THE LEGEND OF SHENLI

CHAPTER 16

The atmosphere in the small room turned dangerously tense. Although Chì Róng still had a smile on his face, he had taken out his fan. Qīng Yán likewise had also drawn his sword from its scabbard. Even though they were brothers in arms, both sides knew that if a fight erupted it would be a fierce battle without mercy.

"Your Highness." Chì Róng shook his fan and laughed. "You have given the emperor quite a bit of trouble. He is furious and has even called on all four generals to search for you." He looked at Xíng Yún behind her. "Your Highness can keep yourself safe, but the one behind you is a different story. I hope that Your Highness can properly read the situation and cooperate with us."

Shěn Lí ignored his words. Instead she glanced at Xíng Yún out of the corner of her eye. "You still alive?"

"Yeah." Xíng Yún nodded his head and smiled slightly. "Not for long though."

"You're not allowed to die." Shěn Lí switched the silver spear to her left hand and sliced her right palm with the blade.

Qīng Yán frowned. He was about to approach her when she scattered the blood in an arc on the ground. Qīng Yán stepped on the blood and felt like his body was encased in flames. He immediately used his power to scatter the heat and used his hand to protect his eyes before jumping back.

At the same time, Shěn Lí flipped her spear upside down and slammed the blade into the floor and let her blood run down into the ground. A golden light flashed and Shěn Lí and Xíng Yún were encased within the barrier, providing them with two feet of distance between the generals. Shěn Lí tore a strip of cloth off her garment and used it to wrap the cut on her hand. She looked at Xíng Yún. "You're not allowed to die if I'm here."

Despite the fierceness of the flames and the light all around them, Shěn Lí's figure was the most dazzling sight in Xíng Yún's vision. In fact, it was so mesmerizing he almost forgot himself. He was brought back to his senses when Shěn Lí lifted him up by the armpits, propped him up then lifted him onto her back. Her body heat radiated itself into him, warming up even his internal organs. He barely had enough energy to curve his lips in his characteristic smile. His dark ambiguous eyes didn't reveal his thoughts.

"Highness!" Qīng Yán was shocked. "A blood sacrifice can injure the soul. Your wedding is so close at hand. Please consider your health."

Shěn Lí sneered. "You two were going to break my limbs and deliver me tied up to the wedding. Compared to that, this is just a bit of soul injury. No big deal." She couldn't physically see outside the house but she could use her senses to explore the placement of the soldiers outside. She wanted to force her way out, so she needed to find the direction with the least surveillance. She also wanted to limit the amount of bloodshed.

Chì Róng and Qīng Yán were quick, and picked up on her plans instantly. They shared a look and reached the same conclusion: they could no longer delay. Both readied their weapons. Then they decisively cut an opening in the flames and charged forward. The collision of qi between the parties instantly turned the room into ash. Before the dust settled, countless arrow rays of light shot down from the sky. In the chaos, a figure in red and another in black jumped out.

Qīng Yán fell to one knee and had to brace his hands on the ground to keep from being pushed farther out. The armor on his shoulder cracked with a loud bang. Chì Róng, on the other hand, had slammed into the pillars supporting the bridge. He turned his palm into talons and grabbed onto a pillar to pull himself out. He wiped the blood off his face and smiled. "This is my first spar with Her Highness. Her power is truly formidable."

A golden light flickered through the settling dust as though on the verge of extinguishing. It quickly regained its strength and glowed more brightly and magnificently than before. Shěn Lí stood in the light with Xíng Yún at her side, one hand holding onto her shoulder. He wasn't injured, but the toxin invasion of his body had weakened him so much he could barely stand. In fact, he could barely even speak, having to whisper in Shěn Lí's ear. "Why . . ."