What's going on?
Stopping the tearing pain in his brain, Chu Cheng stumbled to his feet and looked at the scene before him in astonishment.
Gu Zhong glanced at him coldly, did not answer, picked up Ling Yan and turned to walk outside, disappearing into the night in the blink of an eye.
"Damn it—I've been infected."
Chu Cheng was initially displeased, but the memories that surfaced after his mind cleared made him feel guilty and remorseful—Ling Yan had almost died at his hands.
"We have quite a big bag of luggage!"
Ling Ying said with a wry smile, her words carrying a hint of gritted teeth.
"The evil has been vanquished; search the palace now."
Chu Cheng shook his head and gave instructions to the other disciples.
Although, judging from what they had experienced, the fellow disciples who entered the inner hall back then were probably doomed, Chu Cheng still clung to a last glimmer of hope.
However, the outcome was destined to disappoint him; the palace was reduced to nothing but a pile of bones.
Not a single palace servant survived, nor did any exorcist.
"Senior Brother Chu!"
A disciple who had entered the inner hall alone suddenly exclaimed in surprise. The group thought that the demons had not been completely eliminated, so they quickly became on guard and cautiously entered the hall in groups.
"queen!"
The disciple stood beside the magnificent rear tent, his face filled with disbelief.
"What's wrong?"
Chu Cheng asked warily, taking extreme care as he approached the gently swaying curtains step by step.
"The Queen is still alive!?"
It's hard to say whether that exclamation was more of a reaction to shock or fear.
Why is the queen still alive?
Everyone was thinking the same thing.
Under the cover of darkness, a barely perceptible wisp of black mist swirled around the bedside before slowly sinking down.
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Author's Note:
The first day back after the holiday was painful.
//Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-04-05 14:34:15 and 2022-04-06 23:48:47!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Lu An (22 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 125 Swordsman and Exorcist (Part 11)
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Gu Zhong carried the heavily injured Ling Yan out of the inner palace and ran all the way, rushing out of the palace gates and heading in the direction completely opposite to the royal palace.
Injuries caused by exorcists' spells and artifacts can only be healed by exorcists themselves.
She ran with all her might, as fast as she could, like a gust of wind, passing through palaces and towering pavilions, and through bustling city streets and alleys, finally standing beneath the gilded plaque with its powerful and vigorous calligraphy.
"Who goes there!?"
Even in the dead of night, the gatekeepers of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion diligently guarded this gate that few people would knock on.
"Get out of the way."
Gu Zhong didn't have the leisure to politely explain things to them and wait for them to slowly relay the information. She chose the simplest and most direct method, which would also be most likely to alarm the main eaters.
She cleaved open the gate of the Imperial Preceptor's mansion with a single sword stroke.
"How dare you!"
"Guards! Someone's causing trouble!"
Two exclamations rang out in quick succession, like water droplets turning a seemingly calm pot of boiling oil into a sudden uproar in the night.
Countless bright torches suddenly appeared in a long array, completely surrounding Gu Zhong. The guards at the Imperial Preceptor's residence were unexpectedly well-prepared and swift in their deployment.
"Elder Gu? What happened?"
The disciple who led them inside during the day emerged from behind, and it was clear that he was the one in charge at the moment.
"She is injured."
Gu Zhong looked down at the person in his arms whose breathing was becoming increasingly weak.
"How could this be? Where are Senior Brother Chu and the others?"
Upon seeing Ling Yan covered in blood, the disciple was startled and then anxiously asked her what was wrong.
"They're fine, they're just finishing up in the palace, hurry and save her!"
He answered impatiently, his voice already tinged with anxious anger.
"Okay—someone come quick and help!"
The disciple then realized what was happening and quickly summoned the physician. He carefully took Lingyan from Gu Zhong's arms and took her to a spacious and clean guest room, which would be used temporarily for her treatment.
The guest room door creaked shut, cutting off Gu Zhong's gaze that was fixed on Ling Yan, but she still stared blankly ahead.
Elder Gu—
A familiar voice came from behind her, carrying a hint of nonchalance, which suddenly ignited Gu Zhong's anger.
She turned around and swung her fist at him, but the man easily dodged it.
Her punch missed its mark, and Gu Zhong immediately stopped. She looked at the man surnamed Lu with a thoughtful expression.
"What does Elder Gu mean by this?"
Even when suddenly attacked, Senior Brother Lu maintained his polite and gentlemanly manners, showing no signs of anger.
"Why must these young noblemen be sent to the royal palace?"
Gu Zhong then asked this question that no one could understand.
How could I possibly know about the king's arrangements?
He still shook his head, saying he didn't know.
"Yeah?"
Gu Zhong sneered, said nothing more, and continued to look at the room.
"Elder Gu, don't worry, Miss Ling will be fine. The magic of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion is not very harmful to people."
He clearly already knew that Lingyan had been injured by her companions, yet he had clearly not seen any signs of her injury just now.
He clearly knew the demon's abilities, yet he made no mention of them.
The demons entrenched in the palace, the current state of the Imperial Preceptor's Mansion, and the attitude of this Senior Brother Lu—all these factors, shrouded in mystery, create an atmosphere of profound confusion.
No one knows what the truth hidden beneath the fog is, or how it can be revealed.
The door that Gu Zhong had been longing to open opened and closed again, and the doctors filed out. One of them walked over and bowed to her and Senior Brother Lu.
"Miss Ling's injuries are not serious. She just needs to rest for the next few days."
Thank you.
Gu Zhong hurriedly said thank you and rushed into the house.
"Thanks for your hard work."
After thanking the doctor kindly, Senior Brother Lu glanced at Gu Zhong, who seemed very anxious, and squinted, seemingly deep in thought.
Seeing Ling Yan lying on the bed, her face ashen and her breath faint, Gu Zhong quickly moved closer and knelt down beside the bed.
She raised her hand, trembling, and touched Lingyan's cheek, her eyes reddening as if she were about to cry.
"Ayan...I'm sorry..."
She lowered her head and murmured something softly.
"Sorry for what? I'm not dead yet!"
The person on the bed suddenly spoke, their weak voice carrying a hint of helpless gritted teeth.
"You're awake?"
Gu Zhong quickly looked up, somewhat surprised, then seemed to remember something and quickly turned his head away.
"You cried?"
By the light of the candlestick by the bedside, Lingyan could vaguely see the redness at the corners of Gu Zhong's eyes.
"No!"
Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, Gu Zhong raised his voice in rebuttal, which only drew a burst of unrestrained laughter from Ling Yan.
Gu Zhong, who was always tenacious and unrestrained, actually had a day when he bowed his head and shed tears. This would be unbelievable in the realm of gods.
Gu Zhong herself felt ashamed, but she could no longer bear the possibility of losing Ling Yan.
This wasn't the first time. Watching his beloved get seriously injured right in front of him, yet being powerless to do anything about it, Gu Zhong truly hated this feeling.
She had promised Lingyan that she would protect her for all eternity, but she had never been able to keep her promise.
On the contrary, Lingyan bravely stood in front of her, protecting her time and time again.
"Respect."
The laughter stopped, and Lingyan suddenly called out to her, interrupting Gu Zhong's self-pitying thoughts.
"Um?"
She snapped out of her daze, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, turned to look at Lingyan, and listened attentively to what she was about to say.