The crowd looked down as dozens of black-clad assassins rushed upward, evidently aiming to assassinate Ye Shikai. Ye Shikai was accompanied only by Xue San and four guards; the rest of the squad was outside the inn.
"Quick, shoot arrows." Xue San shouted loudly, raising a crossbow alongside the guards to shoot arrows extensively at the black-clad n below. Several of them fell imdiately, but there were too many assassins, and the inn’s area was too small for them to ascend quickly.
"Sir, be careful." Xue San pushed Ye Shikai behind him as an assassin leaped into the air, trying to jump up by grabbing the wooden board with both hands. Xue San kicked forcefully, sending the man falling down directly.
"Sir, it’s dangerous outside; you promptly take the lady into the room." Xue San shouted.
"Outrageous, take care." Ye Shikai, naturally, wanted to fight alongside his brothers, but he needed to protect He Linghan’s safety more.
"Don’t run away, thief!" Suddenly, two assassins climbed up from the other side. Ye Shikai swiftly shielded He Linghan behind him and swung his sword to parry.
"Outrageous." Ye Shikai’s swordsmanship was phenonal. In the past, at Bai Qi’s relics, Bai Qi himself had praised his skills. Moreover, ng Tian likewise admired his swordsmanship. Faced with two assassins’ pincer attack, Ye Shikai deftly parried their strikes, even while protecting soone. He blocked one assassin’s thrust and, with a reverse hand sword swing, swiftly took one down. Ye Shikai pursued the advantage, using his longsword against their short blades, effortlessly slashing them down due to his superior reach.
"Sir, there are too many of them. Hurry inside." Xue San shouted anxiously. The assassins had surged up, engaging the guards in close combat, but Ye Shikai’s guards, well-trained, held the narrow corridor firmly with their formation.
"Ling’er, we must go." In helplessness, Ye Shikai grabbed He Linghan and retreated into the room.
"Xue San, withdraw slowly and hold out until reinforcents arrive." The guards fought while retreating, although the assassin numbers were high, they couldn’t fully spread out in the narrow corridor. Ye Shikai grabbed the crossbow and aid it.
"Everyone, crouch down." At his order, all guards imdiately crouched. Ye Shikai continually pulled the trigger, releasing crossbow arrows. The assassins ahead were caught off guard and found it hard to dodge in the dark, getting shot down, three or four of them.
"Retreat." Seeing the assassins had not reacted, Ye Shikai promptly commanded the guards to withdraw into the room. Xue San stayed at the rear, closing the door urgently. They dragged all heavy objects inside to block the door.
"Block the door, don’t let them in."
"Sir, you and the lady must descend through the window. This blockade won’t hold long." Xue San urged urgently. Outside, there were over twenty assassins; fighting them head-on ant they could be overwheld. The critical fact was that He Linghan was there, unard, and encountering assassins ant certain death.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Just as Xue San spoke, dozens of crossbow arrows fired inside. Ye Shikai grabbed a wooden board, shielding He Linghan. Luckily, there was a large dresser in the room to montarily block the arrows.
"Hurry, sir."
"You... stay safe." Ye Shikai tied one end of the blanket to the window, letting it hang down, turning to face the terrified He Linghan.
"Ling’er, hold tightly later; never let go, understood?" Ye Shikai reminded her. He Linghan nodded fearfully and embraced his waist with her arms.
"If scared, just close your eyes. Don’t open them." With one hand holding her slender waist, Ye Shikai leaped out, tightly grasping the blanket with the other hand. They slowly descended; the blanket length didn’t reach the ground, but Ye Shikai released his grip, landing steadily.
"Alright, Ling’er, you can open your eyes." Ye Shikai softly reassured. Below the room was the inn’s chicken coop, and if he rembered correctly, his guards were nearby.
"Are we... safe now?" He Linghan trembled entirely, slowly opening her eyelids, evidently frightened. Ye Shikai felt so guilt and hugged her tightly to convey security.
"Rest assured." Running several hundred miles, the distant sounds of hoofbeats reached them. He focused, seeing over a dozen guard soldiers.
"General, what happened?" The leading Centurion dismounted and inquired. Clearly, the inn’s intense fighting sounds had alerted the guards.
"This inn is a den; over twenty assassins are inside. Send people to support." Ye Shikai commanded.
"General Man has already gone with the main force, sir, don’t worry."
Concerned about Xue San’s safety, Ye Shikai eased only on learning Man Cang had led soldiers to fight, instructing this squad to ensure He Linghan’s security before heading back to the inn.
On returning to the inn, Ye Shikai saw the guards outside, two hundred soldiers tightly surrounding the inn. Inside, there was no more sound, signaling... the battle was over.
"Greetings, General."
"Greetings, General."
"Alright, rise." Ye Shikai gestured for them to stand, "What’s the situation inside?"
"General Man personally led thirty inside, assigning us to guard, letting no one escape." A Hundred Generals explained to him.
"Alright, follow inside." Ye Shikai led so inside, finding assassins’ bodies everywhere and several soldiers’ corpses. Man Cang held one severely injured assassin, while Xue San, bloodied, sat on the floor panting heavily.
"Man Cang, Xue San, how are you?" Ye Shikai hurriedly checked, especially Xue San, who had fought inside the inn, facing imnse danger.
"Relax, I’m fine, not injured, just exhausted." Xue San suddenly smiled, sporting a sense of surviving a crisis—he wasn’t adept at combat, surprising all by battling many assassins for so long.
"Great, you’re okay." Ye Shikai laughed, patting his shoulder hard.
"Sir, there were thirty-two assassins present; only one is left alive, the rest eliminated." Man Cang threw the remaining assassin onto the floor. Several soldiers brought him before Ye Shikai; he was injured, clearly having suffered heavily.
"Among these assassins were the inn’s waiters, errand boys, and cooks. Apart from them, where did the rest co from?" Ye Shikai questioned coldly.
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