Chapter Seventeen: A Beauty's Rescue
After a long and arduous journey, the soldiers of the Judicial Office and the Imperial Guards were exhausted. Seeing the large ship in sight, they breathed a slight sigh of relief. As long as they could board smoothly, they could finally rest easy.
Wiping the sweat-soaked rainwater from his face haphazardly, Sun Bin, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard, leaned on his cane and roared, "Those at the back, hurry up! Don't dawdle, get on the ship immediately..."
"Yes..." the Imperial Guards responded loudly, their voices echoing through the rain. Some of the faster ones had already reached the foot of the large ship; after a day and night of hardship, the rest of the men could no longer endure it.
wrong!
Her innate instinct for danger was suddenly awakened, and Mu Lian instantly stopped in her tracks. With a slight wave of her slender hand, the soldiers of the Judicial Office immediately halted, obeying orders and quickly forming ranks.
A sudden scream shattered the tranquility of the rainy midday. Crimson blood flowed down the bodies of the Imperial Guards, riddled with arrows, staining the muddy riverbank before being washed clean by the rain. Those Imperial Guards who had moved quickly were all dead from the arrows.
"Damn it, there's an ambush?" Sun Bin was so anxious that his eyes turned red, and even his hand holding the cane was trembling.
"Lord Sun, be careful..." Seeing the arrows raining down, A Zhe, who had been sent to protect Sun Bin, quickly pulled him aside to avoid the fierce attack.
Before everyone could react, the boatmen and guards who had been waiting on the large ship launched their attack. Judging from their formation, they seemed intent on trapping them like turtles in a jar.
"kill……"
Amidst a hail of arrows, the enemy attacked fiercely. Already exhausted from the long march, the Imperial Guards, who had been lying in wait, were easily defeated and fell one after another.
"Damn it, I'll fight you to the death..." Filled with anger and resentment, Sun Bin wanted to throw away his crutch and take the thieves down with him, but he was stopped again by A Zhe and his attendant.
"Chief Mu has ordered that Lord Sun must not act rashly..." Holding Sun Bin firmly, A Zhe's voice was cold. If Mu Lian hadn't specifically instructed A Zhe to protect Vice Commander Sun's safety, A Zhe would have already rushed to help the Judicial Office.
“But…” Sun Bin sighed heavily, but could only retreat with red eyes as he was escorted away by A Zhe and his attendants.
Inside the carriage, Ye Yuqing, who was about to jump off, was once again forced back by arrows. The horse, which had just been startled, was now galloping wildly through the rain, heading towards the large ship in the chaos, right within the range of the arrows coming from the ship.
"Young Master..." Ye Xun, his face contorted with rage and blood gushing from his wound, ripped the arrow from his arm and, in a frenzy, chased after the carriage again. If he failed to protect his young master and something happened to him, he feared that even death would not be enough to atone for his sins.
The shouts were deafening in the rain, but the cry of "Young Master" clearly reached Mu Lian's ears. With a sword piercing through the burly soldier in front of her, dressed in guard uniform, Mu Lian lightly touched the ground with her slender feet, stepped on the still-standing corpse, and used the momentum to leap up and chase after Ye Yiqing's carriage.
Behind him, a barrage of sharp arrows came flying, seemingly having seen through Mu Lian's intentions and aiming to stop him. Mu Lian didn't turn around; he simply quickened his pace, and the arrows fell to the ground, their force waning, and disappeared into the mud.
A few breaths later, Mu Lian rushed to the top of Ye Yuqing's carriage and severed the ropes holding it together with her sword. The startled horse, no longer restrained, continued its wild gallop, instantly charging into the enemy ranks, kicking down many soldiers before finally letting out a mournful neigh and being pierced by an arrow. The rapidly moving carriage, suddenly freed from its pull, was thrown forward by its inertia, throwing Ye Yuqing straight out of the carriage, about to collide with a barrage of arrows.
In the critical moment, Mu Lian leaped into the air, using the momentum of her dive to grab Ye Yiqing by the back of her collar and pull her back. At the same time, her longsword plunged deep into the ground, creating a trail of muddy water that stopped the two from falling backward.
Fortunately, the rescue was timely, and Mu Lian breathed a slight sigh of relief. Turning her head, she saw that Ye Tanhua, who was originally handsome and extraordinary, had been dragged down into the mud again. Now, his face and body were covered in mud, and he was completely covered in mud, no longer resembling his former immortal appearance.
Mu Lian was stunned for a moment, almost bursting out laughing. Ye Yiqing looked at the woman in front of her, who seemed to be barely suppressing a smile, with a resentful expression, and said aggrievedly, "Headmaster, can I finally use my skills?"
"Hmm," Mu Lian replied softly, but her movements were much gentler than before.
Helplessly wiping the mud from his face, Ye Yiqing knew he looked disheveled, but didn't try to appear dignified. However, his expression, tinged with a hint of grievance and resentment, added to his brokenness, making Mu Lian feel somewhat embarrassed. After all, he was a refined scholar, elegant and dignified, unlike the rough-and-tumble soldiers of the Judicial Office. It seemed he should treat Ye Tanhua more gently in the future.
"Young Master, Young Master..." On the other side, seeing his young master finally rescued, Ye Xun's gratitude was beyond words. He finally managed to run to Ye Yuqing's side, but due to excessive blood loss, he collapsed and knelt down at Mu Lian's feet.
"Attendant Ye, there's no need for such a grand gesture..." Mu Lian quickly turned her sword hilt and helped Ye Xun up. But Ye Xun was sore all over and unable to get up.
Well, just now there was only one weakling, but this time there will probably be two.
"My lord, let me come..." After escorting Deputy Commander Sun to a safe area, A Zhe hurriedly returned to Mu Lian's side and just then helped Ye Xun up.
Nodding, after A Zhe led Ye Xun away, Mu Lian then pulled Ye Yuqing along, fighting and retreating. Sharp arrows pierced the rain and came flying towards Mu Lian and Ye Yuqing, presumably because the enemy had recognized this person as the Chief of the Cauldrons, and their attacks were even more ferocious than before.
As they dragged each other, Ye Yuqing's hair was disheveled by a flying arrow. Rain-soaked black hair cascaded messily over her shoulders, strands of it clung to her face, and her once-purple robes were now unrecognizable, leaving only her clear black and white eyes visible. She looked utterly wretched. Having intended to display her beauty before the fair lady, Ye Yuqing was instead reduced to such a wretched state, feeling deeply aggrieved.
Only after retreating to a safe area did Mu Lian release Ye Yiqing again. Glancing at Ye Tanhua's resentful expression out of the corner of her eye, Mu Lian couldn't help but smile again. She'd heard that Ye Tanhua was notoriously sharp-tongued in court, but who would have thought he'd become such a pitiful, weakling in the mud? How amusing.
Ahead, the tide of battle has finally turned.
Since Mu Lian took over the Judicial Office, the officers and soldiers there had been well-trained. In their hasty deployment of troops, they had managed to withstand the attack from the opposing defenders and the disguised boatmen. Later, the Imperial Guards, having regained their senses, joined the fray, and the Judicial Office had gained the upper hand.
"Give me the bow..." Mu Lian ordered calmly. Upon hearing this, A Zhe hurriedly took the bow and arrows from the imperial guards who were protecting him and handed them over.
Aiming at the man who appeared to be in command on the large ship, Mu Lian drew her bowstring taut, nocked three arrows, and fired them towards her target. The powerful whooshing sound pierced the rain, tearing through the curtain of rain as the arrows hurtled straight towards the man…
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com