Chapter Twelve: I Trust You!

"Master Thirteen… you need not feel guilty. Our escort agency’s work is always a perilous dance on the blade’s edge. To end up like this is fate—I accept it, cough, cough..."

As he spoke, a violent coughing fit overtook him, black blood steadily trickling from the corner of his mouth.

“Father!”

Beside him, Yang Ying’er wept bitterly, her face streaked with tears.

Summoning his last strength, Yang Xun grasped Yang Ying’er’s hand and placed it into Chen Xuan’s palm, his voice weak yet earnest.

“Master Thirteen, my time has come. The only thing I truly worry about in this world is my daughter. After I’m gone, she will be utterly alone.”

“When I was young, I served under your father. Your father was brave and skilled in battle, a true warrior of our Great Qian dynasty. Alas, Heaven’s envy took him too soon…”

“You are his flesh and blood, and I have watched you grow up. I trust your character.”

“Therefore, I hope that after I’m gone, you will take good care of Ying’er, cough...”

At that moment, Yang Xun’s coughing intensified, fresh blood spilling from his lips.

“Very well, I promise you. As long as I live, I will protect your daughter!”

Chen Xuan gripped Yang Xun’s hand firmly, his gaze resolute.

Yang Xun had entrusted his daughter to him; there was no way Chen Xuan would betray this bond.

“Good. With Master Thirteen handling things, I am at ease...”

Hearing this, a weight lifted from Yang Xun’s heart.

He finally exhaled, his hand slackened, his head tilted sideways, pupils dilated, and he fell motionless.

“Father!”

Yang Ying’er collapsed onto his chest, wailing in agony.

Chen Xuan sighed softly, reaching out to gently close Yang Xun’s eyes.

When one dies, the eyes must be closed, else the spirit cannot rest.

Around them, the other disciples of the escort agency, who had been wailing in pain, gradually fell silent.

The entire escort agency was wiped out, save for Yang Ying’er.

“This is the end. Our protectors are all dead—how can we possibly make it to the border now?”

Xu Ruolan stepped down from the carriage, staring in stunned silence at the bodies scattered across the ground.

The other women were equally terrified.

None of them had ever seen so many corpses before!

Even Li Xiuning, the Princess of the Great Tang, was visibly shaken by the grim sight.

Yet, as a princess, her mental fortitude exceeded that of the others.

While the others remained trapped in shock and fear, Li Xiuning quickly regained her composure and steadied herself.

Of course, the calmest of all was An Ruoxue.

As a disciple of the Snow Sword Sect, An Ruoxue was accustomed to life and death; scenes littered with corpses were nothing new to her.

---

“Miss Li!”

Chen Xuan suddenly stood, looking at Li Xiuning.

“What is it?”

Li Xiuning frowned slightly at being addressed as “Miss,” a term unbefitting a princess of the Great Tang. However, given the circumstances, she did not object.

“Please take the lead in burying Instructor Yang and the others from the escort agency.”

Chen Xuan’s voice was grave, each word striking like a hammer.

“And what about you?”

Li Xiuning was momentarily taken aback. If Chen Xuan was sending her to do this, he must have other plans.

“What will you do?”

“I am going to exact revenge!”

Chen Xuan’s face turned cold as frost. Suddenly, he reached out toward Yang Ying’er, voice resolute as he declared, “Will you stay here to bid your father farewell, or will you come with me to Golden Peak Village to avenge him and repay blood with blood?”

Upon hearing this, Yang Ying’er’s eyes shot up in disbelief. She had never imagined Chen Xuan would say such a thing.

To avenge her father?

If given the chance—why not?

“I want to avenge my father and all my brothers in the escort agency!”

Without a hint of hesitation, Yang Ying’er spoke firmly.

“Good. Then come with me!”

Chen Xuan nodded, no wasted words, and turned to pursue the fleeing bandits.

Yang Ying’er cast one last reluctant glance at her father, clenched her teeth, and immediately followed.

“Heavens, are they really going to the bandits’ lair? My husband’s courage is almost reckless,” Xu Ruolan muttered in disbelief.

To her, driving away the bandits and surviving was already a great victory.

Yet Chen Xuan intended to strike directly at their nest—a dangerously bold move.

The other women all wore expressions of shock.

No one expected Chen Xuan to do something so daring.

To attack the bandits’ stronghold head-on required unimaginable courage.

Now Chen Xuan was charging straight into their den, leaving them at a loss.

---

On the road, Chen Xuan quickly tracked a direction based on footprints and pursued.

Yang Ying’er was no weakling; possessing a level two warrior’s strength, Chen Xuan deliberately slowed to allow her to keep pace.

Soon, Chen Xuan found a few bandits resting heavily by a pond, gasping for breath.

“Damn it! The second-in-command, who had the strength of a level five warrior, was killed by that guy. He’s terrifying! We need to run back and warn the boss!”

The bandits shuddered at the memory of Chen Xuan’s ruthless massacre, still haunted by the image of a merciless killer.

At that moment, Chen Xuan stepped forward, eyes icy and unwavering as he fixed his gaze on them.

In an instant, the temperature seemed to plummet.

“You… you…”

The bandits’ eyes bulged, jaws nearly dropping.

They had never dreamed Chen Xuan would follow them here.

Some cowards were so frightened they wet themselves, the foul smell emanating from their groins.

With a sharp clang, Chen Xuan drove his long sword into the ground.

The bandits turned ghostly pale in terror.

“Please spare us! Spare us!”

They dropped to their knees, frantically kowtowing, their foreheads bleeding from repeated strikes.

“If you don’t want to die, lead the way!” Chen Xuan said coldly.

The bandits were stunned.

“Lead the way? To where?”

“To Golden Peak Village!”

Chen Xuan’s voice was icy.

The bandits exchanged uneasy glances.

Golden Peak Village was their stronghold.

Their boss was a level seven warrior—a formidable force in the bandit mountain range.

This man had killed their second-in-command and instead of fleeing, he was heading straight to Golden Peak Village?

Had he lost his mind?

Yet, for them, this was an unexpected opportunity.