"Pfft!" Qi Guze spat out a mouthful of blood and fell heavily to the ground.
Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai felt a pang of pain in her heart and quickly stepped forward to help Qi Guze up. Looking at Qi Guze's pale face, her eyes were filled with guilt and anger.
"Aze, how are you?" Xu Yuehuai asked in a trembling voice.
Qi Guze forced a smile and said, "I'm fine, A-Yue. Be careful, Murong Jin's martial arts are unpredictable, don't be careless."
Xu Yuehua nodded, stood up, and stared coldly at Murong Jin. She knew that if she didn't capture Murong Jin today, both she and Qi Guze would be in mortal danger.
A fierce wind howled, dust billowed, and Murong Jin coldly stared at Qi Guze lying on the ground, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "It seems you two really do have some feelings for each other. In that case, I'll send you both on your way!" He moved swiftly, attacking Xu Yuehuai like a ghost.
A resolute glint flashed in Xu Yuehuai's eyes. Gripping her longsword tightly, she swiftly dodged, engaging Murong Jin in a fierce exchange. Sword energy crisscrossed, cleaving the surrounding trees into pieces, branches and leaves flying everywhere.
"Heh, even if I die today, I will never let you leave!" Xu Yuehuai shouted coldly. Her long sword flew through the air like a dragon, each swing carrying a chilling sword aura, aiming straight for Murong Jin's vital points.
Murong Jin's expression darkened slightly. He hadn't expected Xu Yuehuai's martial arts to be so formidable, and for the time being, he couldn't gain the upper hand. He was secretly anxious, knowing that this couldn't go on; he had to eliminate Xu Yuehuai as soon as possible.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the silence of the battlefield. Xu Yuehuai's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up into the distance, a determined glint in her eyes. She knew that the royal guards had arrived.
"Some of you come to help! The rest of you go to rescue His Majesty!" Xu Yuehuai shouted immediately, his voice strong and clear, echoing across the battlefield.
"Yes!" The royal guards received the order and quickly sprang into action.
Some of the guards rushed towards Qi Hanlin's location, while others stayed behind to fight against Murong Jin together with Xu Yuehuai.
Seeing the situation was dire, Murong Jin felt a sense of foreboding. He moved, trying to break through the encirclement, but was surrounded by Xu Yuehuai and the royal guards. In an instant, sword energy crisscrossed, blades flashed, and the battle was extremely fierce.
"Xu Yuehuai, you can't stop me! Die!" Murong Jin roared, his eyes bloodshot as if they were about to spit fire. He swung his longsword even faster, each swing carrying a sharp sword aura, aimed directly at Xu Yuehuai.
"Ha, you're at your last gasp now. You might as well surrender quickly, and maybe we can at least leave you with a whole corpse."
Xu Yuehuai calmly dealt with Murong Jin's attacks. Her swordsmanship was agile and swift, sometimes aiming for Murong Jin's vitals, sometimes dodging his attacks. She knew that Murong Jin's martial arts were highly skilled, so she dared not be careless in the slightest.
"Xu Yuehuai, you are utterly arrogant. My divine skills are unmatched. Prepare to die!"
"Murong Jin, you are ambitious and want to usurp the throne. How can I not be your enemy!" Xu Yuehuai shouted back. Her voice was firm and powerful, full of a sense of justice.
Just then, Qi Guze struggled to his feet. After taking the medicine, his injuries were slightly relieved. He went to Xu Yuehuai's side and fought alongside her.
"Ah Yue, I'm here to help you!" Qi Guze shouted. The long sword in his hand gleamed coldly as he fought against Murong Jin alongside Xu Yuehuai.
"Aze, you're injured, you shouldn't push yourself." Xu Yuehuai said worriedly about Qi Guze's injury.
"It's alright, I can still hold on." Qi Guze had no intention of backing down.
With the two working together, Murong Jin gradually felt his strength waning. His attacks became increasingly chaotic, and his openings grew more numerous. Xu Yuehuai seized an opportunity and thrust his sword towards Murong Jin's chest.
"Ah—!" Murong Jin screamed as his body crashed heavily to the ground. His eyes were filled with resentment and anger, but he was too weak to fight anymore.
However, just when everyone thought the battle was about to end, Murong Jin suddenly stood up. A cunning glint flashed in his eyes, as if he had some other scheme in mind.
"You think you've won? I still have my last trump card!" Murong Jin sneered. He moved swiftly and charged towards Xu Yuehuai once more.
Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze immediately rushed forward. The three engaged in fierce combat again, their swords flashing and blades gleaming. This time, Murong Jin seemed even more frenzied; his attacks became even more ferocious, as if he wanted to perish together with Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze.
The royal guards beside him were also ready to fight. They had spotted Murong Jin's weakness and formed a perfect sword formation around him.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, we will create opportunities for you then!" said the commander of the royal guards.
"Alright! Everyone, pay attention, we must seize the opportunity later!" Qi Guze said.
After a fierce battle, Xu Yuehuai finally found a weakness in Murong Jin's defenses.
She seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack on Murong Jin!
A sword pierced his back!
This time, Murong Jin never stood up again. His body collapsed to the ground, his blood staining the ground red.
"It's finally over..." Xu Yuehuai breathed a sigh of relief, but there was no joy on her face. She knew that although the battle was won, the price paid was enormous.
Qi Guze also felt tired. He walked to Xu Yuehuai's side and gently patted her shoulder.
"Ah Yue, you did very well," Qi Guze said. His voice was somewhat weak, but it was full of praise and respect.
Xu Yuehuai smiled slightly and shook her head.
“It’s what I should do,” she said. Her gaze drifted into the distance, as if she were deep in thought.
At this moment, the royal guards, along with Qi Hanlin and others, arrived at Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze's side.
They felt a chill run down their spines as they looked at Murong Jin lying on the ground and the execution platform covered in blood.
Upon seeing that Qi Guze was seriously injured, Qi Hanlin immediately stepped forward to inquire about the situation.
Qi Guze forced a smile despite the pain: "Your Majesty, don't worry, I'm fine."
Xu Yuehuai shook her head, indicating that she was fine. They knew that although the battle was over, there were still many things to deal with.
Xu Yuehuai then gave Qi Hanlin a detailed report on the battle.
Upon hearing this, Qi Hanlin expressed his heartfelt admiration and gratitude to Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze. He knew that without their heroic struggle, he would probably have already lost his life.
After the group returned to the palace, the bodies of Minister Wu and Murong Jin were dragged away and disposed of.
Throughout this process, Xu Yuehuai remained silent. She was contemplating the meaning of this battle and the path forward.
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