Chapter 65

Min Ruoxi's tears fell like beads from a broken string, splashing down like raindrops. She was well aware that Qin Feng was already on the brink of collapse. Facing a master who had one foot already in the realm of the Ninth Level, he had no chance at all. Yet, during her flight into the county, Shuhui had never caught up to her. This could only mean that he had been held back by Qin Feng. Now, apart from using his life and blood to delay, what other method could Qin Feng have?

She sobbed as she ran forward, her mind flashing with the moments they had spent together along the way. Qin Feng's wit, his meticulousness, his warmth, his roughness, and even the bashfulness of this big brute, all converged into a face with a slightly upturned mouth, always seeming to carry a faintly mocking smile, clearly presented before her eyes.

She naturally did not know that when she ran past the Luoying Inn, in a private room on the second floor, two grandmasters from Qi and Yue, both renowned throughout the world, were watching her figure pass by with complex expressions. One was filled with joy, while the other was furious and angry.

"I am Princess Zhaohua of the Great Chu!" Her cry, laced with sobs, echoed through the streets. Everyone was shocked, stopping in their tracks, putting down their work, and turning to look at the woman running down the street, her clothes tattered, her hair disheveled, and her body covered in blood.

Heads poked out from behind doors, and curious eyes appeared on window sills. Everyone's gaze followed the figure running forward, and soon, discussions broke out.

The battle between Qin and Chu, where Chu suffered a great defeat, took place in the Luoying Mountains. This news had long been spread throughout the world. Therefore, it was not surprising that the princess of Great Chu, after her defeat, had fled from the Luoying Mountains to this place. The county was not short of Chu merchants. Upon hearing Min Ruoxi's cry, they immediately abandoned their goods and the business they were negotiating, and rushed after her.

In the backyard of a shop, the shopkeeper hurried in, took a pigeon from a cage under a tree, tied a small bamboo tube to its leg, and with a flick of his wrist, the pigeon flapped its wings and soared into the sky, circling once before flying off into the distance. The fat shopkeeper tore off his outer robe, revealing the tight-fitting clothes he had already changed into. He looked at the gathered apprentices and nodded slightly: "The princess is in trouble. From now on, this base is abandoned. We will go to protect the princess."

"Understood!" The apprentices, who had already prepared, followed the shopkeeper towards the county office.

Min Ruoxi rushed straight to the county office. With two bangs, the two constables who tried to stop her were thrown to the ground, and the red door flew backward, knocking down another group of constables who had rushed over. Min Ruoxi charged into the county office, staring at the Luoying County Magistrate who hurriedly came to the entrance of the hall, and raised her princess's golden seal high.

"I am Princess Zhaohua Min Ruoxi of the Great Chu."

The Luoying County Magistrate looked at Min Ruoxi, clasped his hands, and bowed deeply.

"I am Magistrate Ma Wei of Luoying County in the Great Qi, respectfully welcoming Princess Zhaohua of the Great Chu."

On the mountaintop, Qin Feng flew out again, his iron knife flying far away. This time, he did not get up again. He struggled to lift his head, spitting out the sand and dirt in his mouth, and tried to turn over, staring at Shuhui a few steps away.

His appearance was terrifying. His right arm, which held the knife, now hung limply at his side, no longer under his control, broken. Blood foamed from his mouth, nose, and ears, and even fine blood threads seeped from the corners of his eyes. But he was still smiling, a very satisfied smile.

Shuhui looked at this guy with some emotion. How many times had he knocked him down? The fifth time, or the seventh or eighth time? Each time, this guy would slowly get up like a stubborn cockroach, just when he thought he was done, and continue to block his path with his knife.

Such a tough guy was indeed rare in the world. Even as an enemy, Shuhui felt a surge of admiration. This time, he would not be able to get up again, right?

Kill this despicable guy! Shuhui slowly walked forward, and as he saw Shuhui approaching, Qin Feng relaxed his body, lying more comfortably on the ground. Was he about to die? Not bad, at least he wouldn't end up like the madman Shu said, burned to a crisp by his inner fire.

Well, death was inevitable, but it seemed more meaningful now. At least he had saved a beautiful young lady. Many years later, when this woman found her ideal husband and entered the bridal chamber, she might remember his face and smile. When she had a large family and enjoyed the pleasures of family life, she might tell her grandchildren his story while holding them on her lap.

Suddenly, the sound of drums echoed from the Luoying County at the foot of the mountain, followed by the clear sound of a bell. Hearing the drum and bell, Qin Feng laughed, a loud, satisfied laugh, looking at Shuhui with a broad smile.

"You lost!" he said triumphantly. "You can't kill her anymore."

The moment the drum and bell sounded, Shuhui stopped, his face first turning extremely ugly, then becoming extremely complex. He looked at Qin Feng and shook his head wordlessly.

"Yes, you won. Now we can't kill her; we have to carefully protect her and send her back to the capital intact. From this perspective, you did win. But from your personal perspective, you lost, and there's no way to turn it around." Shuhui shook his head, walked to Qin Feng, and actually sat cross-legged beside him.

"From your tone, it seems you like to gamble a bit!" Qin Feng's mouth was still foaming with blood, but his words made Shuhui pause, and after a moment, he laughed.

"Indeed, a person like me naturally likes to gamble. When I have nothing to do, I often go to the most ordinary gambling houses to play a few rounds."

"Then you must always win, right? With your skills, fooling those idle men is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."

"You're wrong. If that were the case, what fun would there be?" Shuhui laughed loudly. "In those gambling houses, I always go as an ordinary person and often lose everything to some cheaters."

"Watching them cheat?"

"Isn't that a kind of fun? Of course, sometimes when I'm in a bad mood, I naturally break their hands." Shuhui smiled. "Sometimes I like to control everything, and sometimes I prefer this unpredictable feeling."

The two men, who had just been fighting to the death, now chatted like old friends.

"Next, you Qi people will have to be Min Ruoxi's bodyguards." The drum and bell sounds from the city continued. Qin Feng listened for a moment. "Now the Qin people might want to kill her. If Min Ruoxi dies at your hands, it would be very advantageous for them."

"Yes, next, I, the pursuer, might have to guard the bedroom of your Princess Zhaohua day and night, keeping watch for her." Shuhui sighed.

"Behave yourself." Qin Feng warned. "If you dare to peek at her while she sleeps, changes clothes, or bathes, I'll come back as a ghost and bite you."

Shuhui looked at Qin Feng with a strange expression. "From your tone, I hear something else. It seems you don't see her as a princess but more like your, well, how to say it, sweetheart, lover, or something like that?"

"Nonsense." Qin Feng's face turned red. "After fleeing for so many days, even a cat or a dog would develop some affection. Now, we are friends."

Shuhui stood up, laughing loudly as he walked away. "Friends, hahaha, very good, very good."

Watching Shuhui's back, Qin Feng shouted, "Hey, aren't you going to kill me before you leave?"

Shuhui turned around and looked at Qin Feng. "Do you need me to kill you? You're about to die on your own, and it will be a terrible death. With a bang, your inner fire will erupt, burning you from the outside in, turning you black and charred. I hate you, so I don't want you to die quickly. This way, you'll suffer more."

Qin Feng was furious, cursing as he watched Shuhui walk away. Shuhui, completely ignoring Qin Feng, disappeared into the forest with a few quick steps.

"Damn, there's not a single good person among the Qi people." Qin Feng sighed, looking down at his exposed skin, which was red and frightening, feeling the burning heat as if he were in a furnace.

"Killing too many people, the retribution is inevitable!" Qin Feng lamented. The temperature of his body kept rising, and the fiery inner energy in his body, like venomous snakes, darted and coiled around, making his consciousness gradually blur.

The sun today is really damn bright!

Staring at the sun hanging high in the sky for the last time, Qin Feng cursed, his head tilting to one side, and he fainted completely.

(Sad, the Three Rivers rejected me again. It seems that being rejected by the Three Rivers has become a norm. Since 'Horse Treading the World,' not a single book has passed the Three Rivers review. Saying this brings tears to my eyes! But I'm proud that without the Three Rivers, I have survived, all thanks to the support of my brothers and sisters! I hope to get more support from everyone. Please collect, vote, and click.)

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