Phoenix Cries Return to Court

The moment the door opened, Lin Xihe quickly got up, darted out from behind the pile of tools, and rushed forward, using the momentum to slide to the inside of the stone door.

Shen Jueyan exerted his strength almost simultaneously, pushing the cart forward sharply, straight into the doorway.

The guards on both sides reacted swiftly, immediately sensing something was wrong. Their expressions changed drastically, and they shouted sharply, "Who goes there!"

"Hurry up, or things will get complicated!" Shen Jueyan whispered.

The two fled forward desperately, passing through winding caves where the flickering candlelight cast long and short shadows on their figures.

The deeper they went, the higher the temperature became, and the stronger the leaden smell grew, intensifying Lin Xi's unease.

Before long, they saw a few stars ahead. The two hurried forward, but stopped abruptly at the cave entrance, frozen in place.

A wave of heat swept over, and dozens of craftsmen were busy carefully pouring molten lead into molds.

The furnace in the center was ablaze with flames, illuminating the entire cave in a fiery red glow. The lead blocks at the furnace opening were melted into scalding liquid by the roaring flames, emitting plumes of white smoke.

Several exquisite boxes beside the stove were filled with small lead balls that had already been made. Those lead balls... were exactly the same as the ones that fell out of the broken pearls in the carriage that day.

"Someone has broken in!" The two were abruptly interrupted by a guard's stern shout.

The cave quickly went into alert mode, the piercing sound of gongs echoing throughout the mine, and guards, wielding long knives, surrounded the area.

"Charge out!" Shen Jueyan roared, and suddenly overturned the cart. Amidst the flying ore, he temporarily blocked the guards who rushed over.

But then, more guards emerged from all corners, armed with weapons, and charged at them. The two stopped retreating and met the enemy head-on.

The fight intensified, and then one of the guards took advantage of a lull in Shen Jueyan's fight with the others to sneak up behind him, raise his sharp blade high, and slash at his back.

Lin Xihe's eyes flashed with anger, and she strode forward, pulling him close and shielding him behind her.

In an instant, she felt a chill on the side of her neck. The guard's blade had almost grazed her neck, severing a strand of hair and leaving a bloody mark.

"Watch out!" Shen Jueyan watched this scene, his heart clenched, and he subconsciously stabbed the guard in the chest with his backhand. With a scream, the guard immediately fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Shen Jueyan asked with a hint of panic.

"I'm fine, just a scrape," Lin Xi replied softly, her gaze still wary and furtive. "There are too many of them. If we fight like this, we'll be worn down eventually. We need to find a way to break through!"

"Okay! Take care of yourself."

The number of enemies was increasing, and they were all clearly well-trained and skilled. The two men were on edge, not daring to relax for even a moment.

Just then, Lin Xihe suddenly felt a faint breeze brush past her ears.

A thought struck her, and she subconsciously looked in the direction the wind was blowing. There she saw several candles burning, their flames flickering and tilting slightly to one side.

Lin Xihe's eyes lit up as she recalled the mining area map she had seen before. Since there was wind here, there must be a passage!

"There's a small passage to the southwest!"

Lin Xihe whispered to the man beside her.

Shen Jueyan's blade flashed suddenly, forcing back the people in front of him. He grabbed Lin Xihe's wrist and said, "Stay close to me!"

The two gripped each other's hands tightly, fighting and retreating as they rushed toward the entrance to the passage.

Seeing this, the guards were not about to let them go and gave chase, their long swords whistling through the wind.

"Be careful!"

Shen Jueyan gave a low shout and suddenly shoved Lin Xihe to the side.

In an instant, a crossbow bolt pierced the spot where Lin Xihe had just been standing, its fletching buzzing as it embedded itself deep into the rubble.

Before the two could react, another arrow flew in with a "whoosh" and struck Shen Jueyan's arm directly! Blood gushed out instantly, staining his sleeve red.

The man grunted, but his hands didn't stop moving. With a backhand slash, he cut down one of the approaching guards.

"Shen Jueyan!" Lin Xihe exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't worry about me! Let's go!"

The man hissed, a fine layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead. A piercing pain shot through his left arm, but his movements didn't falter. He yanked the crossbow bolt out of his left arm and tossed it to the ground, blood gushing out instantly.

He bit his lip hard, his face turning deathly pale, and with all his might, he swung his long sword again. In a flash of cold light, he slashed down an approaching guard.

Lin Xihe stepped forward and helped him up, and the two of them rushed straight towards the entrance of the passage without stopping.

Upon closer inspection, the entrance to the cave was so narrow that only one person could pass through at a time. The cave was pitch black inside, which was quite frightening. However, the gusts of cold wind blowing by proved that this was the exit.

"Go in!"

Shen Jueyan pushed her hard, then swung his sword several times to force back the approaching enemy. Taking advantage of this brief opening, he quickly slipped into the passage.

Almost as soon as he slipped into the passage, several spears pierced the spot where he had just been standing. Had he been a step slower, he would have been pierced through the chest by the spears, and the consequences would have been unimaginable.

The passage was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The air was filled with the damp, musty smell and the scent of earth. The ground underfoot was uneven, covered with gravel and weeds.

The two ran forward desperately, with the enemy's roars and noisy footsteps behind them. The torchlight flickered at the entrance of the alley behind them, indicating that the enemy had also caught up.

"Your injury..." Lin Xihe lowered her voice, her tone full of worry.

"It's nothing, just a minor injury, it's nothing serious."

Shen Jueyan's voice was a little hoarse, and the pain in his left arm made his forehead sweat more and more, but he still held Lin Xihe's hand tightly and said firmly, "We have to leave quickly. That boulder won't hold them off for long. The pursuers will catch up soon."

The two dared not linger for even a moment, running desperately forward through the dark passage. However, the passage seemed to be abandoned, with moss covering the rock walls and a damp smell emanating from it. The footholds were slippery and difficult to maintain, making each step a struggle.

After running for who knows how long, we finally saw a glimmer of light ahead!

The torchlight flickered at the entrance to the passage behind them, casting shifting light on the inner walls, suggesting that the guards were close behind.

The two had been running for an unknown amount of time. Their legs were already sore and weak, their throats were parched, and Shen Jueyan's strength was waning. His left arm wound was bleeding continuously, and every step he took aggravated the wound, causing excruciating pain. His vision was starting to blur, but he still gritted his teeth and held Lin Xihe's hand tightly, not daring to stop for even a moment.

The pursuers behind them remained close, and the torchlight drew ever closer...