He quickly turned around and blocked the opponent's curved blade with his saber, but the force sent him stumbling back several steps. His wound split open again, making him bare his teeth in pain.
Seeing him in danger, Gao Yang drove back the enemy before him with a strike of his Iron Ruler and rushed over to block the following attacks for him. "Be careful!"
"Thanks," Lin Taichu said, panting.
"Cut the nonsense. Protect Your Majesty and get out first," Gao Yang said as he fought. "It's too cramped here. We can't move properly."
Lin Taichu nodded. The two stood back-to-back and edged toward the emperor step by step. Fewer and fewer Imperial Guards remained around them, while the Black-clothed Men seemed impossible to kill, continually charging in from outside.
The Prime Minister stood in the corner, watching the chaos before him with a crazed smile on his face.
"Your Majesty, don't blame this subject for being ruthless. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for not knowing what's good for you. You had a fine empire and refused to keep it, insisting on opposing the Jin Kingdom. Once the Jin soldiers break in, this realm will be mine!"
"Dream on!" the emperor roared. "Even if I die, I will never let you succeed!"
Lin Taichu and Gao Yang exchanged a glance, each seeing determination in the other's eyes.
Whatever grudges they had held before, they now had only one goal: protect the emperor and hold back these Jin Kingdom soldiers.
Lin Taichu drew a deep breath, endured the searing pain, and charged forward again.
He knew he could not hold out for long, but if he could delay them even a moment longer, perhaps there would be a turning point. Gao Yang followed close behind him. The clash of