Chapter 100
Lin Lin carefully broke off the branch as instructed. Sure enough, the sap oozing from the cut was unlike that of other plants, emanating a strange, enticing aroma that was clearly poisonous.
Muna helped as well, and the two of them quickly gathered several dozen “arrows.”
Using tree branches as arrows was something Lin Lin had never tried before, and she wasn’t entirely sure if it would work. Despite her growing anxiety, she understood that once the bow was drawn, there was no turning back.
This had to work. Failure was not an option!
Muna respectfully handed a communication stone to Miki, carefully tucking another into her own robe. “Awaiting your orders, Lady Saint.”
Lin Lin asked, “Lady Saint, should I carry you on my back?”
It wasn’t ideal for an archer to be burdened with extra weight, so Miki shook her head slowly. She wrapped her black veil tighter, leaving only a pair of eyes, bright as stars, visible in the night.
Then she slowly closed them.
It was the first time the two had so clearly smelled the Saint’s unique sweet cherry scent. The sweet fragrance spread inch by inch, gradually spreading around them. It was as if she was sensing every movement in her surroundings, contemplating where to strike first.
Miki spoke again softly: “There are three men to the southwest, armed with poisoned swords. It’s difficult to face them alone. Muna, I want you to lure them to that tree.” She pointed into the distance.
“There are also five soldiers lying in ambush to the south. Lin Lin, I want you to draw them southeast to prevent them from interfering with Muna. Kill them if you can, but if not, return immediately. Don’t waste time.”
The two quickly understood her plan, but then realized something troubling: “But that would leave you alone. Lady Saint, It’s too dangerous. We absolutely cannot allow that!”
In everyone’s eyes, the Saint was as delicate as a lamb ready for slaughter. If she were left alone, the consequences would be unimaginable.
But Miki ignored their concerns, saying simply, “Come here.”
Both hesitated.
Miki pricked her hand on a nearby thorny tree, and droplets of blood oozed from her fingertip. “Open your mouths. This will protect you.”
A few drops of blood slid down Muna and Lin Lin’s throats. It was an indescribable sensation, as if all fatigue and anxiety were instantly swept away, leaving only a surge of power.
The Saint’s soft voice echoed in their ears: “Follow my orders, and you’ll be safe.”
If Lin Lin wasn’t mistaken, the tips of the Saint’s hair, which had blended with the black veil moments ago, had begun to turn white. She had to lean on a nearby tree trunk just to stand.
Could losing just a few drops of blood make her so weak?
But… Lin Lin had heard from Senior Sister Liu Siruo that when Senior Sister Wakako was poisoned, the Saint had cut a piece of flesh from her own body!
How much blood had she lost then?
She must have been so weak she couldn’t even get out of bed, with no strength left at all.
In that moment, Lin Lin realized how deep the bond between the Saint and her senior sister really was.
This bond seemed to have started with love, but it went beyond that—far beyond anything Lin Lin could fully understand at her age.
Lin Lin understood, but only a little.
She simply gripped her arrows tightly and, following the Saint’s instructions, swiftly charged south.
Muna headed southwest.
Only Miki remained.
With no one else around, she no longer needed to maintain the Saint’s dignified posture. Her hand slipped, and she crouched down weakly.
It wasn’t a graceful position, but there was no time or energy to care about appearances. Losing a few drops of blood might mean nothing to ordinary people, but for her, just staying conscious took considerable effort.
She knew she was weak.
She hated it.
Miki slowly closed her eyes, giving her next order clearly and precisely, “Muna, you only have 15 minutes to lure them here. Lin Lin, whether you succeed or not, you must return after that time.”
She didn’t ask if they could do it.
A competent commander must understand her subordinates well enough. The time spent together had been enough for Miki to understand Lin Lin and Muna’s capabilities. The time she had given was calculated based on the situation.
Sure enough, not long after, Miki saw Muna successfully lure the enemies to the designated spot. She crouched even lower to avoid being spotted alone.
Lin Lin also returned on time. Her movements were light, her footsteps barely making a sound on the grass.
It was too much to expect Lin Lin to take out five enemies alone—one small misstep could alert them to their presence. She had only managed to lure them away, not kill them.
This result was exactly as the Saint had expected.
The black veil shifted slightly, and there was a faint rustle as Miki made a series of hand signals. Her movements were small, but clear enough for Lin Lin to understand.
She couldn’t help but be shocked. The Saint hadn’t participated when they had established their hand signals, only glancing through the curtain briefly, yet she had memorized them all!
“Two arrows, three kills.”
Lin Lin knew she had to end three lives with just two arrows. The longer the battle dragged on, the more likely they were to attract reinforcements.
She gritted her teeth, raised her bow, and fired two arrows simultaneously—
“Hold steady, don’t lose strength!”
Her arms, which had nearly relaxed too soon, tensed again as she shot two precise, deadly arrows. They pinned three men to the trees. The poison worked quickly, killing them before they could even cry out.
The timing of the command was perfect, as if Miki knew exactly where their strengths and weaknesses lay.
Lin Lin had only experienced this level of precision with her master and senior sisters, who had spent years training together. They knew each other inside and out, down to every movement.
But how did the Saint… manage this with just a few days together?
Lin Lin felt both astonished and impressed. She realized her earlier worries had been unnecessary.
Perhaps they should fear their enemies less than they feared their own Saint.
After dealing with the enemies to the southwest, they repeated the strategy for the rest. Sometimes when Lin Lin’s arrows lacked power, Muna would use the poisoned branches as weapons to finish the job. When Muna’s stamina waned and she couldn’t run fast enough, Lin Lin’s support would arrive just in time.
Under the Saint’s command, everything proceeded smoothly.
Soon, only five of the original twenty enemies remained.
But the enemy wasn’t stupid. After falling victim to the same tactics over and over, they finally realized something was wrong. They surrounded the three of them, their faces cold as they prepared to attack.
“What do we do?” Lin Lin gritted her teeth.
Her arrows were useless now. Muna was an Omega, and couldn’t rely on strength, and Lin Lin wasn’t skilled in close combat. The two of them against five… what could they do?
Maybe they should let Muna escape with the Saint first!
But Miki once again slowly closed her eyes: “Buy me ten breaths of time.”
Could she kill these five people in just ten breaths?
There was no choice but to trust her.
Lin Lin and Muna charged forward recklessly, protecting Miki from the oncoming attacks with their lives, ensuring the enemy couldn’t reach her.
Ten, nine…
Both were soon injured, their arms and shoulders bloodied, but the pain was dulled, as if the blood they had drunk earlier was surging through their veins, keeping them going.
Just a little longer…
Six, five…
Miki suddenly opened her eyes, slowly lifting her black veil to reveal her strikingly beautiful face. She should have been as pure as mountain snow, yet there was an inexplicable air of otherworldliness about her.
For a moment, the enemies were stunned.
Where did that wolf howl come from?
Three, two, one…
Green eyes gleamed eerily from the underbrush, and then wild wolves sprang forth from nowhere, viciously tearing out the throats of the five men.
Lin Lin collapsed heavily to the ground, her face splattered with blood. She managed to wipe some away, but turned back to see the Saint had already lost consciousness from exhaustion.
Muna rushed over in fear: “Lady Saint!”
She checked her breathing and pulse. Fortunately, she had only fainted. She would recover with enough rest.
In her panic, Muna forgot her hands were covered in blood, and a drop fell onto the Saint’s pale cheek. She hurriedly tried to wipe it away with her sleeve, but no matter how hard she tried, the blood left a vivid red mark on the Saint’s skin.
Suddenly remembering something, she turned back with a frown and asked, “Lin Lin, you didn’t forget to release the signal flare, did you?”
If reinforcements had arrived sooner, the Saint wouldn’t have needed to exert herself so much.
Lin Lin was silent for a moment. “Senior sister, look up. The smoke has almost completely dissipated…”
She had called for help even before the Saint had given the order.
But no one had come. Not a single person.
The law enforcement, the patrol…
Now, only the faintest traces of the signal smoke remained in the night sky.
The two simultaneously realized something, and their hands trembled involuntarily.
The same people who had intercepted the cargo were supposed to come and support them…
Muna stomped her foot in frustration. “We need to regroup with the others quickly!”
“But the Saint…”
“We’ll take turns carrying her!”
The pack of wolves that had appeared out of nowhere now crouched obediently at their feet, seeming to invite them to climb on. Lin Lin couldn’t help but be amazed. Could wolves really be ridden?
But now wasn’t the time to worry about such things. They clung to the wolves’ fur, their only lifeline, as the animals led them toward their destination.
***
“What do you think of my offer?”
Saburo was still smiling as he waited for Wakako’s answer.
After a long pause, she finally spoke.
“No.”
Those words caused a crack in Saburo’s smile.
Wakako stared at him. “You’re the kind of person who would betray your own family… Why would I believe anything you promise?”
In the next instant, her wrist twisted, and butterfly knives appeared in her hands.
Saburo had been so focused on preventing Wakako from bending down to pick up her sword that he hadn’t noticed these delicate, small weapons hidden in her sleeves.
Wasn’t she known for her straightforward fighting style?
Since when did she use something like this?
Wakako didn’t need much, just a tiny bit of control was enough for the blades to spin in her grasp, flying out to embed themselves deep in Saburo’s chest.
Blood splattered.
She knew that no matter how many pieces she cut him into, she couldn’t kill him. But at least this would break his control over the law enforcement and patrol guards.
Sure enough, the sounds of fighting outside suddenly died down.
Wakako’s mind drifted back to the day after her sparring match with Hua Yumu, when her master had casually remarked—
“Yes, that’s true. You’ve never relied on tricks—just like your personality. Even though you’re skilled with butterfly knives, you’d never use them.”
She closed her eyes, her thoughts wandering far away.
Everyone has a moment when they realize they’re no longer the person they once were.
Miki, you’re not the only one who’s changed.
I’m no longer the sixteen-year-old Wakako either.
