Urbaner Blumentraum - Kapitel 229
Of course it belongs to Zhu Huihui!
There was a lot of blood on the ground, but that was only for a little girl. With Zhu Huahua's huge size, if it were the cat, there would at least be signs of a fierce struggle around here—but this patch of grass was merely flattened.
If Zhu Huihui lost so much blood, she must have been seriously injured. Even if she didn't die, she would be unconscious. Therefore, she couldn't have left on her own; she must have been taken away by someone.
So, who took her away? What will that person do with the human and the pig? Will they kill them, or do they have other plans?
Nishino En casually searched around the bushes but didn't find Hua Hua's body. Instead, he discovered a series of hoof prints.
Of course, those are Zhu Huahua's hoof prints!
The hoofprints stretched forward, evenly spaced, with neat steps. He could even imagine the big, fat pig walking unhurriedly, wagging its tail, shaking its ears, sniffing and grunting as it went.
Nishino carefully examined the area around the hoof prints, but found no other traces on the grass. It wasn't until he walked quite a distance that he saw a faint crescent-shaped mark of soil on the delicate petals of a midnight orchid.
That pig was indeed with someone else!
Judging from the marks on the petals, this person has incredibly high lightness skills! And he was probably carrying Zhu Huihui with him, otherwise he wouldn't have left even these marks, right?
This person went to such great lengths to take Zhu Huihui away; perhaps... he meant her no harm?
Zhu Huahua's hoofprints stretched all the way to the distant lakeside, where they disappeared from sight.
At the end of the hoofprints, Nishino En discovered traces of a moored boat.
He stood on the shore and looked out over the lake.
The lake was vast, and the night was deep; nothing could be seen.
This is territory bordering Tianshui Island, and no one is more knowledgeable about matters on the water than Fang Jianwu. Under these circumstances, it should naturally be left to Fang Jianwu to send people to investigate.
Nishino En turned back and ran the way he came. He hadn't gone more than a few miles when he suddenly heard a very low groan from the roadside.
He suddenly stopped and placed his hand on the scabbard at his waist, feeling a chill emanating from the Forget-Worry Sword.
The sword has been drawn.
Bathed in moonlight, the blade gleamed with a chilling light.
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.