I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 505 Xie Jingchun's storyline: Don't be afraid

Nan Nan blushed and held onto the saddle, carefully adjusting her posture.

Xie Jingchun stood to the side, his gaze focused, and gave her instructions in a deep voice.

"Keep your back straight, knees close to the horse's belly, and don't pull the reins too hard. Yes, that's it."

"Don't be afraid, it's very obedient."

Nan Nan did as instructed, initially appearing somewhat nervous, her fingers hesitant to loosen, her body slightly stiff.

After riding two laps, she gradually relaxed and regained her balance.

He even tried gently tugging the reins under Xie Jingchun's guidance, making the horse trot a few steps.

Xie Jingchun stood to the side watching, his eyes gradually brightening.

She was slender and rode a small red horse at a steady pace.

Her skirt fluttered in the wind, her hair swayed gently, and she looked delicate and clean.

"Not bad." Xie Jingchun couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You learn very quickly, even faster than I did when I was a child."

Nan Nan pulled the reins tighter and stopped, leaning down to smile at him, "Young Master Chun has taught you well."

Her eyebrows were curved, and the strands of hair at her temples fluttered gently in the wind. Her delicate face seemed to be covered with a light glow in the sunlight.

Xie Jingchun stood on the ground, watching her smile, and felt a slight jolt in his heart.

That jump landed so solidly that it stunned him for a moment.

But at that moment, a sharp whooshing sound came from behind!

"stop!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap, resounded through the mountains and fields.

Xie Jingchun turned around abruptly and saw dust billowing up on the hillside as a group of men in black rode down the hillside. The leader was none other than Wang Qichang!

He sat on his horse, gritting his teeth, his eyes filled with intense malice and murderous intent.

"You sure know how to hide, taking a little maid and hiding in a place like this. Let's see where you can run to today!"

Xie Jingchun's expression darkened, and he immediately drew his sword.

But this time, Wang Qichang didn't bring those scumbags from the streets as before.

These people all had sharp eyes and were skilled in light footwork and agility; they were clearly well-trained, domesticated assassins!

In the first exchange, Xie Jingchun's sword strikes were as swift as the wind, his movements agile, and his sword energy, wrapped in wind, knocked one person back.

But the second person immediately followed, his moves ruthless and even murderous.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Jingchun was already locked in combat with the three men.

This time, he was no longer able to defeat his opponent with a single sword strike and kick. In fact, two assassins launched a fierce attack, forcing him to retreat three steps, and his sleeve was slashed.

Blood splattered on the grass.

Xie Jingchun didn't bother to wipe it away, and retaliated with another sharp strike that forced the enemy back.

But the next moment, a glimpse of something caught my eye.

He saw that Nan Nan was still riding on horseback, staring blankly at him.

An assassin had already quietly emerged from the side woods, carrying a short knife and rushing straight towards her!

Xie Jingchun's heart skipped a beat, and his chest tightened as if someone were squeezing it.

not good!

Nan Nan doesn't know martial arts!

He didn't have time to think, and with a sudden sweep of his sword, he forced the enemy back, turned around, and leaped onto Nan Nan's horse.

"hold me!"

Xie Jingchun let out a low growl, and Nan Nan instinctively hugged his waist.

The next moment, the whip struck, and the warhorse reared up with a long neigh!

With thunderous hoofbeats, the two broke through the encirclement and sped towards the edge of the forest!

Wang Qichang's face turned ashen as he watched Xie Jingchun mount his horse.

"What the hell are you all standing there for?! Get the chase on your heels!!"

With a loud shout, he personally whipped his horse, mounted it, and led the remaining few of his best assassins, their hooves thundering as they charged straight into the forest.

Xie Jingchun had already ridden his horse deep into the forest.

He gripped the reins tightly, with Nan Nan hugging him from behind.

Her face was pressed against his back, and she didn't dare to breathe too hard, her fingers trembling slightly.

Her heart was pounding, whether from the tension of being chased or from being in his arms...

Maybe... both are true.

She didn't even dare to lift her head, only able to feel the steady rise and fall of his chest, and the oppressive aura unique to him, carrying the murderous intent of a battlefield.

On the other side, Wang Qichang's henchmen rode into the forest, but before they had gone two incense sticks' time, they suddenly reined in their horses and stopped.

"What about people?"

"What happened?!"

All around were dense forests, and the mountain paths were winding and overgrown with weeds.

There wasn't a single hoofprint, nor any trace of cloth being dragged, or even a sign of dust being stirred up!

"Didn't we just see him go into the woods? How come we haven't seen him anywhere?!"

"Where are they?! Where are the horses?!"

The group looked at each other, their faces filled with shock and doubt.

Deep in the mountains, behind a huge rock, lies a crack in the mountain wall that is almost parallel to the ground.

Xie Jingchun dismounted and quickly led Nan Nan into the crevice behind the crevices.

Using the winding, spiraling terrain of the inner walls, they led her into a hidden cave.

The cave was cool and secluded, with uneven stone walls that exuded a faint dampness, yet it was extremely well hidden and almost impossible for outsiders to detect.

Nan Nan stopped, her steps slightly unsteady.

Xie Jingchun quickly covered the entrance to the cave with vines, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that it was not visible from the outside.

“I discovered this place when I was practicing swordsmanship before; it’s very well hidden,” he said in a low voice.

Nan Nan nodded, but didn't say anything.

His gaze remained fixed on the direction of the cave entrance.

There was a jumble of footsteps outside, occasionally the sound of tree branches snapping underfoot, interspersed with intermittent whispers.

Her body tensed up involuntarily, and her face turned somewhat pale.

Xie Jingchun turned around and saw her looking so nervous that she could hardly breathe, and his heart tightened.

He walked over and stood in front of her.

He raised his hand and gently covered her ears.

The warmth of my palms blocked out most of the noise from outside.

Nan Nan was startled and subconsciously looked up.

The distance between them suddenly shortened considerably, their breaths mingling in the darkness, so quiet that it was as if they could hear the echo of water droplets dripping from the cave walls.

His fingertips touched her ear, gradually pulling her back to reality from her confusion.

Their eyes met; the light was dim, with only a sliver of light filtering through the cracks in the cave entrance illuminating his face.

His eyebrows and eyes were outlined, revealing an undisguised tenderness.

The two looked at each other.

Then, they heard each other's heartbeats almost simultaneously.

thump—

thump—

Hasty, yet composed.

Nan Nan stared blankly into Xie Jingchun's eyes, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

She instinctively tried to dodge, but Xie Jingchun didn't let go.

His palm was still warm against her ear, the bones of his hand clearly visible.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said in a low, hoarse voice, “they won’t find this place.”

Nan Nan felt a lump in her throat and nodded.

The footsteps outside finally faded into the distance, and the forest returned to silence once more, with only the soft rustling of the wind through the leaves in the distance, like delicate whispers.

Xie Jingchun hesitated for a moment, then lowered his hand, but did not retreat too far.

"Were you terrified?" he asked in a low voice.

Nan Nan opened her mouth, "...a little."

She looked up and gazed at the cave entrance.

All that could be seen outside was pitch black, the night as thick as ink.

"It's getting dark, we can go back now."

Xie Jingchun glanced outside and nodded: "Okay."

As he spoke, he walked to the cave entrance, parted the vines and fallen leaves that were covering it, and listened intently for a moment to hear the sounds outside.

Apart from the sound of the wind, there were no human footsteps in the mountains and forests.

After confirming that she was safe, he turned around, stood in front of her, and extended his hand.

“There are many rocks here, and the road is unstable. I will hold your hand and lead you out.”