"Otherwise, how could she have just disappeared for no reason?"
"I was really careless." The fake Lin Yueyao stared at Ju Mu'er and murmured, "To be honest, I quite like Yueyao. That girl is smart, quick-witted, and obedient, much more likable than you." She suddenly paused and said sharply, "Where did you hide her?"
"If you promise not to kill me, I will tell you."
"Not kill you?" the fake Lin Yueyao said coldly, "I'll slice you to pieces, one by one, and see if you'll talk!"
As she drank, she took a few steps forward, about to grab Ju Mu'er, when suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, as if something had pierced her.
The fake Lin Yueyao screamed in agony, looking down in disbelief to see blood gushing from her body, staining her clothes at the waist. At that moment, Ju Mu'er rushed over and swung her staff hard, striking the fake Lin Yueyao on the shoulder.
Caught off guard, Lin Yueyao cried out in pain again and collapsed to the ground.
Ju Mu'er landed a successful blow but did not linger. She did not know where the dart had hit, nor where her staff had struck. She could not see Lin Yueyao's condition and could only judge from the sound that she had fallen to the ground.
Ju Mu'er knew her own limitations. Although she feigned fear to lower the woman's guard and launched a surprise attack with a hidden weapon from her cane, she didn't believe she could defeat this fake Lin Yueyao. If the dart only scratched the surface, and if the woman truly knew martial arts, then any further fight would only mean certain death.
Ju Mu'er had been talking for a long time, dragging things out until this moment, just to wait for rescue. But there was no movement outside, and she had no way to delay any longer. In this critical situation, she had no choice but to take a risk.
While speaking, Ju Mu'er had already rehearsed all her actions. So, even after striking, she didn't stop, quickly rushing to the table and sweeping it aside. The candle fell over, its flame extinguished. In a flurry, Ju Mu'er grabbed the candle, silently crouching and rolling under the bed.
The room was very quiet; there wasn't a sound.
Ju Mu'er didn't dare to breathe, only hearing her own heart pounding like a drum.
She waited for a long time, but there was still no sound from inside the room. Ju Mu'er broke out in a cold sweat. Although it was very likely that Lin Yueyao had been knocked unconscious, she still dared not move. She was afraid it might be a hoax.
The room remained silent, and Ju Mu'er remained motionless, hiding under the bed. The silence heightened the eeriness of the room, and Ju Mu'er's heart pounded in her throat.
If the fake Lin Yueyao is truly unable to move, if she dies, what will happen to her accomplices outside the door? How many of them are there? How will she get out of this room?
Will she ever see Second Master again?
Just as Ju Mu'er was lost in thought about Long Er, she suddenly heard that woman's laughter.
A ghostly, chilling laugh echoed in the air.
"You really are calm and collected; you really are cunning." It was a fake Lin Yueyao; she's alright!
Ju Mu'er closed her eyes, her clothes were soaked with sweat, and she felt very cold.
"I underestimated you; you actually hid a concealed weapon."
As Ju Mu'er listened to what the fake Lin Yueyao said, and heard the sound of the ground scraping, it sounded like she was getting up.
"You think you can escape by ambushing me? You think you can get away by extinguishing the candles and turning me into a blind person like you? Didn't I tell you, you can't escape even if you grow wings?"
The fake Lin Yueyao was furious. After being tricked, she collapsed to the ground, and as she watched Ju Mu'er extinguish the candlelight, everything went black. She understood Ju Mu'er's plan perfectly. The sky was overcast, moonless; Ju Mu'er had chosen this opportunity to kill her. She didn't want to be seen, but she hadn't expected to give Ju Mu'er the chance in return.
The room was pitch black, and the fake Lin Yueyao knew she was barely better off than a blind person in such conditions, so she devised a plan. She remained still, feigning death. In this situation, a normal person would approach her, check her breathing, or touch her to see if she reacted. As soon as Ju Mu'er approached, she could grab her and kill her.
But she pretended for a long time, and Ju Mu'er didn't come over. There wasn't even a sound in the room. It was as if she had vanished into thin air the moment the candle went out.
But Lin Yueyao knew that Ju Mu'er hadn't disappeared; she was hiding somewhere in the house, perhaps in a corner, or perhaps behind a cabinet. She would force her out; she would find her.
Once you find her, kill her!
Ju Mu'er heard her voice floating in the room, and then heard the sound of her bumping into tables, cabinets and chairs, as if she was searching for her all over the room.
Ju Mu'er remained motionless.
The fake Lin Yueyao wandered around the room, speaking threateningly, but she couldn't find Ju Mu'er. She listened intently, but heard nothing. The fake Lin Yueyao felt very weak, as if she was about to run out of strength. It wasn't just the bleeding from her wounds; she also felt numbness in her limbs.
That dart was poisoned.
The fake Lin Yueyao found a chair, sat down, and breathed heavily. She knew Ju Mu'er was in the room; the room wasn't big, so she couldn't possibly hide anywhere.
But she was injured and poisoned, and wouldn't last much longer. If she died, would the cunning Ju Mu'er be able to deceive the people outside? She always had some unexpected moves. Although it was unlikely, what if she really had a way to escape? Just like how she injured herself now.
The fake Lin Yueyao sat there, not wasting any more energy speaking. Only one thing was on her mind: before she died, she had to kill Ju Mu'er.
We must kill her.
But she can't find her now; she doesn't have the strength to look anymore.
Suddenly, the fake Lin Yueyao thought of something. She touched her clothes, smiled, and took out a flint and steel. She lit the flint and steel and used the light to scan the room.
Ju Mu'er was not in the room.
Fake Lin Yueyao was stunned. Her mind went blank, and she couldn't quite process what was happening. Perhaps there was a secret passage in this room? She frowned, lit the flint again, sat down in the chair, and turned to scan the room once more.
She felt her body growing increasingly numb; the poison from the dart was taking effect. She was running out of time. She saw some books on the table, so she gritted her teeth, braced herself, and reached over to light them with a flint and steel.
Before she came, she had thought that if anything went wrong, she would rather die together with Ju Mu'er than let her die!
She absolutely could not allow anyone to have the opportunity to hurt him.
There aren't many good men left in this world. She was fortunate enough to meet one, though it was a pity he wasn't hers. But she was already content just looking at him from afar, and being able to serve him and repay his kindness was a blessing from heaven.
Ju Mu'er was right about one thing: she was initially more wary of Lin Yueyao because Lin Yueyao had feelings for Hua Yibai. A woman with feelings in her heart is terrifying; she's capable of anything. Therefore, she was even more wary of Lin Yueyao than of Ju Mu'er.
But she was wrong!
A woman with a strong sense of righteousness can be just as formidable.
The fake Lin Yueyao lit the book and then used it to set fire to everything else on the table. She then used the sparks to scan the room. She still couldn't see Ju Mu'er, but it didn't matter; in this confined space, fire could burn everything.
Lin Yueyao picked up a book that was spitting fire and threw it onto the bed.
81. A narrow escape from death awaits rescue (revised)
The bed curtains and blankets quickly caught fire.
The moment the book was thrown onto the bed, the fake Lin Yueyao suddenly realized where Ju Mu'er could be hiding—under the bed.
She squinted, about to rush over with all her might, when she heard shouts and sounds of fighting coming from outside.
The fake Lin Yueyao was startled, but quickly forgot about the commotion. It didn't matter; she wasn't afraid to die. She wanted to perish here with Ju Mu'er. Perhaps this was for the best; she would be deeply imprinted in his heart from now on. He would know that she was willing to give up her life for him.
The fake Lin Yueyao cut her leg, and the intense pain instantly invigorated her, making her seem agile again. She lunged at the bed and reached under it.
Although fire can burn everything, she hoped even more that she could end Ju Mu'er's life with her own hands.
The fire on the bed grew larger and larger, and in just a moment it was truly burning. Fake Lin Yueyao bent down to look under the bed, but unexpectedly a cane suddenly jabbed at her, hitting her right in the face.
Fake Lin Yueyao cried out in pain, but reacted quickly, grabbing the cane and pulling it out forcefully. Ju Mu'er screamed as she was dragged out from under the bed, the cane slipping from her hand, and she tumbled and crashed into a chair.
The fake Lin Yueyao, wielding a cane, struck Ju Mu'er forcefully. The blow landed on Ju Mu'er's back, causing her to cry out in pain. She then picked up a chair and hurled it at the fake Lin Yueyao.
The fake Lin Yueyao subtly dodged the chair. The fighting outside the door hadn't stopped, and knowing that there was no time to lose, she threw aside her cane, drew a dagger from her waist, and lunged at Ju Mu'er.
Ju Mu'er scrambled forward, her hand landing on a burning piece of paper that had fallen to the ground. A sharp pain shot through her body from her palm, but she couldn't care less and dared not stop. However, the small room made her struggles to escape seem futile.
The fake Lin Yueyao caught up in a few strides, grabbed her hair, pulled her up from the ground, and then slammed her to the ground. Ju Mu'er was dizzy and her scalp throbbed with pain from the fall. The next moment, she felt a weight on her as the fake Lin Yueyao pressed down on her.
At this moment, the fake Lin Yueyao's eyes were bloodshot, her movements were stiff, and the poison was coursing through her body. She was only able to move because of her resentment. She pressed Ju Mu'er down fiercely, shouted, and raised the dagger high.
Before the dagger could fall, a sharp pain shot through her chest. The pain surged through her body, freezing her in place. She couldn't believe it; she didn't want to think about it. She wanted to plunge the dagger into Ju Mu'er's body, but she could barely hold onto it.
Another wave of excruciating pain struck her. She heard a muffled thud and felt blood spurting from her chest. Then, another wave of intense pain hit her, and she finally lost her grip on the dagger. With a clang, the dagger fell to the ground, and she swayed and collapsed.
The last thing the fake Lin Yueyao saw was Ju Mu'er's cane lying on the ground. A small section of the cane was missing from the top, leaving the middle hollow. She closed her eyes helplessly. She thought the hidden weapon was her last resort, but it turned out it wasn't.
With trembling hands, Ju Mu'er pulled the dagger from the fake Lin Yueyao's body. The flames, carrying the smell of burning flesh, mixed with the stench of blood throughout the room, making Ju Mu'er cough and feel nauseous. She crawled on the ground towards the door, the blood on her hands and body making her feel disgusted, but she knew she couldn't give up. She had to live; she had to see Second Master.
The door was indeed bolted from the outside, and Ju Mu'er couldn't open it. The room was filled with smoke, and outside there were shouts and screams of fierce fighting. Ju Mu'er leaned against the wall beside the door frame. She wanted to scream for help, but her throat filled with smoke as soon as she opened her mouth. So she coughed hard and squatted down.
Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door was flung open. A man's voice shouted, "Madam!"
Ju Mu'er recognized the voice; he was a guard from the Long family mansion. She heard him run into the house, coughed loudly, and waved in the direction of the sound.
The guard, fighting outside, saw thick smoke billowing from inside. Without thinking, he forced his opponent back two steps and seized the opportunity to slam open the door. As soon as the door opened, thick smoke poured out, and he vaguely saw a woman lying on the ground. Just as he was about to rush inside, he heard someone coughing violently by the door and waving at him. The guard breathed a sigh of relief and quickly pulled Ju Mu'er out.
Just as she stepped out of the house, a sharp sword pierced straight towards Ju Mu'er's heart. The guard parried the sword, his hand throbbing with pain. He was already wounded, and in the blink of an eye, he came out to see another guard lying on the ground, cut down.
Tonight, six of them remained on guard: two in the backyard, two in the front hall, and two patrolling the outer perimeter. Following Long Er's instructions, they deliberately concealed their movements and acted discreetly. They had been guarding the area for several days without noticing anything unusual, never expecting such a sudden disaster tonight.
The guards, who had been stationed in the front hall without incident, were disrupted by the delayed relievers from the back courtyard. Normally, to ensure the mission's success, they were to rotate positions every hour. Those in the front hall were to move to the back courtyard, and then patrol the surrounding area every hour. However, after waiting past the allotted time in the front hall, and with no movement from the back courtyard guards, they investigated and discovered that Ju Mu'er's door had been bolted from the outside. Terrified, he was about to unlock it when two large swords slashed at him from behind.
What followed was a fierce battle. The remaining three guards arrived one after another. However, there were as many as five attackers. Three guarded the backyard, and two blocked the backyard entrance. The four guards of the Dragon Mansion fought them to a standstill. Their opponents were no ordinary villains; they were highly skilled in martial arts and well-trained. The four Dragon Mansion guards were no match for them. In addition, they were anxious about the situation inside the house and made many mistakes. After a while, they were all injured and at a disadvantage.
The guard has rescued Ju Mu'er, but he can't protect her.
Two bandits charged forward, slashing at Ju Mu'er with their blades. The guard, fighting two against one and trying to protect her, struggled to defend himself. Seeing that he was no match for them, he suddenly shoved Ju Mu'er away from the blades, shouting, "Madam, run!"
Ju Mu'er nearly fell, managing to steady herself against a wine vat by the wall. Just then, a guard pushed her again, shouting, "Run!"
Ju Mu'er took off running. She heard a guard groan, as if he was injured. She heard someone scream in pain on the other side, and a heavy object fell to the ground. She also heard the crackling sound of burning wood and smelled the acrid smell in the air. Her mind went blank, and she instinctively felt her way forward along the wall.
The surrounding noise was chaotic. Ju Mu'er didn't know that the guards had retreated and were desperately blocking every knife aimed at her. She didn't know where they were injured, or which one of them had fallen. She didn't know the state of her house after the fire, nor how many people had come.
She could only run.
With the situation unclear and no way out, she ran forward until she reached the backyard gate. The gate was wide open, no familiar voices called out to her, and no one stopped her, but she seemed to hear fierce footsteps rushing towards her. Without hesitation, she ran out along the thick rope that led the way.
Ju Mu'er's figure disappeared into the woods. Flames burned out of her bedroom and engulfed the adjacent music room. Sheet music books caught fire as soon as they touched a spark. Her beloved but no longer desirable collection of books and her cherished zither were all buried in the fire.
The guards desperately blocked the back gate. One guard collapsed to the ground, using his last bit of strength to pull out an emergency smoke bomb. A bandit rushed over, kicked him away, and then stabbed him in the body. The guard breathed his last, and the smoke bomb rolled far away to the side.
The last guard also fell. Two bandits remained, both badly wounded. Gasping for breath, they stared as the last Dragon Palace guard died before them, cursing, "Damn, this is tough! Miss Hong said it would be the simplest thing in the world."
Just as the other person was about to speak, he suddenly heard a "whoosh" behind him. He turned around quickly and saw a smoke bomb shooting into the sky, exploding in a bright light against the dark sky.
"Damn it!" the bandit shouted, seeing that one of the guards from the Dragon Mansion who had fallen earlier was still alive. He was lying where the cigarette bomb had rolled, holding the remaining casing in his hand.
Enraged, the bandit went over and stabbed him again, then kicked him in a fit of rage. Another man, clutching his wound, hurriedly called out, "They're both dead! Stop this nonsense. Let's kill that woman quickly and get out of here."
The murderous bandit turned and glanced at the nearly burned-out bedroom: "Miss Hong is dead, are we still going to do this? I'm afraid the people from the Long family will be here soon."
"We've taken their money, so we're obligated to do their bidding. We've got everything done today. She's blind, she can't have gone far. We're all going out anyway, so we might as well kill her on the way."
The murderous bandit thought for a moment, then nodded. He tore off his sleeve to bandage his wound, picked up his broadsword, and followed the man.
Ju Mu'er had nowhere to escape, so she resorted to her old method and hid.
She had just hidden herself when she heard footsteps. Terrified, she held her breath and dared not move. The footsteps were not far away, then gradually faded away, only to return after a while. Then, she heard someone shout, "Madam, the bandits have all been captured. It's safe now. Please come out."
Ju Mu'er wasn't sure if she had heard that voice before. She hesitated for a while, then finally decided not to believe him. She couldn't go out; she had to wait for someone she truly knew to come.
But the voice continued to call out, "Madam, you're safe now. Come out quickly. This place is not safe to stay any longer. We'll take you back to the Dragon Mansion."
Ju Mu'er bit her lip nervously. Should she believe him? But she didn't recognize his voice, and she dared not believe him.
The woods were quiet for a while, and the footsteps faded into the distance. Then another voice spoke loudly: "What should we do? We can't find Madam. Second Master will blame us."
These words seemed to be spoken to the person from before, but why were they spoken so loudly? It was as if they were deliberately speaking to her. Ju Mu'er broke out in a cold sweat. She was even more skeptical. Unless she truly recognized the voice, she wouldn't believe anyone.
The two seemed to have gone far away, talking and shouting elsewhere. Ju Mu'er listened while remaining cautiously on guard. She dared not move, but she felt very cold. Cold sweat soaked her clothes, and she shivered uncontrollably.