Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 115
Lin Cheng, filled with resentment and anger, turned his blade and tried to break through the crowd, but the Imperial Guards desperately protected Empress Yanzai. No matter how skilled Lin Cheng was in martial arts, he was no match for the sheer number of Imperial Guards, especially since he was carrying Sikou Xunle in his arms.
Si Kou Xunle stared wide-eyed in shock at the still-warm blood splattered on his body and hands.
Jun Ying meticulously protected Empress Yanzai behind him, cautiously watching Lin Cheng's every move.
"Don't hurt the young prince!" Empress Yanzai shouted anxiously when she saw Sikou Xunxiang standing there, his face pale and clutching his chest. Her usually icy eyes were now filled with worry.
Upon receiving the order, the Imperial Guards dared not attack rashly, and for a time Lin Cheng gained the upper hand. He slaughtered the surrounding Imperial Guards like a madman, his cloudy eyes filled only with hatred.
Hurried footsteps approached from afar, and the Imperial Guard archers arrived just in time, surrounding Lin Cheng but daring not to fire. Lin Cheng was covered in blood, with more than a dozen wounds on his body. Jun Ying took the bow and arrow from the person beside him and quietly aimed at the old man.
The emperor and empress stared intently at the old man, their expressions calm, but their clear eyes betrayed their anxiety and bewilderment.
Jun Ying seized the perfect moment and shot an arrow that struck the old man squarely in the left leg.
"Shadow Guard! Show mercy!" the Emperor and Empress cried out urgently.
Upon hearing the Empress's voice, Empress Yanzai's face darkened considerably, her phoenix eyes turning even colder, a flash of murderous intent crossing her face.
Lin Cheng knelt in the center of the field, gritting his teeth as he struggled to stand up. He held the already terrified Sikou Xunle tightly in his hands, gazing at Sikou Xunxiang from afar: "Do you want military power or your brother?" His voice was old and sorrowful.
Upon seeing this, the Imperial Guards all stopped their pursuit and dared not make any rash moves.
The Emperor and Empress met Lin Cheng's gaze from afar, then knelt down abruptly: "Master...your disciple is unfilial..."
"Haha... What a fine Sikou Xunxiang... What an unfilial disciple... You know I raised Le'er myself and you're certain I won't hurt him, right?" Lin Cheng's mournful voice echoed from outside the empty Weiyang Palace, "Since your Sikou family has treated me this way, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Lin Cheng slowly raised the dagger in his hand and stabbed Sikou Xunle little by little.
"Master!..." came the Emperor and Empress's heart-wrenching screams from afar.
Empress Yanzai glanced at the flustered Empress and whispered to Jun Ying, "Don't interfere!"
She snatched the longsword from Jun Ying's hand and flew towards Lin Cheng. Seeing the Empress walk right into her trap, Lin Cheng also threw Si Kou Xun Le at her, his dagger aimed straight at Empress Yan Zai!
Empress Yanzai took the Sikou Xunle from her hand and tried to fly back to her original place, but Lin Cheng would not allow it.
Lin Cheng suddenly moved with lightning speed, and before anyone could react, the dagger in his hand almost pierced the Empress's shoulder.
Empress Yeonjae blocked the old man's attack with her longsword, but the old man deftly snatched the sword from her hand and retaliated with a swift strike. The bloodthirsty old man, now devoid of restraint, wielded his sword with deadly intent.
Empress Yanzai had nowhere to retreat, and fearing she might injure Sikou Xunle, she could only throw him towards the Emperor and Empress. Seeing that Empress Yanzai had lost her composure, Lin Cheng chuckled sinisterly, and suddenly turned his sword, thrusting it towards Sikou Xunle in mid-air.
Empress Yeonzai was shocked and turned around to pull Sikou Xunle back, but she heard Sikou Xunle scream, her body covered in blood. Although Empress Yeonzai managed to pull Sikou Xunle back into her arms, it was too late.
Sikou Xunle gripped Empress Yanzai's robe tightly: "It hurts, it hurts so much."
Empress Yanzai's eyes reddened instantly. She gently patted Sikou Xunle and whispered in his ear, "Le'er, be good. It won't hurt in a while. Don't be afraid, Le'er. With me here, Le'er, don't be afraid."
Taking advantage of Empress Yanzai's momentary lapse in concentration, Lin Cheng struck her squarely in the shoulder with his sword! Empress Yanzai held Sikou Xunle with one hand and gripped the long sword tightly with the other, drops of blood sliding down her hand.
The Emperor and Empress stared wide-eyed at the scene unfolding before them, their faces deathly pale. He abruptly rose, snatched a longsword from a nearby hand, and leaped towards Empress Yanzai: "Master...Master...why didn't you even leave me a way out..."
Jun Ying clenched his fists, staring intently at the Empress's bleeding hand, the veins on his forehead throbbing.
Lin Cheng discovered the Emperor and Empress's motives. Unable to draw his sword, he dropped it and, without lingering, grabbed the Empress and Sikou Xunle in her arms, flying towards the outskirts of Weiyang Palace.
Jun Ying finally couldn't hold back and chased after him. The Emperor and Empress Jun Ying blocked Lin Cheng's path at the palace wall.
Lin Cheng smiled strangely and pulled the longsword from the Empress's shoulder with one hand. The Empress cried out in pain, and the Empress's eyes flashed with heartache as his body trembled uncontrollably. Sikou Xunle screamed, ignoring his own injuries, and raised his hand to cover the Empress's shoulder, his eyes and face filled with terror.
Just when everyone was off guard, Lin Cheng suddenly threw Empress Yanzai and Sikou Xunle, who was in his arms, over the palace wall, blocking the path of the emperor, empress and Jun Ying to chase after them.
The emperor and empress tossed aside their swords, grabbed the two men, and flipped over to shield them in their arms as they plummeted downwards.
Jun Ying's eyes instantly turned red. He grabbed his longsword and began to strike with deadly force.
Weiyang Palace was originally built against the mountain, but who knows whether the area outside the walls is flat land or a mountain stream? How could Jun Ying and the Emperor and Empress not be anxious?
The emperor and empress held the two people in their arms tightly, trying to use the momentum to return, but the snow had not melted and everything was covered in frost, making it impossible to stand firm. He once again flipped over in the air to cushion their fall, and the three of them landed on the pile of rocks at the same time.
The emperor and empress clenched their teeth tightly, trying not to groan out loud.
Empress Yanzai picked up Sikou Xunle and struggled to her feet, only to find the Empress lying in the same spot. She was shocked and exclaimed, "Brother!"
The Emperor and Empress glanced sideways and smiled weakly: "It's nothing."
"It hurts...it hurts..." Sikou Xunle cried out softly, clutching Empress Yanzai's clothes weakly with both hands.
Sikou Xunle was bleeding profusely, so Empress Yanzai quickly pressed acupoints on him to stop the bleeding. She then carefully peeled back his robes to examine his injuries, and upon closer inspection, she discovered…
Empress Yanzai pressed several acupoints, then held Sikou Xunle tightly in her arms, her eyes filled with pity, and tears streamed down her face: "Le'er is not in pain, Le'er is not in pain, Le'er is not afraid, Le'er is not afraid, I'm with you, I'll always be with you."
The Emperor and Empress pressed their left fists tightly against their chests as they struggled to sit up: "How is Le'er's injury?"
Empress Yanzai embraced Sikou Xunle, lowering her head in remorse: "Brother... Brother... Le'er, he..."
The Emperor and Empress hurriedly checked on Xun Le in the Empress's arms. When they saw the wound, their eyes instantly reddened, their gentle eyes filled with grief, and they stood there stunned.
Sikou Xunle trembled in Empress Yanzai's arms, "It hurts so much... it hurts so much..."
Empress Yanzai wrapped Sikou Xunle tightly in her robe: "Le'er, it doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt. Le'er, be good, be obedient, don't sleep. I will always be with you, I will always be with you, and you can't leave me. Without you, I will be cold and scared. You must always be with me, always and always."
Sikou Xunle strained to open her eyes wide, gave Empress Yanzai a blurry smile, and said, "Okay." Then she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The emperor and empress slowly closed their eyes, pressed their left fists tightly against their chests, gasped for breath, and blood kept spilling from their mouths.
Empress Yanzai was filled with fear and panic. She grabbed the Emperor and Empress's hand and cried out, "Brother, what's wrong? What's wrong?"