58 Narrow Escape

"What is wrong with you?" Yang Guang asked.

In the heavy rain, the girl's face was pale and her pupils jet-black. Hearing his voice, she turned her head in a daze, a profound bewilderment showing in her expression. A moment later, she closed her eyes and said, "I want to leave. Let's go, shall we?"

Consort Yang was already dead, and the mutiny had subsided accordingly. Since Yang Guang had achieved his purpose for this trip, he said, "Alright, let us leave."

They all wanted to slip away amidst the chaos, but before they had taken two steps, a general intercepted them, demanding, "Under whose command are you? Why do you look so unfamiliar?"

The general looked at Yang Guang, then looked at Shi Nian. His eagle-like eyes narrowed slightly, and he swung his sword straight down at Shi Nian's head. Shi Nian had been wearing ordinary soldier's clothes and a combat helmet. With a sharp "clack," the sword sheath struck the helmet, sending it spinning onto the ground. Her dark hair cascaded down, exposing her fair and delicate face completely.

The general sneered, "A woman indeed! I thought something felt off just now. You have the nerve of the gods, actually daring to sneak in here!"

Shi Nian had not expected that they had been watched for so long, and solely because of her. To have such sharp eyes in such heavy rain—her professional standards were simply too high!

She was shocked, and the people around her were equally shocked.

None of them could have imagined that anyone would dare to infiltrate the army at a time like this, and bring a woman along to boot. Having just ended a mutiny, killed the prime minister, and forced the imperial consort to her death, the boiling, bloodthirsty murderous intent in the soldiers' chests had not yet faded. At this sight, they immediately drew their blades. "Audacious rebels! They must be spies sent by An Lushan!"

"Take them down!"

A chilling flash of light slashed toward Shi Nian. Before she could react, Yang Guang pulled her behind him to shield her. At the same time, his other hand cast aside his umbrella, whipped out a long saber with a crisp *shua*, and met the oncoming blade head-on!

Over by the side, Nie Cheng, Blis, and the others also drew their weapons and engaged in a fierce melee with the swarming soldiers!

Shi Nian had not expected that after finishing a fight at the execution ground only yesterday, she would have to fight again today! Furthermore, this time they were not facing garrison guards at an execution ground, but elite troops escorting the imperial carriage! Her meager third-rate martial arts were completely useless here, so she could only dodge back and forth behind Yang Guang, praying to all the immortals that their grand battle would not harm a mortal like her. Fortunately, those men probably wanted to capture them alive and were holding back from delivering fatal blows, which bought them a breathing window.

However, before she could find any comfort in this, Chen Xuanli, who had been watching the scene coldly from the vantage point, suddenly spoke up, "Leave one alive. Execute all the rest without exception!"

At this command, the soldiers' offensive changed instantly. Whereas they had previously left room for mercy, every strike was now a lethal blow aimed directly at taking lives!

Shi Nian's heart gave a violent tremor. Although there were no explicit rules, they tried to avoid taking human lives as much as possible on their missions. On one hand, this minimized any butterfly effects caused by their presence; on the other hand, having grown up in a modern society governed by the rule of law, the psychological pressure of killing someone was still immense. Take Shi Nian herself, for instance—so far, the most she had ever done was ambush someone with a stun baton. If she actually killed someone, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep well ever again...

Yet in the current situation, every enemy strike was fatal. There were only a dozen or so of them in total, and even fighting with all their might, escape was uncertain. If they continued to hold back, nine times out of ten they would perish right here!

With this thought, she looked over at Nie Cheng and saw that amidst the torrential rain, the man's thin lips were pressed tightly together, his dark eyes deep and grave, fighting three soldiers in complete silence. Every single slash those three men made targeted his vital points. Nie Cheng could not knock them out and instead narrowly avoided several fatal strikes, teetering on the edge of danger! Finally, as a blade grazed past his temple once more, he took a deep breath, as if having made a firm decision.

The next instant, a cold flash cut across his dark eyes like ice and snow piercing the dark night. The man flipped his wrist, and his blade pierced straight through a soldier's throat, sending blood spurting three feet high!

As one fell, he showed not a shred of hesitation, pulling out his blade and aiming straight for the faces of the other two. Following two flashes of white light, two soldiers stood frozen for three seconds with a bloody gash running straight from their brows down to their chins before collapsing with a thunderous crash!

The entire process happened in a split second, leaving Shi Nian dumbfounded.

She had never seen Nie Cheng kill anyone before and had assumed he couldn't do it either, but she never expected that when he actually acted, he would be so resolute.

Killing three men in the blink of an eye...

She shuddered, and her right hand was suddenly yanked violently as she heard Yang Guang's annoyed voice, "What are you daydreaming for? Do you want to die?!"

It turned out that another blade had slashed toward her, and had Yang Guang not kept an eye on her while fighting, she would have lost her life. Still shaken from the shock and having been scolded on top of that, Shi Nian couldn't help snapping, "It's your fault for insisting on coming here! If you hadn't wanted to come, we wouldn't end up like this!"

*(End of Chapter 1/3)*

*(Chapter 2/3)*

If not for this, she wouldn't have witnessed this side of Nie Cheng either...

Yang Guang laughed out of sheer anger. Don't think he hadn't noticed that she missed the sneak attack just because she was staring at that Nie Cheng.

Were she that worried? In such a life-or-death moment, clearly hiding behind him, her eyes had only been fixed on that other man...

The battle was fierce. Not only did the Tang army suffer casualties, but five or six of Yang Guang's retainers had also been killed. The survivors fought desperately to reach his side, shouting, "Your Highness, the enemy outnumbers us by far; this is no place for a prolonged fight! The horses are in the woods. We will hold the rear, please flee immediately!"

Indeed, the Tang army outnumbered them by hundreds, if not thousands, of times. If they continued to fight, even if they weren't struck down, they would eventually die of exhaustion. Yang Guang glanced at Shi Nian, and within a fraction of a second, made up his mind. "Very well, I thank you all here. Take care of yourselves!"

He grabbed Shi Nian and headed toward the woods. How could the Tang army let him go? They immediately gave chase. Fortunately, the retainers stayed behind to block and entangle them. Fighting and retreating while dragging Shi Nian along—a dead weight as she was—Yang Guang moved slowly, yet inched closer to the woods bit by bit.

Just as victory seemed within reach, Yang Guang suddenly felt a piercing, freezing murderous intent through the pouring rain. He whipped his head around to see Chen Xuanli, standing outside the Buddha hall across the curtain of rain, expressionlessly taking a long bow from an attendant. Drawing the bow and notching an arrow, the icy arrowhead was aimed right at him...

No! It was aimed at Shi Nian!

His pupils contracted sharply. Before he could react, he saw Chen Xuanli release his fingers, and the feathered arrow came howling through the wind—

As if tightly constricted by thousands of instrument strings, Yang Guang wanted to move, but was shocked to find that he couldn't. Everything around him plunged into darkness in an instant. Maiwei Post was gone, the torrential rain was gone, and Chen Xuanli and the Tang army were gone. Everyone had vanished. He stood amidst a patch of darkness, gazing at a glimmer of light at the end of the world. Then, this light grew closer and brighter, until finally, he closed his eyes against the blinding glare. When he opened them again, he found himself standing in a courtyard.

Snow filled the sky like shattered jade. Shi Nian, draped in a pure white cloak, stood gracefully before him, tilting her head with a smile. "His Royal Highness has achieved his wish, and I should be leaving too. I came today to bid farewell."

He wanted to ask why she was leaving. Could she not go? But the moment he opened his mouth, he found he could make no sound, and could only watch helplessly as she stepped back and drifted further away, eventually transforming into a faint shadow that vanished into the boundless expanse of the world.

So clean, so thoroughly, as if such a person had never existed at all.

As if with this parting, they would never have a chance to meet again...

Yang Guang bolted awake with a start, realizing he had returned to the front of Maiwei Post once more. The thunderous sound of rain roared in his ears, louder still than the shouts of Nie Cheng and Blis, "Shi Nian—!"

The arrow piercing the air was right before his eyes; evasion was no longer possible. Without a second thought, he yanked Shi Nian into his embrace, turning his back outward. With a muffled thud, the feathered arrow sank straight into his back!

Shi Nian felt the body of the man holding her shudder, then go limp as he lost his strength. Reaching behind him, her hand met moisture—whether rain or blood, she didn't know—and she screamed in terror, "Yang Guang! What's wrong with you, Yang Guang? Yang Guang! Don't scare me..."

Yang Guang lowered his head. In the heavy rain, the man's lips were somewhat pale, but he smiled softly. "I said, if I like someone, even if... even if I die, I will not let her die. Little fox, do you believe it now?"

With that, his eyes closed, and he collapsed against her.

Shi Nian felt her soul nearly leave her body. What was wrong with him? Was he actually going to die here? No, impossible! How could Emperor Yang of Sui die in this place? How dare he die here!

At that very moment, Nie Cheng finally fought his way over. Bending down to quickly check Yang Guang's condition, he said, "Don't worry, he's still alive. In a moment, help him onto a horse and head north until you see a river. I've arranged a boat there. Protect Yang Guang's safety. Blis and I will hold the rear. Can you do it?"

Shi Nian's mind was in utter chaos. She wanted to say she didn't even know how to ride a horse, and now she had to carry an injured Yang Guang—what if they fell off? She also wanted to ask which direction north was and where the boat was, afraid she wouldn't be able to find it. But she swallowed all these words back. Looking at Nie Cheng, Shi Nian nodded decisively. "I can do it! As long as you let me escape from here first..."

Surrounded by the Tang army, Blis was fighting in a bloody battle, and two more of the retainers had died, leaving the remaining few gasping for their last breaths. Escaping under such circumstances was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Glancing at them, Nie Cheng suddenly pulled something from his chest and aimed it forward, firing rapid *bang, bang, bang* sounds. Instantly, the heads of three soldiers burst open, a single trace of blood between their brows, their eyes wide open as they crashed to the ground!

Shi Nian: "..."

She stared at the object in Nie Cheng's hand. Its silvery-white body and exquisite revolver—though she had never seen one in real life, she had seen plenty in various movies and TV shows.

*(End of Chapter 2/3)*

*(Chapter 3/3)*

"What the hell, if you had a gun, why didn't you take it out earlier?!"

Perhaps because people had already been killed and her psychological defense line had snapped, Shi Nian didn't feel the fear she had experienced earlier upon seeing Nie Cheng kill someone; she only felt completely broken down. It turned out their weapons and equipment included guns? If they had just said so earlier, they wouldn't have had to fight so hard!

Nie Cheng said calmly, "Using guns violates the protocol. They cannot be used lightly until the very last moment."

"Fine! Next time, just wait until we're all dead before you take it out! Then it won't violate protocol!"

Shi Nian cursed angrily. Over on the other side, the crowd was thoroughly terrified. The man had pointed some strange object at them and taken three lives from a distance. The action was too fast and too incredible, practically conjuring images of murderous ghosts!

Under the influence of this terror, someone suddenly pointed at Shi Nian and shouted, "I recognize her! That woman is the demonic enchantress who disappeared during the Mid-Autumn Banquet! She didn't die! This is witchcraft! This must be witchcraft!"

"Demonic fiends! They are evil spirits come to harm the foundation of our Great Tang! They've come to kill us!"

Terrified, the crowd backed away in panic. Seizing the opportunity, Nie Cheng shouted, "Run!"

Shi Nian hesitated no longer. She hoisted Yang Guang up and headed toward the woods. Fortunately, he hadn't completely lost consciousness and retained a shred of awareness, knowing to follow along. Half-dragging and half-pulling, Shi Nian finally entered the woods, helped Yang Guang onto a horse, and climbed up after him. Sitting behind Yang Guang, she reached past him to grab the reins. Perhaps because the immediate situation was so urgent, she found that she wasn't all that frightened anymore. Her mind simply repeated the tips Coach, Lu Zhiyao, and Nie Cheng had taught her, murmuring, "You can do this. Trust yourself, you can definitely do it... Hyah!"

The fine steed raised its hooves and galloped toward the north, leaving Maiwei Post and the fires illuminating the mountains far behind.

Concentrating with all her might, Shi Nian didn't dare listen to the commotion behind her, only riding while urging, "Yang Guang, hang in there. Soon, we'll be safe very soon. I'll be able to take you home. Just hold on..."

Not knowing how long she had ridden, she finally caught sight of a wide river in the distance, with a boat genuinely moored by the bank. Shi Nian had no time to ponder when Nie Cheng had arranged this. She helped Yang Guang down, got him onto the boat, and then anxiously gazed back at the road they had come from.

Had they escaped? Could Nie Cheng successfully break away, and what about Blis? If they couldn't make it back in time, what would she do all by herself...

Just as this thought crossed her mind, the sound of approaching hoofbeats rang out. Rising to her feet in pleasant surprise, she indeed saw Nie Cheng and Blis galloping toward them. Following closely behind them were... Shi Nian's eyes widened in horror. Pursuers! There were still pursuers behind them!

As Nie Cheng galloped closer, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Cut the mooring rope! Set sail! Cut the mooring rope! Hurry!"

"But..."

Shi Nian wanted to say that they hadn't gotten on board yet, but Nie Cheng roared the order a second time. Daring not hesitate any longer, she drew her sword, aimed at the rope tied to the stone piling on the dock, took a deep breath, and slashed down with a single stroke.

The rope snapped, and the small boat drifted aimlessly. With the heavy rain and swift currents tonight, it pulled away from the shore without needing to steer. Looking at the rapidly receding dock, Shi Nian grew frantic. Without this boat, what would Nie Cheng and Blis do? When they reached the dock and found no path forward, they would be captured by those men!

However, to her utter shock, Nie Cheng's horse did not slow down as it approached the dock; instead, it ran faster and faster. Finally, stepping onto the very edge of the dock, the steed leaped forward with a burst of force, soaring ahead like an antelope crossing a ravine. At the same time, Nie Cheng stepped off the horse's back, vaulted through the air, and landed squarely at the bow of the boat!

Blis followed suit, executing the exact same maneuver to leap aboard!

As soon as Nie Cheng landed, he rushed to grab the steering oar, turning it sharply to the right as the small craft headed toward the middle of the river. Looking back, the pursuers finally reached the dock, but the boat had already set off, the distance between the two sides widening steadily.

At last, they vanished from sight.