The instant she sensed something was wrong, Zhen Jiu’er retreated at once.

She heard three soft thuds in quick succession—three tranquilizer darts shot past the spot where she had just been standing, burying themselves into the wall not far off.

Without a second thought, Jiu’er dropped and rolled, snatched up a stone from the ground, and hurled it hard in that direction.

From behind the nearby brush came a muffled grunt—someone had clearly been hit.

She was about to give chase when, from another direction entirely, another tranquilizer dart shot toward her.

This time Jiu’er couldn’t quite dodge it in time. Biting her lip, she threw herself to the ground and rolled as fast as she could.

The ground was littered with jagged stones, and the roll tore a long, stinging wound across her arm.

There was more than one attacker!

Several black-clad figures burst from the tangled grass on two sides. One of them held a knife and stabbed straight at Zhen Jiu’er.

“Take her alive! She’s worthless dead!” someone barked.

The black-clad man’s knife immediately shifted direction, thrusting instead toward Jiu’er’s shoulder.

Jiu’er bit down on her lip, rolled across the ground, sprang up, and kicked out hard.

The man clearly hadn’t expected her to be this skilled. He couldn’t dodge the blow at all and hit the ground with a thud.

Jiu’er closed the distance quickly and struck a chop across his wrist.

The knife in the black-clad man’s hand clattered to the ground.

But behind her, a second black-clad man had already raised his knife and closed in on her back.

With no time to grab the fallen knife, Jiu’er spun and kicked out.

That man had been ready for it and sidestepped in time.

But he hadn’t expected Jiu’er’s second kick to come just as fast! Another thud, and the second black-clad man was sent sprawling to the ground, groaning in pain.

Jiu’er started toward him, but a faint whistling sound cut through the air.

It was moving too fast to dodge!

That damned tranquilizer gun!

Zhen Jiu’er threw herself flat against the ground. The dart didn’t hit her directly, but it grazed her arm.

She was bleeding!

Damn it!

With no time to tend to the wound, Zhen Jiu’er rolled again and scrambled back to her feet.

But just as she’d feared, the moment she stood, her vision swam, and everything around her blurred.

The sedative was too potent, and it was taking effect far too quickly—her consciousness was already beginning to fade.

She couldn’t afford to linger here. If she didn’t get back now, she would end up captured today.

Take her alive… they wanted to use her against Master Nine. These people were all here for Lu Beicheng.

She didn’t dare keep fighting. She got to her feet and ran straight for the camp.

But the men behind her kept up the chase relentlessly.

As she rounded a narrow path, she could tell the men behind her had nearly caught up.

Without even turning her head, Jiu’er kicked backward.

But this kick carried nowhere near the force of her earlier ones.

Though it landed, the man only stumbled back two steps.

And the short blade in the black-clad man’s hand sliced across Jiu’er’s shoulder.

Searing pain surged through her—sudden and fierce! And yet, oddly, that jolt of pain cleared her mind a little.

She flicked her wrist and sent a silver needle flying.

The black-clad man behind her flinched and dodged.

Jiu’er knew the needle carried no internal energy and couldn’t truly harm them—it was only good for a single scare. So the instant it left her hand, she quickened her pace.

Ahead, in the distance, a figure was walking slowly toward the camp.

The distance was considerable.

But Jiu’er gathered every last bit of strength and called out: “Lu Feifan…”