Chapter 441

Zhang Honghong's heart sank; she understood that if things continued like this, everyone would die, and she had to come up with a strategy as soon as possible.

Thus, Zhang Honghong parried a spear in front of her with a strike of her own lance and said quickly to Tang Lin, "Old Tang, stay close to me! I'm going to charge out!"

Tang Lin nodded heavily, his grip on the reins tightening even further.

Zhang Honghong took a deep breath and roared, "Brothers, charge with me! Let's break out together!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Honghong clamped her legs tight against the horse's back and swung her long lance with even greater ferocity.

Seeing this, Tufa Yan couldn't help but sigh; he hadn't expected this woman to still have such strength at this point, and he was fortunate he hadn't gone down to fight her himself just now.

With a violent shout, Zhang Honghong's lance instantly pierced the throats of two Western Liang heavy infantrymen blocking her path!

"Old Tang! Stay close!"

She roared without looking back, her lance tip sweeping aside a flurry of incoming spears, forcibly tearing a brief opening through the impenetrable heavy armor formation!

Tang Lin hunched his body low, pressing tight against the horse's back, gripping the reins with a death grip; his eyes were bloodshot from the smoke, dust, and tension.

He gritted his teeth, using every ounce of his strength to urge the horse forward, following closely behind Zhang Honghong's figure.

Zhang Honghong no longer blocked; she only attacked, never defending!

Every swing of her lance claimed at least one life, but her own shoulders, ribs, and thighs were slashed open one after another by enemy blades.

Even as blood soaked through her armor, she remained completely oblivious to it.

In her eyes, there was only the mountain pass drawing ever closer ahead, and the singular obsession with bringing the person behind her out alive!

"Stop her! Fire arrows! Shoot her dead!"

Tufa Yan watched from the rear, his heart pounding, and shrieked hoarsely.

He had not expected this woman to be so fierce, actually carving a bloody path through such a heavy encirclement!

A dense volley of arrows rained down on Zhang Honghong once more!

She whipped her lance into a blur; the constant clanging of metal on metal rang out incessantly as she knocked away most of the arrows, but one still pierced through the shadow of the lance and, with a "pfft," buried itself deep into her right arm!

A wave of sharp pain hit her; Zhang Honghong let out a muffled groan, her lance nearly slipping from her hand! Her movements stalled for an instant!

In that split second of hesitation, several spears seized the opportunity to thrust fiercely from both sides! Their target was none other than Tang Lin behind her!

"Get lost!"

Ignoring the agonizing pain in her right arm, Zhang Honghong whipped out the blade at her waist with her left hand and swept it out with all her might!

The force was so great that it snapped several spearheads clean off!

At the same time, she kicked her horse's flank hard with her right foot; the warhorse, stung by the pain, lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the subsequent attacks.

Borrowing the momentum of that charge, the two finally reached the edge of the mountain pass!

The view ahead suddenly opened up; it was no longer a narrow valley, but a relatively broad slope!

Although there were still scattered Western Liang soldiers attempting to block them, the formation was nowhere near as dense as it had been inside the pass!

"Go!"

Using her final ounce of strength, Zhang Honghong jerked the reins to turn her horse and slapped the rump of Tang Lin's mount with all her might!

The horse, startled, let out a long whinny and carried Tang Lin in a mad dash out of the pass and down the slope!

Tang Lin only had time to turn back and let out a roar, but no sound would come out, and he couldn't let anyone know what he wanted to say.

He saw Zhang Honghong pull her horse to a stop at the pass, her blood-stained figure standing firm to block the path of the pursuers!

With her back to him, her lance pointed diagonally at the ground, blood winding its way down the shaft.

The pursuers swarmed toward the pass like locusts, instantly engulfing that solitary figure!

"Catch her! Don't let her run!"

Tufa Yan watched from the side, terrified; if Zhang Honghong still managed to escape after such an ambush, he would be useless to Wei Wenlie, and he would be the next one sacrificed as bait.

Tang Lin yanked the reins, his warhorse rearing up on its front hooves and letting out a pained whinny.

He couldn't leave! How could he abandon her?!

Just as he was about to turn his horse around and charge back, he saw it!

Through the gaps in the layers of Western Liang soldiers swarming toward Zhang Honghong, she suddenly turned her head; on her blood-stained face, a pair of beautiful eyes pierced through the chaos and darkness, landing precisely on him!

Tang Lin saw only urgency and anxiety in Zhang Honghong's eyes, not a shred of fear or despair.

She seemed to be saying—Go! Hurry, go!

Tang Lin knew he had no martial prowess at all, and even a low-ranking Western Liang soldier could easily kill him, but he could not just leave Zhang Honghong behind.

He suddenly raised both hands, and on the bucking horse, amidst the deafening shouts of battle, he made a simple sign language gesture to Zhang Honghong!

(I love you!)

Every gesture was clear and simple; tears instantly blurred his vision, but he stared fixedly at the direction of the pass, ensuring she could see.

Zhang Honghong did indeed see.

She never imagined that the answer she wanted most would come at such a critical moment; her movements seemed to freeze for a split second, and a flash of indescribable, complex light crossed the depths of her eyes—there was shock, bewilderment, and even a hint of... panic.

But the next second, all those emotions were replaced by an even more surging murderous intent!

She suddenly sidestepped a lethal slash and thrust her lance out quickly, skewering the attacker through!

She had seen it, but she chose to ignore it.

"Kill!"

Zhang Honghong let out a roar, no longer looking at the area outside the pass, pouring all her pain and fury into the enemies before her!

She would use her own body to buy Tang Lin even one more breath of time to escape!

Tang Lin saw her deliberately averted gaze, but he felt no discouragement; he completely steadied his horse, preparing to turn back and live or die with Zhang Honghong.

Come to think of it, they had nearly died together once before, in that prison cell at the agency.

It was just that back then, Zhang Honghong didn't know him, and he didn't know Zhang Honghong.

It was Jiang Jinshi's appearance that brought them together, and Zhang Honghong, with her carefree nature, had taken care of him while his limbs were still not fully healed.

Although... she had let him soil his pants and then carried him to the river to wash him clean.

But since she had seen Tang Lin's body, she naturally had to be responsible for him; how could he let her die alone in these desolate mountains?

Having a familiar face for company on the road to the underworld was better than her being all alone.

Just at this critical juncture, a series of horn blasts began to sound!

"Woo—woo—woo!"

Tang Lin's horse-driving movements faltered; this... this was the horn of the Ming Army??

Before either side could react, earth-shaking shouts of battle accompanied by roars arrived!

"Kill!"

"Kill them all!!"

Countless torches instantly lit up the slope outside the pass, and a massive flag with the character "Ming" fluttered in the firelight!

Beneath the banner, Bai Ting, clad in silver armor and wielding a horse-chopping saber, led the charge!

Behind him were countless Beijiang iron cavalry! The sound of hooves made the very earth tremble!

"Reinforcements! It's General Bai!"

The surviving Beijiang soldiers outside the pass let out ecstatic shouts of those who had survived a disaster!

"Bai Ting?!"

The smile on Tufa Yan's face instantly froze, turning into one of unbelievable horror!

"How could he be here?! Quick! Block them! Block them!"