Chapter Ninety-Eight: Sacrificing the Car to Save the General
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The soldier in the cloth uniform immediately halted, his face grim as he drew a steel blade from behind.
The black-clad figures grew in number, flanked on both sides by palace walls. They completely surrounded the path ahead and behind, trapping the person in the middle tightly.
One of the black-clad men sneered coldly, “Hand over the person inside the sedan chair, and we’ll spare your lives!”
The cloth-uniformed soldier said nothing and swung his sword fiercely, clearly a well-trained fighter. The two sedan bearers twisted open the poles supporting the chair, revealing sharp spears hidden inside. They drew the long spears, flashing dazzling silver light, their skills surprisingly formidable.
They fought desperately to protect the sedan chair. Although the black-clad men were numerous, they could not approach the chair for the moment.
The fierce battle caught the attention of soldiers guarding the distant palace gate, who whispered among themselves and hurried down the narrow alley. Just as they reached the narrow entrance, two black-clad men dragged them silently into the shadows and dealt with them without a sound.
The cloth-uniformed soldiers watched anxiously. The Dai Family was brazenly murdering palace troops in broad daylight. Though the four soldiers were skilled, the relentless waves of black-clad attackers were wearing them down.
“Crack!” A soldier was cut in half at the waist, blood splattering against the pristine palace wall. The other three’s expressions changed drastically, fear gripping their hearts as their strength waned.
Several black-clad men pressed the three back with their weapons, advancing toward the sedan chair. They swiftly lifted the soft curtain, revealing a small trembling girl inside, dressed in fine clothes, her face terrified.
The black-clad man’s eyes narrowed with a light laugh, “This is the one we’re looking for!”
Just then, a sharp whistle pierced the air, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind. A streak of light shot from behind, grazing the hem of an obstructing figure’s clothes before striking the black-clad man lifting the curtain.
His whole body trembled violently, eyes bulging. Clutching his chest, he collapsed directly to the ground.
Everyone froze, stunned by the unexpected turn. They stared blankly as they saw a long, sharp arrow firmly embedded in the man’s back, the arrowhead deeply lodged in his left side. A large pool of fresh blood spread beneath him.
From inside the sedan came a heart-wrenching scream. The piercing cry snapped everyone back to reality.
One arrow after another flew like death’s hand from the underworld, each precisely hitting its target. Black-clad men fell one after another amid cries and wails that echoed unceasingly.
The sound of hooves rang out as a red horse galloped forth, stopping steadily in front of the group. Atop the horse sat a female general, her peach-blossom face full and solemn with deadly intent. She drew her bowstring taut, lips parting softly to utter a single word. Her fingers relaxed, releasing the silver arrow, which bounced on the sinew like a spring before shooting forth.
Alone, she managed to kill a large number of the black-clad men. Terrified, the survivors whistled and scattered in all directions.
The general dismounted, lifting the sedan curtain to see the little Wan safe inside. A slight relief crossed her face.
“General!” The pale-faced little Wan threw herself into her arms. The general frowned slightly, as if displeased she hadn’t been addressed properly.
“General, Wan is so scared! Wan wants mother, Wan wants to go home!” The child cried out repeatedly. The general soothed her, “It’s alright, it’s alright. Mother will take you home.”
Three soldiers gathered nearby. “General!”
The general raised her hand to stop their questions, voice stern: “We can’t stay here long. Move quickly!” Her eyes glanced ahead, seeing a troop guarding the palace gate approaching. A smile appeared on her face. “The palace’s men have arrived.”
She placed little Wan back inside the sedan and smiled, “Wan, we’ll see father very soon.”
“See father?!” Little Wan exclaimed with joy, clearly taking “father” to mean the man who raised her.
The general did not correct her, only smiled gently, “Yes, it’s true.”
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The pale face of little Wan flushed with excitement, but the rosy glow did not last. Suddenly, her expression froze. The general felt the child’s body shudder violently; the blush faded, replaced by a ghastly pallor.
Under the general’s shocked gaze, blood slowly seeped from the corner of little Wan’s mouth.
Frozen in place, the general suddenly snapped back to reality and grabbed little Wan’s arm, pulling her fiercely into her arms. The girl’s eyes remained open as she slumped sideways. Stabbing through her small body was a long, sharp spear, its tip piercing from back to front.
“Little Wan?!” The general cried out in a sharp, anguished voice.
Little Wan parted her lips, a torrent of blood flowing forth. The once-beautiful silk garment over her chest was stained with a spreading, vivid red.
The general dropped her, leapt out, drew her sword from her waist, and charged toward the rear of the sedan.
Two gray-uniformed soldiers watched in surprise as one soldier who had discarded his spear slowly retreated, lips trembling nervously, “By Lord Dai’s orders, no abductions. Execute on the spot!”
Meeting the general’s fierce gaze, the soldier gave a bitter smile and murmured, “General, I’m sorry…”
Before he finished, the general let out a fierce shout and thrust her blade into his abdomen, slicing upwards to sever him in two. Blood sprayed like a mountain spring, splattering the opposite palace wall with a gruesome pattern.
Soldiers guarding the gate rushed to the blood-soaked scene, stunned into silence. The gray-uniformed soldiers’ faces drained of color. The general, her face and hair streaked with blood, sword in hand, slowly turned about like a vengeful ghost risen from hell, terrifying all who saw her.
Meanwhile, on a nearby road stood a two-wheeled horse carriage, motionless. The lead horse had been decapitated and was wildly kicking in vain. Its desperate neighs echoed in the eerie silence. The ground was littered with bloody spots and scattered broken bodies.
A swaying hem of blue cloth moved as a pair of soft-soled boots took a few steps in place. Looking upwards, the blue robe was stained with blood. On the back of the hand gripping the sword, blood droplets slid down, splattering the ground.
The pale young man’s face was streaked with blood, the fresh crimson at his temple making his bloodless countenance even more ghastly. He held his long sword and silently surveyed the fallen corpses, then suddenly burst into wild laughter, each peal louder and more arrogant than the last.
In the midst of this silent, bloody scene, his laughter was more chilling than any silence.
Only now did he fully comprehend the general’s plan. She boldly proclaimed her claim to the throne to draw the Dai Family’s attention, then used this outing to lure Dai’s elite assassins to attack her, caring nothing for his fate, galloping away—clearly using her as a pawn.
To her, he was already a useless piece. Having decided to abandon the carriage, who was the general protecting?
After a moment’s thought, a smile appeared on Tian Lang’s lips. No matter who it was, the carriage was not dead; outside the general’s plan. The one she painstakingly sought to protect would likely face endless troubles in the future.
“General, when you found me in that remote mountain village, you should have investigated my background thoroughly. Keeping someone of unknown origin by your side was your mistake. Underestimating my abilities was your greatest error.”
Outside the palace walls, soldiers busily cleaned up the aftermath, dragging away and burying the bodies. The general stood silently before the sedan, gazing at the small corpse inside.
Little Wan’s blood was drained; the chair was stained with blackened blood. Her pale face resembled a wilting bud, never having blossomed before perishing.
The general sighed, crouched down, and gently stroked the icy face, whispering, “Little Wan, I’m sorry. It had to be this way. Don’t hate me… General…”
Her fingers touched the delicate neck, grasping a half piece of jadeite, squeezing it tightly into her palm.
“Forgive me for making you a… substitute… for so long.”
On top of the high palace wall, a masked figure in gray crouched, a bound tail fluttering in the wind. His narrowed phoenix-shaped eyes watched the general’s movements unblinkingly.
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Seeing her crouch and caress little Wan, he slowly pulled down the cloth covering his face. Regret flickered in his sharp eyes as he sighed softly.
Little Wan was dead. The general should be grieving.
Dai Yuheng had not informed him of this operation. Was it because little Wan was the general’s daughter and he needed to avoid suspicion? Or had Dai Yuheng lost trust in him? If not for the imperial order, he would never have known such a calamity had occurred outside the palace walls.
He had not moved. From beginning to end, he had watched silently, neither aiding nor intervening, until little Wan was ambushed.
He truly wanted to know—without little Wan as leverage, what storms could the general still raise?
At the general’s residence, tension ran high. Soldiers, weapons drawn, surrounded Kai Ming and Shovel tightly, refusing to let them step an inch away.
“What’s going on?” Kai Ming shouted angrily. “Do you really want to start a war with me?”
The soldiers repeated firmly, “Please leave the young master behind. The commander may leave unhindered.”
Kai Ming snorted coldly, “Is that your general’s order?”
The soldiers wore stern expressions. “Please, commander, do not make things difficult for us.”
Kai Ming glared furiously. It was clear the general had issued a death sentence—no room for negotiation. She could not understand why the general had taken little Wan and now wanted Shovel too. Was it truly because of Xuán’s request, as claimed? The general did not seem like a kind-hearted person.
She rubbed her chin, unable to judge correctly.
At that moment, a scholar-like man inside the residence quickly approached the lead soldier and whispered in his ear. The soldier’s face immediately changed, eyes sharp as knives as he said coldly, “Commander, I apologize, but I must forcibly detain you and the young master here.”
He gestured behind him; several soldiers stepped forward.
“Wait!” She retreated hurriedly, forcing a smile, “It was just a joke earlier. I now relinquish my claim. Shovel will stay.”
Shovel rolled his eyes in discontent: “No backbone!”
She squeezed Shovel’s small hand, whispering, “Mother has to leave first to find a way to save you.”
Shovel snorted, dissatisfied with her explanation.
The soldier sneered, “Commander, it’s too late!” Several soldiers reached out to seize her.
Kai Ming exploded in anger, pushing their hands away. “How dare you! I am the commander of the Thirty-Sixth Unit—who dares lay a finger on me?”
The soldiers, intimidated by her presence, shrank back, glancing nervously at their leader. After a moment’s thought, the leader waved them aside and bowed to her, “Commander, please this way.”
His meaning was clear: escorting her out with no chance of return.
Helpless, Kai Ming shot them all a resentful glance, silently mouthed “Wait for me, I will come back!” to Shovel, and left the general’s residence in disgrace.
To be continued.