Chapter Twenty-Two: Xia Ling in Peril

Four convoys departed from BJ, each taking a different route toward HB.

One convoy traveled along the highway. Every car was painted black, and their windows were tinted so dark that nothing inside could be seen.

Bang!

Suddenly, the lead vehicle swerved sharply.

“A tire blew out!”

The driver, relying on his exceptional skill, braked hard and brought the car safely to the roadside. The vehicles behind, seeing the blowout, also stopped calmly.

Inside the second car, a young girl dressed as Xinyi was pale with fright.

Bang! The window beside her shattered.

“Ah!” The girl screamed.

Not just in her car—every vehicle in the convoy had its windows smashed. After the glass broke, dark figures flashed swiftly next to the shattered windows. They carefully checked the occupants, then vanished just as quickly.

Only at the second car did one shadow linger a moment longer, perhaps because a girl was disguised as Xinyi. But a disguise could only go so far; the shadow quickly confirmed she wasn’t their target and disappeared as well.

After the black-clad figures vanished, the people in the cars slowly came to their senses. Since the real young lady was not present, there hadn't been experts in every car, and those inside were still terrified by what they'd witnessed. The girl, unable to contain herself, began to cry.

Not long after the black-clad figures vanished, on a nearby mountain, a man dressed in black received a message: “Target One confirmed not present!”

Following the attack on this convoy, the other three experienced the same.

The assassin known as “Three” soon received three more messages:

“Target Two confirmed not present!”

“Target Three confirmed not present!”

“Target Four confirmed not present!”

“Three” and “Red” had never truly expected their target to be among those four routes.

“These four routes were just bait! Chen Min is truly cunning.”

“The master knew these four routes were a decoy, and still sent people anyway…” The assassin called “Three” shook his head.

“That’s our master—he never overlooks even the slightest chance of failure,” said “Red.”

“Whether Chen Xinyi will pass our route is still uncertain,” said “Three.”

“If master says she will, then she surely will.”

“Red, do you think if Chen Xinyi doesn’t come down this road, the master will let me take his place?” mused “Three.”

“You’re nowhere near the master’s level,” “Red” replied bluntly. “Stop dreaming, and keep your eyes peeled. If you miss her, beware the master’s wrath!”

“Red, you needn’t be so tense. I’ve calculated it: those four routes have just run into trouble, but this mountain path is much harder to traverse. It’ll take them at least three or four hours to arrive here. So you don’t need to worry—just enjoy the scenery for now,” “Three” said, closing his eyes in contentment.

Vroom!

The sound of an engine echoed through the mountains.

A large SUV, trailing black smoke, approached from the far end of the path.

Hearing the vehicle, “West” leapt up. “She really did come down this route. But how? So soon?”

Suddenly, realization dawned. “Chen Min actually had his daughter set out three or four hours earlier!”

“That’s the difference between you and the master. You can calculate, but never with precision,” “Red” said.

“Just missed it by a bit.”

Staring at the smoke, “Three” commented, “That driver’s skill is lacking.”

“Let’s go!” said “Red.”

Soon, the two stood in the middle of the road.

Though the cars were fast, for killers of their caliber, stopping a vehicle was trivial.

Within minutes, the large SUV halted before them.

The passenger door slowly opened, and a man stepped out.

Upon seeing his face, “Three” and “Red” exclaimed in unison, “Azure Dragon!”

“Well, if it isn’t the two command assassins, ‘Three’ and ‘Red’!” Azure Dragon said with ease. “To deal with a little girl, ‘Scholar’ sends you two—still as cautious as ever.”

“How could it be Azure Dragon? This makes things much more difficult,” “Three” said, brow furrowed.

“Don’t panic,” “Red” soothed.

“Who would have thought—protecting a little girl, and the head of the National Security Bureau’s Four Guardians appears in person,” “Three” replied in the same tone.

“You two are no match for me. You’d best turn back. And tell your master: ‘Even the tightest plan has a flaw!’” Azure Dragon laughed.

“The master commanded us to bring Chen Xinyi back today. We’re willing to test your Azure Dragon Palm once more!”

Azure Dragon remained unhurried.

“How arrogant! Against me, what chance do you have?” Azure Dragon was in no rush to strike.

“If the master sent us, we can do it!” “Three” declared.

“You’re blindly devoted to your master,” Azure Dragon said.

“Something’s off,” “Red” sensed unease.

“What is it?”

“Look at the car—there seems to be nobody inside, just the driver and him. Azure Dragon hasn’t made a move…” Suddenly, “Red” realized, “Azure Dragon is stalling. Chen Xinyi isn’t in the car!”

Hearing this analysis, “Three” peered into the vehicle, seeing no one in the backseat. The driver cowered, trembling over the steering wheel.

“Red, I’ll hold off Azure Dragon—you check the car!” “Three” sensed something amiss.

“Let’s go!” At his command, the two attacked from opposite directions.

Azure Dragon instantly saw through their intent. His steps shifted, speed suddenly surging—he appeared before “Three” in a blink, his palm striking like a dragon’s claw. “Three” dared not be careless, meeting the blow with both hands, but upon contact, turbulence roiled inside him, and he retreated hastily.

Now “Red” was Azure Dragon’s target. As “Three” was forced back, Azure Dragon’s fierce gaze locked onto “Red,” who retreated at once.

Though the clash was brief, the outcome was clear.

After repelling the pair, Azure Dragon reined in his killing intent, returning to his calm demeanor.

“I told you, you two aren’t enough. If all four command assassins attacked together, you might drive me back,” Azure Dragon said, shaking his head, relaxed.

“Together!” The two black-clad figures rushed forward. After several exchanges, both were at a disadvantage. Suddenly, “West” flicked a hidden dart from his sleeve.

“Despicable!” Azure Dragon dodged with a twist, but the car behind him was exposed.

“Red” seized the opportunity, darted to the car, and flung open the door—it was empty, save for the trembling driver.

“No target!”

“Azure Dragon, you were stalling for time!” “Red” called out.

“Withdraw!” “Three” said helplessly.

The two vanished instantly.

After they disappeared, Azure Dragon opened the driver’s door.

“Uncle Azure Dragon, I was scared to death when that man opened the door just now!” The driver raised her head, revealing a delicate face. Though she wore a man’s uniform, her fair skin and cute features were unmistakable. The driver was Chen Xinyi.

“Get out—I’ll drive!”

Chen Xinyi had never wanted to drive; she happily moved to the passenger seat.

Vroom~

“Ah! Uncle Azure Dragon, slow down—I haven’t fastened my seatbelt yet!” Chen Xinyi’s voice echoed down the road.

…

“The master’s seat will be mine—Chen Xinyi didn’t come down this road,” said “Three.”

“How could the master be wrong this time?” “Red” still couldn’t believe it.

“Perhaps Azure Dragon was right—even the tightest plan has a flaw!”

“No!” “Red” stopped abruptly, crying out, startling “Three.”

“What’s wrong?” “Three” asked quickly.

“I found it odd—first, that driver’s skill was awful. Second, the driver’s hands were too fair! I’m certain the driver was a woman!” “Red” said.

“That driver was Chen Xinyi?” “Three” said.

“Alert the others!” The two turned back at once, moving faster than before.

At “Three’s” command, “Red” pulled out a whistle and blew it hard.

Nearby, several black-clad figures heard the sound. “Target found! Move out!”

“We’ll hold off Azure Dragon—let the subordinates capture the target! We can’t defeat him, but we can delay him for a while,” said “West.”

“Agreed,” “Red” nodded.

Soon, the SUV appeared before them again, several black-clad figures blocking its path.

Azure Dragon got out from the driver’s seat.

This time, his expression was grim—no trace of ease. He was formidable, but there were too many enemies. In truth, their numbers didn’t trouble him; what troubled him was Chen Xinyi.

“Your nervous expression confirms that the one in the car is our target today,” said “West.”

Azure Dragon had no good options left—he could only resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

“You wanted to see my Azure Dragon Palm? Today, you shall witness it!” Azure Dragon struck decisively.

A dragon’s roar sounded; three or four black-clad men fell, killed before they could react.

“Three” and “Red” were the only ones who could clearly witness it.

Azure Dragon wanted to clear out the small fry, but the pair wouldn’t allow it. As he attacked, “Three” and “Red” charged toward him, blocking his advance.

Though Azure Dragon dominated the fight, he couldn’t dispatch the two quickly.

The car door slowly opened. A black-clad figure jumped in, floored the accelerator, and sped off.

Chen Xinyi tried to get out, but as she moved, the black-clad man b