Chapter 266: Move Forward, Don't Look Back

Wan Tang felt a sudden heaviness in her heart.

The thought that had just arisen was instantly shattered by reality.

One or two might still be worth fighting for, but against hundreds of professional Imperial Guards, she had no chance; charging out would be a suicide.

And Xiao Yurou was on her way; that meant the newcomer came with ill intent.

Deep in the dungeon, only the snoring of a burly man, Wan Tang's suppressed breathing, and the increasingly close footsteps remained.

The snoring brute was startled awake, scrambling to his feet.

She saw Xiao Yurou enter with a grim face, waving disdainfully, "Get out and guard!"

The burly man nodded obediently, hurried out, and shut the heavy iron door of the dungeon.

Xiao Yurou's gaze, like a poison‑coated needle, fell upon Wan Tang.

She inhaled deeply, a twisted grin curling at the corner of her mouth:

"I'll tell you some good news: tomorrow, the edict proclaiming me as the Empress will be announced to the world."

"Wan Tang, you've lost; there's no chance left for you."

Wan Tang slowly lifted her head; the eyes peeking through her disheveled hair were calm and still.

A faint weariness in her voice: "Oh, then congratulations to you."

Her utterly indifferent attitude instantly enraged Xiao Yurou.

Xiao Yurou's chest heaved violently, her voice rising with uncontainable jealousy: "What pretentiousness are you putting on!"

"Do you think the Emperor still has room for you in his heart?"

"You Mo family remnant!"

Wan Tang listened to her sharp accusations, her face still expressionless.

She merely let out a light sigh, her tone even tinged with a hint of regret: "Xiao Yurou, do you know?"

"Compared with Xiao Mingshu, you're far behind."

She lifted her gaze, looking at Xiao Yurou with crystal clarity: "She at least is openly wicked, whereas you only resort to these underhanded tricks behind the scenes, even your imitation of anyone is so clumsy and laughable."

"Shut up!"

Xiao Yurou, struck at a sore spot, suddenly drew a glinting dagger from her sleeve.

Mad malice flashed in her eyes: "Don't you rely on this pretty face to charm the ruler?"

"I'll ruin it today."

"Without this flesh, what could you use to lure the Emperor!"

She gripped the dagger and slashed fiercely toward Wan Tang's face.

Just as the cold blade was about to touch the skin,

Wan Tang, who had been bound, jerked her wrist sharply, and the loosely coiled rope fell away instantly.

She struck like lightning, precisely seizing Xiao Yurou's wrist that held the dagger, and twisted forcefully.

"Ah!" Xiao Yurou cried out in pain as the dagger slipped from her hand.

Wan Tang's other hand caught the falling dagger in the flow.

At the same moment, a misstep in her footwork, she turned agilely and was already behind Xiao Yurou.

Her arm clamped around her neck, the sharp dagger steady against her throat.

Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye!

"Uh…" Xiao Yurou, choked, struggled to breathe, terror and disbelief filling her eyes.

Wan Tang whispered by her ear, laughing lightly: "Thank you, Miss Xiao, for personally delivering this grand gift."

"I was just worrying about how to get out."

Xiao Yurou froze in terror, trying to scream, but the grip tightened.

Wan Tang eased her pressure slightly, allowing her to make a sound.

With a hint of playfulness in her tone: "Is this how you want to become Empress?"

She paused, as if stating an obvious fact, and said lightly: "Honestly, Shei sits in that position, it makes no difference to me."

"After all, I've never been interested in the title of the Emperor's legitimate wife."

Her voice suddenly took on a teasing note, yet was filled with undeniable authority:

"But now…"

"I refuse to let you sit there."

Wan Tang's arm tightened around Xiao Yurou's neck, the sharp dagger firmly pressed to her throat, as she stepped out of the dark dungeon.

However, when the scene beyond the dungeon came into view, her heart sank to the bottom of a valley.

Outside was not the open space she imagined, but a larger yet equally oppressive underground training ground.

A full hundred men in black, eyes sharp as hawks, the Imperial Guards stood silently like specters.

They had already formed an airtight encirclement, sealing off every retreat.

Cold killing intent permeated the air, almost suffocating.

【Hahaha, just like that, dragging her out.】

【I see this all over TV; as long as you seize the key person, even an army of a thousand cavalry will obediently step aside!】

【Yes, yes, Tangtang, don't be afraid. Xiao Yurou is the prospective Empress, the Xiao family's precious darling; they would never dare let anything happen to her.】

She, still holding Xiao Yurou, moved backward carefully, trying to find a sliver of a breakthrough.

"Everyone stay still, or I'll kill her!" Wan Tang barked sharply, the dagger pressing lightly to Xiao Yurou's pale throat, leaving a streak of blood.

"No one moves; obey her!" Xiao Yurou shouted trembling, "All of you must obey her."

The Imperial Guards indeed halted their advancing steps, but their gazes remained like wolves staring at prey, showing no slack.

Wan Tang concentrated all her attention on what lay ahead.

A black silhouette, like a ghostly specter, suddenly darted out from the shadows behind her peripheral vision.

It moved so fast that only an afterimage remained.

The black figure didn't even wield a weapon; it delivered a swift, clean, thousand‑pound force kick, striking precisely at the joint of Wan Tang's arm that held the knife.

"Crack!" a sharp, teeth‑tingling snap rang out.

Accompanied by searing pain, Wan Tang felt her entire arm go numb in an instant.

She could no longer grip the dagger, and with a "Clang!" it fell to the ground.

Another Imperial Guard surged forward like lightning, snatching the still‑shaken Xiao Yurou from her grasp and quickly shielding her behind.

Everything happened so fast that Wan Tang couldn't muster any effective response.

She staggered and fell to the ground, clutching her left hand while her right arm, throbbing with excruciating, possibly dislocated pain, was covered; fine cold sweat instantly beaded on her forehead.

It's over.

Hundreds of elite Imperial Guards watched like they were seeing a rabbit that had strayed into a wolf pack, struggling in vain.

Their gazes were cold, even tinged with a cat‑playing‑with‑mouse amusement.

Wan Tang stood alone in the center of the open training ground, her right arm in agonizing pain, having lost her only bargaining chip and hostage.

She stared at the dire situation, then twitched the corner of her mouth, revealing an extremely bitter self‑mockery.

She murmured softly, as if replying to the naive voices in her mind:

"TV really is all lies..."

"Boom!"

With a deafening blast, the seemingly solid stone wall on one side of the training ground was violently ripped open, leaving a hole.

Amidst splintering stones, a dark figure swooped in like a gust of wind, and the sound of hooves thundered like a sudden storm.

It was Su Yanci!

He was dust‑covered, his dark robe already stained with blood of unknown origin, yet his eyes shone terrifyingly.

He rode alone, charging straight into this dragon‑pond, tiger‑den!

"Mount up!"

He didn't even have time to say more; he spurred his horse toward Wan Tang, bent down, reached out, lifted her from the ground, and placed her steadily in front of him.

She fell into a embrace that smelled of blood and cold, even feeling his chest's fierce heartbeat and slight tremor beneath.

His deep voice sounded in her ear, hoarse from relief and heavily suppressed dread: "Fortunately... I found you."

"Lord Su!" Wan Tang, still shaken, instinctively clutched the lapel of his chest.

"Hold me tight!"

Su Yanci let out a low shout, gripping the reins in one hand while swinging his long sword with the other; the blade flashed like a strip of steel, sweeping toward the converging Imperial Guards.

The melee instantly reached a fever pitch.

Su Yanci's sword technique was ruthless and fierce; each strike bore a life‑or‑death stance, trying to tear an opening in the airtight encirclement.

Imperial Guards kept collapsing with cries, yet more surged forward like a tide.

Blade flashes and sword shadows, blood spraying everywhere, the scene was extremely gruesome.

Wan Tang, held tightly in his embrace, could clearly feel each of his dodges and exertions, hearing the blade slice through his robe and even flesh.

Her heart raced; spotting a long sword on the ground, she lunged, bent down, and gripped it tightly with both hands.

"Splat!" The sword tip pierced flesh, warm blood splattering across her face.

She was still weak, able only to barely defend herself, taking some of Su Yanci's burden.

However, the enemies were simply too many.

Even though Su Yanci was valiant, facing the rotating assaults of hundreds of elite foes, he gradually grew exhausted.

Several wounds appeared on his body, his dark robe stained red with blood.

He glanced at Wan Tang, pale‑faced yet still swinging her sword with effort, a flash of resolve crossing his eyes.

"Go!"

He yanked the reins sharply, turned the horse's head, and with all his strength shoved Wan Tang toward the front of the saddle.

He thrust the reins into her hand, then flipped off the horse himself.

"Su Yanci!" Wan Tang exclaimed.

"Run forward, don't look back."

Su Yanci faced away, his sword held horizontally behind the horse, his hoarse voice resolute.

He used his own body to form a final barrier for her, intending to block all pursuers.

The steed winced, its hooves kicking up as it prepared to bolt.

Wan Tang turned back to see Su Yanci, drenched in blood, standing alone against a tide of incoming enemies.

So solitary, so resolute.

No!

She hesitated not a moment, yanked the reins hard, turned the horse's head, and, without a second thought, charged back toward the dense forest of swords and the figure about to be swallowed!

"You..." Su Yanci, seeing her return, had eyes filled with both shock and anger, then softened.

Wan Tang spurred her horse, rushed to his side, extended her hand, and shouted sharply, "Come up!"

Su Yanci no longer hesitated, seized her hand, used his momentum to flip onto the horse, and once again held her tightly in his embrace.

"Ride."

The two rode together like an arrow loosed from a bow, fleeing desperately toward the gaping breach.

Behind them, pursuers shadowed them like a lingering silhouette.

Close your eyes, don't look back.

Su Yanci's voice rang above her, carrying an unquestionable command.

Wan Tang instinctively closed her eyes, burying her face against his blood‑stained chest.

Immediately after, she heard a spine‑tingling vibration of bowstrings coming from behind.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!"

It's a rain of arrows!

The dense sound of air being split, like the Death God's howl, rushed toward her from behind.

Su Yanci suddenly tightened his arm, fully and tightly shielding Wan Tang's petite body in his embrace.

He leaned down, his chin pressed against the crown of her hair, his warm breath brushing her ear.

The voice was low and gentle, yet carried a barely perceptible weakness and farewell:

"Keep going... don't look back..."

Wan Tang could feel his body suddenly shaking, hear the dull thud of arrows piercing flesh, sense the warm liquid quickly soaking his garments behind him, dripping onto the side of her neck...

Yet he held her arm with the same force, the same resolve, not loosening an iota.

The warhorse whinnied, treading the blood‑stained road, charging forward madly...