Shen Miao didn't know how to use a sword. She just tightly grasped the hilt with both hands and stabbed at Shen Li's back. Shen Li had her back to Shen Miao and was lashing out at the black - clothed men with her whip.
Shen Li heard the shouts of Jiaoyue and Mingyue. However, she was unfortunately entangled by two black - clothed men. After realizing the danger behind her, Shen Li took advantage of the momentum and somersaulted backwards in the air. She landed directly behind the two black - clothed men. Taking them by surprise, she wrapped her whip tightly around their necks.
"Shen Li, go to hell!" Failing in her first strike, Shen Miao was even more enraged. She raised the sword in her hand and stabbed at Shen Li again.
Shen Li watched Shen Miao rushing towards her. Her body remained still, but her whip in hand tightened even more, tightly binding the two black - clothed men. She didn't let go until she saw them lose their breath. Only then did she loosen the whip.
"Shen Li, you disfigured my face. You shall pay with your life!" Shen Miao was almost crazy. She waved the sword in her hand randomly at Shen Li.
Shen Li took two steps back helplessly and then stopped retreating. She whipped her Night Shadow Whip hard on the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. Then, like a slithering snake, the whip lunged towards Shen Miao's neck.
"Ugh!" The Night Shadow Whip wound tightly around Shen Miao's neck several times. Shen Miao immediately let go of the sword in her hand and tried hard to pry the whip off her neck with both hands, gasping for air.
"Don't move! Put down all your weapons! Otherwise, I'll kill him right now!" A black - clothed man pressed his sword against Xiao Hanzhi's neck and threatened everyone present.
Xiao Luochi and Xiao Jinnan were stunned. They glanced at each other, then loosened their hands and threw their swords on the ground.
The servants brought by Jiaoyue and Mingyue had suffered heavy casualties. The guards of the He Mansion were also in a bad situation. Only the monks from Pufa Temple were less injured.
Seeing the cold - glinting sword on Xiao Hanzhi's neck, He Yimeng quickly ordered the servants and guards to put down their weapons.
The masked black - clothed man who had been fighting with Xuan Yuanjue saw this. He directly parried Xuan Yuanjue with a swing of his sword. While walking towards Xiao Hanzhi, he laughed and said, "Hahaha! The Fourth Prince of the Dongling Kingdom is nothing special after all! He's so vulnerable that my subordinate captured him easily!"
The leading black - clothed man walked up to Xiao Hanzhi, who was being held hostage by another black - clothed man. He stomped on the ground and kicked Xiao Hanzhi hard in the back of his knee.
"What? Are you still not going to put down your weapons?"
Xiao Hanzhi felt a sharp pain in his knee, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound.
"The Fourth Prince's life is very precious. We'll surely find a use for him! But if you don't cooperate, I don't mind cutting something off as a little warning to you!" As the black - clothed man said this, he looked at Xuan Yuanjue, who still held a sword, and Shen Li, who was still tightly binding Shen Miao's neck with her whip.
A monk from Pufa Temple stepped forward and said to the leading black - clothed man, "Amitabha! Benefactor, put down the butcher's knife and become a Buddha instantly! I hope the benefactor won't make another wrong step."
"Humph! Old bald donkey, if you keep babbling, I don't mind sending you to see your Buddha right now!"
"Benefactor..."
"Shut up!" The masked black - clothed man pressed his sword tightly against Xiao Hanzhi's neck, making his threat obvious.
The monk from Pufa Temple had no choice but to shut up.
The black - clothed man then turned his gaze to Xuan Yuanjue. Xuan Yuanjue shrugged his shoulders indifferently and simply threw his sword forward. Anyway, with or without the sword, if he wanted to resist, no one could stop him.
The black - clothed man shifted his eyes in satisfaction and then turned his gaze to Shen Li. "Huh? Does Miss Shen not care about the Fourth Prince's safety at all?"
Shen Li didn't loosen the whip in her hand. Shen Miao's face had turned purple from suffocation. One hand was desperately prying at the whip around her neck, while the other hand was stretched straight forward, as if trying to grab something. Her mouth was wide open, as if she was shouting for someone to save her.
Shen Li's expression remained unchanged. She didn't loosen the whip in her hand. She really didn't care about Xiao Hanzhi's life. As long as she wanted, with just a little more force, she could end Shen Miao's life.
Shen Li wanted Shen Miao to die, but not in this way. It would be too easy on Shen Miao. She wanted Shen Miao to taste the feeling of having nothing before taking her life.
Just when Shen Miao thought she was doomed, Shen Li loosened her grip and retracted her Night Shadow Whip.
"Cough! Cough!" Fresh air suddenly rushed into her lungs. Shen Miao covered her stomach and coughed painfully.
"Good! Now everyone stay still and stand there obediently. Otherwise..." As the black - clothed man said this, he pressed the knife closer to Xiao Hanzhi's neck, instantly making a cut on his neck. Blood immediately flowed out.
"Go and tie up the Seventh Prince, the Tenth Prince, the Heir of the Prince of Li, and Miss Shen and take them away!" The leading black - clothed man knew that they had already wasted too much time here. If they delayed any longer, the situation would only become more unfavorable for them.
Several black - clothed men immediately took chains and rushed towards the people.
Just as the black - clothed men were about to tie them up, suddenly a deep voice came from not far down the mountain: "Let go of the Fourth Prince, and I'll spare your lives."
The Prince of Li had brought six thousand imperial guards and surrounded all the exits at the foot of the mountain. Now he was climbing up the mountain with more than fifty carefully - selected men.
The black - clothed man wore a mask, so it was hard to see his face. But his tone was full of anger: "Damn it! They've called for reinforcements so quickly!"
The Prince of Li didn't stop walking. He kept climbing up until he was on the same level as the black - clothed men.
"This mountain is now surrounded by the imperial guards. You won't be able to escape even if you grow wings." The Prince of Li was strong - built and wore a suit of armor. Although he was middle - aged and no longer led troops into battle after decades on the battlefield, his imposing manner remained undiminished.
"How about I make a deal with you today?" The Prince of Li looked at the black - clothed man. His face wasn't serious; instead, there was a hint of a smile on it.
"Old man Xuan Yuan, don't waste your breath! I won't do business with you, and I don't want to. I only want the Fourth Prince's life."
"Oh? So you want to exchange lives?" The Prince of Li looked disdainful as he said to the black - clothed man, "I thought you were a smart and sensible person. The current situation is not in your favor. I thought you'd choose the most beneficial option for yourself. I didn't expect you to be so stubborn."
The masked black - clothed man pondered for a moment. Although he didn't want to admit it, the name of the Prince of Li had been ringing in his ears since he was a child. The reputation of the great general whose name resounded throughout the Dongling Kingdom would strike fear into the hearts of many.