"As you command, Leader Shen, Young Miss. We will follow your orders."
Chujiu felt a surge of gratitude. Shen Zhijin's presence provided a sense of security she hadn't expected. She knew he was one of the Lin clan's most powerful cultivators, strong enough to handle any immediate threat. Now, with him by her side, she could dedicate her attention to taking down the mastermind behind the attacks.
"Be careful," she warned the leader. "These assassins are strong, but not invincible. Use your element of surprise and eliminate them one by one."
The leader nodded curtly, understanding dawning in his eyes. "We will not fail you, Young Miss."
With a final bow, he vanished back into the shadows, followed by his team. Chujiu watched them go, a flicker of worry lingering in her heart. She trusted their skills, but facing unknown enemies was always a gamble.
Shen Zhijin approached her, his gaze fixed on the direction the shadow guards had disappeared.
"Are you sure about this, Young Miss?" he asked, his voice gruff but laced with concern.
Chujiu slowly sat on a huge rock near by and called him to sit with her.
Shen Zhijin sat beside her, she is like his daughter and Lin family never treated him like a servant. He has seen her growing up and he also knew everything about her soul splitting etc. Grandfather Lin had always treated him like his son and trusted him.
So he casually sat beside her.
Chujiu had seen him a couple of times in her grandfather's study room. She knows about him.
Chujiu asked calmly, "Are you injured Uncle Shen?"
Shock flickered his eyes and nodded.
"How do you know young miss?"
Chujiu took a deep breath and said, "call me Little Jiu like my other uncles, Uncle Shen. I saw worry in your eyes which can be never be seen unless there is a danger. If you sensed danger, you might have fought it too and possibly got injured. Otherwise why would you feel that you cannot protect me?"
Astonishment appeared on his calm face, his young miss is far more skilled that he expected.
When Shen Zhijin appeared, no matter how calm and composed he is, by his body language she detected that he is injured. He is also worried about her which means the threat is huge and he might want to warn her, so he appeared directly in front of her. Otherwise he would have remained in the shadows.
Shen Zhijin do not want to hide anything and told Chujiu everything he knew.
He had been following her since the beginning. But after a few hours of following her, he detected a team of 3 high Sage level experts following Chujiu. He is at Spirit Saint Level stage 1. While Old Master Lin is at Saint Level 6, there are no other saint level experts on the Pheonix Continent.
Lin family knew that Emperor Ji is targeting Chujiu in this festival but never did they expect that he could send such high level experts after a young girl. Is there such a need?
How could he even recruit such experts with his ability?
Chujiu's heart hammered against her ribs as she turned towards Shen Zhijin. His normally stoic face was etched with worry, and a faint trail of blood trickled down his arm.
"What happened?" she asked urgently, a wave of concern washing over her.
Shen Zhijin sighed, a hint of frustration evident in his voice. "Those three… experts following the Ye family team," he started, "they didn't take their mission seriously at all. In their eyes, capturing a young girl like you was hardly a challenge. They were bored, careless."
Chujiu frowned. Three experts tasked with capturing her?
"After a while they decided to act," Shen Zhijin continued, his gaze hardening. "Before they could lay a hand on you, I intervened. I diverted them afar and fought with them. Obviously I have taken them down," he paused, wincing slightly as he touched his injured arm, "but not before they sent a distress signal."
Chujiu's eyes widened. "A distress signal? So there were more?"
Shen Zhijin nodded grimly. "11 more arrived. 10 cultivators are highly skilled, Spirit Sage level while the other was emperor level. Even for me, facing 11 of them simultaneously was… taxing."
A wave of guilt washed over Chujiu. Shen Zhijin, a powerful Saint level cultivator, was injured protecting her. He could have easily stayed hidden, relying on the shadow guards to protect her. But he had chosen to confront the threat head-on, putting himself at risk.
"But you… you defeated them?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"They were eliminated," Shen Zhijin confirmed, though a grim tightness remained in his jaw. "But defeating 14 skilled opponents isn't without its consequences. They also have powerful weapons."
Chujiu bit her lip, tears stinging her eyes. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have put you in danger."
She could now clearly see that he is severely injured.
Shen Zhijin reached out, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't blame yourself, child. Protecting you is my duty. Besides, it's clear someone is playing a dangerous game. Emperor seemed to have used some trump cards, these people may not belong to our continent."
"Actually at my level I could take them down easily without getting injured, its just that I recently came from Sacred Dragon Continent after completing a mission and was injured already."
They did not anticipate that emperor would send so many experts, otherwise they would have brought more guards with them.
Isn't it a bit too much for a 11 year old young girl?
What did that emperor want to do with her? Was this all part of a larger scheme?
Also, they did not expect Song family to scheme using so many expert cultivators as well.
"We need to get you back to the camp," Shen Zhijin said, his voice firm. "Inform your friends about the increased threat. The shadow guards will handle the remaining assassin teams, but we need to warn the Ye family about the possibility of more attacks."
Chujiu nodded, a newfound resolve hardening her gaze. They were in the middle of a dangerous game, the pieces shifting with each passing moment. But she wouldn't back down. She would protect her friends, uncover the truth, and face whatever challenges lay ahead.