The carriage of the Prince of Zhan sped along the official road. Fifty miles outside the capital, the scenery shifted from bustling prosperity to desolate wilderness. The neatly arranged ceremonial guards had long since swapped their formal attire for practical, sleek combat gear.
Inside the carriage, Xiao Zhan leaned back with his eyes closed, resting. In this private space, he had shed most of his "sickly" disguise.
Crimson Nine glanced at him and couldn't help but speak: "You're perfectly fine. Why the need to play the invalid every single day?"
Xiao Zhan's lips curved slightly, though he didn't open his eyes. "Because I must deceive both my Father and the State Preceptor." His voice was low and steady. "My Father has never truly valued me. My mother was a Princess of Beiling; that marriage was a political transaction without affection. I am merely the accidental byproduct of that union."
Crimson Nine listened in silence.
"State Preceptor Xing Chen is more troublesome," Xiao Zhan opened his eyes, his gaze deep. "He has a morbid obsession with control. He wants to manipulate everyone and everything, yet not for the throne. I cannot see through him, so I choose to let him overlook me." He smiled, though it was as cold as frost. "A sickly, useless Prince who might die at any moment is the safest version of me."
Beep—Beep—!
Suddenly, the tactical bracer on Crimson Nine's left wrist vibrated with unprecedented intensity. The usual ghostly blue glow flared into a brilliant orange and crimson.
Crimson Nine snapped upright, her pupils contracting as her breathing hitched.
[System Prompt: Resonance detected! Same-frequency soul signals identified!]
[Signal Source A (Crimson): SE direction, distance 1,200 km (Code: Yellow Seven).]
[Signal Source B (Orange): NW direction, distance 850 km (Code: Blue Five).]
[Status: Vital signs stable. Synchronization rate: 98%.]
"What is it?" Xiao Zhan's dark eyes pierced through her like blades. He caught her sudden change—that look wasn't fear, but the shock of recovering something lost.
Crimson Nine stared at the two pulsing dots on the bracer, her heart racing. She remembered that day at the base after their extreme mission; they had all fallen into a deep sleep in their apartment. Who would have thought that upon waking, they would have collectively crossed a thousand years of time?
"It's them! My teammates—the ones I'd trust with my life." Crimson Nine regained her composure quickly, her mind racing. "Yellow Seven is to the southeast. Blue Five is to the northwest, right on the border of Zhanchuan—the junction between Great Qi and Western Yan."
Inside the carriage, Xiao Zhan felt a growing sense of crisis. He realized that the power this woman, Shen Ning, carried was far beyond his imagination.
"Shen Ning," he called her by her real name, his voice low and laced with a trace of possessive authority. "If your companions appear, will you abandon this game and follow them?" He suddenly gripped her wrist, his strength enough to embed her into his own destiny.
Crimson Nine turned to look into his eyes, seeing the possessiveness and insecurity. She suddenly broke into a radiant smile, reaching out to pat his cheek with wild confidence. "Your Highness, what are you thinking? One is my resource logistics, the other is my vault. Since I promised to open that 'door' for you, I'm naturally going to summon my strongest crew."
[Late Night: The Golden Cicada Sheds Its Skin]
In the dense forest beside the road, the convoy came to a halt under the cover of darkness.
"Shadow Blade." Xiao Zhan's voice was icy, devoid of any sickness.
"Present, Master."
"Put on my wedding robes and get into the carriage." Xiao Zhan handed over the symbolic fox-fur cloak. "For the next few days, you only need to cough occasionally and act frail. No matter what assassination attempt occurs, do not leave the carriage. Let the guards handle everything."
On the other side, Crimson Nine quickly changed out of her complex bridal gowns.
"Xiaoxi, put this gear on." Crimson Nine buckled a custom bulletproof fiber vest onto the maid. "You are now 'Chu Zhaoning.' Keep your face hidden. If you encounter danger, there are smoke bombs at the bottom of the dowry chest. Take this stun baton—this button is the switch."
Nanny Meiniang's eyes were red as she held Crimson Nine's hand. "Miss, are you really going to risk going to Western Yan? That place is a den of wolves..."
"Don't worry, Nanny." Crimson Nine patted her hand, her gaze firm. "Go to Zhanchuan first. The old guards of the Chu family are there. You'll be truly safe once you arrive."
A moment later, the convoy set off again. Inside the carriage sat the "Proxy Prince" and the "Proxy Consort." Meanwhile, the real Xiao Zhan had donned a guard's uniform, and Crimson Nine had disguised herself as an ordinary maid. The two of them vanished into the darkness of the wilderness, moving as light as swallows.
Xiao Zhan watched Crimson Nine move with efficient, rugged grace—none of the daintiness of a high-born lady. He whispered, "Shen Ning, your disguise and counter-tracking skills make even Shadow Blade look like an amateur." Even with her face changed, her sharp eyes still mesmerized him.
"In my world, this is just the introductory course." Crimson Nine adjusted their direction while monitoring the blue blip. "Blue Five is currently in the mining area between Western Yan and Great Qi. It's the most chaotic region in the Northwest. We take the backroads; we'll be there in three days."
[The Road Battle: Thunder and Fire]
On the midnight road, dozens of cold-blooded assassins lunged like ghosts toward the Prince's carriage. "Kill! The Second Prince commands—leave no one alive except Chu Zhaoning!"
Shadow Blade, draped in the fox fur, felt his eyes grow cold. He was about to draw his sword when he saw Xiaoxi beside him. Though her face was deathly pale, she gritted her teeth and reached for a black tube at her waist.
As an assassin's blade sliced through the carriage curtain, Xiaoxi screamed, "Go to hell!"
ZZZT—!
A brilliant blue electrical arc exploded in the darkness. With a sharp crackle, the lightning-like spark tore through the night, hitting the assassin. He didn't even have time to scream; his body convulsed violently before he slumped to the ground like a dead dog.
Shadow Blade froze, his sword only halfway out of its sheath.
The battle ended incredibly fast. The assassins never dreamed that the people in this carriage were wearing "divine silk armor" that couldn't be cut, and held artifacts that could summon heavenly thunder. In the chaos, a stray arrow flew toward Xiaoxi. Shadow Blade instinctively spun and pulled her into his embrace, shielding her.
Xiaoxi slammed into Shadow Blade's firm chest, her nose filled with the man's faint, cold scent. Shadow Blade looked down at the startled little rabbit in his arms. His hand, usually as steady as stone from years of swordplay, actually trembled for a split second.
"...It's over." Shadow Blade's voice was deep, with an uncharacteristic rasp.
Xiaoxi looked up at his sharp jawline, her heart beating faster than it had when facing the assassins. "Thank you... Master Shadow."
Shadow Blade released her quickly, turning away to hide an unnatural flush. He said coldly, "Guard the carriage. The Consort said if you lose a single hair, she'll snap my bones piece by piece." Though his tone was harsh, his silhouette standing in front of her was broader and more protective than ever.
As the screams on the road died down, the air was thick with the nauseating smell of scorched flesh.
"Xiaoxi! Xiaoxi, where are you?" Nanny Meiniang rushed over in a panic. When she saw her daughter standing safely by the carriage, she pulled her into a tight hug. "Buddha be praised, you scared me to death... child, what was that thunder just now?"
"Mother, I'm fine. These are just the treasures Miss left for me." Xiaoxi patted her mother's hand. While her voice was obedient, her eyes couldn't help but steal glances at Shadow Blade, who was wiping his blade nearby.
His silhouette was still as cold as a lonely pine, but in the carriage, the warmth of his large, firm hand over hers seemed to linger on her skin, making her cheeks burn.
Shadow Blade sensed the burning gaze. His movements paused for a microsecond. He didn't turn around, instead barking orders to the guards: "Clean up the battlefield. Increase the guard."
But if one looked closely, they would see that the ears of the Prince's top expert were stained with a suspicious shade of red.