Chapter 310: Sacrificing Lives to Protect Each Other

The Hua family had never lacked capable descendants, but this was the first time Hua Yizheng felt regretful that Zhi'er was not a son. Her meticulous thoughts, strong determination, and protective nature towards her family, whether in officialdom or in the private sector, would surely make the Hua family more secure.

Unspoken hope rested on her shoulders, but it was a pity she was a woman.

Watching his granddaughter gulp down a whole bowl of water, Hua Yizheng nodded to a few people to quickly set off. However, Zhi'er called a halt and called out, "Jia Yang."

Jia Yang entered as summoned.

"I need to borrow your token,"Hua Zhi said.

Without hesitation, Jia Yang took out the token of the Seventh Constellation Stars, and Hua Zhi handed it to Chen Shan. "If anyone stops you, show them this, and they'll help you find the person."

———TN: Jia Yang’s token bears the mark of the Seventh Constellation Stars, signifying his status as a member of the elusive and revered seventh cluster. Let’s not forget that the Seven Stars Bureau, in all its grandeur, is built upon the foundation of seven distinct clusters—first, second, third, and so on, right through to the illustrious seventh constellation. ———

Hua Zhi was prepared to move heaven and earth to secure a guardian deity for the Hua family, stopping at nothing—even if it meant weaving a web of lies to get her way. Right now, she was practically itching to declare herself the head leader of the Seven Stars Bureau, ready to stake her claim and send a chilling warning to anyone foolish enough to threaten the Hua family!

Looking at the courtyard full of Hua family descendants, Hua Zhi wondered if she could disperse them, at least to avoid being targeted by enemies all at once. However, she couldn't bring danger to others' homes, and no one was willing to take in someone who could bring them dangers.

"Zhi'er, why don't you go rest in your father's room for a while?" Hua Pingyu suggested.

Hua Zhi shook her head, but before she could speak, Jia Yang shouted loudly, "Enemy attack!"

Hua Zhi stood up abruptly, with a dagger and hairpin already in her hands, as if her previous fatigue was just a facade. "Everyone, be careful."

After her warning, she was about to rush out, but Hua Pingyu stopped her. This proud man was now trembling, showing signs of weakness all over. "Take care of yourself, Zhi'er, you must stay alive!"

Tears welling up, Hua Zhi turned and hugged her father tightly before running out. Her life was actually quite good; at least for two lives, her father had loved her deeply, even though they were not good at expressing it.

The attackers this time came in greater numbers than before, and Jia Yang found himself utterly overwhelmed, backed into a corner at every turn, barely hanging on by a thread.

Hua Zhi dashed forward, her face twisted in a bitter smile that barely masked her frustration. Even with her stepping in, the odds were stacked against them, and survival seemed a fleeting dream.

What kind of lunatics would mobilize so many people just to snuff out a group of scholars? It was clear—they were hellbent on erasing the Hua family from existence.

If they couldn't live together, then they would die together!

In that instant, Hua Zhi burned like a wildfire, igniting with a ferocious energy that tore through her earlier weakness. Moments ago, she had seemed fragile, but now her attacks came down harder, faster, sharper—like a storm unleashed. Yet, against the relentless swarm of four, her two fists could only hold them off so long, step by step giving ground.

Hua Zhi turned to look at the courtyard's gate, towards her loved ones inside. She stood firm at the gate, refusing to budge, determined to protect her family. Whoever wanted to harm her loved ones would have to kill her first!

Inside, the sobs of those she protected broke the silence, helpless and heartbroken as they watched her stand alone.

They wanted to go out and fight, even if it meant taking down an enemy with them. But the stern gaze coming from Zhi'er stopped them, the determined Hua family woman blocking their way!

Hua Yizheng fixed his piercing gaze on his granddaughter, watching as she faltered back before surging forward again, his face twitching with restrained emotion.

Live. Just live, Zhi'er. The thought burned in his mind, relentless and raw.

Hua Zhi stood her ground, unyielding, her defiance carving hesitation into her attackers—men who should’ve crushed her in a single breath but found themselves stalled, unnerved.

Her hand shook violently, the dagger long gone—lost to the chaos or buried deep in some poor bastard’s flesh. All she had left was a slender hairpin clutched in her trembling grip. Her body screamed with exhaustion, teetering on the edge of collapse, yet her eyes shone sharp, fierce, and unwavering. Her chest heaved as she sucked in desperate breaths, ragged and wild, like a bull ready to charge to the bitter end.

The hand gripping the weapon was rock-steady, unwavering, not a single tremor betraying her resolve. Every fool daring to challenge her assault found themselves crushed headlong into her relentless defense. She knew, oh, she knew, that every move they forced out of her was bleeding her strength dry—but she clung to her guard like a lioness, defiant and unyielding, in an impenetrable stance that screamed defiance.

If you hadn’t seen it with your own eyes, you’d laugh at the idea—how could a woman command such raw, unshakable power? Yet there she stood, proving every doubter wrong.

But it wasn’t endless. They all knew it. The cracks were showing. Her time was running out.

And while some might have felt a shred of pity for Hua Zhi, the silence was cut sharp by a voice cloaked in black, cold and merciless: “Kill.”

The crowd shivered, and the slowed-down assault suddenly accelerated. Hua Zhi’s hairpin flew from her grasp—a moment that screamed vulnerability, a death sentence written for all to see. But then, like a viper striking from the shadows, her hand moved, revealing a smaller, sharper weapon. With raw, ruthless intent, she drove it toward the throat of the person who had spoken earlier.

Caught off guard, he flinched, his instincts betraying him. Too slow. Too predictable. Her lips curled into a dangerous smile that sent ice through his chest. He realized too late: the throat wasn’t her goal. She’d read him like a book, aimed for the path he’d take to escape, and went for the kill—his eye.

The scream tore from his mouth as blood sprayed, her strike landing with vicious precision. But the man’s rage came just as quickly. His boot connected with her body, sending her crumpling against the door like discarded trash. One eye gone, his fury unmatched, the black-clad predator advanced, blade poised, ready to end her with a clean, merciless slash to the neck.

The Hua family burst outside in a frenzy, but Hua Pingyu moved like a man possessed, faster than anyone else. Without hesitation, he threw himself over his daughter, shielding her with his own body. Pain ripped through his back, making him tremble as he locked eyes with her. Her once-bright gaze had dimmed—empty and lost their sparkle.

Then came a deafening crack. Before Hua Pingyu could react, rough hands yanked him up. Gu Yanxi carefully hugged Ah Zhi and pulled out a small object the size of a little finger from his neck, revealing a hidden mechanism inside, with a pill the size of a soybean hidden inside.

Gu Yanxi fed the pill to Ah Zhi, and only then did he realize that he needed to breathe. He drew in sharp gulps of air, his pulse roaring louder than the faint flutter of hers beneath his fingers as he checked her neck and wrist. Frustration surged—he couldn’t make sense of it.

"Yu Mu, get a physician from Wu Yong. Now!" he barked.

Without hesitation, Yu Mu broke off his brutal clash with the man in black and bolted toward the frontline, where General Wu commanded his forces.

Gu Yanxi shrugged off his coat and draped it over Ah Zhi’s still form. He leaned close, pressing a deliberate kiss to her cold forehead. His voice dropped to a deadly promise: "Stay alive. Watch me make them pay."

Ah Zhi fought against the pull of unconsciousness. Pain gnawed at her, her body screaming for surrender. She knew her father had shielded her, taken the brunt of the blow. But she refused to give in. Teeth clenched, vision swimming, she forced herself to blink at Yanxi—her silent plea, her unyielding resolve.

A sharp ache stabbed Gu Yanxi's chest—a reminder of how close it had been. Half a step later, and everything would have been lost. Half a step.

With a slow breath, he rose to his feet, his expression unnervingly calm, but his eyes burned with a ruthless, predatory gleam that could cut through steel.

The whip in his hand coiled like a serpent as he strode toward the black-clad man, his gait relaxed, almost mocking. The man lunged, desperation driving his attack, but Gu Yanxi didn’t flinch.

The whip cracked like thunder. The man hit the ground with a sickening thud, flesh torn and blood spraying in a crimson arc. He didn’t rise again.

Before anyone could process the carnage, Gu Yanxi had taken down three more, each as effortlessly as swatting flies.

The remaining men faltered, backing away in unison, their movements wary, circling Gu Yanxi like jackals too afraid to close in on a lion.

They fell back, but Gu Yanxi took control, wielding the whip like it was alive—a relentless, unyielding force that never struck without drawing blood. More cowards turned traitor, leaving their comrades to throw themselves at Gu Yanxi in desperation.

It was pure chaos, a blood-soaked spectacle the Hua family patriarch had never witnessed in his lifetime, yet he couldn’t tear his eyes away, his heart pounding with savage exhilaration.

The rest of the Hua clan wasn’t so bold—ashen-faced, teeth chattering, some even doubling over to retch. But not a single one turned tail. Even those who stumbled away to vomit came staggering back to hold their line.

The dead met brutal, grisly ends—and just moments before, any one of them could’ve been next.

———TN: I left the author's name out of the novel's description on my Wattpad to dodge another copyright takedown—been there, done that, when a Chinese publisher slammed the hammer on some of my previous translations. I'll include the credit at the end of the chapter instead.

Hope that clears things up.