“If we go, we go together.” Feng Jiang whipped his sword around, and the fierce gust of the blade sent several soldiers flying.

He tore off his human-skin mask and looked coldly at the men surging toward him with murderous intent.

“I am the Third Prince. If you surrender now, it’s not too late.”

Unless it was absolutely necessary, he had no wish to raise his hand against soldiers of his own country.

“The Second and Third Princes are both traitors to the nation. Kill them and the Emperor will reward us ten thousand taels of silver!” one man shouted, raising his broadsword high.

“The traitors tried to assassinate His Highness the Crown Prince—kill them!”

“Then don’t blame us for being rude!” Feng Jiang leapt forward and cut down the soldier who had raised his broadsword.

“Bad news! Bad news!” Someone ran out from the bridal chamber, shouting, “His Highness the Crown Prince has died! His Highness the Crown Prince has died!”

“They killed His Highness the Crown Prince—we can’t let them leave!”

In an instant, Feng Jin’s soldiers’ morale surged like a tide.

“Kill them! Avenge His Highness the Crown Prince!”

Some fought for revenge, others for the silver reward, but every one of them wore a look of savage fury, determined to slaughter everyone trapped within the encirclement.

Feng Jiang’s men fell one after another, and the battle circle kept shrinking.

Gong Xinyue’s martial skill had never matched Feng Jiang’s or Feng Yan’s—even quite a few of their brothers were better fighters than she was.

Soon she was utterly exhausted, and she had also taken no small number of sword wounds.

But the soldiers around them seemed endless; as one group fell, another pressed in right behind.

Gong Xinyue swept aside several soldiers, propped herself up on her long sword, and gasped for breath in great gulps.

The flash of silver light left her dizzy, and without meaning to, she closed her eyes.

“Long Yi, I’m sorry. Let’s meet again in the next life.”

She suddenly opened her eyes wide, let out a long cry to the sky, and with the last of her strength swung her sword at the soldiers closing in.

Her strength spent, Gong Xinyue could not even stand steady, and she began to fall backward.

A powerful arm swept across her waist, and she fell into a warm embrace.

When Gong Xinyue opened her eyes again, she saw a very familiar face.

These past days she had thought of him constantly, longed for him constantly—his face had long since taken over her entire world.

“They say… before a person dies, they see the one they love. I never imagined it was… true.”

The long sword slipped from Gong Xinyue’s hand, and with the strength she had just recovered, she raised it.

She touched the man’s handsome face, the corner of her mouth curving up, her eyes seeming to smile as well.

“Long Yi, I… love you.”

“Xinyue, it’s me, Long Yi. It’s me—don’t be afraid! I will get you out of here.”

Long Yi held the person in his arms tight with one hand, while his other hand swept his sword to fend off the soldiers closing in one after another.

Gong Xinyue rested in his arms for a moment and slowly came to her senses.

“Long Yi, is it really you?” she asked hoarsely.

“It’s me.” Long Yi kept fighting off enemies, not daring to look down.

She was his wife. He had to protect her completely, even if it cost him his own life.

“Hold on, you’ll be fine!” Long Yi comforted her gently.

“I’m fine, just a little tired.” Gong Xinyue clutched tightly at his robe.

“Why are you so foolish? Why did you come? It’s dangerous here, go quickly! Long Yi, you… go quickly!”

She couldn’t bear for him to leave, yet she couldn’t bear for him to remain in danger either.

“Listen to me, go quickly! Staying here means only death.”

When the Third Prince had come to find her, he had already told her that the plan to assassinate the Eldest Prince this time was extremely dangerous.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t afraid of dying, but for the war to end in victory sooner, for the sake of more brothers-in-arms and the common people, she had to see it through to the end.

“Long Yi, to see you one more time is already enough for me. Go, take the Third Prince and leave.”

“If there is a next life, I still hope to marry you.”