Chapter 1574: Just You Alone?

The scarred man, Yang Shen, did not continue his attack. Instead, he looked at the two with an arrogant expression and said, "Your cultivation is not bad. Surrender to me, and I will spare your lives."

Wang Bolin was furious. "We are imperial officials! How can we side with bandits?"

"Exactly," Zhang Zijiang echoed. "If you surrender to the imperial court, we can even intercede for you to receive a lighter sentence and serve the court." Although their current official ranks were not high, they were legitimate imperial appointments and enjoyed great prestige in their daily lives. How could they possibly become bandits?

Furthermore, their families and relatives were all in the capital. If they joined the rebels, their loved ones would meet a terrible end.

Hearing their replies, Yang Shen's face darkened, the scar on his face resembling a monstrous centipede. "You're courting death!"

He swung his saber again, unleashing a massive blade energy that hurtled towards them, its momentum as if it could cleave a mountain in two.

Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang were currently with the Imperial Guards. They knew they couldn't withstand this terrifying strike with their own power alone, so they quickly ordered their men to activate a formation to block it.

Soon, a translucent, light-blue formation pattern appeared above them, meeting the colossal blade energy.

The moment the blade energy and the formation pattern met, the pattern immediately began to crack.

Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang inwardly despaired. With a thousand men, they might have stood a chance against a grandmaster, but with only a hundred, even the most elite Imperial Guards struggled to hold on, especially after their military formation had already been heavily impacted and was on the verge of collapsing.

Just as the formation pattern was about to shatter completely, Xie Daoyun quickly formed hand seals. A rune swiftly flew out and adhered to the cracking pattern, stopping it from instantly breaking apart.

However, after a short while, cracking sounds echoed all around. The formation pattern still shattered, causing many Imperial Guards to collapse, staggering and falling. Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang, who were at the heart of the formation, vomited mouthfuls of blood.

Even Xie Daoyun, who was assisting from the side, was in distress. Her face was pale and covered in cold sweat. She felt severe mental exhaustion, her head throbbing as if it would explode. She knew she had consumed a significant amount of her essence. For their type of cultivation, spiritual power was paramount; any issue with it could lead to severe, irreversible consequences.

Fortunately, the terrifying, murderous strike had been blocked.

The scarred man, Yang Shen, cast a surprised glance at Xie Daoyun, naturally discerning the role she had just played.

Now that the soldiers had almost lost all resistance, he, considering his status, did not strike again. Instead, he ordered his subordinates to charge, simultaneously commanding, "I want that woman alive!"

"Alright, boss! That woman is for our chief; no one else is allowed to touch her," the other rebels roared with laughter. To be honest, the woman possessed a unique scholarly aura, like a delicate young lady from a wealthy family, very different from the women they usually encountered, and precisely the type they dreamed of having.

However, since their chief had spoken, who would dare to be so blind as to compete with him?

At most, they could wait until the chief grew tired of her and see if there was a chance to get a little 'soup' themselves.

Thinking this, they excitedly charged towards the Imperial Guards. If they couldn't have that woman, then surely the others were theirs for the taking, right?

Especially the two generals, Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang—they clearly had good stuff on them and needed to be stripped bare.

Many of the smaller rebel leaders targeted Zhang Zijiang and Wang Bolin, while others, knowing their place, went after the ordinary soldiers. Their equipment was enticing enough, and they surely carried cultivation resources, pills, and other valuable items—all good things for the rebels.

The scarred man, Yang Shen, frowned. He wanted Xie Daoyun not for carnal desires, but because a rune master of her caliber would be invaluable to the rebel army. That's why he had refrained from killing her and sought to capture her alive all this time.

Of course, there was no need to explain these reasons to his rough subordinates.

Xie Daoyun, naturally unaware of their true intentions, assumed they wanted to capture her to be a bandit chieftain's wife. She had grown up hearing tales of how cruel rebels were, and how female relatives of officials who fell into their hands were subjected to unspeakable humiliation. Imagining the miserable fate that awaited her if she fell into their hands, she gritted her teeth, pulled out a short sword, and aimed it at her own neck.

Just then, a gust of strong wind struck, and with a clang, she lost her grip on the short sword, which clattered to the ground. Her face was deathly pale. Was she unable to even take her own life?

At that moment, a sigh reached her ears: "Sister Daoyun, why are you so desperate?"

Hearing the voice, Xie Daoyun trembled all over. She turned around in disbelief, seeing the impossibly familiar figure behind her. Subconsciously, she thought she was dreaming. How could he possibly be here?

Was this a hallucination before her death?

She had just been disappointed once; if it happened again, she didn't know if she could bear it.

"General Zu!" At this moment, Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang, who were nearby, were overjoyed. They had thought their deaths were certain, but unexpected reinforcements had arrived.

Although they had previously looked down on him, now they felt like hugging him and calling him "father."

Hearing their address, Xie Daoyun realized it really was Zu An. Her heart stirred with emotion, and just as she was about to call out to him, a powerful wave of weakness washed over her. Exhausted after so many days, she had been holding on purely by sheer willpower. Now, seeing someone she could rely on, that strength drained away, and the world spun as she collapsed sideways.

Zu An was startled and quickly caught her. Seeing Xie Daoyun, who usually paid great attention to her composure, in such a dishevelled state, he knew she had suffered greatly. He immediately channeled a wisp of vital energy into her.

Xie Daoyun recovered slightly and slowly opened her eyes, finding herself being held by Zu An. Her face immediately flushed crimson. "I... I didn't faint on purpose."

As a young lady from a prominent family, she had read many romance novels, which often featured heroines fainting when the male lead appeared, only for him to catch them, perhaps even spinning a few times in the air. At the time, she had found such scenes overly dramatic and never imagined she would one day be in such a situation herself.

What if Brother Zu misunderstood her as a manipulative woman?

Zu An saw her flustered expression and chuckled softly. "Fainting or not is determined by your physical condition, how could you fake it?"

Hearing him say this, Xie Daoyun finally relaxed a little. Blushing, she gently pushed his chest, moving out of his embrace and standing straighter. "Thank you, Brother Zu."

At this point, Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang looked left and right but saw no other Imperial Guards. Their initial joy turned to alarm. "General Zu, where are the others? Did you have them flank from another direction?"

Seeing their hopeful, almost pleading eyes, Zu An was taken aback. "No, I didn't. I was worried about affecting the Purple Mountain schedule, so I let them continue marching. I just came over here to check."

Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang immediately looked as if they had lost their parents. "It's over, it's all over!"

If the full contingent of Imperial Guards had been present, not only these rebels but even a grandmaster would have been easily dealt with. But now, with only one person, they were certainly doomed.

And he had criticized them for being reckless! They had at least brought a hundred soldiers, but this fellow came alone. What did that count for?

The rebels, initially startled by Zu An's sudden appearance, now regained their composure. It was just one more person; how could he be a match for so many of them, especially with their chief and second-in-command present?

So, one by one, they roared and charged forward: "Pretty boy, let go of the woman our chief wants!"

"I'll chop off your dirty hands!"

"You dare touch the future mistress of Twin Dragon Mountain? Are you tired of living, kid?"

Hearing the vulgar insults coming from them, Xie Daoyun felt both ashamed and angry. At the same time, she looked at Zu An with worry. Although she knew he was powerful, he was still just one person.

As she worried, she suddenly froze. She saw golden ripples appearing in the sky behind Zu An, and long swords slowly emerged from within them, one after another.

Each sword radiated a terrifying suppressive aura, appearing to be a Heavenly-tier weapon.