Lu Jiangfeng wielded the longsword he had snatched from the assassins, his movements fluid and graceful. Wherever the silver light passed, the men in black fell dead. His snow-blue robes fluttered in the wind, making him appear as ethereal as a fairy.
"I don't have a fixed weapon; I can use whatever I can find on the spot!"
Shen Lixue frowned, swung her whip to knock away two black-clad men who were standing close by. Did he mean that he was proficient in all eighteen weapons and could use any of them at will? His killing movements were elegant and graceful, making it impossible to look away. The prodigy of Xiliang was indeed extraordinary.
In the darkness, a man in black raised his bow and arrow and aimed it at Shen Lixue. Lu Jiangfeng was highly skilled in martial arts, and although the men in black were numerous, they might not be able to defeat him. Their target tonight was only Shen Lixue. If they killed Shen Lixue, they could retreat. Otherwise, continuing to entangle them would not do them any good.
"Whoosh!" The long arrow pierced the sky with lightning speed, bypassing numerous obstacles, and shot straight towards Shen Lixue.
"Li'er, be careful!" Lu Jiangfeng had sharp hearing and noticed the sharp arrow. He shouted a warning and leaped over.
The arrow shot by the man in black was incredibly fast; before Lu Jiangfeng could even leap in front of Shen Lixue, the arrow was already right in front of her.
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened, and she lashed out with her whip at the arrow. The moment the whip touched the arrow, there was a loud "bang!" The arrow exploded, and Shen Lixue, caught off guard, was thrown back. Her chest heaved, and all the strength in her body seemed to have been drained away, leaving her weak and unable to muster any power.
She endured the excruciating pain and used all her strength to steady herself, barely managing to land on a slope. Then, she lost her footing, her slender body tilted and fell down the slope, rolling towards the bottomless abyss.
"Li'er!" Lu Jiangfeng exclaimed in shock, a hint of panic appearing on his handsome face. His slender figure leaped swiftly past the black-clad assassins, leaving trails of blood in his wake. With a light step, he jumped down the slope and chased after Shen Lixue.
The surviving men in black ceased their attack, gathered on the slope, and looked down at the bottomless abyss. If they rolled down from such a height, Shen Li and Lu Jiangfeng would surely perish; their mission was complete.
"Li Xue!" Accompanied by an anxious call, a tall, slender white figure descended from the sky. Looking at the empty horseback and the lingering smoke, his deep eyes were filled with intense anger. He suddenly raised his eyes to look at the group of men in black, his sharp eyes flashing with cold light, and his thin lips uttered three words ruthlessly: "Kill without mercy!"
Ten black-clad guards appeared out of thin air, wielding gleaming longswords, and charged towards the black-clad assassins. Their deep, restrained aura, unpredictable movements, and techniques made them impossible to defend against. This was not a fight, but a pure massacre. One after another, the black-clad assassins fell, and the air was filled with the thick stench of blood.
"Li Xue!" Dongfang Hengli's eyes flashed with anxiety and worry. Without stopping, he rushed to the place where Shen Li Xue had rolled down the slope and jumped down. He was so fast that no one could stop him. He had rushed over as fast as he could after seeing Shen Li Xue's distress signal, but he was still a step too late. Li Xue, you must be safe and sound.
"Your Highness!" Zi Mo stood on the slope, watching the figure in white disappear into the dark night, and sighed inwardly. The prince was truly willing to risk his life for his princess.
Turning around, he saw that the ten guards had killed all the men in black. His lips twitched: "Didn't you leave a single survivor?"
"Keep him alive!" A guard carried a black-clad assassin covered in blood and half-dead. "Those assassins obeyed his orders, so his status must be quite high!"
Zi Mo glanced at the man and said, "You take him back to the villa. The rest of you come with me to find the Prince and his wife!"
After Lu Jiangfeng jumped down the slope, it was too steep and slippery, and his descent became uncontrollable, turning into a rolling tumble. The scent of wild grass filled his nostrils, and the wind whistled past his ears.
He didn't know how much time had passed before he finally stopped. His body was in great pain and he was exhausted. He forced himself to stay awake and called out in a low voice, "Li'er, Li'er!"
He was chasing after Shen Lixue as she rolled down the slope. He stopped here, and she should have stopped nearby as well.
All around was quiet; the only response he received was silence.
Lu Jiangfeng's handsome brows furrowed tightly. The arrow exploded, and Li'er was thrown down the slope, tumbling all the way. She must have fainted. He called her, but she couldn't hear him. To find her, he had to think of another way.
Lu Jiangfeng gathered his energy and calmed down slowly. He listened carefully to the sounds around him. A gust of wind blew by, and the wild grass swayed in the wind. A faint smell of gunpowder wafted to his nose. His eyes narrowed, and he quickly walked over following the smell.
Gradually, the smell of gunpowder grew stronger, mixed with a faint fragrance of a woman. Lu Jiangfeng accurately located Shen Lixue's position, slowly squatted down, and whispered, "Li'er!" His voice was as gentle as a spring breeze, incredibly soft.
Shen Lixue lay on her side on the ground, her hair slightly disheveled, her eyes tightly closed, showing no reaction.
Lu Jiangfeng tentatively reached out and touched a piece of jade-like skin. The skin under his fingers was as soft as a handful of snow, as if it would melt away at any moment. His fingers trembled slightly involuntarily as they slid down to touch her delicate chin.
His gaze darkened, and Lu Jiangfeng's strong arms reached under Shen Lixue's neck, half-lifting her up, and he whispered, "Li'er, Li'er!"
Shen Lixue lay quietly with her eyes closed, showing no reaction whatsoever!
A faint smell of blood wafted by, and Lu Jiangfeng's gaze sharpened. Li'er was injured!
He was blind and couldn't see where Shen Lixue was injured. He leaned closer to Shen Lixue and sniffed to confirm the location of the blood. Suddenly, half of his face touched soft skin. The smooth and delicate touch was unforgettable.
Warm breath sprayed into the air in front of him, and Lu Jiangfeng knew that his cheek had touched Shen Lixue's face. In the night, his handsome face was faintly tinged with a barely perceptible blush.
The arrow exploded at close range, injuring Shen Lixue's arm near her shoulder. To apply medicine, she had to remove some of her clothing.
Lu Jiangfeng's jade-like fingers reached out to Shen Lixue's waist, hesitating whether to untie her belt to treat her injury... Their situation was different, it was inconvenient. If he didn't untie her belt and treat her injury, the wound would worsen over time, and she would be the one suffering.
What should we do? Should we treat her injuries?
While hesitating, Shen Lixue unconsciously murmured a few times, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible. Lu Jiangfeng, with his keen hearing, couldn't hear her clearly either. But when he leaned closer to listen carefully, he realized she was saying the same word over and over: "Heng, Heng, Heng!"
Heng! Who is it? Is it the man who smells of pine resin?
“Heng…it hurts…” Shen Lixue’s murmured a little louder, and in addition to the word “Heng”, there seemed to be an extra “tender” sound in her tone.
Heng and Teng sound very similar. Lu Jiangfeng was unsure which word the delirious Shen Lixue was saying, but since the injured person needed to have her wound treated as soon as possible, she was most likely saying the word 'Teng'. He put aside his concerns, untied the belt around Shen Lixue's waist, and revealed her injured arm.
Shen Lixue slept peacefully, completely unaware of anything. Her outer clothes were slightly disheveled, and her snow-white shoulders stood out conspicuously against the dark fabric.
Lu Jiangfeng carefully cleaned the wound with a silk handkerchief, then applied some wound medicine. The skin beneath his fingertips was warm and soft, delicate as snow. A strange sensation seeped into his jade-like fingertips and instantly reached his heart. His unfocused, dark eyes held an unusual emotion that no one else could understand.
After bandaging the wound, Lu Jiangfeng helped Shen Lixue adjust her clothes and tied the ribbon around her waist. As he gently embraced her, his white jade fingers touched her delicate cheek, and it was as if an electric current instantly traveled from his fingers to his limbs.
He paused for a moment, then prepared to change positions so she could rest more comfortably. His fingers touched her soft, smooth, flowing black hair again, and the wonderful touch was truly unforgettable.
Lu Jiangfeng looked down at the sleeping Shen Lixue, feeling the smooth black silk in his hand, and a helpless smile appeared on his lips. Li'er, who exactly are you?
As the morning clouds dispersed and the thin mist dissipated, golden rays shone through the clouds onto the earth and onto the two people sleeping side by side by the big tree.
In a daze, Shen Lixue felt very tired and in pain, especially in her arms, where sharp pains came from. She frowned and slowly opened her eyes.
A figure in a light blue dress came into view, and a faint scent of crabapple blossoms wafted into her nose. She was startled, her hazy thoughts instantly clearing. Where was she? Why wasn't Heng beside her?
Warm breath sprayed over her head, and she felt her head resting on someone's shoulder. She quickly straightened up, but unexpectedly bumped her head on someone's chin. The pain made her dizzy. She gently rubbed her head where she had been hit. What happened?
"You're awake!" Lu Jiangfeng gently touched his chin, facing Shen Lixue's direction. His dark eyes were unfathomable, and his handsome face was slightly gloomy. He had also been hit quite hard just now.
"Lu Jiangfeng." Shen Lixue was startled and quickly looked around. The slope was high and the top could not be seen at a glance. There were only trees and withered grass on all sides, and no houses that should be in the capital. "How did we get here?"