Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 290 - 290 291 Are You Afraid_1

Chapter 290: Chapter 291 Are You Afraid_1 Chapter 290: Chapter 291 Are You Afraid_1 Muniang was startled awake and saw the horse-drawn carriage filled with arrows, yet before she could express her shock, a group of people dressed in black launched an attack on them. Yu Ze’s face darkened as he shielded Muniang in his arms with one hand and struck out a fierce palm breeze with the other.

These people in black were obviously well-trained. They evaded Yu Ze’s assault in an orderly fashion and lunged at him with swords. Yu Ze had already drawn his Soft Sword from his waist and directly engaged them in combat. Muniang, supported by Yu Ze’s arm with no leverage of her own, didn’t want to be a burden to him. Once she realized what was happening, she clung tightly to his neck to save him some effort in his arms.

Since they were under a siege by the group clad in black, and each opponent’s martial prowess was not to be underestimated with their well-coordinated attacks, it was clear that this had been long planned. If Yu Ze were alone, he could have escaped easily, but now he also had to take care of Muniang, which could distract him and made the fight somewhat more challenging.

Muniang at that moment only regretted that she had no Inner Strength or martial arts knowledge, for if she had, she wouldn’t have been a drag on him during this very real battle. The assailants seemed to perceive Yu Ze’s strained efforts and intensified their attack, deliberately splitting into two groups; one feigned attacks at Muniang whom he was protecting, and when he defended, another would swiftly strike him from a different side.

Yu Ze, seeing how troublesome these foes were, furrowed his brow, but heard Muniang whisper in a low voice, “Focus on the big picture, don’t worry about me.” Then, with a forceful push against Yu Ze’s shoulder, she leapt into the air and lashed out with her foot, sending two of the attackers flying.

The men in black, clearly not expecting such a fragile-looking woman to be skilled in combat, were stunned. The two men, who had not taken Muniang seriously at all, only realized the woman’s ferocity when some of their ribs were broken by her kicks.

Yu Ze smiled, raised his head towards the black-clad assailants with a hint of pride as if to say, “This is my woman.”

Yu Ze and Muniang’s cooperation grew increasingly seamless; sometimes Yu Ze would even help Muniang gain momentum. They each took care of one side, making the overall fight much easier for them.

Yu Ze realized they couldn’t keep this up for long. It wasn’t a concern for him, but Muniang, being a woman, had limited physical stamina and might not be able to endure a prolonged battle. Without lingering in the fight, he cut the reins from the carriage horse, lifted Muniang onto the horse, and they made their escape with the horse bolting, leaving a trail of dust. The assailants naturally wouldn’t give up so easily, chasing close behind while notching their arrows and aiming at their targets.

Yu Ze, after all, had a decade of experience on the battlefield. His sense of alertness was astonishingly sharp. Even with his back to the enemy, it was almost as if he could see the direction of each incoming arrow, artfully dodging them; any he couldn’t avoid, he deflected with his sword. His only concern was for Muniang. He held her tightly in his arms, hunching over to leave no room for the outside world to harm her.

“Are you afraid?” Yu Ze whispered in Muniang’s ear, his voice low.

“Not afraid.”

Yu Ze hugged Muniang tighter and softly hummed in agreement, then whipped the horse once again. The horse picked up even greater speed.

Yu Ze was excellent at horse riding, and moreover, they were on winding mountain trails, which were ideal for shaking off pursuers. Muniang, with her head buried, couldn’t see the outside situation, but later she noticed that the noise of their pursuers was diminishing. She peeked out and asked, “Did we lose them?”

Yu Ze slowed down and steadied Muniang: “Yes, someone wants to harm us, so we can’t delay too long on the road. We’ll enter the city and rest for the night, then ride out early tomorrow morning.”

Yu Ze felt a sense of helplessness inside, as he initially had no desire to tire Muniang out, hence his request to travel by horse carriage. However, there was now no room for choice, and since the road was unsafe, they had better reach the Capital City sooner rather than later.

Muniang, on the other hand, didn’t mind and simply asked, “Who do you think wants to kill you? When you were previously targeted, it was Prime Minister Kong and Consort Yuan’s people, aiming for the throne, but haven’t you already dealt with them thoroughly? Could it be that it’s their remaining forces seeking revenge on purpose?”

Yu Ze was pensive for a moment, his expression growing more somber. “It shouldn’t be. I’ve cleared out their forces quite cleanly. Even if there are one or two that slipped through the net, they shouldn’t be able to cause any major trouble, at most surviving by the skin of their teeth. The ones who pursued us earlier clearly have been trained for years. Ordinary experts would not be their match. The person standing behind them is probably someone not to be underestimated.”

Muniang tilted her head and said, “Apart from Consort Yuan and Prime Minister Kong, who else in the Daqian Dynasty would have a grudge against you? Don’t they all regard you as a great hero saving the nation and the people? Even the Emperor gives you face.”

Yu Ze’s pupils suddenly contracted, and his grip on the reins tightened as he murmured, “The Emperor?”

He then revealed a mocking smile. “The Emperor, indeed. The changes over more than a decade are truly significant. The once incompetent Little Prince has long since transformed.”

Now Muniang understood. “You’re saying, the Emperor wants to kill you?”

“Most likely. My defiance of his edict has made me a thorn in his side that he can’t tolerate, but he neither dares nor can confront me publicly. He has no choice but to feign tolerance on the surface and resort to assassination in the shadows.”

Muniang was taken aback. She truly did not know Yu Ze’s defiance was accompanied by such great risks. She had believed him when he downplayed the danger at the time.

“Then, aren’t we heading towards our death by going back to the Capital City now?” Muniang frowned, lowering her head in vexation. “If I had known, I would have just let you accept the edict. You didn’t want to get involved with the court affairs in the first place, yet I’ve put you back at the center of the vortex.”

Yu Ze wrapped his arms around Muniang’s waist, speaking earnestly, “Even if I had to choose again, I would defy the edict. Even if it means wronging others, I couldn’t wrong you.”

Muniang felt a warmth in her heart and whispered, “You always know how to sweet-talk me into feeling better,” as her cheeks turned a shade of red.

“The Emperor’s recent lavish rewards were indeed a test. The throne was originally mine to give away, and he naturally feels uneasy sitting on it. He wanted to gauge my intentions by seeing if I would humbly accept the honors, thank him upon returning to the Capital, and keep a low profile. That would have set his mind at ease. But my outright defiance probably made him feel I was arrogant and no longer took him seriously. I was negligent. Ten years is enough time to change a person, and he’s even secretly trained such a group of top-notch assassins. He’s definitely improved a lot. I truly underestimated him.”

Muniang pursed her lips before saying, “Is it really wise for us to return to the Capital like this? It feels a bit like walking into the tiger’s den.”

“Not going back is even more dangerous. Don’t worry, I will resolve everything. Hmm?”