Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 23 Fight to the Death
"Sixth Miss, be careful!"

The square-faced soldier had been keeping a close eye on Pei Qinghe. When he saw Wu San rush over like lightning, he immediately shouted a warning at the top of his lungs.

Wu San swung his knife in response.

The square-faced soldier's right arm flew off along with blood, and he fell to the ground with a scream.

The fighting inside the post station was brutal, with death and blood everywhere; everyone was fighting for their lives. No one cared about the miserable state of the square-faced soldier.

Pei Qinghe turned around, raised her long sword, and clashed with Wu San's long sword in mid-air.

Both of their hands went numb at the same time.

Pei Qinghe remained calm, and with a flick of her right wrist, her blade flashed with fierce speed.

Wu San was shocked and caught off guard, his chest was ripped open by the knife. A burning pain shot through him, and blood gushed out, staining his clothes red.

It was just a superficial wound, not a vital injury, but it aroused Wu San's anger and ferocity.

He was a master swordsman under the King of Wei, his longsword almost unmatched. Countless souls had perished by his blade. Tonight, however, he suffered a setback, wounded by a mere young girl wielding his most proficient weapon: the longsword!

His Highness Prince Wei wants her alive. He can't kill Pei Qinghe, but before capturing her alive, he wants to give her a bloody lesson she'll never forget!

Wu San's face was gloomy as he wielded his long sword with deadly precision.

Pei Qinghe's longsword moved unpredictably, its movements fierce and ruthless.

Those who got too close were easily injured. After two piercing screams, the people around retreated, making way for a clearing.

While Captain Sun was fighting fiercely, he only glanced at the scene briefly and couldn't tell who had the upper hand.

Lieutenant Sun was in a terrible predicament. His soldiers were adept at escorting the families of disgraced officials for extortion, but when it came to actual combat, few were any real fighters. Tonight's attackers were another group of ruthless bandits who had tasted blood. The soldiers were no match for them.

Fortunately, they had been lying in wait at the wall and had used their arrows to kill many of the bandits. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to hold out for long.

While wielding his sword and fighting fiercely, the guard Gao moved closer to Pei Qinghe.

He was a personal guard of the Prince of Zhangwu, ordered by the prince to protect the women of the Pei family. If anything happened to the women of the Pei family, he would certainly be held accountable.

Especially this Miss Pei. Those who have been through it all understand the subtle feelings of the Prince of Zhangwu. It's one thing if someone else gets injured, but if something happens to Miss Pei, he'll have no face to return to serve the Prince.

The guards of the Eastern Palace worked in perfect unison, brandishing their swords to defend themselves while simultaneously gathering towards Miss Pei.

Even if Miss Pei is skilled, she is still a young girl who hasn't reached adulthood. Her opponent is nine feet tall, with a strong build and fierce swordsmanship; he is a true master.

In a duel of longswords, the outcome would be decided in a matter of life and death. There was no time for hesitation or distraction. They had to rush over as soon as possible to protect Miss Pei!

Pei Yun was extremely anxious, Pei Yan's eyes were bloodshot, and Mao Hongling was holding a long spear; they were all rushing towards Pei Qinghe.

Seeing that she couldn't get there in time, Wu Xiuniang, who was far away, raised her longsword and fought fiercely. She shouted, "Everyone, grab your weapons! Kill!"

Pei Feng and Pei Xuan were too young to fight, so when the enemy charged, they climbed over the wall and hid in the cellar.

The cellar wasn't large; it was originally used to store cabbages and radishes. Now it was crammed with young children and old women. The children, unaware of the danger, hid in the dark cellar, frightened and wanting to cry, but their mouths were covered: "Don't cry. If you disturb the evil people, we'll be dead."

Pei Yue hid in her grandmother Lu's arms, clutching Lu's clothes, sobbing, "Where is my cousin Qinghe? Why didn't she hide inside?"

She was leading her people in a desperate struggle.

Madam Lu opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word; tears streamed down her face. Qinghe was only a thirteen-year-old girl, not yet of marriageable age. Yet she shouldered the heavy responsibility of being the head of the Pei clan, upholding the Pei family's honor, and carrying the lives of hundreds of Pei family members on her shoulders…

Instead of helping her own granddaughter, she constantly put on airs, made things difficult, and complained.

She's so senile, she deserves to die!
Chen's eyes also reddened. For the first time in her life, she put away her sharp tongue and clasped her hands together in a devout prayer to God.

Heaven opened its eyes and protected the Pei family and Qinghe, allowing them to survive this calamity.

Swish!
With a flash of the longsword, a bloody gash appeared on Wu San's left arm.

In a brief exchange, Pei Qinghe had gained the upper hand. Pei Qinghe suffered only one minor injury, while Wu San had four knife wounds of varying severity.

Enraged, Wu San ignored the pain from his wounds and completely forgot his order to capture Pei Qinghe alive. He unleashed a ruthless attack, willing to risk his life for hers, and slashed down with his longsword.

The force of that strike was enough to cleave a teenage girl in two.

The guard, who had already rushed close, was horrified. However, at this moment, he was far too late. In his panic, he mustered all his strength and hurled his long sword.

A flash of light, and it went straight for Wu San's back.

Wu San didn't dodge; his longsword slashed down without hesitation. A guard rushed over and parried with his spear, deflecting the sword and sending it flying diagonally into the air.

A sharp, cold glint flashed overhead. Pei Qinghe had nowhere to dodge, nor did she intend to. She swiftly swung her knife, blocking the fatal blow. Her left foot flew up, delivering a powerful kick to Wu San's groin.

An indescribable, excruciating pain struck.

Wu San staggered backward, tears streaming down his face, his face contorting in agony.

The next moment, a sharp pain shot through my chest.

A sharp longsword pierced his chest.

Wu San looked up in shock, and the last thing he saw was an extremely cold-blooded girl's face, her expression icy and her dark eyes like cold stars.

No one knows what Wu San was thinking in his last moments before he died.

What I think doesn't matter anymore.

Wu San collapsed, his eyes wide open in despair, staring unblinkingly in the direction of the imperial palace in the capital.

Pei Qinghe never wasted a single moment on the battlefield. She drew her longsword and immediately charged towards the nearest guard. Before the guard's horrified eyes, she decapitated him. She then urged the stunned guard, Gao, "Quickly find a weapon and continue killing!"

They had a considerable number of men, but few were truly skilled fighters who had seen blood. Besides her, Guard Gao was the most capable, several of the Crown Prince's guards were also quite good, and Captain Sun was usable. There were also a few barely passable soldiers.

We must take advantage of the fact that their leader has been killed and their morale has collapsed to completely crush them!
The guard, Gao, snapped out of his shock, quickly crouched down, and picked up a knife.

Pei Qinghe was like a killing god, killing every enemy she saw! Almost no one could last ten moves against her!

The worship and following of the strong has long been ingrained in the blood of warriors.

The guard, holding a long sword, followed behind Pei Qinghe.

Several palace guards silently followed.

The nearby soldiers also gathered around, like fireflies chasing a dazzling flame.

(End of this chapter)