With her delicate face and slender waist, the royal uncle lost control.

The word "valuable" accurately hit Zhao Lihu's mark.

These crying, weeping women and children around me, unable to walk, are indeed in my way.

The woman is right; grabbing her is a hundred times better than grabbing this bunch of burdens.

After a moment's thought, a fierce glint flashed in Zhao Lihu's eyes, and he said in a harsh voice:

"Fine! You come alone! But you can only switch to this pregnant woman!"

"no."

Yun Nian refused resolutely, her tone leaving no room for negotiation, "Use me alone to exchange for all the children and this pregnant woman. Chief Zhao, if you're going to make a deal, you have to show sincerity. Release them, and I'll be there immediately."

Her words were clear and calm, unlike those of a sheltered young woman.

Qin Jiuchen stared at her back, his clenched fist slowly loosening, a dark glint flashing in the depths of his eyes.

Zhao Lihu was speechless at her words. He glanced at the child dragging him down beside him, gritted his teeth, and said, "Fine! You come here and take over from the pregnant woman and the child, but you better not try anything funny, or I'll be the first to kill you!"

"It's a deal," Yun Nian readily agreed.

She turned around and took one last look at Qin Jiuchen.

Qin Jiuchen was also looking at her; their eyes met, and neither of them spoke.

Yun Nian resolutely turned around and walked step by step toward Zhao Lihu.

Qin Senyao watched her retreating figure, opened his mouth as if to say something, but was stopped by a cold look from Qin Jiuchen.

Yun Nian stopped just two steps away from Zhao Lihu and the others.

She said to Zhao Lihu, "Chief Zhao, release the children first."

Zhao Lihu gave her a sinister look and nodded to one of his subordinates beside him.

The bandits pushed the terrified child forward.

Upon seeing this, two or three guards immediately rushed forward and quickly carried the children back to safety.

Next up were the pregnant women.

She was already terrified, her legs were weak.

Yun Nian looked at her and said gently, "Miss, don't be afraid. Prince Ningxiang ordered me to come and exchange you. Walk slowly over here, you'll be safe once you reach the guards."

The pregnant woman looked up through her tear-filled eyes, her gaze filled with unbelievable gratitude, and nodded, her voice choked with emotion.

Zhao Lihu, however, was very cautious and shouted, "You! Step forward in front of this woman."

He continued to point the knife at the pregnant woman, unwilling to completely release this last "shield."

Yun Nianyi obediently took another step forward and stood in the same spot where the pregnant woman had been, almost overlapping with her body.

In this way, Zhao Lihu's knife shifted from the pregnant woman's neck to Yun Nian, who was closer to him.

"Release them!" Yun Nian hissed.

Zhao Lihu then shoved the pregnant woman forward forcefully: "Get out!"

The pregnant woman cried out in alarm and stumbled forward.

Just as the pregnant woman had run four or five steps and escaped the most dangerous area...

Yun Nian's eyes met Qin Jiuchen's in the distance at a glance.

Her body, which had been tense, suddenly squatted down.

Zhao Lihu was distracted because the pregnant woman had run away.

At this time.

The instant Qin Jiuchen crouched down, he drew the hard bow he had been secretly holding to its full extent.

The arrow was released from the bow.

"Whoosh!"

The sound of something cutting through the air was sharp and piercing.

The arrow, carrying an incomparably fierce wind, pierced Zhao Lihu's brow with unparalleled accuracy.

Zhao Lihu's ferocious expression froze abruptly, his eyes still showing shock and malice.

Its massive body crashed backward with a loud, muffled thud.

All of this happened too fast.

From the moment Yun Nian crouched down to the moment Qin Jiuchen released the arrow, it was only a blink of an eye.

Zhao Lihu's four trusted confidants were stunned by this sudden turn of events and were momentarily speechless.

"Take him down!" Qin Jiuchen ordered.

The guards, who had been waiting in ambush, pounced.

At the same time, Qin Jiuchen moved with fluid grace, nocking an arrow and drawing his bow once more.

The bowstring vibrated repeatedly.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Two more arrows pierced the air, striking the hearts of the two bandits respectively.

The arrows hit their mark perfectly, and the two men fell to the ground.

The remaining two bandits were swarmed by the guards, who quickly subdued them with swords and knives, and tied them up on the ground.

Qin Senyao stared in disbelief at Yun Nian as she slowly rose from the ground, his heart filled with turmoil.

Yun Nian straightened up, her legs felt weak, and her back was soaked with cold sweat.

She suppressed her wildly beating heart, looked past the chaotic scene, and gazed at Qin Jiuchen once more.

Qin Jiuchen was also looking at her, his deep eyes seeming to surge with undercurrents in the firelight.

He said nothing, but waved to the guards beside him: "Clean up the scene, search every corner of the village carefully, and make sure to find Chensha and Qiluo."

"Yes!" The guard accepted the order and immediately sprang into action.

Zhao Lihu's body was dragged away, the prisoners were put under centralized guard, and the rescued women and children were comforted and given initial treatment.

The torches were still burning.

Yun Nian stood there, her legs still feeling a little weak.

Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the figure in black.

Qin Jiuchen was also looking at her.

Across the crowd and the firelight, their eyes met in the air.

A strange feeling quietly began to grow.

In that breathtaking moment, without any prior discussion, they completed the task with just a glance.

Yun Nian could clearly see the flickering firelight reflected in Qin Jiuchen's eyes, like undercurrents finally beginning to surge beneath the frozen surface of a lake.

After the tension subsided, Yun Nian felt a surge of joy and a sense of accomplishment.

She saved innocent women and children, preventing them from becoming victims.

A smile unconsciously appeared on her face as she walked briskly toward Qin Jiuchen, her heart brimming with words she wanted to say.

However, she had only taken two steps when a figure cut in front of her.

Qin Senyao grabbed Yun Nian's arm and scolded, "Yun Nian! You're really being ridiculous! Who told you to go there on your own? It was such a dangerous thing. If it weren't for your father's superb archery skills and quick reflexes, you would be in grave danger by now."

Yun Nian was forced to stop, and the bright light on her face dimmed.

She lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "Your Highness is right. It was Nian'er who was reckless, only thinking about saving people..."

Seeing her like this, Qin Senyao's anger subsided a little.

His gaze fell on Yun Nian's slender neck.

There, a thin trail of blood stood out starkly against the fair skin, with beads of blood seeping out.

"You're injured!"

Qin Senyao's voice suddenly rose.

Reminded by him, Yun Nian belatedly reached out and touched her neck, feeling a sticky sensation on her fingertips.

It must have been during her confrontation with Zhao Lihu that the sharp tip of his knife inadvertently grazed her skin.

Qin Senyao immediately wanted to check the wound on her neck, his tone becoming urgent: "Let me see! How deep is the wound? Nian'er, come, sit down, I have some excellent wound medicine here, I'll apply it for you."

As he spoke, he pulled Yun Nian toward the large stone pier beside him, his attitude more enthusiastic and proactive than ever before.

Yun Nian subconsciously raised her head, her gaze passing over Qin Senyao's shoulder and looking at Qin Jiuchen a few steps away.

Qin Jiuchen remained standing in the same spot, his posture as upright as a pine tree, his face expressionless, but his eyes were fixed intently on this side.

Their eyes met again in mid-air, and Yun Nian felt that his gaze was much colder than before.