Besieged by factions from both cities, Long Feiye and Han Yunxi were left at a disadvantage. Leng Shuang Shuang was an intelligent woman. Even if the City of Daughters did nothing but look on with a cold eye, Long Feiye might not take Han Yunxi into account. As for Han Yunxi, what were her cheap tricks compared to those bats?
Leng Shuang Shuang forced herself to endure the heat radiating throughout her body. She didn't make her position clear outright, but stood waiting in silence for Han Yunxi to offer her the antidote of her own will and beg her for help. The City of Daughters had never worked together with Carefree City before. Moreover, she'd said very clearly that her city head had the intentions of drawing Long Feiye to their side despite the conditions of his expensive bounty. As long as Long Feiye agreed to join them, the City of Daughters would be willing to pay back Tianning Palace twice the value of his bounty. If Han Yunxi had any brains, she should know what to do. With her and the ten assassins on hand, it'd be easy work to beat back Qi Yaotian.
When Qi Yaotian saw that Leng Shuang Shuang wasn't talking, he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, he politely cupped his hands in obeisance to Long Feiye and said, "Your Highness Duke of Qin, please forgive the offense."
Yet he'd hardly made a move when Long Feiye beat him to it. One hand pulled Han Yunxi close while the other wielded the whip. His powerful inner energy passed through its length to make the tip even sharper than a sword. It lashed towards Qi Yaotian with enough force to break bamboo. The latter wasn't so easy to deal with and immediately drew back. In a flash, countless bats swarmed forward to block Long Feiye's view in a dense crowd. They formed a wall of bats that would surely drive anyone who was claustrophobic completely mad. The swarm of giant bats toppled towards Long Feiye and Han Yunxi. Long Feiye's whip tore through the wall and scattered the bats, but it was then that Qi Yaotian suddenly appeared behind them. He swept out with his fan aiming at Han Yunxi's head.
Sensing the change in air currents, Long Feiye turned sideways to shield Han Yunxi while kicking out into the air with his foot to knock Qi Yaotian backwards. But at the same moment, the bat swarm flocked in from behind with enough force to gobble them up. Unwilling to be outdone, Qi Yaotian attacked with his fan again, sending afterimages of his weapon to dazzle the sights of his foes. It was hard to tell the real fans from the fakes. Gradually, Long Feiye began to be overwhelmed while protecting Han Yunxi. Still, his grip around her waist didn't relax at all.
Abruptly, a huge bat suddenly emerged from underfoot, its mouth wide open as it sought Han Yunxi's hand. Long Feiye busied himself countering Qi Yaotian while evading the bat, but a few rounds later saw the creature angry enough to bite down on his hand that was holding onto Han Yunxi! Once he got a grip, he refused to let go!
Heaven knows how sharp were its teeth, but Long Feiye's hand started bleeding immediately. Twin streams of blood flowed down like a running faucet of water. Seeing this, Han Yunxi gave a start. She was about to cry out when Leng Shuang Shuang finally had enough and raged, "Han Yunxi, you stupid woman! You still won't give me the antidote, are you trying to kill the Duke of Qin?"
Of course Leng Shuang Shuang knew that Long Feiye would never stoop to asking her for help. She had been waiting the entire time for Han Yunxi to speak up. At the very least, Han Yunxi could try to threaten her with the antidote! But Han Yunxi still hadn't made a move. Didn't she know that she should step forward when her man couldn't throw aside his face? She should throw away her own pride for his sake and get off her high horse and be humble! If this kept going, Long Feiye would be in danger! Because of that, Leng Shuang Shuang couldn't hold back from speaking up herself.
Despite that, Han Yunxi only looked at her coldly. She not only disdained her suggestion, but reached out to grab the bat biting Long Feiye and viciously tugged it off. When the giant bat let go, two deep holes were left in its wake. Fresh blood from the wounds splashed onto her face.
Did it hurt?
Long Feiye didn't even furrow his eyebrows. He was wholly concentrated on Qi Yaotian's fan. Han Yunxi knew he'd be in a lot of pain, but she had no other choice besides pulling the bat off. Actually, she hadn't been idle at all from the start, much less been cowering in Long Feiye's arms. Rather than be his burden, she'd been looking for a chance and methods to deal with those bats. Naturally, she wasn't an idiot, either. When Leng Shuang Shuang hadn't answered Qi Yaotian's question, Han Yunxi already guessed what her motives were. Forget about begging Leng Shuang Shuang for help. Even if it was threatening her to help, she still found it beneath her dignity!
Long Feiye's attitude towards the ten assassins was already very clear. No matter what, he didn't need support, much less cooperation from the City of Daughters. Perhaps there were women who knew how to adapt to circumstances and retreat when needed. At the appropriate time, they would stand in for their men and step down on their behalf. Han Yunxi had acted as such a woman before, but the man before her now didn't need her to do such things. He was the world's most arrogant, prideful man, the last man in the world who would agree to compromise. All she needed to do was take care of herself!
Though the giant bat in her hands thrashed and struggled with its fangs opened wide, Han Yunxi didn't even blink before accurately inserting two poison needles into its body. Very soon, the giant bat stopped moving. Han Yunxi tossed its body aside carelessly. At this, Qi Yaotian's movements stiffened. Nearby, an assassin from the City of Daughters couldn't help but cry out, "That was the giant bat king!"
The king of the giant bats was none other than the leader of this swarm. Once it was dead, the swarm would definitely devolve into mad frenzy, seeking to avenge his death. Even their master would be helpless to control them.
Han Yunxi and Long Feiye were in peril!
As predicted, the surrounding bats all froze in place when their king's body hit the ground. Qi Yaotian immediately retreated far away, a mocking look in his eyes. He was planning to test his strength longer against Long Feiye, but never expected Han Yunxi to be stupid enough to target the king of the bats! How was such an idiotic woman worth the high price offered by Tianning's empress dowager? Why did Long Feiye find it worthwhile to protect her?
Silence fell upon the scene. Nothing could be heard beyond the rustling of wings from the agitated animals as the atmosphere turned abnormal. The stillness was even quieter than the calm before a storm.
"Han Yunxi, you utterly stupid woman! Come, we'll all go together!" Leng Shuang Shuang couldn't stand it. She was ready to risk her face, self-respect and even the broiling heat within her to raise her sword and stand beside Long Feiye, preparing to face off against the murderous bat horde with her ten assassins.
"Fourth Young Miss Leng, what is the meaning of this?" Qi Yaotian smiled coldly.
"Exactly what it looks like. The Duke of Qin has been invited as an honored guest to our City of Daughters!" Leng Shuang Shuang replied frostily.
"Fourth Young Miss Leng, think it over carefully. You can't bear the burden of ruining my Carefree City's business!" Qi Yaotian warned. The City of Daughters and Carefree City had never been on good terms, but they'd managed to coexist peacefully until now as long as well water didn't touch river water.
"I've already said, the Duke of Qin is our City of Daughters' honored guest. As long as we City of Daughters people stand here today, no one can act as they like!" Leng Shuang Shuang was full of zeal, feeling more and more bold and self-assured as she spoke. Qi Yaotian rebutted each of her words, his stance turning more and more unyielding. Still, neither Long Feiye nor Han Yunxi paid any attention to their banter, much less took it to heart. Long Feiye's attention was focused on the swarm of bats that could attack at any minute, while Han Yunxi was wholly absorbed, unblinking, on the corpse of the dead bat king on the ground. She seemed to be waiting for something.
Leng Shuang Shuang talked and talked without hearing a sound from Long Feiye. She mused that Long Feiye should look at her with new respect now after witnessing her stand up for him. She couldn't resist a peek over, only to see that Long Feiye had been completely ignoring her existence. At this moment, Leng Shuang Shuang felt as if she'd been splashed with enough ice water to extinguish all the flames in her body. Just what did she have to do to get into that man's eyes? Just how should she act for this man to be willing to be on friendly terms with the City of Daughters?
When Leng Shuang Shuang saw his hand on Han Yunxi's waist, she felt her first uncontrollable flare of jealousy. It was at this moment that all of the surrounding bats suddenly flapped their wings in furious cacophony. As expected, they were preparing to go wild in a frenzied revenge! Leng Shuang Shuang's eyes shone expectantly. She was waiting for Long Feiye to see what kind of woman would be his true source of support. On the side, Qi Yaotian was even more expectant to see Long Feiye's fun. After all, he'd raised bats for a very long time. He had yet to see anything more horrific than a vengeful swarm.
The sound of flapping wings grew louder and more violent as the atmosphere turned tense.
"Cover your face well!" Long Feiye said in a low voice as his grip on Han Yunxi tightened. Even she could sense his anxiety. Still, she didn't feel anxious at all. Her heart filled with a tendril of warmth at the sensation of his hand on her waist.
Long Feiye, though we're just husband and wife in name and only find each other useful, as long as you're protecting me sincerely this time, I'll protect you sincerely in return.
Suddenly, a bat led the attack by furling its wings and launching itself towards Han Yunxi like an arrow drawn from a bow. Han Yunxi's lips pursed fiercely before she launched a needle at the advancing bat, sending it flying backwards onto the bat king's corpse.
"Good for nothing little brute!" she sniffed contemptuously.
Hearing this, both Qi Yaotian, Leng Shuang Shuang, as well as the ten assassins, all found themselves at a loss.
Leng Shuang Shuang couldn't help but curse. "Han Yunxi, you still don't the severity of the situation? You ignorant woman!"
"Heheh, I never expected Qin Wangfei to be such an interesting woman. Wouldn't it be a pity to kill her?" Qi Yaotian couldn't resist a mocking laugh.
Mixed emotions flitted across Long Feiye's eyes as suspicions filled him. At this moment, all of the bats around them furled their wings and prepared to launch themselves forward like a thousand needles! It was about to begin, their attack was about to start right now!
Intense!
Qi Yaotian couldn't bother with laughing now, but excitedly held his breath. Leng Shuang Shuang hastily readied her sword, the ten other assassins following suit. The atmosphere had reached its breaking point!
Suddenly, the hundred or so bats all huddled together into a mass!
And yet…