Chapter 563: Chapter 559: Hummingbird in Danger
Watching Jiang Xinyan and Feng Nan in the distance, Bao Yuan turned to the few subordinates beside him. “You few were raised by the Tomb Raider Sect and trained to beco first-class experts. Now, for the Tomb Raider Sect, for the young lady, it’s ti for you to demonstrate your loyalty.”
“As long as we kill Hummingbird, we can rely on Swan Goose to help the Tomb Raider Sect rise again.”
“Are you willing to make sacrifices for the revival of the Tomb Raider Sect?”
Bao Yuan spoke with heartfelt emotion, and as he reached the most moving part, tears even trickled down his face.
“We are willing to devote ourselves to the Tomb Raider Sect.”
The few exchanged glances and said in unison.
Bao Yuan nodded in satisfaction. “Your mission is to kill Hummingbird. Rember, do not harm the young lady. After your deaths, I will take care of your wives and children.”
He paused briefly as he spoke.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “Move out.”
The group nodded silently.
They quietly picked up their blades and stepped out of their hiding place.
They began to pursue Feng Nan and Jiang Xinyan.
“Young lady, we’re here!”
One of them shouted loudly.
Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Xinyan stopped in her tracks and looked behind her.
When she saw the approaching figures, all of them elders of the Tomb Raider Sect, Jiang Xinyan’s face lit up with joy.
“Feng Nan, they’re my people.”
“We’re saved.”
Jiang Xinyan grabbed Hummingbird’s hand and said joyfully.
Hummingbird halted her steps and glanced back.
Her brow furrowed instinctively.
Her intuition told her that sothing wasn’t right.
Hummingbird’s hand silently moved to grip the hilt of her blade.
Standing behind Jiang Xinyan, her eyes locked onto the elders of the Tomb Raider Sect approaching them.
As they drew closer, Hummingbird could sense faint but palpable killing intent locking onto her.
“Sothing’s wrong!”
Hummingbird silently exclaid in her heart.
“Sister Xinyan, are you certain they haven’t betrayed you?”
Hummingbird cautiously inquired.
“Impossible. They’re all elders of the Tomb Raider Sect. They’d never harm .”
Jiang Xinyan’s face showed a hint of indignation.
It seed Hummingbird’s suspicion had insulted her and was sothing she couldn’t accept.
Hummingbird shook her head with a bitter smile, thinking to herself, “The ones betraying you this ti are exactly the core mbers you brought back from the Tomb Raider Sect.”
Taking a deep breath, Hummingbird said, “Sister Xinyan, I don’t an anything by it, but at a ti like this, caution is the best way forward. After all, whether it’s Swan Goose, the Tomb Raider Sect, or Phoenix Nest, there have been many betrayals. We can’t afford to let our guard down.”
Hummingbird spoke gently, trying to make Jiang Xinyan realize the gravity of the situation.
She wanted to warn against being too naïve, blindly trusting familiar faces.
After all, in every place involving the Tomb Raider Sect during this chaos, there seed to be acts of betrayal.
And the leaders of these betrayals were always key mbers of the Tomb Raider Sect. Intelligence had long ago reached Jiang Xinyan’s hands detailing such incidents.
Aside from the rebellion at Swan Goose Headquarters, Jiang Xinyan and Feng Nan didn’t know who was behind it. But when it ca to Phoenix Nest, the Mountain Foot Villa, or other properties under Swan Goose’s na, the instigators of the uprisings were almost always Tomb Raider Sect mbers colluding with outside forces.
By this logic, the mastermind behind the rebellion at Swan Goose Headquarters could easily be deduced.
It had to be soone from the Tomb Raider Sect, working with Blacklist or Pawnshop operatives.
“Impossible. They are loyal to my Jiang Family, to the entire Tomb Raider Sect, and to .”
“There’s no way they’d stoop to betraying us, colluding with outsiders to hunt down.”
Jiang Xinyan understood Hummingbird’s words and imdiately retorted, fiercely defending her people.
In Jiang Xinyan’s heart, anyone could betray her — betray Swan Goose, betray Fang Xiaocao, even those Tomb Raider Sect mbers she brought back from New Province. But the protectors raised directly by the Jiang Family? They would never betray her. Even if they did defect from Swan Goose or Fang Xiaocao, they would never betray her.
Jiang Xinyan wasn’t wrong. These n hadn’t betrayed her. For her, for their desire to restore the Tomb Raider Sect, they had chosen to turn against Fang Xiaocao and Swan Goose.
If they succeeded, the Tomb Raider Sect could rise again, leveraging Swan Goose, Blacklist, and Pawnshop’s support to regain prominence in Jianghu. From the remote regions, they could return to the inland for developnt.
If they failed…
They would use their lives to atone.
They would shoulder all bla themselves.
They wouldn’t bring Jiang Xinyan any trouble. No matter how deeply Fang Xiaocao investigated, Jiang Xinyan would be clean, entirely uninvolved in betraying Fang Xiaocao or Swan Goose.
If they succeeded, Jiang Xinyan could be crowned in glory, reluctantly taking over Swan Goose from Fang Xiaocao.
If they failed, they would bear all the consequences, and Jiang Xinyan’s only fault would be poor judgnt of the people around her.
With Taotie around, Fang Xiaocao might punish Jiang Xinyan, but the punishnt wouldn’t be severe.
Even if she were temporarily removed from her position, Jiang Xinyan would remain a core figure under Fang Xiaocao. It wouldn’t be long before she regained power.
This was Bao Yuan and his group’s plan for Jiang Xinyan — a move that would reap countless rewards.
After hearing Jiang Xinyan’s words, Hummingbird fell silent.
At the sa ti, she prepared to act.
Out of respect for Taotie, Hummingbird could trust Jiang Xinyan, but she would never trust the Tomb Raider Sect mbers — even with Jiang Xinyan guaranteeing them.
In Hummingbird’s eyes, only Fang Xiaocao, Tom, and Taotie were people she could entrust with her life. In monts of life and death, everyone else was expendable.
Jiang Xinyan…
She wasn’t entirely beyond sacrifice either.
Even though Taotie would grieve afterward.
Even though Taotie might bla her, Hummingbird believed…
Once Taotie learned the whole truth, he would make the sa choice for the sake of Princess Your Highness.
As the group grew closer, Hummingbird keenly noticed that all their hands were already on their weapons, poised to strike at a mont’s notice.
Hummingbird sneered and slowly drew her blade.
Clang—
Clang—
When the distance between them was less than three ters,
Hummingbird and the group drew their blades almost simultaneously.
“What are you doing?”
Jiang Xinyan cried out in shock.
She hadn’t expected that the people she trusted most,
would draw their blades on her in such a mont.
“Young lady, this has nothing to do with you.”
The leader yelled.
“Restrain the young lady. Kill that woman and take her head to claim the bounty.”
The leader issued his command.
The others imdiately moved.
Two of them rushed toward Jiang Xinyan, not to harm her,
but to hold her back and buy the others ti to deal with Hummingbird undisturbed.
Seeing this, Hummingbird no longer hesitated.
She chose to attack first.
These people were all first-class experts,
but Hummingbird wasn’t particularly concerned.
As long as no top-tier masters were present, Hummingbird dared to fight anyone with her blade. Even if she couldn’t win, she could escape unhard. Her swordsmanship had been refined under Taotie’s guidance.
Her skills had advanced by leaps and bounds, becoming unmatched compared to the past.
Hummingbird’s strength had significantly increased,
and she was close to the top-tier level.
Hummingbird charged directly into the group, taking the offensive.
There were seven in total from the Tomb Raider Sect sent by Bao Yuan. Two moved to restrain Jiang Xinyan, leaving five in Hummingbird’s path. With swift and precise swordsmanship, Hummingbird claid her first kill in an instant.
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