As Xu Yuehuai tilted the medicine bottle slightly, a cool ointment was slowly applied to the wounds of the guards, and their faces, tormented by pain, gradually relaxed under the effect of the medicine.
Once everyone's injuries had subsided somewhat, Xu Yuehuai and Yan Qing exchanged a glance and decided to lead them away from this troublesome place as soon as possible.
They rode off, joined the other five guards, and continued their journey.
The sound of horses' hooves was rapid and orderly in the night, as if leaving a unique mark on the quiet night.
Soon after, they arrived at the entrance to a small town.
The town lights swayed gracefully in the night, illuminating the road ahead.
The townspeople were either busy making a living or leisurely chatting in the teahouse, paying little attention to the group of weary travelers.
However, beneath this seemingly calm surface, unseen undercurrents are surging.
Just as they were about to pass through the town gate, a figure suddenly darted out from the crowd and collided head-on with Xu Yuehuai's mount.
The man staggered a few steps and fell to the ground, and Xu Yuehuai's purse fell out with him.
The man was quick-witted and grabbed the purse, intending to flee.
Xu Yuehuai was startled and hurriedly shouted, "Stop! That's my purse!" Her voice echoed in the night sky, alarming the surrounding people.
Upon seeing this, Yan Qing and the other five guards immediately drew their swords and gave chase.
Although the thief ran fast, he was ultimately unable to escape the pursuit of the crowd in this small town.
After a chase and struggle, they finally subdued the thief in a secluded alley.
Xu Yuehuai quickly stepped forward and snatched the purse back from the man's hand. When she opened it, she found that all the loose silver and banknotes inside were still there.
She frowned slightly, her mind filled with doubt: "Why would this thief steal my purse?"
Just as they were about to question the thief, they discovered that he had stopped breathing.
Xu Yuehuai squatted down to examine the person closely. He saw that the person's face was as pale as paper, and a trace of black blood was oozing from the corner of the mouth. It was clear that the person had died from poisoning.
A chill ran down her spine; she immediately realized that someone else must be behind this. She looked up at Yan Qing and said, "It seems we need to be careful. This person stole my purse and may have been targeted by our enemies, which led to this deadly predicament."
Yan Qing nodded in agreement, "What the Princess says is absolutely right."
They dared not linger in the town any longer and quickly left.
The sound of hooves grew more rapid in the darkness, as if searching for a safe place to rest. They didn't find a secluded mountain forest to stop and rest until dawn.
The group sat around the fire and ate some dry food to stave off hunger.
Xu Yuehuai sat by the fire, watching the leaping flames, but her heart was filled with unease.
The thought of the thief's tragic death and the possible conspiracy behind it sent a chill down her spine.
No one knows who killed the thief.
Just then, a commotion in the distance broke the silence of the forest.
Xu Yuehuai and the others immediately became alert and drew their weapons in preparation.
A short while later, a group of bandits emerged from the forest, escorting several ragged, terrified villagers.
As the bandits marched, they shouted, "You all better behave yourselves! Otherwise, don't blame us for being impolite!"
Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai had an idea. She turned to Yan Qing and said, "Let's stay here and see what's going on. If they're really in trouble, we'll lend a hand."
Yan Qing nodded, signaling everyone to hide. They hid in the bushes, quietly observing the bandits and villagers.
The bandits led the villagers to an open space and began to interrogate them for money.
Where would those villagers get the money to pay?
They had no choice but to beg the bandits to let them go.
However, the bandits paid no heed to their pleas.
They began to beat the villagers, and cries, pleas for mercy, and curses filled the air.
Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai and the others were filled with rage. She stood up, gripping her longsword tightly, and said to Yan Qing, "We can't wait any longer! We must act to save them!"
Yan Qing immediately signaled the other five guards to get ready.
They moved with the speed of ghosts, rushing out in a flash. The bandits were terrified and drew their weapons to fight back.
However, these mountain bandits were no match for the secret guards, and were soon defeated and scattered.
Xu Yuehuai stepped forward and shouted at the bandits with piercing eyes, "You people! How dare you bully the common people in broad daylight! Get out of here!"
Seeing that Xu Yuehuai and his companions were highly skilled in martial arts and possessed an awe-inspiring sense of justice, the bandits dared not linger and threw down their weapons, fleeing in all directions.
"Thank you, heroine!"
"If it weren't for you all today, we probably wouldn't have seen the sun rise the next day."
"Thanks to your chivalrous rescue!"
Upon seeing this, the villagers all knelt down and kowtowed, expressing their gratitude to Xu Yuehuai and the others for saving their lives.
Xu Yuehuai helped a villager up and asked, "Why were you bullied by these bandits?"
The villager cried out, "We were originally from a nearby village, but we came to these mountains to gather herbs because we were so poor that we had no other way to make a living. We never expected to encounter these bandits..."
Xu Yuehua felt a pang of pain in her heart upon hearing this, for she knew all too well the suffering and helplessness of these people. She turned to Yan Qing and said, "We must help them."
Yan Qing clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness is right. These people are suffering innocently, and we should help them."
So Xu Yuehuai and the others left some silver for the villagers so they could go home and rebuild their homes, and then continued their journey to Dongsang Kingdom.
Night fell again, and their figures gradually disappeared into the moonlight, but their dedication and belief in justice remained as unquenchable as a blazing flame.
Suddenly, Xu Yuehuai turned her head slightly, a wary glint in her eyes, and whispered to Yan Qing beside her, "Don't you feel like we're being watched by someone?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Qing frowned, his gaze sweeping across the surroundings with the sharpness of a hawk. His voice was low and firm: "I also sensed something amiss. The person following us seems extremely cunning, appearing and disappearing as they please, making them difficult to fathom."
Xu Yuehuai took a deep breath, her heart calm and composed. She knew that this journey would be fraught with danger, but having made up her mind, she was fearless.
She smiled faintly and said, "Since we're here, let's make the best of it. Let's see who this person following us really is."
Their horses' hooves grew increasingly rapid, as if they were racing against time.
The person who was following them seemed to be doing everything they could to avoid being discovered.
The trees lining the mountain road swayed gracefully in the night breeze, rustling softly as if whispering nature's secrets.
Just as the group was about to pass through a dense forest, they secretly set a trap, waiting for their target to fall into their trap.
Sure enough, a short while later, someone fell into the trap. The person was agile and held a short sword in his hand, ready to defend himself.
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