The accompanying guard suddenly shouted a warning in a low, alert voice. Yun Mu Jing immediately heard the clashing of weapons outside and quickly lifted the carriage curtain to check the situation.
A group of men had appeared out of nowhere, each with a fierce and menacing appearance, wielding large blades as they fought with the few guards brought by the General’s Mansion.
“Bandits?” Yun Mu Jing said with a grim expression. “Moqian Mountain has always been peaceful. Where did these bandits come from?”
“Ah!” Yun Si Yu let out a sharp scream upon hearing this and shouted angrily at Yun Mu Jing, “It’s all your fault! You insisted on going to Qingshan Temple to offer incense! If it weren’t for you, how could we have been targeted by bandits!”
“I…” Yun Mu Jing said tearfully, “I didn’t expect this to happen either. I’m sorry, Second Sister.”
Madam Yun was also glaring hatefully at Yun Mu Jing at this moment—what a jinx!
“Madam, young ladies, these bandits are highly skilled in martial arts. We won’t be able to hold them off for long. Run!” one of the guards urgently shouted.
“How unlucky!” Madam Yun’s expression changed slightly as she hurriedly shielded Yun Si Yu. “We are all women and children. How could we possibly outrun bandits with such high martial arts skills?”
Moreover, judging by the bandits’ intentions, it didn’t seem like they were after money—they were after young, unmarried women!
Her Yu’er was the future Crown Princess and must never fall into the hands of these bandits…
Thinking of this, Madam Yun looked at Yun Mu Jing, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
Compared to Yu’er’s safety, offending Prince Yu was nothing. Besides, Yu’er was not only her precious daughter but also connected to the Crown Prince.
In that case, it would be better to sacrifice Jing’er.
“Jing’er…” Madam Yun suddenly released Yun Si Yu, moved closer to Yun Mu Jing, and gazed at her meaningfully. “Your sister cannot be harmed. Since you caused this situation, you should be the one to pay the price!”
Yun Mu Jing was stunned for a moment. Then, she felt a powerful force on her shoulder, pushing her violently out of the carriage.
“Ah!”
Caught off guard, Yun Mu Jing tumbled out of the carriage, the intense pain throughout her body nearly causing her to faint.
“Is that… Yun Mu Jing?!”
Mo Han Zhao, who was leading his Shadow Guards to suppress the bandits from a distance, couldn’t help but freeze for a moment when he spotted the Yun Family’s carriage.
He had just been wondering why there were members of the Yun Family here when, the next second, he saw Yun Mu Jing fall from the carriage.
His handsome face instantly darkened as he personally used Qinggong to dart toward Yun Mu Jing.
Surrounded by flashing blades and clashing swords, Yun Mu Jing seemed oblivious to it all. She lay on the ground, watching as her mother called for the nearest guard to drive the carriage and flee toward Qingshan Temple.
“Mother!” Yun Mu Jing raised her hand and cried out, “Don’t leave me behind…”
However, the only response to Yun Mu Jing’s plea was the sound of hoofbeats fading into the distance.
The bandits nearby seemed drawn to Yun Mu Jing. Instead of pursuing the carriage, they gathered around her with greedy eyes.
“Don’t… don’t come any closer!” Yun Mu Jing’s eyes were covered with glistening tears, her delicate frame trembling as if it might shatter with a gust of wind. She curled up fearfully.
But this fragile, pitiable appearance only inflamed the bandits’ desires.
“Little beauty, come have some fun with us!”
“You beasts! I’d rather die than let you have your way!” Yun Mu Jing’s exquisite face, streaked with tears, now bore a look of resolute determination.
She reached out and grabbed a large sword that had been knocked aside by the Yun Family guards moments earlier, about to draw it across her own neck.
“This woman!”
Mo Han Zhao, who had just arrived, saw this scene and gritted his teeth in frustration. He immediately gathered his Internal Energy and flicked the jade ring from his finger.
With a “clang,” the large sword in Yun Mu Jing’s hand was struck away by the ring and sent flying to the ground once more.
But the blade still left a bloody mark on Yun Mu Jing’s neck, nearly sliding down her fair skin, making it all the more shocking.
The next moment, Mo Han Zhao descended from the sky using Qinggong (Lightness Skill), landing right in front of Yun Mu Jing. He drew his sword and stabbed it into the chest of the nearest bandit.
Mo Han Zhao roared at her, “What’s wrong with you? Can’t you stop this habit of threatening to slit your throat at every turn?”
He had no idea why Yun Mu Jing was here, but the scene he had just witnessed truly angered him!
“Cr… Crown Prince?” Yun Mu Jing stared blankly at Mo Han Zhao at first, only now finally snapping back to reality, her voice still trembling slightly.
She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, biting her lower lip lightly, forcing herself not to cry out loud, only sobbing softly, “Thank you… Your Highness, for saving me.”
Seeing Yun Mu Jing’s pitiful, tearful yet stubbornly strong appearance, Mo Han Zhao suddenly realized his words had been too harsh and couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.
A delicate woman like Yun Mu Jing, having gone through such a scene, must have been terribly frightened.
“It’s alright now. With my people here, they won’t be able to harm you,” Mo Han Zhao leaned down to comfort her.
“Wah…” Yun Mu Jing didn’t reply, only finally unable to hold back her low sobs. As she looked up, tears continued to stream down her face, her stunningly beautiful features filled with heartbreak, desolation, and a hint of self-blame.
“Crown Prince, tell me… am I really that detestable?”
Mo Han Zhao was slightly taken aback by Yun Mu Jing’s words.
“It must be because I’m not good enough, not obedient enough, and too detestable, that’s why no one wants me,” Yun Mu Jing’s crying grew louder, almost uncontrollable.
“You see, when Mother and Second Sister escaped, they left nothing behind—except me.”
“What? Madam Yun and Si Yu were in that carriage?” Upon hearing this, Mo Han Zhao’s aura suddenly tensed, even his dark eyes revealing a trace of disbelief.
No wonder he had been puzzled earlier—with so many bandits below, why had Yun Mu Jing suddenly rolled out of the carriage?
So it was because someone had deliberately pushed her out to save their own life.
“Madam Yun really…” A flicker of anger rose in Mo Han Zhao’s eyes. “You’re her own daughter, and yet she could be so heartless toward you.”
He had long known that the Yun Family treated Yun Mu Jing poorly, but he never imagined it had reached the point where she could be sacrificed so casually!
In Mo Han Zhao’s mind, Yun Si Yu would never do something so harmful to her own sister, so he naturally assumed all of this was Madam Yun’s doing.
After all, Si Yu was the younger generation; even if she wanted to save Yun Mu Jing, she probably wouldn’t dare defy her mother’s wishes.
Now he understood—Yun Mu Jing’s emotional breakdown wasn’t due to fear but because she couldn’t accept being abandoned so suddenly.
Hmm… the Crown Prince really has an unreasonable favoritism toward Yun Si Yu. Yun Mu Jing silently complained, but it didn’t matter—she would make sure the Crown Prince saw Yun Si Yu’s true nature sooner or later.
“Wuwu!” Yun Mu Jing was quite agitated. Having suffered multiple injuries recently and just tumbling from the carriage, she suddenly found herself breathless, collapsing in tears.
“Yun Mu Jing!” Mo Han Zhao was startled. As he reached out to catch her, he realized she had completely lost consciousness.
Yet even so, on that delicate and captivating face, teardrops still clung to her eyelashes, presenting an image of profound hurt that stirred deep pity in anyone who saw it.
Mo Han Zhao’s heart clenched painfully. Pressing his lips together, he scooped Yun Mu Jing up in his arms.