Ningxiang grabbed Shen Zhili and pulled her toward the exit. "Miss! Hurry and leave! When these people start fighting, they won’t distinguish friend from foe!"
Shen Zhili pressed down on Ningxiang’s shoulders. "Ningxiang, you go out first! Tell the coachman to prepare the carriage!"
With that, she broke free from Ningxiang’s grip, nimbly dodging through the crowd, and fearlessly rushed toward He Chengyuan.
"Miss!!"
"He Chengyuan!!! Come with me!!!" Shen Zhili was still some distance away from him. She pushed aside gamblers and reached out toward him.
He Chengyuan did not hear her call. Struggling to evade enemy attacks, the wound at his side bled profusely with his wide movements, leaving shocking trails of blood on the ground. The injury to his leg prevented him from moving far.
This body was too weak, and his demonic energy had vanished without a trace. Moreover, when he had inexplicably crossed over, he was already blind, poisoned, and thrown into prison. Now, dealing with this situation was extremely taxing. His unsteady steps and the poison’s effects made it impossible for him to judge accurately.
"Cough!"
He swung his blade, having just repelled an enemy in front of him, but with no defense from behind, someone slashed him. Dark blood sprayed out instantly. Unsteady on his feet, he staggered a few steps before raising his bloodstained blade again, turning to kill his attacker.
Blades knew no mercy. A sharp edge flashed before Shen Zhili’s eyes. Fortunately, she caught sight of it in her peripheral vision and halted just in time as the blade swung down in front of her. Heart still racing, Shen Zhili looked at the person holding the knife, who also froze, timid and terrified. Staring at his trembling hand, she snatched the blade away and charged deeper into the fray.
At the same time, she spotted someone sneaking around, silver needles held between all five fingers, approaching the neck of He Chengyuan, who stood with his back turned.
It was someone from the Heretical Sect!
System: "Countdown: 10 minutes! Please complete the task as soon as possible, Host!"
The Heretical Sect member raised a hand to strike. At the critical moment, a blade came from the side. He dodged just in time and instantly shot the silver needles from between his fingers toward the source of the blade.
The silver needles flew toward her eyes too quickly. Shen Zhili froze in shock. Her other hand had intended to pull He Chengyuan away, but he happened to be engaged with an enemy. His sleeve brushed past her fingertips, and she grasped empty air.
"Clang!!"
A Snow Leaf shot out from the other side of the second floor, intercepting the silver needles aimed at her. Then the Snow Leaf exploded into snowflakes, and the silver needles fell to the ground.
As snowflakes drifted before her eyes, another silver needle shot from the Heretical Sect member’s other sleeve, piercing Shen Zhili’s shoulder—the one holding the blade—with unerring accuracy. A sharp pain spread through her body, and the blade clattered from her hand.
He Chengyuan was using a hostage, holding someone against his neck as a shield, when suddenly the sound of a blade hitting the ground came from behind him. He abruptly turned his head. The blood-stained cloth covering his eyes had been cut and fell away. Amid the crimson haze, a gentle shade of goose-yellow blurred into his vision.
She endured the pain, clutching her shoulder, and quickly positioned herself in front of him.
He couldn’t see clearly who it was, only an extra hue within the scarlet.
The Heretical Sect member hid among the crowd, seemingly unwilling to be noticed. He planned to attack again when a low, commanding voice came from the direction where the Snow Leaf had flown.
"I agree to pay eight hundred taels for the Slayer’s life. Let them go."
He Chengyuan slit the throat of his "shield," furrowing his brow as he tried to see the person before him, but only vague traces remained.
The Heretical Sect members could bear it no longer. Countless silver needles flew from all directions on the second floor, while Snow Leaves retaliated unyieldingly. At the same time, the arena official released Gray Mist, which spread throughout the entire gambling den in the blink of an eye.
He Chengyuan's wrist was suddenly seized by someone. The figure in goose-yellow attire pulled him and plunged headfirst into the Gray Mist, desperately searching for an exit. Having no strength left to fight, he went along with it, allowing her to lead him out of the gambling den while planning to kill her afterward and escape alone.
Shen Zhili was completely disoriented, panicking and stumbling through the fog like a headless fly, all while carefully avoiding the occasional swords and blades that appeared.
"Young Miss! Over here!!"
She abruptly turned and ran toward the source of the voice. A glimmer of sword light flashed before her eyes in the haze. Upon closer look, it was Ningxiang, sword in hand, clearing the way. Who would have thought this foodie was so skilled in martial arts?
"Hurry! The coachman already has the carriage ready!"
Pursuing voices echoed from the mist: "They're over here!!"
"Five hundred thousand taels! Don't let them get away!"
System: 「Countdown: ten seconds!」
Ningxiang shielded them as the carriage came into view, parked just outside the gate.
The coachman hurried over to help her lift He Chengyuan into the carriage.
System: 「Nine! Eight! Seven…」
Shen Zhili could see it—they were just one step away from leaving the gambling den!
The countdown ended!
System: 「One! Deducting 30 affection points! Current total: negative 230 points! Please restore to a positive number as soon as possible, Host!」
At the very moment the announcement finished, she stepped out of the gambling den, cursing the system a thousand times in her heart!
Ningxiang: "Young Miss! Get in the carriage quickly!"
Under the cover of the Gray Mist, Shen Zhili ran into the carriage, and the coachman wasted no time driving them away.
Having narrowly escaped death, she looked out the window with a panicked expression.
The cold moonlight pierced through the thick fog, faintly revealing that the pursuers had stopped their chase and vanished into the mist.
Seriously! Just after transmigrating, things were already this intense!!! What kind of situation was this?!
However, before she could catch her breath, a dagger was pressed against her neck. A chill spread throughout her body, sending shivers down her spine.
As the mist thinned, moonlight streamed in through the window. With the swaying of the carriage, the pale light fell upon He Chengyuan's blood-stained face. His blood-red eyes, now fully exposed without any cover, stared at Shen Zhili as if locking onto prey—alert and filled with killing intent.
"Stop! What are you doing?!" Ningxiang immediately drew her sword and pressed it against his neck. "Young Miss risked her life to save you, and this is how you repay her?!"
Shen Zhili raised her chin high. Though she couldn't suppress her fear of He Chengyuan, she reminded herself that he was still just an inexperienced youth. It was only natural for him to be wary and defensive when someone inexplicably took him away.
She pushed Ningxiang's sword aside.
"Young Miss!"
"It's fine. Put away your sword."
Shen Zhili feigned composure, placing her fingertips between the blade and her neck. Her voice gentle, she negotiated, "If you have any demands… you can make them."
The poison inside He Chengyuan's body was flaring up at that moment. A surge of energy rose within him, and dark blood gushed out. Clutching his chest, he demanded, "Let me out!"
Ningxiang retorted, "With your hands crippled, legs lame, and eyes blind, getting out now would be suicide! Stopping the carriage now—do you want us to die with you? If you don't want to stay, jump out yourself!"
Shen Zhili's lips twitched. She was being too aggressive—this was the Great Demon, whose heart was smaller than a bean! It would be strange if he didn't seek revenge!
He Chengyuan couldn't care less at the moment. Reaching out the window, he felt the cold, damp touch—the mist hadn't fully dissipated yet. The pursuers had seen him board the carriage, and the vehicle was too conspicuous a target. If he left now, he could use the mist to hide successfully.
He retracted the blade and stood up, actually intending to jump from the carriage, startling Shen Zhili. Covered in injuries, jumping from this speeding carriage would leave him either dead or severely crippled!
She yanked him back: "What are you doing?!"
He Chengyuan already had a surge of anger lodged in his chest, half-dead, and with her tug, the carriage jolted. Unsteady, he thudded against the carriage wall, his head striking it, and a mouthful of blood splattered onto the floor.
This woman! She really wants to kill him!
Shen Zhili’s hand froze mid-air, then she quickly waved it, explaining, “I, I-I-I-I, um… was afraid you’d… jump and fall to your death.”
Ningxiang glanced over and coldly added, “Great, now his brain’s been knocked silly too.”
“Miss, with that tug of yours, he’s almost been knocked to death.”
Shen Zhili: “…”
The blade was once again pressed against Shen Zhili’s neck, and the carriage returned to its earlier standoff. He Chengyuan’s bloodshot eyes gleamed sharply with a cold light. He strained to see through the blur, blood seeping from the corners of his eyes.
Shen Zhili tore off a clean piece of cloth and held it out to him. “Does moonlight sting your eyes too?”
He Chengyuan froze for a moment. In his blurred vision, the warm yellow fabric draped over her thumb and forefinger pierced through the sea of red.
She said, “If it hurts, cover them. Where do you want to go? I’ll go with you.”
He stared in shock, his hand unconsciously lifting halfway before stopping. Just then, a gust of wind swept in from the opposite window, and the other end of the cloth hooked onto his fingertips.
The cold wind cut like a knife, and He Chengyuan’s eyes stung sharply. He snapped back to his senses, unceremoniously snatching the cloth away, avoiding her gaze as he turned his head and tied it over his eyes himself.
Shen Zhili watched him wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and ready his blade. “Leaving again?”
Was her carriage covered in thorns? Could he not sit still for a moment?
Just as He Chengyuan lifted the curtain, an arrow pierced through the thick fog and shot into the carriage. His ears twitched slightly, and he instinctively dodged, but the arrow flew toward the person behind him. Shen Zhili’s eyes widened in shock, frozen in place as the arrow was about to pierce her skull. At the critical moment, Ningxiang struck and severed the arrow.
The broken arrow fell to the ground, but Shen Zhili remained shaken.
Ningxiang shielded her. “Miss, are you all right?”
Shen Zhili shifted her gaze to the dust-covered youth. He paid no heed to her life or death. A torn piece of cloth wouldn’t stir his gratitude, and ten years of companionship wouldn’t bring her closer to his heart. He maintained his usual indifference and calculation toward everything.
Suddenly, a group of riders charged out of the fog, and countless arrows shot from all directions. The coachman died amidst the chaos of arrows, and He Chengyuan was forced back into the carriage by the barrage.
The frightened horse sped up, plunging headlong into the darkness ahead. The carriage jolted violently, and Shen Zhili was thrown to the floor. If not for Ningxiang’s protection, she would have been riddled with arrows.
Ningxiang glared at He Chengyuan, who guarded the carriage door, and complained, “It’s all your fault! You have so many enemies!”
He Chengyuan broke several arrows. “Who did you offend on your way here?”
Shen Zhili pulled Ningxiang into a corner, steadying herself. “Control the horse first!”
He Chengyuan: “We can’t get out. Their aim is clear. With so many arrows coming from the front yet not a single scratch on the horse, they obviously want to force you somewhere.”
Shen Zhili said in disbelief, “People chasing us?!”
With tigers ahead and pursuers behind, what were they to do now?
Suddenly! The horse neighed sharply, swerving abruptly. The wheels rolled over a stone, and the entire carriage tilted.
“Oh no!!!” Shen Zhili sensed something was wrong. Then, the entire carriage tumbled over the fog-shrouded cliff. Inside, they were tossed and turned in a dizzying spin until, with a loud crash, it slammed into the bottom of the cliff. The carriage shattered, and those inside were thrown heavily to the ground.
Shen Zhili was fortunate to find shelter in a corner and was not seriously injured. In her dazed state, she scanned the surroundings but did not see Ningxiang. From the corner of her eye, she only glimpsed He Chengyuan lying nearby, covered in blood and unconscious.
He Chengyuan was closest to the door and had not been able to evade the impact. He was flung directly outside and crashed heavily onto the ground littered with sharp, jagged stones.
With her consciousness fading, Shen Zhili stumbled toward him for two steps. Suddenly, she saw a figure clad in black clothing emerge from the mist ahead, holding a sharp blade. The figure moved straight toward He Chengyuan.
Could it be someone from the Heretical Sect!
"Stop!!"
A sharp pain shot through her shoulder, and a mouthful of poisoned blood surged forth. Finally, her vision darkened, and she collapsed unconscious.