There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 413 Beast Assault

His reasoning was impeccable, but as he spoke, his gaze met Gu Ziying's probing eyes for a fleeting moment before looking away.

Upon seeing this, Li Shuchen covered her mouth and chuckled secretly. Princess Changning nudged her with her shoulder.

"Li Shuchen, what are you smirking about again?"

"Young Master Xiao prepared so much, mostly for Ziying, fearing she would suffer too much hardship on the journey, so he simply prepared everything."

Princess Changning suddenly realized, and a smile appeared on her lips.

"In that case, tomorrow morning, Shu Chen, Young Master Xiao, and I will select ten soldiers who are most skilled at climbing to form an advance team. They will carry equipment and go ahead to try to establish protective points and towing ropes at dangerous locations. The main force will follow in batches."

Liang Yuying quickly made arrangements, "Your Highness, you, along with Ziying, Changning, Bingli, and others, will be with the second team. You must obey orders and not act without permission."

The tenth prince did not refute this time, but nodded primly.

After days of hardship, the young prince's brows had softened, revealing a newfound calmness.

……

As night fell, a tense and silent atmosphere filled the camp, a feeling of impending battle.

The campfire burned brighter than usual, driving away the chill of the mountain night.

People spoke in hushed tones, checking their gear and tightening their packs repeatedly.

Xiao Xiuyuan sat by the fire, carefully maintaining the rock nails and locks with grease. The metal parts gleamed with a cold, reliable luster in his hands.

Gu Ziying sat down opposite him and picked up another piece of rope to check its strength.

“You seem very familiar with these things,” she began, not as a question, but as a statement.

Xiao Xiuyuan's hands kept moving: "In the old days... you had to know a little bit about how to save your life."

"Things will get better from now on," Gu Ziying said, looking steadily at him.

Xiao Xiuyuan met her gaze, his smile now containing a complex element. It was no longer the gentleness of a pure scholar, nor the panic of someone exposed; only a profound composure remained.

He gently stroked the purse in his arms. "Right now, I'm just a merchant who wants to cross this mountain safely, and incidentally... see if I can escort someone I care about to their destination safely."

He spoke the words "someone I care about" softly, yet they fell heavily into the silent night.

Gu Ziying didn't press him about his "past," but remained silent for a moment before handing him back the inspected rope: "The equipment is perfect, very high quality. Thank you for your help tomorrow..."

"It's my duty," Xiao Xiuyuan said, accepting the task. Their fingers touched silently, merging together.

The campfire crackled and popped, sending sparks flying upwards and merging into the glittering starry sky.

In this tranquil moment, a soldier on guard at the edge of the camp suddenly let out a short whistle as a warning.

Everyone instantly snapped to attention, grabbed their weapons, and Liang Yuying and Li Shuchen rushed over.

Ahead, at the boundary between the dark forest and the jagged rocks, a few eerie green lights flickered and slowly approached.

It wasn't a lamplight, but more like... the eyes of a wild beast.

And it wasn't just one pair, but more than a dozen pairs, spreading out silently and subtly forming an encirclement.

A faint, damp, and chilly scent filled the air.

"A pack of wolves?" a young guard asked, his voice tense.

“Not entirely,” Xiao Xiuyuan had also arrived at the scene unnoticed. He squinted at the green lights, his expression grave. “The size is off, and they’re too scattered… Be careful, there might be something else in these mountains.”

He drew a long, green-handled sword from his back, its blade gleaming with a cold light under the moonlight.

Gu Ziying gripped the crossbow Xiao Xiuyuan had given her tightly; the sound of the bowstring being cocked was crisp and clear.

Liang Yuying shouted in a low voice: "Everyone on alert! Move towards the center of the campfire! Surround the horses in the middle!"

The glow of the campfire and the eerie green eyes of the beast stared at each other menacingly in the darkness.

The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the crackling of the burning fire and the faint sound of heavy breathing in the distance.

“Not an ordinary pack of wolves,” Xiao Xiuyuan said in a low voice, his sharp gaze sweeping over the shadows that appeared and disappeared intermittently. “Larger in size, and more silent in their movements… like 'predators' that have been spoiled by this mountain.”

Before he could finish speaking, a low, hoarse roar rang out, and a massive black shadow suddenly pounced out from behind the rubble on the flank, heading straight for a soldier on the outer perimeter.

The creature resembled a giant wolf, but with a higher back and shoulders. Its fur was dirty and matted, and its fangs gleamed white in the firelight.

"Attack!" Liang Yuying drew her longsword, a flash of cold light, and rushed forward to meet the attack. Her sword precisely parried the beast's lunge, leaving a bloody gash on its forelimb.

The beast retreated in pain, letting out an angry howl, and more green eyes lit up from the darkness as the encirclement tightened.

Princess Changning quickly assessed the situation and spoke rapidly to Ruan Jingshang beside her.

"You go left, I'll go right, lure them close, then I'll use a hidden weapon."

Her voice was calm and fearless, while her right hand subtly brushed across her left wrist.

She was wearing the camellia silver bracelet given to her by Li Shuchen.

Although Ruan Jingshang had no martial arts skills, his reaction was extremely quick. Upon hearing this, he immediately grabbed a burning piece of firewood from the ground and brandished it as he charged towards the two wild beasts approaching on his left flank, making a show of force while letting out frightening roars.

"Hey! Come here!"

This action, though seemingly reckless, was extremely effective.

The beast's attention was drawn, and it lunged at him. Ruan Jingshang nimbly rolled backward, narrowly avoiding it.

Just then, Princess Changning raised her right hand, pointed her camellia silver bracelet at the beast that had missed its target, and pressed down on the red flower...

"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

Three faint silver rays, almost invisible in the firelight, precisely disappeared into the beast's snout and near its eyelids.

The beast let out a miserable howl, its movements suddenly froze, white foam began to ooze from its mouth and nose, it staggered a few steps and collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

The poison needle worked!

"it is good!"

Ruan Jingshang praised him, but without stopping, he hurled the burning firewood at another attacking wild animal.

Taking advantage of the moment he dodged, he grabbed a handful of the "extremely spicy powder" that Princess Changning had just given him from his waist pouch and threw it at her.

"Ouch-ouch!!!"

The pungent, irritating powder was precisely applied to the beast's face, especially its eyes and nostrils.

The beast immediately let out a shrill, eerie cry, frantically clawing and rolling on the ground, completely losing its fighting ability.

On the other side, Xiao Xiuyuan stood side by side with Gu Ziying, and he spoke concisely.

"Aim, fire here, I'll protect you."

Gu Ziying's fingertips were slightly cool, but her eyes were calm. She nodded quickly and followed her instructions.

Xiao Xiuyuan's longsword moved like a dragon, guarding a foot or so in front of Gu Ziying. Not a single wild beast that pounced could cross the defensive line woven by his sword light.

A wild beast tried to ambush Gu Ziying from the side, but she had already noticed. She steadily raised the crossbow, held her breath, and pulled the trigger.

"puff!"

The crossbow bolt embedded itself deeply in the beast's shoulder blade; though not fatal, it successfully halted its charge.

Xiao Xiuyuan turned around and finished it off with a single sword strike.

"Good shot," he whispered, a hint of approval in his eyes.

Gu Ziying exhaled slightly, then cocked the sleigh again, standing back to back with him, leaning against each other.

The situation was much more lively on Li Shuchen's side. She didn't have a sharp weapon, only a sturdy wooden stick she had picked up earlier.