The warhorse was clad in sturdy barding, with a weapon rack mounted on the armor. Qin Yu lay prone on the horse’s back, her cheek pressed tightly against the saddle, her hands groping across the weapon rack.
Her fingers brushed against a hard, rod-like object. She pulled it toward her. It was a standard-issue Magic Gun, similar in type to a rifle from the modern world.
Qin Yu checked the magazine. It was fully loaded, neatly packed with solid brass bullets.
She pulled open the dust cover on the stock section of the gun, revealing a glowing, cylindrical object inside.
This was a fully charged Magic Battery, providing the energy to fire the gun’s projectiles.
Qin Yu gently pulled back the bolt, preparing herself against Chen Yufei.
At the same time, she found spare magazines and a long spear in the weapon rack on the horse’s barding.
The warhorse charged left and right through the forest, having long since left the river behind. The dim moon in the sky barely illuminated the paths beneath the trees.
Qin Yu had no idea of her current location, only knowing she was fleeing roughly eastward.
The burning air in her chest gradually cooled, and Qin Yu finally felt she was catching her breath.
She straightened up slightly and slowed the warhorse’s pace.
Just then, a gunshot rang out from behind—different from the explosive sound of gunpowder propelling a bullet in the modern world, it was a dull thump.
This was followed by the whoosh of a bullet cutting through the air. Qin Yu only felt a sudden push against her back, followed by a dull pain. A bullet had struck the armor on her back.
“Enemy attack!” Qin Yu whipped her head around to see Chen Yufei riding up from behind, her golden armor emitting a faint glow in the dark forest.
Qin Yu hurriedly ducked down, pressing her face against the cold saddle. The armor on her body was enough to block bullets, but her head was extremely vulnerable.
Behind her, gunshots rang out one after another. Chen Yufei, aiming to conserve ammunition, was firing in controlled bursts.
Qin Yu was pinned down by Chen Yufei’s bullets, unable to raise her head, forced to rely on serpentine evasive maneuvers, weaving left and right to avoid the shots.
‘I need to think of a way…’ Qin Yu reached out and took the Magic Gun from the weapon rack.
The Magic Gun, made of fine steel, was quite heavy. Qin Yu gripped the rear pistol grip with her right hand.
The grip, with its anti-slip design, felt comfortable in her hand. Qin Yu flipped off the safety on the gun’s body, switched the firing mode to automatic, held the gun with one hand, and pointed the muzzle behind her.
She pulled the trigger. The recoil from the gun firing almost made her lose her grip.
After emptying one magazine, Qin Yu felt her hand was nearly numb from the vibration.
She glanced back and realized she had missed almost her entire burst. Chen Yufei was still chasing her from behind, and the distance between them was closing fast.
Qin Yu hurriedly reloaded, preparing to wait until Chen Yufei caught up and then deliver a point-blank burst to finish her off.
The sound of hoofbeats grew louder in her ears. Qin Yu could tell Chen Yufei was already close.
Holding the gun with both hands, she aimed at the area behind and slightly to the side where the hoofbeats were coming from and pulled the trigger.
But just as the gunshot sounded, she heard an equally powerful gunshot in response.
Suddenly, Qin Yu felt a tightness beneath her. The warhorse abruptly sank and crashed to the ground, throwing Qin Yu several meters away.
“Ah—!” Qin Yu let out a cry of pain. Face-planting from a galloping warhorse onto the ground was not a pleasant experience.
She felt a dull ache all over her body, as if beaten with iron rods. Her face scraped across the muddy ground, and the skin on her right cheek below her eye seemed to have been cut open by a small stone in the mud.
Although Qin Yu tumbled several times before stopping, she kept a tight grip on her gun, refusing to let go.
Qin Yu immediately flipped over and sat up, fully focused, her eyes fixed on Chen Yufei’s movements.
Having been knocked off her horse by Chen Yufei, she was now at a disadvantage. Qin Yu had to concentrate fully to counterattack.
Chen Yufei calmly reined in her horse and dismounted gracefully.
She walked over to Qin Yu’s warhorse, looking at its hind leg, which she had shot through.
The warhorse lay on its side, unable to get up. Seeing Chen Yufei approach, it kicked its hooves violently, determined to resist to the end.
Chen Yufei snorted coldly. She raised her gun, aimed at the horse’s belly where there was no barding, and pulled the trigger.
After a few agonized whinnies, the warhorse fell completely silent.
In the quiet forest, the gunshot was particularly piercing. The heavy smell of blood wafted over, and Qin Yu couldn’t help but retch, her grip on the gun loosening slightly.
Reload, chamber a round.
Chen Yufei’s movements were crisp and clean, the sounds sharp and clear, but to Qin Yu’s ears, they rang like a death knell.
“Qin Yu…” Chen Yufei walked up to stand before Qin Yu and raised her Magic Gun. “Any last words?”
“Chen Yufei…” Qin Yu’s voice was hoarse, but her gaze was firm. “It’s not yet certain which of us will survive!”
Qin Yu tightened her grip on the Magic Gun. At the same time, she sensed the magical power within her body beginning to coalesce once more. With magic, Qin Yu had the confidence to fight another round.
“Tch!”
Chen Yufei dismissed Qin Yu’s words with disdain. She drew her sword and advanced step by step toward Qin Yu. For this final kill, she intended to use a beheading strike.
Qin Yu’s hands trembled uncontrollably. She closed her eyes, pointed the gun’s muzzle toward Chen Yufei’s position, and pulled the trigger.
However, the expected recoil never came. There was only an unsettling click.
“What’s going on?” Qin Yu was horrified, her composure shattered in an instant. She hurriedly checked the gun’s condition.
‘The safety is on…’ By the time Qin Yu despairingly realized her oversight, it was too late.
Chen Yufei had already raised her sword high and brought it slashing down toward Qin Yu’s head.
In her desperation, Qin Yu crossed the Magic Gun horizontally, attempting to block Chen Yufei’s strike.
With a loud clang, the Magic Gun was shattered by Chen Yufei’s sword.
Although Qin Yu had blocked the blade, the immense impact had numbed her arms, sending them into uncontrollable spasms. She had essentially lost her ability to fight.
She looked up despairingly at Chen Yufei towering over her. The faint moonlight reflected off the sword’s blade, dazzling Qin Yu’s eyes.
Chen Yufei stopped a few steps in front of Qin Yu, then swept her foot sideways into Qin Yu’s chest, kicking her down like a stray dog.
“Ugh…” Qin Yu grunted, a sharp pain erupting in her chest. The taste of blood surged up her throat. Her arms fell limply to her sides.
“You are my prisoner, Qin Yu!” Chen Yufei lightly touched the tip of her sword to Qin Yu’s vulnerable throat.
Qin Yu’s throat moved, the taste of blood filling her mouth. With every slight movement, the skin of her throat brushed against the sword tip, sending a stinging sensation through her.
The sting from the sword tip traveled up Qin Yu’s throat, the cold touch sliding up to her chin.
Chen Yufei turned the blade, pressing its edge against Qin Yu’s chin. “Surrender!”
“Impossible!” Qin Yu forced the words from her throat. “Both of us are exhausted, separated from our troops, stranded in the wilderness. This is precisely the time when we need to cooperate. Why must we kill each other?”
“Besides,” Qin Yu’s staff suddenly materialized in her hand, “I don’t mind if we both die together!”
“…” Chen Yufei was stunned. She hadn’t expected Qin Yu to resort to such a mutually assured destruction strategy.
From the resolute look in Qin Yu’s eyes, Chen Yufei recognized it—the look of someone prepared to face death.
She had thought Qin Yu was just a playboy, lacking any real fighting spirit. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case at all!
“Fine!” After a long silence, Chen Yufei sheathed her sword…