Chapter Nine: Night Raid

Lin Zhaoyan tugged on Zhou Jingxuan’s sleeve. "It will be three-quarters past the hour of the Tiger in half an hour; it is exactly the time for the two armies to change shifts. We must find a way up and return to the camp!"

Zhou Jingxuan pressed his hand onto Lin Zhaoyan’s shoulder, forcing her to sit down. "First, let me neutralize the poison!"

The medicine was already growing cold. Lin Zhaoyan frowned and swallowed the pitch-black liquid in one gulp.

"Is it done?"

"Don't move." Zhou Jingxuan gently stroked the injured area on Lin Zhaoyan’s shoulder. She trembled from the ticklish sensation, instinctively pulling back.

Zhou Jingxuan supported her back with one hand while using a dagger to carefully pry open her clothing with the other, exposing the gruesome wound to the air.

Lin Zhaoyan lowered her eyes, staring at the ground. A strange atmosphere enveloped them, and for a moment, neither spoke.

Zhou Jingxuan gazed at the arrow wound. The gash had been tightly stitched, and the surrounding area was covered in pale red marks, a sight that made one’s heart race with dread.

"Does it still hurt?" Zhou Jingxuan asked in a low voice, his eyes filled with heartache.

"Actually, I lost consciousness when the pain was at its worst, so I don't remember," Lin Zhaoyan replied dismissively, brushing it off lightly.

Zhou Jingxuan pressed a glob of sticky herbal dregs onto her shoulder. The sting of the medicine meeting the wound made her bite her lip. Only after she had grown accustomed to the burning sensation did Zhou Jingxuan apply more pressure, grinding it in slowly.

Once the poultice was applied, he bandaged the wound again, his fingertips lingering with a gentle touch.

"There. I have prepared some topical medicine. Apply it every three days; in ten days, the poison will be completely neutralized." He let out a sigh of relief and moved away from her. "Now, let’s find a way up."

Lin Zhaoyan stood up and scanned the surrounding rock walls. Suddenly, a natural bird call echoed from the top of the cave. She looked up. "It’s us!"

"Subordinate Gu Zhi, reporting to the General and the Young Master!" Gu Zhi shouted from the edge of the cave. Gu Zhi was a newly promoted officer, full of initiative, and had volunteered to lead the rescue mission.

Before long, Gu Zhi threw down a thick rope.

Lin Zhaoyan looked at Zhou Jingxuan with concern. "Can you do it?"

Zhou Jingxuan bowed his head, not blinking. "I can."

"You go first." Without room for argument, Lin Zhaoyan pushed him toward the rope. She tied it around him, her expression anxious. Zhou Jingxuan gripped the hemp rope tightly and was pulled up by Gu Zhi.

Once Lin Zhaoyan had also escaped, Gu Zhi knelt to beg for forgiveness. "I am late! Please, General, punish me!"

"Why were you late?"

"I departed immediately upon seeing the signal, but I was intercepted and engaged in battle along the way. I have brought his head to present to you." With that, Gu Zhi pulled out a blood-stained head.

Zhou Jingxuan immediately closed his eyes and turned away in silence.

Lin Zhaoyan patted his shoulder in comfort but looked at Gu Zhi with a sense of helplessness. "Put it away."

"Yes. This man came from the direction of the retreating Qi army; he must have been one of the Qi scouts left behind to gather intelligence."

Lin Zhaoyan’s expression turned grim. "Return to the camp!"

As the three hurried back toward the camp, they ran head-on into a squad of Qi soldiers, blocking their path. The three hid in the woods while the Qi soldiers cautiously advanced toward the camp. This was the only way back.

"Gu Zhi, Zhou Jingxuan, you two take the side path, find Deputy Commander Song, and gather the troops for support," Lin Zhaoyan decided instantly.

Zhou Jingxuan’s brows knitted together upon hearing her. Gu Zhi asked in bewilderment, "What about you?"

"There is no time for questions," Lin Zhaoyan said coldly. She snatched Gu Zhi’s sword and charged toward the Qi soldiers, leaving the two of them behind.

Zhou Jingxuan’s heart skipped a beat, and without a second thought, he chased after her.

"Hey... Young Master!" Gu Zhi was anxious but dared not shout. He stomped his feet and hid behind a tree to observe the situation, preparing to slip away the moment chaos ensued.

"An ambush! Form ranks!" a Qi soldier shouted.

Hands struck and blades fell; blood sprayed, and heads hit the ground. Lin Zhaoyan wove through the enemy ranks, her robes billowing and stained with vast swathes of crimson.

Zhou Jingxuan charged blindly into the fray, picking up a weapon from a fallen soldier and hacking away without any technique.

"Why did you come!" Lin Zhaoyan’s pupils contracted as she shouted in alarm.

"If I hadn't come, would I have let you face them alone!" Zhou Jingxuan kicked away an ambushing soldier and thrust his sword into the man’s body with both hands. Blood splattered onto his face; he took a deep breath to steady his trembling hands.

Lin Zhaoyan did not let herself be distracted further, focusing entirely on the battle. For a force of nearly a hundred, the two of them could only hold their ground for a short while. As their strength gradually waned, Lin Zhaoyan parried an enemy spear but was forced back several steps, finding it difficult to defend.

Zhou Jingxuan noticed her and rushed over, but the wound on his abdomen tore open, soaking his bandages in red. He stabbed his dagger into the soldier’s chest, pushed him away weakly, and finally collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on any longer.

An arrow whistled through the air, accurately striking the new enemies surging toward them, followed by intense shouting and chaotic footsteps. It was the reinforcements from the Anchu Kingdom.

Lin Zhaoyan let out a breath of relief and knelt on one knee beside Zhou Jingxuan. "Zhou Jingxuan! Wake up!"

Zhou Jingxuan remained unresponsive, looking lifeless. She wrapped her arms around his back, using the last of her strength to support him, but she was overwhelmed. Gu Zhi rushed over to help support his other side, and the two quickly carried him to a safe location.

As they hid Zhou Jingxuan behind a tree, Lin Zhaoyan prepared to return to the battlefield. "Gu Zhi, take care of him."

"Zhaoyan..." Zhou Jingxuan murmured, instinctively grabbing her arm. "Don't go... it's dangerous..."

Gu Zhi’s eyes widened, and he cast a cautious glance at Lin Zhaoyan. The latter, however, showed no sign of resentment; instead, she brushed his hand away, tucked a stray lock of hair from his forehead, and turned with her sword to leave.

...Why did it feel like the General was too gentle just now?!

As this thought crossed Gu Zhi’s mind, he shivered and shook his head violently to cast it aside. No, no, their General had always been cold and had never been gentle with anyone. It must have been his imagination!

After defeating the night-raiding Qi soldiers, Lin Zhaoyan and Song Ziji captured several men and took turns interrogating them. It turned out that this unit had already retreated but received secret orders to stay behind and find an opportunity to raid the Anchu camp. When asked who gave the order, they only claimed ignorance.

Seeing that no critical information could be extracted, Lin Zhaoyan gave up. This incident was surely linked to Zhao Yi, but Zhao Yi was likely just a pawn acting under orders, tasked merely with stalling her. The mastermind was likely a confidant of Meng Jiang, but their name and whereabouts remained unknown.

Putting this matter aside, Lin Zhaoyan’s poison had been neutralized; she only needed a few months of quiet recovery to be fully cleansed. Zhou Jingxuan, however, had fallen into a coma.

"The wound was too deep, and there was too much blood loss. It is not fatal, but once he wakes up, he cannot move about easily for some time," Xia Wan said, putting away her medical kit. Lin Zhaoyan was looking down at something.

"Zhaoyan, what are you looking at?" Xia Wan asked curiously.

Lin Zhaoyan put away a clean embroidered handkerchief and simply shook her head.