The soldiers followed in exasperation, stopping in an open area and nervously looking around. Although they had only faced Qing Xia alone so far, these men felt as terrified as if confronting an entire army.

“Puff!” A silver arc suddenly exploded in the air. Everyone was shocked as a soldier trembled, a bloody hole instantly bursting open on his forehead. Blood trickled down, and before he could even cry out, his body had already crashed to the ground.

“Who’s there? Come out!” Someone screamed shrilly. Two men had already died, yet they still hadn’t even seen their enemy’s face. The crowd panicked, and the squad leader roared, brandishing his battle blade as he ran madly toward where the silver light had come from.

However, before he could reach the spot, the sound of something cutting through air suddenly rang out in the forest. A black arrow flew swiftly forward, striking squarely into the squad leader’s spine.

Blood gushed from the soldier’s mouth. The man convulsed twice, then moved no more. Everyone’s faces turned ashen as they hastily turned around, staring deadly at the direction from which the crossbow bolt had been fired. Faster than lightning could strike, a petite figure immediately leaped out. In two bounds, she had already landed behind this group of panicked soldiers. Gripping the dagger in reverse, she stabbed fiercely toward the back near the heart. The sharp dagger pierced completely through the body. Before she could pull it out, another soldier alertly discovered her and drew his battle blade to counterattack.

Qing Xia’s eyes turned cold. Following the blade’s momentum, she dropped down while the dagger sawed back and forth in the wounded soldier’s body. Half his shoulder immediately separated from his torso. Deafening screams shot skyward. The grappling hook in her hand nimbly swung out, hooking around another attacking soldier’s ankle. With slight force, the man crashed heavily to the ground.

Qing Xia rolled on the spot, landing right on top of the fallen man. Grabbing his hair, she suddenly sprang up from the ground. The soldier whose hair was grabbed let out a miserable grunt, blood flowing from his scalp.

“Puff!” Qing Xia hurled the dagger in her hand, cleanly inserting it into the neck of a man approaching with a blade. At the same time, a long sword struck like thunder, opening a large bloody hole in the chest of the man in her grasp who had lost handfuls of hair.

Chu Li stepped over the corpses of several other soldiers and slowly walked forward. Eight soldiers trained in battlefield combat had been eliminated just like that. Nimble skills combined with perfect coordination. Qing Xia smiled slightly at Chu Li and said in a low voice: “Let’s go.”

Chu Li nodded, casually using his toe to turn over a corpse, then nodded again.

Just then, a sudden noise came from nearby. With Qing Xia’s alertness, she immediately leaped up, hurling the dagger she had just retrieved toward the sound. The sound of something cutting through air also rang out as she threw herself at Chu Li. Almost simultaneously, searing pain struck her back – Qing Xia immediately knew she had been wounded.

A soldier who wasn’t yet dead had made a final desperate attack. After being struck in a vital point by Qing Xia’s dagger, he could no longer survive.

Chu Li frowned tightly, his expression cold and stern. He quickly got up from the ground, held Qing Xia’s body, and said in a low voice: “How are you?” He then moved to pull out the crossbow bolt from her back.

“Don’t pull it out!” Qing Xia said urgently. “This arrowhead has barbs – once pulled out, the bleeding won’t stop. Fortunately there’s no blood groove, or my life would be in danger today.” Taking the blade from Chu Li’s hand, she struck backward to cut off the arrow shaft. Tearing off a piece of trouser leg, she wrapped it around her back, bit one corner of the cloth strip, and tied it tightly.

After surveying the surroundings, Qing Xia said in a low voice: “This place isn’t safe to linger. Your Highness should leave quickly. I’m severely wounded and can’t flee far. I’ll stay behind to intercept the enemy and cover Your Highness’s retreat.”

This was a golden opportunity of a lifetime. Not only had she successfully escaped the capital, but she also had the perfect reason to disappear by dying in battle. Without anyone knowing, and without implicating Yang Feng. She had deliberately left this hidden threat to execute this self-sacrifice stratagem. Otherwise, no one would escape alive from Qing Xia’s hands – that soldier naturally couldn’t have either.

Struggling to support herself on the ground to stand up, Qing Xia gritted her teeth, somewhat unsteady but still stubbornly managed to get up. She had suffered more serious injuries than this before. In the Syrian mountains, to rescue innocent hostages, her right lung had been shot, but she still relied on stimulant injections to resist the pain and fought the enemy for three days. After that mission, she had half her lung surgically removed and received a medal. Many times, people can create miracles – the tenacious ability of life far exceeds human imagination in many ways.

Chu Li’s expression was grim. Watching Qing Xia’s slightly staggering steps, he suddenly walked in front of her, bent down, and said in a low voice: “I’ll carry you.”

Qing Xia was greatly shocked. She knew that her current identity was merely one of Chu Li’s low-ranking Black Guard attendants. For her to block arrows and die for him was a very ordinary matter. With his noble status as Crown Prince, even if he abandoned her to flee alone at this moment, it would be reasonable. She quickly said: “This humble one dares not. Your Highness is of precious royal blood while this humble one’s life is worthless. Your Highness need not risk himself for this humble person.”

“Get on!” Chu Li’s voice was low, as if unwilling to say another word.

Qing Xia had expended so much effort to obtain this opportunity. Who knew when the next chance to escape would come – how could she give up like this? She continued: “This humble one serves as a Black Guard – dying for Your Highness is only proper. Your Highness need not concern himself with this humble one’s life…”

A cold, sharp gaze suddenly swept over her, and Qing Xia immediately fell silent.

Hoisting Qing Xia onto his back, Chu Li reached around behind him to wrap Qing Xia’s legs around his front, used the heavy coat to cover her body, and finally tied it around himself.

Qing Xia was instantly bound tightly to Chu Li’s body like a dumpling. Her petite frame was unlike Chu Li’s long limbs – when she had carried him on her back, his feet had dragged on the ground. Chu Li’s expression remained unchanged as he picked up the long blade and crossbow from the ground and said in a low voice: “Hold my neck.”

Her plan had backfired spectacularly. Qing Xia’s depression was beyond measure. Helplessly extending her hands, she embraced Chu Li’s neck. Chu Li looked down at the pair of fair, delicate hands in front of him, his brow furrowing slightly.

Taking up the crossbow bolts and other weapons, Chu Li suddenly began running at an astonishingly fast speed, not at all affected in his movement by carrying someone on his back. The forest terrain was treacherous and unpredictable, but fortunately Qing Xia had extraordinary memory abilities, combined with Chu Li’s knowledge of this area. By noon, the two had already reached the edge of the forest.

Qing Xia lay against Chu Li’s shoulder, looking sideways at his determined eyebrow and eye contours, suddenly feeling a trace of familiarity. Actually, this person wasn’t as detestable as she had once thought. Time and circumstances were against her – who told her to be attached to the body of the spy Zhuang Qing Xia? Throughout all dynasties and nations, the attitude toward spies had never softened. If it were her, she probably would have killed directly and been done with it.

Lost in random thoughts, the thunderous sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out. Qing Xia started, her palm involuntarily gripping Chu Li’s shoulder tightly. Chu Li also stopped at the same moment, his eyes flashing with cold light as he looked warily and coldly toward the direction of the sound.

“All men divide into thirty squads to search for His Highness. Use smoke signals as markers. When encountering suspicious persons, kill without mercy!”

A resonant voice immediately rang out. Although Qing Xia knew this escape attempt was now completely hopeless, she was still greatly delighted and shouted loudly toward the distance: “General Xu, His Highness is here!”

Chaotic footsteps thundered urgently in their direction as Xu Quan led large numbers of troops rushing madly forward. However, everyone’s expressions became rigid after initial great joy. Even the steady Xu Quan couldn’t help but change color dramatically, staring dumbfounded at Qing Xia lying on Chu Li’s body.

“Hmph!” An imposing snort suddenly rang out as Chu Li’s eyes turned cold, killing intent instantly permeating the air.

Worthy of being a seasoned court schemer, Xu Quan immediately withdrew his gaze, knelt resolutely on the ground, and loudly declared: “This minister was late in coming to Your Highness’s rescue. Please forgive this crime!”

Rows of black-armored soldiers knelt uniformly on the ground, their pleas for forgiveness rising like mountain calls and ocean roars. But Qing Xia’s face was pale as paper – she knew that from now on, escaping would be even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

The weather in Southern Chu was just this capricious – bone-chillingly cold, yet with rain flying everywhere. Qing Xia tore off half a sleeve, exposing her smooth, tender back. On the butterfly bone of her shoulder blade, a sharp arrow still remained embedded, the surface blood having dried to a dark red patch.

Taking the wine flask in one hand, she held it in her mouth, then spat it all out onto the dagger with a “puff.” This wine was strong – Yang Feng’s usual drink. Taking up the dagger, she turned her head and without hesitation cut down toward the wound on her shoulder blade.

“Mmm…”

A short, muffled groan rang out within the tent. Yang Feng sat on a rock outside the camp tent, leaning on his silver spear, his face grim as water, lost in thought.

“Clang!” The crisp sound of steel hitting the ground came from within. Yang Feng frowned and swept aside the curtain, only to see Qing Xia lying unconscious on the ground in a pool of blood, dagger in hand and eyes tightly closed.

After applying medicine, carefully bandaging, and cleaning the blood, by the time everything was finished, the sky had already darkened.

The main tent was bustling with voices. After Chu Li’s return, he hadn’t gone directly back to the palace but had come to the military headquarters. Document after document flew out like snowflakes without mercy. This wounded tiger had finally begun a new round of counterattack after being driven to desperation.

A month ago, the Thirteenth Prince had conspired with Imperial Noble Consort Xiao in rebellion. After being caught, he had been kept under house arrest in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. Although it couldn’t be proven that today’s incident was the Thirteenth Prince’s doing, Chu Li still used this as an excuse to conduct a comprehensive purge of the Thirteenth Prince’s followers. Chu Li had returned to the country less than two years ago, but the Thirteenth Prince had been scheming in Southern Chu for over thirty years. His roots ran deep, his position was solid, and his followers and proteges were spread throughout the realm. Without a legitimate pretext, it would be extremely difficult to openly execute him. Using the crime of assassinating the heir apparent, the deep waters surrounding the Thirteenth Prince were immediately stirred into complete chaos.