Urbaner Blumentraum - Kapitel 73
The groans were coming from the woods on the left side of the road.
With his exceptional skills and daring, Nishino En disregarded the martial arts adage "never pursue a desperate enemy, and never retreat into the forest," and swiftly entered the woods.
In a sparse grove, beneath a brightly leafed tree, leaned a person, head drooping softly to one side, moonlight filtering through the sparse branches and falling upon him. Seeing the black silk robe and the narrow silver trim along the hem, Nishino En's heart suddenly raced.
The swallows are deep in the cold!
Just as Feng Xuese likes to wear white clothes and I like to wear red, my old friend Yan Shenhan prefers to wear black silk robes with silver trim.
So, could this person be Yan Shenhan?
Anyone else would have pounced on him upon seeing this. But Nishino En was extremely experienced in the ways of the world, and despite his impatience, he cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
The forest was quiet and still, except for the occasional chirping of an insect; there was nothing else unusual, and no other lurking sounds could be heard.
Nishino En tentatively called out, "Old Yan!"
The man groaned again, tilting his head slightly, and a beam of moonlight shone on his face.
Although his face was pale, those handsome features could only be those of Yan Shenhan.
Nishino En's mind went blank for a moment, and he leaped to his side: "Old Yan!"
Yan Shenhan's eyes opened slightly, and his lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.
When Nishino En reached out and touched him, his limbs were limp and weak, his bones broken into pieces. It turned out that someone had used an extremely severe technique to break his bones inch by inch. From his knuckles to his collarbone, from his soles to his pelvis, there wasn't a single intact bone.
Nishino En's eyes widened in fury: "Old Yan! Hold on!"
Knowing full well that Yan Shenhan couldn't possibly be here on his own with such severe injuries, and that there must be a trap, he couldn't care less at this moment. He took out an internal injury pill from his pocket and placed it under Yan Shenhan's tongue. He wanted to carry him, but because Yan Shenhan's injuries were so severe, he was afraid of disturbing his bones and dared not move rashly. In his anxiety, he bent down and carefully picked Yan Shenhan up.
Just then, from behind the bright-leaved tree beneath Yan Shenhan, a thin, curved knife pierced out.
That dazzling brilliance, like cherry blossoms swaying in the wind, was both poignant and shimmering.
If Xiye Yan wanted to dodge, he would have to abandon Yan Shenhan, but the curved blade would slash into Yan Shenhan's body, and he would surely die.
In that moment of hesitation, the knife was already upon him. He kicked off the tree trunk with his foot, leaning back to avoid a fatal blow, and then watched helplessly as the curved knife pierced his ribs and dragged downwards.
When Xiye Yan heard the sound of his muscles being cut open and his bones being chopped, he only had time to let out a long howl before collapsing. Even so, because the sect had shaken Yan Shenhan, he still held him tightly in his arms.
Behind the tree, a tall, slender man in a black outfit turned around. Beneath a black mask, his eyes held a sorrowful look, like the deep, dark night, filled with an unfathomable loneliness.
Blood gushed from Nishino En's ribs, and all his strength gradually vanished with each drop of blood. He held Yan Shenhan with one hand and gripped his knife tightly with the other. Although he was severely wounded, he was still confident that he could die together with the enemy.
The man watched him silently, then suddenly turned and disappeared into the jungle.
His silhouette was lonely and sorrowful, like a wolf wandering in the wilderness under the night sky.
Nishino En suddenly released the knife in his hand and used the last bit of strength to stop the bleeding by pressing acupoints on his own. This way, he should be able to hold on until his own people nearby heard the whistle and came over.
The massive loss of blood made his body grow colder and colder, and he felt dizzy. His ears, pressed against the ground, could still catch the sounds of hurried footsteps coming from afar. A smile appeared on his lips, and he passed out peacefully.
In his unconscious state, he vaguely wondered: Why didn't he kill me?
When Xi Yeyan and Yan Shenhan were sent back to Xuan Yue Shui Island, Fang Jianwu had just left.
Three-quarters of an hour ago, he received an urgent intelligence report from the coastal border region.
A ship from Tianshui Island defeated a group of Japanese pirates near Chiwei Island in the East China Sea and rescued a merchant traveling between Japan and China. According to this man, the general of the Japanese island nation was secretly mobilizing troops, seemingly preparing to invade China. He had received this information and thus quickly fled Japan to send the news back home.
At this time, Yu and Qi, the two main generals in the fight against the Japanese pirates, were still in prison. If the Japanese pirates attacked, our Heavenly Dynasty's army would be powerless to resist, and the people of our coastal and border regions would suffer greatly.
With national interests at stake, all personal grudges had to be put aside for the time being. After hurriedly handing over the matter, Fang Jianwu led his men to the coast overnight to deploy the forces of Jietianshui Island at sea, personally overseeing the preparations for resisting the enemy.
Seeing that Xi Yeyan and Yan Shenhan were in imminent danger, Feng Xuese remained calm despite her shock. Her first action was to ask Miss Mu to treat her two brothers. Her second action was to send word to the two great families of Chiyantian and Shenbingjie. At the same time, she urgently sent out news that the Japanese pirates planned to invade China again, and temporarily took the place of Fang Jianwu, Xi Yeyan, and Yan Shenhan to mobilize the four great families and martial arts practitioners to quickly coordinate a joint defense along the coast.
A peaceful Chinese martial arts world is silently brewing a massive bloodbath.
Feng Xuese stood outside the Tingtao Pavilion on Xuan Yue Water Island, waiting quietly.
He had no other choice but to wait.
It has been three days, and the doors and windows of Tingtao Pavilion remain tightly closed.
Miss Mu, along with her two maids and all the renowned doctors she could find in Yueyang City, remained inside Tingtao Pavilion and did not emerge.
I wonder how Xiye Yan and Yan Shenhan are doing.
Their injuries were so severe that when he first "saw" them, he thought his two brothers were already dead!
They'll be fine! They definitely won't!
Three days ago, they were able to hold on until they were rescued and brought back to Xuan Yue Shui Island. There is no reason why they would not be able to survive under the all-out efforts of so many doctors.
But... why is the door to Tingtao Pavilion still closed after so much time has passed?
Feng Xuese's heart was burning with anguish, yet her face remained calm. On the contrary, Feng Jueya, the Thousand-Mile Soul Chaser, was restless, pacing back and forth outside the door.
With a creak, the door he provided finally opened.
Feng Jueya exclaimed joyfully, "Miss!"
"Uncle Feng!"
Chen Muwan's voice was weak, his cheeks were sunken, and his face was ashen, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.
Her two maids followed behind, one carrying a wooden basin filled with blood, and the other carrying a large bundle of blood-stained cotton cloth.