Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress novel Chapter 539

Chapter 539: Chapter 536: The Ghost-Faced General_1

The firelight illuminated Xiao Rongyan’s well-defined features. He had sweat on his nose, his deep, dark eyes reflecting the warm yellow glow of the flames, making his gaze seem even colder and more solemn.

Xiao Rongyan’s eyes fell on the Rong heavy shield camp. A cavalryman on a completely black horse, donning a ghost mask with blue faces and fang-like teeth, and dressed in Rong attire, emerged.

If Xiao Rongyan remembered correctly, that was the newly emerged Ghost Mask General of Nanrong.

The Ghost Mask General was not of noble birth. During a royal hunt, the King of Nanrong was saved by the Ghost Mask General, who was then a slave. This act elevated him to the King’s personal guard and, later, to a general.

Xiao Rongyan gripped his longsword with one hand, pulling Princess Mingcheng by the arm with the other, shielding her behind him. Seeing that the Yan Army and his own Hidden Guards were at a disadvantage, Xiao Rongyan gritted his teeth and said, "Get off the carriage! Stay close to me!"

Princess Mingcheng nodded, clutching the lotus-embroidered pouch in her hand tightly as if it were the source of all her strength.

Just as Xiao Rongyan pulled Princess Mingcheng from the fire-stricken carriage, the Ghost Mask General aimed his arrow at him and shot.

The arrow, cold and glinting, tore through the air. Xiao Rongyan pushed Princess Mingcheng aside. The arrow grazed his cheek, drawing blood before embedding itself into the wooden panel, its feathers vibrating with a hum.

"Princess!" the maid inside the carriage screamed.

Xiao Rongyan had no time to think. He pressed Princess Mingcheng’s head down and leapt from the carriage, protecting her.

As the two jumped down, Princess Mingcheng, held in Xiao Rongyan’s embrace, suddenly collapsed.

Xiao Rongyan turned around and saw blood gushing from Princess Mingcheng’s neck. The Ghost Mask General’s arrow had grazed his cheek and then sliced through Princess Mingcheng’s neck, severing her veins. The maid’s scream had been for the sight of the blood flowing from the princess’s neck.

"Princess Mingcheng!" Xiao Rongyan dropped to his knees, tearing his clothes to press them tightly against her neck wound.

Princess Mingcheng wore a fiery red dress. The blood soaked into the fabric, making it impossible to tell how much blood she had lost.

She held a pouch tightly in her hand, raising it to show Xiao Rongyan. With her other blood-stained hand, she gripped his wrist, trying to speak, but blood kept pouring from her mouth.

Xiao Rongyan’s eyes were bloodshot. He pressed his hands on her bleeding neck wound, not daring to let go. He gritted his teeth and said, "He is still waiting for you. You must hold on!"

The maid, having narrowly escaped the carriage, knelt beside them, crying uncontrollably and calling out "Princess."

Yue Shi, covered in blood, had retreated with his men to Xiao Rongyan’s side. Seeing the condition of Princess Mingcheng, he pressed his hand against his chest and said, "Master! We can’t hold them! The Nanrong army is too many. If we delay any longer, we won’t be able to leave! My brothers and I will fight a bloody path for you!"

As Yue Shi finished speaking, the Nanrong soldiers had already broken through the defenses, charging toward the carriage.

The Ghost Mask General dismounted, sword in hand, and charged, determined to capture Princess Mingcheng alive. His swordsmanship was clean and swift, his strikes fierce and lethal, unlike the usual style of the Rong.

The Rong and Xiliang preferred knives or scimitars, while the Jin and Yan excelled with swords.

Not just the swordsmanship, but even the military tactics differed from the Rong’s usual practices. The army was well-organized and even used heavy shields, something the Rong forces had never employed before.