Arc 3 – Chapter 173, The Vicious Princess Wants to Reverse Fate (67)

An unexpected turn of events caught everyone off guard. Without a moment's hesitation, the masked man lunged after Shangguan Qi, who was thrown into the air and slashed his large sword at his back.

Shangguan Qi sensed the murderous intent, but he didn't dodge. His eyes were fixed on the fiery silhouette thrown into the air. One thought dominated his mind, "Catch her, I must catch her. I can't let her slip away from me. Never!"

"Shangguan Qi!" Mu Yan, finally caught up and defeated an assassin, saw the heart-wrenching scene and cried out.

The lifeless, blood-red figure, which had been thrown into the air, suddenly flailed like a fish. Her right sleeve flew out and, without any surprise, wrapped around Shangguan Qi's waist. With a flip of her body, Shangguan Qi pulled Zhou Min to her side.

Before Shangguan Qi could rejoice at finally catching Zhou Min, he was startled by her pale face and the menacing masked man hovering above them.

Shangguan Qi's eyes were sharp, his body exuded a domineering aura, and his cold voice carried uncontrollable anger and bloodlust, "You... deserve to die!"

Holding Zhou Min by the waist, Shangguan Qi threw a palm strike. Surprised by the ferocious force coming his way, the masked man tensed up and tried to resist, but he was sent flying into the icy river like a broken kite, his top ripped apart.

The assassins in the jungle shivered at the sight of the masked man's disbelief before his death. Mu Yan stared in shock at Shangguan Qi, who seemed like a demon from hell, walking over a sea of blood and corpses.

After delivering the blow, Shangguan Qi's inner strength vanished. Like a deflated balloon, he fell unconscious from mid-air, holding Zhou Min, towards the raging river below.

Zhou Min, held in Shangguan Qi's arms, couldn't tear her eyes away from the masked man who had fallen into the river, or rather, the black flame tattoo on his collarbone that was exposed when his shirt was ripped apart. Her heart pounded with unease and shock.

The disbelief in her eyes blanked her mind, even making her forget the burning pain in her back. All she could think of was the black flame tattoo!

"Host, hurry up!"

The sudden call in her mind snapped her back to reality. As she and Shangguan Qi were falling, Zhou Min looked up to see Shangguan Qi, who had lost consciousness but was still holding her tightly.

Remembering the mark on the man, Zhou Min felt like she had fallen into a massive mystery. Many things seemed to be unfolding in a direction she couldn't predict.

The howling wind during the fall blew Zhou Min and Shangguan Qi's hair, intertwining them. This scene felt so familiar.

The first time was in the woods when she had planned the timing and events to fall into the jungle with him. The second time was in the river valley, fighting a giant python. She saved him by blocking a tail strike, and they again fell from a great height. But this time was different because he followed her willingly for the first time, protecting her and holding her in his arms.

Their tangled hair was now indistinguishable.

Zhou Min raised her hand and gently touched his face, which she loved yet couldn't hate. Once, his eyes held only indifference. But just now, she discovered a different emotion in them and didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

"Shangguan Qi, I thought I understood everything when the country fell. The scene on the city tower was the truth. But now, I'm starting to doubt..."

Zhou Min shivered, a terrifying doubt rising in her heart. As she was talking to herself, she noticed a log approaching from the corner of her eye.

She knew this was the moment!

Harnessing her last bit of inner strength, Zhou Min, glowing like a dying ember, held Shangguan Qi and flipped in mid-air.

Initially, she planned to use the masked man's momentum to carry Shangguan Qi to the log. But she overestimated her abilities. That palm strike nearly knocked the wind out of her. She also didn't expect Shangguan Qi's sudden burst of inner strength.

Despite the miscalculation, it wasn't too late. Even though they were still some distance from the log, she had one last trick!

In mid-air, Zhou Min gathered her energy. As they were about to pass the log, Zhou Min's sword flew out of her left hand and lodged into it. She used the sword's hilt as a foothold, pushed off with her left hand, and with her own and the sword's momentum, she pushed Shangguan Qi towards Mu Yan, who was chasing after them.

She knew that Mu Yan could protect Shangguan Qi. He was one of the few trustworthy friends Shangguan Qi had.

"Mu Yan, tell him to forget me! The people of the Valley of Divine Physicians are at Qinghuang Fort..."

As Zhou Min pushed Shangguan Qi towards Mu Yan, she yelled out. Seeing Mu Yan successfully catch Shangguan Qi, Zhou Min smiled with relief.

Now, her only mission left was to protect the Zhou Kingdom! The male lead didn't die because of her; she successfully cured his poison and didn't need to use the blood clam. Most importantly, she managed to clear up all misunderstandings between her and him. Now, it seemed like they had settled all their debts.