Chapter 4

The sergeant's command to Li Shuang was one of absolute obedience, and he immediately responded, "Understood!"

Li Shuang was taken aback, her hands pressed against the man's chest as she attempted to push him away to get a better look at his face. However, as soon as she exerted force with her hands, she felt an arm around her waist tighten like steel, pulling her entire body against the man's chest, filling her lungs with his masculine scent.

Take him away first

The man untied Li Tingsong, who immediately pulled out the cloth that was stuffed in his mouth and threw it away. Excited, he wanted to get out of bed, disregarding the man's warning beside him, "Be careful." He anxiously pushed the man aside and stepped onto the bed, just as he shouted, "Sister..."

Li Shuang raised the long sword in her hand and was about to step inside when the man blocked her, his voice low: "Don't move, wait for me." After saying this, he moved like a flash of lightning, and before Li Shuang could react, he entered the small room.

Now is not the time to waste on this mysterious man

In the distance, the stone fortress is illuminated brightly, yet the most heavily guarded area is a small courtyard in the southwest corner. There are five or six guards lined up at the entrance, and with those on the roof and in the walkway, this small courtyard is protected by around twenty people. Each guard is robust and capable, wielding a large saber with a tiger's head design, the light reflecting off the blade remains dazzling even from such a distance

Given his skills, he should not have been injured; it is likely that he was scratched when he just threw Li Ting up. Li Shuang pressed her lips together and apologized on behalf of Li Ting: "I am sorry, my brother was too panicked just now, and it caused you to get hurt."

"Who are you?" Li Shuang asked him with a stern expression

The man was untying Li Ting, and at the moment Li Ting saw Li Shuang, it was as if he had completely relaxed, his eyes reddening. The blocked mouth could only emit sounds of "wu wu a a," but it was enough to convey his excitement

Li Shuang casually picked up a torch from the wall, held it up, and returned to the small room. Approaching the trap, Li Shuang called out, "Are you still alive?"

The person remained silent, simply watching as Li Shuang jumped down while holding the rope, avoiding the blades on either side, and came to his side. In the increasingly narrow trap, the two were pointed at by the sharp blades on both sides, standing close to each other amidst the danger

"Get lost!" Li Shuang shot a glare at Li Ting and said, "I will teach you a lesson when I get back." After saying this, she turned around and entered the small room, leaving Li Ting to be carried away by the soldiers.

At this moment, the man wearing the mask was gripping a sharp blade on the cliff with his left hand. His palm was cut by the blade, and blood was oozing out; however, this was of little consequence. The truly serious issue was his right hand, which hung limply. On his back, near the right shoulder blade, it appeared as though he had been deeply slashed, with the skin torn and flesh exposed. In addition to the blood, the wound had a slight dark hue, suggesting that the blade was poisoned.

There is actually a trap here as well

You! You are in the den of thieves, and you must not be careless in the slightest. Just as Li Shuang was about to reprimand him, she suddenly felt a gust of wind whistling past her ear, and a sharp arrow nearly grazed the back of her head

Upon reaching the entrance of Shizhai, several individuals swiftly and skillfully broke the neck of the unsuspecting gatekeeper, without making a sound, not even disturbing the flames at the entrance

In the night, Li Shuang could not see the situation below at all, but hearing the calm voice of the man beneath the trap, it seemed that with his earlier skills, escaping from here should be completely unproblematic. Moreover, Li Ting's safety was the most important thing for her at this moment

If it were not for the man's embrace just now, Li Shuang would probably have been pierced through the brain by that sharp arrow at this moment

"Be careful to avoid the pitfall," Li Shuang said, as she threw the torch into the trap. The flames illuminated the dark pit, which was as deep as a well. As the torch fell to the ground, Li Shuang finally saw the situation below. The entire trap was excavated to a depth of four to five zhang, shaped like a funnel, with no foothold at the bottom. It was filled with sharp spikes, their points facing upward, resembling the teeth of a tiger. The sides of the trap were also lined with sharp blades. If an ordinary person were to fall in, there would be no chance of survival. The entire trap was excavated to a depth of four to five zhang, shaped like a funnel, with no foothold at the bottom. It was filled with sharp spikes, their points facing upward, resembling the teeth of a tiger. The sides of the trap were also lined with sharp blades. If an ordinary person were to fall in, there would be no chance of survival

Li Shuang watched helplessly as Li Ting and the armored man fell into the trap without any defense. Her pupils contracted, and she immediately rushed forward. Just as she reached the edge of the trap, Li Ting was thrown up like a small toy.

Entering the side room and bypassing the screen, Li Shuang saw Li Ting bound tightly and lying on a makeshift bed. The young master, who usually dressed elegantly, now appeared dirty and disheveled, with a look of anxiety and unease in his eyes

Upon reaching the door of the cabin, Li Shuang kicked the door open with one foot

And it was at this moment

Although this person had just saved her, Li Shuang did not know the specific identity of this individual, so how could she be certain that he posed no harm to Li Ting? Therefore, she disregarded his words and followed him.

Li Ting was so frightened that tears filled his eyes, and he shouted: "Sister, then you..."

Upon stepping outside, the soldiers in the courtyard had nearly eradicated the bandits they were guarding. However, the bandits who had gone to extinguish the fire in the east had now realized that something was amiss and were gathering their forces to come this way.

The night is as dark as ink, and the bandits' stone stronghold is built against the mountain, resembling a stubborn rock embedded within the mountain.

The sound echoing in the pitch-black trap is steady and reassuring

Moreover ... ? ... Li Shuang glanced at the broken poisoned arrows on the ground, and it turned out that this person had actually severed these poisoned arrows with bare hands ? Using internal energy ... ? If that is the case, this person's internal martial arts must be truly remarkable ... ...

As soon as her voice emerged, the man in front did not respond, yet a vague cry for help echoed from within the room; it was Li Ting's voice

She believes in the abilities of her soldiers, and they will surely bring Li Ting back safely to Changfeng Camp. However, this mysterious person who fell into the trap, although of unknown origin, first saved her and then saved Li Ting. The children of their military family cannot be ungrateful people

Li Shuang was mockingly referred to as the Jade-faced Yama on the battlefield. Although she was a woman, when it came to dealing a decisive blow, she was no less ruthless than the fiercest wolves of the northern frontier. At this moment, the eastern side was ablaze, and Li Shuang entered the courtyard, swiftly ending the life of the approaching bandit with a single stroke of her blade. The blood on her knife, illuminated by the flames behind her, made her appear truly like a Yama from hell, instilling fear and dread in the hearts of onlookers

Li Shuang looked up at him, only to be met with a face partially obscured by a black armor mask. His jawline was strong, and his Adam's apple was prominent on his neck. Below that was a bare chest, muscular and well-defined. On his left chest, there was a striking flame-like stripe, bright red as blood, which traveled upward, crossing his neck and jaw, extending into his mask. Where his eyes were visible, Li Shuang saw that the flame stripe finally disappeared into the corner of his eye. Yet it seemed to have burned directly into his veins, causing his pupils to turn a terrifying shade of crimson. On his left chest, there was a striking flame-like stripe, bright red as blood, which traveled upward, crossing his neck and jaw, extending into his mask. Where his eyes were visible, Li Shuang saw that the flame stripe finally disappeared into the corner of his eye. Yet it seemed to have burned directly into his veins, causing his pupils to turn a terrifying shade of crimson.

This person is quite strange

Li Shuang barely managed to catch him

Li Shuang was certain in her heart that this place must be where the bandits were holding Li Ting

Li Shuang made a gesture, ordering a retreat. One of the soldiers immediately took out a bamboo tube and pulled it into the air, and a bright red signal was sent out, exploding in the cold night.

Li Ting seemed to be jolted back to his senses by the dazzling light of the signal. He grasped Li Shuang's hand tightly, his eyes wide as he looked at her: "Sister! Just now, the trap below was filled with sharp blades, and that big brother got injured while trying to save me. I... I don't know how he is..."

There was a moment of silence inside, and then a voice came through: "Hmm."

The man holding the sharp blade with one hand merely looked up at him, the flames leaping in the underground, reflecting in his red pupils behind the black mask, exuding a kind of eerie beauty. Despite the perilous and awkward situation, he showed no signs of anxiety, simply gazing fixedly at Li Shuang, his eyes pure, as if he found great satisfaction in merely looking at her: "It is of no concern."

A series of chaotic sounds echoed, and Li Shuang caught a glimpse of the rapidly approaching poisoned arrows being shot down to the ground.

Qin Lan selected only the personal guards of Li Shuang, and although Qin Lan intended to accompany Li Shuang, she was instead left to oversee the Changfeng Camp.

The door opened, triggering a mechanism, and several poison arrows with a ghostly blue glow shot out from within the room. Li Shuang narrowed her eyes, and before she could react, she suddenly felt a tightness around her waist, as she was swept into a scorching embrace.

Li Shuang saw that he was not missing any arms or legs, and immediately felt somewhat relieved

Under the weighing of pros and cons, Li Shuang pulled Li Ting and dragged him out of the room

His palms and chest were so hot that they felt scalding, far exceeding the body temperature of an ordinary person. Even in this icy and snowy wilderness, he did not feel cold at all

This knight, it seems we do not know each other

At this moment, Li Shuang led ten soldiers dressed in black night attire, lurking on the mountain top a hundred zhang away from the stone fort, using the cover of night to observe the situation inside the fort.

This is a feeling that leaves Li Shuang perplexed; he is a person with an extremely strong sense of possession. Although Li Shuang does not understand... why he wants to possess her...

And within that expanse of bright red, her shadow is reflected.

She strode directly into the small courtyard, while her guards were engaged in a fierce battle with the approaching thieves. Li Shuang kept her gaze straight ahead, walking directly into the house within the courtyard, her cold blade emanating a murderous aura, and those who obstructed her path met with no good end

Ten individuals took orders from Li Shuang, three went to the main hall to create a diversion, while three infiltrated the kitchen to set fire to the grain. As the flames erupted, chaos ensued in the eastern area. Li Shuang, leading the remaining four, swiftly entered the southwestern courtyard while the opponents were still unaware of the situation.

Li Shuang immediately turned her head and listened carefully; the sound was coming from the room on the west side inside.

Who saved her

He is saving her

Li Shuang said no more, as time was of the essence. She turned around, tore the quilt from the bed beside her, twisted it into a rope, tied it to the bedpost, and placed it into the trap: "Hold on, I will save you"

Upon realizing this, the anger from earlier that had been provoked dissipated instantly. This time, when Li Shuang pushed the man again, he slightly loosened his grip, yet his hand still gently supported her lower back, keeping her within his protective range

With a few gestures, her personal guards, who had followed her for many years, understood her meaning without needing to say much. Their figures moved as swiftly as the wind and soon vanished from the mountaintop

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang's expression darkened as she glanced at the four soldiers gradually gathering in front of her. She then looked back and forcefully pushed Li Ting into the hands of one of the soldiers, saying: "Take him back."

Before the words had left his mouth, a sharp "crack" was heard, and the platform beneath Li Ting's feet, along with the spot where the man stood, collapsed together