CHAPTER 11

The scout was right. From a distance, Lian Sheng could see a large group of men and horses heading toward Qihuang Mountain.

Yi Qiancheng, accompanied by his personal guards, hurried along the road. Familiar with the terrain, they quickly caught up with the group. Lian Sheng could ride a horse, but Yi Qiancheng was not only fast but also had peculiar requirements. She felt sore and achy all over. However, as it concerned Yi Huan’s safety, she kept her complaints to herself.

Seeing the sheer number of black-clad men, Lian Sheng felt a twinge of fear. Her husband was truly bold—charging ahead with only a handful of personal guards to confront such a crowd, without even discussing a strategy?

She glanced up at his determined jawline. Perhaps it was because he was worried about Yi Huan and didn’t want anyone to threaten his family. If he weren’t so harsh toward her, she might have admired him for it.

Yi Qiancheng, aware that his personal guards were far outnumbered, had no intention of wasting words. Well-versed in the art of ambush, he gestured to his guards and then leaned in to speak softly to Lian Sheng, who was in his arms. “Don’t make a sound later.”

Lian Sheng nodded. The man behind her seemed to hesitate for a moment, then tightened his hold on her.

“When the fighting starts, don’t cause trouble,” he added, masking his unease.

Knowing this was a life-or-death situation, Lian Sheng became extremely cautious. She was aware of Yi Qiancheng’s formidable skills. Acting rashly would make her little more than a living target, so she resolved to stay out of the way.

“Understood, husband,” she whispered.

Yi Qiancheng waved his hand, signaling his guards to surround the group. The black-clad men seemed to sense something amiss and stopped advancing. They gathered back-to-back into a defensive formation. When their leader saw Yi Qiancheng’s guards charging down, he shouted, “Form up!”

Lian Sheng heard Yi Qiancheng coldly mutter, “As expected, it’s Yuan Huai.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Why were people from Yuan Huai City here? Were they trying to abduct Yi Huan?

She didn’t have time to dwell on the thought, as Yi Qiancheng, the arrogant man that he was, rode his horse directly into the fray. He wielded a heavy blade, its silver body engraved with the character “Yi.” This blade had been used by generations of Sandthorn City Lords, forged from the finest dark iron. It was incomparably sharp, capable of slicing through iron as though it were mud.

In his arms, Lian Sheng felt, for the first time, the source of Yi Qiancheng’s pride and self-confidence.

Though she harbored resentment toward him, she had to admit that he was truly formidable. With just one blade, he was nearly unstoppable. His attacks were simple—nothing more than a chop or a slash—but each move was lethal. That didn’t mean he lacked adaptability; though his actions appeared straightforward, they were incredibly flexible and unpredictable. No one could guess his next move.

It was a perfect reflection of his character.

Lian Sheng clung tightly to his robe, shutting her eyes to avoid the chaotic and bloody scene before her. Her husband truly didn’t see her as a weak woman; otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought her to such a violent confrontation.

Fortunately, the dreams of her city’s fall had plagued her repeatedly, their horrifying scenes far crueler than this. Corpses stretched across the land, and the Xiangnao River ran red with blood. While she felt uncomfortable now, she wasn’t overcome with fear.

Though Yi Qiancheng didn’t seem to care much for her, it was clear he had no intention of letting her die here. He protected her so thoroughly that not even a strand of her hair was harmed.

The black-clad men had the advantage of numbers, but Yi Qiancheng’s personally trained elite guards fought as though they were worth five of the enemy each. The battle quickly became one-sided, with Yi Qiancheng forcing the opponents onto the defensive. Though the black-clad men changed their formation three times, they couldn’t reverse the tide of their defeat; they only managed to delay their eventual loss.

Realizing the dire situation, their leader shouted, “Cover the retreat!”

The remaining black-clad men rapidly shifted their positions, launching a forced assault in one direction to create an opening for escape.

“Idiots,” Yi Qiancheng remarked coldly.

Lian Sheng opened her eyes, momentarily thinking he was insulting her. Could being used to mockery really be this terrible?

She quickly realized he wasn’t talking about her, as Yi Qiancheng leisurely led his guards in pursuit. The direction in which the black-clad men were retreating led to a dead end. A little further ahead, and they would reach a cliff.

It seems Yi Qiancheng wasn’t wrong to mock them. These people didn’t even know the terrain and were fleeing blindly in desperation. If that isn’t stupidity, what is?

“What’s the purpose of your visit here, sent by Xiang Han?” he asked with a smile, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes.

The leader of the black-clad men didn’t answer his question. Realizing they were surrounded, a flash of ruthless determination appeared in his gaze. Behind him was a steep cliff. His eyes landed on Lian Sheng, and from his sleeve, he shot out a length of rope.

Yi Qiancheng realized the man’s intent but was already too late. The rope looped around Lian Sheng’s waist. He struck at it with his blade, but the rope remained completely undamaged. Yi Qiancheng’s heart sank—it was made of soft silk fibers, which could be untied but not severed. Yet there was no time to untie it now.

Lian Sheng felt her waist tighten, followed by a tremendous force pulling her forward. The black-clad man, knowing he wouldn’t escape today, had chosen to die together with someone. Amidst her terror, Lian Sheng felt a pang of helplessness. Why wasn’t his target Yi Qiancheng, but instead herself—a person who hadn’t even spoken a word?

The man jumped off the cliff with the rope, dragging Lian Sheng forward. If she was pulled off today, she was surely doomed. She felt the arm holding her hesitate for a moment, as if contemplating letting go.

“Husband.” Her eyes reddened. Even at this moment, the feeling of being abandoned was unbearably painful.

The arm suddenly tightened around her waist. Before Lian Sheng could even feel relieved, she found herself falling along with Yi Qiancheng, dragged downward by the force.

“General—!”

All Lian Sheng could hear was the howling wind in her ears. Yi Qiancheng slashed several times at the rope around her waist mid-air, but to no avail. The pain around her waist grew unbearable, making it difficult to breathe. She felt as if the suffocation would kill her at any moment.

The last thing Lian Sheng remembered before losing consciousness was the sudden loosening of the force around her waist and the sharp sound of a blade scraping against rock echoing in her ears.

When Lian Sheng woke up, her entire body ached, especially around her waist, which was so sore it had gone numb.

When she was dragged off the cliff, there was a moment she thought she’d be torn in two. Surviving this was nothing short of a miracle.

Opening her eyes, she struggled to sit up. Her fingers brushed against a piece of soft fabric. Looking down the length of the dark-colored fabric, her gaze landed on the person lying beside her. The owner of the clothes was Yi Qiancheng, his eyes shut. One of his arms was still tightly wrapped around her, though now it had slipped from her waist to a more awkward position under her chest.

An inexplicably embarrassing position.

Her entire body was in pain, so she didn’t bother to fuss over such details. Reaching out, she felt for Yi Qiancheng’s breathing. Warm air brushed against her fingers, and she let out a sigh of relief. Yi Qiancheng must have been more seriously injured than her. They had fallen together—there was no reason for her to wake up before him.

Sitting upright, Lian Sheng finally took stock of her surroundings. They were in a stone cave, and she could faintly hear the sound of dripping water. The dim light filtering into the cave suggested it was already late.

She gently moved Yi Qiancheng’s arm off her chest and leaned closer to examine him.

Yi Qiancheng’s face was covered with cuts, his once-handsome features marred by bloodstains. His clothes were in tatters, with wounds on his neck and arms.

Lian Sheng was in slightly better shape, her injuries limited to bruises from impacts.

Piecing together what had happened, she quickly figured it out: after falling off the cliff with her, Yi Qiancheng had used his blade to scrape against the rock face, slowing their descent. But even so, he couldn’t fully counteract the force of their fall. By sheer luck, he had discovered the stone cave midway down the cliff and, using the last of his strength, brought her inside. Though they’d narrowly survived, he had inevitably been cut and scratched by protruding branches and rocks along the cliff face.

Because he had held her tightly in his arms, she had been spared from similar injuries.

Lian Sheng stared at his battered body lying motionless before her. In the dim light, the ever-proud and disdainful Yi Qiancheng seemed so vulnerable and quiet, his face smeared with blood. This was the most disheveled and subdued she had ever seen him.

Her feelings were complicated. She couldn’t understand why Yi Qiancheng, who seemed to dislike her so much, had chosen to hold onto her in the end.

If he had let go, he wouldn’t have fallen with her. Now he lay silently on the ground, lifeless. The resentment she had bottled up for so long suddenly felt like a punch landing on soft cotton.

Lian Sheng shook her head, trying to dispel her wandering thoughts. Standing up, she followed the sound of dripping water deeper into the cave.

At the far end, a small stream of water trickled down the rock, forming a tiny puddle on the ground. She reached for her waist, searching for her silk handkerchief, but it seemed to have been lost during the fall.

Left with no choice, she tore a clean section from her skirt.

Soaking the fabric in water, she walked back to Yi Qiancheng. He hadn’t moved from his earlier position. With a sigh, she began carefully cleaning the blood from his face, avoiding his wounds, and gently wiped the scrapes on his exposed skin.

After much hesitation, she finally mustered the courage to undo his clothes. A deep, bloody gash on his shoulder suddenly came into view.

Lian Sheng gasped sharply. No wonder Yi Qiancheng hadn’t woken up—this wound on his shoulder was so deep it almost exposed the bone. She suddenly recalled the shift in how he held her during their fall. Could it have been because of this wound? If he had kept holding her waist, might she have ended up with the same injury?

Lowering her gaze, she felt a suffocating tightness in her chest.

She washed the cloth again and carefully cleaned the wound on Yi Qiancheng’s shoulder. Without any medicine on hand, there wasn’t much else she could do. Although the bleeding had stopped on its own, she feared it might reopen. She tore a piece of fabric from her inner garment and used it to wrap the wound.

Once she confirmed there were no other serious injuries, she finally exhaled in relief.