Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 220 The Sand Eagle's Claw
Having just been too tense and exhausted, Cai Zhu leaned against the wall to catch her breath, her body still trembling involuntarily.

She had no intention of getting involved in the brothers' fight. She tore off a tattered piece of her clothing and used it to bandage her fingers and legs, which had been injured by pottery shards.

The sand eagle landed on the animal bone rope above her head, and Caizhu looked up, staring at it.

The standoff continued, and it had long since become irrelevant to her as a "sacrifice".

Munandon cursed, "You're a coward! What ability do you have to compete with me! Just to gain a little pity from Da Xuan, you sent your own sister to marry a foreign ruler. Luckily you're not the crown prince, otherwise you would have completely disgraced the Mohe Kingdom!"

Aisha grabbed his half-open collar and threatened, "You have no right to mention my sister! I will make all the murderers pay for Alan's death! You say I disgraced Mohe? What, you fawned over Ti Nu, ceded territory and begged for mercy, and even gave up the most abundant mineral resources. Doesn't that count as selling out your country for personal gain? You dare not fight a hard battle, and only know how to run for your lives, causing your people to be displaced and homeless. After Ti Nu has devoured you, let's see where you will hide!"

"You think you can just grovel to the Great Xuan and they'll help us defeat Ti Nu? I've heard that there are even traitors within the Great Xuan itself who are colluding with Ti Nu. You expect them to succeed?" Mu Nandun retorted, not to be outdone. "Mother said we're preserving our strength, letting Ti Nu lower their guard before we seize the opportunity to rebel! I am the number one warrior of Mohe, what are you anyway! If we really went to the battlefield, how many iron cavalry could you kill!"

"What a fine idea to lower your guard and then seize an opportunity to rebel... Ha, you believe everything the princess says." Aisha knew Munanton well; this man had a great physique and a big build, but his head was empty. He probably had no idea what the princess's intention was to use someone else to kill and eliminate dissidents. It was pointless to talk to him any further.

He suppressed his anger and pointed to Caizhu in the corner: "She is a sacrifice personally chosen by the princess, not a slave sent for your pleasure. Before you touch her, you'd better ask your mother's opinion first, or you can go and ask her for yourself?"

Upon hearing his mother's name, Mu Nandun instantly lost his arrogance and retorted defiantly, "Tch, she's just a merchant's daughter. What kind of female slave can't I have? She's fierce and ruthless, like a mad dog. I don't think you, brother, are worthy of her."

Aisha ignored him and walked straight to Caizhu'er's side. Seeing that her clothes were disheveled and covered in blood, she frowned, took off her cloak and covered her with it.

He lowered his eyes and asked, "Can you walk by yourself?"

Cai Zhu nodded. Her two shoes had disappeared during the struggle. Her feet were cut by pottery shards and bone fragments, but they had been bandaged. Bloodstains were faintly seeping from her white sash.

Aisha reached out to help her, but she stepped aside.

Cai Zhu'er stood up and said, "What merit do these mere offerings have? We are grateful for Your Highness's trouble."

Aisha withdrew her hand in a daze and silently led her out.

Munandon wiped the wounds on his earlobe and neck, his anger simmering with rage. He grabbed his knife and slit the throats of the two guards at the door, spitting out, "What kind of gatekeepers are you!"

Warm, sweet-smelling blood splattered on his face. Only after killing the man did he feel much better.

He was born with superhuman strength and was a prince favored by the god Monroe. Let Aisha be arrogant for a few more days.

His mother said that everything Mohe owned would be his in the future, and that he would tie Aisha to a tall pillar, cut open his intestines, and let the desert eagles peck him to death and devour him.

That's what makes it satisfying.
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Moon stars are rare.

On the way back to the dungeon, Caizhuer held her cloak tightly and followed obediently behind Aisha, without saying a word.

As the patrolling guards walked away and silence fell, Aisha stopped.

He turned around and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know he would treat you like this."

Cai Zhuer raised her head and forced a dry smile: "Your Highness, there is no need to apologize to me. Mu Nandun is right. For a prisoner like me to be his slave is already a favor. Besides, Your Highness has treated me well, providing me with all my needs, and even preserved my dignity before burning me to death. What more could I ask for?"

Aisha could easily hear the resentment in her words. Seeing her horrific state, he had to admit he wavered for a moment. He wondered if what he had done was truly worth it. Was pushing an innocent woman into a pit of fire really the least costly thing to do?
And, can I really succeed? Can I save her life as I wish?
Just now, she almost perished along with Munandon.

When Aisha learned that she had been summoned by Munandon, he already knew what was going to happen. Fearing that he wouldn't make it in time, he could only ask Kurz to interfere first. In his opinion, with Caizhu'er's physique, she would definitely not be able to shake Munandon in the slightest. But when he arrived, he found that Munandon didn't fare well either, as she tore his neck with wounds all over it.

This seemingly ordinary woman always manages to unleash unexpected power.

She will never give up and will always radiate vitality.

Therefore, he didn't want to disappoint her.

Aisha promised, "Rainbow Pearl, wait a little longer. I swear to the God of Monroe, I will definitely rescue you."

Cai Zhu looked up at him, her eyes reflecting the bright, compassionate moonlight: "Your Highness, your path to becoming king will surely be paved with blood, regret, and loneliness. I know that the road ahead is still full of thorns, but there is no way back. You have never been able to turn back."

You can never go back.

Emerging from the dungeon, Aisha walked out of the palace gates alone, knelt on a tall, withered tree branch, and whistled.

Kurz flew back from afar.

Sure enough, a strip of cloth was tied to its foot.

Aisha untied a strip of cloth from its leg; on it was a blood plea for help written by Caizhu, addressed to Zhangye County.

While he and Munandon were arguing, Caizhu seized the opportunity to write a letter in blood and tied it to Kurz's foot. She knew he would find out, and she bet he wouldn't stop her.

Aisha tied the blood-written letter back up.

He smiled silently, stroking Kurz's feathers, as if asking it, or perhaps himself, "Do you like her that much? That's why you're willing to deliver letters to her?"

Kurz blinked his sharp eyes and tilted his head.

Aisha sighed helplessly again: "I know she doesn't trust me anymore... but we're still allies." He raised his arm. "Go, Kurz, fly for her once. When you get there, you can still bully that stupid goose."

Kurz cried out and flew away.
-
Seven days before the Monroe Festival, Caizhu waited quietly in the cell.

That day, she vaguely heard the guards outside shouting something during their change of shifts, followed by the sounds of frantic running. Not only that, her meals were suddenly stopped, as if no one cared about her, a death row inmate. In contrast, the cell next door became lively; she heard the sounds of whipping, screams of pain, and cries, which continued all night long.

Cai Zhu'er had no idea what had happened; now her sources of information relied entirely on Fu Feng, who appeared from time to time.

Fu Feng did not appear until the morning of the following day.

He brought some food, water, herbs, and news that left Caizhu speechless—

Prince Murnton is dead.
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Next chapter: Who killed him?