He truly didn’t know!

This was not within his control.

His plan was to move the twenty boxes of gold containing sulfur powder inside, and after Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi safely left, he would use that sulfur powder to safely evacuate Gaoshan Stronghold himself.

This way, he wouldn’t lose a single soldier, and there would be no need to escalate things to the capital.

Heaven knows how this situation had unfolded!

The plan was disrupted.

It truly proved that saying: plans can’t keep up with changes.

When Zhao Huai heard this, he was enraged.

He flipped the table in front of him. The table flew into the air, spun several times, then crashed heavily to the ground.

Bang—

It broke into two pieces.

Immediately after, he reached back and grabbed his broadsword from the tiger-skin screen beside him.

He glared at Jingrong furiously: “You little brat! Since I agreed to let you exchange their lives for gold, you still dared to kill people in my stronghold. Fine, today I’ll take your life. None of you will leave here alive.”

Instantly, all the bandits drew their broadswords, pointing them at Jingrong, Ji Yunshu, and the others.

Shi Ziran smiled wickedly.

He stepped forward: “You useless fools, since my prince has come here and brought gold, naturally he wouldn’t have killed your people down the mountain.”

“Stop making excuses. If it wasn’t you who killed them, then who would it be? Today, I want you all dead.”

Zhao Huai raised his broadsword and slashed toward Jingrong.

Shi Ziran instantly drew his sword, blocking the incoming blade.

Sparks flew!

The surrounding bandits also rushed forward to attack!

Zhao Huai slashed toward Jingrong again.

Jingrong immediately pulled Ji Yunshu aside and instructed Shi Zijin: “Keep her safe.”

“Yes.”

Shi Ziran also pulled Wei Yi to his side for protection.

The two sides clashed in fierce combat.

Inside the entire stronghold camp, it was truly a scene of war!

Jingrong was already injured. His chest wound reopened, his meridians tearing, his heart in severe pain.

Unable to muster strength in his sword hand, he was struck back several steps by Zhao Huai, his back slamming hard against a large pillar.

Zhao Huai, quick-handed, seized the opportunity to deliver a final blow to end Jingrong’s life completely.

In the chaos of the melee, Ji Yunshu suddenly caught sight of this scene.

“No!”

Shouting loudly, she rushed toward Jingrong, throwing herself directly in front of him.

She was ready to take the blade for him!

Jingrong tried to push her away, but the wound on his chest pulled at his arm, preventing him from using any strength.

Added to that, Ji Yunshu’s strength at this moment was surprisingly great.

Just as the broadsword was about to strike—

Suddenly!

The broadsword in Zhao Huai’s hand was knocked away.

With great force, it was sent flying directly to the ground.

Clang!

Zhao Qing appeared, stopping him.

The surrounding bandits all stopped as well, retreating to Zhao Huai’s side.

They formed two opposing battle formations.

Jingrong forcefully pushed Ji Yunshu away, clutching his chest, his body bending forward, his lips gradually turning pale. He glared at Ji Yunshu, reprimanding her through the pain: “Do you know what you’re doing? Have you lost your will to live?”

How could Ji Yunshu care about all that?

“If you die, I won’t live either.”

Tears welling in her eyes, she bit her lip and reached out to tear open the clothing on Jingrong’s chest.

Inside, everything was soaked red with blood.

The arrow wound had split open!

“This wound? When did this happen?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re like this and still saying you’re fine.”

Without another word, Ji Yunshu anxiously tore off a strip of cloth and pressed it against his wound.

Shi Ziran and Shi Zijin also retreated to Jingrong’s sides, prepared to protect their master.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qing stood before them, confronting Zhao Huai.

“If you kill again, there will be no turning back. At that time, everyone here will die with you.”

Zhao Huai, having been stopped, was displeased. He picked up the blade from the ground.

“Get out of the way.”

“Brother.”

A single word—brother—burst suddenly from Zhao Qing’s throat.

This was the first time in a year that Zhao Qing had called him “brother.”

Though Zhao Huai was touched, his rage was hard to quell.

He said: “Won’t you move aside? They’ve killed so many of our people, and you’re still pleading for them?”

“I can’t watch you make this mistake.”

“You’d better not push me. Move aside.”

Zhao Qing refused, stubbornly standing his ground!

Zhao Huai’s nostrils flared as he demanded: “Why must you insist on helping these people?”

Faced with Zhao Huai’s interrogation, Zhao Qing knew he could no longer hide it.

After hesitating, he confessed: “I need that Master Ji to live.”

Huh?

“What do you mean?”

“I need to know exactly how Jiu’er died. Only she can help me investigate.” Zhao Qing’s body trembled slightly, his breathing growing rapid, his voice choking bitterly a few times before he said: “I’ve already sent someone to check Jiu’er’s grave. Inside… it’s empty.”

Uh!

“That skeleton that had its head severed and thrown in the urn should be Jiu’er.”

Those last few words, Zhao Qing spoke weakly, even unwilling to accept it.

If that skeleton was indeed Jiu’er, the blow to him would be too great.

He clearly remembered that he had buried Jiu’er with his own hands.

His words caused an uproar among everyone!

Zhao Huai’s body suddenly trembled. He wasn’t surprised by the words, but his expression grew noticeably panicked, yet he tried desperately to conceal it.

It was as if the secrets in his heart were being peeled away layer by layer.

Zhao Qing: “Brother, I don’t believe you would kill Jiu’er, but no matter how I asked what happened that night, you just wouldn’t say. So I could only trust Master Ji. She promised me that once she left here, she would help me investigate. But who would have thought that the skeleton in the urn would be destroyed, and I never imagined that Jiu’er’s grave would be empty. What if the destroyed skeleton really is Jiu’er? Then who would be so cruel, heartless enough to sever Jiu’er’s head and throw it in the urn, and now not even spare her skeleton.”

He choked up!

“…”

Zhao Huai’s lips trembled, sweat forming in his palms.

Silence and stillness surrounded them.

It was at this moment that Ji Yunshu spoke.

“I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

Every gaze turned to her!

Zhao Qing and Zhao Huai both looked at her in shock.

Ji Yunshu helped Jingrong sit down beside them, having him hold the blood-staunching cloth against his chest himself.

Then she walked toward Zhao Qing, her expression grave: “Zhao Qing, perhaps this truth is very cruel for you, and this is precisely why Zhao Huai never told you what exactly happened on the night of his and Jiu’er’s wedding a year ago.”

“You know?”

Before Ji Yunshu could speak, Zhao Huai interrupted.

“Shut your mouth, stop talking nonsense. You don’t know what happened at all.”

Ji Yunshu’s warm yet resolute gaze turned cold.

She took a breath.

She said: “Are you planning to keep hiding it from him? For his sake, you’d rather bear the guilt of killing Jiu’er, even going so far as to destroy that skeleton?”