The Princess Smells So Good (GL) - Chapter 59
Zhu Tao pulled on the reins, looking at the distance with uncertainty.
On the dark mountain, a few scattered sparks had appeared, and shaky silhouettes of people seemed to be hiding in the shadows. Zhu Tao held his breath and called out, his voice trembling with panic, “Senior Brother!”
“Quiet,” Song Qing reprimanded his junior, raising his head to scan the surroundings.
They had chosen this moment, one favored by people of the martial world—moonless night, strong winds, perfect for committing murder and arson. However, this very situation had put them in a dilemma. No matter how sharp one’s vision was, a person had limits. Even with Song Qing straining his eyes to the utmost, he still couldn’t clearly see whether those moving figures on the distant cliff were people or monsters.
The horns sounded, left and right, only adding to the unease in their hearts.
People of the martial world were accustomed to fighting. But no matter how much they fought, it was still one-on-one, or at most, twenty people at a time. In a battlefield, however, it was a completely different story—sometimes dozens, sometimes hundreds, even thousands. Martial artists had sharp senses and could smell the faint scent of gunpowder and bl00d from miles away. Even someone like Song Qing, who was no stranger to bloodshed, couldn’t help but frown, let alone the young disciples he had brought with him.
“Se-Senior Brother, look!”
Zhu Tao’s voice was trembling. Song Qing frowned, about to scold his junior, but then he saw a huge fireball rising from the sea. The fireball, filled with some kind of material, burned fiercely. Song Qing saw the fireball soar like a small sun, lighting up the cliffs where soldiers in armor could now be seen.
“So many… are they all soldiers?” Zhu Tao couldn’t help but shout, his voice cracking.
Song Qing didn’t reprimand him. The fireball crashed to the ground with a loud boom. Zhu Tao instinctively covered his ears and exclaimed, “What in the world is that?”
Song Qing’s face remained stiff, silent. Zhu Tao, unable to hold back, spoke out again, “Did the firearms unit come up with something new? If this goes on, what place will people like us have in the martial world?”
Song Qing turned to glance at his junior, about to say something, but then he heard a slight movement in his ears. He immediately shouted, “Who’s there? Come out!”
Fa Yilian was riding down the mountain. The terrain by the sea wasn’t steep, and although the horse was a little slow, it descended quickly. As Fa Yilian urged her horse down, there was a low whinny in the dark, and then a figure followed her like a ghost. Fa Yilian immediately drew her sword and swung it, just in time to see the white face of A Zong.
Fa Yilian: “…”
“You’re fast, but please don’t appear like a ghost all the time.”
Fortunately, A Zong’s lightness skill was unparalleled. With a slight twist of her waist, she avoided the sword. She sighed at Fa Yilian, her ghostly presence making her voice eerie, “Why did you swing your sword?”
Fa Yilian sheathed her sword, “Why are you here? Shouldn’t you be with A Xian?”
A Zong blinked. She had already started to get used to Fa Yilian’s casual way of addressing her, and there was even a little envy: “His Highness asked me to come inform you. A carrier pigeon from Songhe Sect has arrived in the city. I haven’t figured out their intentions yet, so I came to let you know.”
Fa Yilian put her sword away and her expression became cold: “You’re late. They’re down below.”
“What?” A Zong was startled, instinctively stopping in her tracks and looking down the mountain. Fa Yilian tightened the reins and looked at A Zong: “Do you want to help, or stay here? I’ll go meet them.”
“Well, but…” A Zong took a step forward, but stopped again, looking uncertainly at Fa Yilian.
The words of Wei Zhao still echoed in A Zong’s ears. She wanted to take another step, but it felt like some invisible force was holding her back, making her hesitate. Fa Yilian, seeing this, smiled slightly: “If you don’t want to come, don’t force yourself. Go up the mountain. Judith is up there. She has a long-distance telescope, and you can keep an eye on things below.”
“But…” A Zong’s feet silently traced a circle.
“If something happens, will you come?” Fa Yilian asked.
“Of course!” A Zong quickly shouted.
Fa Yilian made a quiet gesture, and A Zong quickly covered her mouth.
“Good. I trust you. Go now,” Fa Yilian said. Without another word, she turned and went down the mountain.
A Zong bit her lip, but then turned and rushed up the mountain. There weren’t many people at the top, and Judith was there, using a telescope to observe the area below. Suddenly, the telescope slipped from her hands, and A Zong was already standing beside her. The people around Judith only then reacted, drawing their swords. Judith quickly waved her hand, looking helplessly at A Zong: “What’s a little slave doing here? Stealing things again?”
“I’m not a slave,” A Zong replied, looking down. “I want to watch over Fa Yilian. If anything happens, I’ll protect her.”
As they spoke, a fireball shot up from the sea, making a loud crash as it rose. A Zong couldn’t help but shout, “What is that?”
“Don’t panic, it’s just a loud noise, meant to scare people,” Judith said, seeing A Zong stop, then asked, “What do you see?”
A Zong threw the telescope to Judith, then used her lightness skill to float down from the cliff. Judith clicked her tongue: “Everyone’s throwing things at me!” She raised the telescope, aiming it in the direction A Zong had been watching. Suddenly, she froze, and then shouted, “This is bad!” She quickly gave orders, “Hurry up, get moving!”
Fa Yilian emerged from the trees, holding her sword and eyeing the Songhe Sect people with caution.
The Songhe Sect people, seeing only one woman, immediately drew their swords to face her.
“This is the territory of the Da Zhou government troops, what are you here for?”
Earlier, Zhu Tao had thought Fa Yilian’s features were familiar, but hearing the strange accent, he immediately recognized her and shouted, “It’s you, you’re the slave from Lady Lin’s side.”
Song Qing’s gaze sharpened, and he looked at Fa Yilian with intense curiosity. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Where is your master?”
“In times like these, my master naturally wouldn’t be here,” Fa Yilian twirled her sword, noticing that even though Song Qing had recognized her, he hadn’t ordered his men to lower their weapons. She understood what they were planning.
“You’re people from the martial world, what business do you have here?”
Song Qing smiled faintly, unconcerned: “You’re merchants, what are you doing here?”
Fa Yilian replied, “If you come any closer, I’ll assume you’re with the pirates.”
Song Qing’s eyes flashed: “Songhe Sect is always a reputable sect in the martial world. We’ve been entrusted to come here and eliminate pirates. I’ve heard that many pirates are from foreign tribes. You…”
Before he finished speaking, Fa Yilian felt a shadow pass by her, and A Zong appeared in front of her. She held a few fine needles, no thicker than hair, between her fingers.
Zhu Tao quickly shouted, “It’s that runaway slave!”
At that moment, Song Qing turned his back, smiling as he looked at Fa Yilian and A Zong: “Isn’t this evidence?” He raised his eyebrow and shouted, “We’ve found two runaway slaves, traveling together, robbing innocent fishing villages, deceiving others—seize them now!”
The other Songhe Sect members immediately raised their swords to face the two women.
A Zong’s eyes darkened, and she touched her waist, drawing a soft sword. When she used her internal energy, the sword made a clear ringing sound and became rigid, its blade glowing with silvery light.
“Nice sword!” Song Qing said. “The runaway slave has stolen a treasure from Songhe Sect, making her crime even worse. If you leave that sword behind and capture the runaway behind you, I’ll let you go free of charge. We won’t pursue your crimes.”
“This clearly belongs to the Duobao Pavilion…”
A Zong couldn’t help but defend herself, but Fa Yilian grabbed her: “What’s the point of talking to them? They’ll make up any excuse to steal from us. You’re reasoning with bandits?”
A Zong paused for a moment, pressed her lips together, her expression turning resolute: “You’re right! We don’t reason with bandits! And I’m not a slave anymore.” She swung her sword, scattering a shower of silver light, “Come on!”
“Don’t know what’s good for you!”
Song Qing’s face darkened, and he shouted. He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of A Zong, and the two began to fight. Although Song Qing spoke harshly and looked down on A Zong, he was well aware of her abilities, so he was cautious. Their battle created a large space around them. Meanwhile, Fa Yilian faced a different situation, surrounded by enemies with swords drawn. Fa Yilian had come from a battlefield and could handle ordinary soldiers, but facing these trained martial artists, she felt the pressure.
She stayed calm, not rushed or annoyed, her expression as cold as water.
Zhu Tao, seeing she seemed to be buying time, wasn’t stupid and immediately shouted, “This is bad, she must have other allies!”
Fa Yilian’s gaze instantly locked on him, and with it came a flash of silver. Zhu Tao rolled out of the way lazily, his brocade robe covered in dirt. His face was pale as he shouted, “You poisonous woman, you really hold grudges!”
But the others quickly understood and grew even more aggressive. Fa Yilian exchanged a blow for a blow, forcing the crowd back, but she stood firm, not moving for the moment. Zhu Tao, nimble and unscathed so far, saw an opportunity and immediately struck.
Just then, an arrow flew through the air, and the sound of galloping hooves followed.
In an instant, the wind stopped, and the surroundings fell silent.
Zhu Tao looked back, seeing a heavily armored squadron coming toward them.