Chapter 51: Mu Wanqing
Tatatata…
Mu Wanqing gripped the reins in her hand, cold sweat beading on her forehead. Through the faint veil, one could vaguely see her pale complexion.
She looked back and saw that she was gradually distancing herself from those chasing her. Her heart eased a little.
But only a little.
She had been on the run from Suzhou all the way here and still couldn’t shake these people. Her heart remained taut with tension.
She knew just how relentless they could be.
Fortunately, she was now reaching territory she was familiar with.
If she could shake them off just once more, she could regain some breathing room.
Just as this thought passed her mind, the black horse beneath her stumbled and suddenly plummeted downward.
“Black Rose!”
Mu Wanqing’s heart skipped a beat. But now was not the time to dwell—due to the sudden jolt, her body was flung into the air.
In a flash of instinct, she twisted her waist and leapt, but due to the haste, she couldn’t fully use her qinggong¹. She could only curl up tightly to reduce the force of the fall.
Bang—!
The violent impact made her groan in pain. Rolling several times, her arms, shoulders, and knees were all struck painfully.
Tatatata!
Several figures had been lying in ambush nearby. Seeing their opportunity, they instantly sprang forward, throwing nets and iron hooks toward her.
Mu Wanqing ignored the pain and rolled forward, narrowly dodging. Her eyes turned fierce, and with a flick of her arm, a few poison darts shot from her sleeve.
The assassins, familiar with her methods, were prepared and scattered. Still, the darts were fast—two of them were hit.
One was struck directly in the throat. With a muffled grunt, he clutched his neck and collapsed.
Another was grazed across the cheek. Though not fatal at once, he staggered back in horror, his face pale. He knew that without an antidote, he wouldn’t last long.
Mu Wanqing did not stay to fight. She stumbled and rushed forward.
But she was already injured—both internal and external from the fall. Her steps were weak, and soon, she found herself vaguely surrounded by those men.
Behind her, hoofbeats pounded louder and louder.
Surrounded in front, pursued from behind.
Mu Wanqing’s heart sank.
The man whose face was grazed by the dart—a burly middle-aged fellow—roared, “Wretched girl! Hand over the antidote now!”
In just moments, he was already dizzy, his face numb and paralyzed. Seeing his comrade lying lifeless, he was terrified. Realizing she was injured, he lunged forward, wanting to capture her and search her for the antidote.
Swish!
Another poison dart flew.
The man let out a miserable scream, staggered back a few steps, then collapsed with a thud.
Everyone saw that the dart was buried in his left eye.
He convulsed on the ground a few times—and then went still.
The remaining five men dared not approach. The poison darts were too fast, too hard to guard against.
Yet none of them retreated. They blocked off all her escape routes, preparing to wait for reinforcements.
Mu Wanqing gritted her teeth. Her poison darts were almost depleted—only a few left.
Even dealing with these five would be hard, let alone the dozen or more arriving soon.
What should I do…?
Her gaze fell on Black Rose, still lying on the ground, struggling.
A trace of sorrow flickered in her eyes.
I’m going to die.
That last fall had been brutal for Black Rose too. She might not make it…
“Hyahh!!”
The hoofbeats reached closer. A dozen more pursuers dismounted, staring at the besieged Mu Wanqing and the motionless black horse.
The leader burst into laughter.
It was a burly woman—larger than many men, wielding a broadsword as she stepped forward.
More fierce and vicious than any man, her laughter made the fat on her face shake, making her look even more frightening. She snarled at Mu Wanqing:
“You little slut! Where will you run now?! I’m taking you back today, no matter what!”
Her answer was a swift poison dart.
Clang!
The burly woman raised her broadsword and blocked it.
Even so, it still startled her.
These poison darts were deadly on contact. That wasn’t just a bluff.
A scratch could mean death if the blood was tainted and no antidote was at hand.
Many had already died chasing her along the way.
The woman couldn’t help but fear her. Seeing that she still had the strength to fight back, she immediately shouted:
“Everyone—get her! Capture her now!”
Along with the earlier few, the group now numbered over twenty.
This little wench was already running on fumes. How much resistance could she possibly offer?
Even if she still had poison darts, surely she was running low.
Though they feared her weapons, seeing her ragged state, they knew this was the best chance to capture her. If she escaped again and recovered, they’d be the ones dying.
So they all acted—iron hooks, poison needles, broadswords, long swords—all thrown into the mix.
Surrounded, Mu Wanqing’s heart tensed. But her face showed no fear. Her gaze was icy.
Swish!
With a graceful leap, her figure darted through the air. Her short sword flashed, clashing with weapons—clang clang—flicking away hooks and needles, then facing swords and blades.
But her strength was fading. Injuries wracked her body. Every motion drew cold sweat from her forehead. Her limbs burned with heat, and the pain throbbed deep in her bones. She grunted under her breath, barely managing to deflect a long sword—
—but the broadsword came next.
From the side. With great force.
Her short sword snapped instantly under the strike. Though the momentum was reduced, the blow still came roaring in.
A trace of despair passed through her heart.
If that broadsword hits… Even if I don’t die, I’ll be crippled.
But her strength was gone. Too weak to dodge or resist.
So be it…
If I die, then I die. It’s not like that’s so bad.
A flash of bitter determination lit her eyes.
I’d rather die than be taken.
“Big Sister Mu!!~”
🍃🍃🍃
📌 Footnotes:
- 轻功 (qīnggōng)– Lightness Skill. A martial arts technique enabling one to move with great agility and speed, often seeming to defy gravity—common in wuxia fiction.
- 见血封喉 (jiàn xiě fēng hóu)– “Seals the throat upon seeing blood”. An idiom used to describe extremely fast-acting, deadly poisons or weapons. The moment blood is drawn, death follows swiftly.
- 油尽灯枯 (yóu jìn dēng kū)– “The oil is exhausted and the lamp has gone out”. A metaphor meaning someone has reached the end of their strength or life.