linfengchun

Capítulo 21

“Chishu isn’t here.” She glanced around.

"I had my spies find a few people who looked similar and send them out of the city separately." He rode forward, silently planning his next move.

Deceiving the enemy? Very well, no wonder fewer people came than expected.

"Once we get past this part, there are carriages in the town ahead," he added, gazing at the approaching caravan.

She smiled silently, noticing the meticulous arrangements. All she had to do was get through this hurdle.

My thoughts were overwhelmed by the thunderous sound of horses' hooves, and the gleaming sabers were like a forest, dazzling and blinding.

Silently gazing at the mountain-like array of cavalry, the young man flicked his wrist and drew his sword. A snow-white rainbow streaked across the sky, sword energy crisscrossing like lightning. Knights ahead fell from their horses one after another, raising a shower of blood, the stench so foul it was hard to breathe. She spurred her horse to follow, dispatching the few who attacked from the side with concealed weapons.

His killing moves were fluid and graceful, with no redundancy whatsoever. They were nimble, swift, and precise, with sharp and accurate angles of attack and just the right amount of force.

After observing for a short while, there was no time to spare; there were too many people, and the hidden weapons couldn't keep up. Forced to act, they managed to keep their movements confined to a small area.

Her sword was too short and not suitable for mounted combat.

As the approaching knights ducked to avoid them, several sharp blades grazed her hairline. She reached out and grabbed one, snatched it, and threw it backhand. Another rider fell from his horse, and a large amount of blood seeped into the yellow sand, leaving the ground a black and red mess.

Several fierce battles aggravated his rib wounds, causing his vision to blur and nearly preventing him from escaping enemy attacks. Sensing the weakness in his rear, a large swarm of enemies rushed forward, like bloodthirsty gnats.

Suddenly, the person in front let out a clear whistle, drew their sword to their left hand, its cold light flashing, moving with lightning speed, instantly forcing those around them back. Seizing the opportunity, they leaped from their horse and landed on its back, unleashing their sword with a flourish, instantly easing the pressure.

He shielded the two of them from behind, while she rode her horse. The renowned Ferghana horse, one in a hundred, galloped at full speed, as if it too knew that life and death hung in the balance. The sounds of battle were deafening all around. She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, and urged her horse onward, dodging attacks from the front and maneuvering through the dense ranks of cavalry entirely by relying on her experience.

The encirclement was too tight, trapping them within the formation. With a resolute heart, she raised her slender hand, and more than ten warhorses surrounding her neighed in unison, instantly going berserk and throwing their riders off. The formation was thrown into chaos, with countless horses trampled. Blood gushed from the horses' eyes; they were blinded in an instant. Their frenzied leaping and hooves, ironically, cleared a path for the two.

Taking advantage of the chaos, she fled, gradually leaving the cavalry behind. She didn't know how long she had been running when the shouts of battle gradually faded away. The pain in her waist rose up unbearably, cold sweat seeped out, and her vision blurred. She heard the monotonous sound of hooves in her ears. She had no strength to look back and collapsed on the horse's back, losing consciousness.

When I woke up again, I was in a moving car.

The soft, warm cotton padding is very thick, minimizing the bumps.

Her waist was re-bandaged, and even the cracked wounds on her fingers were carefully treated with medicine. There was tea and snacks on the small table in the carriage, and even a few books were scattered around, presumably to keep her from getting bored when she woke up.

She called out, so softly that she could barely hear herself, but the carriage suddenly stopped.

The person who peeked in was pale and haggard, his handsome figure disheveled and messy, with several wounds only hastily bandaged, and his clothes hadn't even been changed.

"You're awake?" He seemed relieved, carefully helping her sit up and feeding her water. She still smelled strongly of blood.

She frowned.

"Does it hurt a lot? Bear with it, you'll reach Tianshan in a few days," he comforted gently.

"How badly are you injured?" The black-clad figure couldn't reveal anything.

"I can still manage," he said casually. "Are you hungry? Eat something first; we can only prepare so much in this rush."

"That's good enough." She closed her eyes and slowly lay down. "Are there still pursuers?"

"We've already left the territory of Kucha, so we should be safe now."

“Chishu is probably furious.” A slight smile appeared on her lips as she teased him.

His reputation was tarnished, his trusted confidants were murdered, and with rumors swirling everywhere, his situation was compounded by the deployment of scouts. Under such pressure, yet still unable to kill the two men, his resentment was palpable.

“He deserved it.” A hint of hatred flashed in his clear eyes. “Before I left, I instructed my spies to spread the word that Chishu was still frequently mobilizing his private guards even after his military power was stripped, and to falsely accuse him of plotting a rebellion.”

She froze in disbelief, staring wide-eyed.

Taking advantage of someone's misfortune or ruthlessly eliminating them has never been his style. With such rumors circulating, Chishu will likely find it difficult to maintain his foothold in Kucha.

Sensing Jia Ye's surprise, he responded in a low voice, his voice barely concealing his murderous intent. "I'd love to find an opportunity to kill him myself; that would be too lenient."

Seeing the undeniable ruthlessness between his brows, she remained silent.

When did his murderous intent become stronger than hers?

It's really...not something I'm used to.

Go back to the mountain

He carried Jia Ye all the way into the water palace.

The lotus leaves remained unchanged, but the attendants were slightly agitated by an unexpected scene, their eyes wide as they watched the master of the palace being carried back in an extremely intimate manner by the shadow guards.

Her small body felt weightless nestled in his arms. Perhaps feeling frail in front of the congregation, she was a little uneasy. Only when she was placed on the large, soft bed did she settle down, and she coldly told him to go and rest.

Before leaving, he saw her call over Lü Yi and give him some instructions. He didn't pay attention; he hadn't had time to treat his wounds from days of traveling and was already feeling quite weak.

Back in his room, he found some medicine for his wounds. Even taking off his clothes became extremely difficult; he practically had to tear off the fabric stuck to his wounds bit by bit.

The window lattice creaked open, and a dark figure leaped in. He instinctively grabbed his longsword.

"It's me." The newcomer deftly parried the sudden attack and quickly identified himself.

"It's you." He relaxed and swayed slightly. Jiuwei stepped forward to support him, her brows furrowed tightly.

"How did you get into such a mess, injured like this?" Jiuwei took the medicine bottle and treated his wounds, her reproach undisguised. "You don't even know how to bandage? You've only made it worse."

After finally managing to take off his clothes, he clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"You've managed to hold on until now; you're even more patient than me."

Ren Jiuwei silently cleaned the wound and applied medicinal powder. Jiuwei's hands were busy, but her mouth never stopped.

"What happened? Did Jia Ye miscalculate this time? I heard she was injured too?"

"Um."

"You're the one who carried him back, so is he more seriously injured than you?"

"Um."

"Who has this ability, and is it related to Alice?"

"Um."

"I was on tenterhooks the whole time, afraid you wouldn't make it back in time." Jiuwei sighed, at her wits' end. "Luckily you still have a memory, otherwise we would have been late."

"What?" Distracted by the pain from his wound, he couldn't understand this sentence.

"What? The antidote for Chiwan? Don't tell me you don't remember anything about it." Jiuwei rolled her eyes at him, almost wanting to punch him. "It was only two days before it took effect. If you hadn't come back in time, you could have just waited for the Gu worm to invade your brain."

There was a soft knock at the door.

Jiuwei pressed him down on the bed and went to get the things herself.

A dark-colored pill lay quietly in the cyan jade dish; it was the antidote that was needed periodically.

"This was brought by Lü Yi. This girl has become quite thoughtful since you won her over."

He took the pill, put it in his mouth, and stared blankly into thought.

The constant stream of unexpected events and plans over the past few days, coupled with worry about Jia Ye's injury, completely made him forget about the deadline. If it weren't for her insistence on his return…

That reckless forging ahead, that tireless driving day and night, was all for... him...?

“...It is indeed troublesome to be trapped here every time. I know you are frustrated, but now the King has entrusted the antidote to Qianming, which is hard to come by. Not to mention me, even Jiaye is helpless.”

Realizing her words were too discouraging, Jiuwei immediately changed her tune. "You should be patient for now. One day I will get the real antidote and get rid of this trouble once and for all."

He smiled, seemingly unconcerned.

Who exactly are you up against this time?

He sighed and briefly explained what had happened, omitting the part about Jia Ye's humiliation.

"So that's why you failed; it was a trap." Jiuwei's expression grew increasingly grave. "Even you didn't know she had a deadly trap? Jia Ye, so meticulous. It's truly a stroke of luck that you escaped this time."

Luck? He didn't think so.

Without unwavering and extraordinary willpower, there would be no chance of luck whatsoever.

"Chi Shu's hidden methods were so powerful. It's fortunate that he was destroyed, otherwise..."

“Nine Micro.” He suddenly remembered something.

"Um?"

"Help me investigate someone."

"who?"

“Huaiyi.” He hesitated for a moment. “Jia Ye mentioned this name unintentionally. Let’s keep it confidential.”

"Are there any other clues?"

"No."

“Okay.” Jiuwei readily agreed without asking why.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

He then felt the excruciating pain in his wound and was indescribably exhausted. Jiuwei helped him lie down on the bed and watched him fall into a deep sleep, finally putting her long-held worries to rest.

I slept for a full day and night.

The setting sun once again shone through the window, and the pool of water radiated countless golden rays.

A rare warm sun in winter.

He got up to wash and tidy himself up, and just as he finished, he heard a noise outside the door.

"Come in."

It was Bi Jun who peeked in, a young and smiling face.

"The boss is awake? I had a pretty good idea." He walked in first, followed by several others.

Red eagle, black hawk, black kite, blue owl, silver swan, and green falcon.

He trained the six wings himself.

Although they were directly under Jia Ye's command, they were mostly under his control, and were extremely loyal, like a sword he had personally forged.

Jia Ye never inquired about how to train or discipline them, only demanding that each task be completed clearly and efficiently. To these young subordinates, she existed more like a distant leader—authoritative, aloof, and unapproachable. They were extremely respectful and serious in front of Jia Ye, yet they were much more casual and relaxed in private, despite frequent contact with her.

"How are your injuries?" Red Eagle, being older, was much more composed.

He nodded. "Has there been any change in the church recently?"