The night wind rustled the long robes, and Xiao Muchen glanced at Mingxi, “Wait here. I will lead the attackers away; you leave first.”
Duan Mingxi didn’t turn her head, her gaze focused on the enemy ahead. “Stop talking nonsense!”
With that, she charged forward with her sword. Life or death—whoever strikes harder, that’s what matters.
The sword flashed and she leaped forward, engaging in battle with the black-clad men.
Xiao Muchen, stunned by her words, quickly followed. Qi He and the others rushed in, and under the cover of night, the clash of blades and swords filled the air. The doors of the nearby shops were tightly closed, and the patrol guards’ shadows could not be seen.
Duan Mingxi’s sword clashed with an enemy’s blade, sparks flying. She used the force to flip, kicking her right leg forward. The black-clad man was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing hard onto the ground and kicking up dust.
Without hesitation, Duan Mingxi stabbed her sword into the chest of the attacker.
“Be careful!”
Duan Mingxi glanced to the side; Xiao Muchen’s long blade grazed her shoulder. A grunt sounded from the near miss. The enemy’s sword was only three inches from her back.
Xiao Muchen strode forward, pulled the blade, and Mingxi looked at him, “Thank you.”
Xiao Muchen grabbed Mingxi’s hand, pulling her behind him, then led the charge with his blade.
Duan Mingxi was momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered and followed.
Amid the flashing blade light, the two of them worked together, cutting a path through the attackers.
Duan Mingxi’s sword broke, but she grabbed the enemy’s spear, using its strength to whip the assassin trying to attack Qi He, sending him flying.
Qi He’s left arm was injured. Had it not been for Duan Mingxi’s timely spear strike, the consequences would have been dire.
Gripping the spear, Duan Mingxi moved like a dragon through the sea, sweeping through the enemy ranks. With her fierce fighting style, even the assassins were momentarily stunned.
Xiao Muchen’s long arm swung, cutting through an enemy’s throat. Blood sprayed.
Duan Mingxi quickly thrust the weapon she had seized into the group of attackers.
Xiao Muchen did not pause, using the momentum to charge forward. Every swing of his sword brought a shower of blood.
The sword lights intertwined, and Qi He, wounded, led his men to protect Xiao Muchen.
Mingxi gripped the spear, sweeping through the enemy ranks, turning the spear to strike in a backward motion. The spearhead cut through the air with a sharp sound, causing another burst of blood to rain down.
At that moment, the sound of hooves reached their ears—the city guards’ patrol had finally arrived.
The assassins realized they were outnumbered and yelled, “Retreat!”
Duan Mingxi wanted to pursue, but Xiao Muchen grabbed her arm, “Don’t chase them, let the patrol handle it.”
Duan Mingxi stopped, noticing the blood on Xiao Muchen’s left arm. Only then did she realize, furrowing her brows, “You’re injured?”
Xiao Muchen didn’t care much, “It’s just a scratch.”
Duan Mingxi grabbed his arm and saw a three-inch-long wound, the flesh torn and the bone visible, with blood still flowing.
She pursed her lips, remembering that Xiao Muchen had blocked a blow for her earlier, and she had thought he had used his blade to stop it…
She reached for her handkerchief but realized it was too small to cover the wound properly.
Without hesitation, she tore off a piece of her skirt and hastily wrapped the wound. “We need to see a doctor. This won’t stop the bleeding for long.”
“My residence has a doctor.” Xiao Muchen replied.
Duan Mingxi immediately said, “The royal palace is too far.”
“It’s fine…”
Before Xiao Muchen could finish, Duan Mingxi immediately called Qi He over, “Wangye is injured. He needs medical attention immediately. Baohe Hall is the nearest, and there’s a very skilled doctor there.”
Qi He understood the urgency and immediately mounted his horse, heading straight to Baohe Hall.
The long street was filled with signs of the battle. The patrol guards were cleaning up the aftermath.
“Your servant greets Wangye.”
Mingxi glanced at the leader of the armored guards and turned her head disinterestedly.
With such a big commotion, the patrol guards arrived so late—if there was no foul play, she wouldn’t believe it.
Seeing her reaction, Xiao Muchen took his men aside to talk.
Mingxi leaned against the wall, and Qiancao hurried over, tears staining her face, “Miss, you scared me! Are you alright? Did you get hurt?”
“I’m fine. What about you?”
“I hid well, and I’m fine. I told the coachman to call the patrol guards. Thankfully, they arrived in time.”
Mingxi’s eyes narrowed, “The patrol guards were called by the coachman?”
Qiancao nodded, “Yes. Did I do something wrong?”
“No, you did well.” Mingxi smiled at her.
She had suspected the sudden arrival of the patrol. With the earlier chaos, no one had shown up—if not for the coachman calling them, they might not have come.
Qiancao looked at Mingxi, covered in blood, and began to wipe her hands and face with her handkerchief, crying as she did so, her hands trembling.
Mingxi took the handkerchief and wiped herself, “It’s fine, don’t worry.”
Qiancao nodded quickly, taking a deep breath to calm herself, but her hands and feet still trembled uncontrollably.
Qi He returned quickly, followed by Ren Mian, who was carrying a medical kit. Upon seeing the scene, he was so startled that he almost knelt down.
Upon turning around and seeing Miss Duan, he steadied himself and said, “Miss, how did you end up here?”
“Bad luck, I encountered assassins on my way back to the manor,” Mingxi replied. “Doctor Ren, Duan Wangye is injured, please go take a look.”
Doctor Ren quickly followed Qi He, while Xiao Muchen dismissed the patrol leader and gave Mingxi a glance before sitting down to let Doctor Ren treat his wound.
Qi He also had injuries but didn’t have time to worry about that. He led his men on a sweep to check for any surviving enemies but returned disappointed, shaking his head at Wangye.
Doctor Ren’s medical skills were excellent, and he quickly bandaged Duan Wang before turning to treat Qi He’s wounds.
Xiao Muchen squatted beside Mingxi, looking at her as he said, “I’ll have someone send you back to the manor.”
Mingxi looked at the bandaged arm and didn’t refuse this time.
Xiao Muchen called over a guard to get a carriage, then turned to Mingxi, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure there’s an explanation for today’s events.”
Mingxi kept glancing at his wound and, hearing his words, looked up and asked, “Do you think today’s incident was aimed at you or at me?”
Xiao Muchen answered seriously, “What difference does it make? We’ll be family sooner or later.”
Duan Mingxi: …
You really know how to speak!
She was so infuriated that she almost laughed!
Seeing Mingxi’s slightly distorted but forced expression, Xiao Muchen smiled faintly, softening his voice, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s for you or for me.”
“Do you have any suspects?”
“What about you?”
Mingxi shook her head. She had lived a second life without committing any heinous acts—certainly nothing that would provoke someone to the point of wanting her dead.
“Go back first. I’ll figure things out here and let you know.” Xiao Muchen spoke as the carriage arrived, personally lifting the curtain and helping Mingxi onto it.
Mingxi hesitated for a moment but still stepped inside. Looking out through the window, she said, “Take care of yourself.”
Xiao Muchen gave her a small smile. “Alright, I know. See? I knew you cared about me.”
Mingxi forcefully let down the curtain. Xiao Muchen stifled a laugh and called for the royal guards to escort her back to the manor.
At that moment, Chen Xiao received the news and rushed over, his long blade at his waist, his expression deadly serious.
