The Quzhao man jumped in fright. He had no idea where the arrow came from; it appeared before him in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, the shooter's aim was poor, otherwise he would have lost his life.
"Ah!" the youth cried out in alarm.
"Careful!" One of the prisoners quickly grabbed the youth and stumbled back several steps.
Because they were chained together in a line, the sudden pull nearly sent them all tumbling. Luckily, their reflexes were sharp enough to steady themselves.
Thwack! The arrow struck the ground right where the youth had just been standing!
Had he not dodged so quickly, his foot would have been pierced through!
He looked at Luo Qingci with an accusing gaze. "You..."
He did not know what to say for a moment. Logically, he did not even know this woman. There was no enmity between them, so why did she shoot at him?
Luo Qingci was speechless. If she said it was an accident, would anyone believe her?
She looked at the bow in her hands, then silently lowered it. Forget it, she should stop making things worse. In the future, she would only blind-fire when skill was not required.
Yao Ji stood at the front of the carriage, sword in hand. He glanced up at Luo Qingci before turning his attention back to observe the battlefield.
His injuries had healed significantly, but it was still unwise for him to make large movements or overexert himself. He could only act as the carriage guard and pick off stragglers.
Over here, Shuangjiang and the father-son pair, Li Su and his son, quickly took off their weighted sandbags. Feng Qingzhu and the others handed them swords.
Yao Ji suddenly spoke up, "Li Su, you and your son go keep an eye on the horse herd."
Neither of them had participated in the last battle, and this time they were facing Quzhao soldiers. It was better they didn't offer themselves up on a silver platter; otherwise, someone might have to protect them.
Furthermore, the fighting here was likely to cause a commotion among the horses in the back, so someone needed to keep the herd under control.
The father and son paused, but they were used to following orders. Taking their swords, they ran toward the horse herd behind them.
Shuangjiang took her sword and charged at the Quzhao men. This time, her eyes were resolute, devoid of any hesitation. With a single slash, a mist of blood sprayed into the air.
The Quzhao soldier was actually cleaved in half at the waist, his upper and lower body separated!
Another Quzhao soldier nearby was splattered with blood. His pupils shrank drastically; he never expected this petite, child-like young woman to be so formidable!
He raised his blade and chopped down at Shuangjiang.
Shuangjiang swung her sword to block. With a sharp clang, sparks flew in all directions.
The soldier was forced back two steps by her sheer strength.
Shuangjiang pressed the attack, delivering a horizontal slash.
The Quzhao soldiers were no pushovers either. They had only been suppressed initially because they were unprepared and underestimated their enemy.
He stepped back twice more to evade Shuangjiang's blade, simultaneously swinging his own sword toward her neck.
Shuangjiang was young and lacked combat experience, but fortunately, she possessed great strength and quick reflexes. For a time, the two exchanged blows evenly.
However, she was very clever, learning as she fought. From initially being at a disadvantage, she fought him to a standstill, and gradually, Shuangjiang gained the upper hand.
Jiang Jin finished claiming the life of yet another Quzhao soldier. Just as she was about to strike a soldier on her right, Little Red reared up high on its hind legs.
It turned out a soldier in front was trying to chop off the horse's head. How could Little Red tolerate that? It absolutely could not!
By raising its hooves, it not only dodged the soldier's blade but also brought both hooves crashing down, trampling the soldier into a bloody pulp.
This was already the second soldier Little Red had trampled to death. Having gained experience, Jiang Jin pulled the reins tight and brought her Tang sword down in a fluid motion. The head of the soldier attempting to ambush her went flying...
The battle ended quickly.
The four conscious prisoners watched, completely dumbfounded.
Covered in blood and grime, Jiang Jin dismounted and walked over to the minor leader lying on the ground, who was not quite dead yet. Using her sword to lift his chin, she asked, "Where did you come from? Who are you escorting? And where are you heading?"
The minor leader cursed with a trembling voice, "You dare kill our Quzhao people in Quzhao territory? You... you won't escape!"
Jiang Jin actually laughed. "Your Quzhao territory? Since when did this place become Quzhao territory? I'll ask one more time. Where did you come from?"
The leader gritted his teeth and glared at her, turning his head to the side in refusal to answer.
Losing her patience, Jiang Jin plunged her sword into his neck. "Since you won't speak, then go die!"
The minor leader's eyes widened perfectly round. Blood frothed from his mouth as his body convulsed violently. Within moments, he lay lifeless.
He couldn't understand why she suddenly made a move. Shouldn't she have asked at least one more time? Maybe he would have told her then! Weren't interrogations supposed to go back and forth?
Dong Si's trio had already begun looting the corpses. This was their source of joy; they felt their fatigue vanish instantly, replaced by physical and mental comfort.
Zhou Sui walked toward the prisoners, stopping a few meters away, and asked, "Who are you?"
Aside from the elderly man being carried on someone's back whose fate was unknown, the other prisoners were still in a daze.
They had actually grown numb, assuming this would be yet another instance of Han women being humiliated and men being slaughtered.
They never expected to hear the agonizing screams of Quzhao soldiers the next moment. Only then did they realize things had completely defied their expectations.
"Are... are you the Great General?" the tall prisoner carrying the old man asked in a trembling voice after a long while.
Zhou Sui frowned, unable to recognize him immediately. He then looked at the motionless elderly man slumped on his back, his expression gradually turning solemn. "Is that Old General Yun Ci?"
Yun Ci had been tortured so severely that he no longer looked human; Zhou Sui truly hadn't recognized him just now.
The tall figure's eyes instantly reddened. "Yes. Please, Great General, save my father."
Zhou Sui quickly looked at Jiang Jin. "My lady, this is General of Chariots and Cavalry Yun Ci. He has always guarded the borders."
Hearing his words, the prisoners looked at Jiang Jin in surprise. It was evident that the Great General was now following the lead of this young woman before them.
Jiang Jin glanced at the old man, then turned and called out to Liu Mi, "Lady Liu, come take a look."
Xie Nanxiao was very perceptive. He had already looted the keys for the shackles and fetters from the Quzhao men and helped unlock them for the group.
Liu Mi touched Yun Ci's forehead; as expected, it was burning hot.
Rolling up his pant leg, the stench of rotting flesh grew stronger. The old man's leg was revealed more clearly, covered in various knife and whip wounds, with many areas already turning bruised black and oozing pus.
But these were not the most fatal injuries. The most severe issue was that his leg was bent at a grotesque angle. Specifically around the knee, a whole section had caved in. Clearly, the bones inside were shattered.
Liu Mi's expression grew heavy, guilt etched across her face. "My medical skills are limited. I cannot treat this injury."
