章 9: 9. Princess of Fortune (I)
Somewhere far, far away from the King's Mountains, a group of people were traveling on horseback through the wet and muddy ground. This was a dingy and humid land full of swampy marshes and weird decrepit trees. The air was thick and muggy and filled with chilling noises of beasts and insects. There were no other humans around and the nearest village was several weeks of travel away.
Visibility all around was limited due to a thick suffocating fog that blocked almost all of the sunlight. The group had dark cloaks and black horses, making them even harder to detect. They were traveling with speed and stealth, heading towards an important secret destination.
The rider at the front suddenly paused and signaled the others, who also stopped. The rider pulled off the hood to reveal a woman with black hair, brown eyes, and a flawless oval face. She was a stunning beauty that could stop men in their tracks and question if their eyes were deceiving them.
The lady peered closely towards her right as if waiting for something to appear from that direction. Only a few trees were visible before everything turned into fog. Weird insects flitted about but there was nothing else.
"Mistress, is something there?" A female voice sounded beside her. That person did not remove their hood but the voice belonged to a woman.
The lady sighed. "Don't know, maybe it's just a small animal. This trip has been a long one and we're almost at our goal. Perhaps I'm a little on edge."
Another attendant on her other side spoke up. "Mistress, your plan is daring yet thorough. This servant is filled with admiration! I think there is no chance others have caught onto this mission. Bands of mercenaries and treasure hunters go into the wilderness every day and we've acted no different than them."
"That's true and the mission so far has indeed been very smooth. But this is the critical juncture. The ruins should only be half a day from here. But the smoothness of our trip makes me feel uneasy." The lady said.
"The information was validated by the sect hierarchy, all the way up to the sect master. Please rest assured, mistress."
"Hmm… perhaps." She mused while continuing to survey the fog in front of her.
Suddenly, she sensed something out of place. In a sleight of hand, she pulled a red knife out of thin air and threw it towards her right, at a tree that was barely visible. The blade shot out like an arrow and left a flaming trail through the fog.
There was a flash of light followed by the roar of an explosion.
Boom!
The wide tree trunk shattered into pieces, spraying splinters everywhere.
"Ahhh!" A wretched human scream came from behind the tree. Then, silence.
"Retreat!" The lady yelled and turned her horse around.
The troop followed her lead and turned as one.
However, three figures stepped out of the fog and cut off the return path. The newcomers wore completely black robes with their faces covered with weirdly patterned red masks. All three exuded sharp and deadly auras and it was obvious what their intentions were.
The one in the center raised a hand and a wave of cyan-colored spiritual energy erupted. A gusting wind storm traveled the distance between the two groups in an instant and slammed into the lady's troops, causing horses to stumble and throw their riders off.
The lady managed to remain on the horse and yelled out, "Assassins! Get in assault formation, we have to break through!"
Her troops threw off their dark cloaks, revealing light-yellow robes of high quality. Above the robes, they wore pieces of polished gray metal armor. Each warrior was armed with an array of swords, shields, spears, or bows.
The lady and her group were far from ordinary. Her one hundred warriors could destroy mercenary groups and common armies effortlessly. But against the three strange assassins, the outcome was uncertain.
It only took a second for her men to organize, but in that time the three figures had already closed the distance. Swords appeared in their hands, dimly flashing in the foggy sunlight.
"Charge!"
An intense battle erupted. Archers let loose a hail of arrows that were blown away with a wave from the lead assassin. A band of yellow-robed warriors with spears rode forward and clashed against the assassins in a bloody mist of broken armor and shattered limbs.
Horses and men alike crumbled to the ground and were silenced by ruthless blades. The initial charge of the cavalry was cut apart like they were nothing. The assassins stood up from the carnage without a single scratch. A gust of wind blew away the corpses around them and they continued forward.
These three were incredibly strong!
Seeing the result, the lady yelled out new orders, "Infantry formation! Off the horses, shields out, engage in groups!"
"Strength!"
A surge of energy rose from the soldiers that locked shields together. Working together, the attacks of the assassins were blunted for the first time.
"Kill!"
The soldiers advanced, separating the assassins and encircling them. Each one was beset on four sides. Blades clanged against shields and armor as mud and blood flew into the air. The air buzzed with spiritual energy from both sides that ground together like millstones.
The yellow-robed warriors lasted a little longer than the previous engagement. But after a few exchanges, two assassins were able to slaughter out of the encirclement while the last one had killed two warriors.
The lady gritted her teeth. "Keep attacking! Keep those two pinned, leave the third to me!"
"Kill!"
Her troops surged forward again, filling the spots left by their slain comrades. They threw themselves forward without regard for death. Her powerful attendants also joined the fray, anchoring the encirclement formation.
The lady did not idle and leaped off her horse. Her aim was the third assassin who was the weakest. The assassin turned and met her with his sword and they started a vicious duel. Sparks flew as they exchanged blows faster than the eye could see.
"Princess Xueling Sun, the rumors were true. You're a pretty lass… Oh, you are quite skilled as well!" The masked assassin laughed harshly. "Excellent!"
Xueling didn't bother answering and increased the pace of her attacks. The assassin was equally skilled and kept up while still laughing and taunting her.
They fought several rounds until she finally found an opening. Though his moves were unfamiliar, she could still handle him with raw strength.
She found the right opportunity and discretely withdrew another red dagger. She launched it at close range before he could dodge. The dagger was like an unstoppable flaming spear and blew a hole through his stomach.
"Go to hell!" Xueling yelled in grim satisfaction.
"You…" The man mumbled before collapsing in a heap.
She heaved a huge breath of relief. The dagger was a finishing move that required a lot of energy. The weapon itself was also a special treasure and she only had one left. Nonetheless, it was worth the loss to slay an assassin.
She turned around and surveyed the situation. Half her troops were already dead or injured beyond hope. Her two attendants and the rest were still doing their best to keep the other two assassins at bay.
The lead assassin saw his dead associate and raised his arms into the air.
"Give me wind!"
A shockwave of air blasted from his palms. It forced her troops back completely. The fighting paused and Xueling was able to rejoin her side.
The lead assassin finally spoke, "I'm impressed. I'm so impressed! Princess Sun of Fortune is blessed with talent and intellect, good instincts, and even greater fortune. To allow me to witness your true self, Old Third didn't die for nothing, hahaha… Too bad, your fortune runs out now!"
He clapped his hands loudly and the force from it sent echoes around the foggy swamp.
At his signal, whistling sounds erupted all around and a cloud of arrows descended from behind. Her warriors had their backs turned and many fell under the barrage. A large number of ragtag mercenaries then charged out of the fog, yelling and howling and continuing to shoot arrows and hurl spears.
Xueling was now hemmed in with no way to escape!
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