Chapter 177: Chen Yan's Aid to a Beauty, the

In the originally tranquil forest, cicada chirps and bird calls rose and fell.

Sharp cries of "Help!" tore through the peaceful atmosphere.

The woman's voice seemed to come from deep within the eastern thicket, tinged with sobbing.

The trailing syllable trembled violently, as if fear would choke it off the next second.

Leaves shook wildly, startling a flock of resident sparrows; their fluttering wings clattered, intertwining with the woman's intermittent cries.

"Where is that cry for help coming from?"

"It seems to be a woman..."

Liu Yuanjing steadied himself, listening closely to the voice, then suddenly thrust his hand upward, pointing in a direction, "It's coming from over there!"

He said, his brows slightly furrowed.

A hint of doubt flashed across his face.

Why would such a situation arise at the border of these two provinces?

It's highly abnormal...

"Brother Chen, shall we go over to investigate?" Kuo Luo stepped forward, approaching Chen Yan who seemed not to have heard any sound, and asked.

Kuo Luo didn't want to meddle, yet felt a pang of compassion.

"Since we're already here..."

Chen Yan glanced sideways at the east, then looked at Kuo Luo, gave a calm smile, and said, "We aren't in a hurry to set off, so let's go take a look!"

Immediately, Chen Yan rose and ordered Helian Shi to station the main cavalry and Private Soldiers on the spot.

They each led their Personal Guard to go see what kind of monsters it was...

Helian Shi, without hesitation, ordered He Ba Le to guard his lord on both sides.

"Help!"

"Is there any kind soul to save me!"

On the Lao Huai Shu in the forest, a woman in a blue shirt was suspended upside down by a coarse hemp rope, her tangled hair cascading like a waterfall, her pallid face a few feet above the ground.

She struggled fiercely, her embroidered shoes long lost, her thin‑socked feet kicking futilely in the air, the plain skirt hanging down, its layered folds resembling wilted white blossoms.

Her eyes were filled with terror and despair.

"Indeed, she's a woman..."

When he reached about fifty steps away, Kuo Luo fixed his gaze, saw the woman who had been shouting, and sighed, "I wonder which villain hung her on that tree, unable to free herself!"

"Gongzi (Young Master)!"

"Several Gongzi (Young Masters)!"

"Can you rescue this humble servant!"

The blue‑shirted woman, Mu Baizhi, as if through telepathy, almost simultaneously noticed Chen Yan and his party approaching, and pleaded.

Her pitiful, delicate appearance truly evoked my sympathy.

"Brother Chen, that girl is too tragic; we must intervene when we see injustice!" Kuo Luo's compassion overflowed instantly; without a second thought, he looked at Chen Yan and said.

"Hmm, Kuo brother is right..."

Chen Yan heard this, a strange hue flashing in his eyes, nodded, and agreed.

After a pause, he continued, "How about giving you a chance for a hero to rescue a beauty?"

He said, gesturing toward that side with a pursed mouth.

Young men, after all, fantasize about heroic rescues and winning a maiden's heart; why not fulfill that wish?

"Really... really?!"

Kuo Luo was stunned, full of disbelief, exclaiming.

I only saw it in picture books before; never imagined it would become reality in an instant...

Even thought Chen Yan would block it; happiness arrived too suddenly!

"Of course!"

Chen Yan's brows lifted slightly, his mouth curled, playfully saying, "Helping a beauty, then—go!"

He said, raising his hand to signal him to hurry.

"Thank you!"

Kuo Luo was quite moved; without hesitation, he clasped his fists, bowed, then immediately led his Personal Guard straight ahead.

After he had walked twenty steps away, Chen Yan reached out to Zhu Yi, smiling, "Zhu Yi, bring me my Bow and Arrow..."

"Young Master, here!"

Zhu Yi's face expressionless, immediately complied, handing over the Bow and Arrow.

Wang Xiong and the others, hearing this, all turned their heads together, watching the action.

"He Ba, last time in Eagle Hawk Valley, you were the kid who shot arrows at the rebel troops' reinforcements and took first prize, right?"

Chen Yan drew the bowstring, gave a calm smile, and said.

After a pause, he continued, "Come, today you and I shall compare!"

"??!"

"The target Chen Yan wants to shoot at, could it be...?"

The words just left his mouth, and Liu Yuanjing and the others standing nearby were shocked, staring dumbfounded.

A bold thought simultaneously surfaced in their minds.

The target couldn't naturally be Kuo Luo, so it would have to be the upside‑down blue‑shirted woman...

Suddenly understanding why, he no longer felt any urge to stop it...

"Alright!"

He Ba Le nodded and replied loudly, "Lord Chen Yan has such refined interest, Shuyi shall gladly accompany!"

Speaking, he waved his hand and had someone bring his Bow and Arrow.

Such a fine entertainment, who could refuse it?

Interesting… Wang Xiong looked at Chen Yan with great interest, a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, and said, "Brother Chen, solitary joy is not as good as shared joy, include me as well!"

Immediately, Wang Xiong's Personal Guard handed his Bow and Arrow straight up.

Dou Luling followed closely, also joining in.

"Sir, this arrow contest without a prize is terribly boring!" He Ba Le blinked and laughed.

"Well said!"

Chen Yan smacked his lips, teasing, "First prize, a reward of a hundred taels of gold!"

Now, Chen the person lacks nothing in gold and silver; if he plays, he must enjoy it to the fullest…

"Lord, you are magnanimous!" He Ba Le held his bow and clasped his fists.

"Take your wife's face…"

"Transfer it to my warm chest…"

"You can swap wives to fulfill my dream…"

"Being brothers is like this…"

"You must enter the fray yourself to help…"

"I can be a sacrificial lamb for love!"

Chen Yan began humming, simultaneously drawing his Bow and Arrow with both hands.

On the other side.

Kuo Luo hurried toward the old locust tree hanging Mu Baizhi, and, in an extremely warm manner, soothed, "Girl, don't be afraid!"

"I will now rescue you from trouble!"

"I won't let anything happen to you!"

The closer one gets, Mu Baizhi's appearance becomes clearer.

Eyebrows like emerald feathers, skin like white snow, vermilion lips bright, teeth dazzling white, waist slender as silk…

Truly an excellent beauty in the making.

Kuo Luo's heart fluttered more, his steps quickened.

"Thank you, Sir…"

Mu Baizhi heard, her voice tender and pitiful, but before she could finish, she only heard a few "whoosh whoosh whoosh" sounds of arrows cutting through the air toward her.

"Damn it!"

Mu Baizhi cursed, her expression terrified and desperate, vanished without a trace, her beautiful face showing no emotion.

Her gaze became razor‑sharp, and with a swift leap she tore free the binding hemp rope.

She lifted both feet lightly and kicked away the arrow about to pierce her body.

Finally she landed steadily on the ground.

"Ah!"

"Where did those Bow and Arrow come from?!"

"Where are those Bow and Arrow?!"

Compared with Mu Baizhi's calm response, Kuo Luo was startled, let out a scream, and looked at the knocked‑down arrows with both fear and terror.

A moment later.

Kuo Luo, slightly calming, suddenly realized something, raised his hand toward Mu Baizhi, "Girl, you…!"

In that instant, the clear‑sighted Kuo Luo finally sensed something was wrong…

"Damn!"

"How the hell did she untie herself!"

"Her skill is so agile!"

Chen Yan saw this, curled his lip, and cursed.

A fixed target turned into a moving target, and it even resisted.

"Gongzi, stop staring, retreat quickly!"

The Personal Guard reacted swiftly, keenly sensing this was likely a trap, grabbed the stunned Kuo Luo and fled backward at speed.

"Again!"

"Who hits the arrow wins a thousand taels of gold!"

"Air Force" excited Chen Yan, giving him a bit of a high, and he directly multiplied the prize tenfold.

Saying that, he drew his Bow and Arrow again.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

A series of arrow whooshes rang again in the forest.

"How did they see through it???"

Mu Baizhi stared at the pouring arrow rain, her mind a bit stunned.

However, this time she was not alone; a group of black‑clad men emerged from the woods, wielding weapons to block the arrows.

"Clang clang clang!"

Arrows kept being knocked down.

"Seventh Master, what should we do now?"

"Should we evacuate first?"

The nearest black‑clothed person stepped forward and asked.

"Retreat?"

Mu Baizhi, hearing the music, sneered, "Can they even let us retreat?"

Mu Baizhi didn't know exactly how they were uncovered, but was clear that the opponent's stance was already a settled one…

Only if they can run does a ghost exist!

"Damn it, I'm done!"

Chen Yan tossed the bow from his hand and shouted, "Zhu Yi, go capture that woman alive; slaughter everyone else!"

"Yes."

Zhu Yi replied, without any hesitation, brandishing his sword and using lightness skill to rush forward.

"There are traps within five steps around the tree; don't step on them…," Chen Yan seemed to recall something and warned.

Zhu Yi nodded; in fact he had already seen it—one of them used their mind, the other their eyesight.

Yuwen Ze patted Lu Cangfeng on the shoulder and said, "Cangfeng, you go too!"