章 76: The Eight Sectors of Chang Jie

Pain burst across my back - the arrow had pierced me near my right shoulderblade; where Zheng's heart would have been if I hadn't blocked him.

Zheng held me up, his own sword on the floor, eyes filled with horror when I pulled back. "Fight!" I ordered, clenching my teeth through the pain.

The warriors of the Gold Squard were not in the Gold Squad for nothing. The ten men charged forwards, swords in the air as they began to cut a bloody path through the bandits.

"Qing'er!" Nian Qu's cry was horrified, but I steadied my grip on my dagger.

"Stay back!" I barked at the servants as shouts and the furious clanging of metal on metal filled the air. Matron Ji took charge, forcing everyone to duck behind and under the carts.

There were several stray arrows, but the bandits above us didn't dare to shoot too much for fear of hitting their own people in the mess.