At this mont, Chu Yan was firmly held by the guards, unable to tamper with the pass docunts any longer. Besides, Cheng Wei knew that it would only take one night for news to travel from the capital to the border, and the generals there wouldn’t have received any alerts yet.
Chu Yan quickly calculated his options and decided that the only way forward was to cause a scene himself--sothing that would alert the border generals to take notice. But Cheng Wei, having suffered once at Chu Yan’s hands, wasn’t about to make the sa mistake twice.
"Feed him the Soft Tendon Pill," Cheng Wei commanded.
He regretted not administering it earlier. Had he given Chu Yan the pill from the start, none of this would’ve happened. Cheng Wei had hesitated because the pill weakened the muscles and bones, and he knew the Emperor wouldn’t be pleased if he found out. But now, failing to bring Chu Yan back wasn’t just about displeasing the Emperor--he would be facing the Emperor’s full wrath, and potentially, the extermination of his entire family.
Despite how tightly Chu Yan clenched his teeth, the guards had thods to make him swallow the pill. Within monts, Chu Yan felt his body go limp; his legs could no longer support him, and even his tongue felt numb, making it impossible to speak.
Cheng Wei mounted his horse, pulling Chu Yan up in front of him, and tugged at the reins. "Let’s go quickly," he urged, his voice grim.
The Emperor was surely growing impatient.
To leave Yanxue Pass, they had to pass through Yan City. Yan City was not small and served as a hub for people from various tribes, though the freezing weather ant that few were out conducting business. This made Cheng Wei’s group stand out even more.
Though Mu and Qi often engaged in battles, so trade persisted between them, and as long as they had the proper docunts, it wasn’t difficult for a caravan to cross the border. However, in the midst of this harsh winter, Qi’s side was already covered in layers of snow, with roads blocked by heavy snowfall. No rchant caravan would be conducting business in such conditions.
So, even after the soldiers checked the docunts, they stopped the group, saying, "Your identities are suspicious; further inspection is required."
Chu Yan sat limply on the horse, unable to move, but a flicker of hope lit up in his heart.
Cheng Wei, however, remained calm and produced another docunt. "I am on an official mission," he said as he handed over the writ.
The soldier opened the docunt, and there, stamped clearly, was the seal of the Ninth Prince.
Unsure of what to do, the soldier called over the general to verify the authenticity of the seal. The general scrutinized the writ for a long ti and then studied Cheng Wei carefully. After what felt like ages, he ordered, "Let them through imdiately."
One of the soldiers, still wary, glanced at the sickly Chu Yan slumped over on the horse and voiced his concern, "But he..."
The general’s face hardened. "The Ninth Prince’s business is not for you to question. Let them pass!"
Chastised, the soldier dared not utter another word. With a wave of his hand, the path was cleared, and they were allowed to proceed.
Cheng Wei felt a surge of triumph as he led his horse through the city gates with his entourage, their heads held high. The snow-covered ground stretched out before them, the road ahead wide and clear.
Finally, he was heading ho!
Just as he thought this, a violent wind suddenly stirred from behind. Cheng Wei looked back to see the runes on Chu Yan glowing brightly, their light scattering everywhere. The runes seed to be devoured by sothing, gradually fading away.
Cheng Wei’s eyes widened in alarm. He instinctively reached for Chu Yan, trying to regain control.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three loud noises echoed as the runes were completely consud and the stone around Chu Yan’s neck shattered, falling to the ground. Monts later, a larger array of runes appeared beneath the horse’s hooves.
It was Chu Nanli!
Panicked, Cheng Wei lunged forward, managing to grab Chu Yan’s sleeve. With a hard tug, the weakened Chu Yan collapsed towards Cheng Wei.
"How dare you abduct my fifth brother?"
Golden light flickered around the talisman, and within it, a graceful figure gradually beca visible. She held a Dark Moon Sword, her delicate and bright features carrying an air of cold indifference. With a slight lift of her chin, she slashed her sword downward!
The sword’s energy was overwhelming!
Cheng Wei was utterly terrified, as if he could sll the scent of death. He hastily withdrew, retreating to save his life. Yet, even so, his right hand was still injured by the Dark Moon Sword. A wooden sword--yet it had severed his arm!
Blood gushed out, spilling all over the ground!
Cheng Wei, drenched in cold sweat, fell to one knee, screaming in agony. He quickly pressed on his acupoints to stop the bleeding and tore a strip of cloth from his clothes to bind the wound, trying to prevent excessive blood loss.
anwhile, Nanli had already caught Chu Yan and gently lowered him to the ground.
When he saw his sixth sister, the anxious unease in his heart finally settled. Tears quickly welled up in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks. Unable to speak properly due to the effects of the drug, he could only lean against Nanli’s shoulder, making muffled sobbing sounds as he cried with joy.
Nanli gripped the Dark Moon Sword tightly, her anger rising: "You made my fifth brother cry? Every single one of you is dead!"
However, the general, seeing her suddenly appear and injure Cheng Wei, shouted, "Where did this wandering sorceress co from, daring to harm an official of the court? Seize her imdiately!"
At his command, the city guards surrounded her.
Nanli’s eyes were icy as she pulled out a token. "Open your eyes and take a good look!" she declared.
The golden coiled dragon insignia on the token was unmistakable, with the bold characters for "Prince Yu" clearly displayed.
The general and the soldiers were shaken to the core. Coupling this revelation with Nanli’s earlier display of power, they no longer had any doubts about her identity.
It was none other than the Ninth Princess herself!
The soldiers at the border were already loyal to Prince Yu, Ye Siheng. When he first married Sixth Miss Chu, so soldiers had been dissatisfied, thinking that their warrior prince had made a poor match, considering that the Sixth Miss had been found outside the family and lacked noble status--hardly a fitting match for the prince.
But as ti went on, Nanli had accomplished more and more feats, and even the people and soldiers at the border had heard of her. Their curiosity about the Ninth Princess only grew, and many wished they could see her in person. If they could catch even a glimpse of her, they would have no regrets in this lifeti.
And today... they had finally seen her!
"Kneel before the Ninth Princess!" the soldiers dropped to their knees, paying their respects.
Cheng Wei, pale-faced, cried out, "Her token is fake! I ca from the capital--how could I not recognize the Ninth Princess?!"
For a mont, the soldiers hesitated, as Cheng Wei’s docunts and orders were also genuine. Who were they to believe?
The general spoke again, "Daring to impersonate the Ninth Princess, arrest her imdiately!"
Nanli raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly, "The louder you shout, the more suspicious you seem. Cheng Wei is a spy for the Qi Nation, and it looks like you’re in on it too, aren’t you?"
The general, realizing he had been exposed, felt a wave of panic but knew there was no turning back now. His cover was blown, and his only option was to flee with Cheng Wei to Qi Nation.
But before that, he had to eliminate Nanli, the obstacle standing in their way!
The general drew his sword and lunged, aiming to sever Nanli’s head. However, her agility was unmatched. She sidestepped and swiftly kicked him, sending him crashing into the city wall. The force of her blow was so imnse that the general coughed up blood, breaking several ribs and losing consciousness. Behind him, the wall was dented from the impact.
The onlookers were left speechless.
Such ferocity... It could only be the Ninth Princess.
The soldiers hurried to subdue Cheng Wei’s guards, while Cheng Wei staggered to his feet, terror written across his face. His lips trembled as he stamred, "N-Ninth Princess, I only wanted to reunite the Fifth Young Master with his family! I had no other intentions!"
Nanli glared at him and asked, "Did you ask my fifth brother if he wanted that? He has legs, doesn’t he? Why would he need you to take him?"
"I...," Cheng Wei stuttered, stepping backward in panic.
Nanli let out a cold snort, then sent another slash of sword energy directly toward Cheng Wei’s heart, intending to end his life.
"Spare !" Cheng Wei shouted instinctively, not expecting her to be so ruthless.
But rcy was not in Nanli’s plan.
As the sword energy whistled through the air, Cheng Wei felt an icy chill course through his body. He collapsed to his knees, awaiting death.
Suddenly, a swirling cloud of black mist surged forward, enveloping Cheng Wei and deflecting the sword energy.
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