The horrifying death of that man struck fear into everyone’s hearts, but who could guarantee there weren’t similar dangers elsewhere? Most of these men were desperate characters. They steeled themselves and pressed their attack on Ling Ziyue with increased ferocity, determined to sever his head as quickly as possible.

With his opponents closing in, Ling Ziyue raised his sword to meet them. His spiritual energy suddenly erupted, releasing a murderous aura honed over years on the battlefield, proving quite potent in attack. For a moment, even three or four ninth-rank martial masters couldn’t overcome him.

With these few warriors leading the charge, more and more martial masters broke through the rain of arrows. Eventually, their numbers swelled to over twenty. Gao Dazhuang ordered his men to join the fray, and with the addition of several deputy commanders, they managed to hold their ground.

An Jiu’s spiritual energy possessed strong offensive capabilities, but its effectiveness diminished significantly when not facing enemies directly. She gazed down at the battle below, occasionally losing a cold arrow. However, with friend and foe locked in close combat and positions changing rapidly, sniping proved ineffective.

After a moment’s consideration, An Jiu decided to maintain her current position rather than join the melee. Unknown developments might still occur, and by remaining hidden, she could seize opportunities as they arose.

Before long, a dazzling blue light flashed in the distance, as bright as day. An Jiu saw the pale, cold battlefield and her heart skipped a beat. A brilliant blue light, like a bolt of lightning, streaked towards Ling Ziyue.

Her typically cool and clear mind became a jumbled mess in an instant. Only one thought remained: Ling Ziyue must not die! As for why he couldn’t die, An Jiu couldn’t articulate an answer. Perhaps she had developed some damned sense of belonging, or maybe she admired Ling Ziyue as a person…

In that fleeting moment, she had no time to sort out her thoughts. After that brief hesitation, An Jiu leaped down, her spiritual energy locking onto two Liao martial masters. Her twin swords struck like a sudden squall. Her arrows were no match for that crossbow bolt. The only option was to engage Ling Ziyue’s opponents, giving him a chance to dodge.

“Mei Shisi!” Lou Mingyue cried out in shock, momentarily distracted. In that instant, her shoulder caught a blade.

The pain ignited an even stronger killing intent within her. Casting aside all distracting thoughts, her sword techniques became even more fierce and deadly.

“Run!” An Jiu shouted urgently.

With her joining the fray, the pressure on Ling Ziyue immediately eased. Aware of the extraordinary power emanating from the distant blue arrow, he immediately leaped more than ten zhang away. He anticipated that once he moved, a large group of martial masters would follow, leaving the female assassin with a chance to evade the blue light.

Indeed, as Ling Ziyue retreated, the martial masters engaging An Jiu lost their will to fight. Although they hadn’t seen the crossbow, their instincts warned them of the danger, prompting a hasty withdrawal.

The crossbow bolt was fired from several hundred zhang away. Despite the considerable distance, it closed in within the blink of an eye. An Jiu had barely managed to hold off two martial masters. After Ling Ziyue’s departure, the blinding light had already bathed everything around in blue.

An Jiu twisted to dodge, her eyes seeing nothing but piercing blue.

At that moment, she seemed to return to a certain instant in time. When a bullet passed through her skull, as she fell, she saw the azure sky through the ventilation window… She felt dazed as if everything in the Song Dynasty had been a dream she’d had on the brink of death. Upon waking from the dream, she still saw that patch of blue sky, her life still ebbing away, irretrievable…

Just as An Jiu had given up struggling, she vaguely discerned a black dot amidst the blue light. The dot approached at an astonishing speed, growing larger and larger until it finally obscured the radiance.

Her vision plunged into darkness, yet warmth seeped through her clothes. The shrill wind whistled in her ears.

A thunderous explosion erupted behind her, like heavenly thunder. In the dazzling white light behind her, sand and stones flew, and fragments of flesh and bone splattered in all directions like raindrops.

A deep voice resonated above her head, “Is rushing to your death alone amusing?”

Chu Dingjiang?!

An Jiu came to her senses and looked up, seeing the outline of his jaw barely visible beneath his face covering. Her mind hadn’t yet processed that this man, descending from the sky, had snatched her from the grasp of death.

Landing lightly, the sounds and sensations around them diminished significantly, indicating they were now some distance from the battlefield.

An Jiu paid no attention to these details, focusing only on his jawline as she spoke slowly, “When I was little… Mom told me that when I grew up, one day a graceful and handsome man would descend from the sky. He would let my heart dwell in a warm house. We would love each other, marry, have children, and raise them to adulthood. When we were old, we’d support each other on walks. When I died, he would hold my hand, accompanying me into the next world…”

His appearance at this moment stirred the warmth buried deep in her heart.

Listening to these somewhat childish words, Chu Dingjiang cradled the back of her head, pressing her face into his chest.

After a moment, he chided in a low voice, “It’s been such a short time, yet you’re already willing to sacrifice yourself for others!”

Chu Dingjiang had been quite angry, but somehow that anger dissipated in an instant. Recalling her recent words, he couldn’t help but say, “Nonsensical babbling.”

Who would spout such a long speech after narrowly escaping death? Who would start talking about their childhood upon reuniting after a long separation?

Maintaining this posture for a while, An Jiu finally struggled a bit, pushing him away. “Since you’re here, go help with the battle.”

“General Ling can handle it,” Chu Dingjiang replied unhurriedly, exuding confidence. “This time, General Ling escaped unharmed thanks to you. But don’t underestimate him. This encounter might result in the demise of ten thousand Liao cavalry.”

That Ling Ziyue could achieve this in such dire circumstances proved he wasn’t just a brute who only knew how to fight. Chu Dingjiang’s words seemed to express considerable admiration for him.

An Jiu felt that in all of the Great Song, perhaps only he could maintain such a confident demeanor in the face of such powerlessness. At that moment, Chu Dingjiang’s image in her mind grew even taller than Ling Ziyue’s.

So, out of respect and concern, she felt compelled to remind him of something, “It hasn’t been that long, yet your mind seems to have deteriorated. If I underestimated him, why would I bother saving him?”

Chu Dingjiang raised his hand and patted her head. “It was just a casual remark. You’re overthinking it.”

An Jiu brushed his hand away and advised earnestly, “From what I understand, people like you who schemed endlessly in your previous life, according to the normal rules of reincarnation, are likely to be fooled in this life. Even if you’ve transcended reincarnation and retained your memories, I still suspect you might develop senile dementia at your age. I suggest you don’t take any symptoms lightly.”

For someone like Chu Dingjiang, who remained unperturbed even when faced with calamity, once accustomed to her manner of speaking, he would focus on what he cared about. “You’re concerned about me. That’s good.”

An Jiu fell silent.

Chu Dingjiang raised his hand and gently touched the small scar under her eye, saying nothing more.