Yuchi Mengxing, however, couldn’t care less about who the three boys were, where they had come from, or why an entire group of black-clad men was chasing them through the forest.
The only thing she cared about was— they were running straight toward her!
Her eyes widened.
In the next instant, she sprang to her feet with a swift kip-up.
The girl who had been lying peacefully among the flowers only moments ago turned around without the slightest hesitation and bolted in the opposite direction.
“Hey!” Her furious shout rang across the flower field.
“Don’t come this way!” What kind of joke was this?!
If they wanted to be chased through the forest, that was their business.
If they wanted to fight assassins, that was also their business.
But why did they have to run toward her?!
Did they seriously think those assassins would stop and politely ask whether she had anything to do with them before deciding whether to kill her?
Of course not!
People like that wouldn’t care whether some random person nearby was innocent.
If she happened to get in their way, or if they decided she had seen something she shouldn’t have, they could easily kill her along with everyone else.
To them, one extra corpse probably meant nothing.
But to Yuchi Mengxing— it meant everything!
She hadn’t lived long enough yet!
She had finally managed to survive until now.
If she ended up dying because three complete strangers had dragged a group of assassins straight toward her, wouldn’t that be the most ridiculous and unfair death imaginable?
Absolutely not.
She refused!
The more she thought about it, the faster she ran.
Behind her, Xuanyuan Jingchuan saw the girl suddenly leap to her feet and flee.
He immediately understood what she was thinking.
His expression hardened.
She was right.
This had nothing to do with her.
The assassins were after them.
There was no reason an innocent stranger should be dragged into their trouble.
Xuanyuan Jingchuan abruptly stopped.
His boots scraped against the ground as he turned around, his gaze settling coldly on the black-clad men rapidly closing in behind them.
“Enough.” His voice was calm, but decisive.
“We’ll deal with them here.” Xuanyuan Weichuan, who had been running behind him, nearly crashed straight into his back.
He hurriedly stopped.
“Huh?” Xuanyuan Jingchuan ignored him and quickly made a decision.
“Weichuan, stay with me.” Then he turned toward Youqin Jingheng.
“Jingheng, go after that girl.” Youqin Jingheng paused.
Xuanyuan Jingchuan’s expression became serious.
“Protect her.” “This is our problem.
We can’t let an innocent person get hurt because of us.” Youqin Jingheng understood immediately.
“All right.” Meanwhile, the moment Xuanyuan Weichuan heard that they were finally going to stop running, his entire expression changed.
The exhaustion that had nearly reduced him to a half-dead mess only moments earlier seemed to vanish without a trace.
His eyes lit up.
“So we’re finally fighting?” Xuanyuan Jingchuan slowly turned his head.
“…Why do you sound so excited?” Xuanyuan Weichuan grinned.
And then— he charged.
The same boy who had been complaining that he couldn’t run another step suddenly shot forward like a horse that had broken free of its reins.
No.
That wasn’t quite right.
A horse sounded far too dignified.
He looked more like a monkey that had finally escaped its rope.
He jumped over a patch of flowers, stepped onto a rock, pushed off with one foot, and launched himself straight toward the approaching assassins.
“Come on!” Xuanyuan Jingchuan’s temple throbbed.
“Xuanyuan Weichuan!” “What?” “Stop jumping around!” “I’m dodging!” “You look like a monkey!” “Then I’m a very fast monkey!” “…” For one brief moment, Xuanyuan Jingchuan seriously wondered whether he could send this younger brother back to their parents and ask them to make another one.
Not far away, Yuchi Mengxing happened to glance over her shoulder.
The moment she saw Xuanyuan Weichuan bouncing around the battlefield, the corner of her mouth twitched.
“…” What was wrong with that boy?
Was he fighting for his life— or performing some kind of monkey show?
Hadn’t he been the one complaining that he had no strength left?
His legs had been trembling.
He had been panting as though he were about to collapse.
And now?
He was jumping higher than anyone else!
Yuchi Mengxing rolled her eyes.
This kid has to be an idiot.
There was no other explanation.
Behind them, the black-clad men had already caught up.
“Kill them!” One of the assassins shouted.
Several figures immediately rushed forward.
The playful expression on Xuanyuan Weichuan’s face disappeared for the briefest moment.
His foot struck the ground.
His body shot upward.
A blade swept beneath him.
Xuanyuan Weichuan twisted in midair, narrowly avoiding the attack before planting one foot directly against the assassin’s wrist.
Then— he kicked hard.
Bang!
The assassin staggered backward.
Using the force of the kick, Xuanyuan Weichuan flipped through the air and landed several steps away.
The instant his feet touched the ground, that ridiculous grin returned.
“Too slow.” The assassin’s face darkened.
“You brat!” He rushed forward again.
Xuanyuan Weichuan laughed and charged straight at him.
For all his ridiculous behavior, however, his movements were anything but careless.
His footwork was quick and unpredictable.
Every dodge was precise.
Every movement seemed playful and almost reckless, yet somehow, his opponents could never quite predict where he would appear next.
One moment, he was on the left.
The next— he had already slipped behind them.
Yuchi Mengxing, who had already mentally labeled him an idiot, couldn’t help glancing back once more.
Her eyebrow rose.
Oh?
So the monkey could actually fight.
Interesting.
But interesting or not— she had absolutely no intention of staying to watch.
She immediately turned around and kept running.
At that moment— Clang!
A sharp metallic sound rang through the flower field.
Xuanyuan Jingchuan had finally made his move.
A faint light flashed from the spatial ring on his finger.
In the next instant, a long halberd appeared in his hand.
The weapon was nearly as tall as he was, its sharp blade reflecting a cold gleam beneath the sunlight.
Xuanyuan Jingchuan tightened his grip.
With a turn of his wrist, the long halberd swept through the air in a clean, powerful arc.
Unlike Xuanyuan Weichuan’s wild, unpredictable movements, Xuanyuan Jingchuan’s fighting style was completely different.
The moment he took up his weapon, the air around him seemed to change.
Calm.
Steady.
Sharp.
At sixteen years old, he was still undeniably young.
Yet at that moment, there was hardly any trace of childishness left in him.
He stood before the approaching assassins, halberd in hand.
“Come.” Several black-clad men rushed toward him at once.
Xuanyuan Jingchuan moved.
His halberd swept horizontally.
Clang!
Two blades struck the shaft at the same time.
The violent collision sent a harsh metallic sound through the flower field.
One assassin’s expression changed.
Such strength!
Before he could retreat, Xuanyuan Jingchuan twisted his wrist and drove the other end of the halberd straight into the man’s chest.
Bang!
The assassin was thrown backward.
At the same moment, another black-clad man attacked from the side.
Xuanyuan Jingchuan took only half a step back.
He turned.
The long halberd followed his movement, cutting through the air in a wide arc.
Cold light flashed.
The assassin barely managed to raise his blade in time.
Clang!
The force of the impact sent his arm numb.
“Brother!” Xuanyuan Weichuan’s voice suddenly rang out from nearby.
Xuanyuan Jingchuan’s eyebrow twitched.
“What now?!” “There’s one behind you!” “I know!” “Oh.” “Watch your own side!” “I am!” “Then stop talking!” “…You’re the one talking to me!” Even while fighting for their lives, the two brothers somehow still found the time to argue.
Within moments, the once peaceful flower field had descended into complete chaos.
Weapons clashed.
Footsteps tore through the flowers.
Petals scattered everywhere as black-clad figures rushed between flashes of cold steel.
And in the middle of all that chaos— Yuchi Mengxing was still running.
“Crazy.” She muttered under her breath.
“Every single one of them is crazy.” She had no interest in finding out who would win.
She only wanted to leave.
The farther, the better.
Preferably far enough that none of these people would ever remember that she had been here.
But after running for a short distance, Yuchi Mengxing suddenly heard footsteps behind her.
Her eyes narrowed.
The footsteps were light.
Quick.
And steadily getting closer.
Her first thought was— An assassin?
Her hand instinctively moved toward her waist.
She was just about to turn around when a young voice came from behind her.
“Wait!” Yuchi Mengxing didn’t wait.
Instead— she ran even faster.
Youqin Jingheng: “…” That was not the reaction he had expected.
“Wait!” “Why should I?!” Yuchi Mengxing shouted without even looking back.
“I’m not trying to hurt you!” “That’s exactly what someone trying to hurt me would say!” Youqin Jingheng nearly stumbled.
What kind of logic was that?
But seeing the girl getting farther and farther away, he had no choice but to increase his speed.
Yuchi Mengxing heard the footsteps behind her getting closer.
The corner of her eye twitched.
Still chasing me?
Why was this boy so persistent?
She immediately quickened her pace again.
Behind her, Youqin Jingheng followed closely, his white robes fluttering wildly as he ran.
But neither of them had gone very far when another burst of hurried footsteps came from farther behind.
And this time— there were many of them.
The sound of branches snapping echoed through the forest.
Dark figures flashed between the trees.
Another group of black-clad men had broken away from the others and was rapidly pursuing them.
Yuchi Mengxing glanced over her shoulder.
The moment she saw the growing number of pursuers behind them, her expression darkened.
“…” Wonderful.
Absolutely wonderful.
She was running at the front.
Youqin Jingheng was chasing after her.
And behind Youqin Jingheng— another group of black-clad assassins was chasing after both of them.
The peaceful afternoon she had been enjoying only moments ago had completely disappeared.
Now, there was only one absurd scene left— Yuchi Mengxing running in front.
Youqin Jingheng chasing behind her.
And farther back— a whole group of black-clad men chasing after them both.