"Lin Yue, hold on as best you can!"
Hale Kuer, a chiliarch under the Great Chieftain of the Xiongnu, Du Yongjian, was leading a rebellion. He intended to capture or kill Lin Yue and Zhou Fugui. Zhou Fugui dragged Lin Yue to the rooftop, but a few archers were positioned on the rooftop not far ahead. They continuously nocked and loosed arrows, their tips whistling through the air with terrifying force, flying towards the two. The barrage forced Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue to keep their heads down. After a solemn word of caution to Lin Yue, Zhou Fugui used the stone balustrades on the rooftop for cover, utilizing the flickering firelight to crawl forward.
Intercepted in front and pursued from behind, Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue's only chance of survival lay in eliminating the Xiongnu archers ahead.
Meanwhile, Lin Yue, holding a short sword, had to simultaneously evade the enemy's arrow attacks and brace the door to the stairwell. If the Xiongnu rebels from downstairs managed to storm the rooftop, Lin Yue would surely perish, leaving Zhou Fugui with no hope of escape either.
Thus, Zhou Fugui, using the rooftop's stone balustrades for concealment, had to move swiftly and silently to neutralize the Xiongnu archers. This had to be done before the Xiongnu rebels from downstairs surged onto the roof.
Easier said than done. If Zhou Fugui's intentions were detected by the Xiongnu archers, they would turn their arrows on him. Even if they didn't kill or wound him, a moment's delay would spell certain death for Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue.
"Dong... dong... dong..."
At that moment, the Xiongnu rebels had reached the stairwell and were desperately ramming the door, their forceful blows echoing like thunder. The "dong dong" sounds struck at Zhou Fugui and Lin Yue's hearts, nearly making their chests burst.
The thin wooden door at the stairwell could not withstand the Xiongnu rebels' assault. It creaked and shuddered, on the verge of collapse. The Xiongnu rebels were on the cusp of flooding the rooftop.
"If you can escape, I, Lin Yue, will have no regrets even in death!" At this moment, Lin Yue no longer dodged the arrows. Holding her short sword horizontally across her chest, she watched Zhou Fugui's crawling figure, letting the arrows whistle past her ears and over her head.
Lin Yue understood clearly that the primary objective of Hale Kuer's rebellion was not Zhou Fugui, but herself. The reason was self-evident: Du Yongjian now considered Lin Yue a thorn in his side, a splinter in his flesh. Therefore, if Lin Yue died, Zhou Fugui might be able to escape amidst the chaos.
Zhou Fugui, however, seemed oblivious to the events unfolding behind him. He merely stared intently from behind the stone balustrades at the Xiongnu archers, who were seven or eight paces away. The fierce visages of the Xiongnu archers were clearly visible in the firelight.
At this very moment, if Zhou Fugui were to stand up, he would immediately be spotted by the Xiongnu archers, who would then turn their arrows on him. Even if Zhou Fugui charged forward to engage them in close combat, he wouldn't be able to kill them all quickly. And any delay would mean Lin Yue's certain demise.
Zhou Fugui could crawl closer, which would increase his chances of success, but time was of the essence. He could choose a more opportune moment, but Lin Yue was already in grave peril.
What to do? Zhou Fugui stared at the ferocious faces of the Xiongnu archers, beads of sweat the size of soybeans trickling down his forehead.
"Dong... dong... dong..."
"Crash!"
As Zhou Fugui hesitated, the wooden door at the stairwell was finally smashed open. Several Xiongnu rebels, brandishing large sabers, surged onto the rooftop one after another.
......
"General Zhunjin, disaster has struck!"
Several of Lin Yue's guards, having fought their way through the encirclement, found Zhunjin outside the city and reported the dire news.
"What is the cause for such alarm?" Zhunjin asked, frowning at the bloodied guards.
"Rebels are rioting in the city, and our mistress has been attacked. Her fate is unknown," one guard replied.
"Crack!" Zhunjin, shocked and enraged, whipped the guards mercilessly, shouting, "The princess's life is uncertain, yet you return here?"
Without another word to the guards, Zhunjin hastily ordered the army to turn back. He personally led over a thousand elite cavalry back towards Deer Horn City.
Lin Yue was like his own child, someone he could not bear to lose. The same applied to Zhou Fugui.
......
"Capture the slut! Capture the slut!"
"Haha, Commander Hale Kuer said that if we catch this wench, we can do with her as we please."
"Heh heh!"
On the rooftop of the palace where the Xiongnu Prince Bian and his consort Lin Yue resided, the Xiongnu rebels had already broken through the wooden door. Several burly Xiongnu soldiers advanced towards Lin Yue with lecherous grins.
Lin Yue, formerly the Yasji of the Great Chieftain Du Yongjian and then the consort of Prince Bian, had held a position of immense authority. These ordinary Xiongnu soldiers would never have dared to disrespect her. But now, Hale Kuer had issued an order to kill Lin Yue, and Hale Kuer was acting on orders. Seeing Lin Yue's captivating beauty, the rebels who had stormed the rooftop were overcome with lust. They intended to ravish her first, and then either kill or capture her.
Lin Yue fit every aspect of Xiongnu aesthetic ideals: fair skin, ample bosom, slender waist, and long legs... The soldiers could barely contain themselves.
Furthermore, for those of humble station, to have a woman of high status, who was normally beyond their reach, brought low beneath them and subjected to wanton humiliation, to hear her moans, pleas, and cries—was this not a delightful spectacle? Was this not a beautiful sight?
Now, the opportunity was before them. Miss it, and it would never come again!
But would Lin Yue yield to their desires? The answer was a resounding no. Lin Yue would rather die than suffer such indignity.
Lin Yue had suffered enough humiliation from Du Yongjian and his son. How could she now endure the defilement of these base individuals?
Lin Yue glanced at the Xiongnu rebels with bloodshot eyes closing in on her. She raised her short sword to her swan-like, snow-white neck and looked back in the direction of Zhou Fugui, wishing to see him one last time before her death.
In that fleeting glance, Lin Yue saw not Zhou Fugui, but three points of light streaking rapidly towards them.
"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!"
Zhou Fugui loosed three arrows in rapid succession, piercing the throats of three Xiongnu soldiers who were closest to Lin Yue. His archery skills were astonishing.
"Ah!" The Xiongnu rebels cried out in alarm, but it was not from the wounded soldiers. It was from those behind them. They watched in disbelief as three of their comrades were struck down and fell dead, not knowing where the arrows had come from.
"Quick! I'm here! Hurry and run over!"
Having successfully ambushed the Xiongnu archers and killed three of them, Zhou Fugui, now armed with their bows and arrows, was like a tiger with wings. After taking down three rebels with his consecutive shots, he stood on the rooftop, drew his bow, and repeatedly beckoned to Lin Yue.
Upon hearing Zhou Fugui's call, Lin Yue slowly moved towards him. Why slowly? Because she wished to maintain her elegant posture...
The Xiongnu rebels, unwilling to let her go, shouted and prepared to rush forward to capture Lin Yue.
"Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!" Zhou Fugui loosed another three arrows, pinning three Xiongnu rebels to the rooftop.
"Anyone who steps forward dies!" Zhou Fugui bellowed, his voice like rolling thunder, his posture commanding. His divine archery skills, combined with his imposing presence, made the Xiongnu rebels hesitate and cower, temporarily afraid to move. They could only watch as Lin Yue reached Zhou Fugui's side.
Lin Yue furrowed her delicate brow. Standing on tiptoe, her heart pounding with fear, she stepped over several freshly deceased bodies, still warm, and joined Zhou Fugui.
Zhou Fugui glanced at Lin Yue, then with his left hand, he ripped off half of her skirt with a tearing sound. Lin Yue's long gown was thus transformed into a "mini-skirt"...
"What are you doing?" Lin Yue asked, her face pale with shock and confusion.
Had he suffered some sort of breakdown and lost his senses? Lin Yue thought to herself. But even if he had, shouldn't he pick a better time? In plain sight, surrounded by enemies, what good would a breakdown do?
"Big sister, this isn't a stage performance, it's an escape!" Zhou Fugui uttered a sentence that Lin Yue couldn't understand, then slowly retreated with her. A few steps later, they leaped onto the rooftop of another, lower building.
The distance between the two rooftops was about three or four paces. Lin Yue felt a pang of fear. Standing at the edge of the rooftop, she looked at Zhou Fugui, then at the drop below, hesitating.
Zhou Fugui spread his arms wide and gave Lin Yue an encouraging look.
Lin Yue knew in her heart that no matter how scared she was, she had to jump. The reason was obvious: the Xiongnu rebels behind them were already shouting and searching for a way to pursue.
So Lin Yue steeled her resolve, closed her eyes, and mimicking Zhou Fugui's actions, took two steps back and leaped towards the opposite rooftop.
"Ah!" Lin Yue felt the wind whistling past her ears and her body plummeting downwards. She let out a scream, thinking she would fall to her death. But suddenly, she felt something grasp her hand, and then she was flying onto the opposite rooftop.
Mid-fall, Lin Yue was plummeting, but Zhou Fugui, standing at the edge of the rooftop, reached out his right hand and caught Lin Yue's jade hand. With a strong pull, he yanked her back. They then collided and rolled into a heap.
Zhou Fugui was below, Lin Yue on top, a warm embrace of soft flesh. Under normal circumstances, given Zhou Fugui's disposition, he would have taken advantage of the situation. But now, Zhou Fugui only felt Lin Yue's immense weight, and a burning sensation on his back and buttocks.
As a cushion, the skin on his buttocks and back was naturally scraped raw.
"Sorry..." Lin Yue tried to get up, but her body was weak and limp. She could only push herself up with her hands on Zhou Fugui's strong chest, apologizing with a flushed face.
"Hey, what time is it for apologies? Let's run!"
With that, Zhou Fugui struggled to his feet, pulled Lin Yue along, and they continued to leap and run across the rooftops, quickly disappearing into the darkness.
By the time the rebels arrived with shields and other means to block arrows, the two had vanished without a trace.