Chapter 070: In Danger

Chapter 070: In Danger

When He An reached Qinghe Village, it was in utter chaos. Though the refugees were shielded by soldiers, they were driven deeper into the village by a sudden ambush from private troops.

Seeing He An arrive with reinforcements, Zhou Dafu let out a sigh of relief. In a straightforward fight, he would have been the first to charge forward. But with so many refugees in his hands, they became his weakness, leaving him constrained at every step.

He An scanned the crowd for ages but couldn’t spot Ruan Qinghuan anywhere. With so many people, finding her was difficult, but if she were there, she would have seen him coming.

After waiting for a while with no response, an ominous premonition surged in He An.

These private troops numbered only around two thousand. They were likely a backup plan arranged by Wu Quan: "This Prime Minister is here today by imperial decree to eliminate the bandits. If you do not wish to lose your lives, surrender immediately and lay down your arms. Your crimes will be judged more leniently. Those who persist in rebellion and commit treason will be executed without mercy."

With only two thousand men, He An’s forces were evenly matched with them, but together with the Ning City garrison soldiers, the difference in numbers was too great, and a direct confrontation would not end well.

Some soldiers started to hesitate, and just as one was about to lower his spear, a voice barked out, "Anyone who rebels, I'll kill!"

It was Wu Quan, who had just shown up. In the life-and-death gamble, he tore off his previous pretense of being civil and kind, his bloodshot eyes glaring at He An. However, he was speaking to the privately hired soldiers behind him: "Why should we fear anything when we have the Prime Minister's wife and the Duke's daughter?"

He An’s cold, icy gaze brimmed with murderous intent.

Now that Wu Quan had nothing to lose, he started bargaining: "Prime Minister, as long as you let things slide in Lu City, both your wife and the Duke’s daughter will remain unharmed."

Zhou Dafu settled the refugees and gave a signal to his subordinates, who led people deeper into Qinghe Village.

After a long silence: "What kind of ‘letting things slide’ does Young Master Wu have in mind?"

Wu Quan: "Within two days, I will move the privately hired soldiers out of Lu City and will not leave any lingering problems for the Prime Minister. You can return to the capital and report your success. Just give us an escape route, and both your wife and the Duke’s daughter will be safe."

"Very well, you may go."

Wu Quan was prepared to haggle but didn’t expect He An to agree so easily, which made him uneasy: "Prime Minister, are you certain? If there’s any trickery, your wife’s life may be forfeit."

"Afraid to leave?"

Wu Quan felt heavy-hearted. It wasn’t about daring; he had to leave. Luckily, he had a backup plan, though he wasn’t sure about the situation at West Wind Cliff. Biting his teeth, he discreetly glanced south and shouted to the privately hired soldiers behind him: "Quick, leave."

After Wu Quan had gone some distance, He An’s eagle-like eyes looked beyond the village toward the distant woods, leading only a hundred men to pursue quickly while the rest secretly followed Wu Quan.

Within a day, all the privately hired soldiers at West Wind Cliff were eliminated. Aside from those who resisted to the death, nearly ten thousand were captured.

On the other side, hearing this outcome, Wu Quan closed his eyes in pain. Of the twenty thousand privately hired soldiers, less than two thousand remained. Even if he had escaped, the Second Prince would likely not spare him.

He still couldn’t understand how Ji Lingchuan had mobilized so many troops without the Second Prince noticing. The letters had repeatedly advised him not to make any rash moves…

Suddenly thinking of something, he took out a recently received pigeon letter from his sleeve. The handwriting was correct, but the paper…

This was clearly not a letter from the capital.

In the southern woods of Qinghe Village, Ruan Qinghuan and Chu Li hid in a hollow by the cliff. The sounds of searching footsteps grew closer. Chu Li wanted to rush out, but Ruan Qinghuan pulled her back.

The enemy outnumbered them, and Chu Li’s skills weren’t enough to keep her safe.

The only thing Ruan Qinghuan was thankful for now was that she had entrusted Zimo to Xia Lian; otherwise, the situation would have been even more difficult.

A spear pierced through the grass pile and into the cliff wall. Though they were terrified, they dared not move, and fortunately, the person left after only two stabs, causing them to breathe a sigh of relief.

These mercenaries were hiding among the villagers. Clearly, their targets were the refugees. They intended to control them but didn’t expect that soldiers would be there to protect them. Forced to resort to a new plan, they shifted their target to Ruan Qinghuan and Chu Li. After all, they were noble ladies from the capital and could be used to threaten He An and Ji Lingchuan.

"This forest isn't that big. We've searched it twice. Do you think they grew wings and flew off?"

"What nonsense! I saw them enter with my own eyes. There's no way they could have escaped. Keep searching."

"Heh, those two ladies are real lookers. Do you think we can spend some time with them when we find them... Ouch..."

"Damn it, this is life or death, and you’re still thinking with your dick."

Chu Li pressed her lips together in rage. These beasts had harmed countless innocent people of Lu City. She wished she could kill them with her own hands.

He An’s men reached the edge of the forest. He ordered the soldiers to shout loudly, "Kill all bandits on sight! No mercy!"

The shouts shook the sky, startling the birds and beasts in the forest. The soldiers who were still searching for the women in the depths of the forest were frightened. "How did they find us so quickly?"

"Boss, let's run."

Two crisp sounds, like slaps, echoed. "Run, run, run. Where can we escape to? If we want to survive, we need to hold onto our bargaining chips. Hurry and find them."

Ji Lingchuan, who was still far away, heard the commotion and hurried over. The dense forest forced him to dismount and proceed on foot. "Are they inside?"

"They should be." He An was also taking a gamble and charged into the forest first.

With the exit blocked, the private soldiers grew more anxious, and their search became more brutal. When they returned to the hollowed mountain wall, they simply pulled away the dry grass blocking the front. Upon seeing the people hiding inside, their eyes lit up. "Boss, the women are here!"

Chu Li stood in front of Ruan Qinghuan, shielding her. "Sister-in-law, this time, we have no choice but to fight."

Chu Li drew her soft sword from her waist and, without a word, began to fight the private soldiers. Although they outnumbered her, with the sword in her hand, they couldn’t get close easily.

However, in this war of attrition, Chu Li couldn’t gain the upper hand. Ruan Qinghuan seized the opportunity. When Chu Li was surrounded, she raised her arm and shot short arrows. In her rush, her aim was off. She fired five arrows but only hit two of them.

Seeing this, the soldiers turned their attention to Ruan Qinghuan.

The commotion caught the attention of He An and Ji Lingchuan. Both had excellent hearing. As two private soldiers surrounded Ruan Qinghuan, He An spun and drew his sword...

At the same time, Ruan Qinghuan’s short arrow pierced into one of the soldiers' shoulders.

The sword flashed, and blood sprayed everywhere. This was the first time Ruan Qinghuan had seen someone die right before her eyes. The raindrops that fell on her face felt warm. Instinctively, she raised her hand to wipe it and, seeing the fresh blood, her mind went blank, and she fell backward.

Both He An and Ji Lingchuan were once feared warriors on the battlefield. In just a few moves, they reduced the number of enemies from over a hundred to just seven or eight.

The few remaining soldiers were now trembling in fear. Chu Li, furious, said, "These people actually dared to target me and Sister-in-law. They really have a death wish."

As she spoke, she delivered a spinning kick. The man spun in the air and crashed to the ground. The rest of the soldiers, seeing this, dropped their swords and knelt down.

In another part of the forest, several figures hidden under the fallen leaves slowly drew their bows...

Safely out of danger, Chu Li turned around just in time to see this. The arrow was aimed at Ji Lingchuan’s back. With a whoosh, the arrow was released from the bowstring. Without thinking, Chu Li lunged forward, slamming hard into Ji Lingchuan’s back.