Floating life reflects two lotuses

Deep in the dense forest, the night wind rustled through the fallen leaves. Xiao Jinlian's figure moved swiftly through the trees, her steps light and steady, but her breathing was already somewhat rapid. Her hands gripped the rune fragments in her arms tightly, the sound of assassins' footsteps echoing in her ears.

"Princess, there's a fork in the road ahead!" Silan's voice came from behind. She followed closely behind Xiao Jinlian, holding a dagger in her hand, her face full of anxiety.

Xiao Jinlian gritted her teeth and quickly looked around: "To the left, quick!"

The two leaped into the path, one on the left and one on the right, but before they had gone far, several figures suddenly appeared ahead. The assassins had been lying in ambush, their gleaming blades flashing like ghosts in the night.

Xiao Jinlian hurriedly stopped, shielding Silan behind her, and stared at the other party with icy eyes: "You were sent by Consort Yan, weren't you? You really are a persistent ghost."

The lead assassin sneered, "Miss Xiao, stop struggling. Hand over the rune fragments, and we might spare your life."

Xiao Jinlian scoffed disdainfully, "Want the fragments? Come and get them yourself."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly flicked her sleeve, sprinkling a handful of sleeping powder hidden inside at her attackers. The assassins instinctively retreated, but several were still blinded by the drug, crying out and covering their faces.

"Let's go!" She grabbed Silan and turned to run.

The assassin's furious roar came from behind: "Chase her! We can't let her get away!"

The footsteps in the woods grew ever closer; the number of assassins was clearly greater than Xiao Jinlian had anticipated, and the pursuit and interception nearly cornered them. Cold sweat beaded on Xiao Jinlian's forehead, but her eyes showed no sign of retreat.

She and Silan ran to the edge of a cliff. Ahead lay a bottomless, dark canyon, while behind them, assassins closed in relentlessly. Silan gasped for breath, her voice trembling, "Princess, what should we do?"

Xiao Jinlian quickly scanned her surroundings, her gaze landing on a hanging old vine: "Grab that vine, let's slide down."

"But that's too dangerous—"

“We have no other choice!” Xiao Jinlian interrupted Silan, stuffing the rune fragment into her hand. “Silan, listen to me, if we are separated, you must take this fragment to Li Heng.”

Silan froze, her eyes slightly red: "Princess, no! I won't abandon you!"

Xiao Jinlian forcefully pushed her to the old vine: "Hurry up! Don't hesitate!"

Just then, the assassin caught up, the cold glint of his blade dazzling in the moonlight.

"They're there! Catch them!"

Xiao Jinlian suddenly drew her dagger, staring intently at the other party: "If any of you dare to come closer, I'll let you taste the flavor of blood."

The assassins spread out and surrounded them, trapping them at the edge of the cliff, closing in step by step. Silan clutched the rune fragment tightly, her eyes filled with fear and resentment.

Suddenly, a deep neighing of a horse came from afar, followed by the sound of hooves flying like the wind.

"Xiao Jinlian!"

A familiar voice boomed through the night sky like thunder. The assassins were startled and turned to look, only to see a dark figure rushing out of the woods.

It's Li Heng!

He rode a tall warhorse, wielding a long sword, his eyes as cold as ice. His figure was like an unstoppable bolt of lightning, instantly plunging into the midst of the assassins.

A flash of sword light, accompanied by a scream, and an assassin fell to the ground. Li Heng swiftly dismounted, holding his longsword horizontally in front of him, his gaze sweeping over the assassin like a knife: "Anyone who dares to touch her will have to test the sharpness of my sword!"

The assassins looked at each other, and despite their superior numbers, they were intimidated by Li Heng's imposing aura and dared not make any rash moves.

Taking this opportunity, Xiao Jinlian pulled Silan behind Li Heng and said in a low voice, "Li Heng, there are too many of them. We need to retreat as soon as possible."

Li Heng nodded slightly, a hint of composure in his eyes: "I'll lead the way, you all follow me closely."

Having said that, he suddenly swung his sword forward, the cold light of the blade sweeping towards the heads of the assassins. The assassins scattered in all directions, their formation instantly thrown into chaos.

Li Heng shielded Xiao Jinlian with one hand while wielding his sword to fight the assassin with the other, his movements swift and decisive. His armor reflected a cold light in the moonlight, making him appear like a divine general descended to earth, exuding a chilling killing intent.

After several exchanges, Li Heng finally repelled most of the assassins, but they clearly had reinforcements. Li Heng quickly pulled Xiao Jinlian and Si Lan into the woods, finding a secluded spot to catch their breath.

He pulled Xiao Jinlian to his chest, his voice full of reproach: "How could you leave with the rune fragments without permission? Do you know how dangerous that is!"

Xiao Jinlian looked up at him, a hint of stubbornness in her eyes: "Li Heng, this fragment is too important. I can't leave it to Consort Yan's people."

"Even if it's important, you shouldn't risk your own life!" Li Heng's tone was low, with a hint of pain in his eyes. "If I had arrived a moment later today, do you know what would have happened?"

Silan interjected in a low voice, "The princess is thinking of the bigger picture. General Li, please don't blame her."

Li Heng sighed, reached out and put his hand on Xiao Jinlian's shoulder, his tone softening: "I'm not blaming her. I just... don't want to see anything happen to her."

Xiao Jinlian's expression faltered slightly, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before she whispered, "Li Heng, I know you care about me, but there are some things only I can do. We cannot stop; the power of the curse is spreading, and we must find the answer as soon as possible."

Li Heng was silent for a while, then finally nodded: "Okay, no matter what, I will face it with you."

A faint smile appeared on Xiao Jinlian's lips, and the suppressed emotions in her heart seemed to lessen somewhat.

The night breeze in the woods gradually subsided, and the three regrouped, leaving their hiding place to continue their journey. In the distance, Yan Fei's assassins, though outnumbered, were clearly not going to give up easily.

The relationship between Xiao Jinlian and Li Heng subtly changed during this crisis. The trust and reliance between them transcended a simple cooperative relationship. That unspoken affection seemed to ferment silently, growing ever deeper.

The two figures walked further and further away, gradually disappearing into the night. A lingering scent of sword energy and blood seemed to remain in the air, a testament to the danger and ruthlessness of this confrontation.