As soon as Wei Rao came over, she continuously shot and killed four people. The assassin assigned to deal with her no longer dared to underestimate her and approached cautiously.

Wei Rao didn’t dare rashly stick her head out. Relying on the opponent’s footsteps, she adjusted her position, moving around the tree trunk a little distance. Wei Rao tilted her head slightly – she couldn’t see the assassin trying to kill her, but she could see Lu Zhuo’s situation. One assassin flanking Lu Zhuo was exposed within her line of sight.

Naturally, Wei Rao sent him an arrow.

The six assassins flanking Lu Zhuo had already gone from six to five, and now suddenly another fell, struck by an arrow from behind. The other four in different directions were greatly alarmed, their first thought being that the two companions just sent out had already been taken down. Lu Zhuo took advantage of their confusion to once again shoot three arrows simultaneously.

Of the three targeted, two fell and one dodged in time.

Lu Zhuo hid behind the tree, smiled, and called out loudly to Wei Rao: “I have two left on my side. No need for your help anymore.”

Hearing his vigorous voice, Wei Rao felt relieved. Her eyes turned, and Wei Rao called out sweetly toward the west: “Uncle Hu, Her Ladyship sent you to escort the heir and me. If you don’t act now, aren’t you afraid I’ll complain about you to Her Ladyship?”

The three assassins were greatly shocked – there were still more people?

When Wei Rao called out “Uncle Hu,” Lu Zhuo understood her meaning. Taking advantage of the brief moment when the assassins looked around, Lu Zhuo suddenly kicked the corpse at his feet to the side while flashing out from behind the tree in another direction. Before he could stand steady, two sharp arrows flew out rapidly, and he hid behind another tree again.

Accompanied by two thuds of heavy objects hitting the ground, only one assassin remained between Wei Rao and Lu Zhuo.

The two emerged from behind trees. Seeing this, the remaining assassin dropped his bow and arrows and tried to flee.

Lu Zhuo had used up his arrows and was only holding the bow for show. Wei Rao aimed an arrow at the hollow behind the assassin’s right knee.

With a scream, the assassin fell forward. Though only his right leg was injured, the assassin still tried to get up. Swaying unsteadily as he just stood firm, an arrow pierced the hollow behind his left knee.

This time, the assassin could no longer get up.

Lu Zhuo looked toward Wei Rao. Among the emerald green trees, her calm face showed a cold white color, making her eyes appear even blacker like obsidian and her lips even more crimson like cinnabar.

She wore a white men’s brocade robe. Having just killed so many people, not a trace of blood stained her hem. For a moment, it was as if they had returned to Yunwu Mountain – she was simply another hunter who had suddenly appeared before him.

The only difference was that her beauty remained unchanged while his was extremely disheveled.

Confirming the assassin couldn’t escape, Wei Rao finally put down her bow and arrows, walking toward Lu Zhuo while observing the dozen corpses on the ground. After a round of observation, both her arrows and Lu Zhuo’s had hit the assassins’ vital points. Dead was dead – there was no possibility of feigning death.

“These assassins…”

As Wei Rao looked up and saw Lu Zhuo’s appearance clearly, she was so shocked she forgot to speak.

Lu Zhuo wore the same light-colored robe, but at this moment, his right upper arm and left lower leg were each stained red with blood. Two broken arrow shafts protruded awkwardly from his body. He must have killed people at close range – his brocade robe was spattered with blood. If he weren’t smiling, with his pale face being too handsome, this Lu Zhuo would be an executioner stepping through a sea of blood.

“I’m fine. Help me over there,” Lu Zhuo pointed at the only living witness, speaking gently.

Wei Rao glanced at his left leg and walked over with a serious expression.

“Forgive the impropriety,” Lu Zhuo raised his left arm and placed it on Wei Rao’s slender shoulder.

How could Wei Rao mind such things at a time like this? Matching Lu Zhuo’s pace, they slowly walked to the assassin whose legs were crippled. However, the assassin lay motionless, his tilted head staring with unseeing eyes, white foam around his mouth.

Lu Zhuo said in a low voice: “A death warrior. Unable to complete the master’s assigned task, he took poison to avoid leaving a living witness who might expose the mastermind.”

Wei Rao looked up at him: “Sent by the Empress Dowager, or did you provoke some enemy?”

She had a suspicion in her heart, but she wanted to hear what Lu Zhuo would say.

Lu Zhuo laughed self-mockingly: “If they only wanted to kill you, they’ve had countless opportunities in the past month. This time, I’ve implicated Young Lady.”

He was willing to admit the assassins came for him. Wei Rao was satisfied, but still reciprocated politely: “Actually, I implicated the heir. If the heir hadn’t accompanied me to Jin City, they wouldn’t have had this opportunity.”

These assassins had probably been watching her and Lu Zhuo for a long time. Lu Zhuo usually traveled with the Zhao brothers or the eight squad leaders. Only this trip to the Xing Palace gave the assassins their chance. This road was the only way in and out of the Xing Palace. The assassins must have guessed their purpose, knew they would return by the same route, and set this trap here, waiting at ease for them to fall into it.

“I came willingly. Young Lady needn’t blame herself. Someone wants to eliminate me – if not this time, they would have found another opportunity eventually,” Lu Zhuo said, looking down into Wei Rao’s clear gaze. “Today, without Young Lady, I might not have escaped unscathed. I must thank the Young Lady for saving my life.”

Wei Rao could see that Lu Zhuo was truly thanking her.

But she wasn’t accustomed to such a Lu Zhuo. Pressing her lips together, Wei Rao looked at the corpses on the ground: “The heir’s life was saved by my rushing back. Naturally, I couldn’t watch you be killed by assassins. Besides, if you died here, how would I explain to Duke Ying and Old Madam when I returned to the capital?”

Traveling together, if either had an accident, the other couldn’t explain to their elders.

“What about your wounds?” Wei Rao changed the subject.

Lu Zhuo’s life wasn’t in danger. He had Wei Rao support him while he checked the assassins’ corpses one by one. For each assassin, Lu Zhuo would first look at their face, then remove their clothing to see if they carried any tokens or if their bodies had obvious birthmarks or scars.

Wei Rao just supported him as they moved around. When Lu Zhuo examined the corpses, Wei Rao would turn away.

Lu Zhuo teased her: “I thought Young Lady was completely without taboos.”

Wei Rao faced the woods with a cold laugh: “I am without taboos. I just worry the heir would lecture me again, so I simply don’t look to save my ears the trouble.”

After examining all twenty corpses, Wei Rao helped Lu Zhuo rest under a tree at his insistence. She asked curiously: “Any discoveries?”

Lu Zhuo nodded but said, “I won’t tell you. The more you know, the more dangerous it becomes.”

Wei Rao had words ready to jump out, but seeing his wounds, she swallowed them back.

Lu Zhuo suddenly whistled.

Shortly after, Fei Mo wound around the dense trees and came to Lu Zhuo’s side, lowering his head to nuzzle Lu Zhuo’s head.

“I’m fine,” Lu Zhuo patted its head, then turned to Wei Rao: “There’s medicine in the saddlebags. I’ll have to trouble the Young Lady to pull out the arrows and stop the bleeding.”

Wei Rao had learned bandaging from her master, but she had only practiced on rabbits in Yunwu Mountain.

“There’s a village ahead…”

“The fewer people who know about our trip to the Xing Palace, the better,” Lu Zhuo said with his eyes closed.

Wei Rao said no more. Looking at Lu Zhuo’s leg, then at his arm, she went to get things from Fei Mo’s back.

Both sides of the saddle had pouches – one held dry rations, the other medicine. Lu Zhuo had also prepared a small bundle containing two of his robes.

“The arrows weren’t poisoned,” Wei Rao observed the color of blood from Lu Zhuo’s wounds, saying with relief.

Lu Zhuo kept his eyes closed, saying: “They initially wanted to capture you alive, certainly to humiliate you, then place your corpse with mine to make it appear the disaster arose from your beauty. If the arrows were poisoned, it would easily lead people to suspect assassins, since ordinary bandits wouldn’t prepare poisoned weapons.”

Wei Rao felt cold all over. Lu Zhuo’s enemy had vicious and meticulous thoughts. No matter how much the Empress Dowager hated her and her mother, she wouldn’t scheme against Lu Zhuo’s life like this. Lu Zhuo’s living well meant the Shenwu Army’s main general had a successor, which was fortunate for His Majesty and the dynasty.

Tearing strips from Lu Zhuo’s blood-stained outer robe to use as gauze, she tied them tightly above Lu Zhuo’s wounds. After preparing, she glanced at Lu Zhuo, then quickly and precisely pulled out the arrowhead and pressed gauze against his wound.

The arrow in his leg was also removed. Lu Zhuo didn’t make a sound, but his face became paler.

Fortunately, the bleeding stopped quickly.

Wei Rao then took one of Lu Zhuo’s clean undergarments and tore strips from it. After applying medicine, she bandaged his wounds.

Seeing so much blood for the first time, Wei Rao broke out in sweat.

Lu Zhuo opened his eyes and saw her kneeling before his leg, a strand of hair falling, sweat rolling from her forehead down her flushed face.

“If there’s a next time, don’t worry about me. Focus on saving yourself,” Lu Zhuo said in a low voice.

Wei Rao replied while tying knots in the gauze: “There won’t be a next time. Once back in the capital, I won’t travel far with you again.”

Lu Zhuo smiled bitterly. Yes, with someone able to mobilize twenty assassins to kill him, how could Wei Rao risk such danger?

“I must also trouble the Young Lady to help me change robes. This one is too conspicuous.”

Wei Rao looked up sharply.

Lu Zhuo explained: “Just the outer robe. I brought a dark-colored one.”

Wei Rao pressed her lips together, but Lu Zhuo was covered in blood and couldn’t move one arm or one leg freely, so he could only ask for her help.

Wei Rao first helped Lu Zhuo stand against the tree, which would make changing clothes easier.

Lu Zhuo looked at the tree trunk close at hand, but didn’t take advantage of Wei Rao. The two wounds on his body constantly reminded him of his carelessness. It was fortunate that Wei Rao knew martial arts and was skilled with arrows. Otherwise, with him entangled by assassins and her, a delicate girl, facing two assassins alone, what would have happened?

Including himself, if he had died, how heartbroken would grandfather, grandmother, mother, and all his relatives be?

Lu Zhuo gripped the supporting tree tightly.

Wei Rao tied his sash for him and saw him staring coldly at the tree trunk, lost in thought, so she didn’t disturb him.

Lu Zhuo came back to his senses and saw Wei Rao moving the assassins he had casually covered with black robes.

“What are you doing?”

Wei Rao said while moving them, “There’s a pit over there. I’ll bury them so children from nearby villages won’t run over and be frightened by all these corpses.”

Lu Zhuo was silent for a moment, then asked: “Aren’t you afraid?”

Killing people was vastly different from hunting.

Wei Rao didn’t answer. As long as she thought about how these assassins came to kill her and she was still alive, she had nothing to fear.

Lu Zhuo couldn’t help, so he patted Fei Mo. Fei Mo walked to a corpse, bit the opponent’s calf with his teeth, and dragged it to the depression Wei Rao had found.

Wei Rao dragged one while Fei Mo could drag two.

Finally finished, Wei Rao was drenched in sweat.

Her front was soaked, clinging to her chest, rising and falling with her breathing.

Lu Zhuo didn’t look much and couldn’t very well remind her of anything. If he reminded her, it would show he had noticed, which would only anger her.

“Let’s rest for half an hour before setting out,” Lu Zhuo said, sitting in the shade. His wounds weren’t suitable for immediate movement either.

Hearing this, Wei Rao lay down on the grass, gasping heavily while facing the treetops, her profile flushed red.

Lu Zhuo glanced once, then immediately turned away again.