"Don't mind me, all of you retreat. Anyone who dawdles further is endangering me!" Lu Qingwan's voice was strained as she shouted.
As she spoke, she landed a punch on the abdomen of a black-clothed assailant.
The assailant, believing her to be skilled with a steel whip and thus favoring ranged combat, had been employing moves suitable for long-distance engagement. He hadn't anticipated Lu Qingwan resorting to a direct punch. Caught off guard, he took a solid blow from her.
Blessed with innate strength, Lu Qingwan poured all her available true qi into this strike, successfully pushing the assailant to the furthest edge of the city platform, as far as possible from the fire cannons.
"Retreat!"
Following Lu Qingwan's roar, several Xuanjia Army soldiers began to descend from the steel cables.
Only one, however, seized the opportunity to dash towards a fire cannon. As his shears neared the cannon's firing rope, the blade in the man's hand split into two. One half continued to face Lu Qingwan, while the other shot out, heading straight for the Xuanjia soldier.
"Dodge quickly!"
Lu Qingwan screamed, her steel whip rapidly extending to pierce the black-clothed assailant's waist.
Meanwhile, the Xuanjia soldier, though he heard Lu Qingwan's warning, did not evade. He took the blade squarely but still managed to snip the cannon's firing rope.
"He Guang!"
A cry filled with despair rang out. Lu Qingwan recognized the voice of Han Tongguang, the one who had helped her unlock the helm lock earlier.
Instinctively, she moved towards the young soldier named He Guang, clinging to a shred of hope that she could save him. But before she could reach him, several more black-clothed figures suddenly appeared on the platform.
All of them carried swords identical to those of the other assailants. Upon arrival, they beheaded the young soldier named He Guang before charging towards her.
Everything happened too fast. Lu Qingwan hadn't even seen how these assailants had appeared, but it no longer mattered.
Her own people were already disengaged. She now had no further reservations.
As she swung her steel whip in wide, powerful arcs, battling the black-clothed attackers, she retrieved a simple explosive device from the spatial laboratory.
Reaching the vicinity of the steel cable crossbow, she tossed it directly onto the cannon platform. "I'm done playing. Bye-bye!"
A thunderous explosion rocked the platform, followed by a series of consecutive blasts. The black-clothed assailants were sent flying by the shockwaves.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the Xuanjia soldiers, whether dead or wounded, had vanished.
Flames billowed from the city platform, while below, the Imperial Guards and the rebels engaged in a fierce battle. Yet, the small area where Lu Qingwan had slid down from the steel cable crossbow seemed to be a vacuum, separated from the battle raging around it.
Only as she neared the ground did Lu Qingwan release the Xuanjia soldiers.
Three corpses and one severely wounded man.
As soon as Lu Qingwan landed, she heard Li Qing's shout, "Your Highness, retreat quickly! We will cover you!"
With a swift stroke of his blade, he decapitated another rebel.
Without a word, Lu Qingwan hoisted the young soldier, He Guang, onto her shoulder. She then instructed Li Qing, "Don't forget these two brothers!"
With that, she charged out of the heart of the fighting, protected by a contingent of Xuanjia soldiers.
Seeing the army arrayed on the flank, Lu Qingwan's legs gave way, and she knelt directly onto the ground. Before she could even catch her breath, she cried out, "Jia Ping, Shuang Yue, fetch my medical kit quickly!"
Li Qing, seeing her state, immediately responded, "Your Highness, I have a night-blooming pearl here for illumination!"
"Hold it for me!"
Lu Qingwan took a brief moment to recover her breath. She then began to strip the young soldier of his armor, her dagger slicing through his clothes. It was then she saw that he had more than just the one wound inflicted by the black-clothed assailant. His upper body alone bore over a dozen wounds, large and small.
Jia Ping arrived with the medical kit. Lu Qingwan knelt on the ground, tending to the soldier's injuries.
Li Qing observed this and quietly offered Lu Qingwan a small bottle of glucose, "Your Highness, you've only had breakfast today. Please replenish your energy. Otherwise, your hands might start to shake later."
The young soldier had numerous superficial wounds, but the most severe was a through-and-through injury, a blade thrust from his back that exited through his chest. That wound was perilously close to his heart, and Lu Qingwan wasn't entirely confident she could save him.
However, after all the other soldiers had been ordered to retreat, this young soldier's insistence on destroying the last fire cannon had deeply moved her. As a special agent, she too had faced countless conflicts between her superiors' orders and the harsh realities of missions. In such moments, one's own judgment became paramount. While the other soldiers were correct to follow orders, Lu Qingwan desired subordinates who not only obeyed but also possessed their own initiative. Therefore, she was determined to save this soldier.
Li Qing, knowing her well, expertly targeted her soft spot. Lu Qingwan disliked being disturbed during treatment. Hearing Li Qing mention her lack of energy and the potential for her hands to shake during the upcoming surgery, she unhesitatingly took the glucose and drank it straight from the bottle.
In the distance, the sounds of chaotic battle raged, yet around Lu Qingwan, an unusual quiet settled.
After drinking the glucose, Lu Qingwan picked up her surgical knife, her voice calm and devoid of emotion, "Give the night-blooming pearl to someone else. Tell the Prince that from now on, he can use explosives without restraint."
Li Qing acknowledged the order and left, pondering internally why, if explosives were available, they hadn't been used from the start. Why the unnecessary risk, nearly costing Lu Qingwan her life, before resorting to explosives? He couldn't fathom her motivations.
Upon hearing Li Qing relay Lu Qingwan's message, Feng Xiwu did not hesitate. He decisively issued an order, "Transmit my command: all Imperial Guards withdraw from their positions. Aim the catapults at the rebel positions and bombard them!"
Since Lu Qingwan had said explosives could now be used, he deployed them without delay, as if Lu Qingwan were the commander of this battle and he merely an executor.
Li Qing harbored many questions, but he understood that the deployment of explosives signaled not the end of the battle, but a new phase. Thus, he did not forget his primary duty. After a brief exchange with Feng Xiwu, informing him of Lu Qingwan's safety, he quickly returned to her side, dedicating himself to her protection.
As expected, Lu Qingwan had already begun operating on the young soldier. The Xuanjia soldiers were well aware of Lu Qingwan's exceptional medical skills, but witnessing her perform surgery on a living person was still a profoundly shocking sight. Some, lost in fascination, forgot their duty.
"Protect the Princess!"
Li Qing's voice and the sound of gunfire erupted simultaneously. Li Qing threw himself onto Lu Qingwan's back. The surgical knife in Lu Qingwan's hand was mere inches from the soldier's skin. Lu Qingwan was immensely grateful she hadn't dozed off during the battlefield first aid training; otherwise, saving a life would have turned into taking one.
The surgery had reached a critical stage, and her hands could not stop. She quickly readjusted her focus and continued the operation, asking Li Qing, "What's happening?"
"Many black-clothed figures have arrived. Some of them have firearms. They appear to be skilled and are heading straight for you."
"They are likely from the Internal Guard, targeting both the Prince and me. Throw a few rocks towards the bushes to the rear left. Get them to come out and help!"
Li Qing glanced back at the location Lu Qingwan indicated. Understanding dawned on his face. "Understood!"
As he spoke, he pushed himself up and retreated. Two layers of shields had already been erected behind Lu Qingwan. From outside the shield formation, only the faint glow of the night-blooming pearl was visible. As for Lu Qingwan herself, not even a corner of her robe could be seen.