1 Cat and Mouse Persuit

The lukewarm spring breeze blew on the borderlands of the mountainous region of Tianze, bringing with it a sense of peaceful serenity. The air was crisp and fresh, tinged with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the earthy fragrance of newly unfurled leaves. The rustling of the leaves and the chirping of birds created a soothing melody, a gentle reminder of the tranquil beauty that lay before them.

Yet, there was an undercurrent of restlessness that stirred beneath the surface. The breeze carried with it a faint sense of unease as if some unseen force was lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce. The distant howling of wolves added to the sense of foreboding, their mournful cries echoing across the hills and valleys.

As the sun began to set behind the distant peaks, casting long shadows across the landscape, the beauty of the mountainous region of Tianze took on an even more sublime and awe-inspiring quality. The fiery hues of the setting sun painted the sky with a stunning array of colors, transforming the tranquil scenery into a breathtaking canvas of light and shadow.

It was at this moment that the birds suddenly chirred, flying about chaotically to the northwards, screaming and chirping as they flew across the sky creating an environment of restlessness.

The earth suddenly began trembling, making the wild animals nearby stir in fear as in the distance, a dust cloud rose in the skies as the distant noise of cavalry of horse hooves beating the ground became clear.

The wild animals, insects, and vast valleys were witnessed, as a woman presumably in her late twenties, galloped on her jet-black war horse valiantly with a cavalry of hundred men right behind her.

The woman was beautiful, her glossy, silk-like hair flowed behind her back creating a trail, she wore azure-white robes and had fair, jade-like skin. She had a quiver filled with slim, sharp arrows over her shoulder, a resolute expression on her face as she darted onwards with her horse.

However, the most striking thing about the woman wasn't her graceful bearing and gallant countenance, but her bulging belly which signified that she was at least five months pregnant.

The woman seemed exhausted and fatigued as beads of sweat trickled down her face. Seeing this, an old man following closely behind her increased his pace as he jolted the reins of his horse, galloping side by side with the woman, he opened his mouth.

"My Lady! We must stop! This is not good!" The old man urged pleadingly.

The woman turned her head as she looked at the old man with her sharp gaze, but before she could say anything, the earth trembled faintly giving off tremors that were felt by everyone as the noise of horses neighing and the tapping of hooves rang from behind them.

Both the woman, the old man, and the other horsemen looked over their shoulders behind them for a mere fleeting moment and turned back their heads once again, urging their horses to run faster.

What they had seen at that moment was enough to give them a small fright as their pursuers had finally caught up to them. Three hundred horsemen were at their backs approaching rapidly making the earth tremble, animals cower and birds scatter in their wake.

"Sir Huo, we cannot stop! They're catching up." The woman said calmly with her brows furrowed.

"But My Lady, such strain is not good for the baby! Please agree to my request. We will stay back and hold off the enemy. You can get away in the meantime!" The old man pleaded once again.

"No! Just a little more… We must hold on a little longer. My son is not so frail, Sir Huo. He has the blood of heroes and dragons flowing in his veins." The woman said resolutely as she briefly stroked her belly.

The old man smiled bitterly as he could not refute anything that the woman had said. He nodded in agreement, sneaking a glance behind as a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

As the woman urged her horse to go faster, she could feel her Qi surging within her, fueling her body and mind with a renewed sense of strength and focus. With a sharp intake of breath, she pulled out her bow and notched an arrow, her hands steady despite the tremors of the galloping horse.

Behind her, the enemy cavalry was closing in, their swords glinting in the fading light of the sun. But the woman was not afraid. She had trained for years in the art of archery and martial arts, honing her skills until she had become one of the most skilled warriors in the land.

As the enemy drew closer, the woman aimed and let loose her arrow. It soared through the air with deadly accuracy, piercing the throat of the lead rider and felling him from his horse with a sickening thud.

The other riders hesitated for a moment, shocked at the sudden loss of their comrade, but the woman did not give them a chance to recover. She notched another arrow and let it fly, taking down another enemy rider with ease.

Her followers, spurred on by her bravery, also joined the fray, unleashing a barrage of arrows and spears at the enemy. The sound of clashing swords and whinnying horses filled the air as the two sides clashed in a fierce battle.

The woman's horse darted and weaved through the chaos, its hooves pounding the ground with a rhythmic beat. She shot arrow after arrow, her movements fluid and graceful, like a dancer on horseback. Her Qi gave her strength, allowing her to shoot with deadly precision and speed.

As the battle raged on, the woman's belly heaved and strained, but she did not falter. Her focus was unwavering, her determination unyielding. She fought on, her arrows finding their mark, her body moving with the grace and power of a tiger.

"Liu Yan!"

Suddenly, a scream full of resentment sounded as a man with his brown horse came forward galloping among the pursuers. Seeing him the panic-struck pursuers calmed down as a confident grin flowed on their faces.

The man's voice traversed through miles due to his surging Qi, reaching the ears of the woman and her companions, making the woman frown in annoyance.

"Cui Kang! How dare you ambush us?! You filthy uncultured swine!" The woman flared up in anger as she yelled back with a mocking, disdainful tone.

"My Lady, please calm down. Anger is not good for the baby." A Middle-aged man cautioned as he too got closer to the woman, riding alongside her.

The woman scoffed and clicked her tongue as her gaze once again drifted toward her belly. Detaining the anxiety and nervousness deep in the corner of her heart, she rode onward with a resolute expression.

Cui Kang, the man pursuing the woman and her followers, was infuriated thoroughly as his face twitched with fury. His eyes narrowed with a dangerous glimmer full of bitterness as he grabbed the two lances on his back,

Cui Kang smirked ruthlessly as the Qi of Heaven and Earth reinforced his body, his muscles bulged as Cui Kang got in a throwing stance while on horseback, exuding dense killing intent.

To the soldiers riding alongside him, Cui Kang's figure looked extremely valiant, as if a dragon was about to soar into the skies.

The dimming glimmer of the setting sun created an enchanting picture of a man striding ahead on his horse with a cavalry following him, holding two spears in his hands as the muscles on his body bulged, his silhouette appearing demonic and desolate.

Abruptly, the wind stirred and the tension in Cui Kang's arms released suddenly creating a faint ripple on his skin as he threw the two lances at the women miles ahead of him.

Like the Golden Phoenix perching into the skies, shooting off from some towering mountains, the two spears, one after another shot forward, the radiant sun rays making them look as if two streaks of Phoenix gold tails flying at incredible speed while cutting through the air.

As the woman sensed the dense killing intent along with the rapidly approaching lances, she immediately sprung into action, pulling out an arrow quickly and placing it on the bow string.

Just as she was going to pull the string and shoot the arrow at the upcoming spear, a wave of immense pain suddenly surged in her abdomen, making her lose focus as she stumbled on her horse.

The two lances reached in a blink of an eye and the gruesome sounds of screaming and flesh tearing apart rang as the lances shot forward toward the woman in azure white robes while impaling anyone who got in the way.

Just as the lances were about to pierce through the woman as well, a sharp sound rang as both the old man and the middle-aged man riding alongside the woman swung their swords with all their strengths.

*THUD!*

The thudding sound rang as the two lances flew off sideways, getting knocked aside by the longswords.

Old man Huo and the middle-aged man stumbled on their horses, almost falling off to the ground as their horses jumped violently, having been startled severely. Both men coughed out blood violently as the backlash from knocking down the Phoenix lances sent tremors throughout their bodies, making their internal organs stir and their bodies numb momentarily.

"Sir Huo! Yao Wuhan!" The woman exclaimed in concern, fiery flames of rage dancing in her eyes as she looked back over her shoulders in pure wrath.

"My… Lady. We're fine…" The two loyal retainers faced the woman with smiles as they repositioned themselves on their horses while hiding the discomfort in their bodies as they threw away their chipped blades.

The woman's anger flared up once again as her Qi surged with resentment. Drawing her bow once again, she pulled out a special kind of arrow that was thick, heavy, and its tip pitch black.

The woman inserted the arrow on the bowstring as her pupils dilated with extreme focus. The Yin principled Qi surging inside her body gave her strength and precision as if she could see the hateful man hundreds of Li away.

The arrow released suddenly without any warning like a bolt of lightning instantly reaching the vast distance in a blink of an eye.

Cui Kang who had alarm bells ringing in his ears even before the arrow was fired had chills creeping into his bones as he was startled silly seeing that the woman who he resented, admired, and feared had survived his fetal assault and immediately withdrew back behind the ranks of cavalry, using the horsemen as his meat shields.

Although he did not like to do this, he knew that there was no other choice. Cui Kang was well aware of how masterful Liu Yan's archery skill was and so he knew that there would be a chance of deflecting or dodging the arrow.

The arrow struck the ground just a few meters away from the galloping cavalry as even though Liu Yan's archery was superb, she was pregnant, extremely fatigued, and uncontrollably angry which made her aim sway slightly.

A resounding booming sound rang as an explosion shook the earth followed by the screeching neighs of the horses and the panicked stricken screams of men as dust rose in the sky, blood spilled on the greenland making the grass red as several bodies flew off the charts, their steeds running away or sharing the same fate.

However, the soldiers in the back and their horses were indeed elite as the rear ranks suffered no major casualties. The remaining cavalry continued their march, passing by the sight of disaster witnessing the huge hole in the ground caused by the arrow, the charred grass, and the decapitated body parts along with screaming injured soldiers all over the ground.

At this moment, Cui Kang who had withdrawn in a timely matter once again came before the ranks of the cavalry, a cold shiver running down his spine as he imagined the consequences if the arrow hadn't missed its mark and blasted amid the cavalry. In that case, the elite cavalry of his family would have suffered disastrous losses and he would have been in harm's way.

Cui Kang couldn't help but feel inferior as his anger rose to the high heavens thinking of the disgrace and losses he would have suffered. 'You slut, I will not let you or your bastard child live!' Cui Kang screamed thinking inwardly as he took the lead once again commanding his men to increase the pace as he relentlessly pursued Liu Yan who had managed to gain some distance due to her previous move.