Chapter 434: Interception

Chapter 434: Interception

Luo Xiaoxue descended the mountain, only to see a carriage speeding toward her.

It was her subordinates, specially sent to fetch her.

Though she was reluctant to leave, as a princess, she had to prioritize the people; the disaster had passed, and it was time to lead the citizens back home.

However, she couldn’t act rashly; after all, the people of Ru Yu Village were already aware of their intentions. If she directly declared her plan to lead them back, the local authorities would naturally be displeased, as they had no desire for that.

She could seek help and borrow strength from others.

Since she often went incognito, she did have some power, being a royal princess with her own personal guard. She had once rescued several heroes in dire straits, as well as helped cities on the brink of collapse, and had made many acquaintances.

In the past, she thought saving them was her duty as a princess, without expecting benefits in return.

But now, she truly had to use these connections.

After all, Dong Wei really didn’t take the royal family seriously.

This time, her personal guards didn’t accompany her to Ru Yu Village; she had only come with the local soldiers.

Little did she know, these soldiers no longer regarded her highly.

While she didn’t use her princess status publicly, she was still the daughter of an official. She thought these soldiers might treat her a bit better.

Who would have thought they pulled out an edict stamped with Dong Wei’s seal, completely ignoring her royal title?

Looking back, she realized she needed to rely on those she had previously aided; otherwise, there was no way to confront Dong Wei. At the very least, with just herself, she couldn’t save the citizens who had been taken as laborers, but she could unite with others to bring them back home.

The carriage came to a stop, the driver was one of her personal guards, now here to greet Luo Xiaoxue.

“Miss Luo, please get in.”

She was referred to as Miss Luo in this circle of personal guards, and it had become a consensus.

“Mm, okay, thank you.”

Luo Xiaoxue agreed and then got into the carriage.

As she gazed out at the retreating branches and mountains, her heart filled with unease and worry. The road to saving the world was still long and arduous; with Dong Wei’s power persisting, the royal family was merely a puppet being used.

Their carriage entered a grove, traveling along a serene path. After another thirty miles, there would be a city, but the citizens there would likely have moved on, leaving only a few soldiers behind.

“Miss Luo, is the disaster truly over?” a subordinate asked.

“Yes, we encountered a great person, and it’s over now,” Luo Xiaoxue nodded, speaking seriously.

“Could it be him again?”

“Yes, it’s him. He’s a real man of great stature, capable of turning peril into safety. He saved the people, and now the rest is up to me.”

“Mm, good. We’ll arrive soon. You must be tired from the journey; you can rest your eyes now.”

The subordinate said with concern, continuing to drive the carriage steadily down the quiet path.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves, and in this sparsely populated area, the day was particularly serene and quiet—a perfect place to relax.

Feeling a bit fatigued, Luo Xiaoxue gently closed her eyes to take a short nap, restoring some energy.

However, not long after, the carriage suddenly stopped, jolting the dozing Luo Xiaoxue awake.

“What happened?”

She rubbed her eyes, unsure of what was wrong.

“Someone’s up ahead.”

The subordinate said, promptly getting off the carriage.

Luo Xiaoxue peeked her head out, discovering another carriage ahead, with three people standing beside it.

She recognized the man in the middle—Feng Ti, from Dong Wei, the first one to report the ocean disaster to the court.

He had been dispatched by Dong Wei to investigate the ocean situation. He was highly capable, strong, and had considerable authority; all the orders came based on his information.

He was approaching Ru Yu Village, likely regarding the disaster.

Luo Xiaoxue quickly got off the carriage and bowed respectfully to him:

“Master Feng, greetings.”

“Hello, Your Highness.”

Feng Ti flashed what seemed to be a friendly smile, but he didn’t engage in small talk with Luo Xiaoxue.

He got straight to the point:

“May I ask, Your Highness, has the ocean disaster been resolved?”

“Yes, it has been resolved,” Luo Xiaoxue nodded.

“And what method was used to solve it?” Feng Ti inquired.

“I’m not sure; I don’t understand the details.”

“Then who resolved it?”

“It was the Sea God of Ru Yu Village. No one made a move.”

Luo Xiaoxue lied, withholding Lin Nuo’s involvement from Feng Ti.

“Your Highness, I’m a bit clueless. What is the Sea God? Could you elaborate?”

“It’s the spirit of Ru Yu Village. I haven’t seen it fully, but just yesterday, there was a flash of divine light over the sea, the sky cleared, the tides receded, and the Master at the temple said it was the Sea God manifesting.”

“I see, the Sea God is quite intriguing.”

Feng Ti stroked his beard with a smile, sensing that Luo Xiaoxue had no intention of revealing more details to him.

Well, he didn’t expect her to divulge much anyway; he could personally investigate Ru Yu Village later.

Luo Xiaoxue bowed respectfully again:

“Master Feng, I have matters to attend to briefly, so I must take my leave for now.”

“Oh, well then, I wish you safe travels, Your Highness.”

Feng Ti smiled and watched as Luo Xiaoxue climbed back into the carriage.

Her subordinate also got back in, steering the horses forward smoothly.

As soon as Luo Xiaoxue’s carriage set off, Feng Ti’s amiable smile vanished, replaced by a sinister and malevolent expression.

“Safe travels.”

He raised his staff, and suddenly an explosion erupted beneath the carriage, echoing through the valley.

Luo Xiaoxue and her companions were engulfed in flames and smoke, while their carriage had already been reduced to ruins, and they were now on the path to the underworld.

“They should be dead.”

Feng Ti was confident; he could see Luo Xiaoxue’s abilities, and there was no way she could survive this blast.

“Now, onto Ru Yu Village.”

Feng Ti retracted his staff, ready to return to his carriage and head toward Ru Yu Village.

“Sir, look!”

One of Feng Ti’s subordinates shouted anxiously, pointing toward the thick smoke where a small circle of golden light encased Luo Xiaoxue, shielding her from the explosion.

“Mm? What is this?”

Feng Ti was astonished. How could his Spirit Technique not kill her?

Not just them—Luo Xiaoxue was also shocked. One moment the carriage exploded, and the next she was on the ground, followed by her subordinates disappearing, and suddenly she was surrounded by a golden light.

Everything happened so suddenly, with no warning whatsoever.

But she realized the seriousness of the situation—this Spirit Master wanted to kill her.

Fortunately, she had Lin Nuo’s Dao Fu. Otherwise, she would have perished right here.

“Why didn’t it work?”

Feng Ti fumed, raising his staff once more,

“Doesn’t matter, you’ll still die.”

Another wave of explosions followed, but Luo Xiaoxue quickly retreated, escaping the blast.

“Sir, now…”

“Chase her.”

With that, the three of them hurriedly set off to pursue the fleeing Luo Xiaoxue.

Luo Xiaoxue had no idea where to run; she just fled, desperately trying to shake them off.

But unfortunately, she couldn’t manage it. They quickly closed in on her.

“You can’t escape.”

They cornered her, and with no way out, Luo Xiaoxue had to prepare for battle.

At that moment, a pair of sharp eyes watched from the shadows, like a hunter observing its doomed prey.