In an instant, in addition to the densely packed elite soldiers already on the city wall, a great number of figures clad in black robes and armed with bows appeared along the surrounding walls.
So the enemy had been there all along — they simply had not known it.
Zhan Lingtian was the leader of the nameless organization. All members of his organization wore black robes when carrying out their missions.
In that moment, the truth behind everything became clear.
Yet there were now even more black-robed men of formidable martial skill — how could the few of them possibly resist?
Feng Jiu’er released Di Wu Ya and turned her head to offer him a faint smile.
“Yu Jingfeng, escort His Highness the Crown Prince away from here. No matter what, you must bring him safely back to the military camp.”
Drawing her gaze away from Di Wu Ya, Feng Jiu’er called out in a steady voice, “Qiao Mu, I am entrusting my mother to you.”
“Jiu’er!” Qiao Mu cried out.
“Go!” Feng Jiu’er swept her sleeve and made to move forward.
But before she could, a sudden sound of anguished cries rang out from behind.
When Feng Jiu’er looked back, she saw that Long Feiyan — who had just been beside Qiao Mu — now stood atop the city wall, looking down over everyone.
Long Feiyan’s speed was extraordinary, catching everyone entirely off guard.
In the blink of an eye, she had felled a great number of people, carving out an opening in the city wall’s defenses.
“What I owe to Zhan Liyue — I repay it today. Go!” Long Feiyan gave a cold snort and leaped once more.
“Archers!” someone shouted — it was unclear who — and every archer trained their aim on Long Feiyan.
Feng Jiu’er took a deep breath, supported Di Wu Ya, and moved swiftly toward the opening.
“Go!”
Just as Yu Jingfeng had said — her Ninth Imperial Uncle could not fall. If he fell, the entire Longwu Army would be lost.
The same was true of herself — if she fell, her mother would never make it back, and what would become of Qiao Mu and her brothers? What of the men Zhao Yusheng and Jian Yi had brought with them?
Feng Jiu’er and Yu Jingfeng supported Di Wu Ya, while Di Feimu, Qiao Mu, and the four Feng Yan brothers cleared the path ahead of them.
Long Feiyan remained behind alone to face Zhan Lingtian and Ye Xuening.
Feng Jiu’er fought back her tears and dared not look back — she was abandoning her own mother, abandoning the person closest to her.
Together, the group fought their way through the guards and the black-robed men on one side — that much was manageable.
Zhan Lingtian and Ye Xuening had not given chase — Feng Jiu’er could not bring herself to imagine what was happening behind her.
In the end, they broke free from the guards and arrived at a crumbling terrace.
Feng Jiu’er looked back, and a large hand caught hold of her arm.
“Little one.” Di Wu Ya’s voice sounded faint and feeble.
As Feng Jiu’er turned back, she withdrew one hand and delivered a sharp strike to Di Wu Ya’s neck.
She looked up at Yu Jingfeng and said quietly, “Take good care of him.”
Feng Jiu’er withdrew from beneath Di Wu Ya’s shoulder, and Qiao Mu immediately stepped forward to take her place.
“Jiu’er.”
Before Qiao Mu could turn around, Feng Jiu’er thrust both palms forward, sending a surge of force into the three figures before her.
“Go, quickly! Do not look back!”
Feng Jiu’er watched with her own eyes as Qiao Mu and Yu Jingfeng carried the unconscious Di Wu Ya and leaped down from the city wall, then immediately turned around.
What greeted her eyes was Ye Xuening’s sword piercing through Long Feiyan’s body, with black-robed figures surrounding Long Feiyan on all sides.
“Mother!” she screamed in hysterical anguish.
“Go! Take her away!” Long Feiyan gripped the blade with her bare hands and wrenched it out from within her own body with great force.
But what awaited her was a countless number of blades.
“Mother, no!” Feng Jiu’er’s eyes went wide as she made to rush forward.
Suddenly, a silver-white figure swiftly drew close, wrapped an arm around her waist, and leaped.
In Feng Jiu’er’s sight, countless blades plunged toward Long Feiyan — and she was utterly powerless to help.
Her body plummeted rapidly downward, and everything before her eyes vanished in an instant.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Feng Jiu’er came to her senses.
“No!” She shook her head as she looked at Di Feimu and pushed him away with force. “I have to save my mother — I cannot abandon her.”
“I cannot be so selfish — she is my mother.”
“Jiu’er.” Di Feimu gripped her hand tightly. “If we do not leave now, none of us will be able to escape.”
“And then the ones who will be sacrificed are your countless brothers-in-arms!”
Di Feimu took Feng Jiu’er’s hand and turned her to face the area beyond the city wall.
Beyond the city wall at this moment, chaos reigned.
Thousands of soldiers were surrounding and attacking the three who had just fled.
“Jiu’er.” Di Feimu turned and looked at the one whose hand he held. “Let us go.”
Feng Jiu’er took a deep breath, clenched her jaw, and nodded with great effort.
If they did not leave now, it would be too late for everything.
Father — she had lost her mother. In this lifetime, her mother would never return.
Feng Jiu’er withdrew her hand from Di Feimu’s grasp. As she leaped into the air, a single glistening teardrop traced a shimmering arc of color through the sky.
She knew she would never have the chance to turn back. Mother — your child has been unfilial!
Feng Jiu’er and Di Feimu descended from above on either side, landing beside Yu Jingfeng and Qiao Mu.
Breaking through thousands of soldiers was already no easy feat for just two people — all the more so when they were carrying an unconscious Di Wu Ya.
At this moment, both Qiao Mu and Yu Jingfeng had sustained considerable sword wounds.
Had it not been for her moment of hesitation, Feng Jiu’er’s sword would not have missed the heart — and Di Wu Ya might well have already lost his life.
Just as Yu Jingfeng had said, Di Wu Ya had taken Feng Jiu’er’s sword thrust completely head-on — without dodging, without shielding himself with protective energy.
Today, it had not been Zhan Liyue who lured Long Feiyan here, but Ye Xuening.
She had long since planned all of this — to eliminate all of them together on the day Di Wu Ya’s poison took hold.
But no matter how shrewdly Ye Xuening had calculated, she could never have anticipated that Long Feiyan would feign death.
Long Feiyan was filled with bitter regret for all that had happened — but if her body could carve open a path of survival for the younger generation, she would die without regret.
Feng Jiu’er and Di Feimu joined the fighting, sweeping down scores of enemies in a single instant.
Di Feimu took Di Wu Ya from Yu Jingfeng’s grasp. Yu Jingfeng and Qiao Mu guarded the flanks on either side, while Feng Jiu’er alone cleared the way ahead.
Di Wu Ya’s army stationed outside the imperial city came under sudden attack, but Ye Luocha led over a hundred elite soldiers to break through the encirclement and finally caught up with them.
After over a full hour of fierce fighting, the group finally succeeded in bringing Di Wu Ya back to the military camp safely.
Outside, chaos continued to reign — but Feng Jiu’er, staring at the figure on the bed whose complexion had turned a dark, purplish-black, had no attention to spare for any of it.
She took a deep breath and brought out her needle case.
Before Di Feimu could speak, Feng Jiu’er said quietly, “I will do everything in my power. Let the army physician in — bring all the medicine that can be used.”
“What happens outside — for now, I am counting on you.”
Di Feimu looked at Feng Jiu’er and gave a grave nod.
He said nothing more, turned, and strode out with purpose.
At this moment, Di Feimu had only one thought in mind — if the military camp fell, it would affect Jiu’er’s ability to treat him. He could not allow that to happen.
He could not allow that to happen — at least not before the treatment was complete.
Seeing Di Wu Ya in such a condition, how could Feng Jiu’er afford to waste even a moment?
After taking his pulse, she immediately knelt beside him and unfastened the battle armor from his body.
Beneath the silver armor, dark reddish blood had soaked through the entirety of his garment. Looking at it all, Feng Jiu’er’s heart ached so deeply that she could barely breathe.