Clang! Clang! Clang!
Faced with the sporadic volley of arrows, Su Min spun her sword with practiced ease, deflecting every single one.
Clip-clop, clip-clop—
Hiss—
"How is this possible?!"
The pursuing cavalry reined in their horses, stunned. Su Min's reflexes far exceeded their expectations—this was something even they couldn't pull off. Orders demanded she be taken alive. But if even risking their lives might not be enough to subdue her, why bother chasing further?
Noticing their hesitation, Su Min exhaled in relief. After reaching the mid-stage of Body Forging, her perception had sharpened dramatically. By focusing, she could track the trajectory of every arrow with crystal clarity.
"Witch! You think you can escape?!"
A furious roar cut through her momentary respite. Ahead, a young general in his twenties, clad in gleaming silver armor, charged at her with a lance.
"Look! It's General Sun!"
"General Sun, stop her!"
"Hm?"
Ignoring the cheers behind her, Su Min narrowed her eyes. The lance's angle was vicious—aimed straight for her heart. Body Refining was still a step below true immortal cultivation. She couldn't afford carelessness. Yet no matter how refined the technique, against someone who could read every movement, react faster, and strike harder? It was just flashy posturing.
At the last possible second, she twisted aside, grabbed the lance's shaft with one hand and the general's wrist with the other—then yanked.
Thud!
The man hit the dirt hard, rolling in a cloud of dust. Before he could recover, Su Min snatched the bow from his back, plucked an arrow from his saddle quiver, and—
Twang!
"ARGH—!"
A scream tore through the air as the arrow punched through his heart. The pursuing cavalry froze, blood draining from their faces. Her movements had been fluid—a seamless dance of death that left no room for counterplay. Several soldiers dismounted, rushing to check General Sun's pulse. A heavy silence followed.
This was the grandson of Grand General Sun Tangshou—a three-dynasty veteran of immense influence. The young Sun himself was no slouch: a skilled tactician, logistician, and one of the army's finest warriors. It took six or seven men to match him in combat.
And now he'd been killed in seconds. Who in their right mind would keep chasing?
Their unit was already understaffed—mostly infantry who couldn't hope to catch up. The dozen or so horsemen left would just be picked off one by one. This wasn't even a battlefield. Dying here wouldn't bring glory—just ridicule for being bested by a girl.
"What's our pay again? Why risk our necks?"
Su Min exhaled, relieved. That general had gone straight for the kill—no hesitation, no chivalry. His ornate armor marked him as nobility. Perfect for making an example. The effect was better than she'd hoped.
~Edit and rewritten by Rikhi, Reiya_Alberich, ReiNyam~
Truthfully, she'd never trained in archery. Instead, she'd imprinted a spark of spiritual energy on his chest during their clash. The arrow, infused with her power, had homed in like a guided missile.
But then—
Thud-thud-thud!
The ground trembled. Distant thunder of hoofbeats.
"Reinforcements from the flanks? Too late."
She'd chosen her breakout point carefully—right by the Jishui River's edge. Without slowing, she spurred her horse toward the raging waters—
SPLASH!
—and leaped.
Her boots skimmed the river's surface as she ran, propelled by spiritual energy adhering to her soles. This technique—using qi to walk on water or scale walls—required finesse most Body Refining cultivators lacked. At the Qi Refining stage, brute force would suffice, but for now, precision was key.
Something she'd practiced relentlessly in her mountain pool, anticipating this very escape.
Mid-river, she glanced back. The cavalry had reached the bank, jaws slack as they watched her sprint across the water. By the time they nocked arrows, she was already out of range.
———
"Hah... hah... hah..."
The moment she reached the far shore, Su Min's legs gave out. She collapsed to her knees, gasping. The toll was immense—her calves burned, her qi nearly depleted. But she was safe.
In this era, bridges couldn't span rivers this wide. Crossing required boats, and the only vessels here were rickety fishing skiffs. Pursuers would be idiots to follow in those. A few stragglers? She could handle them.
"Farewell, gentlemen."
Tossing a Qi-Restoring Pill into her mouth, she felt warmth spread through her meridians. With a final glance at the helpless soldiers across the water, she vanished into the southern forests.
She wasn't out of danger yet. Not until she left the Great Wei's sphere of control entirely.
———
"She... got away?"
The army stood dumbfounded. Half a year of preparation. Hundreds of thousands mobilized.
And she'd just... walked off.