Deep in the dense forest, two masked figures crouched on a tall tree, their eyes fixed on the path below. They held sharp darts in their hands, and their gazes revealed a cold murderous intent.
“Look, that blonde woman, even though she’s dressed in a coarse cloth skirt, her manner and demeanor… are definitely not ordinary.”
One of them said in a low voice, a hint of excitement in his tone.
The other nodded, a flash of greed in his eyes.
“That’s right, even though her eyes are hidden by a hat, that sense of pressure… only Blood Clan nobles have it. If she really is the Second Princess Sista, then we’ll have accomplished a great deed.”
“Her Majesty the Queen has placed a hefty bounty on her head. We need to be careful and not let her escape. Big brother, you didn’t tell Lord Knight, did you? It’s enough for us two to pocket this reward.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve already set a trap on the road ahead of them. Once they enter that abandoned village, they won’t be able to escape even if they had wings.”
The two exchanged a smile and then silently followed.
Sista and Su Ling rode their horses slowly along the path. The surrounding scenery gradually became desolate, the trees sparse, and a chill filled the air.
“Your Highness, there seems to be a small village ahead. Should we go in and rest?”
Su Ling pointed ahead, her face weary.
Sista furrowed her brows, her gaze scanning the surroundings, feeling a faint unease. But she nodded anyway.
“Alright, it’s getting late. Let’s spend the night there,” Sista said in a low voice.
The two rode into the village, only to find it deserted. The houses were dilapidated, walls covered in vines, and the streets littered with debris. Clearly, it had been abandoned for years.
“Here… why is there no one?”
Su Ling looked around nervously, her voice trembling slightly.
Sista did not answer. Her gaze swept the area warily, a cold glint flashing in her red eyes. She sensed something wrong, but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was.
“Let’s find a place to rest first. We’ll continue at dawn,” Sista said in a low voice.
The two found a relatively intact house, pushed open the door, and went inside.
The room was filled with dust and clutter, but it could still provide shelter from the wind and rain.
“I’ll go find some firewood to start a fire. You rest first, Your Highness.”
With that, Su Ling turned and walked out of the house.
Sista stood still, her gaze still vigilant. Her fingers lightly touched the dagger at her waist, ready to respond to any sudden situation.
Just as Su Ling returned to the room carrying a bundle of firewood, Sista suddenly sensed something amiss. Her red eyes flashed brightly, and she shot a sharp glance toward the door.
“Watch out!”
Sista shouted a warning and pulled Su Ling behind her.
The next second, two masked figures burst in from outside, their daggers aimed straight at Sista’s throat.
“It really is you, Second Princess!” one of them sneered. “Today is your death day! You’re surrounded by our people!”
“I thought you were Blood Clan assassins, but I didn’t expect just humans.”
A cold glint flashed in Sista’s red eyes, and her voice was low and imposing.
“You think with such little skill you can kill me?”
Before her words faded, her red eyes suddenly emitted a strong light.
The two masked men felt their bodies stiffen, as if controlled by an invisible force.
“What’s going on?!” one of them shouted in terror.
“This woman… what curse did she put on us?!”
The other struggled desperately, only to find his body completely out of control. Even his hand involuntarily drew the blade at his waist.
“No… don’t!”
The two watched in horror as their hands slowly turned the blades toward each other.
Squelch
The sound of blades piercing flesh rang out.
The two masked men fell to the ground, blood staining the floor.
Su Ling stared in shock at the scene before her, her voice trembling:
“Your Highness… them… what happened to them?”
Sista glanced coldly at the corpses on the ground, a note of disdain in her voice.
“Just two overreaching ants.”
She turned, her gaze falling on Su Ling. The coldness in her red eyes gradually dissipated, replaced by a trace of gentleness.
“Are you all right?” Sista asked softly.
Su Ling shook her head, still with a look of lingering fear on her face.
“I’m fine… just a little worried.”
“Worried?”
Su Ling turned around and pointed to the other side of the room.
There, the horse they had bought earlier lay on the ground, covered in wounds.
The horse had been killed by those two. Sista was silent for a moment.
“Go start the fire first. We’ll rest here tonight.”
Beside the fire, Su Ling and Sista sat side by side. The firelight cast a warm glow on their faces.
“Your Highness, that power you used just now… was it Heart Resonance?” Su Ling couldn’t help asking.
“Yes, that is a Blood Clan innate ability. It can control others’ actions through mental power. However, this ability consumes a lot of mental strength and can’t be used frequently.”
“Amazing…”
Su Ling wanted to say something more, but then suddenly stopped.
After all, she herself seemed to have been controlled by this ability before. Sista let out a light hum.
“This is nothing, just a basic Blood Clan ability.”
The cold of the night made their sleep uneasy. Even though Sista had held Su Ling the whole time, warming her with her body heat, the frigid air still left them exhausted.
Before dawn, Sista and Su Ling rose early.
“Your Highness, do we really have to leave this early?”
Su Ling rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice carrying a hint of drowsiness. Sista nodded, her gaze solemn.
“Our whereabouts have been exposed. The pursuers will find us soon. We must reach Escon City as quickly as possible, or the consequences will be dire.”
Su Ling didn’t say anything more; she just nodded silently.
She knew that Sista’s decisions were always for their safety.
The two packed their belongings simply and continued on the road to Escon City.
Without horses, they could only proceed on foot.
Sista walked ahead, her gaze warily scanning the surroundings, while Su Ling followed closely behind, struggling to keep up.
After walking for a long time, Su Ling’s feet had blistered, and every step felt like stepping on knife points. Her breathing became rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
“Your Highness… how much longer do we have to walk?” Su Ling couldn’t help asking.
Sista glanced back at her, a flicker of hesitation in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by calm.
“Hold on a little longer. Escon City is just ahead. As soon as we get there, we’ll be safe.”
Su Ling nodded, gritted her teeth, and continued walking.
She knew there was no time to complain. Only by reaching the destination as soon as possible could they shake off the pursuers.
Finally, after passing through a sparse forest, Su Ling saw in the distance the top of the castle of Escon City.
A spark of excitement flashed in her eyes.
“Your Highness! It’s Escon City! We’ve finally arrived!”
The corners of Sista’s lips lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile.
“Yes, we’re almost there.”
The two quickened their pace, left the forest, crossed a small bridge, and entered the village outside the city.
The streets were bustling with people, lively and bustling. The hawkers’ cries and children’s laughter mingled together, a stark contrast to their arduous journey.
“Your Highness, should we find new horses?” Su Ling said in a low voice, her gaze sweeping over the stalls and shops on both sides of the street.
“Without a means of transport, it will be difficult to enter Escon City before the pursuers catch up.”
Sista nodded, her gaze still warily scanning the surroundings.
“Yes, but we need to be careful and not draw too much attention.”
The two walked slowly along the street, looking for a place to buy horses.
However, just as they had not gone far, over a dozen masked figures suddenly burst out of an alley, holding sharp blades aimed at Sista and Su Ling.
‘They’ve caught up!’
Sista’s eyes brightened sharply, she quickly pulled Su Ling behind her and said in a low voice:
“Watch out, stay close to me!”
Just as the masked figures were about to pounce, another group suddenly charged out from the other side of the street and stood in front of Sista and Su Ling.
The leader was a tall young man holding a long sword, his eyes blazing.
“In broad daylight, bullying two weak women, have you no shame?”
The young man shouted coldly, his tone full of scorn.
The masked men were clearly caught off guard by the interference and momentarily flustered.
One of them said in a lowered voice:
“Don’t meddle! We’re on a mission!”
“Mission?” the young man sneered.
“What mission requires you to attack two unarmed women? I think you’re just a bunch of cowards who bully the weak.” The masked men exchanged glances.
This was a busy market, so naturally they couldn’t reveal that the Queen wanted to hunt down the Second Princess.
Although there was a rich reward for the Second Princess’s head, if their identity was exposed, the consequences would be worse than decapitation.
One of the masked men gritted his teeth and barked in a low voice:
“Retreat! Don’t waste time here!”
With that, they quickly retreated and vanished into the shadows of the alley.
The young man sheathed his long sword, the blade flashing coldly in the sunlight before returning to its scabbard.
He turned to look at Sista and Su Ling, a gentle yet resolute smile appearing on his face.
“Young ladies, are you hurt?”
Sista’s brows carried a faint chill. She nodded slightly, her tone indifferent yet polite.
“Thank you for your help.”
Su Ling, on the other hand, let out a sigh of relief, revealing a sincere smile on her face, her eyes full of gratitude.
“Thank you! If you hadn’t intervened in time, we wouldn’t have known what to do.”
The young man laughed heartily and waved his hand, his tone bold and confident.
“It’s a small matter, not worth mentioning! Seeing injustice on the road, drawing a sword to help, that’s just the right thing to do.”