Song Gaoli sighed, "If only someone could open an inn here. Spending the night in the wild during winter is just too cold."
Song Qiming shoved a scorching hot flatbread into his hand. "Just get through tonight. We won't have to sleep outside after this."
The bright firelight reflected on the faces of the five people, their shadows dancing like monsters as the cold wind blew.
Song Anhao, who was bundled up tightly, reached out to touch the fire, but Song Shixue held him firmly in her arms, kneading his chubby little hands.
"You want to touch everything. Careful, or you'll turn those hands into roasted pig trotters."
Song Anhao turned and threw himself toward Song Jinzhao. "I don't want roasted pig trotters, I want braised trotters with beans."
Song Jinzhao pinched his soft, tender cheek and pulled gently, laughing dotingly. "If you eat any more, you're going to turn into a little ball."
Song Anhao tilted his head against Song Jinzhao's hand and acted spoiled. "Anhao is small, I have to eat a lot to grow up."
The cold wind swept through the mountain forest, making the withered yellow leaves rustle loudly.
Song Jinzhao’s ears twitched slightly. She stopped what she was doing and turned her head, looking solemnly into the pitch-black forest.
In the darkness where she could not even see her own fingers, the sound of dry branches being trampled caught her attention.
She pulled Song Anhao into her left arm, holding him tight, while her right hand alertly gripped the Lingyun Spear resting on the ground. She said coldly, "Qiming, Shixue, get your swords."
Song Qiming and Song Shixue looked up, their gentle expressions vanishing as they picked up the longswords beside them.
Song Gaoli, confused and having no idea what was happening, looked at the three of them with a bewildered expression.
"What's wrong? Is it a wolf?" In winter, when wolves in the mountains couldn't find food, they would come down to eat people. Could they really be so unlucky as to run into one?
The sound of footsteps drew closer; there were four or five people.
Song Jinzhao stood up and moved toward the carriage. "It’s not wolves, it's people. Gaoli, get in the carriage."
Song Qiming quickly hauled Song Gaoli up from the ground. "It’s dangerous, go hide in the carriage first."
Watching the three Song siblings standing guard with their weapons, Song Gaoli was ushered into the middle and climbed onto the carriage.
Song Jinzhao handed him a dagger along with Song Anhao. "Stay in the carriage and don't move. Protect my brother."
The ice-cold dagger made Song Gaoli's palm stiffen. He held Song Anhao tightly in his arms, the dagger trembling in front of his chest.
It wasn't wolves, but people. If Jinzhao was this nervous, could it be mountain bandits?
Song Jinzhao’s hand rested on the bow and arrows on the carriage frame. Five masked men dressed entirely in black descended from above.
Three arrows were fired simultaneously, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound as they tore through the air.
Huangquan Ghost’s eyes flickered. His body twisted mid-air, his toes tapping lightly against the flying arrows. With a wave of his hand, several flying daggers shot toward Song Jinzhao.
The shaft of the spear moved like a shooting star across the night sky. Sparks flew as all the daggers were knocked away.
Huangquan Ghost landed on his feet, holding a long whip covered in sharp thorns. His narrow, cold eyes held a chilling smile.
"A job worth five thousand taels of silver indeed requires some skill."
Song Qiming, guarding the side of the carriage, knit his thick brows into a knot. These people were here to kill; could it be the Yan family?
Song Jinzhao narrowed her eyes. These five men were filled with a thick aura of killing intent and the scent of blood. They were different from the previous useless thugs; these were professional assassins.
"Five thousand taels of silver to buy the lives of my family of four? I'll give you five thousand taels to kill the employer instead."
Huangquan Ghost gave a wicked laugh. "My Suoming Sect never breaks a contract, but we also never refuse business that comes to our door."
"This deal can be done. For five thousand taels, once I've killed you, I'll go and kill the buyer."
Anxiety and worry filled Song Shixue's eyes. If she had known, she should have brought Qingshuang and Lanxi along.
Three against five—they were at a disadvantage in numbers.
