Chapter 270: Wolves in Front, Tigers Behind (Part One)

Chapter 270: Wolves in Front, Tigers Behind (Part One)

"Miss, it seems our suspicions were not unfounded. The person who has repeatedly tried to capture you is not just Empress Rong..."

Ying Ying continued.

Su Rao's brows furrowed even more deeply.

Yet, a confusion arose in her heart.

One thing remained unclear.

Since that night she overheard the conversation between Yun Ji and Emperor Wei, she learned that Empress Rong had captured her out of jealousy for Yun Yu, whom she could not have, leading her to poison Emperor Wei.

She also used Su Rao to coerce Prince Yi of Zhu Xian, Chi Shao, into inciting conflict between Zhu Xian and Yun Lang, but this was not related to any conspiracy with Dan Liang.

If so, why did Dan Liang capture her? What was their purpose?

"Miss, could it be..."

Ying Ying's expression suddenly changed.

Could Miss's identity have been discovered...

Su Rao also grew solemn.

"Su Rao, be careful..."

A sudden shout.

Before Su Rao and Ying Ying could react, Prince Yi of Zhu Xian, Chi Shao, swiftly flew over and quickly pulled Su Rao away.

Ying Ying was also dragged away by Mo Ying.

In a daze, Su Rao caught a glimpse of a streak of spotted color brushing past her side, accompanied by a whistling sound, missing her body and landing in the forest, scattering the maple leaves.

The same scene unfolded on Ying Ying and Mo Ying's side.

The scent of blood from outside had attracted the tigers in the forest. A male and a female tiger had been lurking in the grass behind Su Rao and Ying Ying, waiting for an opportunity to attack.

Had it not been for Prince Yi of Zhu Xian's timely discovery, Su Rao and Ying Ying would have already fallen prey to the tigers.

"Is Lady Ronghua unharmed?"

After saving Su Rao, Prince Yi of Zhu Xian immediately stepped back and asked, his cold eyes briefly glancing at Ying Ying, who had been saved by Mo Ying.

Why was the Shadow Keeper of the Lian Pavilion here, and with Lady Ronghua?

A deep thought crossed his mind.

At this moment, Su Rao paid no attention to Prince Yi of Zhu Xian's fleeting oddity. Instead, she first looked at Ying Ying, seeing that she was unharmed, and her heart relaxed. She then quickly glanced at Prince Yi of Zhu Xian beside her.

"You've saved me again, appearing just in time."

Her words seemed to carry a deeper meaning, or perhaps they didn't. Su Rao then turned her gaze to the spotted male tiger that had turned around.

The male tiger, having missed its target, seemed extremely angry.

Its front paws scratched the ground, sending dirt flying, while its heavy breathing continued, and its large, glaring eyes were filled with a deep red hue.

Such a frenzied reaction seemed to be drawn by the scent of blood on Su Rao, focusing directly on her.

The female tiger also targeted Ying Ying, similarly scratching the ground with her front paws.

Seeing this, Prince Yi of Zhu Xian momentarily set aside his thoughts about Ying Ying and Su Rao being together.

He stepped forward, standing beside Su Rao, his brows knitted in concentration.

"Be cautious, these are the most ferocious kings of the forest in Zhu Xian. Their claws are extremely sharp, and their teeth even sharper. A single misstep could result in being torn apart."

But why would they appear in this outer area?

Could it be...

Thinking of Han Mochen's departure.

Could it be because of him?

"Is that so? Then it seems this Lady will need Prince Yi's protection once again."

Her eyes, like peach blossoms, were deep and inscrutable, while a playful smile appeared on Su Rao's face. However, she gripped her fan tightly, not daring to let her guard down.

Prince Yi of Zhu Xian knew without reminding that these tigers were not ordinary. A tiger that could lie in wait and attack from the shadows was certainly not a common beast.

The red plum blossom on her forehead stood out prominently, and with Su Rao's smile, it seemed even more radiant.

Prince Yi of Zhu Xian's gaze wavered for a moment, his heart thudding unexpectedly.

"Ying Ying, be careful."

The female tiger launched its attack first, pouncing on Ying Ying again.

Its mouth wide open, revealing a crimson tongue and sharp teeth, as if ready to bite through Ying Ying's neck in the next instant.

Seeing this, Su Rao immediately called out a warning.

The male tiger also lunged, its massive jaws opening wide, its four paws aimed directly at Su Rao, its huge body flying through the air.

Before Prince Yi of Zhu Xian could grab Su Rao's wrist again, Su Rao had already moved, her fan spinning gracefully in her delicate hand as she danced nimbly away.

Clad in a fiery red robe, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, his three thousand strands of black hair danced with the breeze.

Though she had asked Xian Yizhao to protect her, how could Su Rao easily entrust her life to him? At the very least, she needed to see his current 'sincerity.'

The folding fan spun through the air, grazing the neck of the male tiger, only managing to brush off a few hairs without causing any harm. Seeing this, Su Rao flipped and twisted, slipping past the side of the tiger.

This was the first time Xian Yizhao truly witnessed Su Rao's skills. He knew she was adept at disguise, but he hadn't expected her martial arts and lightness of movement to be so impressive.

"Xian Yizhao, what are you staring at?"

Su Rao dodged the tiger's attack and saw that Xian Yizhao was staring at her, seemingly oblivious to the tiger about to pounce on him. Was he courting death?

Xian Yizhao suddenly snapped back to reality, his long sword in hand, its sharp edge gleaming. With a swift kick, he sent the tiger flying before it could reach him.

It was evident how powerful his kick was.

"This tiger has a tough hide; ordinary weapons are useless against it. We can only fight it bare-handed. Stand back, I'll handle it."

Without waiting for Su Rao to act, Xian Yizhao charged forward, clashing with the male tiger once again.

On the other side, Yiyin and Moying were also engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the female tiger, Moying having informed Yiyin of the same strategy.

Su Rao had only intervened once, but now found herself unable to join in. Watching Xian Yizhao directly engage the male tiger with brute force, she realized that the title of Zhu Xian's top warrior was well-deserved.

Xian Yizhao fought the male tiger alone, handling it with ease. Su Rao then shifted her attention to Yiyin and Moying.

Despite being first-time partners, they worked together seamlessly, keeping the female tiger occupied from both sides.

After a moment, Su Rao found a maple tree and kicked away a dead black-clad figure lying there. She leaned back against the tree, arms crossed, truly stepping back.

Since Xian Yizhao had volunteered and shown such 'sincerity,' she was content to rest.

Unnoticed by Su Rao, a patch of grass not far behind her rustled slightly.

A pair of eyes fixed on her, more precisely on the folding fan in her hand.

At first glance, Su Rao's fan seemed like an ordinary one, easily found on any street, with nothing particularly special about it.

However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that the fan's ribs were made from extremely hard animal bone, and its surface was smooth oiled silk. Blood wouldn't stain it, making the fan anything but ordinary.

The eyes lingered for a moment, then shifted to Yiyin, who was battling the female tiger, the gaze deepening.

After a brief moment, the person hiding in the grass quietly slipped away, inadvertently revealing a corner of their clothing. It was Yao Yeting, whom Su Rao had instructed Su Cui to find.

It was unknown when Yao Yeting had arrived in the Capital Region of Zhu Xian, or how long he had been secretly following Su Rao and Yiyin. Was it a chance encounter, or had he been watching Su Rao for some time?

The sound of a branch breaking that Su Rao and Yiyin had heard might not have been made by the black-clad figures from Danliang, but by Yao Yeting himself.