Chapter 223: Ambush Encounter
“Your Highness, are you tired?”
Tom asked considerately, looking at Fang Xiaocao.
“I’m fine, I can still keep going!”
Fang Xiaocao smiled and responded.
Tom nodded and said no more.
They were still in danger, with enemies lurking in the dark. Now was not the time to rest. It would be best to wait until they reached a relatively safe place before stopping.
After another half hour of walking, Taotie suddenly stopped. He gestured for caution and crouched into the bushes.
Seeing Taotie’s hand signal, Fang Xiaocao hadn’t yet reacted when Tom, with quick reflexes, pulled her down behind a tree.
Tom positioned Fang Xiaocao so that she was pressed closely against the tree trunk. He crouched on her outer side, using his tall frame to shield her from potential harm.
Fang Xiaocao looked at Tom.
Tom, crouching beside her, had drawn the dagger from his waist. In his other hand, he held a small metallic sphere.
Fang Xiaocao was curious about the small sphere, but she knew now wasn’t the time to ask.
Imitating Tom and Taotie, she also pulled out her black short knife. However, instead of reaching for her gun, she took out two steel nails.
Compared to a gun, she trusted her throwing skills more.
Fang Xiaocao had no idea what was happening.
She could only crouch behind the tree like a quail.
She looked toward Tom.
She could clearly sense that at this moment, Tom’s muscles were tense, his eyes sharp like a beast on high alert, scanning the dark forest ahead.
Fang Xiaocao blinked and followed his gaze.
It was pitch black in that direction—she couldn’t see anything.
She sighed and withdrew her gaze.
Compared to Tom and Taotie, she felt like a blind and deaf fool.
Up ahead, Taotie lay low, unmoving like a statue.
Beside her, Tom was just as still.
Fang Xiaocao was completely clueless about what was happening.
Suddenly—
Taotie moved!
Like a hunting predator, he dashed forward with lightning speed. Fang Xiaocao even saw an afterimage.
Just as Taotie leaped out, a gunshot rang through the dark forest—
Bang!
Fang Xiaocao’s heart clenched.
She instinctively shrank back, pressing herself against the tree.
There really was someone ahead!
And they had guns!
The gunshot was followed by a flash of fire from the muzzle.
Fang Xiaocao knew it was from the gunfire.
At the same time, Tom also sprang into action. He squeezed the metallic sphere in his hand, and a beeping sound began—
Beep… Beep…
Hearing this sound, Fang Xiaocao was startled.
Wasn’t that the countdown sound of a bomb?!
Tom, true to his reputation, always seemed to have explosives on him!
Tom aimed at the direction of the gunfire and hurled the metal sphere with force.
The sphere whizzed through the air.
At the same time, Tom grabbed Fang Xiaocao.
“Your Highness, we’re moving!”
He said in a low, urgent voice.
“Ah—okay!”
Fang Xiaocao, still dazed, followed Tom’s lead as he pulled her into the darkness of the forest.
“Tom, what about Taotie?”
She asked in panic when she realized they were running in the opposite direction of Taotie.
“Don’t worry about him!”
“The number of enemies is unknown. We need to break out first.”
Tom answered without turning back.
Fang Xiaocao blinked but didn’t say more.
She knew that in this dark environment, she was like a blind person—a complete burden.
Tom needed to secure her first before helping Taotie. Otherwise, taking her into battle would be as good as handing the enemies a free target.
Tom led Fang Xiaocao through the forest, weaving between the trees.
She stumbled along, nearly falling multiple times.
If not for Tom’s firm grip, she would have hit the ground face-first several times already.
Compared to Tom’s smooth, steady movements, her own clumsy steps made her feel even more useless.
Suddenly—
Tom came to a sharp halt.
The next second—
Tom grabbed Fang Xiaocao and rolled to the side.
At that exact moment—
A rapid burst of gunfire erupted in front of them.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The spot where they had just been standing was now riddled with bullet holes.
The tree trunk beside them was split apart by the bullets.
Tom, shielding Fang Xiaocao, hit the ground.
As they landed, Tom twisted mid-air, cushioning her fall with his own body.
Even so, Fang Xiaocao was still dazed from the impact, her head buzzing.
This was… intense!
If Tom had reacted even a second slower, they would have been riddled with bullets!
“Your Highness, are you okay?”
Tom asked in a low voice.
“I-I’m fine…”
Fang Xiaocao stammered.
“That’s good.”
Tom nodded and pulled out two more metallic spheres from his pocket.
He squeezed them, starting the countdown, and hurled them toward the direction of the gunfire.
Seeing this, Fang Xiaocao suddenly realized—
Earlier, when they had first run, Tom had also thrown one of these, but there had been no explosion.
She turned her gaze toward the flying spheres and saw them land on the ground, spinning rapidly as thick white smoke billowed out.
“Smoke bombs!”
Fang Xiaocao finally understood.
Tom’s spheres weren’t explosives—they were smoke bombs!
She turned to look back at the direction they had run from. Sure enough, thick white fog was also spreading there.
“Your Highness, take your gun and stay here. I’ll take care of the ambushers. Protect yourself.”
Tom instructed.
Fang Xiaocao nodded and obediently pulled out her gun.
She loaded it and took off the safety, crouching low in the bushes.
Tom nodded in approval.
With a dagger in one hand and his gun in the other, he moved swiftly—
In one fluid motion, he rolled into the smoke and disappeared.
Moments later—
Gunshots and screams echoed from within the fog.
(End of Chapter 223)
