After resting for a while, the hottest time of noon passed. With Princess Qile joining them, they could no longer ride horses. Li Shubai and Huang Zixia sat in a carriage, with Princess Qile’s carriage following behind.

Although they were traveling light, Princess Qile had brought seventy or eighty guards, and the Prince of Kui’s escort numbered over two hundred. The massive group traveling on the official road kicked up yellow dust that obscured the sun. Inside their carriage, Li Shubai and Huang Zixia felt the swaying motion and noticed their speed had been reduced by more than half, leaving them only able to look at each other wordlessly.

The crystal bottle hanging in the carriage swayed back and forth, and the little red fish inside seemed weary of the long journey, swimming restlessly in the water.

Huang Zixia reached up to hold the crystal bottle, trying to steady it, while saying softly: “Why did Your Highness bring it along this arduous journey? If the crystal cup gets knocked or bumped, wouldn’t it be better to leave it at the prince’s mansion?”

Li Shubai glanced at the little fish and said: “Force of habit.”

The force of habit – but the habit of what? Was it the little fish that was used to following him everywhere, or was it he who was used to keeping a little fish by his side, occasionally catching his attention?

Huang Zixia gazed at this Agashni, suddenly remembering ten years ago when he discovered this little fish in the blood coughed up by the late emperor. Then he had been a child who didn’t understand the ways of the world, but now he was the renowned Prince of Kui.

Yet in these ten years, the fish had neither grown nor changed, always staying by his side, never making a sound. It was as if some things had been forever frozen on that night when he was thirteen, eternally fixed, never changing.

She released her hand from the crystal cup, silently sighing in her heart, thinking that whatever it was, after ten years, perhaps it wasn’t just habit anymore, but something that had become indispensable.

Watching the red sun gradually slanting westward, they still hadn’t reached Chengdu Prefecture.

Jing Yu spurred his horse forward and said softly outside the window: “Your Highness, the Princess is unwell and has stopped to rest.”

Their carriage had to slow to a stop as well. Li Shubai looked through the window toward Princess Qile, seeing that after getting out of her carriage she was leaning against a tree. Her face showed no fatigue; instead, she looked around with a carefree expression, even reaching up to pick a hollyhock to examine.

Li Shubai glanced at Huang Zixia, who understood his meaning and took some mint water to check on Princess Qile, offering her the water and saying: “His Highness asked this servant to bring this water. If the Princess feels unwell from traveling, you can smell this water – it has a soothing effect.”

Princess Qile happily accepted it, holding it to her nose to smell light, saying: “His Highness is so thoughtful, I just feel a little chest tightness.”

Huang Zixia looked up at their surroundings, seeing evening clouds gathering and roosting birds flying chaotically, with gusts of wind howling through the pines. Her heart trembled, and she said to Princess Qile: “Princess, you should get back in the carriage quickly. We should hurry to reach Chengdu Prefecture early.”

“It’s fine, I heard it’s only about twenty li away. We’ll arrive before the first watch,” Princess Qile looked around, smiling, “Look how enchanting the scenery is here, with countless flowers blooming in the mountain gorge – don’t you want to look?”

Huang Zixia felt somewhat helpless and could only say: “The Princess has elegant interests, but it’s getting late today. Perhaps tomorrow we can have someone locate these spots for a full day of leisure viewing? What does the Princess think?”

“Everyone says the Prince of Kui’s Yang Gongong is exceptionally refined, but I didn’t expect him to have no appreciation for elegance at all.” Princess Qile tossed away the flower in her hand and walked toward her carriage.

Huang Zixia breathed a sigh of relief and was about to return to report to Li Shubai when she suddenly heard Princess Qile call from behind: “Wait a moment, Yang Gongong.”

She turned back to look at Princess Qile, who was holding a small box, saying: “I almost forgot, this is for the Prince of Kui.”

Huang Zixia lowered her head and reached out to take it, but Princess Qile raised her hand, saying: “This can’t pass through others’ hands, I must give it to the Prince personally.”

Among the startled roosting birds, Huang Zixia said helplessly: “Then, Princess can give it to His Highness after we reach Chengdu Prefecture. For now, let’s quickly return to the carriages and proceed to Chengdu.”

“Don’t I know? Once we reach Chengdu, Prefecture Lord Zhou will surely host banquets and performances, keeping us up half the night. By tomorrow, the Prince will be busy with affairs, and it will be too difficult for me to find him.” As she spoke, she lifted her skirts, stepping on the soft green grass under the tree to walk to Li Shubai’s carriage, smiling at him inside, “I almost forgot to give you your gift.”

Li Shubai put down the documents in his hand, smiling as he reached out to accept it, saying: “Thank you for your thoughtfulness.”

“Oh, why aren’t you looking at it?” She lifted her skirts, stepping onto the wooden stairs to sit beside him, smilingly holding up the box and offering it to him again, “Guess what’s inside?”

Li Shubai looked at the box, slightly frowning: “How would I know?”

“Now, you won’t even humor me.” She irritably undid the latch, lifting the lid, saying, “This is what I prayed for months at Buddha’s altar to obtain. The Bodhisattva told me it would surely fulfill my wish, grant my hopeless thoughts…”

Before she finished speaking, she had already lifted the lid.

Before anyone could see what was inside, there was a flash of light.

Li Shubai’s reactions were incredibly sharp – in the instant that light flashed, he had already grabbed the small table beside him and smashed it toward the box: “Don’t open it!”

However, a slight hissing sound had already begun. As Princess Qile lifted the lid, a fine stream of something immediately burst forth from the box, filling the entire carriage.

No, it wasn’t a stream, but hundreds of steel needles finer than ox hair, spreading like a gust of wind throughout the carriage. In such a small space, there was no way to avoid them.

Fortunately, the small table had already struck – Princess Qile’s hand was knocked askew, and the box immediately fell onto the carriage floor. The carriage was lined with thick wool rugs, and the remaining needles all shot into the rugs, making no sound.

But of so many needles, some had already escaped.

Li Shubai said nothing, only raising his hand to pull out a needle as fine as ox hair from his left elbow. Princess Qile had opened the box herself, and being so close, her chest and shoulders had all been struck by needles. She immediately cried out in alarm.

Li Shubai instantly grabbed Princess Qile’s arm, taking her with him as he leaped down from the carriage.

In her dazed state, Princess Qile unconsciously looked at him one last time, but her eyes had already lost focus.

Li Shubai caught her in his arms, saying in a deep voice: “Jing Yu, arrow formation; Jing You, provide cover.”

Gray clouds gathered, the sky darkening, with long winds howling through the mountains like the sound of crashing waves.

Screams of agony arose all around, with the dense sound of bowstrings and crossbows, arrows flying in volleys.

Arrows fell like rain toward the stopped caravan, seemingly intent on killing all guards, whether from the Prince of Kui’s mansion or Princess Qile’s escort.

Princess Qile’s guards immediately lost their composure, some falling to arrows, others fleeing in panic, scattering like ants.

But the Prince of Kui’s guards were well-trained, and under Jing Yu’s command, they quickly gathered together, using trees, horses, and carriages as barriers, rapidly forming an outward-facing formation. Some had already drawn their bows and begun counterattacking.

Arrows fell like rain, with the horses’ painful neighs and guards’ screams of being hit constantly ringing out. Stray arrows shot toward them behind the carriage, one nearly striking Princess Qile’s exposed leg.

Li Shubai propped Princess Qile under the carriage, raising his hand to check her breathing, then lowered it again.

In the chaos, Huang Zixia hadn’t noticed his expression and focused only on the situation outside their circle.

No matter how valiant the Prince’s guards were, they ultimately couldn’t match the endless waves of ambushers, showing signs of weakness.

Huang Zixia had no weapons for self-defense and could only turn to look at Li Shubai. He threw her his dagger, saying softly: “When the time comes, ride Na Sha southeast.”

Huang Zixia gripped the dagger, hastily saying: “The enemy’s attack is impenetrable – we likely can’t break through this crossbow formation.”

“They’re using nine-shot crossbows – three arrows per shot, nine consecutive shots, requiring twenty-seven arrows to reload. I see they’re firing in rotation, but not evenly, especially in the southeast corner where their coordination isn’t smooth. There will be gaps then – besides, a nine-shot crossbow weighs eight taels. How much weight can each person carry? And marching through a mountain wilderness, I don’t believe they can maintain such dense attacks for long.”

Sure enough, as Li Shubai predicted, after the initial onslaught, the arrow rain greatly diminished. Jing Yu and Jing You immediately mounted their horses, signaling for a breakthrough.

Huang Zixia mounted Na Sha, turning to look at Li Shubai.

Di E was already impatient, letting out a long neigh as it leaped forward.

Li Shubai glanced at the unconscious Princess Qile, ultimately mounting his horse, passing by her side, leaving behind the corpses of many horses and guards as he led everyone charging southeast.

Just as the arrows were exhausted, the enemy hadn’t expected them to suddenly break through. Although they quickly organized a defense, their hasty resistance had no power against the desperate counterattack. After the first few people who came to block them were cut down by Jing Yu and the others at the front, several horses quickly caught up, and those still raising swords to resist were trampled underfoot. Amid the screams, the surrounding people were terrified, immediately fleeing and scattering.

Li Shubai led the charge, with dozens following him as they broke through the encirclement and scattered.

From Hanzhou to Chengdu Prefecture, the road was all wilderness and thick forest. Once scattered, they were like birds flying into the woods – the enemy could no longer eliminate them completely.

In the gradually darkening wilderness forest, Huang Zixia closely followed Li Shubai, both horses exceptionally swift as they disappeared into the mountain forest one after another.

Suddenly from behind came the sound of a signal arrow, a ball of fire wrapped in wind whistling past Huang Zixia’s ear toward Li Shubai ahead.

Huang Zixia instinctively cried out: “Look out!”

Her voice was still in her throat when Li Shubai, hearing the sound of breaking wind, had already ducked down. Di E also jumped right, the arrow brushing past its side to embed in a nearby pine tree.

The pine tree’s bark was dry and covered in resin. Upon contact with the flame, it immediately burst into fire, illuminating the two of them brilliantly in the gradually darkening forest.

“Go!” Li Shubai called to her softly, paying no attention to the burning tree.

Huang Zixia urged Na Sha on, galloping past the tree.

She heard someone shouting from far behind: “Two people on black and white horses – they must be killed!” The voice seemed to have a Xuzhou accent.

Cold arrows whistled toward them but without the force of the earlier crossbow rain. In the dark mountain forest, they could only rely on their swift horses as they galloped away.

Out of the pine forest, they faced a cliff ahead and could only follow along it, turning toward the slope ahead. Here there were no trees – the two horses galloped through shrubs, their hooves getting tangled and losing cover as the pursuers drew closer.

Li Shubai said nothing, pointing straight ahead to another patch of mixed forest. Just as Huang Zixia was urging her horse to follow him, she suddenly heard Na Sha cry out in pain, its foot catching as the entire horse fell forward to its knees.

It had been shot in the hind leg and fell heavily to the ground.

Huang Zixia lost control, falling with Na Sha toward the ground, about to crash into a bed of thorns.

Before she could cry out, she suddenly felt her waist lighten as someone caught her in mid-air, forcefully pulling her up from above the thorns.

Li Shubai held her in his embrace, one hand on the reins, one hand protecting her. Di E continued galloping, charging toward the dark mountain forest ahead.

She turned her head to look at Na Sha crying out in pain, thinking of the guards who had just died, her heart trembling with fear. Looking up at Li Shubai who held her in his embrace, she saw only that in the darkening sky, he kept his eyes fixed ahead, that focused and determined light in them, and the solid arms holding her, gradually reducing all her terror and panic to nothing, leaving only tranquility in her heart.

She knew he would be able to lead her to safety.