Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 87 Enemy or Friend
No wonder the small gate is so safe. It turns out the assassin deliberately left a loophole and had been waiting for a long time.

Tan Huaike became increasingly convinced that the defense plan they had discussed had been leaked.

Both assassins were heading for Zhou Wencong. In their opinion, no matter who this person was, since they had specially arranged for him to be picked up, he must be an important figure, so they would kill him first.

Dragging his heavy feet, Zhou Wencong raised his sword to resist.

With a clang, he took several steps back, nearly collapsing. The effects of the incense hadn't worn off, and his strength hadn't yet recovered. Even using his sword to support himself, he could barely stand, making it difficult for him to fend off the two assassins.

Knowing that he could not sit and wait for death, Tan Huaike gripped the short blade in his hand and stabbed the assassin from behind when he approached Zhou Wencong.

The assassin was caught off guard by her sudden attack and was stabbed in the back. In a rage, he turned around and planned to kill her "coachman" who was ignorant of the danger first.

The flash of the knife passed through his eyes, and suddenly, Tan Huaike thought he was back to that night in the valley.

Fear and despair enveloped her.

Tan Huaike tried his best to dodge sideways, and subconsciously raised his hand, and the short blade hit the assassin's sword, making a ding sound.

sword?
Unlike that time, the assassins in the valley used arrows and scimitars...

How could she be a match for the assassin? Before she could even think, the next move was aimed at her neck. Tan Huaike couldn't help but close his eyes. After surviving for so many days, was he going to die here?

Uncle, brother, are you still waiting for me?
She heard the sound of the sword cutting through the wind, the sound of snowflakes falling, and even the sound of clothes being torn. However, in the next moment, she was dragged by a huge force and swung into the snow.

Tan Huaike opened his eyes in surprise, and a green-faced, fang-toothed evil ghost face came into view.
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She fell heavily to the ground, and the pain brought her back to her senses. It was not an evil ghost, but a masked swordsman.

The swordsman's attack was swift, and the assassin who had just nearly cut Tan Huaike's throat had his own throat cut in the blink of an eye. He then turned around, dislodged the other assassin's hand that was restraining Zhou Wencong, and stabbed him through the chest in a few moves.

Only then did Tan Huaike discover that the assassin's sword was stuck in Zhou Wencong's leg.

"Third Prince!" Tan Huaike rushed forward to check his wound and tried to help him draw his sword with trembling hands.

"It's okay, thank you for risking your life to help me..." Zhou Wencong comforted her and looked at the masked man warily. He had never seen this person before. He didn't look like a soldier of the Zhenxi Army, nor did he look like a guard of the County Magistrate's Mansion. Where did he come from?

The masked man walked over without saying a word, squatted down beside Tan Huaike, who didn't dare to draw her sword, and patted her shoulder.

Tan Huaike looked at the evil ghost with green face and fangs, and he became strangely calm.

The masked man released her trembling hand and drew his sword with swift and steady movements. Zhou Wencong gritted his teeth and endured the pain while Tan Huaike deftly tore off his belt to bandage him.

The clothes she was wearing today were torn here and there and were almost in tatters.

Aisha and Shentu Zhuo, who was disguised as Zhou Wencong, were still fighting inside and outside the warm room. The masked guest looked up.

Tan Huaike helped Zhou Wencong up, and seeing that he hesitated, he asked, "Are you...are you going to help them?"

The masked man shook his head and helped her put Zhou Wencong into the carriage.

Zhou Wencong said: "Ayisha and Badan broke out on their own and will not come with us."

Tan Huaike nodded, supported the carriage frame with his hands, and was about to jump on to drive Zhou Wencong away first, but was stopped by the masked guest who did not let her get on the carriage.

"What's wrong? Why are you stopping me?"

"..." The masked man remained silent, simply refusing to give way. "Are you a friend or foe? You saved me but won't let me get on the carriage. What's your intention?" The man remained silent. Tan Huaike asked suspiciously, "Are you planning to kidnap the Third Prince?"

Seeing him still sitting in the carriage, about to take the disabled Zhou Wencong away, Tan Huaike once again drew her broken blade and placed it across his neck. She knew she was no match for him, but she also saw he had no intention of harming her. She simply wanted to delay for a moment, absolutely not letting this masked man of unknown origin take the Third Prince away.

The masked man snorted coldly, as if he was extremely disdainful. He raised his sword and knocked away Tan Huaike's broken blade. He made a sword flower and gently poked Tan Huaike's shoulder with the hilt of the sword, forcing her to retreat several steps.

Tan Huaike wanted to rush forward again, but Zhou Wencong was afraid that the masked man would be angry, so he hurriedly said, "Don't hurt her, I'll go with you..."

"Who are you, you rat!" A loud shout came from the sky.

Then the two swords collided.

Shen Tu Zhuo, who had temporarily escaped from the assassin, was worried about the place. When he rushed over, he saw that Tan Huaike was severely beaten back by him, Zhou Wencong was slumped in the carriage, and blood was still dripping from the tip of his sword.

"Who are you hiding? Are you an accomplice of the assassin?" Shen Tu Zhuo pressed on with every move. The masked man did not expect his attack to be so swift and fierce, so he had to jump off the carriage to fight.

"Why don't you speak? Are you mute?" As soon as they started fighting, Shentu Zhuo knew that this person was no ordinary person. Unlike the assassin's fierce killing moves, his moves were open and close. They seemed ordinary but were concise and exquisite, making him really difficult to deal with.

Shentu Zhuo knew that he was no match for his opponent, so he wanted to disturb his mind and wait for an opportunity to win.

Unfortunately, no matter how he provoked him, the masked man remained unmoved. He even deliberately exploited his weaknesses when responding, but did not take advantage of the situation to defeat him, as if he was mocking his arrogance.

After several rounds, Shentu Zhuo lost his patience.

After the combo, he flipped the hilt of the sword, trying to pick off his mask. The masked man took two steps back, turned around with the sword on his back, and changed his hand to hold the sword. With this force, he actually picked up the black iron sword in his hand and sent it flying.

This force was so powerful that it made Shen Tu Zhuo's palm numb.

This person obviously did not use his full strength and deliberately avoided the vital parts, otherwise his entire hand would have been cut off.

Shen Tu Zhuo picked up his sword and tried to fight again, but Tan Huaike quickly tried to dissuade him, "Stop! He's not an accomplice of the assassins. He just saved us, and he killed the two assassins on the ground."

"Then why did he hit you?"

"He didn't hit me, he just..."

The masked man remained silent, Tan Huaike himself couldn't explain himself, and Zhou Wencong was even more confused. However, they couldn't argue any longer. Another assassin found Shen Tuzhuo, dressed in the prince's attire, and chased him from upstairs.

Shentu Zhuo pulled Tan Huaike over and walked her to the carriage: "Let's go!"

Strangely, this time the masked man did not push her away. Instead, he reached out and pulled her up, and lifted the curtain for her.

Tan Huaike was stunned for a moment, then dragged the injured Zhou Wencong into the carriage: "Thank you."

The masked man still did not respond, and acted as the coachman, riding away on his horse.

When he reached the end of the street and turned, he turned his head to glance at the warm room.

Shen Tu Zhuo was agile and his moves were more fierce and brutal than those of an assassin. He killed one person in the most labor-saving way, and then deliberately left another alive, probably preparing to torture him to extract a confession.

The masked man turned around and continued walking.

The wheel tracks left traces in the thin snow, which were quickly covered by the falling new snow.
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　Next chapter: Have you ever seen a knight wearing a devil mask?
　　(End of this chapter)