Chapter 729: 471, Your Majesty, your servant is late to save you (5k)_3
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"Wait a moment!"
Ouyang Ye, who was running, also sensed something unusual. He raised his hand, and everyone stopped.
The magician White-headed Eagle looked grave and said, "A group of people is swiftly approaching us! It’s dangerous!"
People?
At this moment, who could be coming?
Ouyang Ye and Yao Shiniang looked puzzled and instinctively took defensive stances, while the spies aimed their crossbow arrows forward.
Then, from the depths of the dense forest, about a dozen shadows, almost ghost-like, leapt between the trees, moving so quickly that they seemed to leave afterimages!
Leading them was a man with white hair, wearing a strikingly bright red python robe!
Eunuch Hai’s python robe flapped in the wind, his feet lightly touching the tree branches, moving as swiftly as a wisp of smoke, and in a few blinks, he reached closer, standing on a tree branch with his hands behind his back.
Behind him, more than a dozen inner court tributors followed like shadows, with expressions as grim as evil spirits.
"Hai Chunlin!! Why is he here?"
Ouyang Ye was shocked, a strong fear arose in his heart, and both Yao Shiniang and White-headed Eagle turned equally pale!
Eunuch Hai observed the people in the forest coldly and said, "Kill them immediately, leave no trace."
"Yes!"
The tributors responded, floated into the forest, and within moments, the spies, painstakingly trained with royal mansion resources, lay dead, blood blossoming on their bodies, with hardly any resistance, falling like sheaves of wheat.
"Hold him off for a moment!" Ouyang Ye shouted as he spotted Eunuch Hai.
Yao Shiniang hesitated not, at the cost of serious injury, she wished upon the "lamp god."
The ancient candleholder’s yellow flame flickered, a circle of light expanded, enveloping the three of them.
Almost simultaneously, Eunuch Hai stood atop a tree, chopping down with a gentle hand knife!
But that hand knife, which could injure a Worldly Realm expert, vanished upon encountering the "candle light."
"Phew!"
As the price, Yao Shiniang spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, visibly aging, as she used her lifetime as "lamp oil" to invoke the "Wild God" once.
And in the brief respite, Ouyang Ye flicked out the Miao Blade with his thumb!
With a clang, the Miao Blade didn’t strike Eunuch Hai but slashed towards the ground!
On the blade’s narrow edge, a burning purple talisman was attached!
"Buzz!"
Ripples spread, enveloping the three, initiating transport, and they vanished from the forest.
Eunuch Hai frowned, snorted coldly, "Divine..."
Meanwhile, apart from the three who escaped, the royal mansion’s spies were all dead, bodies strewn across the ground.
Eunuch Hai floated down, and the dozen inner court tributors gathered around: "Sir, what shall we do next..."
Eunuch Hai turned his gaze across the forest, glanced at a distant direction, his expression complex, but ultimately didn’t proceed, speaking calmly: "Withdraw, attack and destroy the nearby rebel camp, find and eliminate any remaining Prince Jing Mansion spies nearby, and cover His Majesty’s escape."
Song Jinxi, skilled in assassination, couldn’t help but ask, "Sir, since His Majesty is nearby, why don’t we..."
Eunuch Hai shook his head, hands clasped behind his back: "Do you think no one is watching us? We are constantly in the open. Once we approach His Majesty, it may lead strong figures from the rebels to us, and this team may not withstand it. Instead, we should focus on eliminating Prince Jing Mansion spies and Magic God Sect members, as well as generals within the rebel army, to cover His Majesty’s escape most effectively."
After a pause, he added: "However, earlier we didn’t know which direction His Majesty headed, so we had no choice but to split our forces and send teams searching in different directions. Now, since we know the location, it’s time we find a way to inform other Sealing Teams to gather and not waste time in the wrong places."
Song Jinxi curiously asked, "Sir, how do you plan to notify Mo Zhaorong and the others?"
Eunuch Hai coldly replied, turning his gaze to the nearby county town occupied by the rebels: "Kill. Kill enough people, and it naturally muddles the waters."
The tributors looked at each other, eyes fierce: "For His Majesty, gladly to the death!"
In an instant, the team swiftly vanished into the dense forest.
After a while, in the direction Eunuch Hai initially looked, Zhao Douan emerged carrying a cotton dummy, gripping the Cold Frost Sword, his expression complex. He glanced at the mass of corpses on the ground, then towards the direction of Eunuch Hai’s departure, pursed his lips, sheathed his sword, discarded the dummy, and took only the Dragon Robe, rushing towards another direction.
He needed to quickly rendezvous with Zhenbao!
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Outside Jiancheng Road.
Xu Zhenguan smoothly passed through the checkpoint, avoiding the main road, deliberately choosing side paths towards the marked spot on the map.
After recuperating for two days, though still weak and the palm print from Xuan Yin persisting, merely walking was no longer difficult.
When she arrived at the abandoned city wall marked on the map, she found no one around, just as expected.
Xu Zhenguan found the most secluded corner at the foot of the wall, huddled herself tightly, and began to wait quietly.
The sun gradually rose, the sun gradually set.
She remained motionless, neither eating nor drinking, clutching the Taia Sword and her small bundle tightly, biting her lip, and quietly waiting.
The appointed time of noon had long passed, yet she did not leave as agreed, but continued to squat under the ruined wall, her eyes fixed on the road towards Jiancheng Road without blinking.
Finally, as the sun tilted westward, casting a ray of twilight on the old, abandoned low city wall, the last bit of hope in her eyes faded away.
Xu Zhenguan supported her numb legs, slowly stood up against the wall, slung the small bundle on her back, and took a final look at the road.
No one came.
A spark of tears glistened in Xu Zhenguan’s eyes, she turned and staggered towards the Huai River road.
Suddenly, the sound of a bell rang from behind.
Xu Zhenguan stopped abruptly, nervously turning to look back. In her view, under the twilight sun, at the end of the dirt road, a shabby donkey cart came slowly, Zhao Douan wearing a straw hat, holding the reins, lightly flicking the donkey.
The cart moved, and the bell hanging from the donkey’s neck rang clearly.
"Whoa~"
Zhao Douan drove the cart to Xu Zhenguan, pulled the reins, and under the sunset, revealed a smile: "Your Majesty, I apologize for being late in my rescue."
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Initial layout, to be revised later