The valley was exceptionally cold at night. All around was a dark, misty haze, thick with the moisture of early spring.
Shen Qianmo slept in a spot towards the inside of the cave, while Situ Jingyan leaned against the cave entrance, guarding him.
In the dark fog, Situ Jingyan, half asleep and half awake, suddenly heard Shen Qianmo, who was fast asleep in the cave, let out a broken groan. His eyes, which were even purer and deeper than the darkest night, suddenly opened, filled with anxiety and heartache. He got up and rushed towards Shen Qianmo.
"Mo'er! Mo'er!" Situ Jingyan held the delirious Shen Qianmo, his brows furrowed deeply. Damn the Breathless Poison, how could it be so domineering! He had clearly suppressed it with his internal energy, but Shen Qianmo's own internal energy was too strong, and that sword move had consumed too much of it. The suppression hadn't lasted long before it started to stir again.
The people from the Blood Demon Pavilion haven't arrived yet; they must have been intercepted by the Tang Clan. What can we do? Without medicinal herbs, suppressing the illness with internal energy alone isn't a solution.
"Jingyan. Jingyan." Shen Qianmo had completely lost consciousness, tightly gripping Situ Jingyan's hand, repeatedly calling his name.
Situ Jingyan looked at Shen Qianmo with even more tenderness and heartache. His Mo'er, even in this coma, was still thinking of him! But he couldn't take her pain away. Right now, she was suppressing the backlash of the poison with her internal energy, and Shen Qianmo had to endure it on her own. If she continued to suppress it with her internal energy, the poison would flare up more and more frequently. Shen Qianmo's body couldn't withstand such torment; otherwise, her internal energy would inevitably be damaged.
"Mo'er! It's alright. It's alright." Situ Jingyan held Shen Qianmo tightly, enveloping her with his body heat. For the first time, helplessness appeared in his eyes. His beloved woman was suffering in front of him, but he could do nothing about it.
A ruthless glint flashed in his dark eyes. Tang Clan! No matter who your master is, this time, he will annihilate the entire Tang Clan! Tang Yun, how dare you scheme against his woman?! Then prepare to suffer a fate worse than death!
Shen Qianmo's brows furrowed slightly. She felt two internal forces colliding within her body, being pulled and struck by an invisible force, causing her intense pain, to the point that she couldn't help but groan.
Cold. An endless, boundless cold. It felt as if all her strength had been drained away. Suddenly, she felt enveloped by something warm, something familiar. Was it Situ Jingyan?! In her dazed state, she seemed to hear someone calling her name anxiously and with heartache.
It must be Situ Jingyan. He's right beside her, so she's not alone. She won't face the darkness and all that is terrible alone anymore. Those scenes of struggling alone on the edge of darkness are all in the past! That peerless man in red will always be by her side.
As if she had found a pillar of support in her nightmare, Shen Qianmo's brows, which had been furrowed with pain, relaxed slightly, and she bit her lip tightly.
"I... am not alone. I'm not afraid. Jingyan... I'm not afraid." Broken and unconscious words came intermittently from Shen Qianmo's mouth.
Situ Jingyan's grip on Shen Qianmo tightened, his dark eyes seemingly trying desperately to conceal some emotion. He wished he could take Shen Qianmo's place and bear all this pain.
Suddenly, a strange light flashed in Situ Jingyan's dark eyes, and a bloodthirsty and cold smile appeared on his lips. His black clothes billowed without wind, revealing an aura of absolute killing intent.
Gently holding Shen Qianmo in his arms, Situ Jingyan stared at the cave entrance with dark eyes, his smile growing increasingly cold.
Hmph! He hadn't even gone out to settle accounts with them yet, and they've already managed to find this cave?! Do they want to kill him and Shen Qianmo?! We'll see if they have the ability!
"Let's go in and take a look." A hushed discussion came from outside the cave, clearly from Tang Clan subordinates ordered to search.
The sound wasn't loud. It was almost inaudible, carried by the wind in the valley. But with Situ Jingyan's skill, how could such noises escape his ears? He had already noticed them before they even spoke as they approached the cave.
"What do you want to see?!" As the assassins cautiously entered, a cold, domineering voice filled with arrogance and murderous intent rang out, almost causing them to drop their weapons in fright.
What a chilling sound it was! Just hearing it sent shivers down your spine. Looking up, in the dim light, you could vaguely make out a black figure holding a white one. The black figure emanated an intense killing intent, making even these assassins hesitate to approach.
Before the assassins could react, they were enveloped by a powerful, bloodthirsty force. In the dim light of the night, Situ Jingyan, dressed in black, moved like a ghost, his movements as swift as lightning, killing more than a dozen assassins who had entered the cave in just a few moments.
Blood slowly trickled from the assassins' necks, reflecting an eerie light in the dim moonlight. Situ Jingyan didn't even glance at the fallen assassins, his eyes filled with a hint of murderous intent, before carrying Shen Qianmo away from the cave.
The Tang Clan assassins have all ingested the Tang Clan's secret poison. Once they die, the toxins in their blood will be released, attracting even more assassins. Shen Qianmo is still not fully recovered, and he has expended a great deal of his power to save her; this place is not safe to stay any longer.
"Uh." Shen Qianmo, who was being held in Situ Jingyan's arms, frowned and slowly woke up.
She felt as if she had just gone through a life-or-death struggle, and felt completely drained, clinging to Situ Jingyan. In the dim moonlight, she could see the seriousness in Situ Jingyan's eyes. Leaving the cave in the dead of night meant their situation was very dangerous.
"How are you?" Although Shen Qianmo was poisoned, her hearing was still sharp, and she could still hear the approaching footsteps of the assassins. She frowned slightly and asked with a hint of seriousness.
“At least several hundred.” Situ Jingyan didn’t hesitate. His obsidian-like eyes gleamed with a cold light, standing out starkly in the dim night. A ruthless smile curled at the corner of his lips. Since they dared to come, he would certainly not be afraid of them!
"The Tang Clan is determined to wipe us out." Shen Qianmo smiled coldly, gesturing for Situ Jingyan to put her down. Although she was poisoned, it didn't mean she was useless. If the situation became truly critical, she would risk a relapse of the poison to not let these members of the Tang Clan go!
Upon seeing Shen Qianmo's ruthless smile, Situ Jingyan's expression darkened, and he coldly said, "Stay with me! Don't gamble with your life!"
Seeing Situ Jingyan's signature expression, Shen Qianmo couldn't help but smile. This Situ Jingyan, he was still so protective and considerate of her. However, Shen Qianmo wasn't someone to be trifled with. This poison only restricted her ability to use internal energy; lacking internal energy didn't mean she was useless!
"My benefactor truly cares about Mo Chi." Shen Qianmo smiled faintly, her words gentle and cheerful, a hint of cunning in her eyes.
Situ Jingyan's eyes narrowed when he saw Shen Qianmo's captivating smile. He coldly pursed his lips and turned his face away. How could this Mo'er smile so beautifully at a time like this! Damn it, he would never allow her to smile at others like that again.
The sound of a cold arrow piercing the air indicated that the approaching assassins had clearly spotted Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo.
White silk ribbons fluttered, striking the cold arrows that pierced the air. The arrows were all deflected by the ribbons and fell to the ground. Seeing this, Situ Jingyan angrily shouted at Shen Qianmo, "Don't you know that recklessly using internal energy can lead to death!"
"Don't worry, my benefactor. These arrows can be easily stopped with the indestructible Heavenly Silkworm White Silk, without even needing to use your inner strength!" Shen Qianmo said calmly, her eyes even carrying a hint of cunning and certainty.
Seeing this, Situ Jingyan's expression gradually softened. He raised his eyes, looking at the assassins around him, a bloodthirsty smile curling at the corner of his lips. His initial concern stemmed from worry about Shen Qianmo's safety. Now that Shen Qianmo's safety was assured, he would ensure that none of these assassins returned alive!
How dare they lay a finger on him! How dare they touch his woman! He'll make them all wish they were dead! Hmph!
A gentle breeze swept through the valley, carrying with it the slight chill of early spring. The assassins involuntarily shivered, not from the wind, but from the black-clad man standing before them, facing the wind.
In the dim moonlight, his features were obscured, but his flamboyant and ruthless aura, like that of the Grim Reaper, deeply shocked them. They were all assassins, inherently extremely sensitive to the scent of death, and now, with this man standing before them, they felt they had never been so close to death.
At that moment, the thought of retreat flashed through the minds of almost every assassin. But a kill order had been issued; if they couldn't kill the Demon Palace Master and this man in black, they wouldn't survive. They were all poisoned by the Tang Clan!
These thoughts flashed through their minds, but the assassins were quick on their feet, launching a fierce attack on Situ Jingyan and Shen Qianmo.
Seeing this, Situ Jingyan snorted coldly, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. He moved with lightning speed, darting among the assassins. Each move was a death sentence, as if he were the Grim Reaper. No one who got close to him could survive.
Having slaughtered all the assassins in front of him, Situ Jingyan did not advance, but waited for the assassins to come and die one after another. Not far from Situ Jingyan, Shen Qianmo's white silk ribbons fluttered in the air. Although they were no longer supported by internal energy and their power was much less than before, they were still enough to protect herself.
Shen Qianmo glanced at Situ Jingyan not far away and a smile crept onto her face. This Situ Jingyan, ah, he still doesn't trust her safety, so he's been killing within range of her protection, but hasn't gone any further.
The ribbon in her hand gradually slowed down. How could Bai Ling be so agile without any internal energy? She had secretly infused the ribbon with internal energy. This was because she understood that while Situ Jingyan might be able to handle so many assassins alone, protecting her would likely be extremely dangerous.
However, she did not expect that the Silent Poison was so domineering. She only used a little bit of her internal energy, and it showed signs of relapse.
Suddenly, her body lost strength and she fell backward. Seeing this, the assassins around her rushed forward recklessly. Shen Qianmo was powerless to resist. Just as Shen Qianmo was about to fall, she was caught by a familiar embrace. Situ Jingyan spun her around in his arms, his fan flying up and killing a circle of assassins. However, he was also hit by an assassin's sword while protecting Shen Qianmo.
It's important to know that the swords of Tang Clan assassins are all coated with deadly poison. Even with Situ Jingyan's profound internal strength, if he weren't treated promptly after being poisoned, he would only be waiting to die. Moreover, there are still dozens of assassins alive, watching them intently!