Princess Agents Chapter 101 English translation

Princess Agents - 特工皇妃楚喬傳

Chapter 101: Fighting Side By Side

In the dense night, when WuPeng Cheng was already hidden in the darkness, in the distance half the sky had already been burned red.  The night wind was cold and the moonlight still, after most of the night's military raid, Chu Qiao finally left WuPeng.

She had to kill Zhu Shun, there was no choice.  (TN: I forget, but I believe this person was the butler of the Zhuge House in DaXia?)  She never had the chance to run into him before, in the sea of people there was no way to find him, but this time, it was impossible for him to escape with his life now that he was in her sight.  Chu Qiao knew there was a heavy sense of guilt she bore in her heart.  As she was now, there was no way she could kill Zhuge Yue to avenge the Jing family children, and even less capability of eradicating the Zhuge House.  There were solid reasons for this, as well as personal reasons, and also facts she couldn't put to words or reason out.  So, that was why she felt it was imperative she get rid of Zhu Shun.  On the other hand, it may have been for her own selfish reasons in disguise, to pay off her debt.

She was human and humans had feelings, and oftentimes human selfishness was not completely rational.

For in the first place, she should not have been swayed by personal feelings and stayed with Yan Xun, and even moreso, she should not have passed the opportunity to kill Zhuge Yue today.  She was this type of person; one who could not owe others, one who could not accept benefits from others.

Now, she watched the turbulent ChiSui river surging past, the savage reef rocks towering along the shore.  Snow white wave bursts crashed against the reef in ebbs and flows, breaking apart like broken pieces of crystal.

It was then she heard the sound of a horse's gallop once again approaching closer, and an exasperated Zhuge Yue calling out, "Stop right there!"

Chu Qiao cooly turned around, and in a low voice asked, "Why are you following me?"

"Did I say I was going to let you go?"

Zhuge Yue was wearing a fine robe, his straight brow flying slanted, his lips an abnormally deep red in the dark night.  Both his hands and his feet showed traces of being bound by a rope and the rope around a foot was still hanging on, apparently suffered by someone's hands.

Both were young, outstanding masters of the next generation, and while facing each other as rivals, it would be hard to distinguish the winner and loser.  But when it came to sneak attacks, pretense, or assassination, Zhuge Yue could not compare to Chu Qiao who has had professional training and experience as a special agent.

The two scowled at one another, neither one compromising.

Finally, a sudden wind stirred up, bringing the scent of blood from far away.  Slightly surprised for a moment, Chu Qiao turned to look into the distance.  

She only saw an expanse of quiet wilderness, thick, tall grass everywhere, waist high but not as high as the underbelly of a horse.  In that thick darkness, something seemed to be hiding, with its dark green eyes, moving quietly.

Wolf!

There were wolves here!  Chu Qiao and Zhuge Yue exchanged a glance simultaneously.   Even if they thought rather highly of themselves, out in this wilderness if a pack of wolves attacked, the outcome would be too horrible to contemplate.

"Zhuge Yue, we have a truce for now, yeah?"

Zhuge Yue cast a sidelong glance at her, nodded his head and gently said, "Hm."

"I am hunting to kill my own enemy, you want to eradicate someone who sold out your family; we each take what we need.  We should cooperate."

Chu Qiao whipped her horse forward and continue to encourage it.

With a *peng* Zhuge Yue jumped off his horse's back, and like that continued to run forward.  Chu Qiao caught up with him from behind. Who knew at that moment as it stepped forward the horse's hoof would suddenly sink.  With one arm Zhuge Yue pulled on her hand, and holding her by the waist smoothly held her back.

Subsequently, Chu Qiao was dumbstruck as she watched her horse disappear little by little into the overgrown underbrush and give a tragic cry.

"This is a bog, be careful."

As soon as he said this, Zhuge Yue walked first in front, saying as he walked, "If we go through the marsh we will be able to reach the mountain pass before the robbers.

Chu Qiao asked, "You're agreeing to work with me?"

Zhuge Yue looked at her indifferently but did not respond.  Chu Qiao was caught off guard, but suddenly felt a bit uneasy, the atmosphere making her wary.  She was no fool, she knew who Zhu Shun was, how could she ask Zhuge Yue to personally arrest him?  Speaking of runaway slaves, it seemed her own escape was an even more serious offense.

Zhuge Yue said in a faint voice, "I will find the path in front, you will follow me," and then proceeded to ignore her.  As if he was taking a stroll into his own back garden, he simply walked right in.  Even locals did not dare to casually walk into such a mysterious and unpredictable place, and yet he went in so easily, without a trace of hesitation.

Chu Qiao watched that green shaded back gradually disappear into thin air, and narrowed her pretty eyes.  In the darkness it was impossible to see any kind of expression, only that she quietly watched Zhuge Yue, and then her figure flit by to quickly keep pace with him. 

In the pre-dawn darkness it seemed that after they entered the bog the environment all around them changed.  It was not what one would have imagined with winds that wrap around, nor were there fierce beasts running amok.  There were poisonous insects everywhere and the remains of dead things.  It was the dead silence of perfect stillness without a single person, animal, or living thing.  Not even a breeze.

The air flow was condensed in this space with only the sound of the breath and footfalls in this swamp.

Just then, Chu Qiao's foot stepped on something soft, and thinking it was simply the bog she quickly glanced down.  Who would know that as soon as she looked down she would almost scream?   Zhuge Yue looked back and saw that it was a headless corpse.  The chest had already been ripped open, the internal organs scattered, with no indication of what type of beast had attacked.

"You're still afraid of something like this?"

The man's voice carried a hint of ridicule.  Chu Qiao plainly gave him a cold look, but gave no retort.  

"Hold this then."

Chu Qiao took a glance and saw his "Breaking Moon" sword, and was a bit surprised when she heard him say, "You even dare to casually lose my belongings;  you've really got some gall."

Chu Qiao looked at him and frowned, "In my heart I have wanted to kill you more than once or twice; do you think I would care about offending you by losing your things?"

"Hmph, what an untrustworthy woman," Zhuge Yue huffed cooly at her, turned around, and sullenly continued to walk forward.

Chu Qiao also proceeded to ignore him and tried hard to recall the swamp survival skills she had first learned when she was still in military training and continued to carefully move forward.

"Did you not hear me say to hold on?"

Zhuge Yue's face was furious, abruptly turning his head around. Chu Qiao suddenly responded in anger, "Why do I need to listen to you? Are you stronger than me?"

"Try me if you're still not convinced!"

Chu Qiao flushed livid and said: "Zhuge Yue!  If you really think yourself so amazingly spectacular then we best part ways here.  I will seek my revenge, you go capture your slave, it's completely unnecessary for us to interfere with the other.  But if you want to cooperate, then act like it; don't snap at me at every turn and speak with tooth and claw bared.  I have long not been your slave and there is no need for me to look at your face!"

Zhuge Yue's face turned blue, chest heaving, but Chu Qiao merely pushed him aside to move forward.  Heaven knew why Zhuge Yue reached out to grab her, his hands like pliers, his eyes indignant as he said, "Let me tell you something.  This swamp is filled with dangers.  If you do not know the path more likely than not you will die and your remains will be left for the wild dogs to gnaw.  Do not think so highly of your abilities that you underestimate this place.  If I do not lead you, you would be stuck in a hundred steps.  If you want to die, go die further away.  Do not die in front of me!"

After hearing him, without even taking a breath, she brushed off his hand and turned around to go.

Surprised for a bit, Zhuge Yue then stepped forward and pulled her back, asking angrily, "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Didn't you just tell me to go die somewhere further away?  That's perfect, I was just planning to stay far away from you."

"You!"  He had probably never been so angry in his whole life, and let his anger muddle his mind when he irately glared at Chu Qiao, as if he wanted to swallow her whole.  Then he took a deep breath, and then said, "We have a truce."

Chu Qiao smiled slyly and said, "Fine."

"However I warn you--"

 "Pay attention to your wording and attitude!"

There was no way to continue the conversation at that point, and Zhuge Yue's eyes strained red.  He thrust the Broken Moon sword in her direction and said in a low voice, "Take hold."

Chu Qiao's victory was utterly complete and she happily took hold of the handle.

The night was deep, every direction slate black, a cold wind blew, bringing with it a brisk taste.

Vexed, Zhuge Yue stepped out with his right foot onto the mold and dust covered earth, and with slight force pulled Chu Qiao closer to him.  Amid this piece of perilous marshland, the two carefully walked forward, between them a strong, dark steel blade from the East China Sea kept them closely connected.

Even though he was angry, he was safe.

The borders of the bog were very wide, and when half an hour later the scenery failed to change, a little uncertainty crept into her heart.  But as soon as she wanted to ask, the sound of someone's faint voice suddenly carried over to her.  Chu Qiao froze and paused her breath, and concentrated to listen quietly in the voice's direction.

"XiJiu, why hasn't the Boss and the others haven't come back yet; you don't suppose anything happened to them?"

A deep bass voice abruptly responded, the voice sounding drawn out as if the person had suffered a serious injury, "Wait a half hour, and if by then they really don't come back yet, we leave the entrance first, unplanned.

The cold voice of a female suddenly called out to them, and against this dead backdrop, it seemed a bit creepy.  At this point another voice suddenly said, "What the hell is this goddamned place?  It still hurts where I was bit.  The Yun House medicine doesn't work at all.  That day I had time but I should have gone into old man Yun's rooms to steal everything.  XiJiu, why did the Boss insist that we meet here, or was it just to punish us?"

XiJiu said in a low voice, "Do you think for all these years Tian RuCheng's reputation was just for show?  Don't think just because he's old his ability isn't as vigorous as before.  If it was just riding a horse on the plains we'd have been caught in less than half an hour. We'd just be sitting ducks for them.  But it's different in the swamp.  It's certainly dangerous and a bit close to WuPeng Cheng, but even if Tian RuCheng is smarter, how would he think we were hiding right under his nose?  Even if found, we could escape through this complicated terrain.  How is WuPeng not a tasty bone to gnaw on?  We have to be careful, ya, if DaXia is going to be war turbulent these days there won't be any big merchants venturing out, and if our harvest wasn't so awful, we wouldn't be doing this."  

Upon saying this there was a brief pause, and the voice continued after in a hush, "If all goes as I planned and we get our reward, afterwards we'll just hide in the city.  They know we're part of a traveling caravan so they won't be looking for us in the city.  When they go out to investigate we'll divide and conquer by finding a chance to escape, that way our chances of escape will be better."

Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao listened as they steadily moved forward.  This woman was clever, with lots of guts and fantastic thinking.  A simple caravan of thieves dares to take on a heavily guarded city, and then instead of thinking to run she choose instead to stay in the city.  Admittedly this plan was very effective.  It was fair to say that if the authorities found out what had happened, their first reaction was to search outside the city.

At this moment a gust of wind blew Chu Qiao's clothes, which were both cumbersome and fragrant and the scent was carried by the wind in the direction of the three caravan thieves. 

Zhuge Yue and she were suddenly alarmed and listened to the people in the darkness panic for a brief moment.  But after all, he had walked the line between life and death for many years now and the silence only lasted a second.

XiJiu and her two companions immediately decided to take offensive maneuvers instead of defend, the three figures moved in a flash to charge the two, flying in three directions: one going high, the other low and the last down the middle.

Their physique were strong, their moves swift, and just as they started, they were ready for the killing move,  for if they were able to seriously injure the two, they would kill them under the knife.

The corner of Zhuge Yue's mouth sketched a smirk; in the twinkle of an eye he unsheathed his sword from the priceless carved scabbard, and rose like a sharpened tide.  His moves swift and fierce, like lightning strikes leaving gleaming streaks in midair, sounding three sharp, crisp sounds of *ting, ting, ting* before he disarmed their three knives and sent their weapons flying away.  XiJiu and the others's facial expressions were even more shocked as their shadows and feet landed back down around Zhuge Yue, surrounding and enclosing him in a triangle formation.  But theirs was no longer standing in offense.

At this moment Chu Qiao took the opportunity to shoot out, her body frame like a cheetah,  unusually energized.  One foot kicked one man directly in the chest, the sound of cracking bones immediately sounded, and the man cried out as he flew backwards.

Zhuge Yue's face was shaded in icy disdain, his deep tone strangely contrasted against that dead silence as he said, "Tell me the name of your caravan, your hideout, its back channel route, and I will spare you."

As soon as she heard it, the woman name XiJiu suddenly tossed her weapon onto he ground and said casually, "We are no match for you, I will tell you everything you want to know.  Please let me and my companions leave."

At first glance Zhuge Yue would not have guessed this female thug was so astute. He nodded his head, "Of course."

"You are a gentleman, your word is gold, and you will not go back on your word.  We are just minions who were sent here, as long as they pay us we sell our lives to do it."

"Very well," said Zhuge Yue. "If you speak not only will I let you all go, I will also pay you for your information."

XiJiu nodded, "That's fair." She slowly edged forward as if it was very normal for her to be selling out her secrets.

However, eyeing the woman's black clothing, a feeling of anxiety sprouted in Chu Qiao's heart, and at this time noticed XiJiu was only one step away from Zhuge Yue.

At that moment, a strong burst of unease struck her heart. She couldn't clearly express the source of this panic, but her well practiced alertness  from walking the edge between life and death had always saved her over the years.  So in that instant she trusted her intuition completely.  Her body suddenly pushed forward, her form moving so fast as if flying, her dagger pointed in front of her body, taking advantage of the power of her assault to quickly defeat the thug.

"Watch out!"

However, the alarm seemed to have sounded a little too late, XiJiu's body was momentarily flung back by the strike of the dagger, but the corners of her mouth slowly turned upwards in a faint smile.  Chu Qiao instantly knew that not even the strongest blade would hurt her.  A top notch hired assassin would best keep a hidden weapon, but that would be enough to send the enemy to his doom!

This would be a perfect portrayal of a death trap!

In the moment Chu Qiao turned pale with surprise, there suddenly burst forth a crisp sound of whizzing by in front of her, and her crow black dagger with a grass green handle suddenly split in two, fell to the ground and disappeared into the marsh.

Zhuge Yue stared with a sombre expression and cold eyes, and said in a dark voice, "You're still so stubborn."

XiJiu half crouched like a leopard, one hand touching the ground.  She gazed cooly at Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao as she whispered, "You must be daydreaming.  If I said you could come subdue our caravan and live the high life, do you think you would agree?"

"Stubborn to the end!" Chu Qiao said angrily.

Similar to XiJiu's tricks, she reached in and drew a short dagger from her bosom, her body suddenly shot up from the ground like a supple leopard, without a moment's hesitation.

Even though the other two spoke roughly, but it was nevertheless a rare sight to see such a calm master; and even though one of them was seriously injured, they were still impressive in their desperate fight.  The other two did not say another word.

Amid Zhuge Yue's lightning speed his opponent held a long knife, his actions flowing like water, clean and clear.

Chu Qiao did not imagine there was such a skilled person in some paltry caravan, and perhaps these people were skilled assassins, proficient trackers, quick witted; but ultimately not considered martial arts masters.

Sure enough the battle was over in another moment with Zhuge Yue still standing with his previous indifferent posture, as if from beginning to end he had never lifted a finger.  His eyes were cold, calm and collected he stood with his long sword between himself and XiJiu, and said in a deep voice, "Will you tell me or not?"

XiJiu leaned over the swamp, her mouth bloody.  Since she was wearing black it wasn't clear if she was injured anywhere else in the end, but it was clear that her body was slowly sinking into the mossy, spongy swamp.

XiJiu did not watch him speak but instead turned her head towards her companions and said, "We can't escape."

The other two nodded slightly, eyes calm without a trace of panic.  They turned their knives onto their own hearts and suddenly plunged their blades into their chests!

The tips of their blades were poisoned.  The two only twitched a bit before falling to the ground.  Zhuge Yue quickly moved forward to seize XiJiu before she could commit suicide.  But all he saw was XiJiu slightly sneering all of a sudden.  Chu Qiao's reaction was was quick, like electricity from thought to action, it too late to think it through, and her entire body flew suddenly up and fiercely slammed into Zhuge Yue's shoulder forcing him aside.  With a breath, a fine, clear and delicate, thick and fine needle shot into Chu Qiao's arm.  The dull blue poison spreading in an instant, and her entire arm suddenly felt numb and swollen.

"How do you feel?"  Zhuge Yue was greatly alarmed, and pulled Chu Qiao closer to tear off a piece of cloth as Chu Qiao frowned, he wrapped the top of her arm tightly to prevent further spreading of the poison to her heart.

"It's nothing."

"Nothing?" XiJiu said in a frosty tone, then said in a low voice, "I will wait for you in hell!"

"Bitch!"  Zhuge Yue turned a vicious fist into the woman's face, with the sudden sound of fragmenting bone against flesh.  The man was clearly furious, and said in a deep voice, "Give me the antidote!"

XiJiu smiled lightly as she lay in the swamp.  Half of her body had already sunken in, her mouth consistently dripping dark red blood, her eyes full of chilling ridicule.

Chu Qiao's heart trembled, knowing XiJiu's methods were heartless and ruthless, never giving up even if the goal seems lost, to the point of sacrificing one's life.  She may not be considered a skilled master, but she was thoughtful and meticulous, good at hiding, ambushing and poisoning. With determination, willpower and patience, she was really a first-rate assassin.

"Where is the antidote?  Speak!"  Zhuge Yue ruthlessly pressed against her neck.

"Who are you?" a hoarse voice bubbled forward.  Zhu Qiao's head dipped down, she looked at the woman watching Zhuge Yue, but the question was as if she were speaking to herself.  Zhuge Yue stared at her and said coldly, "Give the antidote to me and I'll tell you."

XiJiu huffed disdainfully, as if this exchange was futile.  Chu Qiao saw that she would rather die than give anything away, she found this female assassin admirable. She replied in a low voice, "I am Chu Qiao of Yan Bei."

XiJiu's pupils went wide the instant she heard it, and after a long pause slowly let out her breath.  She said softly, "No wonder."

The marsh was pitch black by night, not a single star shone. 

They heard XiJiu sneer and after a while she whispered, "If so, you are not worthy, we are enemies, otherwise I would save you.  A pity."  She was suddenly coughing up blood, and Chu Qiao knew that these people would carry a poison capsule in their mouths; once caught they would immediately commit suicide to avoid suffering.

"Can you really get through to Yan Bei?" Zhuge Yue tightly furrowed his brow, and as soon as he let go, XiJiu's corpse rolled a few times until it fell into a pit, then the whole body sank into the marsh.  After a while, there wasn't a single trace.

"How are you feeling?"  Zhuge Yue was holding Chi Qiao up.  Chu Qiao shook her head and said in a hoarse voice, "It isn't highly toxic."

"We'll go to TanJing,  the imperial doctor Zhu of TanJing Palace is highly skilled, he can cure you of your poison."

Chu Qiao gently frowned and said softly, "You're not going to wait for your subordinates?"

Zhuge Yue slid her onto his back and carried her.  He said simply in a low voice, "There isn't time."

A jackdaw bird suddenly fluttered its wings, swooped down to fly over the swamp, and flew off into the distance.  Zhuge Yue carried Chu Qiao on his back, in a hurried sprint over the marsh.  The long night is about to pass.

Translator notes: So somehow the area around WuPeng is burning, these thieves took advantage of the chaos to steal and unlickly bumped into our heroes.  I have no clue how Zhuge Yue ended up tied, but perhaps Chu Qiao?  Also no clue on what happened to her sisters, her nerd friend or her host family that she traveled with on the boat.  But they're going to TanJing to see Xiao Ce/Liang Ce! Yay!