Chapter 140 Peril

Chapter 140: Under Attack

In the chaos, Alutai struggled to rise, only to see a stray arrow flying straight for his throat.

Cheng Ge's long sword flew from his hand, clanging as it deflected the arrow, and buried deep into the ground beside Alutai, still vibrating.

"You..." Alutai stared at the sword embedded in the ground, his face full of shock.

Cheng Ge had no time to speak; he grabbed a composite bow and drew it to a full moon.

He squinted toward the ridge and suddenly released the string—

"Whiz!" The arrow tore through the air like a shooting star, and a scream of pain came from afar.

Two more arrows followed in rapid succession, and the sounds of bodies tumbling down echoed from the ridge.

"Three," Cheng Ge said coldly, the bowstring still quivering in his hand.

The field fell deadly silent.

The Northern Di warriors exchanged glances, the earlier killing intent now completely dissipated.

Alutai clutched his shoulder wound, looking at Cheng Ge with a complex expression.

Zhou Zhan and Zhou Yinyun rushed forward with swords drawn, their eyes still showing lingering shock.

Cheng Ge turned to help Zhou Mingqi to his feet.

Just as Cheng Ge reached out to help Zhou Mingqi up—

"Your Majesty, watch out!"

A cold gleam suddenly erupted from within the Imperial Guard formation! The nearest guard captain spun around and slashed his sword straight at Zhou Mingqi's back!

Cheng Ge’s heart nearly stopped.

He had no sword and was shielding Zhou Mingqi; in that split second, he could only throw up his arm to block.

"Rip—" The blade cut deep into flesh, and blood instantly soaked through Cheng Ge's clothes.

The searing pain blackened his vision, yet he still held firm, protecting Zhou Mingqi.

Zhou Mingqi snapped back to reality, seeing Cheng Ge take the blow meant for him, and instinctively reached out to check his wound.

Cheng Ge thought: Damn! The emperor can't die! Otherwise my cushy life is over.

"There's a traitor!" Cheng Ge growled through gritted teeth, grabbing a broken arrow off the ground and jamming it deep into the assassin's eye socket!

The assassin screamed and fell, but the crisis was far from over.

Three more black figures lunged from different directions, their blades forming a net that cut off all escape!

Cheng Ge's left arm was drenched in blood, his right hand empty, and he was about to die—

Cheng Ge thought: I'm done for! This time my worthless life is really toast.

"Zheng!" A blade of light like a cascade of silver poured down, instantly slicing through the first two steel sabers!

Yun Xunyu's robes billowed as he landed before Cheng Ge, his eyes cold and fierce.

His long sword danced, slashing directly at the two assassins, and two heads thudded to the ground in an instant.

In that moment, more and more assassins rushed at them from all sides, friend and foe alike.

Cheng Ge's vision went blurry, and he still held on to Zhou Mingqi, trying to help him up.

But a stabbing pain shot through his arm—the wound from the assassin’s slash.

Now, the wound had an ominous black tinge. Clearly, the assassin’s blade had been poisoned, and the toxin was taking effect.

Cheng Ge gritted through the agony, trying to steady himself, but his body betrayed him, swaying uncontrollably.

Suddenly, a tightness seized his chest, and a coppery taste rose in his throat.

"Ah—" Cheng Ge turned his head sharply, and a stream of black blood shot out like an arrow, splattering across Zhou Mingqi's chest.

Zhou Mingqi: "!!!"

Cheng Ge thought: I'm done. I can't hold on.

Now Cheng Ge didn’t know which poison had taken effect; he reached into his shirt for the medicine.

He thought: Forget it, I'll just take a shot in the dark and swallow a few pills.

Seeing this, Zhou Mingqi quickly caught him in his arms, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

His voice trembled: "How are you? Can you hear me?"

Cheng Ge grabbed Zhou Mingqi’s arm, his vision already failing him.

"Your Majesty—ha—you absolutely cannot die... ah..."

"I'm fine..." Zhou Mingqi’s eyes reddened as he held Cheng Ge tightly. "Imperial Physician! I'll take you to the Imperial Physician!"

Cheng Ge felt his consciousness fading; he tried to recall where the medicine bottle was, but his hands grew more and more unresponsive.

Yun Xunyu guarded them, his sword dancing like a wall, keeping the assassins at bay.

His gaze grew darker; in this ambush, they couldn't hold out like this.

A flash of cold light passed through Yun Xunyu's eyes, and he suddenly turned and slashed his sword through the assassins' encirclement.

Like lightning, he snatched the swaying Cheng Ge from Zhou Mingqi’s arms, holding him at his waist.

Zhou Mingqi’s arms went empty, and he looked sharply up at Yun Xunyu, a flicker of coldness in his eyes.

Yun Xunyu raised his sword to block the attack in front of him.

He grabbed Zhou Zhan, who was nearby, by the collar and shoved him in front of Zhou Mingqi: "Protect your father!"

Zhou Zhan, sword in hand and never having faced such a scene, was flustered inside.

Pulled by Yun Xunyu, his sword almost slipped from his grasp.

He instinctively glanced at the other, only to see Cheng Ge, whose life hung in the balance, in his arms.

"Muyu!!!" Zhou Zhan’s heart jolted, and he instinctively stepped toward Cheng Ge.

Zhou Mingqi pressed down on Zhou Zhan’s shoulder, pulling him swiftly behind him.

Zhou Zhan, holding a longsword, deflected an arrow aimed at his own face and instantly came to his senses.

He gritted his teeth and raised his sword to shield Zhou Mingqi, his gaze resolute.

The Northern Di envoy delegation was also thrown into chaos; Alutai, supported by his men, looked at the chaotic scene, bewildered.

Yun Xunyu carried Cheng Ge in his arms and dashed through the chaos toward a pavilion at the edge of the hunting ground, a relatively safe spot offering a better vantage point to observe the situation.

The scene was far too chaotic now; after all, the Great Zhou Autumn Hunt had been a tradition since ancient times.

The assassins had chosen to strike now, clearly well-prepared, making it nearly impossible to resolve the situation quickly.

Moreover, the assassins' target was obviously Zhou Mingqi, so they wouldn't waste time on his dear Qingqing.

Yun Xunyu, with the envoy's guards, fought against the assassins, retreating while fighting, each sword stroke swift and clean.

By then, the sky had completely darkened; torchlight flickered in the night, illuminating the battlefield of blood and blades.

Zhou Mingqi quickly scanned his surroundings and issued rapid orders: "Yinyun, lead a squad of Imperial Guards to seal off the drill grounds exit! Commander Zhao, have the archers take the high ground!" The men obeyed and immediately moved into action.

Zhou Mingqi pulled Zhou Zhan to his side: "Zhan'er, take a squad of the Jinwu Guard to secure the northern cliff face."

Zhou Zhan's hand, still trembling on the sword, yet he straightened his back: "I obey, Father."

He was the Crown Prince of Great Zhou; eventually, he would have to stand on his own, unable to stay under Zhou Mingqi's wing forever.

Yun Xunyu laid Cheng Ge on the couch in the pavilion and quickly examined his wounds.

The poison had already penetrated deeply; it had to be neutralized immediately.

He took out his medicine pouch, poured out two pills, dissolved them in water, and fed them to Cheng Ge.

He then bent down to clean Cheng Ge's wounds, and Star Frost slid out along his wrist.

Star Frost slithered all the way up Cheng Ge's arm and finally coiled slowly around Cheng Ge's arm.

It lowered its head, hissing softly, and gently licked the wound on his wrist.

Cheng Ge’s consciousness faded as he murmured, "Protect the Emperor..."