Chapter 74: Yin Hu Immediately Favors Her
Chapter 74: Yin Hu Immediately Favors Her
Yin Hu's expression faltered as he asked, "You are...?"
Meng Qianqian turned around and looked at him steadily. "I..."
Lu Lingxiao had also heard the name 'Yin Hu', but he thought that Meng Qianqian had recognized the man by his voice, not realizing that she had an ability to identify people by the sound of their voice.
Although he didn't quite catch how she had done it.
He stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth as he covered his chest. He looked at the man and asked, "Could it be an imposter again?"
Yin Hu paid him no heed. With a flick of his broken bamboo stick, he snatched away Meng Qianqian's token and embroidered dagger.
He glanced at them and asked, "From the imperial court?"
He tossed the broken bamboo aside and reached out to remove the mask from Meng Qianqian's face.
This time, Meng Qianqian retaliated. She retreated with a quick tap of her toes.
Yin Hu plucked a bamboo leaf and sent it flying toward Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian's wrist twitched, and a silver needle pierced through the leaf, shooting toward his brow.
Yin Hu casually pinched the needle between two fingers.
He took a closer look, and a glint flashed in his eyes. His expression turned cold, and with a chilling killing intent, he threw the needle back at Meng Qianqian!
Meng Qianqian didn't dodge or even blink. She simply held his gaze, unblinking.
"Hey! You—" Lu Lingxiao exclaimed, covering his chest.
"Ah—"
A miserable cry came from behind Meng Qianqian, and a masked figure fell to the ground, a needle embedded in his brow.
A strong shock flashed in Lu Lingxiao's eyes.
"Why didn't you dodge?" Yin Hu asked.
"I didn't want to," Meng Qianqian replied.
Yin Hu walked over, plucked the needle from the man's brow, and cleaned it with some clean snow. He then picked a bamboo leaf to wipe it dry and casually retrieved the first silver needle that Meng Qianqian had shot out. He handed both needles to her.
"The shadow guards of Beiliang," he said. "If you encounter them, don't engage directly."
Meng Qianqian took the needles and nodded obediently. "Mhm."
Yin Hu paused, taken aback.
Having infiltrated the King's City of Beiliang for several years, Lu Lingxiao had naturally heard of Beiliang's shadow guards. They were akin to the Jinyiwei of Dazhou, but they specialized more in assassination missions.
Each shadow guard was a master among masters. Yet, in Yin Hu's hands, they were defeated without even a single move.
He had heard Wan'er mention that Yin Hu wasn't the most powerful among the Twelve Tigers. No wonder the Emperor desired the Black-Armored Guard; their strength was truly terrifying.
Lu Lingxiao was now certain that this man was the real Yin Hu. He cupped his fist in a respectful salute and said, "Your junior, Lu Lingxiao, greets Senior Yin Hu."
Yin Hu glanced at him and asked, "Oh? So, you're that fool who rescued the wrong person."
Lu Lingxiao felt embarrassed. "Senior... You know about me rescuing someone from the Beiliang military camp?"
Yin Hu admitted frankly, "Yes, I followed you out from there."
Lu Lingxiao asked, puzzled, "Then why didn't you remind us that we had rescued the wrong person?"
Yin Hu replied arrogantly, "Why should I remind you?"
Lu Lingxiao furrowed his brows. According to rumors, the Black-Armored Guard only pledged allegiance to Marshal Chu and didn't put imperial authority in their eyes. It seemed that these rumors were true.
"What happens in the imperial court is none of my concern. You may leave, but she stays." Yin Hu's last sentence was directed at Meng Qianqian.
Meng Qianqian said, "Yin Hu, can you help detoxify someone? I've sealed his acupoints with silver needles, but it can only last for three days. I've already spent one day looking for you."
Yin Hu hesitated.
Meng Qianqian knew what he wanted to say. "You detoxify him, and I'll answer whatever you ask."
"Just one request in exchange for the detoxification?" Yin Hu asked.
Meng Qianqian paused before replying honestly, "I also have something to ask you."
Yin Hu looked at her deeply and agreed, "Alright, I'll go with you to save that person!"
Lu Lingxiao felt that there was something odd between the two of them. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the way Meng Qianqian directly addressed Yin Hu by his name without any honorifics, and the way Yin Hu didn't get angry but rather seemed to indulge her, was peculiar.
Indeed, women are always better at pleasing men.
Yin Hu looked around and asked, "Just one horse?"
Lu Lingxiao said to Meng Qianqian, "I told you to tether your horse."
Meng Qianqian turned away, took off her mask, and whistled into the forest. Soon, her well-fed horse returned with its head held high.
Lu Lingxiao was stunned.
Meng Qianqian put her mask back on.
As Yin Hu was about to mount his horse, his body suddenly stiffened, and he knelt on one knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Yin Hu!"
Meng Qianqian's face changed as she crouched down to check his pulse.
Yin Hu brushed away her hand nonchalantly and stood up. "It's nothing serious. Just took a few palm strikes. It's inevitable to pay a price when escaping an array formation."
Lu Lingxiao finally understood. So, Yin Hu had been trapped in an array formation, which explained why he and Yu Zichuan had taken so long to find him and only returned with an imposter.
Yin Hu mounted his horse. "Let's go. We're running out of time. If we're any later, your friend will be dead! Kid, get on!"
"Yes, senior."
Lu Lingxiao shared a horse with Yin Hu while Meng Qianqian rode alone. The three of them galloped towards Yu Jade Pass without stopping.
However, just as they were about to leave the bamboo forest, they were caught up by the shadow guards from Beiliang.
Yin Hu said, "You two go ahead. I'll deal with them!"
Meng Qianqian said, "No, you two go on without me. I'll hold them off. He's Lu Yun, the Grand Marshal of Beiliang."
With that, she abruptly pulled on the reins, bringing her horse to a sharp stop. She then turned and charged towards the shadow guards of Beiliang.
Lu Lingxiao hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not stop her.
It would be beneficial for him if Meng Qianqian could get rid of one of the experts by Lu Yun's side.
Moreover, without her around, he could decide when they would reach the army camp, even with Yin Hu accompanying him.
Just as this thought flashed through his mind, Yin Hu's cold voice sounded by his ear. "Kid, I advise you to be honest. If I don't see your Grand Marshal by nightfall, I'll kill you!"
Lu Lingxiao tightened his grip on the reins.
There were more shadow guards than Meng Qianqian had anticipated. With her current strength, she was no match for this group of shadow guards.
However, her goal was not to kill them but to buy enough time for Yin Hu to escape without being caught up by them.
She opened the pouch at her waist, which Yin Hu had hung there earlier when he returned her silver needles and embroidered dagger.
She used her fingers to pinch a small paper packet and, in the instant that two of the shadow guards rushed towards her, she used her internal energy to scatter the powder inside towards them.
Several shadow guards cried out miserably as they fell from their horses, their hands covering their eyes, which had been burned by the powder. Their wails filled the air.
Meng Qianqian raised an eyebrow. "So useful."
Subsequently, she relied on the various poisons and pills given to her by Yin Hu to take down nine shadow guards.
When Meng Qianqian prepared to take down the tenth one, she realized that she had used up all the poison provided by Yin Hu.
Meng Qianqian thought seriously, "If I can't beat them, I'll run!"
She decisively dismounted and nimbly fled into the mountains.
The abandoned horse: "...
"Chase her!"
"She's hiding in the mountains!"
"Damn it!"
"We'll probably not be able to catch Yin Hu, but this woman's identity is likely not simple either. Capturing her will be enough to report our mission accomplished!"
The horses weren't good at traversing mountain paths, so the pursuers had to abandon their mounts and follow the footprints Meng Qianqian left behind as they chased her deep into the mountains.
To cover her tracks, Meng Qianqian caught a deer and rode it further into the depths of the mountains.
Baoshen: Super Fierce!
(End of Chapter)
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