A Maiden Named Miaoyu

The desolate wolf died a most aggrieved death. There were so many experts present that even if it had died beneath an ordinary Imperial Guard's blade, its life would not have been in vain. Yet it had died at the hands of Ning Chen, the weakest one there.

Then again, its death was not entirely unjust. No matter what, Ning Chen was a "master" of Martial Arts First Rank. Though he knew no techniques, could not fight, and had combat prowess so pathetic it beggared description, the most important thing was that the wolf had already taken a blade and been gravely wounded.

The movement technique Qing Ling had taught him had been taught for nothing.

Because when it mattered most, Ning Chen had not even remembered to use it.

The facts proved that in a crisis, people still chose the methods they knew best. Learning something poorly was hardly different from never learning it at all.

After the desolate wolf died, Ning Chen stood there frozen, his face deathly pale. Wolf blood covered his mouth and face, its fishy saltiness constantly drilling into his nose, mouth, and stomach.

"Urgh."

Ning Chen still could not hold it back. He bent over and dry-heaved, his pale face turning even uglier.

In less than half an incense stick's time, Ning Chen felt as though half a year had passed.

The blades in the hands of the five hundred Imperial Guards never stopped. The wolves' corpses had piled across the wilderness, and the blood-stained earth had turned crimson. The stench of blood rushed at their noses, unbearable in its foulness.

"Woo..."

A low flute began playing a prelude to death. The endless stream of wolves grew even more frenzied, as though every wolf on the entire plain had arrived at this moment, relentlessly battering the five hundred Imperial Guards' line of defense.

"Scraaaape!"

Suddenly, a sharp, grating sound rang beside everyone's ears, like a blade scraping across raw iron. Blood sprayed forth, and amid a pained groan, an Imperial Guard crashed to the ground.

"Roar!"

Blood gushed in streams, and the torn armor stabbed at the heart. Nearby, a desolate wolf the size of a small mountain let out a low roar. Its powerful body and razor-sharp claws all proclaimed its extraordinary nature.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Almost at the same instant, several more figures among the Imperial Guards fell. The grim reapers hidden among the wolf pack had revealed their fangs. One after another, they stepped forth over the corpses on the ground, their vicious, greedy eyes gleaming and sending chills down everyone's spine.

"Desolate Wolf Kings!"

Dozens of Desolate Wolf Kings appeared, and the Imperial Guard soldiers' expressions changed drastically. Even the blades in their hands seemed to dull.

Great Xia's ironworking was highly advanced, and accordingly, the armor worn by Great Xia's soldiers was nearly indestructible. This was one of the key reasons Great Xia had remained undefeated for a thousand years. Yet the Desolate Wolf Kings' claws had broken that rule.

As the Desolate Wolf Kings joined the battle, the Imperial Guards' casualties increased sharply. Just then, the sword lying across the old man's knees atop the carriage finally moved.

One sword strike!

A casual, almost careless sword strike. Sword light sliced through space, and three Desolate Wolf Kings along with dozens of desolate wolves instantly sprayed blood as their heads flew skyward.

The indescribable majesty of that sword shocked countless desolate wolves, as well as Ning Chen, who stood closest to the old man.

He had never imagined human strength could reach such a level. This was no longer within the realm of what ordinary people could comprehend.

Whoosh!

At that moment, the sound of something piercing the air rang out. A meteor-like arrow streaked across the heavens, flying straight toward the old man who had just drawn his sword.

That familiar arrow made Ning Chen's pupils contract. When Changsun had been assassinated that day, it was this very arrow that had severely wounded Qing Ling.

Even the old man's expression turned solemn beneath the divine arrow's might. He raised his ancient sword before him, forcibly blocking the world-shaking arrow.

Boom!

Sword and arrow collided, stirring up furious winds and raging gales. Beneath the old man, the carriage exploded into four pieces. The moment he landed, another arrow shot straight at him.

The old man had no choice but to retreat, evading the arrow's edge. Yet with that retreat, he stepped right into the archer's design.

The old man's sword was the final barrier protecting Princess Miaoyu. Within twenty paces, no one could break through it.

But the old man had retreated. Beyond twenty paces, it meant his sword could no longer stand before Princess Miaoyu at the first instant.

The next moment, an arrow that could shatter the heavens broke through the shackles of space and arrived before Princess Miaoyu's carriage in an instant.

There was nowhere to evade, nothing that could block it. Just as Princess Miaoyu was about to perish like a fragrant blossom, a figure stepped between the arrow and the carriage.

Splat!

The arrow pierced into flesh, bringing out a great spray of blood. Ning Chen's body slammed into the carriage with a bang, yet he still could not halt the arrow's wild momentum.

"Ugh..."

Ning Chen coughed up blood and dropped helplessly to his knees.

Just then, a pair of slender hands appeared. One gripped the arrow shaft, while the other supported Ning Chen.

No one had seen when Princess Miaoyu emerged. They only saw that slender, beautiful hand quietly holding the arrow that had rendered everyone powerless.

"Retreat!"

A deep voice sounded in the distance. Immediately afterward, the flute's tune shifted sharply. The desolate wolves howled and roared as they scattered away like a receding tide.

"Princess!" The generals, soldiers, and old man all knelt, speaking respectfully.

"Rise. Continue the journey."

Xia Miaoyu spoke softly, her calm expression making it seem as though nothing had happened.

"Yes!"

Everyone rose. The heavily armored general at the front mounted his horse and waved his hand, leading the procession onward at a slow pace.

The old man also changed carriages and continued following behind Princess Miaoyu's carriage. Yet this time, his state of mind could no longer be as tranquil as before.

Who could have imagined that Princess Miaoyu in the carriage ahead was actually a peak Martial Arts Ninth Rank expert?

He had not expected it. The assassins had not expected it either. Thus, what had seemed like a perfect assassination became utterly laughable.

Inside the carriage ahead of the old man, Ning Chen had been brought in by Princess Miaoyu.

That arrow might have meant little to Xia Miaoyu, but to Ning Chen, it had been fatal.

The movement technique Qing Ling had taught him before departing had originally been meant to preserve his life. Who would have thought it would nearly cost him his life instead?

He had arrived in time and blocked that arrow, though it had been entirely pointless.

Ning Chen had fainted, so he did not know how foolish what he had done was. He only knew that if Xia Miaoyu died, not a single person in their party would survive.

Xia Miaoyu sealed the acupoints around Ning Chen's wound to stop the bleeding. Fortunately, the arrow wound was near his left shoulder and still far from his heart. Otherwise, that arrow truly would have sent him on his final journey.

The archer was far too extraordinary. Despite attacking several times, the person's true form remained impossible to detect. Even with two people above the Ninth Rank present, they had still been unable to keep that expert behind.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Xia Miaoyu's expression changed. A trace of disbelief flashed over her beautiful face. Her slender hand moved swiftly, grasping Ning Chen's arm as vast true qi poured into his body.

"Fake Eunuch!"

Xia Miaoyu giggled. What a tremendous discovery. The little eunuch who had single-handedly ruined Zhenji Kingdom's scheme and stirred the entire city into a tempest was actually a Fake Eunuch. She had thought she concealed herself deeply enough, yet someone could endure concealment even better than she could.

It was truly hard to believe that the Great Xia Imperial Palace had allowed a Fake Eunuch to remain in the palace for so long—and this fellow had even stayed by the Empress's side.

She could even imagine how enormous a storm this revelation would raise throughout the dynasty if it were exposed.

Unfortunately, she would not get to see it.

By nightfall, the party set up camp on the plains. Ning Chen slowly woke as well, and the first thing he saw was Princess Miaoyu's bright, seductive face beneath the candlelight.

"You're awake?" Xia Miaoyu smiled sweetly and spoke softly.

"Princess Miaoyu." Ning Chen's thoughts turned, and he guessed the identity of the person before him. Though he had never met Xia Miaoyu, in this procession, it was not difficult to guess the status of someone with such bearing and beauty.

The spot near his left shoulder still hurt badly, but it remained bearable. Qing Ling had blocked an arrow for Changsun that day, and today he had blocked one for Xia Miaoyu. Thinking of it now, it truly was absurdly pointless.

During the moment Ning Chen was lost in thought, a strange smile crossed Xia Miaoyu's lips. "Could you explain to me how you slipped into the palace?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Chen snapped back to himself with a shudder, shock rising in his heart. He immediately looked up at Xia Miaoyu, forcibly suppressing his panic as he feigned confusion. "What does Your Highness mean? This lowly one does not understand."

"Did Qing Ling not tell you that we came from the same school?" Xia Miaoyu asked with a faint smile.

Ning Chen was shocked again. He truly had not known this, and Qing Ling had never mentioned Xia Miaoyu to him.

If Xia Miaoyu's words were true, then his identity as a Fake Eunuch had certainly been exposed. The yang energy in his body remained intact; it would be easy to detect.

Seeing the change in Ning Chen's expression, Xia Miaoyu's smile gradually faded. She said coldly, "You truly possess heaven-sized audacity, daring to use your defiled body to fool your way into the palace."

If she had not examined this boy's aura and found that he had only just reached Martial Arts First Rank, she might even have suspected that he was behind the Xia Emperor's previous assassination attempt.

Hearing Xia Miaoyu expose his greatest secret, Ning Chen narrowed his eyes. "Princess, entering the palace was truly born of necessity. I hope Your Highness can show mercy and spare this lowly one."

He knew Xia Miaoyu likely would not reveal his secret, because it brought her no benefit whatsoever. It might even offend Changsun.

His identity could not be exposed unless someone intended to use it to bring down Changsun. But the Changsun Lineage held high rank and great power. The two Martial Marquises commanded heavy armies and possessed illustrious military achievements. A single stain that could be secretly erased at any moment was absolutely insufficient to threaten Changsun's position.

He did not know what would come of offending Changsun, but it surely would not end well.

Moreover, during his days in the palace, he had learned quite a bit about the relationships between the Imperial Princes and the court ministers. He knew Prince Hua would likely choose the First Prince's faction. In that case, Xia Miaoyu had even less reason to expose his identity.

"Are you not afraid?" Xia Miaoyu looked at Ning Chen. After a long while, she finally spoke.

"I am afraid," Ning Chen answered.

"Yet I see not the slightest trace of fear in your eyes," Xia Miaoyu said indifferently.

"If Your Highness believes this lowly one should be afraid, then this lowly one truly is afraid," Ning Chen said weakly.

"You are clever indeed."

Xia Miaoyu understood the meaning behind Ning Chen's words. It was simple: Ning Chen was saying that his life was entirely in her hands now. If he were to die, then he ought to be afraid. If he were to live, why should he fear?

Under the candlelight, Xia Miaoyu sat in quiet thought for a while. In the days before departure, Changsun and Qing Ling had both sought her out and, intentionally or otherwise, mentioned Ning Chen. She understood their meaning clearly: they wanted her to watch over this boy in secret.

Qing Ling was one thing, but Changsun had personally spoken as well. That was truly worth attention. How could a mere little eunuch receive such tremendous favor? It was far too inconceivable.

Thus, throughout the journey, she had never summoned Ning Chen. She wanted to see how this boy would respond—or perhaps she wanted to see what was so extraordinary about him.

Even though she had been prepared, the result still surprised her. From beginning to end, the boy had never shown any intention of seeking her out. He had even gotten along with Sword Enshrined, the most difficult person in the palace to deal with.

However, after what happened today, she more or less understood why Changsun and Qing Ling valued Ning Chen so highly.

Though not a Great Sage, Great Virtuous Person, he was indeed someone of utmost feeling and utmost kindness.

Unfortunately, if Ning Chen knew what Xia Miaoyu was thinking, he would definitely spit in her face. He had merely wanted to stay alive before making his escape. As for whether she lived or died after he ran away, what the hell did it have to do with him?

Under normal circumstances, he guaranteed that even if Xia Miaoyu were stabbed clean through the heart, he would not bat an eye. She was not Changsun or Qing Ling. In his eyes, she was not even as important as the one coin Changsun had taken from him.

The two people, each harboring ghosts in their hearts, sat in the tent thinking their own thoughts. The candle flame flickered, illuminating a beautiful face, a delicate face, a bewitching face, a faintly shy face... yet in truth, both were equally cold and merciless.