This was precisely dinnertime. The guards and Qingming students were eating in the front courtyard. Gu Nanyi was next door to her. Earlier, Feng Zhiwei had seen him order someone to deliver a bucket of water inside—she estimated he was bathing, so she didn’t go in to call him. As she quickly passed his window, she urgently knocked on the window frame: “Brother Gu, please follow the route we came and find me!”

There was no sound from inside. She had no time to inquire further and quickly rushed to the stable, leading out the most spirited horse and leaping onto it. Turning her head, she suddenly saw several black shadows flip over the courtyard wall. Immediately, startled cries and the sound of tables and chairs toppling arose from the front courtyard.

Her heart tightened. Only now did she realize the Chang family’s grand scheme—they had actually dispatched two groups across provinces to simultaneously assassinate both her and Ning Yi!

In that instant, Feng Zhiwei gripped the reins, her palms heating up—both places encountering danger simultaneously. Ning Yi’s ceremonial procession was still behind. Her guards were divided between two locations, their strength weakened. It could be said both places were in perilous situations!

Her team was under attack—how could she just leave?

Ning Yi was being attacked at his most vulnerable moment, and this situation was caused by her—how could she not care?

The hesitation lasted only an instant. Then her gaze flashed as she raised her head and shouted into the void.

“Those Qingming students have noble status—you must protect them, otherwise I too cannot escape responsibility. I’m counting on you!”

After speaking, she turned the horse and left. The spirited horse neighed long as it charged into the night, leaving the shouts and killing sounds from the front courtyard behind.

She knew there were hidden guards constantly at her side. She had never deeply investigated where exactly they were hidden. Now in this urgent situation, Helian Zheng and Yao Yangyu and the others could not come to harm—she had no choice but to pull them out for use.

As for herself, Gu Nanyi would always catch up.

Feng Zhiwei’s figure disappeared outside the courtyard gate. What she didn’t know was that right after she left, Gu Nanyi emerged from a street corner several hundred meters away, slowly shuffling back to the inn—the inn’s privy was built on the street-facing side, quite far away. Gu Nanyi had an upset stomach tonight and had squatted in the privy for a while. He hadn’t been bathing in his room earlier.

As soon as he returned, he heard sounds from the front courtyard. Just as he was about to go over, two gray shadows flew down, kneeling before him on one knee, saying urgently: “She left, asking you to return by the original route. She also left word for us to protect the team here.”

Gu Nanyi frowned, slowly saying: “Original route…”

“We’ve already dispatched two people to follow and protect her along the way, but that horse is a divine steed under heaven. Over time, we fear we can’t keep up.” The gray-clad person’s face was hidden behind a mask, his gaze bright. “But our strength here is weak, and the opponents’ martial skills are formidable. To protect this side from harm, we cannot dispatch more people… Sect Master, can you find your way back alone?”

Gu Nanyi thought for a moment, nodded, then slowly said: “Don’t worry, she can protect herself.”

The gray-clad person breathed a sigh of relief but still stood up uneasily, gesturing in detail to Gu Nanyi about the route. Gu Nanyi stood motionless listening, appearing very serious.

After explaining for a long time, Gu Nanyi also correctly repeated it, then floated off in the correct direction. The gray-clad person watched Gu Nanyi’s departing figure, thinking of the master’s various quirks and problems, truly feeling uneasy. He sighed inwardly, thinking if only Chief Commander were here, but Chief Commander remained in the Imperial Capital, having to deal with that traitor beside the one surnamed Xin and the imperial Golden Key Secret Guards, unable to spare himself… Who knew whether the world’s number one direction-blind Sect Master could successfully find her…

In this world, wishes are always beautiful, reality is always cruel…

The horse beneath Feng Zhiwei was a top-grade Yue horse the wealthy Yan family had bought at great expense—spirited with great endurance. After a burst of lightning speed, in the rolling dust she had already charged out more than ten li in a flash.

By Feng Zhiwei’s calculations, Ning Yi’s group wouldn’t travel too fast—at most thirty li away. And thirty li away there should be a relay station where they would most likely rest for the night.

Near mid-autumn, the night wind was deeply cold. The sweat from earlier now froze on her chest and back, bone-chillingly cold. Feng Zhiwei, on horseback at undiminished speed, reached out and slowly drew a black soft sword from her waist.

The sword was very long, wrapped several times around her waist, perfectly making her slender waist appear thicker. The sword body wasn’t an ordinary shape—both edges were sharpened, one side serrated. The sword tip was triangular, the sword surface pure black and non-reflective—clearly an extremely sinister killing weapon, perfectly matching her personal temperament.

This was a weapon she had designed and forged for herself, never before used. Perhaps today she could break it in.

Past another grove of trees, the relay station would be reached.

In the distance, the relay station lay sunken in a stretch of silent darkness. Moonlight peacefully illuminated the roof ridge, appearing completely normal.

The grove’s trees were sparse, distributed on both sides of the road, allowing horses to pass through. Feng Zhiwei’s mount was exceptionally spirited. Passing through the grove without stopping, it raised its hooves and leaped forward.

Feng Zhiwei’s eyes fixed on the ground.

Suddenly the soft sword in her hand dropped downward, slashing horizontally.

“Clang!”

Though nothing was visible, this sudden sweep of dark light flashing produced a clanging sound. With a snap, something seemed to break, flying off to both sides.

Someone seemed to cry out faintly. Feng Zhiwei sneered coldly. The soft sword slashed horizontally. A tree by the roadside crashed down. A human shadow behind the tree flashed and shot skyward. Feng Zhiwei’s extra-long soft sword had already appeared and retracted like a venomous snake.

The human shadow stumbled. Feng Zhiwei on her flying horse, long hair streaming, had already brushed past him, flowing like light over the fallen tree.

Drawing sword, breaking tree, injuring person, horse leaping tree—all in just an instant.

That human shadow was still convulsing on the ground when Feng Zhiwei, swift as lightning, had already passed through the grove. The long sword pointing straight at the ground had a mass of steel wire hooked on it. The serrated sword body bore distinct bloodstains.

A trace of cold smile appeared at her lips, looking even colder than that blue-green blood.

Just now, looking through the grove from afar, seeing not a single lamp fire at the relay station, she had become alert—the Changying Guards as well-trained palace guards would have people keeping watch with lamp fires at any time.

If the relay station had truly suffered an ambush, at this moment the assassins most likely lay in ambush on nearby major roads, intercepting anyone rushing to provide aid.

But because the main force couldn’t possibly arrive so quickly, the ambush would certainly be simple and wouldn’t deploy many people.

Before the relay station, the optimal ambush location was that grove.

Those coming to provide aid would necessarily be anxious and rushing forward on horseback. What could be better than setting up steel wire at tree stumps to trip the opponent’s horse legs, causing horse and rider to fall?

The opponent waited for her to fall victim to the steel wire blackened in the night.

She waited for the opponent to fall victim to her blackened long sword at her waist.

Both were prepared. Victory lay in who was more ruthless.

With one sword injuring the enemy, Feng Zhiwei never looked back. She didn’t even spare a second glance at her first trophy under the sword in her life. Since there were people in ambush here, it meant Ning Yi had indeed lodged at the relay station—danger lay ahead!

Her tiger’s mouth stung with tearing pain. She didn’t raise her sword to look. Though she had been diligently practicing martial arts, she ultimately lacked real combat experience. Her angle of force was wrong—the tree broke, but her tiger’s mouth also split.

The only strange thing was that she had clearly started practicing martial arts extremely late, yet her true force progressed extremely rapidly. Though she had no way to compare with others’ speed of cultivating true qi, even a child would know—how could true force cultivated for barely a year be enough to break trees?

Now was not the time for excessive thought. Feng Zhiwei gripped the reins with one hand, adjusting her true qi. A hot current surged within her body, dispersing into her meridians.

The spirited horse flashed and had already charged out of the grove.

The moment the horse charged out of the grove, Feng Zhiwei suddenly flipped over, sweeping beneath the horse’s belly.

“Swoosh!”

A crossbow bolt carrying a foul wind shot through the darkness from where she had just been sitting.

Feng Zhiwei swept through from beneath the horse’s belly, lunging in the direction the bolt came from, instantly crashing into someone’s embrace. Without raising her head, she slammed her elbow viciously into the opponent’s throat cartilage.

A faint “crack”—that person’s throat made grating broken sounds. Fierce wind attacked from the left. Feng Zhiwei gripped the throat of the person before her with one hand, dragging that corpse leftward and slamming it forward violently.

A low muffled thud. Vaguely sticky liquid splattered. Feng Zhiwei’s heart tightened—what fierce fist strength! This was an internal martial arts expert!

The people appearing had martial skills higher one after another. However, this only brought a grim smile to Feng Zhiwei’s lips. Just as the opponent punctured the corpse’s abdomen, her soft sword that had long been waiting pierced through that bloody messy hole without a sound, shooting straight at the opponent!

A low hissing sound. That internal martial arts expert clutched his lower body and stumbled backward, his gaze shocked—the enemy’s martial skills might not be especially high, but her strikes were extremely ruthless, extremely accurate, extremely cunning!

He endured the pain and fumbled at his waist for a signal flare. His hand had just moved when that already very long soft sword suddenly shot out another section. Across the distance, a flash of dark light—a hand fell bloodily to the ground.

The hand still gripped a banner firework.

That person opened his mouth to cry out in pain. A mass of something smashed over, blocking his mouth. The smell was foul and putrid. He immediately could make no further sound.

In his consciousness before death, he only saw a slender figure dart over, pick up the banner firework, then the ice-cold slender sword body flashed—eternal darkness descended.

In a flash, three people killed.

Three corpses lay cold facing heaven, not knowing until death that battle-hardened they had died at the hands of a fledgling novice.

That novice, while raising her sleeve to cover her mouth with a retching expression, stepped over their corpses without hesitation and rushed out.

The relay station still lay sunken in darkness.

Yet Feng Zhiwei faintly heard some subtle sounds. The air drifted with thick bloody odor and death qi.

She flipped over and pressed against the wall, ear against the wall. She heard someone say in a low voice: “Count!”

Feng Zhiwei’s heart sank.

Count what? Body count?

On the ground there was a strange rustling sound. Then someone exclaimed “Eh?” in surprise, saying: “Great King!”

Feng Zhiwei’s heart sank again—Great King? Ning Yi? Had Ning Yi met with mishap?

Thinking this, her whole body turned cold, yet her grip on the sword tightened.

Someone rushed over quickly, saying in a low voice: “Two missing, the Great King is not seen!”

“Search!”

“Already searched three times!”

The man who first issued commands seemed to ponder for a moment, then said: “The night is long and dreams are many. We still have an escort mission. Be careful the imperial envoy’s main force catches up. You all disguise yourselves and scatter in all directions to search. The injured needn’t follow—just rest there. Tomorrow rendezvous at Guazhou Crossing. Here—burn it.”

“Yes!”

That person’s footsteps clattered as he walked toward the courtyard exterior. The others arranged the arson. Those rustling sounds on the ground became more pronounced, sounding flowing and orderly, like scattered sand automatically flowing back into a bottle.

That sound was bone-chilling to hear. Feng Zhiwei frowned.

Just a frown caused slightly heavier breathing. The footsteps across the wall suddenly stopped.

The footsteps stopped. Feng Zhiwei didn’t hesitate, suddenly flipping over on the wall.

“Swoosh.”

Almost simultaneously, a blue blade pierced through the wall, pressed tightly against Feng Zhiwei’s waist!

If she had just harbored any luck and been slow by even a fraction, right now the blade piercing through would be her abdomen.

Feng Zhiwei’s body had just finished flipping when the blade tip just appeared on the wall surface. Feng Zhiwei already said nothing, raised her hand and flipped, the long sword backhandedly piercing through the wall!

You stab! I also stab!

The opponent’s blue blade hadn’t yet been withdrawn when Feng Zhiwei’s black long sword had already pierced through the wall in an identical motion. The person across the wall exclaimed “Eh?” in surprise, seemingly also not expecting Feng Zhiwei to have such shockingly ruthless adaptability. He sneered coldly and actually reached bare-handed to pinch Feng Zhiwei’s sword tip.

That hand extended with a golden hue, hard as steel and completely unified. With one pinch, not only was the soft sword pulled out, but the entire wall also crashed down with a boom!

As dust billowed, that person gripped Feng Zhiwei’s sword and sneered coldly: “Learning from me? Seeking death!”

Suddenly someone above his head also sneered coldly: “Gripping my sword? Seeking death!”

In the laugh, blue-green tinged black light flashed, stabbing down straight at his crown.

That person was shocked. Only then did he discover what he had seized in his hand was merely a broken sword section, while Feng Zhiwei’s hand held the long sword intact, killing qi icy cold as it rushed at him.

This was another function of Feng Zhiwei’s weapon—self-breaking. The inspiration came from once observing a gecko. She was very interested in geckos’ tail-breaking self-rescue, so the soft sword had as many as three sword tips that could break at any time.

The long sword stabbed down, close at hand. The broken wall’s dust also obscured vision. Yet that person’s martial skills were supremely high. Seeing the long sword shoot down, he suddenly stomped his foot. The ground was immediately stomped into a large crater. Feng Zhiwei’s long sword swept past just one fen from his crown.

One sword missed, the momentum exhausted. Feng Zhiwei suspended in mid-air left wide open. That person’s eyes behind the mask flashed blue light. With one hand he pointed—Feng Zhiwei’s chest pained as she spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Her breath choked, her body falling, falling precisely toward his hand.

That person’s savage laugh was close at hand.

Death was also close at hand.

Feng Zhiwei suddenly raised her hand.

In her hand—a wall brick with distinct edges!

“Behold my Nine Steaming Nine Sunning Myriad Methods Secret Sect Eight-Edge Stab!”

“Smack!”

The brick slapped the opponent’s ear side, pulling out a gash. Feng Zhiwei silently lamented the pity. That person’s reaction was too fast—so close, so certain of victory, yet still able to twist his head in time. Otherwise she would have already smashed his head into blooming flowers.

This slap used full force, moreover slapping the brain side where acupoints were numerous. That person grew dizzy and retreated backward. Feng Zhiwei landed. The brick hidden behind her back was instantly crushed. Yellow smoke billowed as she coughed continuously. While coughing, she smiled gently, raised her hand—this time in her hand was a banner firework. She smiled: “I can’t fight you. Let me find someone.”

That person, dizzy and seeing unclearly what style banner firework was in Feng Zhiwei’s hand, thought it was Feng Zhiwei’s own signal rocket. His ear side also burned with fiery pain. He hadn’t seen the weapon, not knowing what “Nine Steaming Nine Sunning Myriad Methods Secret Sect” thing it was. He came from Min Nan and had an innate taboo against things like secret sects and strange poisons. He snorted coldly, issued a strange whistling sound, then his body flashed and had already disappeared into the smoke and dust.

His subordinates had originally scattered to set fires. At this moment seeing their leader injured and retreating first, they immediately disappeared in various directions with disciplined training. Feng Zhiwei watched their figures disappear before finally breathing a sigh of relief. She stumbled and leaned against the wall, only then feeling her legs weak.

Cold sweat seeped out all over her body. Her chest roiled with wave after wave of pain. Feng Zhiwei was momentarily too weak to lift her feet. Facing the ground she retched several mouthfuls, spitting out some fresh blood and clear water before feeling that nausea fade somewhat. Thinking of the dangers all along the way just now, she broke out in another cold sweat. Knowing half relied on quick wit, half relied on luck—if not for the opponents stationed on the outer perimeter being relatively weak and also worried about being discovered, with her as a novice, she’d have no place to die. How could she still force them to retreat?

At this moment, fires had already started on all sides. The thick smoke choked the nose. Feng Zhiwei struggled to climb up, supporting herself on her sword as she walked inward. In the outer courtyard’s yellow sand ground there were some crawling traces. She recalled some Min region legends, her heart growing cold wave after wave.

The bloody odor on all sides neutralized by the smoke and fire qi emitted a foul smell. As soon as Feng Zhiwei entered the door, she was tripped by something and stumbled. Borrowing the firelight to look, a Changying Guard with a fierce expression lay dead on the ground.

Feng Zhiwei glanced down, already discovering that person had no wounds on his entire body. His face color displayed a strange earthy yellow. Feng Zhiwei recalled those flowing sand-like sounds, her fingers gripping the sword tightening.

She passed all the way. On the ground, corpses lay in all directions. Some still held rice bowls in their hands, their faces frozen in expressions of shock. Clearly they too were ambushed during mealtime.

She looked over them one by one, continuously using her sword to turn over prone corpses, calling lowly: “Your Highness—”

“Your Highness—”

The smoke choked her into continuous coughing. In her calls, she gradually despaired—if Ning Yi hadn’t died, why would the opponents be willing to leave? If Ning Yi hadn’t died, why wouldn’t he respond to her calls?

Corpses counted one by one. Even the relay station’s postmaster and soldiers’ corpses were found. Two hundred twelve bodies. Calculating, besides Chunyu Meng and Ning Yi, there should still be several Changying Guards not in the front two courtyards.

Only the final courtyard remained unsearched. The fire’s intensity had grown increasingly fierce. The final courtyard caught fire first and was already completely surrounded by flames. Feng Zhiwei supported herself on her sword, gazing there, a trace of hesitation flashing in her eyes—such a large fire, even if people were inside, they couldn’t survive. Going in still might cost her own life.

However, that trace of hesitation had just flashed when the next instant she had already jumped into the courtyard’s water vat. Then, soaked through, she climbed out, removed her outer robe to bind her mouth and nose, coughing while rushing forward into the billowing smoke and scorching flames.

As soon as she entered, she knew how stupid rushing in was. With such a large fire, how could anyone still be alive!

Almost instantly her soaked clothing was baked dry. The next instant, the oppressive smoke scorched her eyes red and swollen with continuous tears. The beams overhead creaked and groaned, tottering on the verge of collapse. Continuously burning broken ceiling beams crashed down with booms, splashing countless fire-colored sparks. She leaped between burning furniture, dragging out corpses one by one from beneath those blazing broken timbers. Each corpse dragged made her heart sink. Discovering it wasn’t him brought relief. This searching and dodging—after just a few steps, flames had gradually caught on her body.

Feng Zhiwei looked around desperately—Ning Yi, where are you?

Flames licked at her side. A section of dark hair was scorched by fire, sizzling as it melted against her cheek. Instantly blisters arose. She somewhat dazedly retreated backward. Her foot suddenly stepped on something.

Looking down, it was also a Changying Guard’s corpse that she had seen earlier. Only now looking again, the posture seemed somewhat strange. She turned her gaze to scan—several corpses were all in this vicinity.

This wasn’t the main room, more like a kitchen. Directly opposite was a stove. Next door was a side room storing miscellaneous items. But from the burning materials, there didn’t seem to be anything that could provide concealment. Why had people all died here?

Their corpses’ postures all faced outward with backs turned inward, as if protecting something.

Feng Zhiwei while slapping flames on her body let her gaze sweep the room again.

That stove…

Something’s wrong.

Feng Zhiwei’s gaze flashed. She suddenly stepped forward and crouched down, gripping what looked very much like an iron stove door’s small iron sheet door, yanking it violently open!

“Whoosh!”

A line of snow-white light suddenly shot electrically from the darkness behind the iron sheet door!

Feng Zhiwei crouched one chi before the iron sheet door. Behind her was a sea of flames with nowhere to avoid!

“Slam!”

At the critical moment, Feng Zhiwei violently slammed shut the iron sheet door!

With a heavy shock, a spear tip pierced through the finger-thick iron sheet door, stuck in the door, only one cun from Feng Zhiwei’s eyelid!

If her reaction had been a bit slower, this spear would have taken her life.

If her reaction had been slightly wrong, this spear would also have forced her into the sea of flames.

The danger of this moment made even the usually composed Feng Zhiwei’s heart pound for a while. When she saw clearly that spear’s style, her heart rejoiced.

The Changying Guards’ specially equipped spear!

“Chunyu!” she called hoarsely. “I’m Wei—”

The iron sheet door suddenly opened. A hand grabbed her like lightning and dragged her inside!

The opponent’s hand actually wasn’t particularly forceful. Yet Feng Zhiwei completely didn’t struggle. Having confirmed it wasn’t an enemy, she cooperated extremely well.

In this dragging moment, she vaguely felt something sweep past from beside her, striking with a thud into the iron sheet door. She also had no time to look clearly.

Behind the iron door it was still very hot. However, compared to the outside’s fierce sea of flames, it was a world of difference. The air carried a kind of forest-cool breath. Feng Zhiwei blinked her eyes for a long time in the pitch darkness before vaguely making out Chunyu Meng beside her. Then somewhere green light flashed. Borrowing that light, she saw not far away, Ning Yi sat with his back to her.

Feng Zhiwei was delighted and was about to rush over, but was grabbed by Chunyu Meng. Moving her foot, she only then realized the ground impeded movement. There was flowing water sound. Startled, she said: “This—”

Before the words left her mouth, Chunyu Meng covered it with his hand again. Then she saw Chunyu Meng while tightly covering her mouth slowly drawing out that stuck long spear, his movements extremely light, as if fearing to make any sound. Her heart was shocked, somewhat enlightened—can’t make sound? Why can’t sound be made?

Why did Ning Yi never turn his head?

Opposite, green light flashed again. Feng Zhiwei’s eyes suddenly widened.

She finally saw clearly. That green light wasn’t any lamp but the eyes of something!

That thing’s outline was blurry, only the size of a young rabbit, crouching opposite Ning Yi, its claw extended pointing at Ning Yi from afar. A small outline, yet somehow that bearing possessed the manner of king of all things.

Those eyes opened and closed. Each time they opened, green light flashed—green not in an eerie way, but rather pure and beautiful, like spring day’s jade-green water or finest quality emerald, drawing one’s lingering gaze.

Feng Zhiwei also couldn’t help gazing over somewhat mesmerized. Suddenly her eyes darkened—Chunyu Meng had covered her eyes again. Then she felt her tears flowing down whoosh whoosh, her eyes aching.

Chunyu Meng’s hands were busy, needing to cover her mouth and cover her eyes. He could only write crookedly in her palm with his other hand: His Highness forbids making sound, also can’t look at that thing.

Feng Zhiwei looked toward Ning Yi opposite. He remained motionless throughout, sitting like a rock opposite that thing. Feng Zhiwei was somewhat surprised. That thing looked extremely strange at a glance. Perhaps it was the “Great King” those people spoke of. Why was Ning Yi clearly right opposite it, it also pointing at him with its claw, yet not attacking?

Looking more carefully, she discovered that thing’s claw continuously moved aimlessly and slowly. Whenever it sensed sound somewhere, the fingertip would flick and release tiny gray-colored objects, though who knew what they were.

So it was blind. Those beautiful eyes couldn’t be used by itself, yet its hearing was extremely acute. No wonder Ning Yi remained motionless. No wonder she wasn’t allowed to make any sound.

Chunyu Meng was still writing in her palm: “That’s Min Nan eye poison. Absolutely mustn’t look.”

Feng Zhiwei wrote: Understood. Min Nan’s deep mountains and dense forests were numerous. Deep in the great mountains lived some profoundly skilled alien tribes, excelling at divination, shamanic poisons, strange beasts, and poisonous insects. Only their population was sparse and they rarely emerged from the mountains. But once they took action, strange and bizarre events inevitably followed. Throughout dynasties there were legends about them. The Chang family having long suppressed Min Nan could acquire this type of talent—not surprising. Only she didn’t know what kind of strange poison this eye poison was.

Chunyu Meng wrote again: “This is an underground ice cellar. Yesterday there was a batch delivering ice to Longxi’s Regional Commander also resting here. The ice is stored in the ice cellar. We’re hiding here so nothing happened to us.”

So the underground water was melted ice. No wonder there was forest-cool qi. Feng Zhiwei nodded, yet inwardly anxious—remaining in stalemate like this, what could be done? If that thing didn’t leave for one day, wouldn’t they be fixed here for one day?

Only now did she understand why that leader had left so decisively, not even searching for that “Great King”—turned out he was extremely confident in his family’s Great King.

She wrote in Chunyu Meng’s palm: “Did you look at that eye poison?”

Chunyu Meng answered: “His Highness blocked me. All didn’t look.”

Feng Zhiwei nodded, silently pondering in her heart how to drive away that damned Great King. However, unable to look meant unable to determine position. The target object was also small. If one move didn’t succeed, that Great King’s claw tip’s poisonous objects would already be coming—how to resist?

This was probably also why Ning Yi had remained motionless until now.

Feng Zhiwei silently admired Ning Yi’s concentration—this ice water’s cold penetrated to the bone. She had rushed in from the outside fire scene carrying billowing heat. At this moment she also began feeling cold penetrating her heart. Ning Yi had clearly just yesterday been drunk into complete bodily weakness and powerlessness. Today he had forcibly sat there supporting himself until now. Who knew how he endured it.

Just as she was in difficulty there, her sleeve opening suddenly moved. Two brush monkeys climbed out, looking around in all directions for a while. They seemed very displeased with the surrounding cold qi. Feng Zhiwei’s heart stirred, recalling that fierce sea of flames in the fire scene. The two brush monkeys had remained peacefully in her sleeve pouch without crying or making noise. From appearances, they actually weren’t afraid of fire.

Beasts not afraid of fire were rare to see. These brush monkeys had peculiar origins, emerging from Min Nan’s even more mysterious vast Hundred Thousand Great Mountains. They were beloved treasures cherished and raised by the Beast Dance tribe’s chief. Might they have some marvelous qualities?

She soundlessly turned her arm in a direction, facing that eye poison.

The two brush monkeys raised their heads and saw those beautiful eyes. Suddenly they cried out in unison “zhizhi” and shot out electrically.

Golden light flashed. Those jade-green eyes turned over. Hearing that “zhizhi” sound, immediately the eyes blinked chaotically, flashing continuously like ghostly fire. Then it gave a low roaring cry, its tone both alert and threatening.

The two brush monkeys paid no attention. In mid-air they split left and right, tracing two golden arcs of light. They actually adopted military flanking tactics, converging to trap the eye poison.

Those jade-green eyes blinked even more spasmodically. Its claws raised continuously. Throughout the air, tiny gray-colored objects flew everywhere. Listening carefully, there were buzzing sounds—also seemed to be living creatures.

Only those chaotically flying living creatures, encountering those two golden-furred brush monkeys, all avoided them from afar. The two brush monkeys instantly pressed before that eye poison’s face, jumping up with eight claws scratching chaotically.

That eye poison roared lowly. No longer daring to continue the battle, with a bang it jumped down from the table where it had been crouching. Its movement was actually like a frog. In one rise and fall, it rushed out. The two brush monkeys chittered and chattered chasing behind, but also didn’t chase far. Seeing the eye poison rush out of the cellar, they whooshed back into Feng Zhiwei’s hand.

From appearances, these two types of things mutually held wariness toward each other. Yet Feng Zhiwei was already pleasantly surprised beyond expectation. She had only released the brush monkeys with a trial mentality, not expecting to actually achieve success in one strike.

Chunyu Meng cried out in joy, laughing: “Where did you get such a good thing?” But also not waiting for her answer, he hurried to open the door. Only then did Ning Yi slowly turn his head back, saying: “You came?”

The iron door opened. Outside light penetrated inward. For an instant, Feng Zhiwei felt his gaze somewhat scattered. Then Ning Yi lowered his lashes, his body tilting backward. Feng Zhiwei had no time to think. She rushed forward one step and supported him. At her touch—ice cold. The sweat on Ning Yi’s body had actually soaked through his heavy clothing.

“Chunyu, you come carry His Highness out.” She turned her head to summon Chunyu Meng. Ning Yi grabbed her sleeve with one hand, sniffed at her, and smiled: “Such heavy bloody and smoke odor.”

Feng Zhiwei also lowered her head to sniff, smiling: “Also sweat stink and monkey musk.”

Ning Yi smiled again: “More of others’ blood, or more of your own blood?”

Feng Zhiwei helped Chunyu Meng support Ning Yi onto his back, absentmindedly saying: “Look for yourself and you’ll know.”

Ning Yi smiled shallowly. At this moment his face color was extremely pale, setting off his eyes’ jet black—deep and dark like a thousand-year abyss undisturbed by anyone. Firelight, water shadows—not stirring a ripple.

Feng Zhiwei’s attention was still on the outside: “Since that strange creature was injured and fled in defeat, that group of people will know the assassination didn’t succeed. Who knows if they’ll return. We can’t stay even one quarter-hour longer. We must leave immediately.”

“Which direction?” Chunyu Meng asked.

Feng Zhiwei while thinking Young Fool Gu hasn’t come—ninety-nine percent lost his way again, this fellow going out by himself truly rarely doesn’t get lost—while saying: “My side also encountered attack. I fear those who survived aren’t enough to protect us. Better to turn back and find His Highness’s ceremonial procession. Three thousand guards—sufficient to be without worry.”

“Can’t.” Ning Yi suddenly spoke. “There’s a traitor.”

Feng Zhiwei paused, immediately understanding. Ning Yi leaving her own team was a spur-of-the-moment decision. After leaving, he certainly had fast horses return to inform the main force, fixing a rendezvous point. If there wasn’t a traitor in either the ceremonial procession or her own team, how could the assassins so certainly know he was at this relay station?

At this moment, returning to the main force meant walking into a trap. Returning to her own team also might bring disaster upon them. Speaking of it, the opponents’ targets were Ning Yi and herself. Better not to implicate those noble Qingming second-generation ancestors.

Feng Zhiwei hesitated momentarily, then said: “Then go to the local government office, present credentials and have local officials dispatch personnel for escort.”

“Also can’t.” Ning Yi still immediately vetoed. “Have you forgotten? This is Longxi territory. Longxi Regional Commander Shen Xuru’s wife is Marquis Gaoyang Chang Minning’s maternal cousin. Shen Xuru originally became this Regional Commander by playing the wife card. In our current state going to find the government office—who knows if inside the Regional Commander’s office there’s already a ‘Notorious Bandit Wanted Notice’ with our portraits. Precisely walking into a trap.”

“He dares!” Chunyu Meng’s brows stood on end. Feng Zhiwei made no sound. What wouldn’t he dare? With profit at the forefront, there have always been those willing to test national law. If Shen Xuru colluded with the Chang family in mutual benefit, moreover had some weakness in the Chang family’s hands, mutually prospering and declining together with the Chang family, then for his own interests and prospects, blackening his heart and conscience to silently eliminate them was not without possibility. When matters came to a head, push out a few scapegoats, change locations and continue being an official as usual.

Otherwise, this relay station wasn’t any remote place. Killing and arson on this scale—how come not even one person came to investigate?

“Then what do we do?”

“From here, go through Jiyang Mountain to reach Jiyang territory and find Jiyang’s Prefect. Prefect Peng is Grand Academician Hu’s student, upright in character, clean in official reputation. He definitely won’t collude with Shen Xuru and such.” Ning Yi closed his eyes, clearly saying: “Before then, don’t expose our identities.”

Feng Zhiwei thought this person held high position yet even knew the background and official reputation of a distant province’s prefect. He presumably also thoroughly understood the intricate and complex relationships between officials. Apparently after finishing drinking flower wine in the past, upon returning to his manor he seized time to study by lamplight to make up lessons.

All three didn’t oppose this plan. At this moment, outside, the fire’s intensity was gradually subsiding. Three people, in wretched condition, supported each other as they came out. Chunyu Meng, traversing the fire scene and seeing the ground covered with his fellow guards’ corpses, felt tears streaming down both cheeks.

At the iron sheet door entrance, he pointed to a charred corpse: “I told Old Guo to escort His Highness inside. He refused, forcibly pushed me in, himself leading a group of brothers dying while firmly guarding this door. Using their backs to block this door, so it wasn’t discovered…” He wiped away tears, unable to continue.

“Rest assured, this enmity will always be repaid.” Ning Yi didn’t open his eyes, also didn’t glance once at those several hundred corpses. Amid the ground full of charred stench and smoke, his face color was calm without ripples, yet his tone was clear and firm.

Feng Zhiwei, however, neither mourned fellow guards’ deaths nor vowed to seek revenge. She turned things over in the fire scene, turning out some scattered gold pieces burned into various shapes, quickly collecting them.

Chunyu Meng watched her with mixed laughter and tears. Feng Zhiwei righteously said: “Why stare at me? Do you have money on you? Does His Highness have money on him? We’re about to travel incognito. Without money how do we hire carriages, how do we buy provisions, how do we treat injuries?”

Chunyu Meng paused, after a long moment shaking his head: “Looking at your bearing—more noble than princes and dukes. Looking at your conduct—more stingy than poor family boys.”

Ning Yi on his back half-turned his head, glanced at Feng Zhiwei, suddenly saying: “You’re injured?”

Feng Zhiwei frowned, thinking you’re all burned silly. The collision injuries, burn injuries, scrape injuries all over my body, all this blood—you only now notice.

“Stop dawdling. Let’s go out first.” She turned into a small path, made a mark on a tree by the roadside, then said: “Since we’re entering Jiyang Mountain, first we must prepare provisions at the mountain base. Ahead halfway up the mountain there’s a small village. We’ll lodge there, rest briefly. The opponents wouldn’t expect us to enter the mountains. There should be safe.”

The saying goes “gaze at mountains, run horses to death.” That mountain village looked like it was just ahead. Yet the three people walked for a very long time. Before dawn in the darkest hour, they knocked on a hunter’s door.

“Old sir, we three brothers are traveling for pleasure. My eldest brother injured his leg. Please old sir show convenience—let us three lodge one night.”

Mountain folk are simple and honest. The old man opening the door immediately laughed heartily: “Who traveling outside doesn’t have difficulties? Come in, come in.”

The small house was simple yet warm. Three people after a night of bloody fire and arduous rushing felt their hearts relax. The old man poured yellow-black tea water. Chunyu Meng was terribly thirsty, picked it up and drank it all in one gulp. Feng Zhiwei was busy fishing a gold bean from her sleeve, handing it to that old man: “My eldest brother fell in water. Trouble old sir to find clothing for my eldest brother to change.”

“Mountain wild folk don’t have good clothing. I’ll just find something clean for you.” The old man smilingly took it, turned to find clothing. Feng Zhiwei carried water to hand to Ning Yi. Ning Yi still closed his eyes, coolly saying: “Won’t drink.”

“Does the guest think this water color unclean?” That old man brought over a set of cloth clothing, smiling: “Inside is our Jiyang Mountain’s uniquely produced red vine root. Drinking it replenishes blood and calms spirit—a good thing. Just looks unappealing.”

Feng Zhiwei suddenly jumped up, rushing back against the cold wind. Yet at several zhang from the doorway, she calmed her breathing and arranged her clothing, only then going to knock.

The old man still smilingly received her, concernedly asking how she felt. Feng Zhiwei looked at that smile, only feeling wave after wave of cold.

On her face she smiled and exchanged pleasantries with that old man, quickly walking back to the rear room. Pushing the door, her fingers trembled, fearing that upon pushing open the door would be two bloodily dripping corpses.

The door opened. Both Ning Yi and Chunyu Meng were there. Chunyu Meng slept with snores thundering and drool flowing. Ning Yi hadn’t lain down but sat. When the door opened, his shoulders and back tightened, then relaxed.

Feng Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the opponents might still be searching at the mountain base, hadn’t yet come up to rendezvous. She quickly went to Chunyu Meng’s bedside to shake him: “Wake up, wake up!”

But Chunyu Meng wouldn’t wake.

With a whole body of good martial skills, moreover in this environment, yet still sleeping like this—needless to say there was a problem. Feng Zhiwei thought of that tea water, silently regretting her vigilance was still insufficient.

Ning Yi at the side said coolly: “No need to bother with him. We’ll leave.”

Feng Zhiwei suddenly turned her head.

“As soon as he opened his mouth, I knew there was a problem.” Ning Yi was concise. “Jiyang Mountain hunters are mostly early years northern frontier war refugees, accent leaning northern. This person spoke pure local dialect—instead exposing his tracks. Moreover his attitude was too generous.”

This person actually even knew this. Feng Zhiwei felt somewhat alarmed. She quickly supported Ning Yi, then went to shake Chunyu Meng. Chunyu Meng seemed to also know something was wrong, struggled for half a day to open his eyes, said one sentence: “Leave…” and slept over again.

Feng Zhiwei looked at him, suddenly saying: “Since you knew from the start there was a problem, why didn’t you stop him from drinking tea?”

“Someone always has to drink. Otherwise will arouse the opponent’s suspicion—even more troublesome.” Ning Yi still had that expression, coolly not glancing at her once. “You drink? Or I drink? I think better Chunyu drinks.”

Feng Zhiwei looked at him. This person’s face beautiful as flowers, elegant as bamboo. This person’s heart cold as snow, intentions cold as ice.

“You leave—” Chunyu Meng covered in sweat, struggled to wake, arduously supporting himself on his blade to climb down from bed. First one blade slashed on his own arm. Fresh blood flowed horizontally, his consciousness awakening. In a low voice: “Leave—I’ll block—”

Ning Yi turned his head, very carefully looking at him once. Then said: “Good.”

He sat upright, calmly ordering Feng Zhiwei: “From the rear cliff, walk. This cliff isn’t high. We can climb down. The front will be blocked head-on.”

Feng Zhiwei was silent for a long moment, took out the two brush monkeys, stuffing them into Chunyu Meng’s bosom. Then without another word, supported Ning Yi and climbed out from the rear window.

The mountain cliff was slippery. Mountain wind billowed. Feng Zhiwei gripped Ning Yi’s hand, carefully climbing out a section. She felt his hand ice-cold to the bone. He felt her hand scalding hot to the heart.

The ground full of moss—extremely slippery. Neither dared let go. Fingers tightly clasped, climbing out a section. Below was a half-section broken cliff.

Feng Zhiwei bent down looking at that cliff, thinking normally it wouldn’t be a problem. At this moment with injuries on her body, truly somewhat difficult.

Suddenly heard from afar an angry roar—Chunyu Meng’s voice. From the small house’s rear window several zhang away, grief and fury erupted.

That voice like a sharp sword piercing through the night, shaking all sides’ fragmentary stones rustling down the mountain cliff.

Mountain wind fiercer, ceaselessly cleansing. Clothing hems were rolled up by wind, slapping faces—heavy and painful. Inside the house someone used life to roar, struggle, fight. Outside the house two people crouched on slippery craggy mountain rocks, motionless, silent without sound.

The wind was colder than the ice cellar by several degrees. Two people’s disheveled hair scattered in the cold wind, strand by strand cutting faces. That sound cut lungs and viscera as it rang, yet in the next instant, abruptly ceased.

As sudden as the eruption, the silence equally abrupt.

All sides returned to silence, yet it was an even heavier, more oppressive silence.

Apart from mountain wind sounds, even breathing sounds seemed frozen. Ning Yi lowered his eyes, expressionless. Feng Zhiwei twisted her head away, her gaze crystal bright.

After a long moment, Ning Yi pushed Feng Zhiwei, indicating she should go down first.

Feng Zhiwei found a protruding rock below the cliff, carefully moved her body down, then came to receive Ning Yi. Ning Yi slowly descended. Just as he was about to step on the rock, his body suddenly tilted.

In the emergency, Feng Zhiwei’s knee thrust up—a muffled bang heavily striking the cliff wall, replacing the rock to support Ning Yi’s foot. Because of using excessive force, her knee immediately became a bloody mess.

Ning Yi trembled, instinctively wanting to withdraw his foot.

Feng Zhiwei raised her hand and grabbed his robe hem.

Then she raised her head. In dawn’s darkest night and coldest night wind, she clearly asked:

“Ning Yi, are you blind?”