“Get out… How are you going to get out?!”
Sista looked at Su Ling in astonishment, as if she were listening to a fairy tale.
The Silver-haired Girl before her had a petite figure. Forget the Blood Clan; even an ordinary human could easily overpower her. How could she possibly lead an escape from this situation?
However, she did not argue immediately, choosing instead to keep listening.
“First, I want to ask you,” Su Ling said softly, her eyes roaming around the interior of the carriage, “do you have a way to destroy this carriage?”
Sista shook her head with a helpless expression.
“Since it was designed to imprison me, the material of this carriage must be special.”
She reached out and lightly traced the inner wall.
“The outer layer is oak, but the inner layer is pure silver.”
“The Blood Clan has an extremely poor adaptability to high-purity silver. I can barely use my abilities inside this carriage.”
“Meanwhile, the Bloodkin Knights outside are unaffected.”
Su Ling walked to the wall and gave it a light tap.
The dull echo confirmed Sista’s words.
If even Sista could not use her power, a forced breakthrough from the inside was almost impossible.
However, Su Ling did not look disappointed.
This was exactly as she had expected.
“Su Ling, give up.”
Sista looked at her with a complicated gaze.
“It is almost impossible for us to escape.”
“I have seen similar assassination methods before.”
“They won’t destroy the carriage. Instead, they will manipulate weapons through the gaps and kill the Blood Clan inside directly from the outside.”
Su Ling did not respond. Instead, she quietly sat back in her seat and closed her eyes.
She rapidly sketched the surrounding terrain in her mind.
She clearly remembered that there was an open valley further along this route, where the peaks on both sides acted like screens, leaving the middle ground flat and hidden.
Before leaving the vicinity of the Capital, these ten Bloodkin Knights would not dare to act rashly.
Because a large number of garrison troops were stationed near the Capital, any abnormality would expose Moria’s plan.
But once they reached that valley—
The situation would be entirely different.
The terrain there was enclosed, making it an excellent location for an ambush.
Su Ling began to calculate the time.
The speed of an Earth Dragon Cart was approximately 70 km/h, while the knights’ warhorses moved at about 40 km/h.
From the Summer Castle to the valley, it would take approximately 3 hours.
Considering the rugged mountain roads, the actual time would likely be between 3 and 4 hours.
‘The time should be enough… as long as I can contact her…’
Su Ling murmured under her breath, her silver hair shimmering slightly in the sunlight.
“Su Ling?”
Sista was somewhat confused.
She thought the girl was simply terrified.
She reached out and gently took Su Ling’s hand, wanting to comfort her.
But Su Ling remained silent.
“You really are a total fool.”
Sista gave a bitter smile.
“But, it is precisely because you are such a fool that I…”
Before she could finish her sentence—
Su Ling suddenly closed her eyes and lost all support, her body leaning over to slump gently against Sista’s lap.
“Eh?!”
Sista gasped in surprise.
Looking closer, she realized that Su Ling had actually fallen asleep.
“Su… Su Ling?”
She gently shook the girl’s shoulder, but there was no response.
Left with no choice, she let out a soft sigh and carefully positioned Su Ling’s head on her lap, adjusting her posture to make the girl more comfortable.
“Stupid maid,” Sista whispered.
“Did you know? There is an ancient legend in Ansels—”
“Death is not the end, but the beginning of rebirth.”
“As long as you have faith in the Divine Abyss Goddess, your soul will be liberated from sorrow, entering another world to obtain a new body and a place to belong.”
She gently stroked Su Ling’s silver hair, her gaze soft and carrying a hint of unmistakable sadness.
The girl could not hear these words.
But Sista spoke them anyway.
If such a reincarnation truly existed…
***
The Earth Dragon Cart continued its journey along the mountain road.
The carriage swayed gently with the bumps, causing their bodies to rock slightly.
Su Ling remained in a deep sleep, seemingly isolated from the rest of the world.
As time passed, the scenery outside gradually shifted.
At first, scattered villages could still be seen, but soon, these signs of human habitation vanished.
They were replaced by continuous mountain forests.
The trees were towering, and the sunlight was blocked by branches and leaves, leaving only fragmented patches of light and shadow.
Further ahead, the forest thinned, and the terrain opened up.
That valley was already right before their eyes.
The mountain peaks on both sides stood like massive barriers, enclosing the road within.
The ten Bloodkin Knights remained silent the entire time.
Clad in heavy black armor with cold expressions, they were like statues of iron and stone.
The moment the Earth Dragon Cart entered the valley—
The leading knight suddenly raised his hand and ordered a halt.
He leaped down from his horse, his expression becoming alert.
The time to act had arrived.
The knights did not exchange words, yet they read the same intent in each other’s eyes.
According to Moria’s Royal Command—
They had to eliminate Sista here, quietly and without a trace.
Afterward, they would fabricate a story about the “disappearance of the Princess.”
Just as they were preparing to strike—
A layer of mist suddenly rose within the valley.
At first, it was just a few wisps of thin, veil-like vapor.
But very quickly, it began to spread rapidly.
Like a living thing, it crawled and rolled through the air.
In mere moments, the entire valley was swallowed by dense fog.
The knights and the Earth Dragon Cart were all enveloped within it.
The battle-hardened knights immediately sensed that something was wrong.
This mist had appeared too abruptly, and its rate of expansion far exceeded any natural phenomenon.
“Everyone, stay sharp! There is something wrong with this fog!” the lead knight barked, quickly pulling out a cloth to cover his nose and mouth.
The other knights followed suit.
However, they were still one step too slow.
The toxins within the mist had already begun to take effect.
This was no ordinary toxic fog—
It was a poison specifically formulated for the physiology of the Blood Clan.
The lead knight furrowed his brows deeply.
He vaguely remembered seeing similar tactics on the Southern Battlefield.
“Damn it… who would use something like this within the borders of Ansels?”
However, after only a moment—
The knights gradually adapted to the toxic mist.
Their movements returned to normal.
A poison of this level was not yet lethal.
But in the very next heartbeat—
A dark shadow lunged out from the mist like a bolt of lightning!
It pounced straight toward the lead knight!
As it turned out—
The true purpose of this mist was never to kill through poison.
It was to block their vision.
It was born for a sneak attack.