His eyes went cold. The westerner had told him that a trap door could be constructed through the use of gears as pulleys. No one would be able to escape once the door was shut.

Jun Huang had noticed the change in Nan Xun’s expression, but her foot landed on an elevated pane before she could ask what was wrong. A click, and the trap was triggered.

Despite her lack of knowledge in mechanisms such as this, Jun Huang was able to figure out what was happening quickly. Before she could react, however, Nan Xun had pulled her into his arms.

Three arrows shot out of the holes on the wall and came at Jun Huang. Nan Xun had been quick enough to prevent her from getting hurt, but his hand was scraped by the arrows. His torn sleeve revealed a bleeding wound along his palm.

Jun Huang startled and took Nan Xun’s wrist. “You – are you alright?”

Her voice trembled in fear. Nan Xun, on the other hand, didn’t pay that much attention to his injury. He nodded and gently petted Jun Huang’s head. “Don’t forget that I’m the chief general of Northern Qi. I won’t be intimidated by a little injury like this, or my soldiers are going to laugh at me.”

Nan Xun’s tone was casual. It was as if he truly didn’t care. Jun Huang, however, knew that he must be in more pain than he let on. The arrows were old and were covered in rust. She knew without looking that the rust must have been scraped off when the arrow cut through Nan Xun’s flesh.

The arrows were dulled by time, but that only made it more painful for Nan Xun.

Jun Huang blamed herself for getting Nan Xun hurt. Nan Xun could tell what she was thinking. While he was exasperated by her tendency to take responsibility for everything, he was also pleased by Jun Huang’s concerns for him.

“Come on, I don’t want to stay here forever,” Nan Xun said.

“Alright.” Jun Huang made her way up with a hand supporting Nan Xun. She was being as careful as she could be, but the triggered trap could not be untriggered.

A few arrows shot out of the wall again. She kept a hand on Nan Xun’s back as she wielded Nan Xun’s sword with the other to block the arrows. The sound of arrows clashing with blade rang through the silent building. Sparks illuminated the place like fireworks.

Jun Huang wasn’t a professional, and the arrows seemed to have a life of their own. They slipped through the cracks of her defense and came at her.

Nan Xun shot out a hand to catch the arrows. He was good enough to not get hurt in the process. However, the wound on his palm split. He sucked in a breath and quickly hid his hand. He didn’t want Jun Huang to worry too much.

Jun Huang had heard him nonetheless. She turned around and saw his pale face. There was blood dripping down his fingers, hitting the floor and exploding into crimson flowers.

Jun Huang’s eyes hardened. Something had to be done. Nan Xun was hurt because of her. She must keep him safe, or she would never forgive herself. What was more, she would exhaust herself if she didn’t find a way to disarm the trap, which would lead to their defeat. She would not give up so easily. Jun Hao was waiting for her.

The determination in her eyes made one of men spying on them smiled in approval. He was even more impressed when he saw what Jun Huang did next.

Jun Huang took a deep breath to push down her fear. She looked wise and perfectly in control. Nan Xun relaxed when he saw her expression. It was good that Jun Huang had not lost her calm because of the unforeseen incidents.

Nan Xun stayed at her side as her gaze swept through the hidden compartments on the wall. She pulled her lips into an intimidating smile.

One of the men frowned when he saw her face. He stroke a hand over his white beard and nodded.

“What do you think of these two?” The old man asked. The owner of the tea house was jerked out of his trance. He turned to the old man with a respectful expression.

“They are good candidates,” he said after a pause. “The House of Heavenly Fiends had not seen anyone like them for a long time.”

The old man nodded, his eyes following Jun Huang. “Yes, we need some fresh blood,” he said with a smile. “With new talent joining, we will be taking a backseat.”

Jun Huang had figured out the connections between the compartments in the wall. With a decisive cut, the traps were disarmed. The arrows would not be launched from the wall anymore. The old man’s clouded eyes lit up.

Jun Huang let out a long breath. Cold sweat dropped to the floor. The sound rang through the narrow pathway. She almost collapsed when her knees went weak. Fortunately Nan Xun had been keeping an eye on her. He noticed her condition and caught her. He was going to massage her temples for her, but something warm landed on his hand.

“We – we’re okay,” Jun Huang said with trembling voice. They had been so close to death. She barely had enough strength to speak those words.

Nan Xun’s heart skipped a beat. He wiped away her tears gently. Jun Huang might be cunning and intelligent, but she was still a princess. What they had been through was a heavy burden on her. This was a normal reaction.

Jun Huang was able to calm herself more quickly than Nan Xun expected. She pulled away from Nan Xun’s hand and took a deep breath as she looked forward. “The exit should be right ahead,” she said with a forced smile. “Let’s go.”

Nan Xun was going to say something, but Jun Huang didn’t give him the opportunity. She broke into long strides. Nan Xun shut his mouth and followed her.

As Jun Huang predicted, the exit wasn’t far away. They came to a wall – it may seem like a dead end, but that was precisely why this was the way out.

“The door of death can be the door of life, and the door of life can sometime lead to death,” Jun Huang whispered under her breath, smoothing a hand over the writings on the wall. Her fingers settled on the word “life.” After a moment of hesitation, she pushed. The word sunk into the wall.