Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1144 A Rank 9 Archer, you're a target if you don't get close!

"A woman, at this age, a ninth-rank martial artist..." Fan Xian's mind raced through intelligence on Northern Qi, and a name slipped out, "Haitang Duoduo?"

The Holy Maiden of Northern Qi, a direct disciple of Master Kuhe, entered the Ninth Rank at the age of seventeen and was hailed as the number one master of the younger generation in Northern Qi.

Besides her, Fan Xian couldn't think of any other woman who, in her early twenties, could have driven him to such a predicament.

"Are you here to rescue Sean too?" Fan Xian steadied his breathing and asked in a deep voice. He gripped the soft sword in his hand tightly, vigilantly observing Haitang Duoduo's every subtle movement.

Upon hearing this question, Haitang Duoduo suddenly laughed. There was no kindness, no malice, only an almost naive cruelty in her smile. She casually tucked a short axe back into her waistband and actually sat down on a nearby rock, as if Fan Xian before her were not an enemy, but merely a chance encounter with a traveler.

"Me? Save him?" Haitang Duoduo shrugged. "Forget it, killing him would be more appropriate."

Her tone was as casual as if she were discussing what to eat for dinner. Fan Xian frowned, unable to fathom this woman's thoughts. If she came to kill Xiao En, why did she attack him? If she came to rescue him, why was she acting so nonchalantly?

"Are you going to make a move or not?" Haitang Duoduo suddenly asked, even crossing her legs, looking relaxed and carefree. "If you're not going to make a move, then I am!"

The words seemed to come out of nowhere, but Fan Xian understood—she was referring to Xiao En.

Fan Xian's mind raced. Haitang Duoduo seemed too relaxed; this relaxation could stem from either extreme confidence or arrogance. Neither was good news for Fan Xian. He looked around; the wasteland was utterly silent, save for the rustling of the wind through the withered grass.

It's so quiet.

It was unusually quiet.

"What are you waiting for?" Fan Xian asked tentatively, while subtly adjusting his position so that the rocks behind him could provide some cover.

Haitang Duoduo didn't answer. She just stared at Fan Xian, a playful glint in her hawk-like eyes.

Then, the sound of something cutting through the air came.

That wasn't the sound of an ordinary arrow piercing the air; it was a sharp, piercing shriek, as if the very air itself were being torn apart. The arrow came from behind Haitang Duoduo, right in her blind spot, yet it aimed with unparalleled precision at Fan Xian's throat!

The arrow came too fast, too suddenly. Fan Xian didn't even have time to think; his body instinctively dodged to the left. But he knew it was too late—the arrow's speed far exceeded his reaction limit.

At the critical moment, the crabapple blossoms stirred.

She didn't even turn around. Just as the arrow grazed past her side, the short axe she had tucked back into her waistband reappeared in her hand. With a slight flick of her wrist, the axe blade drew a perfect arc in the air.

"Shh!"

The axe blade struck the arrow shaft precisely.

"Ding!"

The arrow, forged from fine iron, was cleaved in two by this axe! The arrowhead, having lost its power, fell limply onto the wasteland, while the fletching spun and flew into the distance.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. It wasn't until the arrow landed that Fan Xian fully realized what had happened. Without hesitation, he and Haitang Duoduo almost simultaneously lunged behind the rock—the two of them hid behind the huge rock almost side by side.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Immediately afterwards, three arrows struck in quick succession, embedding themselves deeply in the ground where they had just stood. The fletching of the arrows vibrated violently, making a buzzing sound.

Fan Xian leaned against the cold rock, panting heavily. If Haitang Duoduo had been even a fraction slower with that arrow, he would be dead by now.

"Is this all for you?" Haitang Duoduo's voice rang in her ears, her tone filled with obvious dissatisfaction, as if blaming Fan Xian for causing her trouble.

Fan Xian shrugged with a wry smile: "How would I know?"

He genuinely didn't know. His journey north had been sufficiently secretive; aside from the core members of the Overwatch Council, no one knew his whereabouts or purpose. But this archer had clearly come prepared, and his first move was a deadly one.

Beyond the rocks, the wasteland returned to silence. But Fan Xian knew that the archer was still somewhere, lurking like a venomous snake, waiting for his next opportunity to strike.

"Aren't you an expert?" Fan Xian suddenly turned to look at Haitang Duoduo and said seriously, "You go first and draw their attention. I'll find a way to get closer to them. They're a ninth-rank archer; we'll be at a disadvantage if we're too far away."

Haitang Duoduo's eyes widened as if she had heard something utterly absurd. She pointed at herself and said, "Hey, why don't you go?"

"Because I can't run as fast as you," Fan Xian replied confidently, even starting to stretch his arms and legs in preparation. "Alright, let's hurry up, it'll get dark soon if we drag this out, which will be even worse for us."

"You—" Haitang Duoduo's face flushed with anger, but she also knew that Fan Xian was right. Facing a ninth-rank archer, passively hiding in the open wilderness was tantamount to waiting for death. They had to take the initiative and close the distance.

She glared fiercely at Fan Xian, her eyes seeming to say, "This isn't over." But the next second, she took a deep breath and leaped out from behind the rock like a cheetah!

Almost simultaneously, Fan Xian also moved. But instead of rushing towards the archer's likely direction, he circled to the side along the shadow of the rock. Their actions were so synchronized as if they had rehearsed countless times—one drawing fire from the front, the other flanking from the side.

"call out--!"

The first arrow flew towards Haitang Duoduo. She was prepared, her double axes flashing in front of her like a curtain of light. "Clang!" The arrow was deflected, but the force of the impact still made her stagger slightly.

Then came the second one, the third one...

Arrows rained down, each one precise and aimed straight for vital points. Haitang Duoduo dodged and weaved through the barrage, her double axes wielding a relentless barrage, but her progress was noticeably slowed. Even more terrifying, the arrows had almost completely blocked her paths, forcing her to constantly change direction.

Fan Xian wasn't having an easy time either. He initially thought the archers' attention would be drawn to Haitang Duoduo, but he soon discovered that at least half of the arrows were aimed at him!

"Damn it, this guy can lock onto two targets at the same time!" Fan Xian cursed inwardly, forced to push his movement technique to its limit. He weaved through the withered grass and rocks, sometimes rolling, sometimes stopping abruptly, and several times arrows grazed the hem of his clothes.

The most dangerous arrow flew almost past his cheek, leaving a bloody mark on his face from the force of the wind.

"This won't do!" Fan Xian thought anxiously. Although he and Haitang Duoduo were both ninth-rank archers, being suppressed by an archer of the same rank in open terrain made them easy targets. They had to find a way to break the deadlock.