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Beside the slowly rising campfire, someone kept watch over her the entire night…
“Your Highness, bad news! Something’s happened!”
Cheng Qing turned around, his usually simple and honest face now filled with coldness.
Xie Zhuoguang had been sleeping lightly these past few days. The moment Cheng Qing’s urgent call entered his ears, his eyelids snapped open like lightning.
“What is it?”
His face turned stern as he immediately rose and stood by Cheng Qing’s side.
“A group of martial artists in nightwear just passed by. I initially thought it was a coincidence, but now it’s clear — they’re here for Miss Yu!”
No sooner had his words fallen than sharp screams erupted in the distance, chilling and mournful.
“Let’s go! You protect the women, I’ll go find her.”
Xie Zhuoguang made a swift decision and glanced firmly at Cheng Qing.
Cheng Qing had grown up alongside him. Although younger and usually low-key, Xie Zhuoguang knew his martial arts were profound. After all, Cheng Qing came from the General of the Western Command’s residence — he was the only bodyguard left to Xie Zhuoguang by his maternal grandfather, far away in Longxi.
Ordinary bandits couldn’t possibly do anything to him.
“Be careful!”
Before parting, Xie Zhuoguang gave Cheng Qing a steady, determined look.
Cheng Qing furrowed his brows and nodded.
In the pitch-black night, illuminated by blazing firelight, in just two or three breaths, the earlier tranquility was shattered. Cries and the sounds of blades piercing flesh rose everywhere.
The wind roared past Xie Zhuoguang’s ears. Hundreds of meters away, the desperate farewell cries of Yan Yue pierced the air.
And her?
Xie Zhuoguang dared not think too deeply — his heart felt gripped by a giant hand, suffocating him.
Wait for me. You must wait for me!
His eyes were as cold as ice.
Under the night sky, two horses galloped past.
“Little lady up ahead — are you waiting for us brothers? I heard you’re a rare beauty. Why don’t you stop and let us rough men feast our eyes? Who knows — maybe if we’re happy, we’ll let you go!”
“Yeah! The boss is right!”
The jeering voices behind grew closer and closer — barely two or three meters away!
In the midst of complete panic, Yu Mingyao heard her own teeth chattering. She was terrified!
She couldn’t help but grip the reins tighter and whip the horse fiercely again.
Yanyue… in our next life, let’s be sisters again!
“Tch — this little lady won’t drink the toast but chooses the punishment. Boss, let’s deal with her!”
The leader waved his hand, and three black-clad bandits rushed forward. One of them hurled a burning torch in front of her horse. Already spooked, the horse reared at the sight of fire and stumbled.
“Whoa—!”
The front hooves rose high, the horse spun wildly on the spot.
Yu Mingyao tugged tightly on the reins, still struggling. Just then, a sword swung straight toward her forehead!
Her eyes widened in horror. As she twisted her body to dodge, she lost control of the reins. The panicked horse bucked wildly and flung her off.
Thud—
Her skull and limbs smashed into the hard ground, and her organs felt shattered.
Pain! Excruciating pain!
Yu Mingyao collapsed on the ground. After a long moment, she managed to clutch her elbow and slowly lift herself.
Four or five black-clad bandits surrounded her completely. Hooves pounded on all sides — she had no way out.
Yan Yue’s teary eyes flashed before her.
I’m sorry, Yan Yue…
“There are rules in this world. If you’re going to die, at least die knowing why. Tell me, who sent you to kill me?”
Yu Mingyao raised her head proudly, her eyes full of scorn and defiance.
“Kill you?” The burly bandit who spoke earlier let out a cold snort from his throat.
“We brothers have no such free time. We live hand-to-mouth with no prospects. We were paid handsomely to make you suffer as much as he did.”
“As for the guards from your manor — they’re the truly vicious ones!”
“What do you mean?”
Suspicion flashed through her heart. Just those few words were enough for her to piece together the rough truth.
“Boys, get her!”
The bandit no longer wanted to waste words. “Tie her up — leave no one behind!”
At his command, the three bandits all grinned lecherously and dismounted, reaching out toward Yu Mingyao.
One of them even brought the torch closer, intending to get a clearer look at her face.
“Well, well — noble ladies from the capital really are something else. Such tender skin.”
Yu Mingyao collapsed sideways, her pale but vivid face appearing all the more breathtaking under the flickering firelight.
The man holding the torch, entranced like a demon, reached out to touch her face!
“Pah!”
Yu Mingyao’s face twisted with disgust as she shrank back desperately.
If Yan Yue’s sacrifice ends with me being defiled by this scum…
I’d rather die!
Yu Mingyao struggled with all her might, preparing to bite her tongue to end her life if necessary — when suddenly whoosh! — the sound of a weapon cutting through the air approached.
The bandits, like her, turned back almost simultaneously.
“Boss, careful!” a bandit cried.
In the darkness, a silver-white dagger shot straight toward the black-clad man on horseback.
The bandit’s warning only made things worse — as the man instinctively turned, the dagger struck him square in the chest!
Clang! The burly man crashed to the ground, kicking up dust.
“Boss!”
The three remaining bandits rushed forward to check his injuries. By now, their “boss” was gasping his last breath and could no longer speak.
Xie Zhuoguang’s dagger had struck dead center in his vital spot!
The three bandits’ faces darkened with grief. One supported their fallen leader while the other two gripped their weapons, glaring viciously at the direction the dagger had come from.
Xie Zhuoguang galloped over on horseback. What he saw were three fierce-eyed men staring daggers at him.
He gave them a casual glance, then his gaze locked firmly onto Yu Mingyao.
She’s fine. As long as she’s fine.
Seeing that she was merely disheveled but her eyes still shone bright as stars, Xie Zhuoguang let out a breath so quiet it was almost inaudible. In the next moment, his back straightened like bamboo, his expression calm and composed again.
“Where’d this brat come from, daring to meddle in our business?”
The bandit who’d tried to touch Yu Mingyao’s face stood up menacingly. The other two flanked him, sneering.
“Leave now — or leave your life here.”
Xie Zhuoguang replied slowly, indifferently — his words hit like a thunderclap:
“If any of you dares to so much as touch a single hair on her, I guarantee that none of your nine generations will have a place to be buried.”
In the cold wind, he stood tall on horseback, his robe fluttering.
When Xie Zhuoguang wanted to intimidate someone, he really could intimidate.
These three were just petty thugs living off scraps in the martial world — and such people were keenest at reading faces.
Hearing his bold, unwavering tone, the bandit who had mocked him earlier now showed signs of fear.
Still, afraid or not, they couldn’t lose face. The bandit forced himself to sneer: “You brat still wet behind the ears — why should we believe you?”
“You don’t have to believe me,” Xie Zhuoguang’s gaze was like looking at dead men. “The General of the Western Command has only one heir. If you harm me today, tomorrow armies will flood this place. My guards are only a few dozen meters away. You can still escape now.”
“Otherwise — your wealth and lives will vanish like smoke.”
At these words, the bandits immediately wavered. One suddenly pricked up his ears. “Old Six — do you hear anything from Old Three’s side?”
The other two tilted their heads and listened. Sure enough — not a sound from the direction they’d come.
Bad!
Realizing something was wrong, one bandit immediately fled on horseback.
The other two hesitated, their gazes lingering on their fallen leader. But the man’s eyes were already closed — clearly dead!
Exchanging glances, they gritted their teeth, seized horses, and fled as well.
In an instant, only Yu Mingyao and Xie Zhuoguang were left in the vast space.
A moment ago, Xie Zhuoguang had not felt a trace of panic. But now that it was just the two of them, his mind momentarily blanked.
He didn’t know what to say, nor what to do.
In the end, he stiffly approached Yu Mingyao.
One stood.
One knelt on the ground.
A heavy silence spread, dark as ink.
Yu Mingyao blinked slowly — her eyelids felt unbearably heavy, as if glued shut.
The person she dared not hope for had appeared before her like a miracle, rescuing her from fire and water.
Why? Why couldn’t it have been someone else? Why had it to be him?
She lowered her gaze, her sight landing two or three inches below.
Then, crystal-clear tears fell, one by one.
Xie Zhuoguang still stood there like a lonely tree, stretching out its branches to shield the grass and wildflowers beneath from wind and rain.
He gazed at her silently for a long time, his nose tingling with emotion. Finally, he squeezed out a sentence:
“Cheng Qing went.”
Cheng Qing went? Went to do what?
And on whose orders?
Yu Mingyao’s blurred vision grew hazier as she caught sight of the familiar blue boots before her.
If only this man had no heart or feelings — she could abandon everything and return peacefully to Suzhou for a quiet life.
But he cared deeply and refused to admit it. He wanted to protect her, yet had wounded her so thoroughly.
Yu Mingyao swallowed the lump in her throat bit by bit.
“You came here… for what?”
She still didn’t look at him as she spoke.
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhuoguang froze completely as if struck in a vital point.
After a long time, he finally moved his hand that had been hanging at his side.
“Passing by.”
The two feather-light words fell.
In the extreme silence, Yu Mingyao’s lips curved into a smile. Her eyes, shaped like crescent moons, were full of dead stillness.
“Thank you, Lord Xie, for lending me a hand.”
Like him, she said no more.
That night was long and deep.
Though her entire body ached, Yu Mingyao, for the first time in ages, slept a peaceful sleep.
Beside the slowly rising campfire, someone kept watch over her all night long.