So what if she's my sister-in-law? You seduced me first.

On the vast sea, the battle lasted for most of the afternoon. A thin mist shrouded the sea, and as night fell, the waterline ahead was almost invisible.

Murong Huang had no time to wait. He ordered his men to bring ropes with barbs attached to the arrows' fletchings. A dense barrage of arrows rained down from the sky, piercing the air with a metallic cascade, like iron hands stabbing into the ship.

Under the cover of hundreds of archers, the Liang soldiers quickly leaped onto the ship, amidst the whistling wind and the constant thuds of gunfire.

The sturdy hull couldn't withstand the sharp barbed ropes, and with a few cracking sounds, the water on the seabed gurgled and bubbled up.

There was already a layer of water in the bottom recess. Ning Yu hurriedly came out to see what was happening and found that the fighting on the deck was fierce, and the Liang people had attacked.

Waves rolled in, thick blood seeped into the wooden planks, and corpses were piled up everywhere. Murong Huang saw the woman wielding the knife skillfully, kicked away the guards who surrounded him, and rushed straight towards her.

Time was running out, and Xie Yan caught up from the foggy sea and saw a fierce fight on the deck, with a woman in plain clothes and a man in a red robe locked in combat.

His expression hardened, and he ordered his men to approach the warship, "Bring me arrows."

The dark clouds overhead grew denser, and the wind whistled behind her ears. Ning Yu tried to dodge in a panic, but the arrow pierced right through her side.

Murong Huang's face darkened, and he immediately released her, turning his head away to avoid her.

But the arrows that followed came rapidly. Ning Yu vaguely seemed to hear the sound of them cutting through the air. She didn't have time to turn around to look before Murong Huang grabbed her and tried to use her as a shield.

Xie Yan saw through his intention and subconsciously deflected the arrow, blocking it as it hurtled towards him. With a loud crack, the arrow broke and fell into the sea.

"You're catching up so fast, Young Master Xie." Murong Huang smiled and squinted as he looked closer. He grabbed Ning Yu, who was trying to run away, pulled her to his chest, and choked her. "Don't come any closer, or I'll strangle her."

With a muffled groan, Ning Yu winced in pain. Murong Huang glanced down at her, loosened his grip, and chuckled softly in her ear, "I didn't mean to hurt you, don't move."

What do you want?

A cold voice, carried on the chilly sea breeze, drifted over. Murong Huang met his gaze, a forced smile playing on his lips. "Where's Xie Jingchen?"

Xie Yan's jaw tightened. "In the back."

"Yanmen Pass is currently guarded by a general surnamed Lin. This old general Lin is quite a troublesome fellow. I wonder if the young master can lend me a hand."

Let Xie Yan betray the country?! Ning Yu's heart sank immediately. Yanmen Pass was the pass that Xie Xun had painstakingly conquered in the southern frontier, taking advantage of Niangzi Pass to capture. He planned to advance directly towards Ximisha from Yanmen Pass. How could he let the people of Shangliang infiltrate it again so easily?

"I heard Xie Xun is coming to the southwest soon. Once he arrives, the heir will have no chance."

The chuckle made Xie Yan's face darken further. He remained silent for a moment, then said coldly, "I'll help you."

Murong Huang exclaimed, "That was so satisfying!"

He looked down at the woman in his arms and shook his head. "I don't really trust the young master. How about this, I'll take the beauty out of Beihai first, and I'll return her to you when the young master has definite news."

A fleeting killing intent flashed in Xie Yan's eyes. He gestured behind him, and hundreds of warships surged forward like a tide, slowly encircling the central warship.

Murong Huang's face darkened, and he grabbed Ning Yu by the neck and lifted her to the bow of the boat. "If she comes any closer, I'll throw her overboard."

The scene froze. The raging seawater pounded against the hull, and Ning Yu was half-suspended in the air. She could feel the icy seawater licking her back, and her long black hair was scattered outside the hull, blowing her robes.

She tilted her head and glanced at the cold seawater, lost in thought.

"Don't be afraid, they won't really throw you down."

Murong Huang whispered a word of comfort to her. Ning Yu looked at his alluring face, wondering what he was thinking, and remained silent.

"Tell your men to retreat. I need to get out of Beihai first. The young master can chase after me when we reach our encampment."

Dark clouds loomed overhead, and rain began to fall on the sea at some unknown time. The torrential rain lashed down, accompanied by howling winds that stung people's faces.

Xie Yan did not try to stop the ships that were leaving Shangliang, but followed them at a distance that was neither too close nor too far. His attendant behind him said anxiously.

"Once you leave the North Sea, you'll find a group of Shangliang troops stationed outside the pass. If the Crown Prince doesn't act now, a major battle is inevitable once the reinforcements arrive. Killing the Crown Prince of Shangliang now would be a great achievement."

Xie Yan was well aware of what a good thing killing Murong Huang would be for the Great Xia, but he couldn't sacrifice Ning Yu's life. He was the one who brought her to the Southwest, and he had to ensure her safe departure from the Southwest.

Looking at the red robe in the downpour, he couldn't suppress the murderous intent in his chest, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

If it weren't for this exception, Xie Xun would be weeping bitterly on the river crossing right now, having flown far away, and no one in the world would know of her existence anymore.

Why did fate have to play such a cruel trick on her? She had to run into Murong Huang just as she was leaving. The North Sea is so vast, how could she have run into him?

Ning Yu could see the giant ship that followed from afar. In the darkness, her clear eyes caught sight of the tall, slender figure. Their eyes met, and even through the rain and mist, she seemed to sense his turbulent emotions.

With a whoosh, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew up, and she turned her gaze back to the man who was holding her.

She didn't want to implicate Xie Yan, nor did she want to be taken away by barbarians like Shang Liang. If she were taken to Shang Liang's military camp, her fate would be predictable. She didn't believe that Murong Huang would let her go easily.

"What kind of look is that?" Murong Huang loosened his grip on her neck, smiled with narrowed eyes, "Don't try anything funny, I'm the type to eat people."

A lunatic, the second lunatic after Xie Xun.

"I'm about to fall."

Murong Huang raised an eyebrow. "If you fall, I'll come and get you."

Ning Yu looked at him and said, "I am powerless, why is Your Highness so wary of me? Let me go up a bit first."

"That's not necessarily true." He recalled her swift and decisive killing, and clicked his tongue, "No wonder that scoundrel Xie Xun dared to steal my sister-in-law. I quite like you too."

Ning Yu's expression froze, and her face turned somewhat grim.

Murong Huang laughed at her displeasure, glanced sideways at Xie Yan who was following closely not far away, and teased, "Which one do you like? Or I'll choose for you."

"I think Xie Yan is pretty good. Look at him, he'd rather let me go than not save you. Xie Xun might not be so. If he were here, arrows might already be pointed at our heads. Tsk, that scoundrel is ruthless."

"You don't want to hear this? Why aren't you saying anything?"

"The Crown Prince spoke too quickly; I couldn't get a word in edgewise."

Murong Huang snorted unhappily, "You're indirectly insulting me. With a face like that, it's no wonder that the man Nan'an can't have is willing to go to great lengths to snatch you, even if it means being vilified. Why don't I join in too? It would be so satisfying if Xie Xun got angry."

"You're sick," Ning Yu said warily, "Your Highness, please don't talk nonsense. It's raining so hard, and the fog ahead is obscuring the waterline. Don't go to the wrong place."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely take you back to Shangliang." He raised an eyebrow triumphantly, glanced provocatively at Xie Yan not far away, and asked him, "Come with me, those two brothers are no good. I'll take you to Shangliang to eat and drink the good stuff."

"I wouldn't dare to have a man as rude as the Crown Prince."

Murong Huang looked down at her and saw that her beautiful face was covered in rainwater. Finally, he took pity on her and gently lifted her up.

But as soon as Ning Yu regained her footing, she kicked him towards the seabed, and the knife in her sleeve instantly attacked him.