Chapter 77: The Ambush in the Smoke-filled Room

Li Ning’an and Yan Ziqi followed the map given by the old Taoist, heading towards the snow mountain. It took them half a month to finally locate it; from a distance, the four towering peaks were interconnected, steep and high, with the snow still unmelted.

At the foot of the mountain, there was a village where Yan Ziqi and Li Ning’an decided to rest and find a hunter who frequently ventured into the mountains to guide them.

They were unaware of the conditions in the mountains and feared that Long Yinghua might not have been found and that they might get lost.

From the entrance of the village, Yan Ziqi spotted a courtyard at the far end, which displayed many ferocious animal skins.

“They must be experienced and formidable hunters; let’s ask for their help,” he said.

Dismounting, Yan Ziqi approached the door and called out, “Is anyone there?”

Hearing the commotion, a middle-aged man emerged, dressed in clothing made of deer skin.

The door was open, revealing either confidence or the simplicity of the villagers.

“Who is it?”

The man saw the two travelers, dressed elegantly yet looking weary from their journey.

“What can I do for you?”

Yan Ziqi stepped forward, cupping his fists in greeting. “We need to enter the mountains to find a medicinal herb but are unfamiliar with the area.”

“We’re looking for a hunter to guide us in. Your home looks well-furnished, so you must be quite capable.”

The man wasn’t being modest; indeed, he was the most skilled in the village.

After negotiating a price, the man offered them a place to rest for the night, promising to lead them into the mountains the next day.

Li Ning’an disguised as a man, referred to Yan Ziqi as her brother, and they shared the same room throughout their journey.

At first, it was Li Ning’an’s suggestion, but soon Yan Ziqi felt it would be dangerous for her to sleep alone.

Now, the two had grown accustomed to staying in the same room.

Dinner was at Brother Niu’s house, where he had only one son who wasn’t yet married and fancied the daughter of the butcher from the east end of the village.

With the money Li Ning’an provided, he planned to ask for her hand when he returned.

Though spring had not yet arrived, winter was still cold, leaving Yan Ziqi with no choice but to share a bed with Li Ning’an.

He placed a dagger by his pillow and blew out the candle.

In the deep of night, only the occasional barking of a neighbor’s dog broke the silence.

Li Ning’an soon drifted into slumber, while Yan Ziqi, eyes closed, could not fall asleep.

He felt as though something was about to happen.

Although Li Ning’an had not mentioned it to the Emperor, after leaving the capital, she had her steward submit a memorial on her behalf.

The Emperor should have known by now.

If anything happened to Li Ning’an, in a fit of anger, the Emperor might punish the Duke of Xiang’s residence severely.

Yan Ziqi watched Li Ning’an as she slept; she looked remarkably peaceful and well-behaved, but she had always been a spirited girl, especially when it came to her feelings for Fu Minglang, behaving like a lady in his presence.

She would cook for him, hoping to win over everyone in the Fu household.

Yan Ziqi wanted to tell her, “Li Ning’an, you should strive for more.”

She was the proud and willful Princess Ning’an.

Yan Ziqi’s affection for her likely began at the Guozijian when he acted as her protector or perhaps even earlier.

She should forever shine as the brilliant Princess Ning’an.

Lost in thought, Yan Ziqi sensed an unusual odor in the room; he quickly covered his mouth and nose, noticing a thin pipe protruding through the window.

He pushed Li Ning’an awake and signaled her to cover her mouth.

After waiting a moment, someone outside finally managed to open the door.

Several men dressed in black rushed in. “Where is everyone?”

Seeing the bed empty, they realized something was off.

They had been discovered!

Reacting swiftly, the group attacked Yan Ziqi and Li Ning’an.

The fight spilled from the room into the courtyard. Li Ning’an exchanged a glance with Yan Ziqi, who understood and led the attackers outside.

The struggle was intense; Tong Linian had sent these assassins specifically to take Yan Ziqi’s life.

As for Princess Ning’an, she was of no concern to them.

Although Yan Ziqi possessed exceptional martial skills, he was still outnumbered.

Amidst the clash of swords and blades, Li Ning’an felt her strength waning. The two stood back to back against the black-clad attackers.

“It seems we might die here today,” Li Ning’an regretted not bringing more people with her.

Yan Ziqi replied, “Not necessarily.”

The noise they made quickly attracted the attention of the villagers, who began lighting lamps in their homes.

Another group of people approached from all directions.

“Is it possible that everyone in this village knows martial arts?”

The glance Li Ning’an had given Yan Ziqi earlier was to prevent involving Brother Niu’s family in danger.

Could it be that the villagers were all masters of the martial world?

But as they drew nearer, Li Ning’an found them somewhat familiar, recognizing one among them. “Qingyan!”

“Young Master, allow me to handle them,” Qingyan said.

He had followed the Young Master in practicing martial arts since childhood; although he lacked the same talent, dealing with these opponents posed no problem.

However, assassins were still assassins; they were even less afraid of death than the dark guards.

Even if they themselves were fatally wounded, they would still try to stab their target.

Although Qingyan’s men sustained some injuries, thankfully, none faced life-threatening dangers.

Li Ning’an realized that these were the reinforcements Yan Ziqi had prepared in secret.

After Yan Ziqi led her back to Brother Niu’s home, the remaining group had been exposed, so they followed along.

“It wasn’t my intention to hide this from you, but rather to keep it from those assassins,” Yan Ziqi explained.

“Assassins?” Li Ning’an thought they indeed fought recklessly. She only knew about the dark guards and was unaware of the existence of assassins.

Those who survived such internal strife might be slightly stronger than dark guards, but they were also extremely inhumane.

Yan Ziqi hadn’t mentioned that there were also dark guards assigned by the Emperor to protect her.

If it weren’t for those assassins, he wouldn’t have known that the Emperor had arranged for experts.

Although those experts might not surpass him, they were certainly stronger than Qingyan.

Thus, their journey to the snow mountain felt significantly more secure.

“Since we’ve already been exposed, let’s head in together tomorrow,” Yan Ziqi instructed Qingyan.

Li Ning’an cupped her hands in gratitude. “Thank you all.”

“Princess, you are too polite.” Even if it weren’t for the Emperor, for the sake of the Young Master’s wife’s father, they felt compelled to do their best.

Early the next morning, Brother Niu led the group up the snow mountain.

The journey was arduous, but Li Ning’an was determined to endure for her father, facing the hardships without fear.

They trudged through the snow, the howls of wolves echoing around them.

However, daytime was not ideal for ambushes, and Brother Niu had ventured through this mountain many times, facing numerous fierce beasts.

Compared to the assassins, he had some experience, and Yan Ziqi didn’t overestimate their abilities, instead following Brother Niu’s lead.

They searched the mountain for three days, encountering wolf attacks along the way.

Fortunately, everyone remained vigilant, and Li Ning’an was no fragile damsel.

Under Yan Ziqi’s guidance, she successfully shot a wild wolf.

“What exactly are you looking for, noble ones?” Brother Niu asked after they had spent half a month searching, feeling they had thoroughly explored the mountain.

“Long Yinghua,” Li Ning’an replied, emphasizing her need for it.

“What is that?” Brother Niu had lived here for generations and had never heard of it.

Li Ning’an showed him the drawing made by the old Taoist, and Brother Niu recalled a story.

“I’ve heard of a hunter from my ancestors who encountered a fierce beast in the mountains. After a harrowing escape, he fell unconscious.”

In his dazed state, he seemed to see a dragon flying in the sky.

When he woke up, he discovered it was merely a patch of grass on a cliff.

“Could that wild grass be what you’re searching for?”

They didn’t think much of it; even wild vegetables were deemed tastier.

“Do you know where it is?” Li Ning’an felt it could indeed be the one.

“I’ll take you there. It’s on a steep cliff, not easy to collect,” Brother Niu said, leading them onward.

After half a day’s trek, they finally reached the base of the cliff by afternoon.

Narrowing her eyes and looking up, it indeed felt like watching a dragon soaring.

“Chirp, chirp!”

Just as Yan Ziqi planned to use his lightness skill to leap up, a sound caught their attention.

“It’s wild monkeys!”

Brother Niu listened intently for a moment. “Not good, they might be coming in groups.”

“How can there be monkeys in such a freezing place?” Qingyan questioned in confusion. “Could we have misheard?”

“You’ve barely traveled anywhere; stay alert,” Yan Ziqi warned, gripping his sword to protect Li Ning’an.

“There might be a forest on top of that cliff.”

Brother Niu looked up but couldn’t see any monkeys coming down; however, the sounds suggested a considerable number were present.