Xiao Nanhui’s heart skipped a beat in the wake of her lingering fear. She quickly pulled the man beside her to his feet and warily retreated two steps.
Before them lay the deep trench of the ancient Tianmu Riverbed—a natural chasm she would rather wade through a frozen river in the dead of winter than attempt to cross.
She suddenly understood why the pursuer had maintained a steady distance despite her carrying another person and moving at a slower pace. The enemy intended to drive her into a corner, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
The faint sound of rhythmic hoofbeats drifted through the air. The rider seemed in no hurry, approaching with the leisurely grace of a cat cornering a mouse.
She refused to fall into such hands, and she certainly could not allow the sovereign of Tiancheng to be captured.
As this thought solidified, Xiao Nanhui reached for her waist.
There were two flying shuttle chains left, given to her by Ding Weixiang before they departed.
Thank heavens.
If necessary, she would thank Ding Weixiang’s ancestors for eighteen generations to his face.
She pressed her palms together, clutching the shuttle chains, and whispered a silent prayer. She rarely sought the favor of the gods, but at this moment, she was willing to offer any sacrifice for a single moment of divine grace.
After a brief meditation, she exerted all her strength to hurl both shuttles at once.
The moment they left her hands, she began to count silently in her head until the sound of the shuttles striking the stone wall echoed through the mist.
Seven counts.
Between her and the western bank of the Tianmu River lay a bottomless abyss seven counts wide.
She quickly estimated the distance in her mind and then forced herself to forget the result.
Fine, it wasn't... that far.
Xiao Nanhui sniffled, resigning herself to fate, and hurried to clip the ring of the other shuttle chain to Su Wei’s waist.
"Your Majesty, are you wearing armor beneath your outer robe?"
The man, who had remained silent until now, gave a slight nod.
She nodded in return. "Good, very good." After a pause, still uneasy, she reached out without thinking to pull aside his lapels. Seeing the finely woven silver lock-armor beneath his clothes, she let out a heavy sigh of relief.
But she immediately realized how inappropriate her actions were. The situation felt strangely familiar, as if it had happened once before.
Feeling awkward, she quickly explained, "I needed to confirm the type of armor to ensure Your Majesty’s safety."
The man slowly smoothed his lapels. "Have you confirmed it?"
She could hardly lift her head. "Yes... confirmed. It is a one-piece soft armor. It is said to withstand heavy halberds, sabers, and the full-strength strike of a master swordsman. It is very reliable..."
A crisp voice suddenly rang out from the mist, sounding as if its owner had been standing there for a long time.
"If I only seek his head, what use is soft armor?"
Xiao Nanhui immediately shielded Su Wei behind her.
This person’s lightness skills were far superior to hers, and judging by the power of this projected voice, their internal strength was unfathomable. Even at a distance where she could not see the opponent, she had no certainty of victory.
Moreover, for some reason, the voice sounded somewhat familiar.
Before she could react, Su Wei’s voice rose calmly behind her.
"If you had enough confidence in your own sword, you would not need to flaunt your martial prowess in such a manner."
Silence fell over the mist, followed by the sound of a blade being unsheathed.
"My sword needs to prove nothing to anyone."
The sword hummed. This time there was no echo, only a sudden, sharp whistling sound.
Xiao Nanhui held her breath, focusing every ounce of her concentration to catch the flash of cold light piercing through the fog toward her.
Finally, she saw it.
It was an ancient sword, devoid of any ornamentation. Its design was crude and simple, looking like an ordinary iron sword one might buy at any marketplace.
The move was plain and unadorned, like the very first technique a student might learn from a master.
Yet, such a simple thrust made her feel as though she were facing a mortal enemy.
The hand holding the sword was so steady and composed that no matter how she tried to parry, it never lost its poise. The tip of the blade was cunning and relentless; no matter how she shifted or dodged, it pursued her vital points.
By the time she realized it, the cold blade had already grazed the Guangyao armor beneath her left armpit.
A harsh scraping sound rang out, followed by a burst of sparks.
She felt a sudden lightness in her left arm. The modular armor on that limb fell away instantly, and even the inner sleeve was sliced through, the cut as clean as if it had been tailored.
"Next time, it will be your arm."
A purple figure emerged from the mist. Xiao Nanhui finally saw the swordsman’s face.
It was him.
The swordsman from the Bai family who had appeared at Governor Sun’s banquet—Yan Zi.
His eyes were round and his pupils large, giving him an innocent, hazy look that could easily make one lower their guard.
Had she not witnessed him kill several people in the blink of an eye without so much as a flinch, and had she not just faced that terrifying technique, no one would have guessed that such a boyish-looking person was a cold-blooded killer.
"I heard the one beside the Emperor of Tiancheng... was a saber user."
Xiao Nanhui forced a strained smile. "He’s off duty today. I’m taking the shift."
Yan Zi’s gaze slowly drifted down, settling on the tip of the Pingxian spear. A strange look entered his eyes.
"Are you of the Mei family?"
Xiao Nanhui was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.
In that brief opening, the swordsman narrowed his eyes again.
"Looking closer, it seems you are not. No matter. This spear looks interesting enough. I shall use my full strength to fight you; it will be a worthy end for such a weapon."
*Full strength? Why don't you just stab me and get it over with?*
When masters duel, the pressure of their auras often clashes before the blades are even drawn. If one party hesitates or feels fear before striking, they have already lost half the battle.
Xiao Nanhui had already lost the initiative.
She couldn't be blamed; she was simply no match for him.
"I did not expect Tiancheng to be left with someone like you to guard the sovereign."
Yan Zi’s tone held little mockery; it was genuine confusion, as if he were pondering an unsolvable riddle.
"I also did not expect someone to bestow a stolen sword upon a subordinate as a weapon," the Emperor’s voice was as calm as the stagnant air around them, a simple statement of fact.
The swordsman’s face gradually flushed with an irrepressible rage.
The thing he could least tolerate in his life was someone speaking ill of or criticizing his sword.
"You lie! I won this sword myself..."
"The Sword of Dongyao. It is said that when its edge moves, the balance of the universe shifts. Forged of red gold, the blade is three feet and one inch long, the guard three and a half fingers wide. Cast as a single piece, without pattern or inscription, save for a single dot of crimson at the hilt. Is it not so?"
A flash of shock crossed Yan Zi’s face, but it was quickly replaced by his usual arrogance.
"So what? Even if you recognize the sword, do not think you can deceive or distract me. I am ordered to take your life. You may resist with all your might, but I shall not fail."
Hearing their exchange, Xiao Nanhui gradually grew still.
She was not here today to represent any sect or master in a competition. Honor, face, and winning or losing meant nothing to her. The only thing that mattered was life and death.
Now, to go forward was death, and to retreat was death.
In that case, why not choose a more exhilarating way to die?
Or perhaps...
Her gaze fell upon the vast, misty abyss.
The benefit of not being able to see the bottom was that, sometimes, it created the illusion that the chasm wasn't actually that deep.
She shifted her body slightly, pressing closer to Su Wei behind her.
"Does Your Majesty trust me?"
Her voice was very low, as if any louder, the emotions hidden within those few words would be exposed.
For a moment, Su Wei did not respond.
Yan Zi’s voice carried a mocking amusement. "Not only cowardly, but foolish as well."
Xiao Nanhui did not reply, seemingly indifferent to the contempt in his words.
In the next instant, she felt someone gently grasp her slightly trembling hand.
That hand was still somewhat cold, yet at this moment, it did more to soothe her unease and ignite her fighting spirit than any heroic words or boiling blood ever could.
She had promised to take him away from here alive. She could not break her word.
The thin wire at her waist vibrated slightly—the wind in the valley tugging at the shuttle chain.
The wind was picking up. This endless mist was about to scatter.
She grinned at the swordsman who held the famous blade and possessed peerless martial arts. This time, her smile was exceptionally relaxed.
"There are many things you would never expect, Master Yan."
With those words, she grabbed the man beside her by the waist, turned decisively, and leaped from the edge of the cliff.
She knew how fast his sword was, so she could not afford a single moment of hesitation.
Even so, she heard the sound of wind tearing through the air behind her.
She swung the Pingxian spear back to block, but the sword energy split in two. One part struck the tip of her spear, numbing her hand from the impact. The other...
There was a sharp *snap*.
The shuttle chain at Su Wei’s waist was severed.
The taut metallic cord snapped upward, lashing a bloody welt across her cheek before losing its tension and falling like a limp strand of hair into the abyss.
The weight of both people instantly fell upon the last remaining chain at Xiao Nanhui’s waist. The thin wire, capable of cutting through stone, made a terrifying grinding sound, like someone clenching their teeth until the bones groaned.
Sword energy struck from behind again. This time, she had no room to dodge or counter. She shielded the man in her arms, using her body and the Guangyao armor to take the blow head-on.
*Just a little longer. Just a little.*
Xiao Nanhui counted silently in her heart.
*Five, four, three...*
The span of seven counts felt as long as half a lifetime.
Finally, she saw the rough rock wall of the opposite bank.
However, a moment before they reached the other side, she felt the massive tension at her waist suddenly vanish.
*Ah, I knew it.*
*Couldn't you let me fly just a little longer?! Just a moment more.*
Their bodies began to plummet in mid-air. Using the last bit of momentum from the shuttle chain, Xiao Nanhui thrust the Pingxian spear forward with all her might.
She had used this move once before when leaving the suspension bridge at Huozhou.
But that time, it was only her own weight, and the northern rock walls were denser. The cliffs here in Su Yan were made of loose sandstone.
However, she had no time to weigh the consequences of these variables. She didn't even have the chance to tell the man beside her that their chances of both surviving this time were perhaps only thirty percent.
So be it.
She would place all hope for survival on this single strike.
The moment she lunged, she heard his deep, steady voice by her ear.
"I trust you."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
天沐河 | Tianmu River | An ancient riverbed forming a deep chasm.
飞梭链 | Flying Shuttle Chain | A specialized grappling tool used for crossing distances.
平弦 | Pingxian | Xiao Nanhui's spear.
光要甲 | Guangyao Armor | "Radiant Armor," the protective gear worn by Xiao Nanhui.
燕紫 | Yan Zi | A master swordsman from the Bai family.
动爻之剑 | Dongyao Sword | "Sword of the Moving Hexagram," an ancient and powerful blade.
宿岩 | Su Yan | A geographical location characterized by loose sandstone.
