170 Clinging to Life on the Cliff

arily careless" Mosiyao sneered coldly, "It seems Cold Official has forgotten why the Imperial Guard exists in the first place. Knowing that there were intruders in the palace, regardless of whether o...Clinical Death on the Cliff

The group ascended the mountain and along the way, Ye Li noticed that a few of the covert guards left their team at Mo Hua's gesture. Ye Li knew they were going to try to lure any pursuers who might follow them away. Watching silently as the covert guards departed quietly, Ye Li followed in silence behind another one of the trailblazers heading uphill. The pursuers seemed to arrive quickly; not long after, she could hear sounds of a crowd and short skirmishes coming from afar, but they gradually faded away, clearly having been led in the opposite direction. Mo Hua turned around and looked at the distant place where the sounds had grown fainter and frowned. "My Lady, those who came up the mountain don’t seem to be royal troops," he said. Ye Li silently nodded her head; that group of people could have arrived from below so quickly, they definitely weren't ordinary soldiers. Obviously, each one of them was an expert. "People from Lei Zhenting's camp."

Zhuo Jing said, "Prince Southern Command’s estate has a secret private security force called the Golden Robe Guard. They number around a thousand and are normally responsible for guarding Prince Southern Command’s estate. Every time Prince Southern Command goes to war, they accompany him. It's because of their existence that Prince Southern Command was able to survive numerous times on the battlefield. Including when he lost to Old Commander-in-Chief in the past; it was this Golden Robe Guard who fought nearly all their men and saved him. The Golden Robe Guard saved Prince Southern Command’s life, although they were almost completely routed. But after that incident, Prince Southern Command reformed them." As Ye Li walked up the mountain, she asked, "Hasn’t the covert guard received any information about this" Zhuo Jing replied, "Ever since the Golden Robe Guard was nearly annihilated when trying to save Prince Southern Command from Old Commander-in-Chief, they haven't appeared in public. Almost everyone thinks that they no longer exist. It’s what Young Master Bright Moon told his subordinates before leaving." Walking through the forest, Ye Li thought for a moment and asked, "How does the Golden Robe Guard compare to Qilin"

Without much thought, Zhuo Jing answered, "Not as good. The Golden Robe Guard only trains in martial arts; they just need to ensure Prince Southern Command’s safety and occasionally follow his orders to handle some people. Young Master Bright Moon meant that their skills won’t be worse than the covert guard."

The group felt rather heavy-hearted, as even if ordinary elite soldiers came and there were only a hundred or two of them, they might not be able to handle it.

They hurriedly walked until they reached the edge of a cliff halfway up the mountain. Although this was just halfway up the mountain, the mountains in northwestern areas were quite high, especially at the beginning of winter; when looking down from the cliff under the night sky, there would only be a sea of white clouds and nothing could be seen below. Looking at the cliff before them, Ye Li turned around to ask, "How far is it to the other side" Mo Hua thought for a moment and said, “About fifteen or sixteen zhang.” Ye Li thought about it and nodded her head as she asked, "How are everyone’s skills Can anyone cross over" Mo Hua nodded; apart from two covert guards who were somewhat worse off with their kung fu, the rest could all cross. To the two covert guards, Ye Li said, “You can either go down together or separately. Be careful not to alert the pursuers. If there are too many people below, wait a little longer.” The two covert guards paused in surprise and looked helplessly at Ye Li. Ye Li sighed softly, "Hurry up then; it's just you two. We will be crossing over soon anyway. There’s no point for you to stay." Behind her, Mo Hua silently nodded his head as well. After bowing once to Ye Li, the two covert guards turned and quickly disappeared into the darkness.

"Alright then, get ready; Master Mo has seen this terrain before, so he'll go first," Ye Li said and turned to Mo Hua.

Mo Hua didn’t delay. With a step, he flew across to the other side of the cliff. After landing, from where they were standing on this side, all that could be seen was a blurry silhouette in the mist; Ye Li waved her hand and let several covert guards cross over one after another. When it came to Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin, neither wanted to go first. Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you planning to do" Zhuo Jing said seriously, “My Lady’s kung fu skills have been seen by my subordinate and Wei Lin before. You can't cross over.” Ye Li was stunned for a moment then finally gave a helpless smile; if she had known about this day sooner, even if it killed her, she would still practice diligently until she mastered the kung fu skill. Her original level of kung fu could only be considered mediocre and now there was an unpleasant sensation in her abdomen as well, so trying to fly across herself was simply a pipe dream. Ye Li gave Zhuo Jing a sideways glance and asked, "Can you carry me over" Zhuo Jing lowered his head and gritted his teeth, saying, “I can’t.” A cliff that’s fifteen or sixteen zhang high requires first-rate kung fu skills to cross it alone; if one wanted to bring another person across, they would need not just excellent kung fu but also peak-level inner strength. Wei Lin smiled blandly and said, "My subordinate can't either, so we’re staying behind with the Lady."

The distant noise could already be faintly heard. Ye Li glared at the two of them unhappily and said, "Nonsense! Are you here to accompany me in waiting for death"

A dark figure flew over from across the river, landing on the ground and frowning as he looked at the three of them. "Why aren't you leaving yet" His gaze paused on Ye Li; Mo Hua suddenly remembered that Lady Wang had only practiced internal strength and lightness skill for more than a year. This distance was beyond her ability to leap over using lightness skill. "My apologies, Your Excellency, I hadn’t considered this possibility thoroughly," said Mo Hua. "Please allow me to take Lady Wang across." Ye Li looked at him with a smile as she asked, "How confident are you" Mo Hua remained silent for a moment before he replied gravely, "I am only two percent certain of success." If it were daytime, his confidence might be higher by another ten percent. However, the sky was dark and misty now; he could not guarantee more than twenty percent success in crossing over safely. Ye Li shook her head and smiled. "Then that means we have an eighty percent chance of falling off a cliff and dying You guys go first, I will figure out how to cross on my own." How could Zhuo Jing and the others agree with this Wei Lin said, “In that case, please allow Lady Wang to cross over first. It won’t take us long.” Mo Hua frowned and said, "The pursuers are getting closer and if they really are all skilled martial artists, we will not be able to escape even after crossing the river because they will have already discovered our tracks."

The three of them were equally stubborn. Ye Li could only say, “Mo Hua and Wei Lin go first. Zhuo Jing will stay behind.” She took out a coil of rope from one of her bags and handed it to Wei Lin. Wei Lin silently accepted it and leaped into the mist on the opposite side of the riverbank. Zhuo Jing watched as Ye Li secured the rope around a tree at the edge of the cliff and asked, "Lady Wang..." Ye Li smiled helplessly. "Actually... I am only fifty percent certain that this will work." The two sides of the cliff were not very helpful—on their side it was lower and on the other side it was higher, meaning that she could not slide across using a less strenuous method because she would have to pull herself over slowly using the rope. Because of her pregnancy, she couldn’t even use overly dangerous moves. After securing the rope, Ye Li was just about to start moving when an arrow whistled through the trees and grazed past her side. Quickly, a group of black-clad men rushed out from the woods, surrounding the two of them at the edge of the cliff.

"Lady Wang of Ding Kingdom We do not wish to harm you. Please come with us." The leader of the black-clad men stared at Ye Li; his sinister eyes were filled with malice and greed. Ye Li released the rope and said coolly, "Western Capital Southern King, Golden Guard" The man’s expression turned grim as he sneered. "Lady Wang knows quite a lot. Since you know who we are, please do not resist us unnecessarily, for if you get hurt, it will be difficult to explain this to His Excellency the king." Ye Li raised an eyebrow and asked softly, “What happens if I don’t listen” The man grinned savagely. "Lord Wang is in a very bad mood because of matters in Hong Prefecture. If anything happens to Lady Wang at that time, Lord Wang will not hold her accountable for it. Our lord is a great hero who truly admires the Lady Wang of Ding Kingdom and wonders why she insists on following a good-for-nothing like Mo Xiuyao. He has also said that if you agree to come back with us, he will grant you the title of Southern Queen Consort. As for that cripple—!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Two arrows pierced through the air, leaving two bleeding cuts on each side of the talking man’s face and neck.

Ye Li stared coldly at the man across from her and said icily, "If you insist on finding death, I will gladly grant your wish!" The man touched his wound on his neck involuntarily and sucked in a breath. When he heard Ye Li’s cold words, he was chilled to the bone and could not reply.

"Since Lady Wang refuses to see reason, please do not blame us for being rude!" The leader of the black-clad men frowned deeply and waved his hand. "Seize Lady Wang!"

The Golden Guardsmen rushed forward and Zhuo Jing blocked them off around Ye Li. Mo Hua and Wei Lin on the opposite side also realized what was happening and returned to join their fight as well.

As expected of the elite Golden Guard, whose fighting prowess could rival that of the Dark Guard; in a one-against-ten situation, the Dark Guard had no chance. Ye Li looked at the already outmatched Dark Guardsmen who were now down by two men and took in a deep breath as she shouted loudly, "Mo Hua, take everyone and retreat immediately!" Mo Hua did not stop his hand movements; he skewered a Golden Guardsman’s chest with one sword thrust while saying, “The Dark Guard prioritizes the safety of Lady Wang above all else. We cannot follow your orders.” Ye Li cut the throat of one of the Golden Guardsmen with her left hand and stepped back to an angle, using her right hand to press on her abdomen which was aching; she said, "Do you think there’s any point now Retreat!"

Mo Hua did not reply; his actions became even more ruthless, clearly showing that he would disobey orders. Ye Li felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, about to speak when a figure flashed across the night sky and lunged toward her.

Ye Li raised her sword to strike out; the man moved aside and grabbed Ye Li’s arm and said, “It’s me.”

Ye Li was stunned. "Han Mingyue Why are you here"

Han Mingyue looked somewhat disheveled, no longer the graceful and elegant figure he was before. He grabbed Ye Li and said, "Hurry up! Prince of Nanzheng is here." Upon seeing Han Mingyue, Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin were delighted. They skillfully moved aside the golden-robed guards in front to protect them and said, "Mr. Han, take the princess away first." Han Mingyue nodded, grabbed Ye Li, and was about to fly over to the other side.

"Han Mingyue, how dare you!" A heavy male voice filled with anger echoed from within the forest. At the same moment, a forceful wind as solid as a physical object struck toward Han Mingyue. He was still in mid-air and had someone else on his back, making him somewhat embarrassed and dodge this powerful gust of wind. His inner strength was briefly stifled, causing his body that was originally soaring through the air to fall back onto the ground. A white tear appeared on the shirt covering his shoulder, stained with a faint red color. Prince of Nanzheng stepped out from the forest, followed by Su Zuodie who had left Hongzhou together with Han Mingyue. Her fair face was now filled with self-satisfaction and schadenfreude, smiling at Ye Li.

The moment Prince of Nanzheng arrived, everyone stopped fighting immediately. Mo Hua and the others retreated to form a half-circle around Ye Li to protect her from behind. The prince looked at Ye Li standing pale-faced among the crowd, with complex glinting in his eyes. Looking at the corpses on the ground, he nodded approvingly: "Indeed, you are worthy of being Prince Ding’s secret agent; my golden-robed guards do still fall short." Zhuo Jing coldly sneered, "Your Excellency is too modest. The role and responsibilities of the secret agents from Prince Ding’s household cannot be compared to that of your golden-robed guards." As soon as these words left his mouth, he ridiculed how timid and fearful the prince was; otherwise, why would he specifically train a thousand people for protection when only one person needed it However, the prince did not get angry. He looked at Ye Li and smiled, "You are great, far exceeding my expectations. As long as you come to me, I will forgive everything that has happened before."

"Your Excellency…" Su Zuodie disapprovingly cooed but was frightened by the prince’s cold glance, swallowing her displeasure back down.

Ye Li looked at the prince who seemed determined and smiled slightly: "Prince, you have surprisingly fast legs. Ye Li admires that. I believe Your Excellency has already dealt with everything inside and outside of Hongzhou city appropriately. However… doesn’t Prince Nanzheng care even a bit about the hundred thousand reinforcements on the northwest border" The prince’s face darkened slightly but soon he laughed, "Indeed, I am somewhat worried about the matter of the reinforcements. But… having women under my command is something unprecedented in my lifetime. Therefore… I think you are more important to me. Furthermore… for some reason, I suddenly feel that losing the Princess might be even more painful to Prince Ding than losing the northwest region. And besides… if this Princess Ding became my Consort of Prince Nanzheng…" It seemed he found the idea increasingly appealing; thus, the prince could not help but laugh aloud. The cloud of gloom on his face because of Hongzhou’s loss vanished instantly. Su Zuodie next to him turned pale at his words and glared fiercely at Ye Li but dared not speak another word due to the prince’s authority.

Ye Li coldly laughed, "It seems Prince is overthinking."

The prince leisurely said, "We’ll soon know whether I am overthinking or not. Little Li, just wait obediently and become my consort."

"Urgh…" Finally unable to bear the discomfort in her chest, Ye Li turned sideways toward a tree trunk and heaved.

The cliff edge fell silent instantly; Prince of Nanzheng glared at the woman vomiting incessantly while leaning on the tree trunk with a sallow face. Han Mingyue casually treated his wound and smiled amicably: "Prince, it seems that Princess Ding does not have much interest in being your consort. Why force someone to do something they are unwilling" Wei Lin scoffed, "Some people want to eat swan meat but are merely lazy toads; their wishes are unrealistic." None of the golden-robed guards dared to speak up recklessly. The princess threw up because she was determinedly against becoming his consort, indicating her extreme aversion towards this suggestion. They did not dare to open their mouths either, as it might backfire and cause them discomfort.

The prince’s face turned sallow; he coldly sneered: "Do you think that by doing so, you can delay time Do not worry, I will leave your life for you to go and inform Mo Xiuyao to attend the establishment ceremony of my consort. Seize Princess Ding!"

The battle on the cliff resumed once more; Prince of Nanzheng did not intend to watch from the side. Instead, he lunged towards Ye Li without hesitation. Zhuo Jing and Wei Lin charged forward intending to intercept him, but were swept aside after just a couple of moves. Han Mingyue and Mo Hua flanked and attacked Prince of Nanzheng from both sides; although the prince only had one arm, his palm qi was sharp as a knife in between his movements, forcing them to use nearly all their strength to barely block and not retreat. The prince lightly hummed and smiled: "So-called young heroes, even with Mo Xiuyao’s power when he was still a teenager, you think you can stop me Go away!" He aimed a palm at Han Mingyue's chest; startled, Han Mingyue quickly did an empty-handed side roll to dodge, falling to the ground on one side. However, he was immediately surrounded by several golden-robed guards. Solving the issue with Han Mingyue, Prince of Nanzheng used the same method to avoid Mo Hua and arrived in front of Ye Li within just seven or eight moves. In the face of overwhelming power, any fancy moves had no meaning whatsoever.

Ye Li flipped the dagger in her hand and quickly stabbed it towards Prince Duan. The intense vomiting she had just experienced and the fatigue from recent days not only made her face pale but also caused a noticeable loss of strength at an alarming rate. Prince Duan sidestepped to dodge, then engaged Ye Li in several moves with good spirits. He grabbed her wrist with a smile on his face: "Your martial skills are impressive; however, your inner energy is lacking. If you had started training as a child, your talent would have placed you among the world's top martial artists. Unfortunately… wait, what" The person who held Ye Li’s wrist paused and Prince Duan’s expression turned stern. He shouted loudly: "You, Lady Ding! You truly remain loyal to Mo Xiuyao. I will certainly make this bastard…"

"Scum, die!" Su Zuidie, not far away, watched the scene with a twisted face and lifted her hand to reveal a hidden weapon tied on her wrist, aiming it at Ye Li. A cluster of silver needles shot towards Ye Li like sudden rain. Han Mingyue, who was entangled with the Golden Robe Guards, paled in horror: "Zuidie, don’t!" It was too late, however; as soon as a flash of silver light signaled the release of the hidden weapon, Han Mingyue had no time to think and slashed away the nearby Golden Robe Guard before flying forward. Meanwhile, Prince Duan heard Su Zuidie’s voice and turned his head just in time for Ye Li to flip her wrist and leave a blood mark on Prince Duan's hand with the dagger. Hurt by the wound, Prince Duan let go of Ye Li's hand. Ye Li slipped and fell towards the cliff edge.

"Ye Li!"

"Lady!"

Prince Duan was quick to react, reaching out to grab her, but instead met a faint smile and gleaming dagger in Ye Li's hand. The unforgiving blade forced him to withdraw his hand faster than he extended it. As Prince Duan was an amputee, releasing his grip meant there was no way for him to catch Ye Li again. Staring at the smiling woman falling down with her silent message: You… Can't hurt my child…

A silver dart shot up from below the cliff, exploding into a blood bloom on Prince Duan's chest. Startled by this sudden pain, he looked down to see the dagger in his chest. The force was not enough to hit the vital spots; he held onto the blade: "Ye Li…"

"Lady!"

— Interlude —

The female lead is now dead. This chapter concludes… Haha, don’t throw things at me, just kidding. The basic introduction of this volume is true. Although falling off a cliff and such are very cliché, I felt quite inspired writing it. Ye Li won’t be harmed; should I give her an adventure to make up for itrong with his posture when taking up the post!By the time the Third Young Master came back to his senses and turned around, Hua Tianxiang had given him a glare before running away. The Third Young Mas...