Ashes to Crown

Chapter 156: Chapter 110: People Arrive

The old woman wasn’t nervous when she heard pursuers behind them, but when Chu Zhao stopped and turned, she couldn’t help but stop too, hugging the child in her arms tightly.

The child clutched her clothes, leaning on her shoulder to look back.

In the dim twilight, he saw the girl suddenly draw her blade and kill someone.

A lot of blood sprayed out, seeming to splash onto his face.

He stared, unblinking and unfazed.

He had never seen someone killed before, never even seen blood. But tonight, it was as if he were drowning in a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses.

Ah Le’s eyes were wide as well. Blood splattered her face, and she too clutched a blade in her hand.

Her young miss had just told them: it would be dangerous. There would be killing, and they might be killed.

She wasn’t afraid either, though she had never killed anyone before.

Her young miss had never killed anyone before either, but when she said she would kill, she killed!

’Young Miss is so amazing!’

”Go,” Chu Zhao said, stepping forward with her blade and giving the old woman a push.

This time, the old woman moved much faster.

Ah Le fell in behind Chu Zhao, her mind made up. ’This time, I have to strike before Young Miss. I have to kill someone, too.’

It all happened in an instant, but they were still spotted.

As the two bodies fell, more dark figures emerged from the depths of the alley. They swept forward like a tide, riding the night wind, which carried the cold glint of steel and the stench of blood.

Chu Zhao raised her blade, about to leap forward.

”Young Miss, let me!” Ah Le stepped forward first, swinging her blade as she charged.

With a few muffled grunts, a swath of figures collapsed where the blade had flashed.

Ah Le froze. She... hadn’t actually... made contact—

”Back,” Chu Zhao said, grabbing her and pulling her away.

Her gaze swept across their surroundings.

Figures leaped down from the walls on both sides of the alley. They moved like scythes, felling all the pursuers who rushed toward them.

From deeper in the alley, the sounds of fighting erupted as well.

’Who are these people?’

”Hey,” a girl’s voice called down from the top of the wall.

Chu Zhao looked up. It was too dark to make out any features, but she could see the silhouette of a girl, with a smaller figure beside her.

The small figure’s hands were moving, something in them flashing with a cold light.

Looking again at the people who had swept in, she saw men, women, and even the elderly—

’They look like the neighbors from the surrounding homes, but since when could ordinary neighbors kill like this?’

Chu Zhao gripped her blade, but before she could ask, the girl’s voice came again.

”Need horses?” she asked.

Running on foot was no match for riding. Chu Zhao looked at the girl and answered crisply, ”Yes.”

The small figure crouching beside the girl let out a sharp whistle.

A closed gate down the street swung open, and with a flurry of neighs, a dozen or so horses charged out.

”Go, go!” the girl yelled, waving her hand.

Without another word, Chu Zhao turned decisively, helped the old woman up, and ran toward the horses. Ah Le followed close behind.

The horses were not only saddled but also outfitted with blades, bows, and other weapons.

Chu Zhao grabbed the nearest horse and vaulted into the saddle. She turned and said, ”The... child. Give him to me.”

’She had been about to call him ’Little Prince,’ but she thought better of it.’

Before the old woman could move, the child in her arms looked up and once again reached out for Chu Zhao himself.

The old woman quickly passed him up to Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao took the child and settled him in front of her. The old woman and Ah Le mounted their own horses.

Chu Zhao glanced back. The sounds of fighting in the alley had intensified, as if countless dark figures were pouring in. But the girl on the high wall stood like a bastion, casting a net that held the shadowy figures firmly in place.

”Go!” the girl shouted again, her voice loud.

Chu Zhao tore her gaze away, sheathed her blade, and drew a long spear from the saddle. Spurring her horse, she galloped forward.

”Head for the Imperial Palace!” she yelled.

Behind her, the old woman finally spoke. ”The area around the Imperial Palace is crawling with the Third Prince’s men. It’s too dangerous.”

Without looking back, Chu Zhao replied, ”If it’s dangerous, then let’s make it dangerous for everyone.”

’Let the Third Prince know that the Heir of Zhongshan King is about to profit from all this chaos.’

Even if it leads to a three-way battle, it would be better than being silently surrounded and slaughtered like they were now.

The more chaos, the better their chance of survival.

But they had only galloped a short distance when the urgent sound of hooves echoed from the street ahead. Clearly, more people were coming.

Since Xiao Xun had decided to kill them, he would have surely set an inescapable trap around the Chu Mansion.

After plotting for so long, the King of Zhongshan and his son wouldn’t let her escape so easily.

”Miss Chu—” the old woman said, her voice trembling, as if wanting to ask what to do.

Chu Zhao gripped her spear, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. ”I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I can get you out of this alive. The only thing I can promise is this—”

”I will die before you do.”

’If this was the Little Prince’s fate—the fate brought about by Xiao Xun framing her father and by Chu Lan’s bewitchment—then this time, she would die with them.’

’Her only regret was that, having been given a second chance at life, she still hadn’t been able to see her father even once.’

’And it was all Ah Jiu’s fault!’

’If he had delivered her letter to Father sooner, or if he hadn’t dawdled and complained on the road, she would already be in the Border County right now, safe by her father’s side—’

The child in front of her pressed closer, and Chu Zhao could feel him trembling.

’Sigh. Maybe it was a good thing she was still in the Capital City. Even if she was going to die, they would die together. At least this way, the child wouldn’t grow up to hate her father. He would die knowing exactly who had harmed him.’

Chu Zhao held the child protectively with one arm and raised her long spear with the other.

”Ah Le,” she called out. ”Everything we learned as children, we’ll have to use it today.”

Ah Le raised her bow and galloped beside her. ”Young Miss, this isn’t a game anymore.”

With a TWANG, two arrows flew from her bowstring like shooting stars.

A sharp CLANG rang out from the opposite side, as if the arrows had struck metal.

’He could knock arrows out of the air with a weapon? Incredible.’

The color drained slightly from Ah Le and Chu Zhao’s faces, but they showed no fear. Ah Le tossed aside her bow and drew a long spear, while Chu Zhao spurred her horse to an even faster gallop.

A man’s voice shouted from the darkness ahead.

”Ah Le, you little brat!” the man scolded. ”How many times have I told you? On the battlefield, use a single arrow! No showing off! The most impressive skill is the one that kills!”

Ah Le froze, but Chu Zhao was already overcome with joy.

”Uncle Zhong—” she shouted, her voice hoarse with emotion.

’Uncle Zhong! Uncle Zhong is here!’

’That’s right. This life was different from the last. Uncle Zhong came to the Capital City, and he is here tonight.’

Zhong Changrong reined in his horse and watched the approaching girl. Her eyes shimmered as if with tears, and his own eyes stung as he fought back tears of his own.

’Thank goodness. Thank goodness, Ah Zhao is safe.’

”Uncle Zhong is late,” he said, his expression full of self-reproach. ”You must have been terrified.”

Everything had happened so suddenly. An old friend had insisted he stay the night, and though he had refused several times, he still had a little to drink and had fallen into a deep sleep. By the time he realized what was happening, the Capital City was already in chaos.

His friend had wanted him to hide at his house, but he was too worried about Chu Zhao. He had used every means he could to cross the city and get here.

And just as he’d feared, he saw fighting over there—

’Who were they?’

’It didn’t matter who they were. Anyone who threatened the Young Miss had to die!’

Zhong Changrong’s eyes turned sharp. ”Ah Zhao, all of you, fall back.”

He gripped his saber, about to charge.

Chu Zhao quickly moved aside, then a thought struck her. ”Uncle Zhong, those people back there... did you arrange for them to protect me?”

Zhong Changrong faltered. ’What?’ Only then did he notice the clear sounds of a battle raging nearby, with two sides locked in combat. One side was preventing the other from even leaving the alley.

He was just about to say no when he saw a figure running toward them.

It was a girl, blade in hand. She seemed to think Chu Zhao’s group was under attack and was coming to help.

As she drew closer, she saw Zhong Changrong. The girl stopped short and took a step back, as if not wanting him to see her face.

But then, as if thinking it shameful to retreat, she stopped, tilted her head, and looked away with a hint of arrogance.

Even though he could only see half her face in the flickering torchlight, Zhong Changrong recognized her instantly. His expression changed, and he barked, ”You people!”

But he stopped before the words left his mouth.

Chu Zhao looked at him, then back at the girl. Only now did she get a clear look. The girl was about her age and was carrying a greatsword nearly as tall as she was—

’Since when did Uncle Zhong have a subordinate this young?’

’Or... maybe she isn’t?’

”Uncle Zhong, is she... are they your people?” Chu Zhao asked again.

Zhong Changrong’s expression flickered for a moment before he forced a smile. ”Yes. Yes, they are. I arranged for them to be here.”

He was answering Chu Zhao, but his eyes were fixed on the girl, his gaze a sharp warning.

The girl snorted and turned her head away so sharply it seemed she might snap her slender neck.