Chapter 1585: Chapter 1585: Time Is Running Out

The mist descended, but more terrifying was the murderous intent lurking behind it. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

They have arrived.

"Be careful."

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

Countless arrows shot from all directions, raining down at high speed. Ye Shikai took out a robe from the Storage Ring, wrapped one arm around Mi Wen’s slender waist, and with a quick twirl of the robe, intercepted all the incoming arrows. Lowering his body, the two of them fell to the ground.

What a well-executed Ten-sided Ambush.

"How are you, are you alright?" Ye Shikai immediately asked, realizing he nearly had Mi Wen in his arms, and subconsciously "gently pushed" her away.

"Cough, cough."

"Don’t worry, I’m fine." Mi Wen wasn’t flustered. Now, as the two lay in the grass, the assassins momentarily lost their target, and the arrows ceased.

"Who are these people, exactly?" Mi Wen pressed.

"I don’t know either."

"Even though I don’t know who they are, they must have come for me." Mi Wen said coldly.

"Not necessarily." Ye Shikai thought, considering that although Mi Wen led a rebel army, he must be "notorious" in the court. After all, he was previously a Qin Army General who openly rebelled in front of the "world"; the court would certainly not let him go.

No matter who the assassins’ target truly was, Ye Shikai couldn’t let them succeed.

"We can’t locate the assassins now, and neither can they find us. Wu County is our territory after all; as long as we hold out, it won’t be long before the main forces arrive, and they will surely retreat." Ye Shikai analyzed. This was the safest strategy, but it might take considerable time.

"I can’t wait that long." Mi Wen flatly rejected. Given her character, being suppressed by assassins in her own territory, unable to raise her head, was truly a dent in her dignity. Their positions were different, and as a lord, her reputation naturally mattered.

"What do you want to do then?"

"Of course, fight our way out. Our troops are outside the bamboo forest; once I get out, I must order them to tear these assassins to pieces." Mi Wen’s face showed anger, clearly indicating her genuine fury.

"Alright, I’ll protect you." Ye Shikai nodded in agreement.

"Let’s charge out together."

Three, two, one.

The two suddenly stood and swiftly moved, transforming into two phantoms racing toward the bamboo forest’s exit. Meanwhile, arrows from all sides

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

"Be careful."

Ye Shikai utilized his Inner Strength to block the incoming arrows from a distance. Their movement technique was so fast, yet these assassins could find gaps to shoot arrows with precise accuracy, a testament to their exceptional marksmanship.

"There’s someone on the left." Suddenly, Mi Wen shouted, as five or six assassins burst from the mist, charging at them with long knives. Without further words, Mi Wen directly stabbed one; Ye Shikai, fearing for her safety, could only protect her closely. The assassins attacked ferociously and swiftly, targeting vital areas, which would have been effortless had they been attacking ordinary people. However, this time, their targets were two cultivators.

"Kill them."

The lead assassin whispered as Ye Shikai pounced forward, delivering a throat-slitting sword slash and swiftly turned, injuring another assassin. Mi Wen also showcased her true ability, effortlessly fending off two or three assassins with her excellent Swordsmanship. Not only was she unharmed, but she also counter-killed all the assassins.

"Kill."

"Kill."

At the same time, assassins from all sides converged, trying to overpower them with numbers.

"Mi Wen, come with me." Ye Shikai, fearing unforeseen events, grabbed her hand and ran towards the bamboo forest’s edge.

"Fire Element."

Ye Shikai turned around, gathering a large Fireball in his palm with the Fire Element, and hurled it at the pursuing assassins.

Boom.

"Quick, run."

Though the mist was thick in this bamboo forest, he still worried about starting a large fire, hence dared not unleash too much power. Otherwise, using all his might could cause a towering blaze.

The two hadn’t yet exited the bamboo forest when Mi Wen’s nearby guards heard the commotion and rushed in one after another.

"Protect the lord."

"Protect the lord."

"Guards, pursue the assassins; leave none alive." Mi Wen commanded.

"Yes."

"Yes."

The guards immediately charged into the forest, while Ye Shikai led the remaining guards to protect Mi Wen as they exited the bamboo forest.

...............

Two hours later.

"Have the assassins been captured?" In the Wu County government hall, Mi Wen’s expression was gloomy; an incident like this naturally harmed her "reputation."

"Reporting to the lord, thick mist enveloped the bamboo forest, reducing visibility. Those assassins were all cultivators; when they saw the unfavorable situation, they retreated in all directions. This subordinate...is incompetent and failed to capture them."

"Ugh, useless, leave." Mi Wen scolded loudly, and the guard leader repeatedly bowed and quickly left.

"This incident isn’t really your subordinates’ fault. With cultivators’ abilities, traversing mountains and rivers is as easy as walking on flat ground. With the thick mist in the bamboo forest, if they decided to retreat, not even your guards, or even I, could have necessarily captured them." Ye Shikai stepped forward to offer comfort.

"Don’t worry; I’m not the type to act on impulse. These assassins were all small fry; if they escaped, so be it." Mi Wen waved her hand. "I’m just curious about who sent assassins to assassinate me."

"I think there’s an eighty percent chance it was someone from the court." Ye Shikai analyzed. Given the current situation, Mi Wen’s number one adversary was the court. Although there might be enemies among other powers, big or small, since the fight against the Qin is our common goal, they likely wouldn’t resort to assassination. Hence, the biggest possibility remains the court.

"Could it be that Nanyang County has already discovered our actions?" Mi Wen questioned. The Northern Expedition was about to commence, with hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Southern County. It would be unreasonable if Nanyang County’s Prefectural Governor and Commander hadn’t detected anything.

"I think they should have already known. Troop movements are a big deal; Southern County is bound to have many Qin Army spies, making it almost impossible to keep it secret."

Once the Qin Army discovers the rebel army’s intentions, they would certainly not remain indifferent. They would assemble county troops and seek reinforcements from various counties of the Central Plains.

"No way, the army must embark on the Northern Expedition in two days." Mi Wen realized the importance of time to her and declared firmly.

"Mi Wen, are you really sure about launching a Northern Expedition against Nanyang County?" Ye Shikai asked, knowing that hesitation is most taboo in wartime but still wanting Mi Wen to reconsider. If they cancel the action now, there’s still time to fix everything. The Qin Army in Nanyang County lacks sufficient forces and certainly wouldn’t launch a southern campaign.

"Of course, my decision is made and will not change."