Time was passing, but the expected variable didn’t occur.
No one burst in, no one interrupted this death trap. Everything seemed to be developing toward the worst direction.
Nanyi realized that Xie Queshan was going to die, and what he had instructed Zhang Yuehui to do might only be to protect Song Muchuan. He hadn’t left himself a way out.
But she couldn’t just watch him die.
A startling thought formed in Nanyi’s mind.
She had to kill Gusha before Xie Queshan made his move. As long as Gusha was killed by an assassin in full view of everyone, then Xie Queshan and Song Muchuan could be completely cleared.
But all she had at hand was that sleeve arrow.
The distance was somewhat far, and she wanted to aim at Gusha—but the sight kept wavering. Combined with nervousness and urgency, her hands trembled slightly, beyond her control.
She wasn’t sure if she could kill him.
If she couldn’t achieve victory in one strike, it would alert the enemy and lose everything, even burying Xie Queshan’s chance to act.
Did she have to take this action?
This time, she wasn’t part of Xie Queshan’s plan—only she could make the decision. In the past, when it only concerned her personal safety, she thought about doing her best and leaving the rest to fate—just go all out. But at this moment, her success or failure concerned Xie Queshan’s life and death… perhaps even a larger situation.
The pressure of having to succeed suddenly crashed down on her shoulders.
Suddenly, someone embraced her from behind, one hand supporting her arm while the other pressed a crossbow into her hand.
This was a Qi soldier’s crossbow. The arrows fired from crossbows were sharper with greater force.
“You have to use their weapons, or it’ll be easily discovered.” Teasing words came from behind her.
Nanyi was startled. Looking back, it was actually Zhang Yuehui. Zhang Yuehui seemed like he was here to play, his expression very relaxed.
His arrival made her heart race with fear for a moment, then inexplicably gave her some peace of mind.
She only nodded lightly at him, saying nothing more, turning back to focus on raising the crossbow.
Zhang Yuehui studied her in the night. Her features were familiar yet strange. When had she become such a decisive warrior?
Nanyi aimed at her target and pulled the trigger—whoosh—the arrow pierced the air toward Gusha—thud—the sound of metal piercing flesh.
Right through the throat, the arrow penetrated completely.
In an instant, the situation was reversed.
Gusha’s eyes widened. He still didn’t understand where exactly he had lost—he was clearly about to win. He wanted to curse furiously, but his throat couldn’t make a sound.
He fell down, dying with his eyes wide open.
The moment the arrow was shot, it also exposed Nanyi and Zhang Yuehui’s position.
Hearing the sound, Xie Queshan looked up at the rooftop in surprise, vaguely seeing two figures. At this moment, the ambush troops in the courtyard also reacted.
“There’s an assassin!”
Arrows rained down toward the rooftop.
“Run!”
Zhang Yuehui pulled Nanyi and jumped to the side.
Gusha’s death made everything chaotic. Xie Queshan, as the highest-ranking person present, quickly took control of the scene, turning passive into active.
“General Gusha has been assassinated. I’m taking over the Bureau of Shipping. Leave one team to guard the scene, everyone else, follow me!”
Before leaving, he grabbed Song Muchuan and roughly tied him to a pillar.
“Don’t do anything.” Taking advantage of being close, Xie Queshan warned Song Muchuan in a low voice.
Only after stepping back did he order the guards forward.
“Mr. Song is an important witness. Watch him carefully.”
After saying this, Xie Queshan led the people away.
Song Muchuan watched his retreating figure with complex emotions.
Zhang Yuehui and Nanyi leaped across rooftops, fleeing desperately under pursuit from Qi soldiers behind them, landing in a household’s courtyard and accidentally breaking a flowerpot.
The sound exploded in the courtyard, dogs barking everywhere.
Nanyi wanted to get up and run quickly, but noticed Zhang Yuehui’s movements were somewhat slow. Looking down, he had been hit by an arrow in his lower abdomen, frightening blood seeping through his fingers covering the wound.
It must have hurt very much. Zhang Yuehui’s features were all scrunched together, but his voice still carried that inappropriately relaxed tone, even forcing out an ugly smile: “You go first, I have a way.”
Nanyi was anxious and glared at Zhang Yuehui: “You talk too much nonsense!”
She grabbed Zhang Yuehui’s arm and let him lean on her shoulder, supporting him as they walked forward.
Before they could leave the courtyard gate, the creaking sound of a door opening came from behind.
Both Zhang Yuehui and Nanyi froze, slowly turning back. The commotion outside had awakened the homeowner.
The homeowner looked at these two people in bewilderment.
Outside the neighborhood, torches were moving, and Qi troops were coming this way.
Voices carried over: “The Bingzhu Division assassins landed over there! Search that area!”