Chapter 278: Load, Bolt, Aim

The Lone Ranger’s martial arts were certainly formidable, and Xiao Li finally got to see the Divine weapon Rong Qing had spoken of.

He moved with incredible speed over the soldiers’ heads, using his spear like a blade to cleave open the massive iron bars of the tiger’s cage. In the same motion, he spun and thrust the spear through the lunging tiger’s skull, killing it instantly.

The force was so great it pinned the tiger to the spot.

The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.

Some people were so excited they even cheered loudly.

But the Lone Ranger’s eyes were fixed only on the person trapped in the cage and the knife a soldier had discreetly placed against that person’s neck.

Killing intent radiated from him, sharp and cold, yet he didn’t dare take a single step forward.

No matter how peerless your martial arts, you can’t be faster than a blade pressed against the flesh.

The man threatened grimly, “Chu Yungui, don’t choose the hard way when the easy way is being offered.”

Seeing the situation, the steward smiled with satisfaction. “Forgive my ignorance. So you’re a descendant of Marquis Changying.”

“Who’s Marquis Changying?”

“No idea.”

“A Marquis should be famous.”

“Ah, I remember now!” someone realized, their gaze burning as they stared at the black spear. “That’s Du, the spear of Marquis Changying, the West Pass Divine General! ‘Cold gleam on Heavenly Gate’s snow.’ That’s the legendary Divine Weapon, the one only the Chu Family can wield!”

Since it was a supreme Divine Weapon, even if people hadn’t seen it before, once its name was spoken, quite a few recognized it.

“So that’s Du. I never thought I’d live to see this Divine weapon with my own eyes.”

“It just sliced through the iron bars in one go and then split the tiger’s head open with a single strike. How sharp must it be?”

“With such a powerful weapon, why didn’t he use it right away? Why did he waste so much time with that tiger?”

“Exactly! If he’d taken it out sooner, he would’ve dealt with that tiger ages ago.”

Someone else voiced their confusion, “But I heard the entire Chu Family died on the battlefield outside Heavenly Gate Pass.”

“You said you *heard* it. It wouldn’t be strange if someone survived and lived in obscurity.”

Someone sighed emotionally, “The Chu Family of Marquis Changying guarded the northwest for generations, keeping other countries from daring to invade. The heavens have eyes after all, for not letting their line die out.”

Once the crowd’s discussion died down, the steward, seeing the time was ripe, raised his voice and announced, “The Chu Family of Marquis Changying has guarded the gates of Longsheng Country for generations, a fact our Prince deeply admires. I never expected a descendant of the Chu Family to grace the Prince’s Banquet of Heroes today! With both the Wenquxing and the Martial Star supporting my Prince, it proves that the Prince holds the Mandate of Heaven and rides the tide of destiny!”

Xiao Li sneered. ‘So this was King Xian’s goal. The Empress has Song Junzhan for civil matters and Rong Qing for military affairs, so he finds a Xu Nianqing and tries to trick a descendant of the Chu Family, someone who could contend with Rong Qing, into joining him.’

‘Destined to rule? Hah. I, Xiao Li, am destiny.’

Xiao Li turned and had someone hand her the box she had requested.

She opened the box and began assembling its contents as she gave her orders. “Ziyue, you go rescue the hostage alone. The rest of you provide cover. Once you have her, retreat. Exit through the east gate.”

“Yes!”

The people around her dispersed, and the long rifle in Xiao Li’s hands took shape.

“CLICK!”

She loaded a bullet, pulled the bolt, and took aim.

The steward was very pleased with the crowd’s reaction. He glanced at the rigidly standing Chu Yungui with a sneer. ‘How dare he oppose the Prince? An idiot who doesn’t know what’s good for him.’

Though sneering inwardly, his face wore a false smile. “Chu Yungui, the Prince wishes to bestow upon you the title of General Changying. Why don’t you step forward to receive your title?”

‘A mere Prince has no right to use the word ‘bestow.”

Clearly, they were using this to build momentum for a rebellion.

If Chu Yungui knelt to accept the title, he would be inextricably bound to King Xian’s cause. Even if he wasn’t a loyal follower, King Xian would exploit him completely.

‘Such a malicious scheme.’

Chu Yungui clearly had no desire to submit to King Xian, but his only sister had a knife to her throat.

Chu Lingyi shook her head repeatedly. She seemed not to feel the sharp blade cutting her skin, nor the blood that trickled down. She wasn’t afraid of pain, of bleeding, or of death.

“Brother, go! Just go! I’m begging you, brother, please go!”

“It was my fault! I know I was wrong! Brother, don’t worry about me.”

‘She had been blind to fall for that scumbag Xiao Jingming. She had been foolish, blinded by love, deaf to her brother’s warnings. Now she had brought ruin upon herself and allowed them to plot against her brother.’

‘She was already ruined. Her entire life was ruined. She couldn’t ruin her brother too.’

Chu Yungui was indeed heartbroken by his sister’s stubborn refusal to see the truth, but she was his only living relative. He couldn’t abandon her.

“As long as… you know you were wrong…”

He hadn’t spoken for a long time, and his voice was low, hoarse, and icy.

After speaking, he slowly turned around.

The steward smirked triumphantly, knowing this was Chu Yungui’s surrender.

With a grand wave of his hand, he shouted, “Clear a path for our General Changying!”

All eyes were fixed on them. The crowd watched, captivated, as the descendant of the Chu Family walked toward King Xian to kneel in submission.

But just as Chu Yungui took his first step…

Xiao Li slowly curled her lips into a wicked smile and pulled the trigger.

“BANG!”

The deafening sound, like a clap of thunder, rang out. Before anyone could figure out where it came from, a panicked cry came from above, “The Prince! The Prince is under attack!!”

Chu Yungui froze mid-step. In the next instant, white smoke suddenly billowed up around him.

Everyone’s vision was obscured. Chu Yungui immediately turned back to find his sister, but the spot where Chu Lingyi had been was now empty. The thick white smoke made it impossible for him to get his bearings.

“Let me go! Let me go!”

Chu Lingyi’s panicked voice rang out. Chu Yungui quickly chased after the sound, only to see her being carried away by someone running at high speed.

Ziyue was getting pummeled and was on the verge of suffering internal injuries. Seeing Chu Yungui approach, he quickly tossed her over. “Don’t just stand there, follow me!”

Chu Yungui didn’t recognize Ziyue, but the man had saved them.

He quickly hoisted his sister onto his back and hurried to follow.

The thick white smoke enveloped the entire area, so no one noticed their departure.

The team was waiting outside the walls with horses prepared. They mounted up and quickly retreated.

Patrolling soldiers on the road saw the large group of riders galloping wildly and tried to stop them. The lead guard immediately took action, using his spear to bat away their weapons before charging straight through.

The rest followed, their path now clear.

They charged out of the city gates just as the pursuing soldiers arrived.

Ziyue laughed. “Right on time.”

They quickly crossed a shallow ravine. As the pursuing troops followed, a dense volley of arrows shot out, felling them all in the blink of an eye.

With the first wave of pursuers taken down, by the time the second wave arrived, they were long gone.

After galloping for several miles, the group suddenly veered off the road, circling up a mountain. They finally stopped on a peak overlooking Changzhou.

The group halted and everyone dismounted. Chu Yungui also dismounted with his sister in his arms, setting her down on a flat rock before preparing to go and express his thanks.

He had just been observing them and noticed that the group was led by the gallant and beautiful woman in the center.

But before he could approach, she came over to him.

Her sharp but not malicious gaze swept over the two of them, finally landing on Chu Lingyi. “So, it’s his sister.”

Chu Lingyi tensed up and shrank back, not daring to meet Xiao Li’s eyes. “Brother…”

Chu Yungui dropped to his knees and kowtowed. “I, Chu Yungui, thank you for saving our lives.”

His knees hit the ground with a solid THUD, a sound that conveyed the depth of his sincerity.