Still Secretly In Love With My Enemy Today - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: 

His words were abrupt, but in a flash of lightning, I understood.

—It was a reversal.

The Temple never intended to clear out the hidden outposts in the other provinces; Xu Province was the meticulously crafted decoy. Truth mixed with falsehood—the Temple’s true objective remained the City Lord.

It wasn’t that they were “too rushed.” The layer regarding Xu Province was performed specifically for us to see, ensuring we would shift our attention away from her.

“They intentionally led us astray.” Xie Huaishuang immediately moved to the window. “It should… it should still be in time.”

It had been three hours since our departure. Roughly calculating, we were already a hundred miles from Iron Cloud City.

Xie Huaishuang looked outside for a moment. “If we turn back now and head east to Laike Peak, is one day enough?”

“Barely.”

“This is likely the handiwork of the Third Elder. If it’s him…” Xie Huaishuang closed his eyes, calculating against the glass. “Knowing his habits, he will likely find an excuse to end the negotiations tomorrow at noon. One and a half days. From now, we have at most one and a half days before the City Lord’s kite-machine passes Laike Peak.”

The south of Laike Peak was close to Iron Cloud City. Before reaching that point, Senior Brother He would have likely been dispatched back to Xu Province by the City Lord, just as the Temple desired. This place was a natural barrier; even if a signal were sent during an ambush, it would take time for Iron Cloud reinforcements to bypass the terrain.

It was the perfect place for a backstab—the right time, the right location, and the right people.

When the kite-machine swerved violently, the entire vessel tilted to the right, jolting heavily through the clouds. Xie Huaishuang remained silent. As dusk began to fall, he finally set down his sword.

“Go straight to the south of Laike Peak.”

…

A day later, Xie Huaishuang and I finally caught a glimpse of the summit. It was already night; fires blazed across the peak. Though the wind drowned out the sound, it was clear that a battle was raging on the southern slope.

The moment we leaped from the machine, a storm of blades and shadows swept toward us. As I swatted away a fire arrow, I heard the City Lord’s startled voice: “You?”

The Temple’s crossbows seemed improved; the trajectory of the fire arrows was more complex. Clearing a path, I found a gap to look back. Aside from looking weary, the City Lord seemed uninjured, her glass lenses still perched on her nose. The dozen or so young mechanics around her looked relieved to see me.

Senior Brother He and his group were indeed absent—they had likely already returned to Xu Province, which explained why the City Lord’s group was so cornered.

“Who else is with you?”

“Just the two of us.”

Even if Senior Sister Chen sent reinforcements immediately, they wouldn’t arrive until after midnight at the earliest.

After kicking away a Temple guard and pulling a dazed junior disciple behind me, the City Lord turned and shot a quick glance at Xie Huaishuang. He was handling two guards, his sword-shadows graceful yet lethal.

The City Lord said nothing more, nodding as she turned back. “Be careful. Look for an opening to break through.”

The group gradually split into several small circles to fend off the surrounding guards. Xie Huaishuang took the lead where the guards were most numerous, and I began to edge toward him.

“Find a way to lead the City Lord back toward the kite-machine first.”

I stepped on a loose stone and paused. Looking up, I saw Xie Huaishuang raise his sword to block, and in an instant, several more figures fell.

“I can hold them off with ease.”

The ground gave a very slight tremor. Xie Huaishuang didn’t seem to notice.

Sensing something was wrong, I lunged forward and yanked him back. As we stumbled to the side, a deafening explosion shook the earth. The spot where he had been standing collapsed into a deep pit, sending dust and debris flying.

“This is…”

No time to explain. I kicked away a man swinging a sword at my side and shouted to the others: “Vermilion Bird Formation Two! Inverse use of the South Seven Mansions!”

Everyone from Iron Cloud City knew basic mechanical formations. They immediately retreated toward the Ji, Liu, and Jing positions. Several other sections of the ground collapsed in rapid succession.

The clash of weapons rang out behind me. When I turned, I saw the tip of Xie Huaishuang’s sword angled toward the ground, a line of dark red dripping from it.

“I made it too simple,” he whispered.

“How many people do you think the Temple brought?”

Xie Huaishuang stood back-to-back with me. After a silence, he said: “At least a hundred.”

But that wasn’t the most troublesome part. Laike Peak had clearly been rigged with a massive array by the Temple. The Vermilion Bird formation from earlier was just one of dozens of sub-arrays. Without breaking the core, we would eventually be trapped here until death.

The others couldn’t perform the calculations in such a short time. Amidst the looming shadows of the peaks, I scanned the area at maximum speed, trying to assemble the complete topography in my mind.

—Where is the core?

“What’s wrong?”

The sheer density of the ongoing calculations made my head throb. Xie Huaishuang’s voice sounded as if it were floating from a great distance. I couldn’t respond.

No. That wasn’t it. That wasn’t it either.

Through the fragments of shifting terrain, chaotic sword-shadows flickered. I felt a splash of warm blood hit my collar. With a clink, Xie Huaishuang’s sword flashed, parrying hidden projectiles flying from a decorative beast head.

I had to be faster. Twice as fast as ever before.

Thousands of peaks, mechanisms, gears, and iron chains shrieked and groaned in my mind before finally clicking into place. I snapped my eyes open to find Xie Huaishuang kneeling before me, looking almost frantic.

“Southwest, one hundred and thirty-one steps,” I gasped, grabbing his arm. “The core is there.”

“The core… you were calculating the core just now?” He frowned. “You’ve… already found it?”

Sweat blurred my vision. Xie Huaishuang used his sleeve to quickly wipe my eyes. Hearing the whistle of an incoming strike, I instinctively threw my sword, and a man collapsed behind Xie Huaishuang.

Within breaths, dozens of bodies lay scattered. The Temple didn’t seem inclined to give us a reprieve; in the distance, torches flickered as the next wave of men surged forward like a tide.

In the brief silence of the night, the sound of grinding iron chains emerged. This time, the City Lord reacted faster: “Everyone, to the center!”

As we gathered, the City Lord’s gaze swept over Xie Huaishuang, then turned to me: “How much longer do you need to calculate?”

“I’ve found it,” I told her. “Southwest, one hundred and thirty-one steps.”

“An array this massive…” She was stunned for a second before recovering. “Can you break it?”

“I can.” I glanced at the approaching mob. “But I need at least fifteen minutes.”

“Go now,” the City Lord nodded. “We can hold them off.”

Xie Huaishuang’s brow remained furrowed for some reason. He grabbed my wrist. “I’ll go with—”

“No, you stay here with the City Lord.” The core would be heavily guarded, but at least here there were more people; it was safer for the time being. “It’s easier if I go alone, and the City Lord needs every hand she has.”

Xie Huaishuang hesitated for a second then let go, his brow still locked. “Be careful.”

“You too.”

After a nod to the City Lord, I had only taken two steps when Xie Huaishuang pulled me back again. He spoke at lightning speed: “Southwest, one hundred and thirty-one steps?”

“Yes.”

What was with him today? I had never seen him so hesitant. Without time to think, I vanished into the darkness.

…

Winding through a small path, I heard the sound of distant fighting. Looking back, I could only see blurred silhouettes. I quickened my pace.

As I expected, the core was heavily guarded. A low hum vibrated in the air, crossbow arrays were lined up, and iron halberds gleamed coldly. The same old tricks. It might stop others, but it hadn’t stopped me before, and it wouldn’t now.

In the past, I had to worry about whether their High Priest would suddenly pop up from somewhere. Today was actually easier than usual.

I leaped down from a wall, landing a bit earlier than I had anticipated. Amidst a deafening noise, hundreds of gears and pipes overlapped, driving at least three sub-arrays. Standing with my sword for a moment, I ran through the mechanics and immediately set to work.

I gave myself fifteen minutes—not a second more. After checking the core, I began to dismantle the first chain.

I wondered how Xie Huaishuang and the City Lord were faring. The Temple was hitting hard this time. If Xie Huaishuang…

My movements halted for a fraction of a second—I thought I heard a footstep. It was light, so light it felt like a hallucination. A breath passed; nothing happened. I couldn’t delay, so I started on the next section.

A vague sense of unease had been trailing me this whole way. Logically, nothing was strange; Xie Huaishuang had simply asked me one extra question. Given the circumstances, a slight change in behavior wasn’t inexplicable.

But why did he ask that question?

A patrol passed outside. I stopped and hid. Once they were gone, I emerged. Everything was normal. Maybe I’m just too tense, I thought.

Fifteen minutes passed quickly. Only one part remained: removing those two opposing gears.

As I stood up, something felt wrong. My body reacted faster than my clouded mind, narrowly dodging a very familiar sword-glare.

…A very familiar sword-glare?

I forced my way to the final mechanism. The two gears fell to the ground with a clang. As I pulled my sword back, my hand trembled so violently that even gripping the hilt with both hands couldn’t still it.

A blade tip flickered like a ghost from the shadows again. This time it came for my chest. I parried, the impact numbing my palm. I couldn’t see clearly; the night was too thick, only a streak of silver light flying toward me again.

I rolled away as a shadow closed in. Parry, step, thrust. Not long ago, on a quiet morning, Xie Huaishuang had told me this was the third style of Flowing Wind, Returning Snow.

The cold moon was like a knife. The sound of air being sliced rushed close.

The sword edge was bright silver. I looked up sharply. In the chaotic night, a dark green silhouette was partially revealed—like a ripple rising from the depths of a pool.

I was distracted for only that single second.

In the next moment, the sword edge pierced through my right shoulder without the slightest hesitation.