Li Chengyan led a contingent of men ahead, with the main army following, creating a grand spectacle as they exited the city.
On the west side of the city outskirts, Qi Xuan escorted Yuping out of the city.
The two evaded numerous checkpoints and eventually turned from the main road onto an extremely secluded fork. Midway along, the carriage suddenly stopped.
The abrupt halt caused the carriage to sway violently. Yuping, steadying herself, immediately poked her head out from within.
"What's wrong?"
The path ahead was quiet, with no signs of people. Qi Xuan listened intently for a moment, then spoke with a note of caution.
"There's someone up ahead."
With his internal energy, he could detect movement a hundred meters away.
Hearing this, Yuping tightened her grip on her bundle. Before she could even ask "What should we do?", she heard him reassure her.
"Don't be afraid. You stay in the carriage and don't come out. I'll go take a look."
With that, he leaped from the carriage. As if an idea struck him, he hurried back after a few steps, lifted the curtain with one hand, and drew his sword, handing it to Yuping.
"Hold this. If anyone comes in, stab them with the sword. I'll be back soon."
Yuping had never touched such a thing before. She looked at the sword before her with helplessness, her hands and feet stiff as she grasped it.
When she came to her senses, Qi Xuan had already left. The outside grew silent, and the atmosphere became even more eerily still.
Time seemed to stretch, and her nerves became taut.
The cold wind howled, making the dry branches creak and groan. Yuping gripped the sword tightly, a thin layer of sweat faintly beading on her palms.
"Whoa—"
The horse suddenly whinnied, and Yuping's breath hitched.
After waiting for a while, with no further movement from outside, she was about to relax when the carriage curtain was violently flung open from the outside.
The person's movement was too fast; by the time it registered in her eyes, it was merely a blur. Yuping cried out in alarm, and the long sword in her hand thrust out haphazardly.
"Go away! Go away!"
Her fear outweighed her reason. These few thrusts were purely instinctive, almost flailing with her eyes closed.
After her outburst, the anticipated chaos did not ensue.
Her exertion left her slightly breathless, her mind feeling numb. It was at this moment that the tip of her sword was caught.
The person exerted a little force, and with a gentle pull, the sword was wrenched from her grasp, instantly losing her control.
Yuping's small face turned pale with shock, and her body instinctively recoiled. To her surprise, a gust of breath stirred in front of her, followed by a low chuckle. And the feeling was strangely familiar.
After a moment of stunned pause, she frowned. The instant she looked up, a handsome face, tinged with a hint of mischief, suddenly entered her vision.
Li Chengyan was seated inside the carriage, his cloud-patterned brocade boots resting on the wooden stool opposite her. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, his gaze slightly curved.
His robes spread out, covering the seat. He appeared nonchalant, his bent knuckles tapping lightly against the sword's body, producing a crisp "ding" that shattered the air.
Yuping's mind, fittingly, went into an immediate shutdown.
This reaction caused the corners of Li Chengyan's lips to curve upwards even more. His eyebrows twitched slightly, and he let out a soft laugh.
"Why are you looking at this general like that? Surprised?"
He hadn't expected this trip to yield such an unexpected delight.
Yuping was more than just surprised.
When she recovered her senses, her small face was pale, and she couldn't even speak coherently.
"You you..."
Li Chengyan raised an eyebrow and hummed, his gaze returning to the sword in his hand, which he flicked almost imperceptibly.
"This thing is useless and doesn't suit your hand. Next time, this general will get you a better one."
Remembering her own wild, uncoordinated stabbing just moments before, Yuping blushed, feeling utterly embarrassed.
However, before she could utter a word of refusal, she saw him lift the carriage curtain with his fingertips and arrogantly toss the sword outside.