Having removed all the iron sand weights from her body, Bai Qingyan was light as a swallow. She pushed Bai Jinzhi aside, her eyes deep and dark. Rather than avoiding the sudden cold blades, she drew her long sword, cold light flashing. In the instant she swiftly advanced, blood mist scattered, and a head rolled down the mountain slope – the bloody head bore a fierce expression with eyes about to split from their sockets.
Though Shen Yancong had been prepared, he hadn’t expected the Western Liang assassins to move so quickly. The moment the Western Liang assassins attacked, the Shen family guards immediately drew their blades in response.
“Elder Sister, retreat!” Bai Jinzhi quickly drew her sword and stood protectively in front of Bai Qingyan.
The scent of blood permeated the deep forest moonlight. A thin azure cloud slowly covered the bright moon, and the surrounding light and sounds gradually disappeared along with it – all was quiet, not a crow or sparrow to be heard.
The assassin leader looked at Bai Qingyan, whose bloodstained sword dripped blood, who was quickly protected behind Bai Jinzhi and the guards, whose eyes remained calm yet filled with killing intent. Even the dullest person would realize that Bai Qingyan had been prepared for them. Today Bai Qingyan exposing herself before them was merely using herself as bait to set a trap!
The assassin leader’s heart filled with terror, knowing this was bad. But having already been discovered and having reached this point, failing to complete the mission and escaping meant death, while completing the mission might allow the others who survived to live!
Steeled in his resolve, the Western Liang assassin leader blew a whistle and became entangled in combat with the Shen family guards.
Everywhere was the sound of clashing blades, everywhere the elusive shadows of swords.
Bai Jinzhi gripped her long sword, protecting Bai Qingyan behind her. Soon, all the assassins who had mixed in with the troops going up the mountain to capture bandits returned, and the Bai family guard army also charged up.
Bai Jinzhi protected Bai Qingyan while continuously retreating. Bai Qingyan raised her hand to grasp Bai Jinzhi’s shoulder, her calm and steady voice sounding in Bai Jinzhi’s ear: “It’s alright, don’t be afraid! You can protect Elder Sister!”
Yes, Bai Jinzhi was afraid – not of being injured or dying… but of being unable to protect Elder Sister.
Standing shoulder to shoulder with Elder Sister again, facing slaughter, she couldn’t help but think of that night at Qiushan Pass when they rescued Ninth Brother Bai Qingyun. If Xiao Ruojiang hadn’t protected her, her head would have already fallen.
She also thought of Fire God Mountain – if Elder Sister hadn’t arrived in time, she might have already perished in the flames.
“Miss!” A Bai family guard shouted, throwing Bai Qingyan’s Sun-Shooting Bow to her.
Bai Qingyan caught it with one hand, drew an arrow from the quiver on Bai Jinzhi’s back, nocked the arrow, and drew the bow.
Shen Yancong, who was entangled in combat with a Western Liang assassin, only felt an arrow carrying cold air and wrapped in the force of wind and thunder buzz past his ear. He only saw a phantom shadow, and instantly, hot blood mist sprayed across his face. The Western Liang assassin in front of him, who had raised a blade against him, had his neck pierced through. The arrow nearly passed through the tree, the arrow feathers trembling with sound as if right beside one’s ear.
Knowing about the power of Bai Qingyan’s Sun-Shooting Bow was one thing; seeing it with his own eyes was another. Shen Yancong couldn’t hide his shock.
Before Shen Yancong could react, the whistling sound of arrows came one after another from behind. No arrow missed its mark – once the arrow feathers left the bow, they must claim a life.
The Shen family guards, hearing arrows pass by their ears, all felt lingering fear, while the Bai family guard army continued fighting with all their might, not at all worried that their Miss’s arrows would harm them.
The Western Liang assassin leader spotted Bai Qingyan’s position and deliberately took a blade from a Bai family guard to his chest, then flung hidden weapons toward Bai Qingyan while shouting: “Retreat!”
He had brought his brothers here, as long as he could trade his life for a chance to strike Princess Zhenguo, his brothers could all survive when they returned! Otherwise, they would all die here today!
Bai Qingyan’s sensitivity to danger was extremely high. Acting on instinct, she grabbed Bai Jinzhi’s collar, pressed her head down while spinning around a tree. An extremely faint whistling sound brushed past Bai Qingyan’s hair with the wind…
More than ten fine needles gleaming with a dark green luster were firmly embedded in the tree. If Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi had been even a moment slower, they would likely have become dead souls under these poisoned needles.
The assassin leader, whose chest had been pierced by a Bai family guard’s blade, saw that Bai Qingyan had spun around the tree to avoid his only hidden weapon, then drawn an arrow and claimed another life. Feeling powerless to reverse the situation, he spat out a mouthful of bright red blood and collapsed in defeat.
The clouds covering the moon slowly drifted away, bright moonlight spreading everywhere, and tree shadows swaying.
The sounds of shouting and killing suddenly rose loudly from the mountain, birds in the deep forest took startled flight, and the bandit stronghold became as noisy as a boiling pot.
In the center of the mountainside, corpses lay everywhere with blood winding about.
The Bai family guard army and Shen family guards each captured one person alive and brought them back, pressing the two blood-covered men to kneel before Bai Qingyan.
“Miss, there was poison hidden behind their tongues… it has already been removed! They can be brought back to the mansion for interrogation…” A Bai family guard stepped forward and reported to Bai Qingyan with cupped fists.
A gasping Shen family guard also stepped forward and said to Bai Qingyan and Shen Yancong: “Princess Zhenguo, Young Master… the poison behind this man’s teeth has also been removed.”
“If Princess Zhenguo is at ease with it, these two men can be handed over to me for interrogation. I will certainly get to the bottom of everything!” Shen Yancong, eager to distinguish himself before Bai Qingyan, stepped forward to request the assignment.
“No need for interrogation.” Bai Qingyan took the handkerchief Bai Jinzhi handed her and wiped the fresh blood staining her face. “Western Liang Princess Li Tianfu sent you, didn’t she?”
The two men knelt with lowered heads, stubbornly refusing to make a sound.
“Besides that, so-called Princess Li Tianfu of Western Liang, no one else would do such a foolish thing!” Bai Jinzhi’s eyes were cold. She hadn’t forgotten the incident at the Crown Prince’s wedding banquet when that worthless Western Liang princess had tried to kill her elder sister. It was fortunate she was a princess – if she were anyone else, Bai Jinzhi would have killed her.
Shen Yancong glanced at the two men kneeling on the ground: “Since the Princess already knows their origins, keeping them is useless. Better to kill them and be done with it.”
“I’ll give you one chance to choose – either have your heads fall today, or I’ll send someone to escort you to the capital… You can confess to the Crown Prince about Li Tianfu sending you to kill me, and naturally, the poison that Western Liang death warriors take – the one that attacks once a month and kills within half a year – I can also have someone help you resolve it.”
As soon as Bai Qingyan finished speaking, the two men seemed moved, struggling for only a moment before one raised his head and said: “If you’re going to kill us, then kill us – where do all these useless words come from!”
As soon as the man finished speaking, he nodded to Shen Yancong. Shen Yancong’s hand rose, and his blade fell – the head dropped and blood sprayed.
“What about you? Are you also so unyielding?” Bai Qingyan looked at the other man.
“But seeking swift death!” the man said.
“You’re a true man. Go in peace – I will have you buried together.” After Bai Qingyan finished speaking, she turned and led the way down the mountain.
Shen Yancong, without hesitation, finished off that man with one stroke, eliminating all the death warriors Li Tianfu had sent.
The mountain was bustling with activity. The Wang family from Jiuqu Lane was never high-class to begin with, and those they sent were not peerless masters – they were merely borrowing the name of fierce bandits, and though they had some martial skills, they could handle ordinary people but when facing these trained… and numerous new soldiers, they were bound to be routed.