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

"Don't worry about me." Murong Xuewei gritted her teeth and ran forward. "Focus on where you're going."

Arrows rained down from behind, striking the tree trunks on either side. Murong Xuewei listened to the sound of the arrows whistling through the air, silently calculating the number of pursuers in her mind.

"Watch out!" Xiao Cui suddenly grabbed Murong Xuewei, and the two stopped just in time at the edge of a cliff.

Under the moonlight, mist swirled in the bottomless valley. Murong Xuewei looked back; the pursuers' torches were getting closer and closer.

“Your Majesty,” Xiao Cui looked at Murong Xuewei, a hint of struggle flashing in her eyes, “I…”

"Now is not the time for explanations," Murong Xuewei interrupted her. "Since you've been hiding your abilities, you must have a way to get us out of here."

Xiao Cui was taken aback, then smiled wryly, "Your Majesty really did see through it all along."

"So, you're choosing to take me with you and get away," Murong Xuewei looked at her, her eyes cold, "or hand me over to the pursuers?"

"I will not hand the Empress over to the pursuers." Xiao Cui gritted her teeth and suddenly pulled a bamboo flute from her sleeve.

Murong Xuewei raised an eyebrow, "The phoenix-tail flute used for transmitting secret messages in Nanzhao?"

Xiao Cui was taken aback. "Your Highness even knows this..."

"There's no time to say more." Murong Xuewei glanced at the approaching flames. "If you really want to save me, you should act now."

Xiao Cui took a deep breath, placed the phoenix-tail flute to her lips, and played a peculiar melody. Before the flute music faded, a blue lamp lit up in the distant mountains and forests.

“I have people over there to meet me.” Xiao Cui put away her flute. “But…”

"Just what?"

“But to get across, we have to cross this valley,” Xiao Cui pointed to the cliff below. “I have some vines here that I can swing over, but Your Highness’s leg injury…”

Murong Xuewei interrupted her, "You and I both know that there are no other choices now."

No sooner had she finished speaking than an arrow grazed past Murong Xuewei's hair. Without hesitation, Xiao Cui quickly took out a vine and tied one end to a tree trunk.

"Your Majesty, hold me tight." Xiao Cui squatted down with her back to Murong Xuewei.

Murong Xuewei watched Xiao Cui's retreating figure, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Aren't you afraid I'll attack you mid-air?"

"If Her Majesty wanted to kill me, she would have done it long ago," Xiao Cui said with a bitter smile. "Besides, I can only trust Her Majesty now."

"Here it comes!" Xiao Cui shouted, grabbing the vine and leaping into the air.

The night wind howled past, and Murong Xuewei held Xiao Cui's shoulders tightly. By the moonlight, she could see the mist churning below the valley, like a chaotic ocean.

"Whoosh!" An arrow grazed past the vine.

Xiao Cui groaned, but her grip remained firm. "Your Highness, don't let go!"

Murong Xuewei could feel warm liquid seeping from Xiao Cui's back, indicating that her wound had reopened. But since they were in mid-air, she could only grit her teeth and persevere.

Just then, another arrow pierced the air, heading straight for the vine.

"Oh no!" Xiao Cui's pupils shrank.

With a loud bang, the vine snapped. The two figures traced an arc in the air as they plummeted towards the valley.

"Grab my hand!" A familiar voice suddenly rang in my ears.

Murong Xuewei looked up and, by the moonlight, saw Gu Ye standing on the opposite cliff, reaching out to pull her up. Meanwhile, Xiao Cui had already used the momentum to leap onto a nearby tree branch.

Just as things were about to turn around, Murong Xuewei suddenly reached out, but just as she was about to touch Gu Ye's fingers, a hidden weapon came flying through the air!

"Watch out!" Xiao Cui shouted, leaping down from the tree branch and shoving Murong Xuewei aside.

The hidden weapon grazed Xiao Cui's arm, leaving a trail of blood. Murong Xuewei, however, was pushed so hard that she landed right in Gu Ye's arms.

"Xuewei!" Gu Ye hugged her tightly.

Before Murong Xuewei could even regain her footing, she heard a muffled groan coming from Xiao Cui's direction. Her right arm was already turning purple, clearly indicating she had been poisoned.

"It's the Seven-Leaf Heartbreak Powder." Murong Xuewei's expression changed. "This is a secret medicine of the Nanzhao royal family."

“Your Majesty…” Xiao Cui forced herself to stand up, but suddenly laughed, “It seems they don’t intend to leave any survivors.”

Before the words were even finished, archers appeared from both sides of the valley. The light of torches illuminated the night sky, surrounding the group.

"Your Majesty, hand her over." A masked man emerged from the shadows, his voice icy. "Otherwise, no one will leave here alive tonight."

Gu Ye shielded Murong Xuewei behind him, "Do you want my empress, or a spy from Nanzhao?"

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Xiao Cui, was stunned.

"What does Your Majesty mean by that?" The masked man's voice was clearly wavering.

Gu Ye sneered, "You've been chasing her all this way, wasn't it for her?" He pointed at Xiao Cui, "A spy planted by Nanzhao in Taichu Kingdom."

Xiao Cui's expression changed, but Murong Xuewei suddenly spoke up, "So, you're here to silence us?"

The masked man was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter. "I never expected this! The Emperor of the mighty Qi Dynasty could even find this out!" He turned to Xiao Cui, "Tell me, how should we deal with you, this traitor?"

Xiao Cui gritted her teeth, the poison already taking effect, "I didn't betray Nanzhao... I just..."

"Just what?" the masked man interrupted coldly. "Just because of a small favor from the Empress of Great Qi, you're willing to betray your master?"

"Enough!" Murong Xuewei suddenly broke free from Gu Ye's grasp and stepped forward. "If you want to kill me, come at me! Stop with the nonsense."

"Xuewei!" Gu Ye tried to pull her.

Murong Xuewei turned back and smiled at him, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

She turned to the masked men, "You probably know that I possess what you desire. If I die, you'll likely never find that treasure map."

"Your Majesty!" Xiao Cui tried to step forward to stop her, but was so tormented by the poison that she knelt down on the ground.

The masked man sneered, "You think you can negotiate with us based on this?"

"Why not?" Murong Xuewei asked calmly. "You've been chasing me for so long, isn't it all for this? I can tell you where the treasure map is, but I have conditions."

Gu Ye watched her retreating figure, his hand already on the hilt of his sword. He knew Xue Wei was stalling for time, because the sound of orderly hooves could be heard in the distance.

"What are the conditions?" the masked man asked.

"First, release Xiao Cui and give her the antidote," Murong Xuewei said, emphasizing each word. "Second, I want to see the person behind you."

"You have no right to negotiate with us!" the masked man roared, drawing his longsword.

At this critical moment, a signal arrow shot into the sky, illuminating the entire night.

"It's reinforcements from the Great Qi!" someone exclaimed.

The masked man's expression changed drastically. "Retreat!"

"Trying to leave?" Gu Ye sneered, drawing his longsword. "Tonight, none of you will escape!"