The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 120: Rescuing Fleeing Residents

Vol 2 Chapter 120 Rescuing Fleeing Residents

Inside the tent, Sylutia, who had been sleeping, opened her eyes and pushed herself up.

Although the sound was still some distance away, it was far too distinct in the quiet night, and Sylutia’s keen senses forced her to hear it.

Sitting up, Sylutia put on clothes suited for movement, draped a dark gray hooded robe over herself, thought for a moment, then took out the veil that Bad Apple had given her earlier and put it on.

[Mist Veil] (Second Tier · Mist Shadow): An extremely thin veil that does not obstruct breathing, but can conceal the face, blurring appearance and temperament, and provides some ability to mask aura. (Concealment +3, Aura Masking +2)

She stepped out of the tent. The Windtrust horse that had been sleeping stood up; it had heard the distant noise as well.

Sylutia walked over, stroked its head, then lightly patted its neck.

“You stay here, don’t run off.” Ordinary beasts couldn’t threaten this horse, so Sylutia felt somewhat reassured.

Hearing her, the Windtrust horse stamped a forehoof and snorted, showing it understood.

Sylutia then slightly spread her fingers, and a long glittergold blade materialized in her palm. She gripped it.The manor storage function was really convenient. Even with items placed inside a chest, she could take them out at any time. That convenience was one of the reasons Sylutia had firmly chosen the manor as her core secret art.

Holding the narrow glittergold blade, Sylutia stepped into the night. Her pace wasn’t fast, but it was silent, quickly blending into the dim darkness.

As she moved, Sylutia switched her abilities. The Lunar Radiance Breathing Technique filled her body, making her movements increasingly light and swift under the moonlight, and she closed the distance to the place where the firelight and commotion had occurred.

“Stop, or we’ll shoot!” a pursuing soldier shouted, then drew a crossbow and aimed at the fleeing people.

At this, some of those fleeing hesitated, while others continued to dash through the woods in panic.

“Damn.” The captain cursed, then pulled the trigger. An arrow flew out and struck a fleeing figure.

Several more soldiers began to fire, shouting repeatedly, “Get down, lie face down, and you might be spared! Otherwise we’ll kill you all.”

Under such shouting, some slower runners panicked. A few could not bear the pressure of imminent death; terrified, they lay down and were then bound with ropes by the soldiers who caught up.

The chase continued. Those running in the lead saw a stranger step out from the trees.

“Run, run, don’t block the way! They’ll kill people!” he shouted urgently.

But the figure only gave him a slight nod and kept walking forward.

Seeing no response, the fleeing man had no choice but to keep charging into the night-shrouded woods.

Before long, Sylutia saw the pursuing soldiers, and a black hunting hound lunged at her, jaws snapping.

The blade sliced lightly, and the black drooling hound was cut in two, collapsing into the nearby grass.

Seeing this, the remaining hounds barked fiercely around her, but now dared not approach.

Hearing the hounds, some soldiers carrying torches came over, and soon they saw a gray-robed figure surrounded by the dogs.

“Who are you? Get down!” They assumed this was a passerby out at night.

“Perfect, the mines need labor anyway — capture him to make up the numbers.” One soldier picked up a rope, twirled it in his hand, and threw it, intent on tying up this stranger.

Sylutia easily dodged the rope, then swung the blade, severing the airborne rope.

“You actually dare resist.” Annoyed by her opposition, the soldiers raised their crossbows and fired.

The blade flashed; both bolts were split apart, rendered useless.

Only then did the soldiers grow somewhat alarmed.

“We’re the garrison of the Kingdom of Ante. Don’t interfere with our mission. Get lost now, or when our captain and the main force arrive, you’ll be in trouble.” They tried to intimidate the stranger into leaving.

Sylutia shook her head slightly, a little curious at these Ante soldiers’ talent for lying with straight faces. Clearly there were only about ten of them in the mountains pursuing people — where was this supposed main force?

“Why don’t you leave instead? I’ll let you go.”

Sylutia finally spoke. Her clear young voice carried a softness that sounded less like a threat and more like careful persuasion.

“How amusing. Do you know who we answer to? Even if you’re a Transcendent, what of it? If you dare obstruct us you oppose the Kingdom of Ante!” Though boastful, Transcendents within Regas truly dared not provoke these Ante soldiers.

“I know. You’re the garrison of the Kingdom of Ante, maybe even Somerlin’s men.” Sylutia took a few steps forward. During her delay, those being pursued had gotten further away.

“That’s why I advise you to leave.” Her figure slowly stepped from the blackness into the circle of firelight. The soldiers could now see the small flash of silver hair beneath the hood and the outline of her form.

“A woman? So young.” A few soldiers commented on the girl before them.

While the two sides confronted each other, the captain in charge of the pursuit charged up with his men.

“What are you doing? Why aren’t you continuing the chase!” He scolded them, then turned his gaze toward the stranger lit by the flames.

“I don’t care who you are. If you dare interfere with the march of the Ante army, you must be a Regas rat. Take her!”

This captain was a Second Tier Bloodline warrior, brimming with vitality. After issuing the order, he drew his longsword and sprinted toward the girl.

To speak so arrogantly, he obviously had some skill and confidence. He had undergone strict training; his military swordsmanship was superb. During his charge, his breathing technique cycled rapidly, and combined with an explosive technique, he tore forward like a gale through the torches held by the men in front, leaving afterimages.

His footwork, swordplay, and ability were all impressive. Sylutia watched his movements as if viewing a film slowed five times, studying each detail.

On the path he would inevitably take, Sylutia lightly flipped her narrow straight blade, following his trajectory to slice through the sword in his hand, then drew a line of blood across his neck.

The captain crashed into a tree with a thud and collapsed, unable to rise.

Such a fight barely qualified as a warm-up. Sylutia felt a bit disappointed.

Seeing their powerful captain felled in an instant, the remaining soldiers panicked. They looked at one another, seeming to make a unified decision, and all turned to flee.

Sylutia did not pursue them. She stopped and glanced at the dying Ante captain beside her.

After thinking for a few seconds, Sylutia decided to save him and ask some questions.

Those who had been fleeing, upon seeing the pursuing soldiers withdraw, timidly crept out from their hiding places. Fear and hope mingled on their faces as they looked at the figure standing in the clearing.

“Hello, thank you for saving us.”

They voiced their gratitude, but deep down were still afraid — Transcendents often had strange personalities and unpredictable tastes.

“You can come out now. It should be safe.” Hearing Sylutia’s gentle tone, everyone relaxed a little and began to gather.

“Could you tell me what happened in Scorchstone City now?” Sylutia removed her hood, revealing her beautiful silver hair, and then took off the veil. Many people were stunned by her dreamlike beauty.

“My name is Tia. I used to live in Scorchstone City for a long time; perhaps some of you know me.” She mentioned events from several years ago.

“I remember now. You were Scholar Hyde’s student, right?” One of the refugees finally recalled a name.

“So she’s from Scorchstone City too — that’s wonderful.”

Now everyone truly relaxed. Some even cried tears of joy as they clustered around Sylutia, recounting the series of changes that had taken place in Scorchstone City over the past few years.