Qiao Zhao saw that tall, upright figure stagger, and then the gleaming Japanese sword thrust toward his heart.

Afraid of disturbing his concentration, she didn’t even dare cry out in that instant, covering her mouth tightly as she watched helplessly while he reached out with both hands to grasp the Japanese sword, gripping the blade itself to wrest the weapon from the Japanese soldier’s hands.

Blood instantly stained the blade red.

“Chen Guang, quickly go help your general! I’ll guard the entrance!” Yang Houcheng shouted.

Chen Guang hesitated for a moment.

The General had ordered him to guard this place, and by rights he absolutely shouldn’t leave. But the General was injured!

Never mind—he’d still go help the General. Even if the General punished him severely afterward, he’d accept it.

Better for him to be punished than for something to happen to the General.

“Then I’ll entrust this place to Young Master Yang.” Chen Guang rushed out.

Yang Houcheng quickly rushed over to block the entrance, shouting: “Brothers who aren’t injured, come help block them! If we let them charge in, none of us will have a good ending!”

Chi Can followed, lifting his foot to kick away one of the town magistrate’s thugs.

Yang Houcheng turned his head and shouted: “Shixi, what are you doing coming over here? If you’re injured, just stay put!”

Chi Can remained unmoved, saying coldly: “Yang Er, I’m also a man!”

How could he sit aside and watch his brothers fight desperately?

“Fine, then be careful!”

“Stop the nonsense. Keep babbling and they’ll turn you into a hornet’s nest—I’d still have to collect your corpse.”

Yang Houcheng rolled his eyes: “Can’t you say something nice? Today, we really might meet our end here.”

“No!” Chi Can stood beside Yang Houcheng, helping him resist those trying to charge in, speaking firmly.

Though he didn’t know why Shao Mingyuan’s dozens of personal guards hadn’t appeared yet, when it truly came to a life-or-death moment, those men would show themselves.

Shao Mingyuan wouldn’t let Third Miss Li come to harm, nor would he let him and Yang Er come to harm.

He still had that much confidence.

Outside the tavern, seeing that Shao Mingyuan was injured, the town magistrate shouted: “Quick, quick! Charge into the tavern and capture those three young ladies, then present them to the warriors!”

The townspeople surged toward the tavern entrance.

Qiao Zhao stared fixedly at Shao Mingyuan, seeing his azure robe stained red with blood, feeling her heart suddenly contracted with pain.

With his hands injured like that, yet still having to continue fighting those Japanese soldiers—didn’t it hurt?

The commotion at the entrance grew louder. Qiao Zhao withdrew her gaze from outside the window, slowly turning to look there.

She saw many people charging inside, knocking Yang Houcheng and the others about.

Those people had numb expressions, their eyes flashing with inexplicable excitement, as if they thought of nothing else—capturing the three women was their only belief.

Honor, righteousness, integrity, shame, national brotherhood—to them, none of these things existed.

Qiao Zhao was filled with rage.

Were the Tartars detestable? Yes, detestable.

Were the Japanese pirates detestable? Yes, detestable.

But whether Tartars or Japanese pirates, they were foreigners to begin with. The lands they trampled and the people they harmed belonged to other countries.

Yet these people, to curry favor with these invaders, had raised their blades against their people.

They were ordinary citizens, true, but it was precisely such ordinary citizens who had caused the renowned Marquis Guanjun to be injured. If something happened to Shao Mingyuan, what good fate could await her, Chi Can, and the others?

Such citizens were heartbreaking, while the ringleaders who incited these citizens deserved nothing less than death!

“A’Zhu, bring the bundle.”

“Miss.” A’Zhu, who had been quietly guarding Qiao Zhao’s side, presented the bundle she carried with her.

Qiao Zhao took it and silently opened the bundle, revealing a delicate, compact bow.

Qiao Zhao gripped the bow and walked forward several steps to the window.

The window wasn’t large, and those frenzied people hadn’t yet thought to climb in from here.

Standing by the window with the bow in hand, Qiao Zhao could see the town magistrate hoarsely shouting for people to charge into the tavern.

His face was flushed red, his expression excited, inexplicably giving off an air of elation.

Qiao Zhao raised the bow, extending her hand backward.

A’Zhu understood and handed over an arrow from the bundle.

Binglu’s eyes suddenly widened.

What was Miss planning to do?

Ye Luo stood guard beside Qiao Zhao. Seeing her actions, his eyes flickered slightly, but he said nothing.

Qiao Zhao nocked the arrow and aimed at the town magistrate. When she applied force, her hand couldn’t help but tremble, then slowly calmed down. The moment her heart completely settled, the feathered arrow flew out with a whistling sound, heading straight for the town magistrate.

A scream rang out as the arrow precisely pierced the town magistrate’s heart.

His excited expression seemed still frozen on his face as he crashed to the ground.

The town magistrate’s death stunned the townspeople.

This was the town magistrate—appointed personally by the county magistrate, who had lorded over them for more than ten years—and he had died just like that?

The town magistrate’s death was like an insurmountable mountain collapsing before them, shocking them so deeply they couldn’t recover for a long time. For a moment, they even forgot about charging into the tavern and all stood there in a daze.

Yang Houcheng and the others looked back in puzzlement, only to see the girl they remembered as gentle and quiet holding a bow and arrow, staring expressionlessly out the window.

Yang Houcheng couldn’t help rubbing his eyes.

Was he seeing things?

After rubbing his eyes and finding the scene unchanged, he drew a sharp breath and said to Chi Can: “Shixi, why can Miss Li shoot arrows?”

This made no sense at all!

“How would I know?” Chi Can replied with a complex expression, murmuring.

“That was so accurate, too—right through the heart!” Yang Houcheng found it utterly incredible.

He didn’t think it strange that Miss Li excelled at music, chess, calligraphy, and painting—young ladies were naturally good at such things. Miss Li was simply better than other young ladies. He could even accept that Miss Li knew medicine. But why could Miss Li also shoot arrows? And with such precise marksmanship?

He didn’t want to accept this at all. It completely left them, grown men, with no way to save face.

“Miss Li killed the town magistrate so decisively…” Yang Houcheng came to his senses, his tone wistful.

Those charging into the tavern were ordinary citizens, so they hadn’t used lethal force. He truly hadn’t expected that the one to kill would be a delicate young lady.

Qiao Zhao didn’t turn to look at Chi Can and the others. She extended her hand backward to receive the second arrow A’Zhu handed her, nocked it, and aimed out the window, calling out loudly: “The first arrow was for the town magistrate who incited you to turn against your people. This second arrow I’ll give to whoever takes the first step this way!”

The girl’s voice was soft and gentle, but her tone was ice-cold and emotionless. With the town magistrate already lying dead before them, no one dared question her words.

It was only one arrow—if everyone charged together, she definitely couldn’t handle them all.

But who was willing to be that first person to stick their neck out?

Neither the townspeople nor those on Chi Can’s side had expected that this absurd and infuriating conflict would be halted by a young lady’s single arrow.

Inside and outside the tavern, suddenly fell quiet, leaving only the sounds of Shao Mingyuan fighting the Japanese pirates.