Chapter 458: 走投无路

At this moment, the other Embroidered Uniform Envoys also realized what was happening. They exchanged glances, each seeing determination in their companions' eyes, and quickly said to Huang Huihong, "Commander Huang, you take the imperial prisoners and withdraw! We'll cover your retreat!"

Huang Huihong frowned but did not refuse. He nodded heavily, unable to speak at that moment, only able to signal with his eyes, "Take care, brothers!"

Every Embroidered Uniform Envoy had undergone brutal training; their personal lives were long considered expendable. The most important thing was to complete the tasks assigned by the Emperor.

Therefore, neither the other Embroidered Uniform Envoys nor Huang Huihong himself hesitated. They immediately decided to implement this strategy.

Huang Huihong directly threw the people from the prison cart into the carriage, then drove the carriage away at a furious pace.

The other Night Elves quickly tried to pursue, but they were blocked by the remaining three Embroidered Uniform Envoys.

Although the Night Elves and their companions had a combat advantage, the Embroidered Uniform Envoys were all highly trained experts. Now, fighting with a deadly resolve and holding nothing back, they made it difficult for the Night Elves to break through their defenses quickly.

One of the Night Elf leaders angrily looked at the old Dragon Clan member. "Why didn't you stop them!"

The old Dragon Clan member calmly replied, "My only responsibility was to handle the Embroidered Uniform Envoys' request for the Imperial Decree. That task is complete; the rest is up to you."

After speaking, he turned and left directly. Although he walked slowly, after only a few steps, he had already vanished into the depths of the mountain forest.

The Night Elf leader's expression shifted between anger and frustration. However, he ultimately dared not provoke the old man. He could only suppress his rage and charge towards the three Embroidered Uniform Envoys.

The three Embroidered Uniform Envoys were heavily outnumbered; it was already a miracle they had held out this long. Their bodies were already drenched in blood.

The Night Elf leader snorted coldly, leaving an afterimage behind. His true form instantly became transparent, and soon sword light flashed all around. When he reappeared, the three Embroidered Uniform Envoys were covered in fatal wounds, bleeding profusely, and collapsed heavily to the ground, utterly lifeless.

"Pursue!" the Night Elf leader commanded, not sparing them another glance. Instead, he immediately led his people in pursuit, heading in the direction where the carriage had vanished.

Meanwhile, inside the rapidly fleeing carriage, Zu An couldn't help but open the door and complain, "I say, why can't this Imperial Decree ritual be simplified a bit? You insist on so many ceremonies and so much talking. Now you're paying the price, aren't you?"

Huang Huihong: "..."

Rage value from Huang Huihong +444!

He was fuming right now. The sheer frustration of being capable of defeating the enemy yet being forced to hold back powerful moves was infuriating. Zu An's words only added insult to injury.

Sang Hong, who was nearby, explained, "You can't blame Commander Huang for this; the Emperor must have set this ritual."

Zu An mused, "Ah, I see. The Emperor must love to show off and deliberately makes his subordinates create such a grand spectacle to broadcast his awesomeness. Turns out he only ended up causing trouble for his subordinates."

Huang Huihong: "..."

Sang Hong frowned. "Watch your words. Speaking ill of the Emperor behind his back is an act of great disrespect."

"The Emperor can't possibly hear us anyway," Zu An said dismissively. "Even if he's the strongest person in the world, he's far from omniscient or omnipotent. Otherwise, in that situation just now, he could have just acted directly and wiped out those Night Elves and the old Dragon Clan member, and those other Embroidered Uniform Envoys wouldn't have had to die."

Huang Huihong: "..."

Sang Qian, who was nearby, snorted, "You have no reverence at all. The Emperor naturally has his own considerations for such arrangements; it's not something someone of your caliber can presume to guess."

Zu An smiled, "Judging by Young Master Sang's tone, you must know exactly what the Emperor is thinking. Please enlighten me."

Sang Qian's face flushed. "I already said the Emperor has his own considerations. How dare I presume to guess His Majesty's will?"

"Tsk," Zu An said with disdain. "I despise people like you who act like they know everything but can't explain anything when asked. You mindlessly worship the rich and powerful, believing that even their farts are profound insights."

"You!" Sang Qian became furious at being reprimanded like this in front of his wife. He stood up, ready to fight Zu An.

Rage value from Sang Qian +999!

However, his father stopped him. "Enough! What time is it, and you're still arguing here? Commander Huang, at this critical moment, aren't you going to release our restraints and let us help you?"

Huang Huihong's expression shifted, clearly engaged in an intense internal struggle.

He knew full well that with Sang Hong's cultivation, they could be helpful. But once released, who knew if they would actually help or simply try to escape immediately? At that point, everything would be beyond his control.

If they merely ran away by themselves, that would be one thing. But if they also abducted Zu An, he would be powerless to stop them.

Considering the animosity between Sang Qian and Zu An throughout the journey, once their restraints were removed, they might even kill Zu An first. In that case, he would be utterly unable to escape responsibility.

Just then, a streak of black light shot towards them. Huang Huihong quickly dodged, avoiding a vital spot, but a bloom of blood still erupted on his shoulder.

A wisp of black mist spread from his shoulder; clearly, the arrowhead was poisoned.

Huang Huihong quickly took out a bottle of medicine and consumed it, barely managing to suppress the poison. Having come from the imperial city, he was quite well-equipped.

By this time, eight Night Elves had surrounded them. Learning from their previous experience, they immediately took up positions on all sides to prevent another escape.

The Night Elf leader snorted coldly, "Run, then. Let's see how far you get this time."

Huang Huihong's eyes were filled with fury. The presence of these Night Elves here proved that his three companions had sacrificed themselves.

Zu An glanced around, a bit puzzled. "Huh, why isn't that old Dragon Clan member here anymore?"

Sang Hong replied, "The Dragon Clan has always stayed out of worldly affairs. I suppose they don't wish to get too involved."

"Oh, so they want to act disgracefully yet still maintain a façade of honor," Zu An summarized. "Now that he's gone, can Huang Huihong summon the Imperial Decree whenever he wants?"

Sang Hong gave a wry smile. "It's not that easy. He just hit Commander Huang with his Silence Spell. It looks like he won't be able to speak for at least an hour. In that amount of time, we'd be long dead."

Zu An murmured, deep in thought, "So that's how a Spirit Spell can be used. Does that mean I'm immune to both Spirit Spells and the Embroidered Uniform Envoys summoning the Imperial Decree?"

At this point, Sang Hong looked at Zu An curiously. "Why aren't you flustered at all?"

"What?" Zu An didn't immediately react.

Sang Hong continued, "I've been watching you since earlier. There's never been a trace of fear on your face. You know, in this situation, not to mention Huang Huihong out there, even I, who have lived most of my life and consider myself to have decent composure, am still feeling apprehensive. Yet you show no sign of nervousness at all."

At his words, Zheng Dan, Sang Qian, and even Huang Huihong looked at him curiously.

Zu An chuckled, "That's called protagonist aura. Remaining unfazed even when mountains collapse before you. It's something you can't learn."

Sang Hong and the others: "..."

The Night Elves opposite them clearly didn't want to waste any more time. Their leader stated grimly, "Kill everyone except Zu An... Hmm, you can keep the woman too."

Zheng Dan was already beautiful, and in her wedding attire, she looked even more enchanting. Even they were quite captivated by her.

Such a beautiful woman could be thoroughly enjoyed, and then sold for a high price once they grew tired of her.

Although Zheng Dan didn't know their exact thoughts, seeing their lecherous gazes made her feel uncomfortable all over. She instinctively leaned closer to Zu An, finding a brief moment of peace only when nestled beside him.

Her movement was subtle, but it didn't escape Sang Hong's notice. Witnessing this, he couldn't help but frown.

Sang Qian, meanwhile, remained silent, thinking, 'Well, since I'm currently disguised as Zu An, my life should be safe for now, and it looks like Zheng Dan will also survive. After this, I'll just wait for my sister to rescue us.' But then he wondered, 'Can my sister really defeat these people...?'

Knowing it was the most critical moment, Huang Huihong was about to release Sang Hong's restraints when a charming and melodious female voice suddenly echoed through the air: "I didn't expect it to be so lively here."