Chapter 239: Gone General 3

Ru Yi’s shadow moved with her. It flowed across the ground, rising whenever she struckand collapsingwhenever Han Zheng countered.

Several times it caught his leg, forcing him to leap away rather than meet her attack directly. "Put those shadows away and fight me like a man!" he hollered in anger.

"Last time I checked, General Han Zheng, I wasn’t a man. But you can surrender now and make it less shameful for you that you were beaten by an ordinary maid."

She struck again, and this time the force drove him backward.

Han Zheng stumbled over a broken wagon wheel but recovered before she could exploit it. He swung low, forcing Ru Yi to jump, then stepped forward and struck her shoulder.

She twisted away.

The blade grazed her sleeve, a trail of blood already blooming on the fabric. Her eyes flashed, her shadows erupted.

This time, Han Zheng wasn’t fast enough. The darkness wrapped around the arm holding his sword and yanked him sideways. He stumbled, and Ru Yi closed the distance between them immediately, placing her blade against his throat.

Han Zheng’s entire body went still which was a huge contrast to Ru Yi’s panting.

"See how easy it was to subdue you. Oh, great General."

Han Zheng looked at the sword beneath his jaw, then back at her. "Kill me and you’ll have a lot to answer for. Whether it’s the weapons or being a direct threat to the peace of the kingdom. You’ll never kill a General and go free."

There was no fear in his voice, he truly believed he was still untouchable even in the face of death.

Ru Yi nodded. "Let me worry about that when the time comes." She pressed the blade closer. A thin line of blood slowly traced its way down the side of his neck. "You command hundreds of soldiers but none of them will be able to help you when you need it the most."

Han Zheng remained on one knee, hand pressed against the ground to steady himself while his discarded sword lay several feet away.

Ru Yi lifted her hand, preparing to deliver the final blow when she heard a shout behind her.

"Ru Yi!"

She turned instinctively.

One of Han Zheng’s soldiers was charging towards her with his sword raised and face twisted with desperation.

Ru Yi barely had time to reach when someone suddenly appeared before her. Lieyin’s blade met the soldier’s with a violent crash, stopping the attack inches from Ru Yi.

Lieyin stood with her back toward Ru Yi, feet planted firmly against the ground as she held the soldier at bay. Her expression was cold, furious, and utterly focused.

The soldier attacked again, and Lieyin blocked in. "Don’t touch what belongs to me!"

Han Zheng, who was still on the floor, pulled out the dagger that was hidden beneath his armor. Before Ru Yi could turn back, he drove the blade into her side.

Ru Yi gasped— The pain was immediate and blinding.

Han Zheng pulled the dagger free, and blood spread across the fabric beneath her ribs. Ru Yi staggered backward, one hand flying instinctively to the wound.

Then her knees gave way.

"Ru Yi!"

Lieyin’s heart stopped when she turned and saw the blood soaking through Ru Yi’s clothes. In that very moment nothing else mattered.

Not her mother’s recovered chest.

Not Ashen Fortress.

And certainly not the throne they’d all been blindly fighting for.

She shoved the soldier in front of her with so much force he fell flat on the ground. She looked at Han Zheng.

He still held the dagger, a maniacal expression on his face. It was dangerously close to the look of pure victory.

"What did you just do?" Lieyin’s voice was like the calm before a storm.

Han Zheng immediately dropped the dagger and picked up his sword. The smile on his face fell when Lieyin’s face morphed into that of a predator.

He’d known the second princess had always been likened to a disaster, one who danced with the heart of violence. But he’d never seen her—

Lieyin charged at him, her blade knocking out his sword in one blow. She didn’t wait for him to recover, and immediately plunged her sword into his chest.

Han Zheng went still, staring at the bloodied sword in disbelief.

"No one gets to hurt my woman and live to tell the story." She pulled the sword out and watched it spurt from both corners of his mouth.

Han Zheng fell to the floor.

"Any last words?" Lieyin asked in a voice forged from steel. "Maybe a message for your only surviving child? Even though I’m sure Han Shuying will be more than happy to finally get rid of you."

Han Zheng spat blood to the ground.

Even in his last moments, Han Zheng fought the regret that had made its home in his nonexistent heart. "Tell her that being her father was my greatest regret."

Lieyin nodded before driving her sword again into his back. "Good riddance."

Lieyin turned to see Ru Yi standing with her hand pressed against her side, blood slipping between her fingers. Her face had gone pale, and her breathing shallow.

Lieyin rushed toward her. "Ru Yi."

"What are you doing here?" Ru Yi asked with a weak voice.

Lieyin didn’t bother with an answer. "You’re injured." She tried to take Ru Yi’s arm but the younger woman pulled back.

"Don’t touch me!" Everything around Ru Yi blurred in and out. "I didn’t ask for your help."

"Let me treat your injury first," Lieyin tried to reason with her. "We can deal with every other thing later. Your life matters the most right now."

"I’ll rather die than–"

Lieyin caught her before she could fall. "I’ve got you." She steadied Ru Yi in her arms before pushing away the wet strands of hair from her forehead. "I’ve got you."

She looked back at Han Zheng’s body. What would have happened if she hadn’t been present? "No one will hurt you again...ever..."