Chapter 91 - Protect Each Other Till Death Parts You

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The invaders chased after Su Jiu for some time but stopped abruptly in their tracks. Where had they gone? Dark clouds covered the night sky. Neither moon nor stars were visible, and they were surrounded by nothing but darkness. Only the shadow of a tree could be vaguely seen. It was dead quiet.

More than twenty men in black outfits stood there, intending to split up to continue looking for Su Jiu and Ji Yuxian. However, at that instant, a flash of light appeared over their heads. It was a reflection from Su Jiu’s knife. She jumped down from a very tall tree and unexpectedly appeared in front of the men. Before they had time to react, Su Jiu had already slit some of their throats and decapitated them. Blood gushed out instantly.

The remaining men were stunned to the core and unconsciously stepped back. Su Jiu leaped up. Like a ghost, she disappeared instantly. Su Jiu was not someone who liked aggression and hostility, so she’d quickly fled the scene after killing those people.

One of the men showed up outside the area, and both of his eyes were red. He clenched his long knife, gritted his teeth, and commanded, “Chase after her. Kill her and show no mercy!”

“Yes, sir!”

The rest charged in the direction where Su Jiu had disappeared, attempting to hunt her down again. Su Jiu ran for a while and heard footsteps scurrying from behind. The enemies had, once again, already caught up. She gritted her teeth, took a turn, and escaped using another route. Two of the men convened and chased after her together. It was as if they never stopped pursuing and running forward.

Suddenly, Su Jiu came to a halt. She noticed that there was a cliff in front of her, which was steep. It was potentially a bottomless pit. She wanted to turn around and head in the other direction, but the invaders—about 20 to 30 of them—had already surrounded her. Su Jiu stood there, clutching her knife. The traces of blood on it hinted at the gory battle that had taken place earlier.

“Where is Ji Yuxian? Hand him over, and we will spare your life!” the men instructed coldly as they approached the edge of the cliff.

Su Jiu donned tightly-fitted black clothes. The strong wind had messed up her long hair, hiding her beautiful face. Only her eyes, which revealed a sense of deviousness, were visible under the dreary moonlight. She resembled a lone wolf in the mountains. Her lips parted, and she released a laugh. Without speaking further, she turned the other way, dashed toward the cliff, and jumped.

The enemies gasped in shock as they all ran forward. They stood at the edge of the cliff and peered down. Had she jumped? The wind blew fiercely, like knives cutting their faces. The bottom could not be seen. It was a dark abyss. They could hear nothing other than the sound of the wind.

Suddenly, a slender figure leaped up from the side of the cliff, emerging from the darkness. She was holding onto a knife, gliding along the cliff’s edge. There were countless screams from all 24 men as their legs were severed. Fresh blood trickled down and stained the rocks along the path where the men had set their feet, forming a curved bloodline that followed the cliff’s contours.

The enemies widened their eyes in fear and disbelief. In severe pain, many of them either fell forward and dropped down the cliff or backward, clutching their legs as they screamed for help. None survived.

Without giving them a second glance, Su Jiu took off and disappeared into the darkness. She returned to the tree where Ji Yuxian was still obediently waiting for her. He instantly jumped up and hugged her. He exclaimed, “Mistress, I was so worried about you!”

Su Jiu scoffed. A while ago, he looked like he was falling asleep. Now, he was worried about her?

“Let’s go!”

Su Jiu lifted her hands to push Ji Yuxian’s face away. He was feigning a look of innocence and tenderness. Holding onto his waist, they jumped down the tree together. After debating about which way to head, Su Jiu and Ji Yuxian continued with their escape. They had no clue about Jin Feng and his men’s whereabouts. They walked around the woods for some time, yet there were no traces of them or the enemies who were supposedly hunting them down.

“Mistress, where should we go now?” Ji Yuxian questioned as he tightly held onto Su Jiu’s hand.

Su Jiu shot him a glance and replied, “How should I know?”

“Could it be that…we are lost?” Ji Yuxian asked again with an amused gaze, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Su Jiu’s ears turned a little red. She replied with a cold sneer, “Do you know the way?”

They were deep into the forest. Towering trees and weeds surrounded them. The fog was thick. The sky was hazy, and the moon had once again disappeared. In these circumstances, wasn’t it completely normal to get lost? Ji Yuxian suddenly felt a wave of relief. He was so fortunate that Su Jiu had managed to find her way back to the tree where he’d been hiding.

“Can I just say—you are a businessman, so how did you attract so many enemies? They even hired professionals to hunt you down. Your life is worth so much money now!” Su Jiu commented with a spurious laugh.

“Humans can turn into ghosts for money. It’s not weird that crime happens,” Ji Yuxian responded indifferently.

Su Jiu was shocked. Judging from Ji Yuxian’s reply, did he know who was behind all this?

“What about your bodyguards? They’ve all disappeared. Is it possible that they all ran for their lives?” Su Jiu turned her head to ask him.

“So, I only have you to rely on now, Mistress!” Ji Yuxian cheekily smiled as he hugged Su Jiu’s shoulders.

Su Jiu jerked her shoulders. With one hand holding onto her knife and the other grasping Ji Yuxian’s wrist, she instructed, “Follow my lead and don’t run around!”

“Ok!” Ji Yuxian replied obediently.

After walking a few steps, Su Jiu suddenly stopped and slowly squinted her eyes, revealing a cold stare. She said in a low voice, “They’re coming!”

“Huh?” Ji Yuxian questioned her with uncertainty.

“Follow behind me. If I die, good luck to you!” Su Jiu said as she clenched her long knife forcefully. Her expression was cold as she glanced ahead.

Right after she spoke, countless men in that same black outfits as before emerged from the darkness. There were at least a hundred of them, and they surrounded Su Jiu and Ji Yuxian. The chief stood at the forefront; his eagle-like eyes looked bloodthirsty as he stared at Su Jiu piercingly. He emphasized every word as he commanded, “Show no mercy to either of them!”

In a split second, the attackers resembled a black tide as they rushed at Su Jiu and Ji Yuxian. Their swords were aimed at both of them, and nets shrouded them from above.

With one hand protecting Ji Yuxian, who was behind her, Su Jiu’s other hand gripped her long knife. As she attacked the enemies, the knife’s reflection glistened. It was like the moon cutting through the clouds, carrying the strength of thunder and splitting through the night sky, relentlessly defeating the enemies in a breeze.

“Kill!” the men shouted, their voices antagonistic and brutal, seemingly more intense than the cold, strong wind blowing in the forest.

They watched Su Jiu, whose eyes were gleaming like a starving wolf’s in winter. She had killed so many of their brothers, and they were determined to crush her into pieces. Su Jiu’s face was firm and tenacious. There was no indication of fear or panic as the enemies flooded toward her. The knife in her hands was soaked with blood, and it was as if the blade had a life on its own when it flipped in the air and darted at a few of the men’s heads. Heads could be seen flying off, and numerous corpses collapsed to the ground.

The chief’s eyes were bloodshot, and his expression was ferocious. Eventually, he abandoned all his attack strategies and rashly headed right for Su Jiu, wanting to attack her. They were assassins. They never retreated, even at the expense of their lives.

Under the sword’s shadow, Su Jiu had a strong physique, and there were no tricks in her moves. Every time she attacked, someone would either collapse, hold a bowl, do the splits, spin in the air, or get killed! Her actions were steady and swift. When her aggression had almost reached its peak, fear gradually grew in the enemies who had been acting insanely. Were they really up against a woman?

The fog in the forest slowly cleared, and the branches and dead leaves fluttered in mid-air. The pungent smell of blood permeated the forest, and the screams and wailings from the on-going killings were deafening. They woke the wild beasts, who released whinny sounds.

The chief stood in front of his army. Staring at Su Jiu, who was standing in the middle, he narrowed his eyes fiercely. He refused to believe that so many of his men could not defeat one woman. Despite having to protect Ji Yuxian as well as fighting so many men, Su Jiu managed to beat back almost half of the enemies within 15 minutes. She even got away unscathed!

The chief was slowly losing patience. He retrieved his bow and arrow from his back and aimed directly at Ji Yuxian, who was behind Su Jiu. He had to remember that their ultimate goal was to kill Ji Yuxian! The arrow shot out swiftly. It flew rapidly, possessing electrifying energy, and targeted Ji Yuxian’s chest.

In the darkness, Ji Yuxian saw the arrow shoot out. He stood behind Su Jiu, and his eyes widened. The wind sounded as if it were trembling. Su Jiu quickly turned around and waved her arms to break the arrow. Snap! The shaft snapped in two, and its feathers splintered.

A second, short arrow in the middle of its course continued to fly toward them at a rapid speed. It was a double-arrow shot! Su Jiu was stunned. She abruptly turned around and opened her mouth to bite onto the short arrow. However, a sword attacked her from behind. Unconsciously, she went to protect Ji Yuxian. “Thump!” The sound of the sword thrusting into her chest could be heard.

She lifted her feet to kick the man who had stabbed her then quickly retreated. Fortunately, the wound was not deep!

“Are you hurt?” Ji Yuxian asked Su Jiu as he embraced her shoulders.

“I’m fine!” Su Jiu clenched her teeth as she replied.

She lifted her hand to block the knife that was coming at her and grasped the enemy’s wrist. The sound of bones cracking and breaking could be heard, and the man instantly fell to the ground. Su Jiu was just about to dash forward to continue attacking when a sudden buzzing sound went off in her head. She felt lightheaded.

The weapon that she’d been stabbed with was poisonous! Su Jiu’s gaze turned cold, and her face was expressionless. She turned her head slightly toward Ji Yuxian and instructed, “When I’ve killed enough men, escape from here immediately. Don’t look back, and don’t bother me!”

“Su Jiu!” Ji Yuxian shouted as he gripped Su Jiu’s wrist tightly, staring at her snow-white complexion and her dark, bottomless eyes.

The remaining enemies watched Su Jiu unblinkingly. Realizing that half of their companions had been defeated by this one woman alone, they could not help but develop a sense of awe and respect toward her. They cautiously surrounded her, like a group of foraging cheetahs looking out for enemies, ready to leap up and kill at any moment.

“Leave me here, and perhaps you can still find a way to escape!” Ji Yuxian suggested, speaking faintly.

Su Jiu shot him a glance and retorted, “I’ve already said that I would protect you! I never go back on my word!”

Ji Yuxian’s long and narrow eyes turned dark under the dim night light, and Su Jiu’s face was cold and willful. He watched her profile quietly, seemingly giving her a sense of regard. Su Jiu’s long knife was soaked red. The blood that trickled down had already sunken into the soil beneath her feet. She clenched her fist tightly and said in a low voice, “Get ready. Remember what I told you—don’t ever look back!”

Right after she spoke, she rose up from the ground and swiftly went on to attack the enemies. She was like a ray of light, a gust of wind, or a flash of lightning passing through the thick and heavy fog and darting through the darkness.

Ji Yuxian shrank inward slightly. It was as if a poisonous knife had also stabbed him. The toxins slowly entered his heart, flowing into his blood and spreading across his body.

The battle began again. The enemies hollered as they charged, raising their knives. Su Jiu circled the area, leaped up in mid-air, and used her knife to attack whatever came her way. While she battled, she made sure that Ji Yuxian was protected and out of harm’s way. Her movements were brave, brutal, and daunting.

However, the more she moved around forcefully, the faster the toxins in her body spread. Her arms gradually grew numb, and blood could not stop flowing from her chest. Her mind started to turn fuzzy. She continued to wave her arms subconsciously, refusing to stop, refusing to give up. Her eyes were bloodshot as she realized that she was the one who had caused all this bloodshed.

“Slash!”

Su Jiu stabbed two of the nearby men’s heads with her knife. She extended her arms, pushed Ji Yuxian out forcefully, and exclaimed, “Quick, run!”

She spun around and blocked the enemies who had caught up!

“Kill her! She can’t hold on any much longer!” The chief exclaimed as the men attempted to advance toward her with their knives.

A sudden pain surged through Su Jiu’s left arm. She instantly leaped forward, successfully dodging a knife that was heading in her direction. Instead, it killed one of the assassins chasing after Ji Yuxian. She turned her body and prevented another assassin from attacking again, trying her very best to buy more time for Ji Yuxian’s escape.

Su Jiu began to have double vision, and her reactions slowed immensely. Her shoulders seemed to be injured as well, but she could not feel the pain. She could only mechanically wave her arms as she tried to kill the enemies! Finally, she reached her limit. Before she could see how far had Ji Yuxian escaped, she collapsed to the ground.

Numerous rays of light emitting from the swords shone on her! Su Jiu sneered silently. She had never expected to die in a place like this. The toxins continued to spread in her body, and her mind was in disarray. As she raised her arms to defend herself, her eyes closed.

The chief watched Su Jiu drop down and scoffed. He prepared to draw his bow and aim it at Ji Yuxian. However, in a split second, he was nowhere to be seen! At that moment, the swords used against Su Jiu stopped abruptly in mid-air. There was no point in lowering their weapons any further because Su Jiu, who was supposed to be on the ground, was, instead, behind the enemies in a man’s embrace.

The enemies froze in astonishment. The man was standing upright in the dark, his posture noble and imposing. He slowly lifted his head to reveal a pair of charming, phoenix-like eyes that were as cold as a knife.

Suddenly, the wind blew outrageously in the forest, creating a suffocating effect. The man took the blood-stained sword from Su Jiu’s hands. His red robe fluttered, and the sword glistened like a rainbow. Within seconds, the enemies in the forest widened their eyes in shock and instantly fell to their deaths before they even had time to scream in pain.

The chief was shocked when he saw Ji Yuxian in the distance. He quickly turned and fled. However, at that moment, he felt a sudden pain in his back, followed by a cold, tingling sensation flooding in. He widened his eyes and swiftly fell on his back as a long sword was thrust right through him.

The strong wind died down. The ground was strewn with corpses, and the entire area was dead silent. Ji Yuxian’s eyes turned dark, and he seemed adamant. Holding Su Jiu in his arms, he turned around and slowly left the scene.

——

After making a fire, the cave was illuminated, and the surrounding air was no longer so chilly.

Su Jiu, who was lying on a haystack, was still unconscious. Her face was so bloodstained that she was almost unrecognizable. Her eyebrows were furrowed tightly, perhaps because of the pain from her injuries. The cave had warmed up a bit. Ji Yuxian decided to go over to remove Su Jiu’s clothes, which revealed half of her shoulders. The injury to her shoulders was more severe. Her flesh could be seen, and she was still bleeding profusely. There was a red string hanging across Su Jiu’s slim and slender neck. Ji Yuxian noticed it and took it out. It was a piece of transparent jade.

“Lie.” As he looked at this tiny word carved on the jade, his pupils shrank slightly. Did this belong to that man? And for her to keep it so close to her…Ji Yuxian sighed softly as he thought, my wife is not as good as I’d thought, after all!

Putting the jade back to where it had been, Ji Yuxian retrieved two porcelain bottles and opened one. He removed a black elixir from one bottle and fed it into Su Jiu’s mouth, then took the other and spread it over the wound on her arm. Tearing a piece off fabric from his clothes, he bandaged her wound. The medicine was effective, and the wound stopped bleeding.

There was another injury on her chest. Ji Yuxian slowly pulled down Su Jiu’s clothes, revealing the fresh blood, which contrasted with her fair and white skin. The undulating arc indicated a stab by a sword. The wound was neither wide nor deep, yet it kept bleeding black blood and looked more gruesome than the injury on her shoulders.

“Was it really worth risking your life for me? You are indeed a fool!” Ji Yuxian muttered softly as his lips gradually curled into a small smile.

Reaching out to embrace Su Jiu, he lowered his head and sucked on her wound. He sucked a mouthful of black blood, quickly spat it out, and repeated the same action.

“Mmm…” Su Jiu groaned softly, shaking her head even though she was unconscious.

Ji Yuxian was indeed in a compromising position, and Su Jiu’s unconscious reaction seemed to indicate that he’d acted inappropriately at the wrong time. Err, but it is better not to leave scars, or else it will affect her sensations in the future, Ji Yuxian thought to himself shamelessly and lowered his head to continue.

When the wound began to ooze bright red blood, Ji Yuxian got up and scattered the medication onto it. After bandaging the injury, Ji Yuxian dressed Su Jiu. He frowned as he stared at the bloodstains on her face, then grinned as he said, “Seeing that you’ve tried so hard to protect me, I’ll take this time to serve you!”

He lay Su Jiu flat on her back then left the cave to search for materials to make the fire burn brighter.

Upon his return, the first thing he did was to check on Su Jiu. Seeing that she still lay there unharmed, he proceeded to place a jar of water over the fire, waiting for it to heat up before he used it to wipe Su Jiu’s face.

“Mother, where are you? Mother, the water is really cold. Jiu’er is going to drown!”

…

A weak voice arose from the cave. Ji Yuxian went over to take a look. Su Jiu’s eyes were still shut. It looked like she was having a nightmare—her face was filled with fear and panic as she shook her head and mumbled in her sleep.

Ji Yuxian walked over to Su Jiu and took her in his arms. He called out, “Mistress? Su Jiu?”

Su Jiu tightly clutched his arm, lightly rubbing her face against his clothes. She cried out, “Mother, Jiu’er is feeling very cold! The water is freezing!”

Ji Yuxian held onto her and pulled her closer to the fire. He embraced her tightly, comforting her in a light voice, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here!”

Perhaps Ji Yuxian’s warmth provided her with some security. She frowned and fell back into a deep sleep in his arms. Ji Yuxian used a wet handkerchief to clean Su Jiu’s face. His eyes were deep and dim as he stared at her pale complexion.

When Su Jiu woke up, the sky was not yet light. Her eyes opened in a slit, and she could only feel intense pain and soreness all over her body! Her mind was not completely clear. She shut her eyes and thought she saw a flicker of light. She was still in a daze. Was she dead? Had she been brought to the netherworld? Because she had killed too many people in her past life, the King of Hell was going to boil her alive, which explained why the fire had already been prepared!

Su Jiu kept her eyes closed and shook her head as she cried, “This is unjust. Don’t blow me up! Don’t blow me up!” Su Jiu shouted anxiously and sat up abruptly. Her eyes were wide open as she watched the fire burning fiercely beside her.

Ji Yuxian, who was sleeping next to her, was awoken by her voice. He smiled a little and asked, “Did you have a nightmare again?”

Was she not dead? Su Jiu stared at her hands and returned to reality. She felt pain in her shoulders and instantly laid back down.

Ji Yuxian swiftly caught her and cradled her in his arms. He laughed and said in a low voice, “You are hurt. Don’t move around!”

Su Jiu looked into Ji Yuxian’s wide eyes. The reflection of the fire was visible in them, like the sun shining on a clear spring. She asked, “Where are we?”

“We should be still in the mountains!” Ji Yuxian replied.

“How did we manage to escape?” Su Jiu furrowed her brow as she questioned. She remembered that the enemies had still been all around before she lost consciousness.

Ji Yuxian responded faintly, “After you fainted, they hunted me down. I took a detour and came back to save you.”

“That’s it?” Su Jiu doubtfully questioned as she lifted her eyes toward him.

“Yes, that’s it!” Ji Yuxian retorted seriously.

“Let’s hurry and look for Jin Feng. I won’t be able to protect you if we chance upon any assassins!” Su Jiu exclaimed, ready to get up from the ground.

“Don’t worry. They won’t be able to find us here!” Ji Yuxian replied as he clutched Su Jiu’s waist. Under the light, her eyes were gentle. “Let me check your wounds.” Ji Yuxian continued. As he spoke, he began to unbutton Su Jiu’s clothes. He saw the red string hanging around her neck again and asked casually, “This jade is so unique. Who gave it to you?”

Su Jiu was stunned for a moment before she replied calmly, “A friend!”

“Friend?” Ji Yuxian answered meaningfully.

Without further questions, he untied the cloth wrapped around Su Jiu’s shoulders and applied medication. He then went on to wrap it up again. As he continued to pull her clothes down, the wound on her chest was revealed. Ji Yuxian calmly removed the cloth that he’d used as a dressing and glanced at Su Jiu. Her expression was neutral—neither shy nor embarrassed. Ji Yuxian could not help but let out a slight chuckle.

“Thank you so much!” Su Jiu said softly after the medication had been applied and got dressed.

“We’re a married couple, so there’s no need to thank each other!” Ji Yuxian replied as he laid Su Jiu down on her back. He continued, “There is still an hour before dawn, so you should sleep a while more!”

The crackling of woodpile reverberated. Su Jiu breathed in the faint lotus smell coming from Ji Yuxian’s body. Watching the fog that pervaded outside the cave, she gradually closed her eyes. She had a very peaceful sleep.

When she woke up again, the sky was already brightly lit! Only some residual ash was left on the firewood. The air was cooling, and Ji Yuxian was nowhere to be seen. Su Jiu sat up slowly and checked her wounds. They were no longer bleeding. She was lucky that the wounds were not deep. She should be alright in a few days. These injuries were nothing to her!

When she was just about to get up to look for Ji Yuxian, he appeared with a jar of water. He looked at her, smiled, and said, “You are awake!”

Su Jiu nodded and used the refreshing river water to wash her face. She combed her hair and tidied herself. She looked much more energetic afterward. Su Jiu’s stomach grumbled. She rubbed her belly and said to Ji Yuxian faintly, “Wait for me here. I’ll go find some food to eat!”

Then, she left the cave.

“Where are you going?” Ji Yuxian asked as he followed.

After walking a short distance, there was a river. Su Jiu found a wooden stick that had been sharpened by a long knife. Standing by the river, she soon caught a few fat fishes. She picked firewood, ignited the fire, killed the fish, and gutted them. Su Jiu did all of it neatly and swiftly. Soon, fish could be smelled cooking over the fire.

“Take this!” Su Jiu handed the grilled fish over to Ji Yuxian.

Ji Yuxian took it and lifted his face toward Su Jiu. She was dressed in agile clothing with her sleeves rolled up, revealing her delicate wrists. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and her delicate face gave off an icy aura. Despite being quite seriously injured, she did not look weak at all. There always seemed to be a sense of grit and determination about her. She possessed a vitality even greater than the sun’s.

He suddenly understood why she was the leader of the bandit gang. When she faced enemies, she was never soft-hearted. She showed no mercy in her attacks against them. She was always aggressive and hostile, seemingly crueler than men. However, she treated her people kindly and protected them whole-heartedly. Even if her life were at stake, she never betrayed her companions to save her own.

She was a woman. Yet, she never depended on others. When she was hurt, she showed no weakness. She was strong and courageous, utterly incomparable to a daughter from a wealthy family. A heartstring seemed to waver—a gentle one. It was like a stone being thrown into a river, creating a ripple effect, yet inconspicuous.

Ji Yuxian took a bite of the grilled fish and laughed as he commented, “The taste is really not too bad!”

Su Jiu looked back at him, shrugged, and replied, “The stick that I used to grill the fish dropped in the mud. I think I forgot to wash it.”

Ji Yuxian frowned and instantly held the fish far away from him.

Su Jiu burst out laughing and said, “You can just starve if you don’t want to eat!”

Hearing Su Jiu’s comment, he took the fragrant fish and munched big chunks of it. Ji Yuxian chuckled to himself, what a brat!

After their meal, they watched the sun for a while. By then, it was almost noon. Su Jiu and Ji Yuxian wanted to walk back to their cave, but they noticed some assassins still hovering around the area, looking for them. They decided to turn around and headed in another direction. Jin Feng and his men were still nowhere to be seen.

“My bodyguards had been drawn away by them!” Ji Yuxian said in a low voice.

Su Jiu nodded and climbed up a tree to scout the terrain. She jumped down and frowned as she said, “We have already crossed the Yuhu Mountain. After traversing this forest, we will reach the Chongzhou Border!”

“Yes, perhaps we will be able to meet Jin Feng and the rest at Chongzhou!” Ji Yuxian said as he pulled at Su Jiu to continue their journey ahead.