She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Shen Man was tightly restrained by the guards' iron grip, her body struggling involuntarily, but she could not break free even a little.

Her legs felt as if all the strength had been drained from them, so weak that she could barely stand, and every breath she took was filled with heavy despair.

Images of a dark, deep prison kept flashing through her mind, showing her trapped inside, isolated and helpless. A wave of grief washed over her, completely overwhelming her.

She was convinced that she was doomed, and that the wheel of fate was about to crush her mercilessly.

At this critical moment, Shen Man keenly sensed that the surrounding light suddenly dimmed, as if some enormous, sky-covering creature had descended.

She instinctively looked up and saw a huge shadow rapidly descending from the sky. The edges of the shadow were clearly defined, and the familiar figure made her eyes widen instantly. Surprise and anticipation mingled in her heart, and she blurted out, "Horned Eagle, I'm here!"

Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, filled with the hope of surviving a disaster.

Almost at the same instant, an extremely sharp cry, like a sharp blade, pierced straight through the sky.

The voice was high-pitched and sharp, carrying an inviolable and powerful aura that instantly stunned everyone present.

Everyone was still reeling from the sudden turn of events, their minds blank, their thoughts seemingly frozen.

Just then, a dark shadow flashed before their eyes, and a huge horned eagle, enveloped in black lightning, swooped down with tremendous force.

A powerful airflow, centered on the harpy eagle, swept wildly outwards like a surging wave.

Everyone felt a gust of wind sweep over them, making their eyes sting and unable to open. They could only instinctively raise their hands to shield their eyes.

The wind howled, stirring up dust and fallen leaves, and the whole world seemed to be shaken by this force.

The eagle moved nimbly and precisely, landing steadily beside Shen Man.

Its thick, powerful claws, like steel pincers, firmly gripped Shen Man's shoulders. Then, with a powerful flap of its wings, it created a mighty hurricane and instantly rose into the air.

Shen Man felt a lightness in her body as she flew away from the place that had filled her with despair, carried away by the harpy eagle.

The guards were stunned by this scene, their feet seemingly nailed to the ground, unable to move.

Their eyes were filled with shock and fear, as if they had witnessed something unbelievable.

After a long while, they seemed to wake from a dream, hurriedly drew their bows and arrows, their fingers trembling slightly with tension and shock as they nocked the arrows and shot them.

However, the eagle was too fast. By the time they reacted, Shen Man and the eagle had already turned into a small black dot on the horizon and disappeared into the distant sky.

Only the arrows that had been shot in vain fell to the ground with dull thuds.

The guards dared not delay and hurried back to report to Cui Jintang.

Upon hearing this, Cui Jintang's face instantly turned ashen. Her eyes widened with rage as she pointed at the sky and shouted hoarsely, "Go after her! You must kill Ding Man! Don't let her get away!"

Her voice became sharp and shrill with anger, and her roar echoed throughout the entire Phoenix Palace.

But it was all too late. The eagle had already carried Shen Man away and disappeared into the thick clouds, leaving Cui Jintang furious in the palace.

The eagle flew tirelessly in the air for a long time until it left the capital city, and then slowly put Shen Man down.

Shen Man landed on her feet, and the tension and fear in her heart eased slightly. She happily reached out and gently patted the horned eagle's head, her eyes full of gratitude: "Horned eagle, how did you know I was in danger?"

The harpy eagle tilted its head, a glint of intelligence flashing in its golden eyes, and cooed, "Master, actually I've been following you in the sky the whole time. When I saw you in danger, I came down to save you."

"Thank goodness you're here. I thought this was really the end for me."

Shen Man sighed, a bitter smile on her face. "I originally thought I would avenge His Highness the First Prince, but now I've become a fugitive who committed the crime of deceiving the emperor."

It seems I can't go back to the capital. I need to find another way to avenge His Highness the Crown Prince.

Upon hearing Shen Man's words, the harpy eagle affectionately nuzzled her palm with its head and let out a low chirp, as if to comfort her.

Shen Man took a deep breath, her gaze gradually hardening. She looked up at the eagle and said, "Eagle, let's go back to the border town. Everything I have is there."

As if it understood her words, the harpy eagle lowered its body and let Shen Man lie on it. Then it flapped its wings and flew quickly towards the border town.

Along the way, the wind whistled past her ears. Shen Man clung tightly to the horned eagle, gazing at the mountains and rivers rushing past below, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She recalled all her experiences in the capital, the thrilling scenes, the injustice of being wronged, and the grief of losing Chu Zhiyi, all of which flooded her mind.

She secretly vowed to establish her own power in Biancheng Prefecture, and when the time was right, to seek justice for him.

The harpy eagle truly lives up to its reputation as a bird of prey capable of traveling a thousand miles a day; it completed the journey that would normally take about a month in just three days.

As soon as Shen Man landed, the familiar local accent reached her ears, and the simple, honest faces made her feel very close to them.

"Mother, Mother, I'm back!"

Standing at the gate of her own courtyard, Shen Man looked at the familiar wooden door and felt a sense of déjà vu.

During the time she was away, she went through too many life-or-death trials, but everything here remains the same.

The door creaked open slowly, and Lanxiang appeared in the doorway with a look of surprise on her face, still holding the garment she was embroidering in her hand.

Her gaze swept anxiously over Shen Man, as if to confirm her daughter's safety. Seeing her daughter return safely, her eyes instantly reddened, and the needle and thread in her hand fell uncontrollably to the ground: "Man'er, you're finally back! Mother has been waiting for you every day!"

Shen Man's eyes welled up with tears, which streamed uncontrollably down her face. She threw herself into Lanxiang's arms, her voice trembling with sobs, "Mother, I'm so sorry to have worried you."

The mother and daughter embraced and wept, and it took them a while to calm down.

Shen Man went inside and sat down, then told Lanxiang everything about her experiences in the capital.

From her expectant arrival in the capital to the thrilling discovery of the conspiracy, and then to her helplessness after being wrongly accused, every detail is included.

Lanxiang was shocked. She gripped Shen Man's hand tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force, as if she could give her daughter strength: "How can the court be so dark? My poor daughter has suffered so much."

Shen Man wiped away her tears and looked at Lanxiang with a determined gaze: "Mother, I can't just let this go. His Highness the First Prince died under mysterious circumstances. I must avenge him and expose the Empress and her accomplices' conspiracy."

Lanxiang patted Shen Man's head tenderly and sighed, "Man'er, I support you. But this matter is dangerous, so you must be careful. I can't help you with anything else, so don't worry about things at home. Just focus on doing what you want to do."

Lanxiang's eyes were full of worry and love. She knew that her daughter's path was full of thorns, but she chose to support her unconditionally.