Chapter Seventy-Six: The Pursuit (Part Two)

The assassins who witnessed this scene were all shocked and hurried to the window to see what had happened. In that instant when Li Yuechen's hands touched the ground in mid-air, her body curled up tightly. She rolled on the spot and rose to her feet, completely unharmed.

By rolling upon landing, one can dissipate about sixty-eight percent of the impact force; theoretically, even a fall from the third floor could leave one without injury. Beginners in parkour typically land with both feet first, then propel themselves into a roll. But for a master like Li Yuechen, she could forgo the step of landing on her feet altogether and roll directly with her hands touching the ground. This not only absorbed more of the impact, but also allowed her to rise swiftly.

Not only were the assassins on the second floor astonished, but the nearby crowd who saw this scene wore expressions of disbelief, unsure what had just occurred. Standing up, Li Yuechen glanced back before turning and continuing her escape.

The assassins on the second floor immediately decided to pursue her, vaulting out the windows in quick succession. Only then did the owner of the cloth shop rush upstairs, shouting as he ran, "Who are you? The second floor of my shop is—" Yet the assassins ignored his words completely, leaping from the windows to chase after Li Yuechen.

While running, Li Yuechen considered whether to fight them. But that thought was quickly dismissed. She was indeed strong, especially compared to her peers. Yet even if a child possessed the strength of an adult, it would not guarantee an advantage against grown men, especially when outnumbered and unarmed, while her pursuers wielded weapons.

Although it seemed the assassins had no intention to kill for now, Li Yuechen had no desire to be captured. With her current favor in the palace, being caught would not only bring disgrace upon the royal family—it might even provoke Li Zhi's illness. Thus, her primary goal was to return to the palace as soon as possible; once spotted by the city guards, the assassins would not dare to pursue her further.

This thought in mind, Li Yuechen glanced back and saw that the assassins had all leapt down from the second floor and were hot on her heels. The area was close to the Buddhist temple, with few buildings nearby, so she headed toward the Luo River.

She plunged into the crowd, weaving skillfully through the bustling masses. The assassins followed, splitting up to encircle her from different directions, hoping to cut her off at any opportunity.

Li Yuechen sought places where adults would be hindered, spotting a fence ahead. She gauged the distance and accelerated toward it. With just over a meter to go, she extended her legs and leapt, her body horizontal in mid-air. Her legs slipped through the bars, her hands gripping the rail to prevent her waist from striking the lower bar.

A nearby young man, witnessing a child slip through the bars with the agility of a monkey, exclaimed in admiration. Li Yuechen stood, wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve, flashed him a thumbs up and a broad grin, then resumed her flight.

The youth was stunned, murmuring, "What a beautiful young lady!"

The assassins followed, lacking Li Yuechen's agility, and simply vaulted over the fence in pursuit. In front of the temple, most people strolled leisurely, so a runner drew attention. Soon, most of the crowd stopped, watching the spectacle unfold.

A child ran ahead, pursued by a group of about ten. Though the child was dirty, her clothes were clearly of fine material, not something ordinary folk could afford. Most striking was her extraordinary agility, leaping and dodging obstacles with ease, monkey-like in her movements. The pursuers ran quickly but failed to catch her, repeatedly delayed by barriers.

Some spectators assumed it was a game, applauding and cheering from time to time. Others suspected something was amiss, noting the swords at the pursuers’ waists were no toys. Yet none dared intervene; in the Eastern Capital, one could accidentally offend a powerful figure with the toss of a stone. Should trouble arise, death might come without warning.

Li Yuechen did not flee toward her own shop; according to Fu, Wang Xiang was literate but hardly a fighter.

So she could only hurry toward the Luo River, hoping the city guards would spot her.

Seeing her pursuers closing in, Li Yuechen searched for a place to dodge. Ahead, she noticed two adjacent buildings with a gap between them, forming a narrow alley just wide enough for a person. Her eyes lit up, and she sped toward it.

The assassins assumed she would enter the alley, and dispatched several men to block the rear exit. Yet none anticipated Li Yuechen would not slow at all. Instead, she leapt, stepping three times on the walls, ascending with each stride. Then, with a forceful push from her right foot, she rebounded off the opposite wall, stepped several more times, and returned to the first wall. In the astonished gaze of the assassins and the passing crowd, Li Yuechen seemed to fly, bounding between the walls four times before her left hand seized the second-floor window ledge.

She turned to glance down at the stupefied assassins, flashed a look of disdain, and pulled herself up with a single motion, slipping through the window.

The lead assassin below signaled, "You, go up this way. The rest, follow me. She may jump across."

Inside, Li Yuechen caught her breath, feeling heat throughout her body, her undershirt soaked in sweat. The second-floor room was full of customers, all staring in surprise at the girl climbing in from the window.

On the opposite side, a wooden bridge connected to a neighboring second floor, so perhaps it was not so strange to see people crossing. But the side Li Yuechen had climbed held nothing—how had this little girl managed to ascend?

The shopkeeper stepped forward, puzzled, and asked, "Young lady, how did you climb up here?"

Li Yuechen waved him off and strode to the table, lifting a teacup to her lips. Yet she did not swallow, merely rinsed her mouth and spat the water out the window.

The shopkeeper was about to speak when a sudden commotion erupted downstairs.

Li Yuechen knew the assassins had arrived, and dashed toward the balcony on the other side. There, a wooden bridge led to the opposite second floor. Already, several assassins had reached the upper floor and were chasing her.

Rather than run across the bridge, Li Yuechen grabbed the railing and swung herself out, leaping directly from the second floor.

The assassins knew of her skill and followed, jumping after her. Yet upon landing, three of them were startled—Li Yuechen was nowhere in sight.

A hunch struck them, and they turned to look. Indeed, Li Yuechen had not jumped down. She hung from the lowest ledge of the second floor, looking down at them.

Seeing the three assassins glance up, Li Yuechen gripped the ledge with her left hand and flashed a rude gesture with her right. Then, with a powerful pull, she hauled herself back up.

She slipped through the window, breathless.

With intelligence like theirs, how could they be assassins? Useless fools.

But as she raised her head, she saw an assassin reaching for her!

Li Yuechen had not counted how many pursuers there were, and had not expected another. Fortunately, her reactions were swift. Rather than retreat, she charged forward. As he was about to grab her, she dropped low and slid between his legs, emerging behind him.

Rising, Li Yuechen wasted no time, grabbing the table behind her and, gritting her teeth, hurled it at the man with all her strength.

Though only seven years old, Li Yuechen possessed the strength of an adult. The small table whistled through the air, striking the assassin squarely.

He had just turned, saw a dark blur flying at him, and instinctively tried to block, but was too late.

With a crash, the assassin collapsed, clutching his head in pain.

Li Yuechen had intended to interrogate him about who sent them, but hearing the chaotic footsteps below, she turned and ran toward the bridge. She knew she could not beat them—these were men who could overwhelm the palace guards, and she was no match.

Sure enough, the assassins who had just jumped down charged up again, chasing her onto the bridge. Li Yuechen leapt, her right foot pushing off the railing, her body soaring upward. Both hands seized the eaves of the opposite second floor.

With a powerful pull, she swung herself onto the rooftop and continued her escape.

Yet after only a few steps, she slipped, nearly falling—luckily, her quick reflexes saved her. At this time, the royal family and nobles favored imported black leather boots from the western regions. Since Li Yuechen was dressed as a boy, she wore the same boots. The soles, made from layers of hemp cloth, were not very slip-resistant, making running on a sloped rooftop treacherous.

She decided to remove her shoes. Being pursued, a single fall could have grave consequences, so running barefoot was safer.

She took off her shoes and socks, just as three assassins climbed onto the roof behind her. Li Yuechen tossed the shoes aside and ran.

As she ran, she saw assassins pursuing from both sides below, clearly trying to prevent her from descending unexpectedly.

With no other option, she pressed forward. Picking up speed, she reached the edge of the roof and leapt, her body flying nearly two meters across, clearing the wall between two buildings and landing atop a single-story structure.

The sloped roof made rolling to absorb impact impossible. Li Yuechen pressed down with her hands, performed a monkey jump, and ran on.

The three pursuers followed, jumping onto the roof. One failed to land properly, his right foot twisting sideways. With a crack, the impact snapped his ankle, the bone piercing the skin and exposed to the air. The assassin screamed in pain.

Li Yuechen paid no mind, continuing to run.

Now in Tongli Quarter, she needed only to pass through Cihui Quarter to reach the Luo River—her safety would greatly increase once there.

While running, Li Yuechen glanced toward the palace. Though distance made it impossible to see anything, she could only pray the palace guards would soon receive word and come to her aid.

Prolonged exertion had left her drenched in sweat, and she feared exhaustion would soon set in.

Assassins pursued from both sides below and two remained close behind on the roof. Li Yuechen pressed forward, accelerating as much as she could.

Her rooftop escape attracted the attention of the townspeople, who gathered to watch and speculate about the commotion. The child running ahead moved with astonishing agility, twisting and flipping across the rooftops like a nimble monkey.

Entering Cihui Quarter, the Luo River was now clearly visible. But Li Yuechen's hopes sank—no royal guards were in sight on the opposite bank.

It made sense; the palace was far away, and without horses, the guards could not possibly arrive faster than she.

At this point, Li Yuechen felt her lungs burning, her stamina nearly depleted. She could not go on much longer.

If she were caught, it would disgrace the royal family, and if Li Zhi fell ill, disaster could follow.

No matter—she had to gamble.

Li Yuechen resolved to bet that these men were landlubbers, unable to swim. She would jump into the Luo River.

With this plan, she summoned her last reserves of energy, sprinted to the eaves, and leapt, flying nearly three meters through the air.

Landing, she rolled and continued running, the assassins in pursuit closing the distance. She neared the riverbank.

At that moment, the assassins flanked her from both sides. Li Yuechen gritted her teeth, pushed off the frame of a parked carriage, and leapt, catching hold of a nearby branch.

Her legs swung forcefully, wrapping her body completely around the branch. Enduring the pain as the bark tore at her palms, she used the momentum to hurl herself outward.

Li Yuechen soared over the river, head down, arms raised above her head, and with a splash, plunged straight into the water…