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The sounds of chaotic fighting erupted behind them as Meng Liu struggled to maintain her balance in the bumpy carriage. Suddenly, dozens of bandits wielding long knives appeared from the mountain tops on either side, rushing down to engage in battle with the household guards. Song Yuan was naturally at the forefront; as soon as he drew his sword, he swiftly killed two bandits, ensuring that Song An's coffin remained protected. Liu Nian Nian's carriage was not far behind him, surrounded by several household guards.
A piercing whinny of a horse filled the air, and Meng Liu turned to see that the carriage had been startled and was now racing toward the edge of a cliff, just a few dozen steps away from crashing over. After Zhao Han's earlier shout and the distant sounds of fighting, Meng Liu tried several times to rein in the horses, but even her palms were raw from the reins, and she couldn't slow down the carriage. As it seemed they were about to plunge off the cliff, Meng Liu gritted her teeth, lifted the carriage curtain, and jumped out with all her strength.
With rubble on both sides, Meng Liu braced herself for a painful fall, but a strong grip caught her around the waist. The pain did not come immediately. Tentatively, she opened her eyes to see Zhao Han's cold gaze resembling a winter's icy pool.
It was Zhao Han who had caught her.
"Th-thank you..." Meng Liu stammered awkwardly. Zhao Han shot her a cold glance and loosened his grip around her waist, distancing himself as if she were some terrifying beast.
"You cannot die until the evidence is clear," Zhao Han stated simply. He drew his sword and swiftly threw it toward Meng Liu's direction; with a sickening thud, it pierced a bandit attempting to ambush them, killing him instantly.
Song Yuan and the household guards were surrounded by numerous bandits who were pushing boulders to cut off the long funeral procession into segments. The earlier chaos caused by the carriage actually left Meng Liu in a relatively safe position on the outskirts; aside from the bandit Zhao Han had dispatched, no one else paid attention to her.
Blood stained Meng Liu's once pristine dress. As a princess who had been protected since childhood, she had never witnessed such brutality and was so frightened that her legs felt weak. She barely managed to steady herself against a nearby tree.
Before she could regain her composure, Zhao Han had already wiped his sword clean on the dead bandit's clothing and sheathed it. The funeral procession had been disrupted, leaving only the two of them in their immediate vicinity.
Ignoring Zhao Han's icy glare, Meng Liu mustered her courage to follow him closely. Zhao Han remained silent as he encountered more bandits, drawing his sword to eliminate them one by one. Meng Liu carefully trailed behind him, watching as he efficiently dispatched foes; even when faced with three or four bandits at once, he could take them down within three moves.
Night fell quickly, yet there was still no news from Song Yuan's side. Zhao Han sat resting against a tree while Meng Liu sat on the ground nearby; her once white dress was now completely dirty and had turned a grayish-black color. She had never been in such a disheveled state before but endured it for the sake of survival.
Suddenly, a faint hissing sound reached her ears, like something reptilian slithering across the ground. Meng Liu shifted her gaze from her soiled dress and looked up to see a long snake hanging just a few meters away from her—its green color blending almost seamlessly with the leaves, its crimson tongue flicking out as if about to touch Meng Liu's face.
Before she could scream, Zhao Han struck down with his sword, hitting the snake precisely at its vital point and killing it instantly.
"Even snakes dare to provoke; they must be seeking death!" Zhao Han scolded quietly as he swung his sword again to slice through another blue-spotted snake behind him.
Meng Liu was terrified; tears welled up in her eyes but she dared not make a sound. She quickly got up and followed closely behind Zhao Han without daring to stray even half a step away.
Zhao Han circled around the mountain several times before finally finding what looked like a stable cave before complete darkness set in. Inside were some blankets and a copper kettle—evidence that hunters frequented this place—making it seem relatively safe.
"Wait here," Zhao Han instructed tersely before turning to leave. Just as Meng Liu wanted to follow him, he shot her a warning look that made her sit back down.
Zhao Han did not explain where he was going; Meng Liu was unsure whether she had been abandoned here or left to fend for herself. But instinct told her that following Zhao Han's orders was best.
It wasn't long before Zhao Han returned carrying a plump rabbit that had already been skinned and gutted.
Without saying a word, he gathered some dry branches together and took out a fire starter from his pocket to ignite it before roasting the rabbit over the flames.
Meng Liu wore thin clothing; as the night wind blew, she felt cold despite having a fire in front of her. Unconsciously, she edged closer to Zhao Han. Although he appeared cold and distant—as if radiating chill—his body heat was surprisingly warm, even warmer than an average person's warmth.
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