Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Meanwhile, on the cliffs on both sides of Black Wind Canyon, Xiao Lie, Zhou Kui, Sun Laogui and others had already been lying in ambush, their eyes fixed on the direction of the canyon entrance, their expressions varied.

"Chief Xiao, look, isn't that one of Prince Bei Jing's men?"

Zhou Kui pointed at the approaching procession in the distance, lowering his voice as he said, his eyes filled with excitement and ruthlessness, "Wait a minute, why are they all Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards)? That carriage in the middle looks like the one Lin Daiyu, the daughter of the Lin family, rides in!"

Xiao Lie looked in the direction he was pointing, his pupils suddenly contracted, and a lewd and greedy glint flashed in his eyes. He gripped the long sword in his hand tightly.

"It really was her carriage! Zhou Kui, you were right!"

Having said that, he was about to raise his hand to signal his men to act, but Old Man Sun suddenly grabbed his wrist, his expression urgent, and whispered a reprimand:

"Chief Xiao, no! You absolutely mustn't make a move!"

"What are you doing?!" Xiao Lie whirled around, glaring at Old Ghost Sun, his tone fierce. "I finally got this chance, and you dare to stop me? Do you want to back out, not take the bounty, not seek revenge?"

"Chief Xiao, revenge and collecting the bounty are important, but we absolutely must not harm Lin Daiyu!"

Old Ghost Sun lowered his voice, his tone urgent, his eyes filled with apprehension.

"A few days ago, I was gathering information outside the city when Lu Bingming saw me. He specifically warned me that if I dared to touch a single hair on Lin Daiyu's head, he would exterminate my entire family and even uproot the Green Dragon Gang and Zhou Family Village!"

"You know Lu Bingming's methods. He means what he says. If we harm Lin Daiyu, even if we kill Prince Bei Jing, we will not have a good ending!"

"What's there to be afraid of in a mere commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Xiao Lie scoffed disdainfully, his lewdness undiminished. "Once we kill Prince Bei Jing and collect the bounty, we'll flee far away. What can he do to us then? Such a stunning beauty—if we miss this chance today, we'll never have another!"

"Chief Xiao, you're confused!"

Old Man Sun was sweating profusely with anxiety and hurriedly advised...

"Lu Bingming is no ordinary person. He has the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Emperor behind him. Even if we can escape to a distant place, we will not be able to escape the Embroidered Uniform Guard's pursuit!"

"Moreover, Eunuch Jiang only ordered us to kill Prince Bei Jing, not Lin Daiyu. If we ruin Eunuch Jiang's plan, not only will we not get the reward, but all of us will lose our heads!"

Zhou Kui and the others who were standing nearby also realized what was happening and quickly stepped forward to persuade him:

"Chief Xiao, Old Ghost Sun is right, we can't take this risk! Lin Daiyu is untouchable; Lu Bingming's warning was no joke!"

"Yes, Chief Xiao, revenge is paramount, beauty is secondary. We can't afford to lose sight of the bigger picture. If we harm Lin Daiyu, we'll all be doomed!"

"Our target is Prince Bei Jing. As long as we kill him, we can get the bounty and avenge ourselves. Why risk our lives for a woman?"

Everyone chimed in with their own words, earnestly trying to persuade him. Looking at their resolute expressions, and recalling Lu Bingming's authority and the methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xiao Lie's lust and greed were gradually replaced by fear.

He gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Daiyu in the distance, his eyes filled with resentment, but finally released his grip and said in a deep voice:

"Fine! I'll do as you say today and won't touch Lin Daiyu! But I will not let Prince Bei Jing go! Pass down the order to let Lin Daiyu and her entourage go. Everyone hide well and wait for Prince Bei Jing to enter. Then, take action immediately and take his dog's life!"

"Yes, Chief Xiao!" the crowd responded in unison, concealing their auras and repositioning themselves, their eyes fixed on the entrance to the canyon, no longer glancing at Daiyu and her group.

Thus, with Xiao Lie's compromise, Zhao Cai escorted Daiyu and her party safely through Black Wind Canyon.

Although there were bandits lying in ambush along the way, not one of them dared to make a move on their own. They didn't even dare to breathe loudly, watching helplessly as the bandits walked out of the canyon step by step and disappeared into the distance.

Daiyu walked out of the canyon, glanced back at the canyon entrance, her heart filled with worry, yet she also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew that her success was due to both her husband's scheming and the fact that someone was secretly protecting her. She just didn't know who that person was.

At this moment, Shui Rong, along with Xiao Mengzi and the men from the Eastern Depot, was slowly walking towards Black Wind Canyon.

Just as they reached the entrance to the canyon, Gong Ji quietly approached and whispered:

"My lord, the mistress and her entourage have successfully crossed the canyon and are waiting at the south exit. As expected, Xiao Lie and the others did not attack the mistress; they are still lying in ambush on both sides of the canyon, seemingly waiting specifically for you, my lord."

Upon hearing this, Shui Rong paused slightly, a knowing glint in his eyes, and a cold sneer curled at the corner of his mouth.

He looked up at the cliffs on both sides of the canyon, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through the dense forest and see the figures lying in ambush. He murmured to himself:

"As expected, it seems that Black Wind Canyon was never prepared for Yu'er, nor for the accompanying women. It was clearly a place of death and injury tailor-made for me, Shui Rong."

He knew in his heart that Xiao Lie and the others dared not touch Daiyu because Lu Bingming must have warned them. As for why Lu Bingming would protect Daiyu, he himself had not figured it out.

But in any case, Daiyu is now safe, so he has no more worries. Next, it will be time for him to settle accounts with Xiao Lie and those who are hiding in the shadows.

"Gongji, issue the order: everyone be on alert and follow me into the canyon."

Shui Rong's tone was icy, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He took the lead and walked into the depths of Black Wind Canyon with firm steps and without the slightest hesitation.

Although Xiao Mengzi and the men from the Eastern Depot were unwilling, they could only follow closely. Meanwhile, Xiao Lie and the others who were lying in ambush on the cliff watched Shui Rong enter the canyon, and a fierce glint flashed in their eyes. A deadly battle was about to break out in this treacherous Black Wind Canyon.

The night was as black as ink, so thick it seemed impossible to see through. The cliffs on both sides of Black Wind Canyon rose straight into the sky, blocking out all starlight and moonlight.

Only the torches held by Shui Rong and his group cast faint, flickering light in the narrow canyon passage, casting long, swaying shadows on the rock face.

Shui Rong, dressed in a plain brocade robe, walked steadily in the center of the group, his long sword still sheathed at his waist, his eyes scanning the dense forest on both sides warily. Gong Ji followed closely beside him, his long sword gripped tightly, his expression solemn. The guards around him had already dispersed, hidden in front and behind the group, their auras completely concealed, like ghosts lying in wait, always on guard against a surprise attack from the shadows.

Xiao Mengzi, leading the Eastern Depot's elite guards, followed at the rear of the group. His face remained respectful, but a barely perceptible ruthlessness lurked in his eyes. His gaze occasionally swept towards Shui Rong's back, and his fingertips subtly pressed against the short blade at his waist.

That was a secret order from Jiang happy: to assassinate Shui Rong amidst the chaos, and to make sure the attack was successful on the first try. If he failed, he was to commit suicide on the spot, and he was not to leave any evidence against him.

"They're here!"

On the cliff, Xiao Lie lowered his voice, gritted his teeth and uttered two words, his eyes filled with ruthlessness as he stared intently at the tall figure in the canyon.

He suddenly raised his hand, swung it down hard, and shouted, "Attack! Smash them to death!"

Before the words were finished, a series of chaotic sounds suddenly arose from the dense forest on both sides of the cliff.

Countless boulders the size of millstones tumbled down the steep cliff face with tremendous force.

The deafening roar seemed to shake the entire canyon apart.

As the boulder rolled down, it swept down like a flood, carrying with it rubble and dust. Wherever it passed, the rock walls were smashed and debris flew everywhere. The faint light of the torches was instantly shrouded in dust, and the entire canyon was plunged into darkness and chaos.

"Protect the prince!"

Gong Ji shouted sharply, brandishing his long sword and stepping in front of Shui Rong. His bodyguards instantly swarmed around him, their weapons flashing as they slashed at the rolling boulder.

The sounds of clanging and snapping echoed as the blades struck the boulders, sending sparks flying.

However, it could only barely slow down the speed at which the boulder rolled down, and could not stop it completely.

Seeing this, Xiao Mengzi immediately led the Eastern Depot's elite guards forward, feigning to fight alongside the secret guards. The guards' short blades flashed, slicing away the flying shards of stone to cover Shui Rong's retreat, shouting repeatedly:

"Your Highness, hurry! We servants will block these boulders!"