Chapter 129: Mutual Destruction

The shot missed, but Jing Ji showed not the slightest sign of panic.

She discarded her pistol and, with a fierce resolve, lunged straight at the Nightfall Guard member.

‘Close-quarters combat!’

Mu Xi’s heart jumped again, tightening so much she nearly stopped breathing.

She knew Jing Ji was injured.

The earlier fight had drained her completely, and now she was about to engage in hand-to-hand combat with a well-trained Nightfall Guard member.

The odds of victory were almost zero.

Yet Jing Ji charged forward without hesitation or retreat.

The two figures tangled instantly, rolling and twisting beneath the moonlight.

The dull sounds of impact, ripping fabric, and muffled growls echoed through the silent forest.

Mu Xi watched the battle nervously, cold sweat already forming in her palms.

She couldn’t clearly see their moves, only two blurred figures locked in endless struggle and grappling.

Every clash felt like a hammer striking her own heart.

The Nightfall Guard member’s fighting skills were clearly professionally trained—sharp, brutal strikes aimed straight for vital points.

Jing Ji, battle-hardened and experienced, was injured and exhausted.

Gradually, she began to lose ground.

Mu Xi’s heart sank deeper, despair surging like a tidal wave.

Were they really going to die here?

No!

She couldn’t just wait to be killed!

She had to do something!

Biting her lip, Mu Xi forced herself to calm down and think quickly.

She scanned the surroundings, hoping to find something useful.

But there was nothing.

Despair surged again, nearly overwhelming her.

At that moment, Jing Ji suddenly let out a muffled grunt and trembled violently, as if struck hard.

Mu Xi’s heart tightened painfully.

She saw Jing Ji stagger noticeably, her movements slowing.

‘No good! Jing Ji was about to collapse!’

Alarms blared in Mu Xi’s mind, a sharp sense of crisis flooding her.

If Jing Ji fell, there was no chance Mu Xi would escape the Nightfall Guard’s pursuit.

At the edge of life and death, her survival instinct overwhelmed her fear.

Mu Xi suddenly stood up, ready to rush to Jing Ji’s aid.

But before she could take a step, Jing Ji screamed hoarsely at her, “Run! Don’t worry about me!”

Pain and resolute determination filled Jing Ji’s voice.

Mu Xi froze, staring blankly at her.

If she stayed, she’d only become a burden, dragging them both into a dead end.

“Run, you idiot! Do you want us both to die here?!” Jing Ji roared again, her voice tinged with desperate pleading.

This time, Mu Xi was finally shaken awake by Jing Ji’s words.

She knew Jing Ji was right.

She could not betray Jing Ji’s sacrifice.

She had to live.

Only by living was there hope.

Mu Xi clenched her teeth hard and forced herself to turn around, running deeper into the forest.

Behind her, gunshots rang out again—sharp and piercing, breaking the night’s silence.

Then came a long, agonizing scream—harsh and hopeless—echoing through the empty forest, fading from near to far into the darkness.

Mu Xi’s body stiffened instantly.

That was Jing Ji’s voice—the scream of someone dying.

She looked back toward the place where they had fought.

It was already empty, only a faint smell of blood lingering in the night wind.

Without a doubt, Jing Ji and that Nightfall Guard member had both fallen off the cliff.

Mu Xi rushed to the edge of the hill and peered down.

The night was as dense as ink that refused to disperse.

Nothing could be seen.

No sound could be heard.

It was as if the two had been completely erased by this blackness, leaving no trace behind.

A chill shot up from her feet, spreading through her limbs and bones.

Jing Ji… was she really dead just like that?

The reckless, somewhat roguish woman—had she truly vanished?

Mu Xi’s mind went blank.

Jing Ji’s resolute, angry roar still rang in her ears: “Run! Don’t worry about me!”

She took a deep breath and turned toward the old motorcycle parked not far away.

Climbing onto it, she found it much heavier than she had imagined.

The body was cold and hard, like a silent steel beast.

With her petite frame, even pushing it was a struggle, let alone riding it to escape on this rugged mountain road.

She struggled to steady the bike and tried to start it.

Turning the key and stepping on the starter, the old engine protested with a dull groan, but there was no sign of ignition.

Sweat beaded on Mu Xi’s forehead as her hands and feet trembled.

No, she couldn’t panic.

The more anxious she was, the easier it was to make mistakes.

Taking several deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down and recalled how Jing Ji had started the motorcycle.

Trying again, this time the engine finally sputtered to life with intermittent roars.

Mu Xi carefully controlled the throttle, afraid to stall.

The motorcycle grudgingly moved forward, metal scraping sharply.

She pushed it bit by bit, descending the steep hill.

Each step was extremely difficult, as if defying gravity itself.

At last, she got the bike onto relatively flat ground.

Breathless and aching in her arms, her palms burning, she had no time to rest.

She immediately swung onto the seat and tried to start again.

This time, the engine roared loudly, shattering the forest’s silence.

Mu Xi gripped the handlebars tightly, cautiously steering forward.

The motorcycle rattled loudly, shaking violently as if it might fall apart at any moment.

The night wind was icy cold.

Around her was utter darkness, only the faint beam from the motorcycle’s headlight barely illuminating a small patch ahead.

Mu Xi tensed every nerve, eyes fixed intently forward, terrified of crashing into trees or rocks.

She didn’t know where she was running to, nor if the Nightfall Guards would catch up, but she could only rely on instinct, fleeing deeper into the forest, away from the Manor.

Time ticked by slowly as the motorcycle bounced over the rough mountain path, Mu Xi’s body shaking with every jolt, as if her insides might scatter.

She clenched her teeth, enduring the discomfort, unwilling to slacken even for a moment.

The motorcycle struggled through the forest.

After an unknown time, the eastern sky lightened with a faint glimmer of dawn.

The day gradually brightened, and the forest lost its eerie nighttime menace, becoming clearer.

Mu Xi’s taut nerves finally relaxed slightly.

Daylight brought some semblance of safety.

She slowed the bike a little and looked around, trying to find a way.

This was a completely unfamiliar forest—dense trees and thick undergrowth, with no signs of a path.

She had no idea where she was or where to go.

But she had to keep moving.

She couldn’t stop.

She glanced at the fuel gauge.

The needle was nearly empty.

This old motorcycle probably wouldn’t last much longer.

But right now, she couldn’t care about that.

She’d escape as far as she could.