The violent winds were raging on. Both of them slowly approached the main tent, whose curtains had been raised by the wind. She saw the white carpet in the tent and smelt the hypnotic essence of the greenfinch.

　　Swoosh! Chu Qiao used her sword to slice through the arm of a guard, advancing towards the tent without an ounce of fear.

　　Boom! A loud sound of thunder echoed out. The torches were illuminated, causing the smell of pine oil to linger in the air.

　　At this instant, the child on Zhuge Yue’s back suddenly shouted. Chu Qiao looked up and froze, remaining speechless. She clenched her fists tightly, holding her sword. Mo’er’s voice had become hoarse. In a frenzy, he repeatedly hammered Zhuge Yue’s back. The child, who had lost his entire family, had shed the layer of naivety he used to have. He was like a beast forced to desperation; bloodshot eyes, howling in despair.

　　“Xingxing! Xingxing!” The child hollered with all his might, tears streaming down his face. He sounded like a small wolf who had been abandoned by its mother. He reached out his hand towards the small girl lying on the ground, his chest heaving, panting heavily. The torrential rain smacked his face, his eyes, his body. Everything was red; the blood on the ground formed a crimson lake. The smell of blood lingered in the air, blending in with the cold wind.

　　At that instant, Chu Qiao held the sword in her hand tightly. Another stroke of lightning flashed across the sky. She breathed heavily, shivering uncontrollably. Her face was pale, her lips devoid of any color, but her eyes were black and bright. She thought of the child’s timid look as she departed. Her innocent smile carried a likable feeling.

　　Sister, I’m leaving, I’ll be back tomorrow.

　　I’ll be back tomorrow… I’ll be back tomorrow… I’ll be back tomorrow…

　　A fit of rage welled up within her. She looked up slowly, jumped off the horse’s back, discarded her sheath and raised her sword high up above her head. She held the sword tight with a cold look in her eyes and stared squarely at the golden tent in front.

　　“Bad guy! Bad guy!” The child was still crying. Zhuge Yue jumped off the horse’s back calmly and patted the child’s back. With a low voice, he remarked, “Lad, save some strength. Letting the enemy see your tears is a cowardly thing.”

　　Ouyang Mo reached out his hand and wiped the tears from his face. The look in his eyes was no longer that of an innocent and naive child.

　　Xingxing’s body had been casually dumped in a drain in front of the tent. Her body only had the solitary fatal wound, and had turned white due to the rain. Her eyes were wide open but did not contain any hate, only that of panic, fear, and terror. Her body was small and she did not have any shoes on. Her bare feet popped out of her dress. It was a heartbreaking sight. She was still holding a dagger in her hand. It was the dagger that Chu Qiao had given her as she left. Two middle-aged people—a man and a woman—lay by her side. They were presumably her parents.

　　The cold wind continued to blow, lifting Chu Qiao’s green robe. It was soaking wet and stuck to her body tightly. She looked up, took a deep breath and stepped forward, her eyes no longer reflecting any hesitation or sorrow, only that of courage and stubbornness.

　　At that moment, a terrifying murderous aura emanated from the blinding reflection of her sword. Chu Qiao leaped up in the air and stuck her sword into the ground, burying any suspicion into the ground.

　　“Ah!!!” Sounds of ear-piercing howls made by the wounded soldiers broke the silence of the night.

　　Chu Qiao shed off any layers of weakness. Presently, she was a warrior, a cold-blooded killing machine. Her sword pierced through the soldier’s chests. With strength in her legs, she surged forward, killing any soldier in her sight.

　　“Surround them! Protect the master!” In the pandemonium, loud shouts could be heard. Everyone’s eyes brightened up with passion. The three of them were trapped. As long as they were killed, it would be considered a meritorious deed.

　　However, the passion in their eyes was short-lived. In the next second, the soldiers found out how comical their thoughts were. As they assembled their formations to defend, the opposition started their massacre! From start to finish, they did not intend to escape!

　　Another blinding flash of a sword flew across the air. Two soldiers in the frontline yelped in agony and retreated, one of them having one leg mutilated. Blood splattered everywhere. Another soldier approached from behind, trying to backstab. Chu Qiao did not turn back, and plunged her sword into the heart of that soldier with a swift strike. She bent her back slightly, standing amongst the rain. She retracted her sword, causing blood to splatter all over her body. She did not even frown. She scanned the crowd with her eyes, seeing terror everywhere. She straightened her back and walked forward, dragging her sword along.

　　“Get her!” another soldier hollered.

　　Zhuge Yue sneered and raised his arm. With a swoosh, he flung the sheath of the Poyue Sword away, and pierced through the soldier’s stomach with a terrifying posture!

　　“Uncle, kill them!” the child shouted at Zhuge Yue without an ounce of fear. The cruel killings had caused a child of a tender age to lose his benevolent and kind side. He waved his small fists, crying out loud like a seasoned war veteran.

　　“Master has made his orders clear: anyone that can bring him the heads of these three people will be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold!” a soldier walked out of the tent and barked at his comrades.

　　Before he finished his sentence, Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue dashed forward, blending into the crowd. In that instant, large groups of troops approached them from all directions, pointing their swords towards them. However, a series of agonizing cries reverberated around the air simultaneously. Mutilated limbs and fresh blood splattered everywhere. The crowd retreated in all directions, no longer caring about any monetary rewards. Many soldiers crawled on the ground, trying to escape.

　　The compound was quickly vacated. Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao stood side by side, looking at the crowd in disdain. The man was covered in blood, but asked calmly, “Are you still alive?”

　　“I’m not dead.” Chu Qiao stared coldly at the approaching crowd, saying slowly, “You control these people. I’ll enter the tent.”

　　Zhuge Yue frowned. Just as he was about to protest, Chu Qiao dashed towards the tent swiftly, her shadow rapid like an arrow released from a crossbow.

　　Another massacre was imminent. Zhuge Yue cursed to himself, taking a few steps forward to buy some time for her. In the tent, Yan Xun leaned on the warm carpet, frowning. AhJing held his sword and stood at the side. Hearing the noises outside, he said, “Master, let the guards of Yan intervene. These two people are highly skilled.”

　　Yan Xun rubbed his temples lightly with his hand, saying calmly, “It’s not necessary. It’s good to leave the people of the Liu family here.”

　　“But,” AhJing frowned, “we need someone from the Liu family. If not, we will find it hard to take action in Tang.”

　　Yan Xun waved his hand and replied emotionlessly, “Wait a while more.”

　　Chu Qiao had made her way to the front door of the tent. Only five guards of the Liu family stood in her way. She stared at them coldly in the eye, licking the blood off her face. Her casual demeanor and ruthless aura destroyed the guard’s confidence instantly. Subsequently, she raised her sword without any mercy. Yes, she was the perfect killing machine of this era.

　　It was silent inside the tent. Only the sounds of killings could be heard from outside. AhJing broke out in a sweat. Unable to resist, he called out, “Master…”

　　Yan Xun frowned, feeling an indescribable ounce of frustration within him, as if he had forgotten something. A voice was calling out frantically in his mind, but he was unable to make out what the voice was saying. The loud sounds of the killings outside reminded him of many forgettable memories. Finally, he waved his hand and said, “Go ahead.”

　　AhJing heaved a sigh of relief. As he was about to speak, a cold voice echoed through the night.

　　“Liu Xi! Come out!”

　　From the moment he escaped Zhen Huang City, standing under the night sky, Yan Xun had said to himself that he would no longer fear anything. He swore to eradicate anything that stood in his way. He would use his sword, his fists, his power to announce to the entire world. The King of Yan Bei was back. All the humiliation and sufferings would be reciprocated tenfold.

　　However, at this instant, he felt afraid. He jumped up from the carpet without even putting his shoes on. Without any concern, he dashed towards the entrance like a lunatic.

　　“Master!” the guards in the tent panicked and dashed forward. AhJing restrained Yan Xun with an arm. He did not hear the voice clearly, innocently thinking that his master had been angered and wanted to battle it out with the enemy.

　　“Master! Don’t be rash! Those people are not worth your effort!”

　　The sounds of weapons clanking could be heard. Chu Qiao’s voice, loud and clear, echoed out again. “Liu Xi! Come out!”

　　This time, AhJing froze, rooted to the spot.

　　The wind was blowing. With a swoosh, the curtains of the tent were sliced open. Lightning flashed across the sky behind the lady’s back, causing the sky to appear white. Her posture appeared so tall and straight at that instant. She stood at the door with disdain in her eyes. She raised her sword proudly, pointed it at Yan Xun and sneered, “Liu Xi, you did not expect that I would be here, right?”

　　Yes, I did not expect it. How would I expect it? Ya Xun wondered.

　　The lights in the tent were extinguished by the rain outside. The moonlight shone on the lady’s pale face. At this moment, Yan Xun was lost for words. Like a block of wood, he stood at his original position, unable to say a word. He frowned and looked at her, remaining speechless.

　　Chu Qiao stared at him coldly, her tone emotionless. Pointing her sword at him, she said, “You betrayed Yan Bei, Da Tong, and killed the people related to you. Tell me, don’t you deserve to die?”

　　At this moment, the guards of Yan hiding outside the tent sprung into action. These soldiers, who had been through countless battles, were more skilled than the guards of Liu. They were dressed in black, their faces covered by veils. They carried their weapons and dashed out from the two tents at the side, surrounding Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao tightly and swiftly. The archers were prepared, but upon seeing the lady standing in the center, they were shocked, forgetting to strike out momentarily.