RPAGF Chapter 372 Arrow Rain and Sudden Change
Chapter 372 Arrow Rain and Sudden Change
The night seemed to have been torn open, and countless arrows, accompanied by the sound of the wind, poured down like a torrential downpour, blotting out the sky and weaving a deadly net over East Street.
The moonlight shimmered on the arrowheads, casting a chilling glow; each arrow seemed to possess a deadly ferocity.
Shen Yanzhou on the high platform suddenly narrowed his eyes and drew his long sword, its cold light flashing.
"Dang! Dang! Dang!"
With a series of crisp sounds, his wrist moved with fluid grace, the sword drawing an impenetrable barrier in front of him, deflecting the arrows aimed at him one by one.
The arrows that had been knocked down fell to the ground, their fletchings still humming and vibrating, carrying the lingering force of the blows.
"Li Pinghai!"
As Shen Yanzhou parried the arrows, he shouted loudly, his voice still clear and powerful amidst the whistling of the arrows.
"Send the signal! Call reinforcements immediately!"
"Yes!"
Li Pinghai, the bodyguard, responded and was about to turn around when Shen Yanzhou said again, "You personally take Miss Shi down and protect her to a safe place! It's dangerous here, you must protect her even at the cost of your life, understand?"
Li Pinghai's heart tightened.
His Highness is in grave danger; how could he leave at this time? But the Crown Prince's orders are absolute, allowing no room for hesitation.
He glanced at the chaotic crowd below the platform, then looked at Shen Yanzhou's figure surrounded by arrows, and gritted his teeth, saying, "Your Highness, you..."
"What are you talking about!"
Shen Yanzhou's sword thrust deepened, deflecting a cold arrow that grazed his shoulder, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.
"I can handle these small fry."
"If Miss Shi suffers even the slightest mishap, I'll skin you alive!"
The last few words carried an undeniable authority, and Li Pinghai dared not argue further, bowing deeply: "Your subordinate obeys!"
He turned to look at Shi Wanxia not far away and saw her protecting a child behind a woodpile. He quickly rushed over.
As he passed the guards, Li Pinghai shouted in a deep voice, "Brothers! His Highness the Crown Prince is here! We will fight to the death to protect him!"
"On my command, the three on the left, follow me to protect Miss Shi as she retreats; the rest of you, form a shield formation to protect the high platform!"
"Remember, if necessary, spare no effort to ensure His Highness and the young lady escape!"
"Yes!"
The palace guards responded in unison, their voices echoing through the night sky.
They all had solemn expressions and gripped their weapons tightly.
Everyone knows that the Crown Prince is the heir apparent of the country. If anything happens to him, everyone present will be held accountable, and even the extermination of nine generations of their family would not be an exaggeration.
In an instant, the guards stood like an impregnable wall in front of the platform, forming the first line of defense with their flesh and blood. Arrows struck their armor with dull thuds.
Shi Wanxia watched anxiously from behind the woodpile. She saw Shen Yanzhou surrounded by a hail of arrows, and saw guards fall one by one only to be replaced by others. Her palms were already soaked with cold sweat.
But she also understood that staying here would only be a burden and wouldn't be of any help.
"Miss Shi, I'll escort you down!" Li Pinghai rushed forward, his voice urgent.
Shi Wanxia glanced deeply at the tall figure on the platform, suppressed her worries, and nodded: "Okay."
She handed the child in her arms to a woman who had rushed over after hearing the news, and whispered, "Take the children and hide in the innermost woodshed. Don't come out under any circumstances."
Then, she followed Li Pinghai, crouching low and quickly leaving the platform.
This so-called "high platform" was originally the boundary wall between East Street and West Street. It was only a little over ten feet high, with a mottled wall and no defensive fortifications whatsoever.
Standing on it now, you're practically a sitting duck.
As Shi Wanxia followed Li Pinghai down the path, she didn't forget to raise her voice to reassure the surrounding people: "Don't be afraid, everyone. Crouch down and hide behind the obstacles!"
"Reinforcements will arrive soon, and His Highness the Crown Prince will protect us!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it acted like a calming agent, stabilizing the panicked people and stopping them from running away blindly.
As soon as he stepped off the platform, Li Pinghai took out a signal tube from his pocket and pulled out the fuse.
With a sharp "whoosh," a crimson flame shot straight into the night sky, exploding into a dazzling spark against the inky blackness, illuminating half of the capital city as if it were daytime.
That was the emergency communication signal from the Eastern Palace. As soon as the signal was seen, the nearby Imperial Guards and patrol battalions would rush to its aid.
Hidden in the shadows, the leader of the spy network from Yan Yue Kingdom felt a sudden chill run down his spine upon seeing this, realizing something was wrong: "Oh no! They're calling for reinforcements!"
He originally thought he could finish the battle quickly, take Shen Yanzhou's life in the chaos, and then retreat, but he did not expect the other party to react so quickly.
Once reinforcements arrive, these people will likely have no chance of escape.
"Quick! Quick victory!"
The leader gave a low shout, a ruthless glint in his eyes, "Charge! Break through their lines and retreat through East Street!"
They had sneaked in from West Street and had already poisoned the well water there.
If they can survive tonight, the poison will spread tomorrow, and the whole city will be in chaos, and their goal will be achieved.
However, the funds allocated by Yan Yue Kingdom were scarce, and only this one route had been opened for infiltration. Now, they were blocked on East Street by Shen Yanzhou and his men, with nowhere to retreat and no choice but to fight to the death.
"kill!"
Upon receiving the order, the assassins charged out like madmen.
They no longer focused on shooting arrows, but instead drew their scimitars from their waists and roared as they charged towards the human wall formed by the Eastern Palace guards, trying to tear a gap in it.
"Hold on!"
Standing on the high platform, Shen Yanzhou had a clear view and sternly ordered, "Don't let them get close to the people!"
The palace guards responded and stepped forward, their swords flashing and their weapons clashing instantly.
Screams, the clash of weapons, and the whooshing of arrows mingled together, dragging East Street into a bloody battle.
Shi Wanxia hid behind a broken wall, watching Shen Yanzhou's figure rise and fall in the firelight and moonlight on the high platform, watching the guards fight bloody battles, her nails digging deep into her palms.
She knew this was not the time to panic. She turned to the few relatively calm people around her and said, "Everyone, lend a hand and help the injured people over here. Find some strips of cloth to stop their bleeding."
In the midst of chaos, someone has to safeguard this last vestige of peace.
She looked up at the night sky, where the crimson signal flame had not yet gone out, like a hope hanging in the sky.
Reinforcements should be arriving soon.
The fighting on East Street had reached a fever pitch. Swords flashed and shadows danced in the moonlight, the shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the clashing of weapons blending together to create a suffocating atmosphere.
Cui Jiu was like a tireless shadow, always closely protecting Shen Yanzhou. With each rise and fall of his long sword, he blocked countless deadly attacks.
His dark-colored outfit was already soaked in blood, making it impossible to tell whether it belonged to the enemy or himself.
Several deep, bone-revealing wounds were gushing blood from his arms and shoulder blades. A cut ran across his forehead, and blood beads slid down his cheek, dripping onto the ground and spreading into a small, dark red flower.
Even though his hand holding the sword trembled slightly from blood loss, he never flinched.
"Cui Jiu, step back!"
Shen Yanzhou deflected the oncoming assassin with a single sword strike, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Cui Jiu's shoulder wound had reopened. His tone carried a barely perceptible hint of urgency.
Cui Jiu simply shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness's safety is of utmost importance!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already stepped aside to block Shen Yanzhou, sweeping his long sword to force back two assassins who rushed at him.