There's no other way but to be underhanded. *My body was but a normal human. How can I match the battle-experienced general Shan Chengling, I could only use the guards to drag him down and use my sword to ensure success.
The guards had received *my orders not to hurt Mu Ruoyan, their swords can only be used against Shan Chengling. This was a big restriction on them. Shan Chengling alone was more than enough to stop the numerous guards. He retreated as he fought them off. Having found an escape path early on, he went out of Han courtyard and took Mu Ruoyan past the flower garden, past the moon arch, to the wall behind the artificial mountain. Beyond that, was a deserted alleyway.
The guards patrolling the courtyard heard the noise and hurried over. As the number of people surrounding them grew, Shan Chengling retreated while defending himself, blocking while fighting off the blows, gradually his strength started to wane. Backed to the wall, he had withstood four to five shallow flesh wounds.
*I locked onto an opening. I gripped the longsword and entered into the encirclement.
The blade in Shan Chengling's right hand blocked several pikes. His left hand was breaking the momentum of another attacker. His front chest was opened wide, the tip of *my own blade was pointed there, very kindly aimed to stab the right part of his chest. Five inches away, four inches away, three inches away. At two inches, the figure in front of me vanished and my chest went cold.
I lowered my head, staggered. It was a pike, the metal head was burrowed into my chest, and the other end of the weapon was a pair of thin slender hands. Hands that looked like it couldn't exert a lot of energy. Those bony hands I once held them in mine.
And in this instant of shock, a cold wind gushed over. A silvery gleam flickered, seeming to be Nan Ming's blade.
I could feel a chill aimed at my neck.
Ming Ge–he wrote the destinies tersely again……
The cold blade intent was stopped with a clang. Shan Chengling's blade was stopped in the middle of a cutting motion beside my neck, because a glowing steel-blue sword was pressed against Mu Ruoyan's neck. The flowing long light gown slightly rippled with the wind. "Release him, and I will let you and Mu Ruoyan leave the manor safely."
Heng Wen ah, you shouldn't be too showy as a person. It's one thing to materialise your true body, but that sword, it's too s.h.i.+ny.
The guards didn't dare to recklessly make a move. Shan Chengling raised his brows at Heng Wen, "This sir, can you guarantee this?"
"Naturally." Heng Wen then turned to the guardsmen. "Put your weapons on the ground and retreat out of the flower garden."
Sir Zhao was someone Dongjun w.a.n.g favours. The guards were astute and put down their weapons then withdrew to the moon arch.
The tip of blade retreated from *my neck, and Heng Wen removed the longsword from Mu Ruoyan's neck, mildly saying, "Young lord Yan, the pike's head had drawn blood. Isn't it time to relax your grip?"
The grip on pike's handle loosened. Heng Wen supported my back and said softly, "Can you still hold on?" And the expression that flashed between the seconds was a clear sympathy.
I took in cold air and was out of breath, "It just… hurts too much… cough cough…"
Ming Ge, **** that ******* Ming Ge!!!
Shan Chengling's narrow eyes looked at Heng Wen. "Just now, when the lord appeared, this lowly one didn't sense it at all. Your kungfu is very good."
Nonsense. He took advantage of the chaos to materialise instantly. If you, as a human, can sense him, then that would be weird.
Heng Wen went along with an air of dignity. "You flatter me."
Shan Chengling said with a smile, "Sir, this one is also left in awe at your elegant mien. May I ask for your esteemed name?"
Heng Wen then replied, "Since General Shan had deigned to ask, this one is Zhao Heng."
Surprisingly, Shan Chengling cupped his hands and greeted him, "Today Shan Chengling has to forgo getting pointers from young lord Zhao, I hope that one day I can compare notes with the lord." One of Heng Wen's hands were prepped behind my back, and he stood in this way as he nodded back.
Shan Chengling looked intently at Heng Wen with narrowed eyes again, and then turned around with Tian Shu. Tian Shu looked back towards us. I hadn't seen his expression since I took the hit from the pike. Looking at him now, his face was as indecipherable as always. The deep black eyes settled on me as he said, "Sorry."
"It's nothing, don't I deserve it…" I said as I took in gulps of air. I really had it coming.
Mu Ruoyan's gaze flickered then he turned away. Shan Chengling held him and jumped across the wall, disappearing into the veil of night.
*I collapsed on the ground. I could hear the bustling noise as people rush about. It ought to be my nominal father and brothers woken up from their sleep by the servants. I don't know whether they brought a doctor with them or not.
Heng Wen murmured, "You have to bear it for now. I will take you out once there's no one else present."
*I panted and made a strained laugh. "You can't… If y, you pull me out, wounded like this… once I'm out, Li Siming..'d die… I have to stay inside."