“Stop it!” The wind turned and the snow flew. Chu Qiao raised her thin face and shouted, “Otherwise I will kill him!”
"Stop!" Wei Shuye frowned and shouted loudly.
With a sharp whoosh sound, a crossbow arrow broke through the air and shot into the head of Wei Shuye's horse with incredible accuracy, entering the left eye and exiting the right eye. Blood splattered, brain matter burst out, and a shrill wail rose to the sky. Wei Shuye was thrown off his horse and rolled on the ground, looking a little embarrassed.
Chu Qiao half-knelt on the ground, holding the knife in her left hand against Wei Jing's neck, holding the crossbow in her right hand against her shoulder blade, and tilted her head to take out an arrow from the small quiver behind her, and quickly loaded the arrow using only her mouth and arms. She raised her eyebrows, looked at Wei Shuye coldly, and said slowly: "The next arrow will not only shoot the horse, I advise you not to go forward."
Everyone's eyes were stunned for a moment, as if they were all frozen by this fatal weather. Thousands of Zhenhuang City's most elite soldiers, princes of aristocratic families, and outstanding generals of the Empire's General Selection Hall all frowned and looked at the child who was less than three feet tall. The child was wearing soft leather armor that was obviously too big for her. The green leather collar protected her thin little face, which was not even as big as an adult's palm. She had a pair of big eyes with distinct black and white, a small nose that was slightly upturned, and arms that were so slender that they seemed like they could be broken with a little force. Her whole body exuded an unconcealable tenderness and childishness.
But it was this child who looked like she could be blown away by a gust of wind who broke through the blockade of the Wei clan's elite. At this moment, she was half-crouching there, fearlessly confronting thousands of soldiers, the resolution of the Council of Elders, the master of Shengjin Palace, and the entire Daxia Empire. With a stern face, she took the enemy's leader hostage and threatened everyone.
This was the first time that Chu Qiao openly rebelled against the rule of the Great Xia Dynasty and defied the imperial power of the Great Xia Dynasty. Her idea was simple. She wanted to escape, taking Yan Xun with her.
"Put down your weapons, open the city gates, and don't make me say it again." The child spoke in a low voice, her eyes slowly sweeping through the crowd. As her body turned, the crossbow on her shoulder blade also turned, like a bloodthirsty eye, slowly passing through the hearts of the people around her.
"Do it!" Wei Jing suddenly shouted. The pampered and noble young master of the imperial dynasty could not endure the humiliation of being threatened and humiliated by a lowly person. He raised his young head stubbornly, not afraid of the knife cutting the skin on his neck, and said angrily, "Take them down!"
With a sharp sound, two of Wei Jing's fingers were cut off by Chu Qiao before he could finish his words. Wei Jing was caught off guard and let out a scream, blood from his severed fingers splattering all over the ground.
"Second Master Wei, I advise you to shut up." Chu Qiao raised her head, looked at the Wei clan's personal soldiers, and sneered, "Did you not understand what I said, or did you disobey me on purpose? Or, did you obey the orders of another commander?" She turned her eyes to Wei Shuye and made a light circle, "Now that the biggest competitor is dead, some people can legitimately take the position of the head of the family. Major General Shuye, who else but you can be the next elder of the Wei clan?"
"Untouchable!" Wei Jing gritted his teeth and said, "We are brothers with deep feelings. You don't have to bother to stir up trouble."
"Whether it's a deep brotherly love or not, we'll have to see it first to know." Chu Qiao smiled faintly, her eyes met Wei Shuye's, and she scratched Wei Jing's neck with the knife. Her smile was evil and she didn't look like an eight-year-old child at all.
She tied up Wei Jing quickly, but because he was thin and not very strong, the way he was tied up and the way the ropes were tied were very clever, and even with Wei Jing's strength, it was difficult for him to break free.
"Get on the horse." Chu Qiao said, "We'll have to trouble Second Master Wei to give us a ride."
The sky was covered with thick clouds, not a single star could be seen, and even the cold moonlight was obscured.
Chu Qiao did not ride on the same warhorse as Wei Jing. Instead, she confidently and boldly sat on another warhorse, following him two horse lengths behind, holding a small crossbow, staring at the man tied to the horse in front of her, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any time when necessary.
"Yanxun, let's go."
Yan Xun narrowed his eyes, then the corners of his mouth turned up and he smiled happily. He lazily climbed onto the horse's back and walked straight forward with his subordinates, without paying any attention to the enemy soldiers beside him. Chu Qiao took the lead and walked in front. She looked too small, but no one could ignore the cold aura emanating from that tiny body. Wherever she went, the dark masses of Zhenhuang defenders gave way to her like a flood at low tide.
The city gate creaked open and torches burned fiercely, illuminating the sky red. The smoke of war in the north of the empire was still not extinguished. The war affected tens of thousands of Daxia people and blood dyed every inch of the Yanbei Plateau red. At this moment, in the heart of the empire, Yan Xun, the son of Prince Yan, who was judged by the empire to be the leader of the rebellion, walked out of the thick city walls of the Zhenhuang Imperial Capital in broad daylight, and the most elite army of the Great Xia Dynasty could only watch, unable to do anything to save the situation.
Zhuge Huai raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and smiled faintly, almost unnoticeably.
For the Zhuge family, it was not important whether Yan Xun could return to Yanbei. What was important was that Sheng Jin Palace gave this task to the Wei clan, and they did not complete it.
There is no news that would be more delightful than this, Zhuge Huai thought to himself, and said to the attendant beside him: "Go and inform the fourth young master to return home immediately. I have something to discuss with him."
The attendant stepped forward and said, "The fourth young master has left the city."
"What?" Zhuge Huai was stunned. "Leave the city?"
"He just left through the north gate. He said he was trying to catch a runaway slave from the mansion."
"Escaped slave?" Zhuge Huai frowned and asked, "What escaped slave? He actually has to trouble himself to chase him?"
"I'm not sure either. I'll check right away."
Zhuge Huai raised his head, half-closed his eyes and looked into the dark night, muttering: "I hope he won't do anything bad."
Half an hour later, on the desolate ancient plank road, Yan Xun ordered his men to untie Wei Jing's ropes and said in a cold voice: "Since I promised to let you go, I will not regret it. Go now."
Wei Jing gave Yan Xun and Chu Qiao behind him a fierce look, then turned around and walked towards Zhenhuang City.
"You shouldn't have let him go." Chu Qiao's voice sounded coldly behind him, "Didn't you see the look in his eyes? If you keep him, he will become a serious problem sooner or later."
Yan Xun shook his head, looked at Wei Jing's receding figure, and said slowly: "If we kill him, Yanbei will really be convicted of treason. I don't know what happened at home, so I can't take this risk." After saying that, the young man turned around and said, "What are your plans? The Zhuge family will not let you go, come back to Yanbei with me."
Chu Qiao raised her face, smiled softly, and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but I still have something to do."
Yan Xun frowned and said in a deep voice: "You are just a little kid, what can you do?"
Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows and looked at Yan Xun, "It's been so long, how can you think I'm a child?"
Yan Xun was stunned and wanted to explain himself, but then he thought again, this guy really didn't look like a child at all. Prince Yan frowned, thought for a long time, and angrily grabbed Chu Qiao's hand, saying stubbornly: "I see that you look like a child in every way. Look at your hands, small arms, legs, head, and body. You are clearly a child. No matter how cruel you are, you are still a child."
Chu Qiao pushed Yan Xun away, frowned and muttered, "Nonsense."
"Hey!" Yan Xun rode forward and blocked Chu Qiao's way. "Are you really going to leave?"
"I have to go."
"If there is something that needs to be done, can't I find someone to do it for you?" Prince Yan asked loudly, annoyed and angry.
Chu Qiao turned around, looked at the young man's clear eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Yan Xun, you and I are not the same kind of people. It's enough that we have walked this journey together."
Yan Xun sat on the horse, silent.
"We finally met each other. The road ahead is unpredictable, so take care of yourself." Chu Qiao spoke in a low voice, like an elder, then turned her horse around, whipped the horse and rode away.
The stars and the moon were dim, and in the midst of a snowy storm, the child was riding alone, gradually disappearing in the wind and snow. Yan Xun suddenly reacted and rode his horse to catch up, but it was in vain. He sat on the horse and shouted to the child hidden in the wind and snow: "Hey! If you have any problems in the future, come to Yanbei to find me!"
The sound penetrated the wind and snow, echoing in the vast night. The night was far from over, but it was still pitch black and freezing cold.
Outside the pitch-black Zhenhuang City, a short shadow was walking quickly on the plank road outside the eastern city gate. A huge leather coat covered his head, face and body. He carried a small mink skin bag on his back, which was bulging and looked very heavy.
The wind and snow were getting stronger and stronger, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes. The man walked with difficulty but never stopped, as if there was a ferocious beast chasing him from behind.
Amid the howling wind, the crisp sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out. On the distant plain, a pure black warhorse came running quickly. The child on the horse was thin, no more than seven or eight years old. He was wearing the clothes of a Yanbei guard. His pair of dark eyes scanned the night like a sharp eagle. Seeing the figure walking alone in front of her, she was immediately delighted, whipped her horse whip, and quickly caught up.
"Xiao Ba!" Chu Qiao screamed, and a strong wind blew up, instantly blowing her voice into pieces. The person walking in front didn't seem to notice, and still kept his head down and walked quickly. Chu Qiao rode forward and blocked the man in a few steps. She frowned and said in a deep voice, "Xiao Ba?"
"Hehe." A low and hoarse laugh suddenly came, and the thin man raised his head, his face full of wrinkles. He didn't look like a young child at all, but a middle-aged dwarf around forty years old!
In a flash, an arrow shot out from the dwarf's sleeve and flew straight towards Chu Qiao's face. The cold wind was fierce and the sharp energy was overwhelming. Chu Qiao was caught off guard. She groaned and her body immediately fell off the horse's back.
A hoarse sneer slowly sounded, seeming particularly strange in the cold night. The dwarf threw away the bag on his back, walked slowly forward, kicked the child on the leg, and when he saw that the child had no reaction like a dead body, he squatted down to feel her breath.
"The master is indeed stupid. He actually sent me to deal with such a little kid." The dwarf snorted coldly and turned the child's body over.
However, in the blink of an eye, the child who had fallen limply to the ground suddenly jumped up, his eyes as bright as stars, his movements were explosive and powerful, the wind was cold and the murderous aura was overwhelming. In just a blink of an eye, the controlled child became the master, pressed a cold dagger against the dwarf's neck artery, and then spat the sleeve arrow in his mouth onto the ground.