The mountain lord was restless, pacing back and forth in the bushes, humming softly as he tried to go out, but was pulled back by the neck twice by Qiu Su.
"Run!"
A man rushing to catch a carriage shouted with all his might, then collapsed limply to the ground.
Pei Yuan pressed his lips tightly together. "Let's go together, quickly."
Although the group moved quickly, their pursuers spotted them and gave chase. Pei Yuan glanced to the other side, shoved Qiu Su to He Zhuo, and crouched low as he ran swiftly in another direction. He stopped on a large rock, chuckled, and called out, "I wonder how much silver you brothers have taken to be so determined to take my life? Let's make a deal: I'll double the amount, and you'll protect me, okay?"
The men in black indeed changed direction, with most heading towards Pei Yuan, leaving only two to deal with the group.
Qiu Su watched as Pei Yuan disappeared into the woods in a flash. Taking advantage of the moment when the mountain lord was entangled with two men in black, she solemnly said, "He Zhuo, take them safely into the city. Someone in the city will meet them."
After speaking, he whistled, and the mountain lord dodged a man's broadsword and ran to Qiu Su's side, protecting her as they ran in the direction where Pei Yuan had disappeared.
"Young Miss!" Huang Tao cried out in fright when she saw someone raise a knife and narrowly slash at Qiu Su's waist.
He Zhuo's face hardened, and he swung two daggers with his backhand, aiming them straight for the two men's faces without any hesitation. One of the men in black was unable to dodge in time and was slashed on the forehead. He Zhuo tried to move forward, but He Zhuo said coldly, "If you're not afraid of death, then move more."
The man in black felt a tingling sensation on his forehead and was momentarily dazed. The other man stopped in his tracks. "You used poison?"
He Zhuo snorted and protected Huang Tao and Qi Xiu as they retreated towards the mountainside. The man in black seemed unwilling to get entangled with them any longer, and upon seeing another person lie down, he decisively turned around and chased after the other side.
Huang Tao breathed a sigh of relief. "You used poison?"
"Hmph, what poison could be that potent?"
"I do have some, but I don't carry it with me. It's a sleeping potion that the young lady used, and it will work faster if it comes into contact with blood."
He Zhuo snorted and ran towards Qiu Su's direction, leaving the two behind. Qi Xiu said anxiously, "You're not listening to the chieftain's words! Aren't you just making trouble? We're an old man and a woman. How are we going to escape if we encounter thieves again? If you catch the two of us, you won't have to run anymore. The young lady will definitely come to you obediently."
He Zhuo stopped in his tracks, thought for a moment, and walked back in a huff. He led the two of them to the other side, and after walking quite a distance, he gritted his teeth and said, "You call yourself an old man? You don't even have a single white beard!"
Qi Xiu stroked his beard and smiled, "I can read faces. Miss is a wealthy person and nothing bad will happen to her."
Although Pei Yuan was alone, he couldn't match the speed of the man in black. In addition, he didn't have a weapon with him, so he was no match for him by just dodging.
The men in black slowed their pace, staring at Pei Yuan, who had stopped with his back to a tree in the moonlight. They exchanged glances and formed a semi-circle around him.
Pei Yuan was too lazy to run anymore, so he simply propped himself up on his knees and panted, saying, "Are you in cahoots with me from last time? My father became prime minister, but he has never offended anyone or wronged the people. Why do you hate him so much?"
"Your Highness is too kind. We are here on orders to take you to reunite with the late Emperor."
Pei Yuan frowned in confusion. "Who? Didn't the current emperor just get married? Do you really think you can keep your word?"
The leader of the men in black snorted, "What we want is the life of the eldest young master of the Pei family."
"May my death allow me to understand who truly wants my life?"
"Enough with the nonsense!" The leader of the men in black stepped forward, raising his knife to strike. Pei Yuan's mind raced; the moment the knife fell, he crouched down and rolled down the slope.
From Qiu Su's perspective, Pei Yuan was slashed on the back and fell down the slope. Although she was anxious, she did not approach him. She patted the mountain lord's head and let him rush into the crowd, while she went around to the other side.
The mountain path was difficult to traverse, and Qiu Su nearly slipped several times. If she hadn't been holding onto tree branches the whole way, she probably would have already rushed down the mountain. Fortunately, the slope became gentler after crossing a large protruding rock. Qiu Su found Pei Yuan's figure among the bushes, hurried for a while, and jumped down to land beside him.
"You!" Upon seeing this, Pei Yuan swung the wooden stick in his hand without hesitation, but unable to stop himself, he had to fling the stick away.
"Sigh, you're affecting my performance," Pei Yuan complained.
Qiu Su reached out and touched his back, only to secretly breathe a sigh of relief when she felt no blood.
With the mountain lord's arrival, the men in black were restrained. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qiu Su pulled Pei Yuan up a large rock and climbed towards a steeper area. If she remembered correctly, there was a cliff in this area with a deep pool at the bottom; perhaps they could escape there.
**************************************
Qingfeng Theater:
Qiu Su: What does it mean that I have erotic dreams? I'm such a pure person!
Qi Xiu: As the ancients said, if you think about something day and night, your dreams will surely come true.
Pei Yuan: My wife, I am deeply moved that you have been thinking of me day and night.
18
18. Escaping danger...
The steep slope was really difficult to climb. Qiu Su's fingers, which were gripping the rocks, were numb with pain, and she had to keep glancing down at the situation below.
Although the mountain lord was agile, he was still somewhat overwhelmed when surrounded by so many people. In addition, having his cubs hindered his movements, and he was nearly cut by the knives several times. Qiu Su was anxious, so she used one hand to whistle while holding onto the rocks.
Upon hearing the whistle, the mountain lord ran a short distance away, looked up at Qiu Su, who was some distance away from the man in black, roared twice, and quickly disappeared into the darkness.
Pei Yuan first reached a flat area, narrow enough for only one person to pass through. The mountain people believed it was a carved path or a naturally formed, gentle slope. Pei Yuan pulled Qiu Su up and moved along the rock face to the other side.
Where to go?
"The mountaintop."
"Then?"
"Jump off the cliff." Qiu Su slipped and used her other arm to grab the rock face. Xia Shan was already thin, and her arm burned with pain, probably because it had been scraped again.
Mother, she had no intention of jumping off the cliff here.
Pei Yuan tightened his grip, slowed down, and said in a low voice, "We can't climb to the top."
Qiu Su looked down at her feet; it was pitch black and she couldn't see anything. She frowned, pondered for a long time, then pursed her lips and said, "Hide."