Xie Sui’an and Huang Yankun sat facing each other in an elegant private room on the second floor of a riverside tavern.

Huang Yankun was extremely attentive, serving Xie Sui’an dishes and pouring wine for her. When facing someone she disliked, Xie Sui’an’s greatest courtesy was to force a mechanical smile onto her face while responding to all of Huang Yankun’s words with perfunctory “mm-hmms” and “oh-ohs.”

Seeing the sky outside gradually darkening, Xie Sui’an set down her chopsticks, clutched her stomach, and furrowed her willow-leaf eyebrows into a knot.

“Sixth Miss Xie, what’s wrong?” Seeing Xie Sui’an’s discomfort, Huang Yankun immediately stood up, wanting to help support her.

Xie Sui’an raised her hand to stop him, trying her best to make her voice sound weaker: “It’s nothing, perhaps I ate something that disagreed with me… I’ll go handle this, please wait here.”

Xie Sui’an tried to stand up but suddenly froze mid-motion—she truly had no strength left. Realizing what had happened, she glared at Huang Yankun with fury.

“You drugged me?!”

Huang Yankun tore away the attentive mask from his face, revealing instead a strange smile that seemed to proclaim his assured victory. He walked to the window and closed it shut.

“Sixth Miss Xie, I know you’ve always looked down on me and were only using me, but I’m still a respectable prefect! I can be used as your blade, but shouldn’t you give me some benefits too?”

Huang Yankun sat down beside Xie Sui’an and grasped her hand.

“Shameless scoundrel!”

“Sixth Miss Xie, shamelessness is what gets you far in this world—at this critical juncture, I’m also protecting you! Tonight, this place is the safest. If you fell into the hands of the Qi people, let alone you being just a daughter of a noble family, even Princess Lingfu met such a fate…”

Xie Sui’an stared at Huang Yankun with hatred—she had been careless; petty men were hard to guard against.

The evening glow had already spread across a vast expanse of sky. Judging by the color, the evening drums at the Hour of the Rooster would soon sound.

Wearing a veiled hat and waiting outside the city, Nanyi was anxious with worry. She didn’t know what problem had arisen on Xie Sui’an’s end. If she couldn’t appear, would that arrow still be shot?

If it was shot but no one was there to receive it, the rescue would instead become a farce. This would surely attract the Qi people’s attention, strengthening the guards on the city walls, making this plan impossible to repeat.

Nanyi genuinely hoped to successfully rescue Xie Zhu. She was truly becoming anxious—what should she do? What had happened exactly?

Nanyi looked up toward the city wall and saw Gusha personally leading patrols. What seemed like an ordinary day was actually the Qi soldiers spreading a great net, inviting their prey to enter the trap.

At that moment, an explosion sounded. Chaos erupted at the city gate as common people cried out in alarm and scattered, while guards dispersed to investigate the situation. On the city wall, Gusha immediately became alert. With a raise of his hand, the soldiers on the wall instantly entered combat readiness.

Then, the first evening drum sounded.

The drum’s sound was deep and resonant, lingering long in the sunset and bitter wind without fading. This moment felt as long as an entire day and night.

Nanyi felt as if her body was filled with this death-summoning drum sound. Her heartbeat, her pulse, all the muscles in her body tensed up—war drums were thundering within her body.

Even though she had always warned herself never to enter any battlefield, her subconscious still made the decision for her. Perhaps she had been on the battlefield all along, just never thinking of it that way.

Nanyi’s mind went blank. Unable to think of much else, she steeled herself and cracked her whip, driving the mule cart into the city.

If Xie Sui’an had met with an accident and couldn’t come, but had notified Chang Yan, then at most she would just be entering the city unremarkably. If Xie Sui’an hadn’t had time to notify Chang Yan, then the great responsibility of receiving Xie Zhu would fall on her shoulders.

A crossbow bolt shot out from a distant tall building. The bolt precisely severed the ropes binding Xie Zhu to the city wall. Xie Zhu fell down, landing squarely in Nanyi’s mule cart.

Nanyi steeled her heart and charged forward regardless of everything.

Gusha quickly reacted and led people rushing down from the city wall.

“Stop her!”

Nanyi had studied the city defense maps and knew the general guard positions and street layouts, but in this emergency her mind went completely blank, unable to remember anything. She drove the cart purely by instinct.

The experience of being chased all over the city by Xie Queshan’s men those two nights now proved invaluable.

Maps seen beforehand were ultimately just abstract planes; only by walking roads over and over again could one know them like the back of one’s hand. Nanyi drove the cart through dark alleys with countless turns, shaking off the pursuing soldiers behind her.

But she could only hide and delay time—she didn’t know where she should go.

—Huachao Pavilion? Chang Yan should be there. Unable to contact Xie Sui’an, perhaps she could go find her.

Nanyi changed direction, trying to head toward Huachao Pavilion. But driving the mule cart made her too conspicuous a target. When Gusha discovered that the opponent was very familiar with the terrain and defenses, making them difficult to corner, he ordered archers into position and commanded them to shoot to kill.

Arrows flew toward Nanyi. She dodged several by instinct, but couldn’t rely on good luck forever. Just as a flying arrow was about to strike Nanyi in the back—

A flash of silver light, and with a clang, the arrow was knocked to the ground. Nanyi looked up in shock—Xie Sui’an had arrived.

The masked Xie Sui’an blocked Nanyi’s path, emanating killing intent. Her blade rose and fell with swift efficiency, cleanly killing several soldiers who had caught up first. In this familiar battlefield requiring martial force, she revealed her decisive and ruthless side.

“Sister-in-law, abandon the cart.”

Nanyi still hesitated somewhat—Xie Zhu was an adult man after all; how could they transport him without the cart?

She had clearly underestimated Xie Sui’an’s strength. Xie Sui’an had already helped the unconscious Xie Zhu up from the cart and hoisted him onto her shoulder.

Nanyi quickly went to lend a hand. Together, the two of them carried Xie Zhu into a dark alley.

Before leaving, Xie Sui’an slapped the mule’s rump with the flat of her sword. The mule neighed and ran off in the opposite direction.

The back door of Huachao Pavilion was nearby in the dark alley. The small door was ajar, and there wasn’t a single person in the back courtyard. The three entered Huachao Pavilion smoothly.

Only after breathing a sigh of relief did Nanyi notice that Xie Sui’an’s right hand was covered in blood.

“Little Six, when did you get injured?”

Xie Sui’an’s complexion was somewhat pale, but she glanced at her right hand with complete indifference, saying: “Just a minor wound.”

Earlier, to escape from Huang Yankun, she had gripped the sword blade hard with her right hand, using the intense pain to help her fight against the drug’s effects, enabling her to knock out Huang Yankun and escape.

When she tried to rush toward the city gate, she discovered the Qi people were already pursuing Nanyi. She hurried to catch up and fortunately managed to save her.

Having persisted this far, Xie Sui’an was also exhausted. Her figure swayed, but she used her last bit of strength to keep herself upright.

“Sister-in-law, I’ll first take Third Uncle to Chang Yan for shelter. It’s inconvenient for you to see her, so wait for me here. We’ll return to Wangxue Hut together later.”

Xie Sui’an went up the side building’s staircase from the small door. Nanyi waited alone in the courtyard. Seeing that the Qi soldiers hadn’t pursued them, the stone hanging in her heart settled slightly.

What had initially seemed like an impossible mission, she had actually accomplished. In her past self’s view, all of this would have been inconceivable. She seemed to be more capable than she had thought herself to be.

…She even felt a strange sense of accomplishment.

From the main building in front came the distant sound of strings and bamboo instruments. Nanyi stood on tiptoes to look—there were bright lights and what seemed to be a grand banquet, very lively.

An uneasy feeling stirred in her heart again… surely there wouldn’t be any problems?