Shi Ziran immediately moved Ji Yunshu behind him for protection.

He turned his head to ask: “Are you alright?”

She shook her head!

Chu Chengyu knew Shi Ziran’s martial skills were formidable, and that he himself was no match for him.

“Shi Ziran, you’d better step aside. His Majesty has ordered Miss Ji brought back to the capital. If you obstruct this, you’re defying the imperial decree—I can execute you on the spot!”

His tone carried a threat!

Shi Ziran threw words back at him: “Chu Chengyu, are you planning rebellion?”

“I’m acting under orders!”

“Before His Highness departed, he said that unless he personally gave the order, not a single soldier at Xiamen Pass should be moved. Now His Highness’s life or death is unknown, yet you’re deploying troops based solely on a command token—if this isn’t rebellion, what is?”

Chu Chengyu snorted coldly: “I only follow His Majesty’s orders. If His Majesty commands troops deployed, I deploy troops. If His Majesty wants Miss Ji returned to the capital, I obey the command to escort Miss Ji to the capital.”

“As long as I’m here, no one can touch her.”

“I don’t want to waste words with you. If you don’t step aside, don’t blame me for being impolite.”

Shi Ziran refused to yield!

Chu Chengyu raised his hand and ordered: “Someone, seize them both.”

Instantly, dozens of men rushed in from outside, surrounding Shi Ziran and Ji Yunshu in the middle.

Even the most skilled martial arts couldn’t withstand so many fists and feet!

Ji Yunshu grabbed Shi Ziran and said quietly: “You should leave first. Don’t worry about me.”

He said: “His Highness ordered me to ensure your safety. Even if I die, I cannot let anything happen to you.”

“Ziran…”

He had already drawn his long sword and slashed at those soldiers.

One against dozens!

The room filled with corpses.

Blood flowed across the floor.

Chu Chengyu hadn’t expected Shi Ziran’s martial skills to be so high, so he summoned archers.

Shi Ziran was forced outside by those soldiers and completely surrounded.

An archer drew his bow, aimed at his chest, and shot an arrow.

It struck squarely in his back.

“Ugh!”

Immediately followed by another arrow.

Then another.

All three arrows struck Shi Ziran’s back.

He coughed up fresh blood.

His body sagged as he dropped to one knee.

His hand gripped his long sword, thrusting it into the ground.

Barely supporting himself from collapsing.

Fresh blood flowed from his wounds, staining his clothes red.

Particularly striking.

Those soldiers surrounded him with their hands.

Several long spears aimed at him.

Preparing to strike!

“Stop!” Ji Yunshu shouted loudly, rushing out from inside.

But Chu Chengyu blocked her and ordered two soldiers to restrain her.

Unable to move!

“Release him,” she shouted at Chu Chengyu.

Chu Chengyu said: “As long as you’re willing to return to the capital, I can release him.”

Shi Ziran looked toward her, his entire face twisted with pain as he said: “Miss Ji, you cannot.”

She must not agree!

Ji Yunshu looked at him, seeing the fresh blood on his body, her eyes full of tears.

Chu Chengyu said: “If you don’t agree, I’ll kill him right now.”

“…” She wept uncontrollably.

Chu Chengyu had already raised his hand. The moment he lowered it would mean Shi Ziran’s death.

“Fine! I agree, I agree… I agree to return to the capital.” She compromised.

She yielded!

Her entire body went weak and powerless.

Held up by two guards!

Shi Ziran shook his head: “Don’t…”

Speaking thus, he gathered all his strength, rose and swung the sword in his hand a few times, but gravely wounded and unable to match even a single soldier, he collapsed to the ground.

The blood-stained sword also fell beside him.

Gleaming coldly.

Chu Chengyu waved his hand, and those soldiers surrounding Shi Ziran all retreated to the side. He walked before Shi Ziran, raised his foot, and kicked away the sword beside him.

Kicked it far away!

“Take him away.”

Two soldiers lifted Shi Ziran from the ground and took him away.

Ji Yunshu watched helplessly as he was taken away, her eyes severely red and swollen, her vision gradually blurring.

Chu Chengyu walked before her and said: “Miss Ji, this was your choice. Please.”

He made a gesture of “please.”

She strained her neck, her heart cut as if by knives.

Deeply pained.

Her head was completely blank, her body feeling light and floating.

In the end, she didn’t even know how she was brought to her own room.

Guards remained posted outside.

She sat dully inside, the flowing tears in her eyes already dried.

Her gaze wandered, like a soulless puppet!

On the table before her lay Jingrong’s command token.

Cold and icy!

Before long, horn blasts sounded once more from outside.

Chu Chengyu had departed with tens of thousands of soldiers.

This war had begun!

Ji Yunshu showed no reaction, just sitting there quietly.

Until evening gradually fell and the bright torches outside had been lit up.

Her wandering gaze gradually gained focus as she reached out to take up that cold token.

Her fingers traced over the patterns on it one by one.

The raised and recessed patterns passed under her fingertips.

She seemed able to feel traces of Jingrong’s presence.

So clear!

“Jingrong, you haven’t yet fulfilled what you promised me. You said you’d have me wait for your return—you cannot break your word.”

Her fingertips tightened more and more.

Tears once again spilled uncontrollably from her red, swollen eyes.

She believed Jingrong definitely wasn’t dead!

At this moment—

“Clang…”

A faint sound came from the roof.

Her palm suddenly clenched as she became alert, looking up.

She saw a roof tile being lifted away by someone.

Moonlight poured in from outside, casting a beam of light.

It fell precisely on her pale face.

She slowly rose, staring at that opening.

Suddenly a head popped out.

Bai Yin?

Ji Yunshu was astonished.

Bai Yin made a “shh” gesture to her.

Signaling that there were people outside and not to draw attention.

Ji Yunshu nodded in understanding!

Afterward, Bai Yin replaced the roof tile.

Ji Yunshu waited anxiously in the room for a while, then heard sounds from outside.

Just as she walked to the door, it was pushed open.

Bai Yin rushed in quickly, grabbing both her arms and asking with concern: “Yunshu, how are you? Are you injured?”

“I’m fine. What are you doing here?”

“I came specifically to find you. Hurry and come with me—there are several others outside.”

Bai Yin pulled her out.

The soldiers who had been guarding outside the door were all lying on the ground.

Bai Yin had only knocked them unconscious, not killed them.

After walking a few steps, Ji Yunshu’s footsteps halted. Pulling Bai Yin, she said: “By the way, Ziran was captured by them. We need to find him first.”

“I know where he is. Come with me.”

Bai Yin led his people and her quietly to another location.

Outside the room where Shi Ziran was imprisoned, guards were similarly posted.

Bai Yin said: “Stay here and don’t move.”

“Mm.”

Bai Yin and another person leaped up onto the roof with their bodies, flashing in a few moves to the roof of the room imprisoning Shi Ziran. Taking advantage of the two soldiers guarding below not paying attention, they leaped down and knocked those soldiers unconscious.

Seeing this, Ji Yunshu rushed over. Pushing open the door, she saw Shi Ziran sitting on the ground, his back against the wall, his face pale.