Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Eight years ago, Liangzhou.

A border region with rugged mountain paths and dense forests. It was late autumn.

In the mountain forest, a group of people, bearing heavy injuries, hurriedly moved through the trees.

The thick scent of blood spread in the air; startled birds swooped past, their cries trembling the heart.

“Go, go quickly!”

In the middle of the group, a gray-robed man ran at the front, staggering, his face ashen, his forehead beaded with cold sweat.

Heavy panting came from the group; even though everyone was exhausted, no one dared to stop.

The leading gray-robed man glanced back from time to time, his hand pressed against the wound on his abdomen, blood gushing out continuously, the red fluid winding along the trail they had left behind.

Chen Shao gasped for breath, his limbs growing cold and stiff, his strength rapidly draining away.

But he dared not delay for a moment, forcing himself to endure the pain and keep running forward.

Suddenly, the person at the front of the group seemed to see something terrifying, every hair on their body standing on end, muscles tensing violently.

As if by instinct, everyone stopped, holding their breath as they stared ahead.

In the depths of the forest, a black figure slowly emerged.

From the crowd, someone cried out in surprise, “It’s her!”

Chen Shao gritted his teeth and looked up. Deep in the woods, a black-edged robe fluttered in the wind.

Half of the woman’s face was hidden behind a hideous mask; a dagger hung at her waist, and she held a longsword as she stood facing the wind, her clothes rustling loudly.

His gaze slowly moved upward, finally settling on that half of a savage mask.

“Shadow Ten!”

Sheng Zhaoning’s eyelashes lowered slightly; her figure was slender yet upright, her back straight, and the blade in her hand emitted a faint cold gleam. She raised her eyes, a murderous aura flickering silently, her cold eyes still and devoid of emotion. “Ahead is a dead end. You can’t escape.”

Chen Shao clenched his jaw, his grip on his blade tightening repeatedly. “We were once comrades! Do you really have to be so ruthless?”

Sheng Zhaoning stared into his eyes. “Chen Shao, you served Prince Zhenbei for many years. You should know the price of betrayal.”

His body stiffened, then quickly relaxed. Chen Shao laughed loudly, his eyes tinged with mania. “Betrayal? I was just trying to survive! What’s wrong with that?”

Sheng Zhaoning took two steps forward, her sword hand slightly raised, killing intent seeping out. “If not for the Prince, you would have died on the battlefield long ago.”

“Shadow Ten, if I were alone like you, without attachments, I could also serve him for a lifetime, help him usurp the throne, and fulfill his ambitions! But I am human, not like you, a tool without feelings.” Chen Shao straightened up, his body swaying, and he propped his blade on the ground for support.

“You’re willing to be a dog of the Wei Clan for life-I’m not! I have dozens of family members. Why should I gamble all their lives to follow him in rebellion?”

“That’s your reason?” Sheng Zhaoning raised an eyebrow and asked.

Chen Shao looked at her quietly, his gaze surprisingly tinged with pity. “Shadow Ten, you have no parents, no friends, and you’ve never known what emotions are. If one day you have a lover, understand kinship and friendship, and have bonds, would you still willingly sell your life to the Wei Clan, without any regard for their lives?”

Sheng Zhaoning’s fingers tightened, a flicker of bewilderment crossing her eyes for an instant.

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Shao’s eyes. Seizing the moment, his sleeve moved stealthily as he flung a dart with force while she was distracted.

“Whoosh-” the sound of something cutting through the air rang out.

Sheng Zhaoning snapped back to attention.

Her expression hardened, and she quickly dodged to the side, but it was still a moment too late; the dart struck her left shoulder.

Chen Shao raised a hand and made a gesture. The people around him understood its meaning and surged forward, charging at Sheng Zhaoning with shouts.

“Go! Kill her!”

Facing the mob, Sheng Zhaoning’s gaze turned icy.

She stepped back half a pace, enduring the sharp pain in her shoulder to pull out the dart, then flung it forward.

“Ah!” A scream rose from the crowd, and someone quickly fell.

The dart had struck right through the heart.

For a moment, the clang of weapons echoed. Sheng Zhaoning’s longsword danced as she weaved and dodged through the crowd, her eyes resolute and cold, her steps agile, every move lethal.

The ground was soon stained red with blood.

Chen Shao ignored the pain from his wound. He gripped his blade handle, his leopard-like eyes wide, veins bulging on his forehead, the muscles of his arms taut with force.

Just as Sheng Zhaoning turned to parry, Chen Shao burst forward with a swift stride, instantly reaching her back. He raised his blade and hacked down with all his strength.

“Die!” Chen Shao roared.

Sheng Zhaoning’s expression changed slightly. She was about to withdraw her sword and dodge when, unexpectedly, the opponent she was facing suddenly lunged onto her sword, letting his abdomen be pierced, only to firmly hold her in place.

“General, kill her!” The man’s face contorted with agony, but his hands still gripped her tightly.

The heavy blade cleaved down, and a pain as if tendons were severed and bones shattered exploded across her shoulder.

Sheng Zhaoning violently spat out a mouthful of blood. Her lips paled in an instant, then were quickly stained red again by the blood, as she dropped heavily to her knees.

Beneath the sword, the person who had desperately clung to her had already lost his breath and collapsed.

Cold sweat trickled into her eyes, blurring her vision for a moment.

She withdrew her sword, her whole body trembling minutely. Just as the second blade was about to fall, she pushed herself up from the ground, forcing through the dizziness, gritted her teeth and rolled to Chen Shao’s side, drawing the dagger from her waist and thrusting it backhand into his abdomen.

‘Shhk.’ The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and blood rang out.

The heavy blade hit the ground with a dull ‘thud’.

Chen Shao looked down. Blood was gushing, and a dagger was deeply embedded in his abdomen.

He was already severely wounded; that last strike had used up all his strength. This stab meant certain death.

Chen Shao slowly knelt down, but there was no fear in his eyes; instead, there was a hint of relief.

Sheng Zhaoning pulled out the dagger. Cold sweat dripped down her hair, and blood gushed from her shoulder wound.

She watched Chen Shao coldly, knowing what he was thinking.

Two months ago, Chen Shao had secretly contacted the Capital, attempting to pass on evidence of Prince Zhenbei’s rebellion.

Fortunately, the Wei Clan had planted hidden agents in the residences of all the generals in Liangzhou, who discovered and reported the matter in time. Prince Zhenbei dispatched Sheng Zhaoning to intercept the letters and execute Chen Shao.

Sheng Zhaoning traveled without rest for three days and nights, and finally intercepted and destroyed the letters before they could reach the Capital.

Knowing that his plot had been exposed, Chen Shao hastily arranged for his family to evacuate, while he himself led a squad of personal guards in the opposite direction to draw away the pursuers, hoping to keep his family safe.

Unfortunately, Prince Zhenbei never left loose ends.

Sheng Zhaoning staggered to her feet, bit her lip and pulled out the dagger. Blood sprayed everywhere, a few droplets landing on her face.

She stood upright, her eyes half-lowered, looking down at him from above, and said slowly, ‘To the southwest, on the road to Yanzhou, I’ve already been there.’

Hearing this, Chen Shao’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot.

‘You…!’

‘I told you, after following the prince for so many years, you should know best the fate of traitors.’ She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and returned the dagger to her waist. ‘In the netherworld, your family will soon be reunited.’

‘…’

Chen Shao breathed his last, consumed by unwillingness and hatred.

He glared with wide eyes, refusing to close them in death.

Sheng Zhaoning stared into Chen Shao’s eyes, standing in silence for a moment.

After the slaughter, the forest was eerily quiet.

In the late autumn of Liangzhou, the air already carried a sharp chill.

Sheng Zhaoning hadn’t slept for days, and her exhaustion had reached its peak. She surveyed the surroundings, ensuring there were no survivors, then finally relaxed her taut nerves and let out a slow breath.

She felt no particular emotion about Chen Shao’s death.

Abandoned by her birth parents when she was an infant, she had been saved by Prince Zhenbei, who took her in and brought her back to his residence.

To her, the Wei Clan was an existence to which she must be utterly loyal. Even though Chen Shao had been her comrade in arms, she would show no mercy if his actions harmed the Wei Clan.

Sheng Zhaoning averted her gaze and bent down with difficulty to pick up the fallen sword.

Her back was now thoroughly soaked with cold sweat, the wound on her shoulder had gone numb with pain, loose strands of hair clung to Sheng Zhaoning’s face, and large patches of blood spread out on her shoulder, then dripped down along the hem of her clothes-a horrifying sight.

Chen Shao had fought on battlefields for many years and was accustomed to using a heavy blade. The wound cut deep to the bone, a bloody mess, gruesome and ugly.

She took a deep breath, forced down the dizziness, found a place to sit, and gritting her teeth, tore open the clothing on her shoulder.

With a ‘riiiip’, as the fabric tore, a fierce wave of pain surged.

Sheng Zhaoning’s vision went black, and her entire body shuddered violently. She couldn’t help but clench her jaw, and her lower lip was bitten until beads of blood seeped out.

Gritting her teeth, suppressing any cry, she took out the wound medicine she carried with a trembling left hand, endured the acute pain as she sprinkled it on the wound, then tore off another strip of cloth to hastily bandage it, barely managing to stop the bleeding.

After all this, she slumped against the tree in exhaustion, her face deathly pale, her entire body drenched in sweat and covered in blood.

She was in great pain, but she also seemed accustomed to such pain.

Over the years, she had suffered countless injuries, large and small, and almost every time she had gritted her teeth, cut open the rotting flesh, and poured styptic powder onto the wound until the bleeding stopped.

Just like now.

She sat with her eyes closed for a long time, until the pain gradually numbed, then looked up at the sky.

It was already dusk.

It was time to return and report.

She leaned on her sword and shakily stood up. Before she could take a step, her ears caught the chaotic sound of hoofbeats.

Sheng Zhaoning’s heart jolted in alarm. She gripped her sword and warily looked toward the source of the sound.

‘Seize her!’

A cold, stern voice came from the distance.