The arrow was shot with tremendous force, and the resulting noise was deafening, as if obliterating all in its path, immediately filling the icy surface with an aura of lethal intent!
Gu Chengfeng and Tang Yueshan also noticed the commotion, but as they were carrying the stretcher, they couldn’t free their hands in time.
"Be careful!" Gu Chengfeng yelled, moving towards Gu Jiao with the intention of shielding her with his back from the incoming arrow.
Gu Jiao, however, pushed him behind her and, with a backhanded grab, caught the chillingly sharp arrow with her left hand, then she swiftly spun around, hurling the arrow back toward the opposite bank with all her might!
A soldier’s scream pierced through the night.
Gu Chengfeng let out a sigh of relief — that moment had him breaking out in cold sweat.
Tang Yueshan regarded Gu Jiao with a complex expression.
As a general seasoned on the battlefield, he could tell that Gu Jiao had no lightness skill, and her martial arts were not of the highest caliber, yet her reflexes, her temperament, and the decisiveness when she struck exceeded countless men of the world.
Had the Gu Family really picked up the wrong child at birth? Or had they covertly raised a hidden ace among the common folks?
The thought barely flitted through his mind before he dismissed it.
If the Gu Family were to secretly nurture someone, it would be Gu Chengfeng, being a promising talent himself; how could they possibly dedicate such effort to a young girl? He knew Gu Chao’s temperament all too well; he would never value a young girl.
On the opposite shore stood the remnants of the former dynasty’s forces, lined up in formation.
Leading them was a man on a white horse, draped in a silver fox cloak and wearing silver fox gloves. In the darkness of night, his features were indistinct, but he sat upright and exuded an aura of nobility and grace.
"Who is that?" Gu Chengfeng inquired.
Tang Yueshan’s expression darkened, "The son-in-law."
Gu Chengfeng suddenly realized, "Ah, a member of the former royal family, no wonder he looks like a fine gentleman."
They watched the people on the far shore, who in turn observed them, as if the man was a deity of the night assessing rabbits fleeing in the hunting grounds.
Gu Jiao grabbed the Red-Tasseled Spear and, without hesitation, tore the cloth strip from the spear. Wind whipping around her, she stood defiantly in front of the trio, her cold gaze piercing towards the far bank, "You go first."
"Go!" Tang Yueshan made the split-second decision!
Gu Chengfeng also understood that neither staying behind himself nor leaving it to Tang Yueshan would be proper.
He had originally distrusted Tang Yueshan, unsure of what might happen if he left Tang Yueshan behind; and the thought of letting Tang Yueshan escape with Gu Jiao was even less reassuring. With Tang Yueshan’s superior martial skills, if he were to discover that he had not been poisoned, but merely deceived by Gu Jiao, then she would be in danger.
Gu Chengfeng gritted his teeth, and together with Tang Yueshan, quickly carried the stretcher up to the bank and disappeared into the boundless night.
The man in silver fox clothes on the opposite shore watched Gu Jiao intently, his gaze lingering on her Red-Tasseled Spear for a moment, hesitating as if recognizing something, but not for too long.
He raised his hand and pressed downward with his fingertips.
It was as if Gu Jiao heard him say, "Attack."
A hundred soldiers stepped onto the icy surface, drawn swords in hand, charging towards Gu Jiao.
Gu Jiao did not rush to act but instead took from her little backpack a pair of ice skates she’d prepared in advance and strapped them to her feet.
No one understood what she was doing, nor did they care. They were a hundred men against one, surely more than enough to kill her outright?
Especially since they were frontier soldiers with anti-slip preparations on their boots, allowing them to move with ease on the ice.
What no one expected was that when Gu Jiao made her move, they were all taken by surprise!
At most, they were able to walk steadily on the ice, yet this masked youngster was not merely running across the ice — no, she was flying!
Gu Jiao’s speed was too fast; with the ice skates on, she was like a night hawk spreading its wings, and no one could catch a glimpse of her figure.
Her spear danced in her hands, each strike a deadly assault. The former dynasty’s soldiers fell one after another, and in a mere blink, their numbers were nearly halved.
"Sir!"
A confidant looked at the man in silver fox clothes with shock and concern.
The silver fox-clad man said nothing, just watched Gu Jiao waging a bloody battle, her Red-Tasseled Spear now smeared with blood, with her own body covered in blood as well, though none of it was hers.
The man slowly removed his gloves and handed his fair and slender hand to his subordinate.
The subordinate understood and presented a large bow with both hands.
The man with the silver fox notched the bow with his right hand, while his left hand took out three arrows from the quiver hanging on the saddle. Releasing all three in rapid succession, he viciously aimed and shot at Gu Jiao!
His trio of arrows seemed to block all possible escape paths for the adversary; no matter how she dodged, she was bound to be hit by at least one, and if luck was against her, all three might strike!
The soldiers on the ice appeared to notice their leader’s tactic and, risking their lives, threw themselves forward to block Gu Jiao’s path.
At that very moment, something unexpected occurred.
On the other side of the river, three more arrows flew towards them. Each one matched the trajectory of the silver fox-clad man’s arrows, cleaving through them with undiminished force and hurtling towards him.
He quickly picked up a shield from his confidant’s hand, blocking the arrows aimed at him.
Though it looked as if all three arrows were directed at him, as they drew close, it became clear that only one had hit the shield, while the other two had fatally struck his two confidants.
The two men collapsed on the snowfield instantly!
The silver fox-clad man’s gaze traveled across the ice to Tang Yueshan, who had returned with a bow and arrows.
Tang Yueshan didn’t cross the river, chose a high vantage point in a tree, and aimed at the dead angles that Gu Jiao couldn’t cover—striking down one by one any enemy that approached.
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