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

Zhang Jing remained calm and unhurried, striking out with a palm. The force of the powdered palm wind solidified into ice, instantly freezing the three nearest assassins into ice sculptures. The other assassins' expressions changed drastically upon seeing this, and they involuntarily took a half-step back.

“Even the personal guards of the Holy Maiden of Nanzhao are so mediocre,” Zhang Jing said with a sneer, “no wonder they have to resort to such underhanded methods.”

"Arrogant!" the leader of the men in black roared, his figure flashing as his long sword went straight for Zhang Jing's throat.

Zhang Jing neither dodged nor evaded; with a gentle pinch of two fingers of his right hand, he directly caught the sword's blade. The man in black was shocked and tried to draw his sword, only to find that the blade was covered in a layer of frost and remained motionless.

"Is this all the skill you have? You dare to run wild in the far north?" A cold glint flashed in Zhang Jing's eyes. With a flick of his finger, the longsword shattered into pieces.

At the same time, a cry of alarm suddenly came from the direction of the back door. Zhang Jing's heart sank; he knew something was wrong. It seemed Gu Ye and his group had been ambushed.

"Heh," the leader of the men in black sneered, "still have the mind to worry about others?"

Before he could finish speaking, the remaining assassins charged forward again. Zhang Jing held back, forming hand seals, and wisps of icy energy wove into a net in the air. In an instant, most of the room was covered in frost.

But just then, the roof beams overhead finally gave way, collapsing with a loud crash. Zhang Jing was forced to dodge the falling beams, giving his opponent an opening. A poisoned dagger silently sliced ​​across his arm.

"We've fallen for their trap." Zhang Jing frowned slightly. He could feel a strange heat spreading along the wound. He had never seen this poison before, yet it still took effect in such cold air.

"The Valley Master Zhang of Medicine King Valley is nothing special," the man in black sneered.

Zhang Jing seemed not to hear him, suddenly turning his head to look in a certain direction, a smile appearing on his lips: "It seems your wishful thinking is going to fall through."

In the distance, the rapid sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached. The reinforcements from the Great Qi had finally arrived.

Upon hearing the sound of horses' hooves, the man in black's expression changed drastically: "How could it be so fast..."

Before he could finish speaking, an arrow pierced through the air and struck him directly in the shoulder. The man in black staggered backward, only to find torches lit up in all directions, completely surrounding the area.

"Valley Master Zhang!" a familiar voice called out, "We're late."

Zhang Jing recognized this as Gu Ye's trusted commander and nodded slightly: "There are more people behind him."

The commander understood and immediately waved his hand, signaling, "Split into two teams. One team will follow me to support His Majesty, and the other team will protect Valley Master Zhang during his evacuation!"

However, Zhang Jing shook his head: "Don't worry about me, go find Gu Ye and the others first." With that, he took out a small bottle from his pocket and swallowed the pills inside. "This poison can't harm me for now."

Before the commander could say anything more, Zhang Jing had already turned and walked deeper into the post station: "I'm going to find some things; you all go and provide support quickly."

Meanwhile, in the woods behind the post station.

Gu Ye held Murong Xuewei in his arms, standing back-to-back with Lan'er in an open space. At least ten assassins in black were watching them intently.

"Your Majesty," Lan'er gripped her longsword tightly, her voice trembling with tension, "how long will the effects of your medicine last?"

Gu Ye didn't answer, but simply hugged Murong Xuewei tighter. He could feel the effects of the pills Zhang Jing had given him waning, and his internal injuries were starting to ache again. But given the current situation, he couldn't afford to think about that.

"Hand over Murong Xuewei," one of the assassins said coldly, "and we might spare your lives."

Gu Ye sneered: "Just you guys?"

"Then don't blame us for being ruthless." As soon as the assassin finished speaking, everyone attacked at the same time.

Gu Ye gently leaned Murong Xuewei against a tree and turned to face the attack. His movements were noticeably slower than before, but still incredibly sharp. In a short while, two assassins had fallen to his sword.

Lan'er was equally formidable, nimbly weaving through the assassins and delivering fatal blows from time to time. However, the number of enemies was simply too great, and soon both Lan'er and Gu Ye were wounded.

Just then, a series of orderly hoofbeats suddenly came from afar, followed by the sounds of fighting.

"Reinforcements have arrived!" Lan'er exclaimed with delight.

Gu Ye's expression suddenly changed, and he whirled around, blocking a hidden arrow aimed at Murong Xuewei. However, he himself was struck in the back by another arrow.

"Your Majesty!" Lan'er exclaimed.

Gu Ye steadied himself, snapped the arrow in half, and his gaze remained sharp: "I'm fine."

The assassins seemed surprised that Gu Ye was still standing, and for a moment no one dared to step forward. Meanwhile, the sounds of reinforcements grew closer, and the firelight illuminated the woods.

Just then, a chill swept through the forest, freezing the two assassins who were preparing to launch a sneak attack into ice sculptures.

Zhang Jing quickly approached Gu Ye: "Looks like I'm not too late."

His gaze swept over the arrow on Gu Ye's back, and his expression changed drastically: "Oh no! The arrow is poisoned!" He was about to step forward to check it.

"Save her first." Gu Ye panted heavily, gesturing for Zhang Jing to look at Murong Xuewei leaning against the tree.

Zhang Jing quickly stepped forward to check her pulse, his brow furrowed: "This is bad, her pulse is extremely weak. We must leave the far north..." Before he could finish speaking, another wave of assassins rushed out from the shadows.

"Protect His Majesty and the Empress!" The commander of the reinforcements arrived in time and engaged the assassins in battle.

"Kill! Don't let a single one escape!" the assassin leader roared. They no longer held back; every move they made was filled with a death wish, clearly intending to perish together with their targets.

While protecting Murong Xuewei, Zhang Jing checked Gu Ye's pulse. Two deadly poisons were intertwined in his body; the situation was worse than he had imagined. He took out a jade bottle from his robes: "Your Majesty, take this first to temporarily suppress the poison."

Just as Gu Ye was about to take it, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he abruptly shoved Zhang Jing away. With a "whoosh," a poisoned crossbow bolt grazed Zhang Jing's shoulder and embedded itself in the tree trunk.

“I think the Nanzhao Kingdom has no reason to exist anymore,” Zhang Jing sneered.

Reinforcements had completely surrounded the area, and the assassins' encirclement was gradually tightening. Seeing that all was lost, the assassin leader suddenly blew a short black whistle.

"It's a signal from the assassins!" Lan'er's expression changed drastically. "They want to..."

Before they could finish speaking, the remaining assassins all pulled out a black pill and swallowed it, then charged madly towards Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei.

"Stop them!" Zhang Jing unleashed a palm strike, instantly condensing the chilling air into an ice wall. But the assassins, already under the influence of the drug, seemed oblivious to the pain and smashed through the ice wall.

In the critical moment, Gu Ye forced himself to his feet and swept his longsword horizontally. More than a dozen assassins fell to the ground, but he himself swayed and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Gu Ye!" Murong Xuewei suddenly opened her eyes and struggled to get up.

"Don't move!" Zhang Jing immediately pressed her down. "Your current condition can't withstand any injury."

"Quickly, prepare the carriages!" the commander shouted. "Escort His Majesty and the Empress to safety immediately!"

Night deepened, and the wind and snow continued. Illuminated by torches, the group hastily left the blood-soaked forest. Zhang Jing, looking at Gu Ye and Murong Xuewei's injuries, felt a deep sense of worry. The journey ahead would likely be fraught with peril.