Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 253: One More

Chapter 253: Chapter 253: One More

Gu Dao and Xi Feng hardly had time to see their Princely Heir’s reaction as they were forced to defend, causing a shock to surge in their hearts with Xi Feng stepping back several paces.

Zong Yunqian was slightly stunned, his expression inscrutable, "Bandits on Weixing Mountain? This mountain range closest to the Imperial City, if there were bandits here, it would be an outright disregard for Nanzheng State’s guard."

Therefore, Zong Yunqian could almost conclude that the person before them was not any ordinary bandit, but someone with a specific purpose.

Gu Dao, after a few moves, also gradually began to lose ground, barely holding on.

Nanny Yun had already pulled Zheng Nianru close, with Xing Yu. Both of them hid Zheng Nianru tightly behind them; although they feigned calmness, their bodies trembled uncontrollably—they had no idea there were bandits on this mountain!

"Commandery Princess, shall we slip away?" They couldn’t help much by staying; wouldn’t it seem rather selfish?

Zheng Nianru also nodded, better to leave quickly. Yin He was unreliable, only occasionally active, and Xing Yu had to save her energy in case she needed to carry her if she couldn’t move.

Xing Yu immediately grabbed Zheng Nianru’s hand to flee, but just then, two more men leaped out, blocking Zheng Nianru’s path, causing the three of them to shudder and stand frozen in place.

"They look wealthy, capture them first and discuss later." Xing Yu stared hard at Yin He, who still hadn’t made a move. Was he waiting to be captured?

Yin He was shivering as well, showing no sign of taking action. Instead, he clung to Xing Yu’s clothes, almost hiding behind her.

Seeing that Yin He was unreliable, Xing Yu grew genuinely frightened. While she was strong enough to deal with one person, she couldn’t handle three or four by herself—not even the Princely Heir’s two servants were a match.

When Gu Dao and Xi Feng saw the two additional men appear, their expressions changed instantly. But to separate now was impossible. They saw Zong Yunqian sprinting to Zheng Nianru’s side, placing Zheng Nianru and the others behind him for protection.

"Gentlemen, is it just money you want?" Zong Yunqian spoke up, "Just say how much you want. There’s no need to kidnap us."

"I don’t buy that," the leader of the men scoffed, swiftly followed by another who spoke.

"Why waste words on him? Just do it, and drag him back." The two men immediately charged toward Zong Yunqian. Their swords gleamed coldly, aiming straight for Zong Yunqian’s face.

Chills went down Zong Yunqian’s spine, realizing that the foe intended lethal moves, leaving no chance for them to live. He reacted swiftly, swinging his hand, and a golden powder flew towards the masked faces of Song Gao and Song Yuan. Though both were masked, the powder shimmered before them, causing them to retreat while they simultaneously struck out, rapidly fanning the powder away with their fans.

"Big brother, he really knows some slick tricks!" Song Yuan deliberately shouted loudly then sneered, "You dog of a man, you’ve encountered us today. Let’s see how you handle our ferocity."

What Song Gao and Song Yuan said was not mere bravado; they had tampered secretly when Zong Yunqian was climbing the mountain, reducing his spell capabilities to less than a third of their potential.

As Song Yuan’s words fell, Zong Yunqian’s expression grew solemn. He did not expect the foe to know about such matters; he was not adept in harming with spells and knew only the Enchantment Technique, which required substantial spiritual power control, or simply put, needed time and the element of surprise.

However, that was clearly no longer possible. The enemy not only revealed their knowledge but also seemed to know quite a bit. This was not surprising, as these ancient spells were also circulated among the common folk. Mage Huo Yi spent much of the year among the people seeking such ancient techniques.

Song Gao and Song Yuan, having tasted defeat once, were naturally prepared this time. As Nanmen Death Soldiers, they had researched this type of situation and had trailed Heir Zong and his two guards for several days. It was only after gaining an understanding of them that they chose this moment to strike.

Song Gao and Song Yuan didn’t give Heir Zong any chance to prepare. They charged directly at him, completely disrupting his rhythm. Heir Zong was not adept at Kung Fu and had no sharp weapons in hand. As he retreated, Song Gao would not let him catch his breath; he thrust his sword at Heir Zong, aiming to take his life.

In desperation, Heir Zong threw his Fragrance Pouch, which directly hit Song Gao. Instantly, white smoke billowed out from the man, enveloping him. Song Gao, not idle, immediately rolled on the ground. Amid the thick smoke, he momentarily transformed into a giant toad but quickly resumed his human form.

Song Yuan thrust his sword directly at Heir Zong’s face, not even minding Song Gao on the ground. Heir Zong rolled away in embarrassment. As Song Yuan was about to pursue him, suddenly, sharp spikes a foot long grew out of the ground under his feet. Song Yuan hacked at them fiercely several times.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Gu Dao and Xi Feng were also being beaten back. One of the bandits chopped at Xi Feng’s left arm. At first, it seemed fine, but the powder Xi Feng had scattered got into the bandit’s nose. The next moment, the bandit’s body went limp. Gu Dao, seeing he couldn’t hold on, desperately glanced at the few people trembling in the midst of the fight and managed to spit out two words.

"Run—" They couldn’t hold on much longer.

Nanny Yun immediately grabbed Zheng Nianru and was about to flee, but Song Yuan, seeing the act wasn’t quite realistic enough, and knowing they had more than enough control over Heir Zong, yelled at Nanny Yun to make it look more real.

"Don’t let those women escape, chase—"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Nianru knew that they were doomed. Although she had experienced assassination attempts before, she was always protected by numerous guards, and seeing that even Heir Zong couldn’t handle it, she realized escape was futile.

Zheng Nianru immediately grabbed Xing Yu.

"We can’t escape, let’s try to take down two first." Zheng Nianru glanced at Yin He, who was trembling, but after all, he had shown formidable abilities before.

"Yin He, hurry, think of something." Seeing Zheng Nianru speak up, it wasn’t that Yin He didn’t want to respond, it’s just, haven’t they noticed? These people weren’t there to fight them, but to take down the Princely Heir — why would he care? He would be more than happy if these bandits killed the three on the spot.

Xing Yu, seeing this, knew her Commandery Princess was right. If they didn’t make an effort now, they might not even get a chance to counterattack.

"Don’t just stand there—run!" Gu Dao shouted again as Xi Feng struggled to rise, stumbling. But before he could stabilize himself, suddenly, he was propelled into the air. Before he could understand what was happening, he was flying, smashing directly into two bandits on the opposite side, knocking them both ground.

Apart from Spells and countdowns, conventional Kung Fu primarily relied on speed and strength, and Xing Yu’s strength was immeasurable.

While Gu Dao was still dazed, he saw Xi Feng, along with the two bandits, flying away.

Uh—

Incredulously, Gu Dao watched Xing Yu, who then glanced at the other two men and immediately walked towards Gu Dao.

Gu Dao suddenly felt a chill in his heart — no, he didn’t want to fly...

No, he didn’t want to be a human punching bag.