Chapter 563: Live and Die Together, Advance and Retreat as One!

Zongzheng Xingyao felt nauseated by the seven herbs and eight ingredients, nearly vomiting onto the horse's back.

Leng Dian sensed something was wrong with her, hesitated repeatedly, then whispered, "Princess Your Highness, shall I, a commoner, stop and let you rest?"

Zongzheng Xingyao forced the discomfort down and shook her head.

"No need to delay the business for me alone; we must hurry on the road."

Since she left the palace, she has seldom called herself "this palace" anymore.

Because she knows that no one here would truly treat her like a princess.

She must be self‑reliant, lest she become a nuisance.

She didn't expect that a delicate princess would not be pretentious.

This made Leng Dian regard her with newfound respect.

"Then, Your Highness, please endure a little longer."

"I, a commoner, will try to ride more steadily."

Speaking so, Leng Dian tightened the reins further and pulled Zongzheng Xingyao closer into his embrace.

Zongzheng Xingyao felt a firm chest behind her, and her face had already flushed red.

Is this person truly just an ordinary guard?

No, not just him.

Tonight, every guard in that mountain stronghold is far from being ordinary household servants or ordinary guards!

Indeed, each of them may be stronger than the palace guards.

Over the past two days, Zongzheng Xingyao has come to understand.

This Nan Gong Qingluo is certainly not just an ordinary merchant woman.

Her successive actions and schemes interlock, leaving Zongzheng Xingyao overwhelmed and deeply admiring.

In some aspects where Zongzheng Xingyao's mind hasn't yet turned, she immediately thought of the next move.

Even now, Zongzheng Xingyao has not yet untangled all of Li Qingluo's schemes.

Yet she has simply followed the path to this point.

Who exactly is this Nan Gong Qingluo?

The question has surfaced repeatedly in Zongzheng Xingyao's mind.

Seeing her own father and elder brother being set up like this, Zongzheng Xingyao cannot describe the feeling in her heart.

She turned her head to the side.

On Zongzheng Xingyao's left stood Jin Hua, suppressing murderous intent, personally riding Zongzheng Wuxie, whose one hand had been severed.

Zongzheng Wuxie's pallid face had already lost consciousness; his two hands dangled from the horse's belly, one tightly bound in gauze soaked with fresh blood.

Zongzheng Xingyao glanced at the fourth prince's grim condition and, unable to bear it, averted her gaze.

Ahead, Nan Gong Qingluo, dressed in masculine attire, rode gallantly at full speed.

Behind her trailed an old granny and a maid.

"Who exactly are you?"

Zongzheng Xingyao couldn't help but ask Leng Dian behind her.

Leng Dian: "Your Highness, you need not know."

Zongzheng Xingyao let out a cold laugh.

"I hope this palace will not regret its cooperation with you."

"If you damage Great Chu's state and lands… I will become a sinner for all ages."

Leng Dian: "Princess, you worry too much."

"Great Chu's state has long since rotted away; why do you burden yourself with it?"

"A dam a thousand li collapses from an ant's nest; it does not happen in a single day or night."

Zongzheng Xingyao, astonished, turned her head toward the person behind her.

He could actually say such words?

Just a guard, yet possessing such perspective and mindset!

This made Zongzheng Xingyao's heart slam uncontrollably.

However, things were not as smooth as Li Qingluo had imagined.

King Qin's side quickly discovered that a small group of riders had taken a detour midway, splitting off.

Thus, they also dispatched a squad of one hundred men to give chase.

The assassins were the first to spot the riders behind.

"Miss, you go ahead!"

"We will stay behind and cover the rear."

Li Qingluo halted the horse and turned its head.

"Live and die together, advance and retreat as one!"

"Everyone, swift battle, swift resolution!"

If twenty men stay to face King Qin's hundred‑man squad, the assassins still have a chance of victory.

But there will certainly be casualties and bloodshed.

On the ground, Li Qingluo has twenty‑seven assassins; she will not let that number decrease by even one.

The assassins looked at each other, each showing emotion.

They have been trained since childhood to become killing tools.

They can be knives, or they can be swords.

They could still be blades and shields ready to be sacrificed at any time.

But they are absolutely not human.

However, since following the young lady, they have begun to become flesh and blood, and have also begun to be cherished and protected by people.

They felt that they were still a living person.

Even now, there are brothers who can discuss marriage.

The young lady even had Qin Ling develop an ointment to erase the tattoos on their faces.

Now, the young lady also wants to live and die with them.

How could having such a master not be the light in their lives, turning their originally dark, lightless, deathly silent existence into brilliance?

Everyone drew their swords, taking out the weapons they wielded best: 'We swear to die with the young lady, to live and die together, to advance and retreat as one!'

Li Qingluo caught the bow and arrows Zheng Mama threw and slung them across her back.

She then drew the Azure Fall Sword, gripping it firmly, her eyes resolute: 'Remember, I, the young lady, do not want you to die. Today, not a single person among us may be lost.'

Her gaze was not only fixed on the character for 'kill'.

It also turned toward the guards of Prince Su's mansion.

Finally, it landed on Zongzheng Xingyao's person, and she gave a firm nod.

Seeing Li Qingluo like this, Zongzheng Xingyao was utterly shocked, his heart surging as if the earth were moving and mountains shaking.

As it turns out, there are women in this world who can live in such a manner.

So unrestrained and carefree, so overbearing yet steady, so… the female hero is not inferior to the male hero.

She can command a group of men, making them willingly and sincerely devote their lives to her.

She can earn loyalty with sincerity, and also unite everyone as one heart.

Zongzheng Xingyao turned his head to look around.

Seeing the resolute expression on these guards' faces, he felt as if something deep inside had been fiercely stirred.

As it turns out, women in the world need not be confined to the inner chambers, need not wear heavy veils, and need not be merely shadows behind men.

They, too, can be their true selves.

Leng Dian needed to protect the princess, so they set off ahead together with Jin Ya.

Li Qingluo brought all the remaining people and engaged in a death-defying battle with the Qin Prince's forces.

Although some were wounded, fortunately, because Li Qingluo had everyone stay behind, they relied on their superb skills and practiced teamwork to still secure a great victory, completely wiping out the Qin Prince's troops.

Li Qingluo looked toward the dark rear, and there was no further movement.

Thus she quickly issued the next order: 'Everyone, rest briefly, then immediately continue marching—'

All the people's confidence surged even more: 'Yes, young lady!'

Soon, Li Qingluo and her group caught up with Leng Dian and the few others who had deliberately waited ahead at a safe spot.

Seeing them all catch up, Zongzheng Xingyao couldn't help but show a smile on his face.

'Great, everyone is safe!'

Leng Dian couldn't help but lower their head to look at the woman in their arms.

If she knew they were not people of the Great Chu, she might regret this fervor, perhaps?

At dawn, after Li Qingluo's group went through a skirmish with the Qin Prince's small unit, they still arrived first at the Imperial Mausoleum.

A Duo had already arrived a day earlier.

Before her sat Zongzheng Wu Heng in a wheelchair; upon seeing them, Zongzheng Wu Heng naturally had no pleasant expression.

'Li Qingluo, you really have a lot of nerve!'

'What else is there that you dare not do?'

'You dare threaten me, ordering me to dispatch the construction army. Your ideas now even target the Imperial Mausoleum—'

As he spoke, Zongzheng Wu Heng saw Leng Dian in front of him with Zongzheng Xingyao.

Also, behind Jin Ya on horseback, Zongzheng Wu Xie had already had one hand chopped off.

Zongzheng Wu Heng's face turned pale: 'Ya'er!'

'And Old Four… Li Qingluo, what exactly are you intending to do?'

'Do you insist on exterminating our entire Zongzheng clan?'

'What deep grudge do we have with you that your methods have become this vicious?!'

Li Qingluo jumped down from her horse: 'What's the rush?'

'What I dare to do, you are surely the clearest about, aren't you?'

As she spoke, her eyes fell on Zongzheng Wu Heng's feet.

Zongzheng Wu Heng's face twisted uncontrollably.

'You poisonous woman with a snake-scorpion heart, one day I will personally slaughter you!!'

Li Qingluo: 'Sixth Prince, not even all the bones in Li's body are as hard as your mouth.'

Having said that, Li Qingluo walked toward the entrance of the Imperial Mausoleum.

Zongzheng Xingyao followed, dismounting his horse reluctantly.

He was still helped down personally by Leng Dian.

Seeing this, Zongzheng Wu Heng's face flushed red with anger as he shouted: 'Release my sister!'

'Otherwise, this prince will chop off your dog's paws!!'

Leng Dian glanced at him, then bowed his hands toward Zongzheng Xingyao: 'As a commoner, I have inadvertently offended; I hope the Princess will not take offense.'

Having said that, he turned and pursued Li Qingluo.

Zongzheng Wu Heng shouted excitedly: 'Ya'er, come over quickly!'

Come here, Sixth Brother.

Don't get close to these lunatics; they're beasts who kill without blinking an eye.

Zongzheng Xingyao furrowed their brows: 'Enough, Sixth Brother!'

Who really enjoys killing? Don't you know?

Our Zongzheng clan has no right to call others lunatics.

Zongzheng Wuheng reacted.

What do you mean?

Could it be that you're now working with them?

Zongzheng Xingyao shook their head.

Things aren't as Sixth Brother thinks.

However, Zongzheng Wuheng was on the verge of breaking down: 'Do you know who she really is?'

They are not really ——

Aduo grabbed Zongzheng Wuheng's neck from behind.

Enough, Sixth Highness.

You're tired; you should rest.

After saying that, she shook her sleeves.

Zongzheng Wuheng fainted on the spot.

Zongzheng Xingyao's gaze toward Aduo carried fear, while she merely gave a faint smile.

Then she turned and pushed Zongzheng Wuheng into the imperial mausoleum as well.

Sure enough, the imperial mausoleum contained three chambers, just as rumored.

Li Qingluo also saw three stone coffins.

In the stone coffin on the main platform lay the remains of the former empress, which Duan Rongshi had previously helped the Chu emperor steal.

This surprised Li Qingluo somewhat.

The Chu emperor actually let the former empress sleep in the main position.

It seems that, in his heart, his mother's status far surpasses his own.

And the remaining two stone coffins, one on the left and one on the right, also had no higher status than the other.

Clearly, in his heart, his sister's status has always been equal to his.

At this moment, Li Qingluo felt something stir deeply within.

However, this still cannot conceal that the tyrant is a pervert and a lunatic.

After less than an hour's rest, Sha Yi entered: 'Miss, they're here.'

Li Qingluo turned, gazing sharply at the crowd behind: 'Set up the ambush as planned!'

Yes!