The coachman had never witnessed such a thrilling scene. He was so terrified that he wet himself, clutching his head with both hands, trembling all over. Thinking of his wife and children waiting for him at home, he couldn't help but weep, regretting having saved this person.
Fortunately, the carriage was built sturdily. The arrows that pierced the carriage roof lost much of their force. To ensure her comfort, the coachman had laid thick carpets. After passing through the carpets, they then went through the wooden planks at the bottom of the carriage, often getting stuck in between. Even those with great strength who managed to shoot an arrow through were blocked by Wu Caiwei's sword.
After an unknown amount of time, she heard rustling sounds, knowing they were slowly approaching.
The sounds grew closer. Before they were prepared, Wu Caiwei leaped onto the carriage and scattered a handful of powder at them. The opponents reacted swiftly, covering their mouths and noses.
Seizing this opportunity, Wu Caiwei dealt with the two closest to her, both with a single, swift stroke.
If it were ordinary knockout gas, covering their mouths and noses would have undoubtedly protected them. However, Wu Caiwei's knockout powder was specially formulated. Once it touched clothing, there was no escape.
Soon, a large number of them fell before her. Just as Wu Caiwei was about to step forward and finish them off, she suddenly sensed danger. Instinctively, she bent down, and a sword grazed her back. Wu Caiwei quickly retreated, creating distance. She hadn't expected his martial arts to be so formidable, hidden in the shadows, yet she hadn't detected him. Her vigilance was immediately heightened.
Soon, the opponent channeled his inner force and charged at her with his sword. Wu Caiwei met him head-on. Upon engaging, she discovered his profound skill and couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. Despite possessing the martial arts secrets of many lifetimes, she had not practiced them for long enough. In terms of inner force, she was no match for him.
She didn't see a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected this young woman to withstand his attack. He had poured all his strength into delivering a fatal blow.
Wu Caiwei could feel her injuries were not light, and she couldn't afford to prolong the fight. Otherwise, her fate today would be dire. She had underestimated her opponent. Faced with such a situation, she thought she could handle them if they pursued her. Little did she know, there were always greater powers beyond what one could imagine.
She quickly drew her sword and pressed forward. His power was already superior to hers, and she was severely wounded. Soon, she was at a disadvantage. Inadvertently, Wu Caiwei's left arm was slashed.
At the same time, she repeated her trick and scattered the powder. Clearly, he had witnessed how his men were incapacitated and had taken precautions. Yet, in the next moment, he stared wide-eyed in disbelief and slowly collapsed.
Only then did Wu Caiwei reveal her vulnerability, collapsing onto the ground. After a while, she forced herself to stand and walked over to the previous group of villains, stabbing each one. Once she confirmed they were all dead, she slowly approached the black-clad man, his eyes wide in death with a dark complexion. From his chest, she carefully extracted two needles and inserted them into the bracelets on her wrists.
This was the key to his demise. While the opponent was distracted by her powder, she pressed the mechanism on her wrist bracelet. Tiny silver needles shot rapidly into his body. Before he could even realize it, he was poisoned. By the time he discovered he was afflicted, it was too late.
She turned back and saw the coachman looking at her with terrified eyes. She knew without asking that her killing spree had frightened him.
Wu Caiwei couldn't be bothered to explain. She slowly sat by the campfire, took some medicine, and then said weakly, "No one should bother us tonight. Move him over here. We'll set off at dawn."
The coachman nodded vigorously and, as instructed, moved the person closer to the campfire, sitting far away from Wu Caiwei. Just moments ago, he had been mocking the man for his overestimation of himself, thinking he was boasting. Now, he knew she was truly extraordinary.
Recalling the scene of rescuing the man that afternoon, he knew an ordinary woman would not have had the courage to rush into the bushes at his desperate cries. Only someone with her extraordinary skills would be fearless.
As dawn broke, Wu Caiwei opened her groggy eyes. She took some medicine and touched the man's forehead, finding his fever had subsided. She breathed a sigh of relief. But then a new problem arose. The horses had been spooked yesterday and had run off, and the carriage was in tatters. She could barely make it to the next town, but what about the man lying on the ground?
The coachman painstakingly lifted the man onto his shoulders and carried him to the roadside. They prayed that someone would pass by today to help them.
To avoid alarming others, Wu Caiwei bandaged her wounds and deliberately put on another layer of clothing to conceal the bloodstains.
They were quite fortunate. A villager passed by driving an ox cart. The coachman quickly stepped forward to stop him, explaining that his family member had suddenly fainted there and they needed to get to the town ahead to find a doctor. He offered the villager two hundred coins as a reward if he could give them a ride.
The villager looked at the woman lying on the ground. Although he found it somewhat inauspicious, two hundred coins were enough for his family to live on for half a month. He was tempted and, after a moment of hesitation, nodded in agreement.
Wu Caiwei and the man sat in the cart. The coachman walked over to the villager and chatted casually with him. Soon, they arrived at a nearby town.
After buying a new carriage, they headed towards the prefecture. Back in her small courtyard, Wu Caiwei breathed a sigh of relief. She pulled the coachman aside to a secluded spot, gave him twenty taels of silver, and instructed him to keep his lips sealed about the events of the past few days, otherwise, his entire family would be in danger.
Even without Wu Caiwei's instruction, the coachman knew the gravity of the situation. In a way, his actions were similar to Wu Caiwei's. If those who pursued the man found out he was involved, not only would he die without a burial place, but his entire family would also suffer. But Madam was different. He hadn't forgotten how she, like a god of slaughter, had killed so many people that night. He believed she could protect herself.
Su Qibai opened his eyes again seven days later. Looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, he recalled the events before he fainted and knew he had been saved.
Just then, the door was pushed open. A woman dressed as a maid saw him open his eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "You're awake."
The next moment, she turned and left, knowing she had to inform her master. He didn't know who had saved him, but he knew without a doubt that he had managed to slip away. However, the other party must have had a contingency plan. The person who could rescue him from under the eyes of his pursuers must be extraordinary. But no matter how he thought about it, he never imagined the rescuer was a woman.
Wu Caiwei had always known he was good-looking, but when his eyes opened, she was still stunned. She had seen all sorts of beauties and simply appreciated his appearance with a calm demeanor, asking, "Young master is awake? May I know your name?"