After hearing Bai Han's words, Xiao An fell silent. After a long period of contemplation, he sighed leisurely, "Since things have come to this, we can only choose him."
"Tomorrow morning, you will convey my decree: Liu Xiangnan is to resume his official post and immediately investigate the assassination of Jingyun and apprehend the culprits."
While Xiao An was strategizing here, miles away on the border, Liu Rumei encountered trouble.
She had expected the people of the Great Earth Kingdom to retreat once night fell.
However, Liu Rumei and Xiao Qing waited until the third watch, yet the lights were still bright ahead, and the guards were constantly changing. There was no sign of them preparing to withdraw.
Liu Rumei had no choice but to lead Xiao Qing to change their location. But after an hour of rushing, they had moved to three or four different spots, only to find the same result. Every passage in or out of the Great Earth Kingdom, whether a main road or a small path, was tightly blocked.
Seeing this, Liu Rumei understood that the other party was likely targeting their group.
Besides worrying about herself, Liu Rumei was also concerned about Zheng Hai and the others.
She didn't know if they had successfully passed this hurdle. After much thought, Liu Rumei decided to take a risk. If they waited any longer, this outpost might not be withdrawn for another three to five days, and the provisions she had would only last for two more days at most.
With this in mind, Liu Rumei said to Xiao Qing, "Xiao Qing, things have come to this. We have no choice but to force our way through. Are you scared?" Su Dan Novel Network.
Xiao Qing smiled and shook her head, "Miss, I am not afraid."
"That's good. Then follow me."
Liu Rumei beckoned Xiao Qing, and the two cautiously moved forward, using the cover of darkness. Soon, they were less than a bowshot away from the outpost ahead.
Liu Rumei observed carefully. There were eight soldiers at this checkpoint, four standing and four resting by a fire. It seemed they rotated in groups of four.
Liu Rumei pointed to the four standing soldiers and said to Xiao Qing, "I'll go first, and you'll be behind me. I'll deal with the four standing ones, and you quickly take care of the four sitting. Remember, kill them if you can, don't hesitate."
Xiao Qing agreed and clenched her fist, waving it in the air.
Liu Rumei slowly advanced, quietly drawing her short dagger.
The four guards on duty harbored resentment. In such cold weather, being stationed in the wilderness, even with a large fire, was not as comfortable as being indoors with a fire and a drink.
They paced back and forth, complaining.
"Ah, this is damn unlucky. We've been guarding here for days and haven't seen a soul."
"Yeah, the people in Qingguang City think of something and do it. A few days ago, they were worried about people crossing the Xiaoqing River, and now they're worried about them returning to their country."
"They're incompetent and can't catch anyone, so they torment us."
"Alright, alright, you two, speak less. We'll return to the city when it's dawn, and we'll have three days off. Perhaps in these three days, they'll catch the people, and we won't have to suffer anymore."
Hearing their discussion, Liu Rumei secretly rejoiced. This meant Zheng Hai and the others had not been caught, at least not by these men or anyone they knew.
Based on the timing, Zheng Hai might have already returned to their country. This lifted a burden from Liu Rumei's heart.
Thirty feet, twenty feet, ten feet. They were now within a stone's throw of the four soldiers.
Seizing the opportunity, Liu Rumei lunged out of the darkness, leaping like a great bird and pouncing towards them.
The four men were clearly not expecting an attack in the middle of the night. By the time they sensed movement, it was too late. Liu Rumei's blade was as swift as lightning, and in two quick strokes, she had felled two of them.
The other two, seeing this, immediately turned to flee, but could they escape? Liu Rumei struck each one with a knife, hitting them in the back, and finished them all.
Xiao Qing, on the other hand, had an even easier task. As all four men were asleep, she simply went up and slit their throats one by one, all within the span of a lightning flash.
Having so easily dealt with the guards, Liu Rumei and Xiao Qing exchanged a smile and turned towards the direction of Da Cang Kingdom.
Neither of them noticed that one of the soldiers, stabbed in the back by Liu Rumei, struggled to lift himself up, raised his repeating crossbow, and pulled the trigger towards them.
Liu Rumei and Xiao Qing were walking forward when they suddenly heard a noise behind them. Liu Rumei pushed Xiao Qing aside and dodged to the side. However, Liu Rumei had not expected the opponent to use a repeating crossbow, and this soldier had locked onto her, relentlessly pursuing his attack.
After pushing Xiao Qing, Liu Rumei tried to dodge, but she was ultimately a step too slow. With a cry of pain, she was hit in the shoulder by an arrow.
At this point, Xiao Qing, having ensured her own safety, turned back to see the situation. She immediately threw the short knife in her hand, hitting the soldier's wrist again, finally stopping his attack on Liu Rumei.
Xiao Qing stepped forward and kicked the soldier fiercely in the head. With a crack, his neck broke. He was truly dead.
Ensuring the man was dead, Xiao Qing quickly rushed to Liu Rumei's side, "Miss, are you alright?"
Liu Rumei shook her head, "I'm fine, just a mosquito bite. Let's go quickly."
In Liu Rumei's opinion, the distance to Shuozhou was only a dozen miles, and they would be there soon if they hurried.
However, as they walked, Liu Rumei began to feel unwell. She felt dizzy and a cold sweat broke out. "Damn it, the arrow was poisoned."
"How malicious! These people never intended for me to live."
This was because Qiao Pussen and Qiao Na had given a strict order to kill anyone found on sight, leaving no survivors. Thus, their subordinates resorted to using poisoned blades.
Seeing Liu Rumei's condition, Xiao Qing became anxious. "Miss, let me carry you."
Liu Rumei waved her hand, "No, I can still hold on. Let's hurry."
"If the enemy catches up, we'll be in trouble."
After walking another mile, Xiao Qing clearly felt that Liu Rumei beside her could no longer walk. Her body sagged, and she was only supporting herself with an arm, leaning on Xiao Qing. After a moment's thought, Xiao Qing gritted her teeth and hoisted Liu Rumei onto her back.
At this moment, Xiao Qing showed great resolve. In the cold night, she gritted her teeth and persevered, walking step by step towards Shuozhou.
It was the depth of winter, and the nights were too cold. All the sentries dispatched by Shuozhou had returned to their posts, so no one discovered them or offered assistance. It wasn't until dawn began to break that Xiao Qing finally saw the silhouette of a city in the distant morning mist. Shuozhou, they had finally reached Shuozhou.
Just then, Liu Rumei on her back suddenly said softly, "Xiao Qing, are we almost there? Put me down quickly and go report. Otherwise, you won't be able to hold on."
With that, Liu Rumei's head drooped again. Xiao Qing secretly admired her. It was as if her mistress had a premonition. With Shuozhou still two miles away, she had suddenly woken up.