A pure heart in a jade pot - Chapter 43
Mo Yan stared intently at the hibiscus cake.
Suddenly, the hissing sound of a sharp weapon slicing through the air rang out!
In the blink of an eye, both maids were struck in the back by an arrow, fell headfirst to the ground, and died before they could even utter a sound.
Before Mo Yan could react, Zhan Zhao had already leaped out and slammed the door shut.
The moment the door closed, three more arrows pierced through the door panel and landed on the coffee table and chairs, their fletchings still trembling slightly, indicating that the archer possessed profound inner strength.
“The arrow is seven inches long, weighs seven coins, has a blade of cold iron, and a tail of black feathers. It is a Soul-Chasing Arrow.” Mo Yan pulled out one of them with force and frowned. “Could it be one of the Three Soul-Chasing Assassins of the Jianghu? I heard that the three brothers charge extremely high prices. The one surnamed Zhang is really sparing no expense.”
Zhan Zhao turned around and said urgently, "Quickly take Miss Bai away."
"How do I get there?"
Mo Yan asked urgently, but as she spoke, several more arrows shot in from both windows at the same time. She quickly pulled Bai Yingyu down to look down.
"All three of them have arrived; there's no way they can get out!"
Arrows coming from three directions could only mean that the three Soul Chasers had all arrived. Mo Yan only said that there was no way to get out, but what she really meant was that she was likely doomed.
Zhan Zhao understood her meaning perfectly well. The Soul Chaser was renowned in the assassin world, and now that the three of them were all present, it was clear that they were determined to take the lives of the people inside the house.
"The account book is on you, let's split up!" Mo Yan reasoned that with Zhan Zhao's lightness skill, if they went their separate ways, she could distract one of the Soul Chasers, and he should have a chance to escape. As long as he could take the account book out, her senior brother would be saved. All she cared about was the account book; she didn't even think about her own and Bai Yingyu's fate.
"I'll distract them, you take Miss Bai away!" Zhan Zhao said in a deep voice, while taking out an account book from his pocket and handing it to Mo Yan.
Author's Note: Please don't rush or ask questions, thank you!
If you feel that the updates are infrequent or slow, you can come back in a few days later for a more enjoyable experience.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Mo Yan was still hesitating when nine arrows were fired from three directions. Although she had pulled Bai Yingyu to the ground, one arrow still grazed Bai Yingyu's arm, instantly staining her thin clothes with blood.
Miss Bai cried out in pain, clutching her arm, and almost immediately fainted on the spot.
Mo Yan glanced at it quickly and knew it was just a superficial injury. Ignoring her, she still anxiously asked Zhan Zhao, "How are you going to deal with this...?"
"Take her away quickly!"
Zhan Zhao interrupted her sharply, waving his sword to deflect the arrow that came through the window for them: "She is an important witness against Zhang Yaozuo, she cannot die!"
Arrows flew, swords flashed like lightning, and the room was a mess, even the candles had fallen to the ground. Flames licked at the curtains and spread, casting distorted and eerie shadows on everyone.
Mo Yan gritted her teeth and forcefully pulled up the swaying Bai Yingyu. Since she was a witness, she had to take her out no matter what.
“I’ll go from the west,” she said.
Zhan Zhao turned around, and the two looked at each other for a moment without saying anything more.
He gripped his sword tightly, hooked his right foot over a chair beside him, and kicked it through the air. The chair smashed through the east window and flew out, but before it hit the ground, three arrows followed and embedded themselves in it.
Zhan Zhao swayed slightly, taking advantage of the moment when the Soul Chaser from the east was retrieving the arrow. He didn't even bother to defend himself with his sword. With ghostly speed, he used the Giant Sword to strike the man directly. Several of his sword moves were deadly.
With the three Soul Chasers all present, they now formed a three-way standoff, supporting and protecting each other, making them virtually unbreakable. Zhan Zhao was not usually such a ruthless person, but with a formidable enemy at hand, if he didn't quickly cripple one of them, not only would Mo Yan and the others be unable to escape, but they would all likely perish on the spot.
Seeing their brother in trouble, the other two envoys didn't stop, firing arrows in rapid succession, chasing after him like shooting stars...
The opportunity was fleeting, and Mo Yan dared not delay for a moment. She immediately took Bai Yingyu and leaped out of the west window, running forward at full speed.
The western Soul Chaser caught sight of it at a glance, immediately changed direction, nocked an arrow, and drew his bow. Unexpectedly, a Soul Chaser arrow came straight at his face, forcing him to deflect it with his bow.
This arrow was caught by Zhan Zhao in the midst of the battle and then thrown back. At the same time, the Juque sword spun around and pierced the right shoulder of the Soul Chaser, penetrating three-tenths of an inch and crippling the man's right hand that could shoot arrows.
Before he could even draw his sword, a piercing pain shot through his left leg. He knew without looking down that he had been struck by an arrow. This was a deliberate opening he had created, a desperate attempt to cripple one of the three envoys by feigning injury.
However, the injury was more serious than he had expected.
Blood splattered on the black feathers; the arrow nearly pierced through the bone.
On the other side, Mo Yan was still running wildly with Bai Yingyu in tow.
Bai Yingyu was struggling to keep up with Mo Yan. After all, she was a pampered young lady from a wealthy family. Let alone escaping for her life, even going to the temple to burn incense would require her to rest for half a day afterward. Now, being dragged and pulled by Mo Yan, she felt as if her entire arm was about to be torn off.
Mo Yan was about to leap over the large rock by the pool with her. Once they reached the other side of the rock, it would act as a natural barrier, making it less likely for arrows to hit them.
Unexpectedly, before she even reached the top of the rock, Bai Yingyu's hand slipped, and with a scream, she fell into the water.
Hearing the screams, Zhan Zhao looked over anxiously and saw Mo Yan also leap into the water, which relieved him somewhat. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Since the pond was fed by fresh water from Taihu Lake, there must be a waterway connecting it to the pond. If Mo Yan could escape with Bai Yingyu via the waterway, that would be ideal. However, Miss Bai was unlikely to be a good swimmer, which would be difficult.
As Mo Yan leaped down from the rock, she also glanced hastily in Zhan Zhao's direction, wondering how he could deal with the three envoys alone.
At a glance, the shocking bright red on that blue shirt instantly stung my eyes.
Her heart suddenly tightened.
"Ah... Help! Ah..." Bai Yingyu was still struggling in the water.
Mo Yan swam to her side, covered her mouth and nose, and led her underwater. Zhan Zhao was already injured; if he were to be distracted protecting them, his life would be in danger. Now that they were in the water, regardless of whether Bai Yingyu could swim or not, Mo Yan decided to escape underwater.
Seeing them fall into the water, the two Soul Chasers tried to chase them to the edge of the pool, but Zhan Zhao blocked their way. Although Zhan Zhao's leg was seriously injured, his sword was still sharp and undiminished, and for a moment they were unable to do anything to him. The Soul Chasers hurriedly shot a few arrows into the pool, but Zhan Zhao made them miss their aim, and they did not harm the people at the bottom of the pool at all.
Mo Yan easily found the iron fence at the water outlet. The fence was quite old and covered in rust. She drew her silver sword from her waist and struck it lightly. The iron fence fell down with a sound, and she and Bai Yingyu followed the current downstream.
The underground sewers were pitch black; she could hear nothing but the sound of running water. Occasionally, something slippery would brush past her—whether it was a water rat or a water snake, she didn't care anymore. Bai Yingyu beside her, terrified, had already fainted, which saved her a lot of trouble.
Fortunately, the water level rose soon afterward, and a faint light could be seen ahead.