For some unknown reason, hearing these words made the true qi in her chest boil and churn, making even breathing difficult.

Yes, she hadn’t given her all. Chu Tiansu’s words “blood-deep vengeance unrequited” had branded her footsteps like a hot iron, making her watch helplessly as Cang Yun killed with insane cruelty before her eyes.

Changling opened a pair of eyes so calm they were chilling, met his gaze, but was unwilling to explain further. She only said: “Someone had to cover the rear. I’m not your grandmother—why should I die for you?”

“You—” Mingyue Zhou’s grief hadn’t yet faded. He wanted to say more, but unexpectedly, after just two steps forward, he saw Changling spray out a mouthful of blood mist, her eyes closing as she fainted and collapsed.

Mingyue Zhou was alarmed and hurriedly supported her, only then discovering that the blade wound on her right arm was steadily gushing fresh blood, and her entire body was cold as frost.

He hadn’t known before that she’d been so severely injured. Now he immediately panicked. With the wind tearing like mountains and rain bursting like rivers, if he didn’t stop the bleeding in time, dragging it out would likely cost her life.

Fortunately, Mingyue Zhou was also someone long experienced on battlefields. He surveyed the mountain’s terrain against the wind and before long found a cave. He carried Changling into the cave to shelter from the rain. Inside the cave was pitch black, and both of them were drenched like drowned rats—they couldn’t even find a cloth strip to stop the bleeding.

Mingyue Zhou could only let Changling lean against his chest, pinching her wound with his fingers to slow the blood flow, using his meager internal power to drive away the cold for her.

Not long after, the eastern sky showed a dim blue. The wind and rain gradually stopped, making the cave seem unusually quiet. Through the thin fabric, Mingyue Zhou could feel Changling’s originally wild heartbeat gradually becoming calm, her body temperature slowly recovering a little. Seeing the blood from her wound had stopped, his suspended heart finally eased slightly.

The faint light illuminated the cave interior. He lowered his head and moved his hand away from her wound. Seeing her brow furrow slightly, probably from pain brought by his movement, Mingyue Zhou involuntarily held his breath. Seeing this young lady lying so softly in his arms, lips dry and breathing labored, recalling the words he’d said to her last night, his heart was filled with endless regret.

Where did he get the face to reproach a weak woman who had risked her life to rescue him?

Mingyue Zhou sighed.

Anyway, he was currently locked in an iron mask—there really wasn’t much talk of having face.

He carefully laid her down, removed his outer garment to cover her, and left the cave to find water for her.

The stream of Luming Mountain wasn’t far from the cave. Mingyue Zhou casually drank two mouthfuls himself, then used large leaves to wrap and hold water as he rushed back. Who knew that before reaching the cave, he saw from afar several soldiers on the mountain path holding long spears, jabbing here and there in the forest, searching everywhere.

Mu Wangbao’s pursuing soldiers had already caught up?

His first instinct was to hide, but thinking of Changling still lying in the cave—if she was caught and taken back, the consequences… But with his strength alone, forget about saving people—if he rashly showed himself, how could he escape the siege of soldiers all over the mountain?

As he hesitated, suddenly a sharp cry came from the direction of the cave ahead. Flocks of birds flew into the sky as if frightened by something.

Mingyue Zhou’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.

He couldn’t care about life or death anymore. Taking advantage of the soldiers’ inattention, he darted past and ran toward the cave. The mountain vegetation was extremely tall and the wind howled. Though his movement wasn’t small, for the moment no one noticed.

But unexpectedly, just as Mingyue Zhou approached the cave entrance, he saw two soldiers stepping out from the cave mouth. One laughed: “This little calf’s bones are really tough enough—injured like that and still fighting us to the death.”

“Hmph, so what?” The other waved his long spear stained with blood. “Didn’t I still finish him off with one spear thrust!”

Mingyue Zhou’s head exploded with a boom, his ears ringing—he couldn’t comprehend these two people’s words at all.

The cold wind blew him into alertness. The next moment, not knowing where the strength came from, he suddenly lunged forward, seized the weapon, and thrust the spear through one soldier’s throat!

The soldier had been chatting pleasantly. Turning his head to see his companion die miserably before him, he was scared out of his wits. Before he could cry out, that breath choked in his throat. He stared stupidly at the spear tip emerging from his chest, eyes round as bells, and fell to the ground dead.

Mingyue Zhou released the bloody spear handle, looking at the blood seeping from the cave entrance, and involuntarily shivered.

He approached the cave step by step, as if mustering tremendous courage before daring to glance inside.

At this moment, a voice behind him said: “Why did you come back?”

Mingyue Zhou turned around to see a bloodless young woman standing three steps away—who else could it be but Changling?

He looked again toward the cave and saw a wolf-dog lying in a pool of blood. Only then did he realize what the soldiers had meant by “little calf.”

Changling tilted her head, inexplicably staring at Mingyue Zhou.

When she woke and saw Mingyue Zhou wasn’t there, she thought he had fled first, unable to take her along. When she heard the sounds of the mountain search outside, seeing only a few lackey soldiers, she naturally didn’t take them seriously. She left the cave and casually hid in a tree, then used pebbles to enrage a wild dog to frighten them, thinking to leave when Mu Wangbao’s soldiers dispersed.

She hadn’t expected this Mingyue Zhou to return.

With that iron skull on his head, instead of hiding properly, he ran up the mountain to stab soldiers to death—was he certain that surviving great disaster meant future blessings?

Changling glanced at the soldier at her feet. “Mu Wangbao wasn’t even certain whether we’d left Luming Mountain. You acted rashly—when the patrol captain discovers this, they’ll quickly assemble all forces to seal off the mountain. Then we won’t be able to fly away even with wings.”

How could Mingyue Zhou not know this?

He lost himself for a moment, then said hoarsely: “I… I couldn’t just abandon the young lady alone.”

Changling hadn’t expected he would answer like this. “Ah?”

“Young lady’s life-saving grace—this humble one dares not forget.”

Changling was stunned: “Uh… you don’t hate me anymore for abandoning your grandmother?”

“I…” Mingyue Zhou choked. “Earlier I misunderstood the young lady. It was truly…”

“Forget it, no time for idle talk.” Changling suddenly walked several steps closer to him, staring at that iron skull and circling around him twice. She then indicated for Mingyue Zhou to lower his head. Mingyue Zhou, not understanding, let Changling hold that iron mask and examine it carefully for quite a while before hearing her say: “Can’t even find a keyhole. Looks like for the time being, this mask can’t be removed.”

Mingyue Zhou instinctively scratched his head, discovered he was scratching the helmet, and could only lower his hand. “Mu Wangbao’s iron skull was forged by the divine craftsman Dong Zhi, strong as an iron shield. Once worn, it’s nearly impossible to remove—hence the name ‘skull.'”

Changling shook her head dismissively. “When this divine craftsman made this thing, wasn’t he afraid of accidentally getting it stuck on himself? There’s no lock in this world that can’t be opened—it’s just intimidating words to scare people into giving up their chance at life.”

This casual remark pressed down the lingering shock in Mingyue Zhou’s heart. He stepped past Changling, his gaze sweeping a circle around the surrounding mountain terrain. “Wearing this thing, I’m afraid it’ll be hard to escape this place’s sentries…”

He thought for a moment, crouched down, tore a piece of cloth from a soldier’s body, and used his finger to write several lines with blood. This was the Yan Kingdom’s script—naturally Changling couldn’t read it. But seeing him shake the cloth after finishing, waiting for the characters to dry before folding and rolling it up to hand to Changling, he said: “After leaving Luming Mountain, head east. In just two or three days’ journey you can reach Qizhou Guard City. Find Li Hu of the Situ Manor in the city…”

“Li Hu?”

Mingyue Zhou was suddenly interrupted and asked puzzled: “What?”

Changling’s eyes flashed.

The Yue Family had battled the Yan Kingdom several times. The enemy side also had a valiant general named Li Hu back then. She wondered if it was the same person.

“Nothing.”

“Give this to Li Hu. After he reads it, he’ll naturally send people to rescue me.”

Changling took it and glanced at it, raising her eyelids: “Even if I get out, in two or three days… even if you dig a hole and bury yourself, that Cang Yun could still dig you out.”

Mingyue Zhou coughed lightly. “I have my own methods to delay time.”

In his heart, though, he thought—if he met with misfortune, that was fate. Being able to let this young lady escape this disaster would also be good.

Changling tucked the cloth into her pouch. Without even a word of farewell, she turned and walked away.

Mingyue Zhou watched her eagerly as she walked several steps, then suddenly stopped and said: “I originally intended to help you with this favor, but unfortunately, all my major acupoints were sealed by your grandmother. Forget qinggong—I couldn’t even kill a chicken.”

He froze, watching her turn around and shrug: “To get out, you’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

Changling’s words were half true, half false.

Although her acupoints were sealed, they would unseal themselves in half a day. Leaving Luming Mountain wasn’t difficult.

It was just that Mingyue Zhou would most likely not make it through.

She had already fulfilled her promise to help him escape Mu Wangbao. The road ahead really didn’t require her to risk her own safety to protect him. But recalling the scene of Chu Tiansu desperately carving out a bloody path for them, she inevitably felt some reluctance.

Moreover, if the Li Hu he mentioned and the Li Hu from the Yan Army back then were the same person, to investigate the truth about Shen Yao’s collusion with the Yan Kingdom, Mingyue Zhou might be able to help—one couldn’t yet know.

Mingyue Zhou didn’t know about these calculations in Changling’s mind. Hearing her tone, he thought she meant to stay and share life and death with him. He stammered for a long time but couldn’t spit out a single word.

He was about to persuade her again when from the corner of his eye, he inadvertently caught sight of behind Changling—a black shadow suddenly darted out, someone holding a blade abruptly striking toward her heart!

In an instant, Mingyue Zhou lunged forward, protecting Changling under his body. With a “clang,” the blade struck his helmet, forcibly gouging away the iron skull’s right ear—

Fortunately, his ear was rather small. Although the earlobe was injured, it didn’t fly off with blood and flesh following this blade.

That person’s strike unsuccessful, wanted to attack again but was met with Mingyue Zhou’s backhand punch to the throat. With a crack, the throat broke. When Changling turned to look, that person’s neck had already tilted to the side, fallen to the ground dead.

She was slightly astonished.

Having been tortured until covered in wounds at Mu Wangbao with both poison and injuries, then escaping overnight, Mingyue Zhou could still have this much strength—truly not to be underestimated.

Fearing the fallen soldier wasn’t quite dead, he bent down to add another stab, then raised his head to see her frowning at him. “What is it?”

Changling’s voice carried a trace of imperceptible emotion. “If that had been someone with martial arts skill, your little life would have ended right there.”

“I just…”

He paused, swallowing back the words “just afraid you’d be injured” into his stomach.

Hearing this, Changling suddenly frowned. “Next time you encounter this kind of thing, don’t take such risks. No matter how poor I am, I wouldn’t be defeated by this nameless blade.”

He didn’t dare make a sound. At this time, a whistle suddenly sounded not far away. A small group of soldiers appeared on the earthen mound, noticing their tracks. Mingyue Zhou secretly sighed that this was bad and hurriedly pulled Changling to flee this place.

Soldiers all over the mountain began assembling to search. Both of them were experienced veterans—their rhythm in evading pursuers was exceptionally coordinated. But Luming Mountain wasn’t large. Once they blockaded the mountain descent routes and increased troops, being found was only a matter of time.

Overhead, another round of hurried footsteps trampled past.

Changling and Mingyue Zhou hid beneath a crack in a stone wall. Above the wall, vegetation grew horizontally—at a glance it looked no different from flat ground. No one would think there was a gap below that could accommodate people.

It could only accommodate two people.

The two stood face to face, bodies pressed together with not half a point of space to retreat. In the urgent circumstances earlier, they’d chosen this hiding place. Mingyue Zhou’s full attention had been focused on the movements outside. When he came to his senses and felt the softness pressed against his chest, he was so embarrassed he didn’t know where to put his hands.

Changling heard his heart pounding fiercely and said: “What are you afraid of? They’ve all left.”

“…” That wasn’t what he was afraid of, okay?

She inadvertently glanced at him, then suddenly froze. She stood on tiptoe and leaned close to his face—iron mask—causing Mingyue Zhou’s heart to nearly leap out. He stammered: “Wh-what?”

“Don’t move.”

Changling lifted her eyelashes to glance at Mingyue Zhou’s injured right ear, suddenly smiled, extended her finger to tap the broken part of his mask. “There’s a small hole inside here—it should be the iron skull’s keyhole.”

Mingyue Zhou was dazed. “What?”

“I guess the craftsman who made this mask deliberately cast the iron at the ear thinner. No one would think that to unlock it, you’d first have to cut off the ear—your luck is good.”

Changling pulled out an iron needle from her sleeve, with quick eyes and deft hands inserted it into the keyhole and lightly twisted. With just a click, the lock opened.