Xia Wenjin had all kinds of curses in her mind, but her feet couldn't slow down for even a second. Still some distance from the forest, she simply lunged forward, rolled with her head tucked and quickly disappeared into the woods. Four arrows chased her, shooting into the forest, the last one almost hitting her heel. The reactions, coordination, skills, and anticipation of these six people all showed their exceptional capabilities — they must be of at least first-class assassin caliber, right?
They actually sent six first-class assassins to deal with her? Xia Wenjin felt it was likely Huangfu Yuxuan — among those she knew, the only one with both the motive and resources to kill her was probably Huangfu Yuxuan.
Those six reached the forest's edge but didn't rush in. The forest wasn't deep, and with their skill, they could comb through it to find someone.
A voice, dripping with sarcasm, said, "Prince Jing, stop hiding, you alone can't defeat the six of us. Come out obediently, and you might die with a bit more dignity! After all, you have such a noble status!"
Xia Wenjin: "..."
A daughter of Haotian Village's bandits — even if her father was the Village Chief, that didn't qualify her as a Princely Heir, right? Why were these people calling her "Prince Jin"?
Xia Wenjin quickly changed positions three times, peering through gaps in the leaves. The six had already started entering the forest.
Out there, she'd have absolutely no chance of surviving against six first-class assassins, but the forest was the perfect cover. After the experiences of her past life amid the clashing of weapons, even though her martial skills hadn't fully recovered, her composure during assassinations like this was such that she wouldn't even bat an eyelid. After calmly analyzing and anticipating, she believed that with her current physical condition, escaping shouldn't be that difficult.
Xia Wenjin swiftly changed positions again, using the trees for cover, her movements were quick and secretive. Yet, the six were indeed professionals; their sleeve arrows and hidden weapons flew almost as if they were touching Xia Wenjin. If she hadn't felt a hint of danger and moved earlier, she would've been injured.
This realization made Xia Wenjin shudder.
Even if Huangfu Yuxuan was angry about her breaking off the engagement and losing face, he wouldn't use such a grand gesture to kill her.
Could it be a case of mistaken identity?
Prince Jin?
She quickly rifled through her past life's memories. Among those imperial relatives, princes, and grandsons, and the offspring of titled nobles, was there such a Princely Heir?
Could he be King Kang's son, Jinxuan? But he was the second son, not a Princely Heir.
Another wave of danger surged. A figure appeared on the front right, and suddenly, a blade emerged in front of her eyes. Xia Wenjin hurriedly dodged and exchanged a few moves with this person.
But she mostly focused on evasion; she was unarmed and had nothing available. This sudden life-threatening situation was completely unexpected.
She knew she couldn't get bogged down fighting this person for too long. The six of them supported each other, and if surrounded, she wouldn't be able to escape.
The assassin's attacks were dense, and Xia Wenjin's gaze was cold. The forest's light wasn't as bright as outside. The flickering through the leaves could dazzle one's eyes. In a few leaps, Xia Wenjin jumped east, grabbing a small tree. The assassin thought she was fleeing, so he pounced, blade in hand, aiming to kill Xia Wenjin.
At that moment, there was a sudden whoosh, and a heavy shadow came crashing down unawares, fast and furious. It was a trunk as thick as an arm, bent like a bow.
The assassin in black struggled to dodge but was unable to stop mid-motion. Xia Wenjin took the opportunity to leap neatly, launching a flurry of kicks, firmly striking the assassin's chest.
The assassin in black grunted.
Xia Wenjin's martial skill wasn't high, but her timing was impeccable. Even if her opponent was far stronger, there was no defense against her attacks.
Just as Xia Wenjin was about to deliver another blow, two more figures in black entered sight. She couldn't afford to pursue, so she dodged and ran in the opposite direction.
The two men in black reacted swiftly. Upon spotting Xia Wenjin, they not only pounced but also shouted, "This way!" Their companions were not far, immediately closing in.
Xia Wenjin was getting anxious. At sixteen, her skills were rudimentary at best, barely third-rate. Although she had gained more insight and perception, the enemies had overwhelming power. If she could take them on one at a time, using the terrain to her advantage, she could take them out one by one. But with two, she was outnumbered, and now with five converging, they'd soon catch up, moving fast.
However, giving up and despair weren't her style. She quickly rounded several corners, breaking some branches here, picking up stones there, weaving through the forest because she knew there was a slim chance of survival within the woods. Once she left, her speed couldn't outpace those assassins.
"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!" Sounds echoed. Xia Wenjin dodged without thinking, avoiding the previous spot.
Three blue-tinged poison arrows nearly grazed her heels, embedding into the ground. The assassin who shot them also attacked, but Xia Wenjin only shifted slightly to one side, without any large movements. As the man in black lunged, a stone suddenly fell from the tree, hitting his head, momentarily blinding him. When he looked again, where was that brocade-clad youth?
With his skills, he shouldn't have been hit, but the stone fell precisely when he was between spent force and new strength, and just now, he had a momentary feeling of losing his bearings.
What he didn't know was that those seemingly randomly broken branches and scattered stones were meticulously placed by Xia Wenjin.
Though her move succeeded, Xia Wenjin didn't dare feel any joy; after all, it was just luck — dancing on the edge of a knife.
Relying on obstructed lines of sight within the forest, using the terrain and her setups along the way, Xia Wenjin played hide and seek with these people, almost ghost-like in her evasion.
The assassins, having been teased with Xia Wenjin's tactics, were in disarray, nearly fuming with anger. They realized she was using her wits to toy with them.
At this point, one was fleeing while six pursued, enclosing from three sides. The leading two wouldn't take long to fill the last gap, forming a surrounding circle. Once that happened, the kid would be as good as dead.
Xia Wenjin was also very anxious. She had nothing in hand; her hurried preparations had already been exhausted. She realized it was crucial to carry some self-defense tools in the future.
The three black-clad men at the front increased their speed, closing the distance. Just then, a sound suddenly echoed — the pounding of many hooves on the ground.
Both the men in black and Xia Wenjin froze.
The sound of thumping grew more intense. Through shaking foliage, a herd of angry sheep, like untethered wild horses, charged into the forest, rampaging wildly.