Outside Hangu Pass, the only route from Great Qin to Han.
The twin sisters, dressed in strikingly different black and white dresses, waited with helpless expressions.
"Sister, this time we've made a move against the Great Qin Gongzi. Regardless of success or failure, I'm afraid we won't be able to survive, will we?" The Little Si Ming in black had a desolate look in her eyes.
"No, we won't!" The Little Si Ming in white shook her head and said, "This time, we are only testing Gongzi An."
"Even if we don't die this time, I'm afraid we won't last much longer, will we?" The Little Si Ming in black lowered her eyes and said, "I can already feel it: exchanging soul for qi means the soul dissipates and life ends!"
The Little Si Ming in white fell silent.
After a moment, she mustered her courage and said, "Then, let's escape?"
The Little Si Ming in black was immediately startled.
"I already know that the Five Spirits Xuan Tong has already chosen the next generation's Little Si Ming. We will also, like previous generations of Little Si Ming, die at the hands of our successor! So, let's escape!" The Little Si Ming in white said firmly, "Even if we don't escape, we won't live much longer! Since that's the case, why not try?"
Compared to the Little Si Ming in white who had mustered her courage, the Little Si Ming in black was clearly more timid, or perhaps had a greater fear of the Yinyang Family.
"No! We can't escape!"
"How will we know if we don't try?" The Little Si Ming in white persuaded.
"Sister, instead of escaping, why can't we ask others for help?" The Little Si Ming in black hesitated for a moment before saying, "If... if Gongzi An is willing to accept us, perhaps... perhaps we won't have to die!"
"Gongzi An?" The Little Si Ming in white smiled bitterly and said, "We are merely cast-offs of the Yinyang Family. How could Gongzi An, as the son of the King of Qin, care about people like us whose lives are as insignificant as grass?"
"Why not try?" The Little Si Ming in black said, "Perhaps... perhaps Gongzi An will be our only way out!"
The two sisters suddenly fell silent simultaneously.
From afar, a convoy, after passing Hangu Pass, was heading straight towards the sisters.
"Time is running out, Sister, what... what are you going to do?" The Little Si Ming in black asked unwillingly.
Her eyes were full of struggle. After a long time, as the carriage convoy drew closer and closer, the Little Si Ming in white finally let out a long breath and said with determination, "Alright! Let's try! Perhaps... perhaps Gongzi An is truly different. Perhaps he will truly take us in!"
The moment her words fell, the two sisters seemed to be of one mind. Their hands, without prior agreement, formed hand seals.
Countless verdant leaves appeared out of thin air, instantly lifting the two sisters and sending them straight towards the direction of the carriage convoy.
Although the Black and White Shao Siming had been deemed outcasts by the Yinyang Family, it was undeniable that even if they weren't the most suitable people for the position of Little Si Ming, their strength was still enough to place them among the upper echelons of the Qin Shi World.
At the very least, as the two sisters rushed towards the convoy using the Ten Thousand Leaves Flying Flower Stream, they did not alarm anyone in the process.
The moment they were about to approach Ying An's carriage.
A warning bell instantly sounded in the hearts of the Black and White Shao Siming!
Almost instinctively, the sisters, without thinking, dispersed to the left and right.
The next moment, a light pink sword qi burst through the carriage, heading straight for the direction the two sisters had just been in.
If it weren't for the sisters' sudden inspiration and premonition of danger, they would have been torn apart by this terrifying sword qi before they even approached the carriage.
"jing ni sword qi? The Net's Heaven-ranked assassin, Jing Ni!" The Black and White Sisters exclaimed in unison. In an instant, they recognized this distinctive light pink sword qi.
The carriage curtain was pulled open. Jing Ni, who had been dressed in a long dress inside the carriage just moments ago, was now wearing the scaled armor that accentuated her graceful figure during combat. Her pretty face also had a cold metal mask.
"Leave them alive! I want to know who ordered them to ambush me here!" Ying An's voice came faintly from within the carriage.
In fact, the moment the Black and White Sisters approached the carriage, Ying An had already sensed this pair of sisters who used the Yinyang Family's Wood Department secret technique, Ten Thousand Leaves Flying Flower Stream, and also guessed that they were indeed the contemporary Little Si Ming!
It was precisely because he sensed the sisters' identities that Ying An found it a bit strange.
One must know that Ying An was already married to Dong Jun. No matter how one looked at it, his position as the Great Qin Gongzi, or rather, his emergence, would maximize the Yinyang Family's gains.
He had just married Dong Jun a few days ago, and a few days later, they tried to assassinate him while he was out. This did not seem like the style of a Yinyang Family disciple.
Jing Ni, who had bent her knees and was about to launch a fatal attack on the sisters, paused slightly upon hearing this. With a flash of her figure, she disappeared from the carriage.
Pink sword qi instantly shot out.
The verdant leaves and pink sword qi danced like a magnificent performance, constantly flashing and flying around the carriage.
As expected of a Heaven-ranked assassin of the Net, even when facing the contemporary Little Si Ming of the Yinyang Family in a one-on-two battle, Jing Ni quickly gained the absolute upper hand.
This was also because Ying An had specifically instructed Jing Ni to show mercy. Otherwise, Jing Ni, who was more skilled at killing than fighting, would have long since cut down the Black and White Sisters with her sword.
Of course, this was also because the Black and White Shao Siming had placed their last hope of life on Ying An.
Neither their rush to the front of the carriage earlier nor their current battle with Jing Ni showed much will to fight.
Otherwise, even if Jing Ni could steadily defeat the Black and White Shao Siming, it would certainly not be as easy as it was now.
As the tide of battle gradually turned in Jing Ni's favor.
The guards in the convoy finally reacted and quickly gathered towards Ying An's direction!
Li Si, in a panic, stumbled to the outside of Ying An's carriage. He bowed to the carriage and loudly asked, "Is Gongzi well?"
"Thank you, Mister Li Si. Thanks to the guards bestowed by Xiangguo (Prime Minister) Lu Buwei, I am unharmed!"
Li Si, finally relieved, after reassuring Ying An, became furious and shouted, "Go! Capture these two audacious assassins!"
No wonder Li Si was so angry. The truth was, as a clever man, although he had pledged allegiance to Lu Buwei, in Li Si's heart, he merely used Lu Buwei as a stepping stone.
He knew very well that Lu Buwei, though seemingly wielding immense power in Qin now, even overshadowing the King of Qin, Ying Zheng, and preventing him from ruling directly.
But Lu Buwei was old after all, and his position was not legitimate, so there was no possibility of him staging a 'Tian's usurpation of Qi'.
It could be said that in Li Si's eyes, Lu Buwei, this Xiangguo (Prime Minister), was merely experiencing his last glory before his downfall.
In Li Si's heart, the one truly worthy of his allegiance and loyalty was King of Qin, Ying Zheng.
As Ying Zheng's son, no matter what, Li Si could not allow Ying An to face danger during his diplomatic mission to Han.