The group answered Jiu Yue with their actions: they were utterly brazen!
At that moment, the two of them were barely a hundred meters away from the camp. If they could alert the others quickly, reinforcements would arrive within moments.
But now, the encirclement was tightening, and the assailants were deliberately pushing Jiu Yue further away. Xiao Wuyou had blown his whistle so hard it nearly shattered, yet no one came.
Jiu Yue sighed inwardly—she had been careless.
She truly hadn’t expected to be ambushed just a hundred meters from the camp while having a picnic.
And it was her fault for underestimating Xiao Wuyou.
Outside the camp was a slope, while they were on flat ground. Unless the patrolling soldiers ventured further out, they wouldn’t be spotted.
"What do we do, Jiu Yue…?" Xiao Wuyou struggled to keep his voice steady, but the tremor at the end betrayed his fear.
"It’s fine." Jiu Yue took a deep breath, pulling him close. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with killing intent. "I’m here."
The moment the words left her lips, she had already drawn the twin blades from her waist.
The best defense was a good offense.
Without warning, Jiu Yue kicked the man facing the camp. Caught off guard, his knife was sent flying, and a heavy blow to his chest sent him sprawling.
When he hit the ground, he couldn’t even catch his breath.
Struggling to prop himself up, his gaze locked onto the woman before him, his eyes widening in shock.
He had thought she’d be easy to handle, but this seemingly ordinary woman moved with terrifying skill.
The last person who had made him feel this way was…
Blood surged in his throat, and he couldn’t hold back a mouthful of crimson.
Just like that, a gap was torn in the encirclement. Seizing the moment of their hesitation, Jiu Yue turned and hurled one of her blades behind Xiao Wuyou. The man there collapsed with wide eyes.
Without pause, she swept her leg out, her other hand gripping the hilt as she slashed backward.
Another man’s throat was effortlessly pierced.
In the blink of an eye, three had fallen.
The remaining men were now gripped with fear—this was not part of the plan.
Who was she? The intel hadn’t mentioned her! And her skills… she didn’t seem like a soldier…
Jiu Yue landed lightly beside Xiao Wuyou, crouching to wipe the blood splattered on his face with a gentle motion. She glanced at the remaining men and asked politely, "Still want to fight?"
Courteous words, severed heads.
The standoff was tense and silent—until Fu Yu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, drawing his blade without a word.
Jiu Yue blinked, then turned to see Xiao Chi and Sima Qing rushing toward them. Her gaze shifted to the man she had kicked earlier… she must have sent him right into the soldiers’ line of sight.
Hah, as expected of her!
Relieved, she patted Xiao Wuyou’s head reassuringly before rising to assist Fu Yu.
Earlier, she had to protect the kid, so she had played nice. But now? They wouldn’t get the chance to escape.
"Wuyou, are you alright?" Xiao Chi, despite his age, sprinted over with surprising agility, frantically checking his grandson for injuries. When he saw the blood on Xiao Wuyou’s face, his hands trembled. "Tell me, where does it hurt?"
This time, though frightened, Xiao Wuyou didn’t cry.
"Grandfather," he even clasped Xiao Chi’s shaking hands, comforting him instead. "Don’t worry. Jiu Yue is amazing. I’m not hurt—this is the bad guys’ blood."
Xiao Chi closed his eyes briefly before scooping his grandson into his arms. By then, Sima Qing’s men had already subdued the remaining assailants.
He glanced at Sima Qing, who stepped forward with an air of indifference. "We’ve left one alive. Would you like to interrogate him, General?"
Xiao Chi’s expression darkened as he strode to the black-clad man Jiu Yue was restraining. Planting a foot on his chest, he demanded sharply, "Talk! Who sent you?!"
The man gasped for breath before croaking out, "It… it was His Highness, the Regent…"
Xiao Chi: "…"
Jiu Yue: "…"
Fu Yu, who happened to be passing by with a corpse: "…"
Sima Qing, arriving a step later, chuckled. "So you’re saying I sent you to kill my own people?"
The man’s face twisted in horror. "Y-you… why are you here? You were supposed to be—"
"—in Qingnan, right?" Sima Qing smiled faintly, pulling a slip of paper from his sleeve and tossing it at the man’s feet. "Your handwriting is quite easy to imitate."
Jiu Yue gave him an astonished look before leaning over to read the note: The Regent has joined forces with Xiao Chi. Both his companions are formidable fighters.
Jiu Yue and the black-clad man were both stunned.
"H-how did you find out?" the man rasped, unwilling to accept defeat.
Xiao Chi had seen enough. "Yesterday, the moment Wen Ye arrived at camp, before he’d even had a sip of water, the gentle horse Wuyou’s ridden for two years suddenly went mad… If you’re going to frame someone, at least be patient about it!"
Sima Qing sighed. "Fortunately, I arrived in time. Otherwise, this mud would’ve stuck."
Fu Yu even retrieved a token from the man’s body—one that bore Sima Qing’s insignia.
This was a blatant, meticulously planned setup!
With no way out, the man fell silent.
But Jiu Yue, watching Fu Yu’s efficient movements, suddenly understood—
Last night, when Sima Qing had stepped out of the tent, Fu Yu had arrived from outside. That meant he hadn’t been guarding Sima Qing—he’d been out catching someone!
Harming Xiao Wuyou to frame Sima Qing and drive a wedge between him and Xiao Chi… Who would do such a thing?
A suspicion formed in her mind—and the next second, someone shouted it aloud.
"Prince Ping!"
Jiu Yue stiffened, turning toward the voice. The speaker was staring straight at her, his eyes burning with an inexplicable fervor.
Then, he pointed at her and declared, "Prince Ping! She’s Prince Ping’s agent!"
Jiu Yue: "…"
Fu Yu: "…"
Sima Qing: "…"
Dead silence.
The three of them stood frozen in an eerie, wordless pause.
But the man, as if fueled by madness, kept spewing nonsense even as blood dribbled down his chin.
"She serves Prince Ping! We were sent by the Regent to kill Xiao Wuyou, and then the Regent would pin it on Prince Ping… But it was Prince Ping’s agent who saved Xiao Wuyou! General Xiao, you must see the truth! Hahaha—"
"Is this man… insane?" Xiao Chi asked Sima Qing.
Sima Qing remained silent, his gaze flickering briefly to Jiu Yue—who looked like she’d swallowed a fly—before returning to Xiao Chi.
"Perhaps," he replied flatly.
Xiao Chi scoffed. "Preposterous! This is the most absurd attempt to sow discord I’ve ever seen. After all these years, do you think I wouldn’t know your character?"
Sima Qing lowered his head slightly. "Had I not come, you might have believed it."
"Nonsense!" Xiao Chi shot him a disapproving look before drawing his sword and running the raving man through.
"Between you and Prince Ping, my trust lies with you." He glared coldly at the corpses littering the ground. "As you said—he won’t let Wuyou live."
Sima Qing smiled with an inscrutable expression. "It seems the general has made his choice."
Xiao Chi silently glanced at him, and the two turned in unison, walking toward the military tent. Before leaving, Sima Qing cast another look at Jiu Yue, who still wore a puzzled expression. Satisfied, he followed Xiao Chi away.
Jiu Yue truly didn’t understand.
She desperately wanted to ask—how had he recognized her?
There was no doubt in her mind—that man hadn’t been spouting nonsense. He had genuinely known who she was. The way he looked at her carried the clarity of someone who had just unraveled a mystery.
But the original owner of this body had never revealed her true face… Could it be her fighting style or movements that gave her away?
Jiu Yue thought it was highly possible.
If that were the case, she’d have to spend more time in the training camp once she returned.
Lost in thought, she suddenly snapped back to reality and met Fu Yu’s hesitant gaze.
"What’s wrong?" Jiu Yue asked, puzzled.
Fu Yu stammered, "N-n-nothing… D-don’t take that m-man’s lies to heart! We all kn-know you and Prince Ping are e-enemies—th-there’s no way you’re his p-person…"
Jiu Yue: "…"
She nearly burst out laughing. "I-I-I get it! Why’s your stutter acting up again? Should we find a doctor?"
"N-n-no need…" Fu Yu forced a smile and hurried off to help the soldiers move the bodies.
Jiu Yue shrugged and went back to tidying up her own mess.
They probably wouldn’t stay much longer.
