Chapter 51

It's now or never!

Qin Feng's left foot stomped heavily on the ground. Before he even moved, two extremely fine needles shot out from the front of his boots, silent and unseen. He followed the needles with a roar, and with a fierce swing, his iron saber cleaved down. There was no choice; the opponent's realm was far above his own. Even if the other was severely injured, Qin Feng had no confidence in defeating him. This time, he used all his hidden skills: the hidden needles, the overhead slash, and the roar to mask the sound of the needles. Qin Feng knew that if this strike failed, he would likely be the one to suffer.

Deng Pu kept his head down, muttering to himself, which gave Qin Feng a glimmer of hope. The saber, carrying a fierce wind, swung down. In a flash, Deng Pu suddenly raised his hand. Two faint clicks, and the needles vanished. Then, with a side punch, he struck the side of the saber. Qin Feng spun like a top and flew back, stumbling as he landed. A sudden, intense discomfort surged in his chest and abdomen, nearly making him vomit. The punch had scattered his gathered internal energy in an instant.

Qin Feng's face flushed, and he leaned on his saber, his heart filled with shock. He realized he was truly no match for his opponent.

Deng Pu raised his head and looked at the two people opposite him. "Those black-clothed men are not my subordinates, nor are they from our Great Qin. So now, you must come with me."

"Do you think I'll believe you just because you say so?" Qin Feng's eyes flashed with determination as he suppressed the intense discomfort in his body and raised his iron saber again.

"I told you, you are no match for me. You've already tried," Deng Pu shook his head.

"I bet you're not feeling too good either," Qin Feng laughed hoarsely.

Deng Pu indeed did not feel good. Qin Feng's internal energy was too strange. Every time they clashed, a thin, needle-like internal energy would penetrate his body, moving around. Normally, he could destroy it instantly, but now, with his severe injuries, it was more troublesome. More importantly, the information Qin Feng had revealed made him wary. Shuhui and his black-clothed subordinates likely aimed to kill Princess Zhao Hua.

Realizing this, Deng Pu's mind became clear. If Princess Zhao Hua died, the Chu Kingdom would be devastated, but the Great Qin would suffer the most. The Chu people would not tolerate this, and a full-scale war between the two countries would be inevitable. Regardless of who won, the victor would not be the ultimate winner. There was a lurking opportunist watching the conflict from the side.

Shuhui was the vanguard of this opportunist. His identity was clear: the mighty Qi Kingdom, which required the combined forces of Chu, Qin, and Yue to resist, had already made its move.

"I told you, we don't want Princess Zhao Hua dead. We just want to invite her as a guest. But someone else wants her dead. Their goal is to incite a war between Chu and Qin. Qin Feng, think about it. If Chu and Qin really go to war, who would benefit the most?" Deng Pu asked.

"Qi Kingdom!" Princess Zhao Hua blurted out.

"Exactly, the Qi Kingdom. If my guess is correct, those people are from the Qi Kingdom. Qin Feng, we want the princess alive, but they want her dead. Can you see the difference? To be honest, I am severely injured, so I don't want to fight you. You are skilled, and if I kill you now, my injuries will worsen. If the Qi people come, I will be at a disadvantage. I need to save my strength to deal with them and protect the princess. That is my duty."

Qin Feng stared at Deng Pu, sensing the sincerity in his words, but he did not want to take this path. If it were just Deng Pu, he would surely die. But with a third party involved, he had room to maneuver.

"Qin Feng, what do we do now?" Min Ruoxi looked at Qin Feng, having grown accustomed to relying on him during their journey. "He might be right. Let's preserve our lives first and deal with the rest later."

Qin Feng looked at Deng Pu, slowly stepping back, one step at a time, until he was beside Min Ruoxi. He suddenly smiled, "Princess, I, Qin Feng, won't be led around by the nose." He reached out and pulled Min Ruoxi into his arms. Caught off guard, Min Ruoxi blushed, though they had been close during their journey, this was different with Deng Pu watching. Before she could speak, a cold sensation ran down her neck as Qin Feng's iron saber pressed against it.

"What are you doing?" Min Ruoxi was stunned.

Qin Feng ignored her, looking at Deng Pu. "General Deng, since you care so much about the princess's life, I won't be polite. Either let us go, or I'll kill the princess and escape alone."

Deng Pu stared at Qin Feng for a moment. "Do you think I'll believe that?"

"Believe it or not, it's your choice. You can take a gamble," Qin Feng smiled. "The princess might be willing to go to your Qin Kingdom, but I, Qin Feng, will never go. Over the years, how many Qin border soldiers have I killed? Just the Bian family alone, I've killed seven or eight. If I go to Qin, the princess will be safe, but I will surely die."

"Qin Feng, I, Deng Pu, guarantee that no one will seek revenge on you," Deng Pu said solemnly. "My word is still good."

"No one's word is reliable, not even Li Zhi's. I won't believe it," Qin Feng laughed. "If you don't kill me openly, you'll use underhanded schemes. I've done things that no one can speak of, so I only trust myself. We're leaving now. If you take one step forward, I'll cut off the princess's head. Then you can take her body back and report to the Qin emperor. I'm sure he'll be furious, and whether your family will be implicated is not my concern."

Deng Pu's eyes turned cold.

Qin Feng, holding Min Ruoxi, pressed the saber tightly against her neck and slowly backed away, retreating into the forest. He then turned and carried her in his arms, running like a madman.

Deng Pu seemed to be in shock, standing still, apparently weighing the truth of Qin Feng's words. If another Chu general had said this, Deng Pu wouldn't have believed it, but Qin Feng was different. He knew the fearless commander of the Chu Kingdom's death squad well. Unburdened and alone, he led a group of ruthless men. The kind of person who could command such a group was clear. Whether such a person would take a risk for himself, Deng Pu couldn't be sure.

"Were you telling the truth just now?" Min Ruoxi asked seriously, being carried by Qin Feng.

"Of course not!" Qin Feng laughed lightly. "I was bluffing. If he still attacked, I would have had to surrender. I took a risk, and it seems he really cares about your life."

"Then how do we deal with the Qi people?"

"They are harder to deal with, but easier than him. Let's get through this first. I don't believe the Qi Kingdom sent a ninth-level expert to find us," Qin Feng said.

"That's not certain," Min Ruoxi said. "The Qi Kingdom has many more formidable figures than we do."

Qin Feng suddenly stopped, unexpectedly rolling Min Ruoxi on the ground several times. As she screamed, the sound of crossbow bolts filled the air. They rolled behind a large tree, and Qin Feng leaped up, holding his saber to shield Min Ruoxi. In front of them, a dozen black-clothed men formed a half-circle, surrounding them.