In the secret chamber, the eight Yun Tian Guards stood by Liang Xiao, each wearing a ring bearing a character.
Tian, Di, Xuan, Huang, Qing, Zhu, Hei, Bai!
"Marshal Zuo, are we truly going to do this…" The Yun Tian Guard of the "Tian" character looked somewhat doubtful.
He had never done anything he wasn't sure of, especially not in the absence of their leader, "Yu."
But Zuo Wushang wanted them to risk everything with him and take the princess out of the Zhuo manor!
Zuo Wushang gritted his teeth, "We must act! Once Liang Xiao returns from Qiantang, we will likely never have another chance to take Princess out. She will be the Xi Yue Princess of Da Gan forever!"
The eight Yun Tian Guards fell into a collective silence.
They had always obeyed their master, Zuo Wuji, and then their leader, "Yu."
But "Yu" had gone to Qiantang and had also ordered them to obey Zuo Wushang.
Yet, Zuo Wushang was now taking an incredibly dangerous risk!
"I will not force any of you. Choose for yourselves. If you are unwilling, I will find other subordinates," Zuo Wushang sighed.
"Tian" finally spoke, "Have you forgotten? We are also remnants of Da Heng Kingdom…"
The eight men reached out and placed their hands on the table, revealing their rings.
Zuo Wushang smiled with relief and handed two letters to "Tian."
"This mission is difficult. Prioritize your own safety. If this fails, I will take my own life to atone. You two will take these letters to Hong Jie and Wu Ji respectively. From this day forward, there will be no more remnants of Da Heng Kingdom, only nameless citizens of Da Gan. Let them cease their rebellion from now on."
Just then, a hurried report came from an insider outside, "Marshal! Suddenly, people from the Returning Spring Cult are causing trouble in Jinling, and the Zhuo manor has been set on fire!"
Zuo Wushang was shocked, then narrowed his eyes, "Didn't the Returning Spring Cult say they would lie low? Why the sudden action? Perhaps this is an opportunity to fish in troubled waters!"
Around the Zhuo manor in Jinling, a group of masked Returning Spring Cult members, shouting "Returning Spring by Heavenly Mandate," were charging everywhere.
The common people fled in panic, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
A raging fire had already erupted on the northeast side of the Zhuo manor!
The Zhuo manor guards quickly organized their defenses and drove the nearly one hundred Returning Spring Cult members out of the manor. The two sides engaged in street combat.
The imperial guards were approaching from a distance.
At the same time, Liang Xiao's convoy was speeding along the official road east of Jinling.
With the Tianshan chivalrous warriors and the elite guards of the Liang manor, there were eighty people in total, all mounted and escorting him.
As Liang Xiao's convoy approached within five li of Jinling, a troop of black-clothed figures who had been ambushing in the distance observed them with a mixture of surprise and joy.
"Looking at the convoy's attire, it's definitely Liang Xiao's! We outnumber them, and the advantage is ours. Attack!"
With a command, over a hundred people simultaneously drew their bows and arrows, leaping out from the dense forest.
Arrows rained down like locusts, a volley of volleys!
The Tianshan chivalrous warriors and the guards were equipped with soft armor and reacted swiftly, blocking the arrows with their weapons. However, seven warhorses were still killed.
The over a hundred black-clothed figures were astonished that the other side had suffered no casualties and continued to draw their bows and arrows, preparing for another volley.
"Ambush!"
Upon hearing this, Liang Xiao rushed out of the carriage, wielding the Ephemeral Sword and carrying the Sunset Bow on his back. The Tianshan senior brother personally steered Liang Xiao's horse.
Quickly assessing the situation, Liang Xiao instructed only Jian Qinwan to protect Christe. He casually opened his quiver, took out a Dragon's Tooth Arrow, and his eyes glinted with ferocity.
"Whoosh!"
Before the black-clothed figures could shoot again, Liang Xiao's arrow tore through the air.
One person was hit, pinned to the tree behind him by the force of the Dragon's Tooth Arrow, his chest plate shattered, and his flesh and blood mangled!
At the same time, Hong Jie and the other three on their two carriages quickly inquired about the situation. Upon learning of the ambush, Shangguan Jiusi immediately coordinated with the guards to protect Hong Jie and the other two.
The black-clothed troop was filled with shock. After killing four more warhorses and wounding one person's arm, they drew the sharp blades from their waists, letting out low growls, and charged towards Liang Xiao and his party!
Before the enemy could get close, Liang Xiao shot and killed another person.
Due to the close proximity, the enemy bore the full brunt of the Sunset Bow's power, and their flesh and blood were again mangled!
The Tianshan chivalrous warriors, whose horses had been killed, were filled with rage and charged forward in formation.
Liang Xiao shot and killed another person, and the two sides finally closed in.
As soon as they engaged, Liang Xiao, who was busy killing enemies with arrows, discovered that this group of black-clothed men was also well-trained, but their fighting style and formation were different from those of Da Gan.
Realizing that shooting arrows was of limited effect, all the black-clothed men switched to close combat.
Among them were two with blue eyes!
The Returning Spring Cult!
A thought flashed through Liang Xiao's mind. He angrily drew his arrow and shot repeatedly.
What could have been a fierce fight for another fifteen minutes was quickly tilting in Liang Xiao's favor due to his continuous killing of the black-clothed men.
The Tianshan chivalrous warriors also found an outlet for their anger and, under Liang Xiao's deterrence, cut down the approaching enemies like slicing vegetables.
"Retreat!"
After suffering more than half their losses, the black-clothed men finally broke down in terror and fled!
"Chase them!" Liang Xiao commanded sharply, continuing to draw his bow and arrow.
The senior brother driving the carriage understood and turned his horse, leading the group towards the remaining dozen or so black-clothed figures.
Liang Xiao's Sunset Bow continuously nocked and fired arrows, killing enemies, but avoiding the two blue-eyed individuals.
"Whoosh!"
Finally, a Dragon's Tooth Arrow shot towards the left calf of one of the blue-eyed men, pinning him and his leg to the ground!
The black-clothed, blue-eyed man, thrown off balance by the impact, fell to the ground and wailed incessantly, being firmly controlled by the Tianshan chivalrous warriors.
The opponent also continued to draw arrows and attempt to duel with Liang Xiao, but their aim was insufficient. In the end, Liang Xiao pursued them southwest, wounding both blue-eyed men, and killing all the rest!
The two blue-eyed men were bound tightly and taken control of.
Liang Xiao had no time to interrogate them and had his guards watch over them. He then looked towards Jinling in the distance.
Hong Jie finally caught up, exclaiming, "How could they have known you were coming to Jinling?"
Liang Xiao said as he walked, "They were probably ambushing here to rendezvous with someone and happened to encounter my convoy. This indicates that something might be happening in Jinling. Let's rush back to the Zhuo manor and find your Zuo Wushang immediately!"
At the same time, a large number of Zhuo manor guards had been drawn away to the northeast to repel the enemy.
A group of masked men also appeared in the southwest, drawing their swords and intimidating the populace.
Suddenly, the people in the southwest fled in terror, and the masked troops hid in various corners. The streets appeared deserted.
"What's happening?"
Yue Lian and Zhuo Xun were led out by the guards, looking shocked and frightened.
"Young ladies, quickly follow us to meet the master. People from the Returning Spring Cult are attacking the Liang manor, and Hero Yu is leading the counterattack!" said the head guard, San Quan, anxiously.
Six guards escorted the two young ladies, preparing to go to the northwest of the Zhuo manor to find Zhuo Zifang.
Just then, nine Zhuo manor guards rushed into the courtyard, their eyes wide with panic, "The Returning Spring Cult is about to break in!"
San Quan was greatly astonished, "How is that possible!"
But soon, San Quan and the guards noticed something amiss with the approaching guards: "Why are some of you strangers…"
As soon as he spoke, the nine guards simultaneously drew wooden clubs hidden behind them. With a swift movement, a dull thud struck, and San Quan and his six men were knocked to the ground!
"You!"
Yue Lian and Zhuo Xun's pupils contracted. Before they could react, they were firmly restrained by six men.
The leading fake guard trembled, "Princess, it is your subordinate!"
"Zuo, Zuo…" Hearing the familiar voice, Yue Lian's face drained of color. Before she could say anything, she and Zhuo Xun had their mouths gagged with cloth strips.
It was Zuo Wushang leading the eight Yun Tian Guards, taking advantage of the chaos!
Zuo Wushang, possessing innate divine strength, grabbed an axe from beside the door and split the chain locking the door with one swing. He then opened the door, dragged the two women out of the Zhuo manor, and fled towards the southwest.
The streets in the southwest had already been cleared by Zuo Wushang's subordinates. Twenty masked subordinates rushed to their aid.