Chapter 26

In the mountains and by the stream, Princess Zhaohua picked up the handkerchief from the stream and slowly wiped the sweat from her face. Beside her, there were fewer than ten guards left, and among them, three were personal guards of Zuo Lixing. Zuo Lixing had turned back to intercept Li Zhi, leaving the last three skilled warriors to protect Princess Zhaohua.

Guo Jiuling was coughing continuously, each cough bringing up a frighteningly red blood. Princess Zhaohua's face was also extremely pale. After wiping away the sweat, she sat cross-legged and tried to regulate her internal energy, but she had lost about seven or eight out of ten parts of her strength.

"Princess, what are the chances of Commander Zuo winning against Li Zhi?" Ding Yi filled his leather bag with clear stream water, stood up, and looked in the direction they had come from, not without worry. He was the commander of Zuo Lixing's personal guard.

Princess Zhaohua remained silent for a long time without immediately answering. If Zuo Lixing could win against Li Zhi, their journey would be free of any worries. Even if they couldn't change the outcome of the battle, with Zuo Lixing's protection, they could return to Chu safely. But if Zuo Lixing failed, their situation would be perilous.

Princess Zhaohua did not answer Ding Yi because, in her view, Zuo Lixing had little chance of winning. If Zuo Lixing had confidence, he would have confronted Li Zhi as soon as he started pursuing them, rather than being forced to make a desperate move at the last moment.

The failure of this major battle had drained Zuo Lixing's spirit. Despite numerous victories, the continuous battles had left him exhausted. Li Zhi chose the perfect moment to appear, just when Zuo Lixing was at his lowest.

"Let's go!" Princess Zhaohua said softly. The reason Li Zhi was pursuing them so relentlessly was because of her. Zuo Lixing had to intercept Li Zhi to prevent her from being captured by Western Qin. As long as she had a breath left in her, she would never fall into the hands of Western Qin, otherwise, Zuo Lixing's sacrifice would be in vain.

Seeing Princess Zhaohua's reaction, Ding Yi's face turned even paler.

The group moved silently through the mountains. They were not heading towards Anyang County, as that road was now filled with countless Western Qin troops. Their only option was to cross the Luoying Mountains and enter Eastern Qi, then return to Chu through Qi.

The problem was, if Zuo Lixing lost, their journey would not be easy. The straight-line distance across the Luoying Mountains was hundreds of miles, and considering the terrain, it would be over a thousand miles. Such a long journey would not be easy for the determined Western Qin forces to let them pass.

In the distance, a powerful long whistle echoed, and the group's faces turned pale. This must be the Western Qin forces who had discovered their trail and were signaling to their companions.

Ding Yi stopped, and his two companions also halted.

"Princess, take care of yourself." Ding Yi bowed deeply to Princess Zhaohua.

"You?" Princess Zhaohua's heart was in turmoil. Looking at Ding Yi, tears welled up in her eyes, and her eyes turned red instantly. Along the way, countless people had fallen to protect her, and she knew all too well what Ding Yi intended to do.

She wanted to refuse, but the words stuck in her throat. She understood that the Western Qin's goal was to capture her. If she fell into their hands, all the sacrifices would be in vain, and it would bring even greater losses to Chu.

"May Commander Zuo be safe. We are ordered by Commander Zuo to protect the princess. Even if we lose our lives, we must ensure the princess's safety. However, the enemy is strong, and we can only delay them for a short time. Please be careful on your journey, Princess." Ding Yi bowed again and, with his two companions, turned and walked away resolutely.

Watching the three men's backs, Princess Zhaohua could no longer hold back her tears. "I will remember you," she called out loudly.

Ding Yi and the others did not look back and quickly disappeared into the dense forest.

No matter how skilled Princess Zhaohua was, this was her first time leaving the capital and her first time witnessing the life-and-death struggles of a large army. The scene of lives being as fragile as grass had a profound impact on her, and the spirit of the ordinary soldiers who faced death without fear left her deeply shaken. She was, after all, an eighteen-year-old girl who had not truly experienced the storms of life. After seeing so many familiar faces die for her, she felt her heart shatter. Watching Ding Yi and the others, she could not help but burst into tears.

"Princess, let's go. Ding Yi and the others can't hold them off for long," Guo Jiuling gently urged.

Ding Yi and his two companions, moving in the opposite direction from Princess Zhaohua, ran swiftly for several miles along the mountain path and stopped at a steep slope. Almost as soon as they stopped, figures appeared below, one after another.

"Three against three!" Ding Yi smiled at his two companions.

Ding Yi was a seventh-level expert, a top-notch fighter in both the military and the martial world. After all, eighth and ninth-level experts were rare, and master-level experts were even rarer. Even in Chu, there were only a handful of master-level experts.

The top experts in the Qin army had been detained by Zuo Lixing's return, and those pursuing them were mostly sixth and seventh-level experts. This was why Ding Yi was confident he could buy some time for Princess Zhaohua.

"I will attack with Liao Shizhong, and Xiao Diao, you provide cover from a distance." Ding Yi took out two short spears from his back, joined them together with a click, forming a long spear.

Liao Shizhong stepped forward on the left, and the young man called Xiao Diao took out his longbow. With a swift pull, an arrow appeared between his fingers.

The two charged down the slope in silence, and the three Qin soldiers also rushed up without hesitation. Two of them charged at Ding Yi and Liao Shizhong, while the third charged at Xiao Diao on the slope.

The sound of the arrow whistling through the air suddenly rang out. Xiao Diao did not aim at the Qin soldier charging at him but at the enemy in front of Ding Yi. As Ding Yi charged down, he did not worry about Xiao Diao accidentally hitting him. Years of fighting together had built an absolute trust between them. The arrow whistled past Ding Yi's cheek, causing a stinging pain.

The Qin soldier facing Ding Yi clearly did not expect the arrow to come from this angle. He saw an arrow suddenly appear next to Ding Yi's neck, aimed directly at him, and he was thrown into a panic.

Xiao Diao's second arrow was already in the air. The Qin soldier charging at him was only a few dozen steps away, but he seemed not to notice.

Ding Yi leaped, his long spear like a venomous dragon emerging from a cave, breaking the air with a sharp sound, indicating its incredible speed. As Ding Yi thrust his spear, Xiao Diao's second arrow shot through his legs.

The Qin soldier in front of Ding Yi had just deflected Xiao Diao's first arrow, feeling the force in his wrist. He swung his long saber, creating a wall of blade shadows to block Ding Yi's spear. Although he was now at a disadvantage, he was confident he could block the spear. He clearly saw that among the three enemies, only the one with the spear had strength comparable to his own, while the other two were weaker. As long as he held out for a moment, his companions would win, and the situation would quickly turn in their favor.

But he did not expect Xiao Diao's second arrow to be aimed at him again.

Hearing the whistling of the arrow, despair flashed in his eyes. He had to make a quick decision: take the spear or the arrow.

He chose to block the spear.

Xiao Diao's arrow accurately hit his dantian. He screamed in agony and rolled down the slope.

Ding Yi did not even look at him. With a fierce roar, he turned his body and struck sideways with his spear, joining Liao Shizhong in attacking the other Qin soldier. The Qin soldier, who had been dominating the fight, was now struggling to defend himself.

On the slope, Xiao Diao did not have the chance to shoot his third arrow. The Qin soldier charging at him was already close. The companion's scream enraged the Qin soldier, and he swung his long sword, sending a cold glow toward Xiao Diao.

In the midst of the chaos, Xiao Diao could only use his longbow to defend. With a sharp snap, the string broke, and the sword continued its advance, piercing Xiao Diao's chest. Xiao Diao only moved his body slightly, his right hand moving swiftly forward.

A sharp sound accompanied the enemy's scream. The sword pierced Xiao Diao's chest, but Xiao Diao's arrow also hit the opponent's left shoulder.

The Qin soldier looked at Xiao Diao in shock. His opponent had managed to dodge his sword. In his plan, he would overwhelm Xiao Diao with continuous attacks and kill him. But Xiao Diao's reaction was completely unexpected. He saw Xiao Diao smiling as he lay dying, looking down the slope.

The Qin soldier pulled out his sword, and Xiao Diao fell heavily to the ground. The Qin soldier turned around, and his heart sank. At the bottom of the slope, his best companion lay on the ground, unconscious. In the middle, another companion had fallen, and an enemy was pulling a knife out of his body. The spear-wielding enemy was staring at him with a fierce gaze.

In one exchange, two Qin soldiers were dead, and one was injured. Among Ding Yi's group, one was dead, and one was injured. Liao Shizhong had been stabbed in the chest, but like Ding Yi, he was glaring at the enemy, walking steadily toward the top of the slope, as if the blood flowing from his chest was water.