When people chased from behind, the old woman showed no nervousness, but when Chu Zhao stopped and turned around, he couldn’t help but halt, hugging the child tightly.

The child gripped his clothing, leaning on his shoulder to look back.

In the dim darkness of night, he saw that girl suddenly draw her blade, suddenly kill people.

So much blood spurted out, as if splashing on his face.

He stared wide-eyed without blinking, completely unbothered.

Before, he had never witnessed killing, had never even seen blood, but tonight, he seemed to be soaking in a sea of blood and mountain of corpses.

A’Le’s eyes also widened. Blood splattered on her face too, and she also gripped a blade in her hand.

Miss had explained earlier that it would be very dangerous, that there would be killing, that they might be killed.

She wasn’t afraid either, although she had never killed anyone before.

Miss had never killed anyone either, yet Miss said she would kill and she killed!

Miss was so formidable!

“Go,” Chu Zhao said, gripping her blade and stepping forward in one stride, pushing the old woman.

This time the old woman’s footsteps were even faster.

A’Le fell in behind Chu Zhao. This time she was determined—she must draw her blade before Miss, she too would kill.

All this happened in an instant, but was still noticed.

When those two fell, more black shadows emerged from the darkness deep in the alley, sweeping forward, rolling with the night wind—the wind carried the gleam of cold steel and the stench of blood.

Chu Zhao raised her blade and was about to leap forward.

“Miss, let me.” A’Le rushed ahead first, swinging her blade to kill.

Several muffled groans, and where the blade flashed, a cluster of figures fell.

A’Le was stunned. She actually hadn’t even—touched them yet—

“Step back,” Chu Zhao said, grabbing her and retreating.

Her gaze swept the surroundings.

On the walls on both sides of the alley, figures leaped down one after another like scythes. Wherever they passed, the figures rushing forward all fell one after another.

Deeper within, sounds of fighting also arose.

Who were these people?

“Hey,” a female voice called down from atop the wall.

Chu Zhao looked over. In the dimness she couldn’t see clearly, but could make out a girl’s figure with a small figure beside her.

That small figure’s hand waved back and forth, flashing with cold light.

Looking again at those people among the sweeping black shadows—there were men and women, old and young—

They looked just like neighbors from the surrounding area, but when had neighbors become capable of killing?

Chu Zhao gripped her blade. Before she could ask, that female voice spoke again.

“Need horses?” she asked.

Running on human legs certainly couldn’t compare to horses. Chu Zhao looked at that girl and said decisively and efficiently: “Yes.”

The small figure crouching beside that girl whistled.

Then a tightly closed door on the street opened, and with neighing sounds, a full dozen or more horses charged out.

“Go, go,” the girl waved and shouted.

Without asking a single unnecessary question, Chu Zhao turned decisively and efficiently, supporting the old woman as she ran toward where the horses were. A’Le followed close behind.

These horses were not only equipped with saddles but also had sabers, bows, arrows, and weapons hanging from them.

Chu Zhao randomly grabbed one and vaulted onto the horse, turning to say: “Give me the—child.”

She had been about to say “young prince” but felt it inappropriate.

The old woman hadn’t yet moved when the child in her arms raised his head and once again took the initiative to extend his hands toward Chu Zhao.

The old woman hurriedly passed him to Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao picked up the child and held him before her. The old woman and A’Le also mounted horses respectively.

Chu Zhao looked back. The sounds of fighting in the alley grew more intense. There seemed to be countless black shadows rolling in, but that girl stood on the high wall, as if casting down a net, forcibly trapping the black shadows.

“Go!” she shouted loudly again.

Chu Zhao withdrew her gaze, sheathed her blade, drew a long spear from the horse’s side and gripped it in her hand, spurring the horse forward at full gallop.

“Head toward the imperial palace,” she shouted.

The old woman behind finally spoke: “The palace area is full of the Third Prince’s people. Too dangerous.”

Chu Zhao didn’t turn her head: “Dangerous? Then let everyone be in danger.”

Let the Third Prince also know that the Prince of Zhongshan’s heir was reaping the fisherman’s profit.

Even if they fought, a three-way melee would be better than being silently surrounded and killed now.

The more chaos, the more chance of survival.

But having barely spurred the horse a few steps, urgent hoofbeats sounded from the street ahead. Clearly more people were coming.

Since Xiao Xun had decided to kill, he naturally laid an inescapable net around the Chu residence.

Having schemed for so long, how could the Prince of Zhongshan and his son let her easily escape with her life?

“Miss Chu—” the old woman said in a trembling voice, seemingly wanting to ask what to do.

Chu Zhao gripped her blade, looking ahead: “I don’t know what to do, and I don’t know if I can lead you to escape. The only thing I can promise is—”

“Before you die, I’ll die first.”

If this was the young prince’s fate, if this was Xiao Xun framing Father, if this was Chu Lan’s moment of bewitchment, then this time she would die together with them.

The only regret was that in this life reborn, she still hadn’t managed to see Father even once.

This was all A’Jiu’s fault!

If he’d sent her letter to Father earlier, or if he hadn’t been so whiny on the road back then, she would already be in the border commandery now, staying by Father’s side—

The child before her pressed tightly against her. Chu Zhao could feel the child trembling.

Ah well, at least she was still in the capital. Even if she still died, dying together—at least this child wouldn’t hate her father and could die knowing clearly who had harmed him.

Chu Zhao held the child protectively with one hand and raised her long spear with the other.

“A’Le,” she called. “What we learned as children, we’ll use today.”

A’Le raised her bow and arrow, galloping at her side: “Miss, this time it’s not for fun.”

Having said this, with a twang, twin arrows left the bowstring like shooting stars.

From the opposite side came a clang, as if arrows striking iron.

To actually deflect arrows with a weapon? So formidable.

A’Le and Chu Zhao’s faces paled slightly, but they showed no fear. A’Le cast aside her bow and arrow, drew her long spear, and Chu Zhao’s horse galloped even faster.

From the darkness ahead came a shout.

“A’Le, you dead girl,” a male voice scolded. “How many times have I told you—on the battlefield use single arrows, no showing off. The ones that kill are the most impressive skills!”

A’Le froze. Chu Zhao was already wild with joy.

“Uncle Zhong—” she shouted loudly, her voice hoarse from shouting.

Uncle Zhong! Uncle Zhong had come!

That’s right—this life was different from the last. Uncle Zhong had come to the capital, and moreover, Uncle Zhong was in the capital today.

Zhong Changrong reined in his horse, watching the girl galloping toward him. The girl’s eyes sparkled, as if flowing with tears. His own eyes stung, and he nearly shed tears too.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. Zhao was alright.

“Uncle Zhong came late,” he said, his expression filled with self-reproach. “You must have been terrified.”

The situation had been too sudden. He’d been kept overnight by an old friend. Though he’d declined repeatedly, he’d still drunk a little and slept rather deeply. By the time he realized what was happening, the capital was already in complete chaos.

His old friend had wanted him to hide in the house, but he was truly worried about Chu Zhao. He’d managed to find a way to cross the city to get here.

And indeed he saw fighting over there—

Who were those people?

No matter who they were, anyone threatening Miss must die!

Zhong Changrong’s eyes turned fierce: “Zhao, you all fall back.”

He gripped his blade and was about to advance.

Chu Zhao hurriedly moved aside. Thinking of something, she added: “Uncle Zhong, those people—did you arrange for them to protect me?”

Zhong Changrong paused. What? Only then did he notice that there were clearly two sides locked in combat over there. Because one side was blocking, the other side couldn’t even exit the alley.

He was just about to say no when he saw a figure running over from that direction.

This was a girl gripping a blade, seemingly thinking Chu Zhao’s side was under attack and coming to the rescue.

Now running closer, she also saw Zhong Changrong. The girl’s steps immediately halted, and she retreated a bit, as if not wanting him to see her face.

But feeling retreat was shameful, she stopped, tilted her head to one side with a somewhat haughty air, and looked toward the other direction.

Although it was only half her face, under the leaping torchlight, Zhong Changrong recognized her at a glance. His expression changed and he barked: “You people!”

The words reached his lips and stopped.

Chu Zhao looked at him, then at that girl. Only now could she see clearly—the girl was about her age, wielding a large saber almost as tall as herself—

When had Uncle Zhong acquired such young girls as subordinates?

Or perhaps, not?

“Uncle Zhong, is she—are they your people?” Chu Zhao asked again.

Zhong Changrong’s expression shifted for a moment, then forced out a smile: “Yes, yes, I arranged for them to be here.”

He said this in response to Chu Zhao, but his gaze was fixed on that girl over there, his eyes issuing a fierce warning.

That girl snorted and turned her head even further away, her slender neck nearly twisted off.