more tense and solemn than ever before.
This means that the enemy this time is not some petty thugs or bandits with brute force.
They are formidable opponents, on par with the Dark Guards!
Zijuan has experienced many such scenes. She has gone from only being able to scream and cower at the beginning to being able to calmly and composedly comfort the people around her now.
"Miss Niu, don't be afraid. Our guards are all palace secret guards, with outstanding strength. We will be fine."
Zijuan quickly comforted Niu Qingru, who nodded repeatedly, barely daring to breathe.
Zijuan was worried about her princess and wanted to peek out to see what was happening outside, but she was afraid that doing so would attract the enemy's attention and disrupt Zhuifeng and the others' rhythm, so she could only worry anxiously.
"Damn it, these people are wearing the uniforms of the Song Dynasty's Imperial Guards, but the Imperial Guards are supposed to protect the emperor and never leave the capital. How could they possibly be here? Who are these people?!"
It took Zhu Yue a lot of effort to break free from the person he was fighting with, and he kicked him to the ground while talking nonstop.
"These people are not simple. They kill anyone they see. They are probably people sent by some force to carry out their mission, disguised as imperial guards."
As Lan Yun spoke with a frown, she drew her dagger, nimbly circled around to the side of the carriage, dodging the oncoming blade, and then stabbed at the wrist of an attacking imperial guard.
These people were all elites, their moves were ruthless and decisive, each strike aimed at vital points, clearly indicating their determination to silence them.
The group fought side by side, and with great difficulty they killed off the Imperial Guards amidst the crisscrossing sword energy, only to see more dark figures emerge from the dense forest.
There were actually more than twenty people.
These people are very strong; even the secret guards selected from the layers of the secret guard camp can hold their own for dozens of rounds.
If the number of people is equal or only a few more, they can still handle it.
But now more than twenty people have suddenly arrived, and they have to spare time to look after a few people who don't know martial arts. This is going to be troublesome!
"They outnumber us, fight and retreat!" Zhui Feng said in a deep voice, his longsword flashing as he forced back the enemies in front of him. "Ta Ying, protect the left side of the carriage! Zhu Yue, cover the young master, and Lan Yun, protect the others!"
The men responded to the order and darted out like arrows, their longswords creating a sharp gust of wind that forced the two imperial guards approaching the carriage to retreat repeatedly.
These people were fearless and seemed to have no other goal than to kill the group that had seen them, charging forward one after another.
The dull thud of a blade slicing through flesh mingled with the sharp clang of weapons clashing, and splattered blood fell onto the withered reeds, spreading out in dark red spots.
Shrinking in the corner of the carriage, Sheng Sheng could only hear the sounds of fighting, the clash of weapons, and the occasional muffled groan outside. Her heart was in her throat.
Yan Hu and Shi Tou were both ready to strike, but Yan Hu had previously injured his leg, and Shi Tou dared not let him exert himself again.
All we can do is pat the stone on the backside and get him to take charge.
"Stone, go! Bite them all to death!"
"Awooo—!"
Stone roared and charged out, his black fur bristling like a shadow. He rammed into a soldier, knocking him over, and bit off his wrist. His claws drew blood with a single slash. He pounced around, taking down several people. His knife clattered to the ground. He was incredibly ferocious.
With the arrival of the stone, the four guards and Xie Yun were able to catch their breath.
Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally relaxed a little. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, and when she heard Niu Qingru's panicked cry, she couldn't help but lift a crack in the carriage curtain. She saw that the carriage where Zijuan and Niu Qingru were was being violently thrown open by an imperial guard, who slashed at Niu Qingru with a long sword.
"Can't!"
Niu Qingru is a witness who can expose Empress Zheng, and is the key to making her princess's five years of suffering worthwhile.
Niu Qingru must not be harmed!
Without hesitation, Zijuan lunged at Niu Qingru, shielding her with her body.
Even if she dies, Her Highness's witness must not be harmed in the slightest!
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