The carriage jolted violently. Xie Zhaolin's forehead slammed hard against the wall with a dull thud. She instinctively grabbed the window frame, her knuckles whitening from the force.
"What's going on?!" Chu Huaizhou yanked the curtain aside, his voice sharp in a way rarely heard.
Up front, the servant's voice trembled. "Young Master, it's the Immortals of the Hehuan Sect… they're ordering every passing carriage to be searched…"
Xie Zhaolin's heart skipped a beat, her fingertips digging into her palm. They're searching here too?
Her thoughts raced. If she was discovered, with her current cultivation, she had no chance in a direct fight.
But… wasn't there a ready-made scapegoat right in front of her? If she used Chu Huaizhou as a shield and added the three Swiftwind Talismans tucked away, she could still escape safely.
Lowering her eyes, her long lashes cast a shadow across her face.
While adjusting her robe, she secretly slipped a dark red pill beneath her tongue. A Breath Concealing Pill, one that could completely mask a cultivator's presence for a short time.
Hopefully, it would be enough.
Chu Huaizhou glanced back at her and whispered, "Ah Xiu, don't be afraid. I'll deal with it."
When he jumped out of the carriage, she noticed his fingers trembling slightly. Narrowing her eyes, she thought, What's he so scared of?
"This Immortal…" Chu Huaizhou's voice carried a forced, flattering smile. "May I ask, this is…"
"Shut it!" A cold female voice cut him off. "Every carriage must be searched, especially lone women!"
Xie Zhaolin's fingers brushed against the dagger hidden in her sleeve.
That voice, she knew it—Lin Qingyu of the Hehuan Sect's Law Enforcement Hall. Mid-Foundation Stage, notorious for her tracking skills.
The curtain was yanked open, sunlight flooding in. Xie Zhaolin raised her hand to shield her eyes, her pale wrist revealed, faint bruises still visible on her skin.
Lin Qingyu's sharp gaze swept over her. The bronze mirror in her hand gleamed with eerie light. "Out!"
Xie Zhaolin lifted her head timidly, her eyes brimming with tears at just the right moment. "Im… Immortal…"
"Ah Xiu, don't be afraid." Chu Huaizhou hurried forward and pulled a marriage contract from his chest. "Immortal, please look. This is our marriage contract. She's truly my fiancée, Zhang Xiuxiu."
Lin Qingyu took the paper, her gaze suspicious as she studied Xie Zhaolin. Just then, Zhaolin suddenly broke into a fit of coughing, her frail body trembling.
"What's wrong with her?" Lin Qingyu frowned and stepped back slightly.
"Ah Xiu's weak. With all this travel…" Chu Huaizhou looked worried, every bit the anxious fiancé.
Lin Qingyu snorted, raising the bronze mirror. Azure light swirled across its surface, sweeping slowly over Xie Zhaolin's body. She could feel that probing force crawling inside her, but luckily, she'd swallowed the Breath Concealing Pill the moment she heard Lin Qingyu's voice.
The mirror gave no response.
Lin Qingyu frowned, then turned to Chu Huaizhou. "Where are you coming from? Where are you going?"
"Replying to Immortal, I'm Chu Huaizhou. My family lives in Qingyang City. I came to bring my fiancée home."
Lin Qingyu gave Zhaolin one last glance. Seeing her quiet, obedient demeanor, with no trace of threat, she finally waved her hand. "Go!"
Relief washed over Chu Huaizhou. He bowed in thanks and quickly drove the carriage away.
Only after some distance did Xie Zhaolin slowly unclench her fists, her fingertips numb from how hard she'd been gripping.
As expected, but the Hehuan Sect's net was even tighter than she thought. If not for using Chu Huaizhou's cover, disguised as a mortal woman she wouldn't have lasted a single step. In this world of survival of the fittest, a lone weak woman was the greatest flaw.
"Ah Xiu, it's over now," Chu Huaizhou said, still shaken.
Zhaolin curved her lips in silence.
Yes, it was over—for now. For him, for her, both.
Night deepened as the carriage rattled along a rugged mountain road.
Leaning against the window, Zhaolin tapped her fingers lightly against the frame, eyes sharp as they swept the darkness.
Suddenly, her spiritual sense caught a strange ripple—
They were being followed!
Not Hehuan Sect, but three unfamiliar auras.
"Brother Huaizhou," she asked softly, "is this road… safe?"
Chu Huaizhou froze, then chuckled. "Don't worry, I've traveled it many times, there won't be…"
Before he finished, an arrow tore through the air, piercing a servant's throat. Blood sprayed across the curtain, shining bright under the moonlight.
"Hand over your money!" A rough voice bellowed from ahead. "And the girl in the back! Do that, and we'll spare your lives!"
Zhaolin narrowed her eyes—three masked men. Their leader was a cultivator at the second layer of Qi Refining, the other two were ordinary mortals.
She slipped closer behind Chu Huaizhou, fingers secretly forming a seal, ready to strike at any moment.
"You'll never get her!" Chu Huaizhou drew his sword and leapt forward!
His blade swept wide, forcing the first attacker back several steps, but the other two rushed him at once, leaving two bloody gashes on his body.
"Young Master!" Another servant charged forward, only to be skewered through the chest. Blood sprayed across the driver's board.
Chu Huaizhou's face turned ghostly pale, his swordwork falling into chaos.
Zhaolin saw it clearly—his spiritual power was unstable, even a mere Qi Refining bandit overwhelmed him. Pathetic.
"Kid, last chance," the bandit sneered. "Hand over the girl, and we'll let you live!"
Chu Huaizhou gritted his teeth and stood his ground. "Never!"
"Then die!" The man slammed his palm forward, spiritual power exploding. Chu Huaizhou was flung back several meters, crashing hard into the ground, vomiting blood.
Zhaolin watched with cold eyes as black qi silently gathered at her fingertips. Their attacks were fierce, but every strike deliberately avoided killing blows.
So that's how it is.
Her lips curled into a smile.
"Girl, come out yourself," the bandit leered. "Save us the trouble."
Dropping her gaze, she put on a terrified look. Her voice trembled. "D-don't come any closer…"
Chu Huaizhou tried to push himself up, but his injuries dragged him back to the ground. Blood dripped from his lips, stark against the moonlight.
"Ah Xiu… run…" His voice rasped as his fingers dug deep into the dirt.
Zhaolin nearly burst out laughing.
She forced down her grin, still feigning panic. The black qi at her fingertips boiled. "Bro-Brother Huaizhou… save me!"
"Don't be afraid, girl," the bandit leader sneered, closing in. "Follow us, and you'll live the good life…"
"Ah Xiu…" Chu Huaizhou lifted his head with effort, blood staining his mouth. His eyes shone with tragic resolve. "I'll never let them hurt you!"
The instant the bandit's hand reached for her—