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

Shui Rong retreated swiftly, his gaze fixed on the cliff face, his expression cold and stern. He knew this was just the beginning; the real danger was yet to come.

Boulders continued to roll down, and the narrow canyon passage offered no cover. Several guards were caught off guard and were struck hard by the boulders. They screamed in agony and died instantly. Blood stained the gravel beneath their feet, and the stench of blood, mixed with the dust in the dim canyon, became even more pungent.

Danger lurked everywhere, every step teetering on the edge of life and death. Torches were extinguished one after another by boulders, and the canyon grew increasingly dark. Only by the faint light of the rolling boulders could one barely make out the figures around them.

Gong Ji protected Shui Rong, retreating all the way, his long sword flashing in a tight, impenetrable manner, deflecting the flying pebbles and small boulders one by one.

His forehead was already covered in cold sweat, and his arms were hit by rubble, his clothes soaked in blood, but he still gritted his teeth and refused to take a single step back.

Xiao Mengzi followed closely behind Shui Rong, his gaze fixed on Shui Rong's back, the sinister look in his eyes growing stronger. He knew this was the perfect opportunity.

In the chaos, everyone was trying to fend off the boulder, and no one paid attention to his movements. If he were quick and ruthless enough, he could kill them with a single blow.

Just as a massive boulder crashed down, Gong Ji desperately swung his sword to block it, and the guards rushed forward to stop him. In the instant everyone's attention was drawn to the boulder, Xiao Mengzi suddenly darted forward, like a ghost, close to Shui Rong's back.

With a "whoosh," the short blade at his waist was drawn, its cold light flashing, and it pierced straight for Shui Rong's back with astonishing speed, carrying a deadly killing intent!

"Your Highness, be careful!"

Gong Ji caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye, his eyes widened in horror, and he cried out in alarm, trying to turn around to stop it, but he was tightly entangled by the boulder and had no time to break free.

Shui Rong was well-prepared; from the moment he stepped into the canyon, he never let his guard down against Xiao Mengzi.

Sensing the fierce killing intent behind him, he suddenly shifted his body to the side, his steps as light as a butterfly, barely avoiding the fatal blow. With a "whoosh," the short blade pierced into the rock wall beside Shui Rong, the blade deeply embedded in the rock, leaving only half of the hilt visible.

"Oh? You do have some skill."

Shui Rong turned around, her eyes filled with cold mockery. Her tone was indifferent, yet carried a chilling edge. "Jiang happy sent you here just to do this kind of despicable thing?"

Xiao Mengzi's expression changed. He hadn't expected Shui Rong to be prepared. He suddenly drew his short blade and swung it at Shui Rong again, his eyes filled with madness.

"Shui Rong, prepare to die! Lord Jiang has ordered your death; today is your day!"

Shui Rong dodged to the side, his longsword flashing as it was drawn from its sheath with a clang, its cold light gleaming. He then thrust the sword straight at Xiao Mengzi's wrist.

With a "swoosh," the sword tip sliced ​​through Xiao Mengzi's wrist, and blood gushed out.

The short blade clattered to the ground.

Xiao Mengzi cried out in pain and turned to run away, but Gong Ji swiftly stepped forward, grabbed his shoulder, and held a long sword to his neck, his expression icy cold.

"Traitor, trying to escape?"

Little Mengzi trembled all over, his face filled with fear, yet he still stubbornly insisted, "Kill me! Minister Jiang won't let you get away with this! The Empress won't let you get away with this either!"

Shui Rong glanced at him coldly, her tone indifferent: "Keeping him around is still useful."

After saying that, he gave Gong Ji a wink. Gong Ji understood, subdued Xiao Mengzi, and handed him over to the guards behind him. Then he stood in front of Shui Rong again, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

Just then, Xiao Lie, standing atop the cliff, saw that the boulder had failed to kill Shui Rong and that Xiao Mengzi's assassination attempt had also failed. Enraged, he roared:

"Useless! All of you are useless! Since the boulders can't kill them, then charge down and fight them! Kill Shui Rong, and the bounty will be doubled!"

Before the words were finished, countless dark figures climbed down the rock face from the dense forest on both sides of the cliff. They were Xiao Lie, Zhou Kui, Sun Laogui, and the remaining members of the Green Dragon Gang and Zhou Family Village.

Each of them held weapons, their expressions were ferocious, and their eyes were full of ruthlessness and greed. They roared and pounced on Shui Rong and his group, instantly engaging in a fierce battle with the secret guards and the Eastern Depot's elite cavalry.

A fierce hand-to-hand combat broke out instantly.

In the canyon, the flickering torchlight, the clashing of weapons, the screams, curses, and roars mingled together, piercing the silence of the night with a particularly jarring sound.

The secret guards were ruthless and their attacks were deadly. Although some of the Eastern Depot's agents harbored disloyal intentions, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and fight. After all, Xiao Mengzi had already been subdued, and if they retreated now, they would only suffer an even more miserable death.

Wielding a long saber, Xiao Lie charged straight at Shui Rong like a raging beast. His saber flashed, each strike carrying immense force, aimed directly at Shui Rong's vitals.

"Shui Rong, prepare to die! Today, I will avenge my fallen brothers!"

Shui Rong, wielding her longsword, calmly countered the attack. The sword tip flashed, clashing fiercely with Xiao Lie's longsword. A crisp clang rang out, sparks flew, and Shui Rong felt a tingling numbness in her arm, taking a slight step back.

Xiao Lie's martial arts were even stronger than he had expected. In addition, he had been faking his injuries for days, and his body was slightly unsteady. For a time, he was suppressed by Xiao Lie and forced to retreat step by step.

Zhou Kui, clutching his still-healing arrow wound on his shoulder, lunged at Gong Ji with a short sword in hand, his eyes filled with venomous resentment.

"Gongji, I will avenge the one who injured me last time!"

Gong Ji swung his knife backhand and engaged Zhou Kui in a fierce battle. The two exchanged blows, their blades flashing and their clothes stained with blood.

Old Man Sun, hunched over and holding a cane, did not rush forward to fight. Instead, he hid to the side, his eyes warily scanning the battle, his gaze full of calculation.

While observing the fierce battle between Shui Rong and Xiao Lie, he also kept an eye on the surrounding movements.

If Xiao Lie wins, he will step forward to finish him off and seize the bounty;

If Shui Rong wins, he will take the opportunity to escape and report to the Eastern Depot, saying that Xiao Lie ignored his advice and acted on his own.

The battle grew increasingly fierce, with heavy casualties among the secret guards and the Eastern Depot's elite cavalry also losing a significant number of men. Corpses lay scattered on the ground, and blood trickled down the rubble, forming small streams, the stench of blood pungent and unpleasant.

Shui Rong and Xiao Lie were locked in a fierce battle, their swords flashing and their attacks locked in a close contest. Xiao Lie's longsword repeatedly approached Shui Rong's vital points, and Shui Rong, relying on his agile movements, narrowly avoided them time and time again, but gradually his strength began to wane.

Suddenly, Xiao Lie seized an opening, swung his longsword fiercely, and thrust it straight at Shui Rong's shoulder.

Shui Rong dodged to the side, but was still a step too slow. The long knife tore through his brocade robe and pierced into the flesh of his shoulder. Blood gushed out instantly, staining his shoulder red. The intense pain made Shui Rong pause slightly.

"My husband!"

At the southern exit of the canyon, Daiyu heard the sounds of fighting and screams from within. Extremely anxious, she wanted to rush in, but Zhao Cai firmly stopped her.

"Miss Lin, you mustn't! His Highness has ordered me to protect you. The canyon is extremely dangerous; you absolutely mustn't go in. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain myself to His Highness!"

Tears welled in Daiyu's eyes. She gripped her sleeve tightly, gazing towards the depths of the canyon, her voice trembling with emotion.

"But my husband is injured inside, how can I leave him alone? Zhao Cai, let me in, even just to see him!"

Zhao Cai's expression was resolute; he still stubbornly blocked Daiyu's path.

"Miss Lin, your subordinate dares not disobey His Highness's orders! His Highness is a lucky man and will surely turn misfortune into good fortune. Let's wait for His Highness here; I believe he will come out soon!"

In the canyon, Shui Rong was wounded on the shoulder, blood flowing continuously, his face gradually turning pale, but the sharpness in his eyes grew even more intense.

He raised his hand and pressed hard on the wound on his shoulder. With a backhand thrust, he stabbed Xiao Lie in the abdomen. Caught off guard, Xiao Lie's clothes were torn by the sword tip, and he was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly. He did not expect that Shui Rong would still be so powerful after being injured.

"Shui Rong, you're injured, yet you still dare to resist?" Xiao Lie roared, charging forward again with his blade. "Today, I will kill you!"

Shui Rong sneered, enduring the pain in his shoulder, and charged forward again with his longsword in hand. The sword flashed, each strike deadly.

The two clashed again, and the situation became increasingly dangerous, with Shui Rong in danger of being cornered at any moment.

Meanwhile, in Baoding City, Prefect Li Xuan was sitting in the brightly lit main hall of the prefectural government office. He held a secret letter in his hand, his expression solemn, his eyes full of calculation.

The secret letter was delivered by Jiang Xi's trusted confidant, and it contained only one sentence:

Make a move in Black Wind Canyon. Quickly lead your troops there. If Shui Rong is not dead, finish him off on the spot and make sure to eliminate him completely. If Shui Rong is already dead, clean up the scene and frame the bandits.

Li Xuan tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, murmuring softly:

"Emperor Jiang has a clever plan. He sent me with his troops. If it succeeds, the credit will be his; if it fails, I will be the scapegoat. But as a member of the Empress's faction, if I disobey orders, I'm afraid I won't have a good end either."

He pondered for a moment, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes. He abruptly raised his hand and said sternly, "Men! Pass on my order: assemble the garrison troops and rush to Black Wind Valley tonight. They are to await orders and must not be delayed!"

"Yes, sir!"

Outside the government office, a series of orderly responses rang out. Moments later, the sounds of horses' hooves and footsteps mingled together, galloping towards Black Wind Canyon.

Li Xuan ultimately chose to obey Jiang happy's orders and rushed to Black Wind Canyon overnight.

He was going to take a gamble, betting that Shui Rong would die at the hands of bandits, and betting that he could use this achievement to advance his career. If he lost the gamble, he would have to leave it to fate.