At Shangguan Liqian’s inquiry, Ling Yin nodded and forced herself to rally her spirits. “The most important thing right now is getting you to Spirit Spring Valley.”
Now that she knew she had people covering her back, Ling Yin was even more desperate to reach their destination. However, the path ahead was blocked by the ongoing skirmish. They would have to take a detour, which would inevitably cost them precious time.
Thinking of her suffering companions, Ling Yin’s expression turned grim. She took a deep breath and pointed toward a seemingly unremarkable stretch of woods behind them.
“The Labyrinth lies just ahead. Follow me closely. No matter what you hear, do not look back.” With that, she took the lead and stepped forward.
After a few paces, Ling Yin realized she didn’t hear any following footsteps. She turned around in confusion, only to find that Luo Wushuang was already busy directing her people to join the fray.
Ling Yin’s heart leaped into her throat, and she blurted out instinctively, “No! You’ll alert them!”
If it weren’t for the fear of drawing unwanted attention, she would have long ago commanded those half-human, half-ghost monsters to help. She wouldn’t have just stood by and watched her companions be beaten.
Considering that Ling Yin had been a massive help lately—and more importantly, because Luo Wushuang hated taking the long way around—the Empress decided to intervene. On one point, she and Ling Yin were in complete agreement: they needed to reach Spirit Spring Valley as quickly as possible.
Luo Wushuang patted Ling Yin’s shoulder, her manner brimming with roguish confidence. “Don’t worry. When it comes to this kind of work, they’re professionals.”
Ling Yin was about to argue further when she saw Luo Wushuang’s people already creeping toward the combatants with silent, predatory grace. Helpless to stop them, she could only hold her breath, praying fervently in her heart as she waited for the outcome.
The chaotic brawl she expected never happened. Ling Yin didn’t even see how the Secret Guards moved before a chorus of “Ow!” and “Argh!” erupted from the clearing.
The two groups of aggressors suddenly collapsed, kneeling awkwardly on the ground as they clutched their legs and wailed in pain.
“Who’s there?!”
“Come out! Who is it?!”
The men, having had their acupoints struck, were in too much pain to stand. they scanned their surroundings, shouting empty threats to try and flush out their hidden attackers.
But Luo Wushuang’s Secret Guards had seen far greater battles than this. Their mental fortitude was unshakable. The two families searched the area, but they found nothing but the whistling of the wind. The guards were so well-hidden that even if the enemies walked right past them, they likely wouldn’t be spotted.
However, even the best guards couldn’t account for “idiot” teammates.
Seeing that the aggressors were neutralized and unable to stand, yet the Li Family captives were still standing there in a daze, one of the Secret Guards finally lost his patience.
“Run, you fools!”
The Li Family members seemed to snap out of their trance at the shout. They yelled out a quick word of thanks and scrambled away together in the same direction.
The Secret Guard hidden in the trees nearby felt like cursing. Running in a single pack like that? Are they afraid we’ll miss one of them when they’re being recaptured?
In truth, the guards were being a bit unfair to them. While the Li Family members were a bit slow on the uptake, they weren’t entirely stupid, and they were intensely loyal to one another. They ran together because most of them had been tortured or were severely injured. If they split up, those with the worst injuries wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Fortunately, more Secret Guards soon intercepted them and guided the group back to the main unit.
Realizing these were the people who had just saved them, the Li Family members didn’t resist, though their expressions remained guarded. They were terrified this might be another cruel trick played by the Shang or Mo families.
It wasn’t until they saw Ling Yin that the group finally relaxed. They were just about to break down into a collective sob of relief when Luo Wushuang’s voice cut them off.
“Move first. Cry later.”
Only then did they realize they were surrounded by unfamiliar faces. One of them, unable to contain his curiosity, nudged Ling Yin and whispered, “Are… are these the people Master Yujing told us to wait for?”
The man’s voice wasn’t loud, but there were many martial artists present, and most overheard him. The recently rescued Li Family members pricked up their ears, waiting for the answer to the question burning in their hearts.
Since they were all on the same side, Ling Yin saw no reason to hide the truth and gave a small nod.
At that, the Li Family disciples were overcome with joy. “Fantastic! We’re finally saved!”
They wanted to express their excitement further, but seeing that their rescuers were already moving fast and had no intention of waiting for them, they swallowed their words and scrambled to keep up.
Once they found a safe place to settle, the Secret Guards fell into a practiced rhythm—some went hunting, some gathered firewood, and others began cooking. Their coordination was seamless.
The Li Family members tried to help, but the Secret Guard Commander stopped them. “The Master said you are to wait here. A physician will be along shortly to treat your wounds.”
While these people didn’t seem particularly bright, they were at least obedient.
After the Imperial Physicians finished bandaging everyone, they approached Luo Wushuang with long faces. They began to complain that their medical supplies were running dangerously low.
They had brought plenty, but the earlier battle against the humanoid beasts had drained their stock. If they hadn’t spent the last two weeks foraging for herbs during every possible rest stop, they would have run out long ago. After treating this new batch of injured, their final reserves were exhausted.
Upon hearing the news, Luo Wushuang instinctively glared at Ling Yin. If Ling Yin hadn’t sent a pack of beasts after them earlier, their medicine wouldn’t have been depleted so quickly.
Feeling the weight of that stare and remembering her previous “test,” Ling Yin felt a twinge of guilt. She offered a sheepish smile. “I’ll take you to the Spirit Herb Garden to gather supplies. I promise there’s more than enough!”
She thumped her chest confidently, clearly proud of the quality and quantity of the garden’s inventory.
The Imperial Physicians’ grim expressions instantly brightened into smiles. They had been on the island for nearly three months and knew exactly how high-quality the local flora was. And those were just the wild herbs they had found themselves. A “Spirit Herb Garden” sounded like a place where things were carefully cultivated. The quality of such ingredients would be… exquisite.
