The whole family was brutally murdered? The ruthless heiress's eldest daughter went berserk aft

The aroma of medicine wafted through the cave, and Murong Xuewei felt a sharp pain in her wound. She watched as Xiao Cui deftly bandaged her wound, her movements so practiced and skilled that they were unlike those of an ordinary maid.

"Xiao Cui," Murong Xuewei said softly, "where did you meet the old woman who taught you kung fu?"

Xiao Cui paused, then continued bandaging, head bowed: "I...I met him on the way we were fleeing."

"Oh? How long did the old woman teach you?" Murong Xuewei stared intently at Xiao Cui's expression.

"It wasn't...not long ago." Xiao Cui bit her lip. "Your Highness, your wound is still bleeding, please don't speak yet."

Murong Xuewei, however, had no intention of letting the matter rest: "This cave is so well-prepared; you must be familiar with this place already?"

“I…I found this place by chance while fleeing,” Xiao Cui’s voice trembled slightly. “I saw it was secluded, so…I stored some things here.”

"A chance discovery?" Murong Xuewei sneered. "This place is remote; you couldn't find it without a guide. Xiao Cui, who exactly are you?"

Xiao Cui's hand trembled slightly, accidentally touching Murong Xue Wei's wound. Murong Xue Wei gasped, and Xiao Cui quickly apologized, "I'm so sorry, Your Highness! I...I really didn't mean to."

“You don’t need to change the subject,” Murong Xuewei said, forcing back the pain. “Judging from the skill you displayed in saving me, it’s definitely not something you learned on the spot. Besides, the medicinal herbs in this cave are all top-quality wound medicines; ordinary people simply can’t find these.”

Xiao Cui kept her head down and didn't speak, focusing solely on treating her wound.

“It’s fine if you don’t tell me,” Murong Xuewei stared intently at her, “but you should know that I, Murong Xuewei, never like being deceived. If you insist on hiding it, we might as well split up now.”

"Your Majesty!" Xiao Cui suddenly raised her head, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes. "I...I can't say. But I really did it to protect you! Please don't ask so many questions..."

Before she could finish speaking, faint footsteps suddenly came from outside. Xiao Cui immediately stood up alertly and made a shushing gesture. Murong Xue Wei also held her breath, and the two exchanged a glance, both seeing wariness in each other's eyes.

Just then, a leaf was blown down by the wind and gently drifted into the cave...

Before the leaves had even fallen to the ground, Xiao Cui had already quickly extinguished the tinderbox. In the darkness, footsteps grew closer, accompanied by heavy breathing.

"Your Highness, we can't worry about that now," Xiao Cui whispered. "Please bear with the pain, I'll carry you."

Before Murong Xuewei could speak, Xiao Cui had already deftly carried her on her back. Her movements were quick yet extremely steady, as if afraid of aggravating her wounds. Murong Xuewei's suspicions deepened; the way she carried her was clearly the work of a professional.

Xiao Cui, carrying Murong Xuewei on her back, nimbly slipped out through a secret passage on the other side of the cave. They hadn't gone far when a sharp shout came from behind: "Found the trail! This way!"

"Oh no!" Xiao Cui gritted her teeth, quickening her pace as she nimbly traversed the rugged mountain path. Her breathing remained steady, clearly indicating that this level of exertion was nothing to her.

The pursuers' torches flickered behind them, illuminating the night. Xiao Cui, carrying Murong Xuewei, slipped behind a low thicket. Just then, an arrow pierced the air, aimed straight for Xiao Cui's back.

Xiao Cui swiftly rolled over, simultaneously shielding Murong Xue Wei, the arrow whizzing past her hair. She gently placed Murong Xue Wei behind a large rock and whispered, "Your Highness, please stay here."

Before she finished speaking, Xiao Cui had already leaped out. In the moonlight, her figure was as light as a ghost, and in a few swift movements, she was in front of the nearest pursuer. The pursuer raised his knife to strike, but Xiao Cui ducked down and her right hand formed a claw, aiming straight for his throat.

Hiding behind the rock, Murong Xuewei clearly saw that Xiao Cui's moves were ruthless and vicious, completely unlike the person Murong Xuewei had saved before.

A muffled thud interrupted Murong Xuewei's thoughts. Xiao Cui had already taken down two pursuers, but more were closing in. Their location was gradually being illuminated by the torchlight.

"The one hiding in the back, that's a woman from the Murong family, isn't it?" a chilling voice rang out. "If you know what's good for you, you'll obediently surrender."

Xiao Cui stood in front of Murong Xue Wei, her voice icy: "If you want to harm Her Highness, you'll have to get past me first."

Under the moonlight, Xiao Cui's back remained motionless, but Murong Xuewei could see the unease in her slightly trembling fingers—this time, the pursuers were clearly not comparable to the previous rabble.

"Attack!" With this command, more than a dozen men in black attacked simultaneously. Under the moonlight, cold light flashed and sword energy crisscrossed.

Xiao Cui moved nimbly through the encirclement, her hands forming claws. But she quickly realized something was wrong—these people's moves were clearly specially trained, their coordination impeccable, and every strike aimed straight for vital points. Worse still, they seemed quite familiar with the "Netherworld Claw" technique.

"Your Highness, be careful!" Xiao Cui cried out as she dealt with the attacks while keeping an eye on Murong Xue Wei. But in that moment of distraction, a cold glint of light shot straight for her back. Xiao Cui barely dodged it, but her left arm was still slashed.

Murong Xuewei forced herself to stand up, but the excruciating pain from her wounds prevented her from using her light-footed skills. Realizing these people were after her, she immediately shouted, "Xiao Cui, you go first!"

"No!" Xiao Cui gritted her teeth, suddenly changing her palm into a fist, and delivered a vicious straight punch that repelled the nearest enemy. "Your Majesty is injured, I absolutely cannot abandon you!"

Just then, a hoarse voice rang out from the shadows: "Have you had enough fun?"

Before she could finish speaking, a gust of wind swept in. Xiao Cui felt a tightness in her chest and was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. She managed to regain her balance in mid-air, only to be horrified to find herself crashing into Murong Xuewei.

"Your Majesty!" Xiao Cui tried to change direction but it was too late. In the nick of time, she could only grab Murong Xue Wei and shield her with her own body. The two of them crashed through the bushes behind them and plummeted straight towards the dark cliff.

A biting mountain wind howled past, and Murong Xuewei felt herself tumbling through the air like a falling leaf. She heard Xiao Cui's cries in her ears: "Your Majesty, hold me tight!"

In the darkness, Xiao Cui desperately protected Murong Xue Wei while searching for something to hold onto. Suddenly, a thick vine came into view. Xiao Cui grabbed it, but the slippery vine snapped instantly under their combined weight.

"boom!"

After an unknown amount of time, Murong Xuewei slowly regained consciousness. She found herself lying on a protruding cliff platform, with Xiao Cui lying beside her, her clothes soaked in blood. The shouts of pursuers could be heard in the distance, but they were very faint; clearly, they believed the two were doomed.

"Xiao Cui!" Murong Xuewei endured the pain and crawled to Xiao Cui's side, only to see a trace of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth, and she was unconscious.

Moonlight filtered through the clouds, illuminating Xiao Cui's pale face. Only then did Murong Xuewei notice that Xiao Cui's hair had come undone as she fell, revealing a faint outline of red embroidery thread—the pattern of that thread looked strangely familiar...