Ashes to Crown

Chapter 210: Chapter 35: A Perilous Road

If Chu Zhao knew what Xie Yanlai was thinking on the city wall as she left the Capital City, she would have definitely called him a jinx.

As flames raged in the valley and sharp arrows filled the sky, Chu Zhao wanted to curse someone, but she didn’t know who.

’Curse myself? I knew the journey from the Capital City wouldn’t be safe, but should I have stayed behind just because of the danger? No matter how I think about it, I would have still made this trip. So, there’s no point in blaming myself.’

’Curse the attackers? I don’t even know who these people are.’

The journey had been smooth until now.

Chu Zhao’s party wasn’t large. Xiao Man had brought ten people, leaving the women and children in the Capital City. Of course, the women and children were not weak; in fact, being underestimated made them even more deadly. As for the Dragon Power Army, Xie Yanlai had wanted to give her half of them—Chu Zhao had broken into a cold sweat at the thought. She was trying to travel incognito, not roll through the countryside like a thundercloud.

In the end, Chu Zhao only took ten men.

The twenty of them traveled light and fast, not stopping to rest until it was time to change horses. They soon left the heartland of the Central Plains, passing the North Cao Town posthouse once again along the way.

Looking at the posthouse, Ah Le enthusiastically told Xiao Man, ”We scammed a lot of people here last time.”

This time, however, they didn’t need to stop. They passed by with just a glance, and the fat Posthouse Minister picking his teeth outside the gate didn’t even see them.

Chu Zhao had also deliberately avoided Zhongshan County, so instead of crossing a great river again, they were crossing a large mountain.

But trouble found them all the same.

Just as they entered a mountain valley, a group of men suddenly appeared, shouting that it was a robbery. From their words to their clothes, they looked just like mountain bandits.

But no one believed they were mountain bandits.

Xiao Man sneered. ”What part of them looks like bandits?”

The leader of the accompanying Dragon Power Army contingent was named Bai and called himself Old Bai—though he was actually just a middle-aged man. He carried a long saber on his back and was a man of few words. He only said, ”They don’t carry themselves like bandits.”

The ”bandits” evidently couldn’t be bothered with the charade anymore. They skipped the usual nonsense about ”your money or your life” and charged straight at them with weapons raised.

And it wasn’t just them. Behind them, the pounding of more hooves echoed through the valley, accompanied by high-pitched war cries. ”KILL—”

...

...

These men were indeed not bandits. Faced with the Dragon Power Army’s counterattack, not a single one of them retreated, even as bodies piled up on the ground.

At first, Xiao Man and her ten guards stayed by Chu Zhao’s side. But soon, Xiao Man had to dispatch some of them as reinforcements. In the end, even Chu Zhao and Ah Le were wielding weapons, their bodies and faces splattered with blood.

A battle of attrition was not a good strategy.

”Into the mountains!” Xiao Man shouted. ”These men aren’t from around here; they won’t know the terrain.”

A thought flashed through Chu Zhao’s mind. ’But we aren’t from around here either, so we don’t know the mountains, do we?’

However, this didn’t slow her down. Old Bai didn’t question the order either, and the group immediately dashed into the forest.

The dense woods and rocky terrain formed a natural barrier, and Chu Zhao’s party quickly vanished into them, concealing their trail.

But the pursuit didn’t stop.

...

...

The ”bandits’” arrows fell like rain.

An arrow grazed the top of Chu Zhao’s head, and Xiao Man pushed her down.

”I know my limits,” Chu Zhao whispered hurriedly. ”You focus on your own fight.”

Although she had fought on horseback with a saber during the turmoil in the Capital City that night, she was no match for Xiao Man. Xiao Man was about the same age as her but was a much more seasoned fighter.

She knew her limits and wouldn’t overreach, lest she become a burden.

Xiao Man scanned her surroundings vigilantly, then pointed in a certain direction for a man perched in a tree. The man immediately leaped across several branches to the edge of a cliff, drew his bow, and fired. A few screams of pain rang out from below—

And the rain of arrows from the valley floor paused.

”These men have military backgrounds,” Old Bai said in a low voice, moving over from the other side.

In truth, Chu Zhao had already guessed as much even without him saying it. These ”bandits” advanced and retreated with discipline. They had crossbowmen, axemen, and even shield bearers—

”Can you tell where they’re from?” Xiao Man asked.

Old Bai shook his head, a hint of shame on his face. After all, he had been stationed in the Capital City for a long time and wasn’t familiar with the forces of the county governments outside the capital.

”It’s not surprising you can’t tell,” Chu Zhao said softly. ”Since they’re targeting me, they would naturally conceal their identities.”

’It’s either the King of Zhongshan’s men or the remnants of the Third Prince and the Zhao Family. Or—no, there’s no one else.’

’Maybe there will be others in the future.’

Chu Zhao gave a small, self-deprecating smile. But for now, these were the two parties who wanted her dead.

The King of Zhongshan was the most likely culprit.

The greatest danger on this journey had always been the King of Zhongshan.

Currently, the King of Zhongshan and the court were in a strange state of calm. The court had not moved against the King of Zhongshan, and the King of Zhongshan remained silent. He didn’t attend the funerals for the late Emperor and the former Crown Prince, nor did he offer congratulations to the new emperor. It was as if he had vanished.

Of course, the King of Zhongshan hadn’t vanished, and there was no true peace between him and the court. First, both the court’s army and Xie Yanfang’s forces were hunting down Xiao Xun. Then, more troops were mobilized to surround Zhongshan County. After Vice General Zhong returned to the Border County, he also moved his forces toward Zhongshan County, collaborating with the court to form a pincer encirclement—

The King of Zhongshan naturally knew that his territory was being surrounded.

But for now, neither side had made a move. Both seemed to be waiting... waiting for the right opportunity—

That was why Chu Zhao had deliberately detoured around Zhongshan County, to avoid becoming that opportunity.

But it seemed the King of Zhongshan hadn’t let this opportunity slip by.

She had hidden her movements from the entire court and the rest of the world, but she couldn’t necessarily hide them from the King of Zhongshan. Although the Imperial City had been purged several times, the King of Zhongshan had been building his network for so many years. His spies couldn’t be rooted out that easily.

’Am I still going to die at Xiao Xun’s hands this time?’

”Lady,” Old Bai said softly, looking at Chu Zhao. ”They also seem afraid of being discovered, so they don’t have many men. We’ve also seized the high ground, so we’re safe for now. If we can find a way to alert the local garrison, we can definitely repel these ’bandits’.”

The position Xiao Man and the others had chosen was indeed excellent. The bandits’ initial attempt to use fire had failed to harm them, and now their arrows were largely ineffective due to the terrain.

Chu Zhao surveyed their surroundings. Behind them was a sheer cliff, the highest point around. In front of them was an open area, devoid of trees but filled with jagged rocks that formed a natural defensive wall. They held the high ground, and standing behind the rocks felt like being atop a tall city wall.

’But how long will ”for now” last?’

”They will anticipate any plans we might have,” Chu Zhao said in a low voice. She looked toward the forest where the ”bandits” were located. The once-quiet area was now showing some commotion, as if they were leaving, which was not normal.

She glanced around at her people again. They were too few. The earlier battle had cost them five of their twenty men, and another seven or eight of the remaining were wounded.

No matter how good this position was, her men couldn’t hold out for long.

Old Bai knew this as well. He said gravely, ”Lady, have this young lady take you away from here. We will fight to the death to ensure you escape safely.”

As long as she got away, there was a chance to get help.

Ah Le, standing nearby, gripped her weapon tightly and nodded in agreement. ”Miss, hurry and go with Xiao Man.”

’I’m not leaving. Xiao Man can only take one person, and I can’t be a burden. I’m willing to die holding back the attackers for my Miss.’

Chu Zhao shook her head, her gaze fixed on the rolling, forested mountains. ”We have no idea what the situation is outside the forest. It would be just as dangerous without any cover.”

Xiao Man, who had been quiet all this time, shot to her feet upon hearing this.

”I’ll go get reinforcements!”

She threw out this sentence and, before Chu Zhao, Old Bai, or anyone else could react, charged forward with her long saber in hand.

”Cover her!”

Chu Zhao barely had time to shout.

As her voice rang out, Old Bai and his men drew their bows and fired, while war cries once again erupted from the forest opposite them.

The rain of arrows once again blotted out the sky.