Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn

Chapter 98

“Judging from the arrow’s trajectory, he’s just a beginner,” another man of similar age with a mustache took the arrow and examined it. “This must be the Min King.” He continued, “It’s a very ordinary arrow, not from the military. However—” He then glanced sharply around, “That man is probably still nearby. He recognized our arrow. If we keep him around, the people of Qingzhou will soon know we’ve been here, and their defenses will be much tighter.”

"Search!" The moment he finished speaking, the people around him scattered. Judging by their skills, they were not ordinary soldiers, but well-trained guards. Good heavens, Shen Haoyu only brought fifty-odd guards from the capital. Even if everyone came out today, they might not be a match for them.

Also, how did they know I recognized their arrow? Did they know I had handled it? ...

Before I could think, seven or eight people were already rushing towards where Zinuo and I were hiding. I knew the others were nearby, and they would find us sooner or later. I couldn't fight them off, so what could I do?

As the approaching people drew closer, there was no time to complain about Shen Haoyu's decision. The trouble was their own doing. If it weren't for their arrow, they wouldn't have... No, if it weren't for that arrow, how would they have known that there were people from Xuan Ying Kingdom in this forest!

There was no time to think; my body acted on its own without my brain's command. I gritted my teeth, jumped down from the tree with a speed I hadn't used in a long time, and ran away as fast as I could, heading towards Qingzhou! People immediately chased after me. I didn't dare look back, afraid that if I lost focus, I would slow down. I knew that with my lightness skill, no one could catch up with me at first, but it wouldn't work after a while, so I had to be fast. Therefore, I didn't know how many people were chasing me, how far away they were, or whether they were still searching there.

I still have a bow and arrows slung over my shoulder; anyone with good eyesight could tell that arrow is mine, right? I hope that when they see the owner of the arrow has escaped, they'll all come after me, preventing me from going to Qingzhou City to report back. If those people are just ordinary soldiers, if they're not very skilled, we might have a chance to win against them. Now, let me draw them away, giving Shen Haoyu and the others a chance to temporarily avoid the brunt of their attack…

Come to think of it, why would a prince like him only bring a hundred or so ordinary people to such a close location to the enemy lines? Only that guy Shen Haoyu…

If I run away like this, Zinuo will probably be furious again. But he's a smart kid. If I distract those people, he shouldn't be stupid enough to run out too, right? But I can't be sure. If he does run out... If I can get back, I'll definitely give him a good scolding!

A sharp sound of something cutting through the air came from behind me. I was startled and turned around to see an arrow flying straight towards my back. I took a step to the side, narrowly dodging it. Before I could catch my breath, another arrow came flying. It looked like I couldn't dodge it either. I took a deep breath and twisted my body, the arrow grazing my waist, bringing a chill even in the sweltering heat. "Whoosh!" Another arrow. No need to look, they were all aimed at me anyway, constantly changing direction, just not going in a straight line.

Having dodged three arrows, my speed finally slowed down, and I could already hear faint footsteps behind me. Gritting my teeth, the will to survive drove me to my limits, and gradually the terrifying footsteps faded away. This time was unlike the last time I was being chased. Last time, although I was thrown into a brothel, I knew they didn't intend to kill me, so I stopped running when I couldn't win. This time, if they caught me, I would surely die!

In my panic, I took the wrong path, no longer heading the way I came. Frustrated, I looked back and saw the people chasing me relentlessly. As I ran, I finally encountered a scene often seen in movies when escaping for your life: the road ended, leaving only a sheer cliff. I glanced down and saw rushing water, but… it was so high! I wondered how deep the water was; if it wasn't deep, I'd smash my head open…

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and stopped, only to find my legs were completely weak. In that short time, the people behind me gradually caught up and surrounded me. Then, one of them slowly walked up to me—it was King Min. Looking around, I realized there were far fewer people, and the person who had spoken to King Min earlier was nowhere to be seen. My heart tightened, and I asked, "What have you done to my brother?"

King Min strolled leisurely closer, saying, "So you're just a little girl. It's rare to find someone so young with such skill, dodging so many of my arrows."

"How is my brother?" It must be because Zinuo also ran out that they split their forces to deal with him.

King Min smiled and shook his head, saying, "Your brother ran in the opposite direction from you. I don't know how he is now."

Damn Zinuo. But their people have split up; only a few dozen have gone after Zinuo. If Shen Haoyu and his group come out, dealing with a few dozen shouldn't be a problem. However, I wonder if Shen Haoyu and his group will go to Zinuo's side, come to my side, or go back to Qingzhou City… My anxiety is rising again. I don't care where they go, I just hope they don't come here!

"Such a beautiful young girl, it would be a real pity if she died here... I wonder whose child she is. That boy is also quite good. What a pity, what a pity..." King Min sighed and shook his head, his eyes cold.

For a while, he just stared at me, and I stared back. There was no other movement around us; Shen Haoyu and the others probably hadn't come this way. I felt a slight sense of relief, but also a little disappointed. In front of so many people, I couldn't possibly defeat a single one of them in terms of martial arts. Knowing my chances of survival were slim, I cautiously peeked down the cliff, hesitating—should I take the gamble?

With a sigh, I knew that if I moved even slightly, many objects would fly towards me, and I would be surrounded by a hornet's nest before I even jumped. So I had no choice but to say frankly, "Your Highness, how about we discuss this? You don't need to lift a finger; I'll jump down myself. If I die, that'll be just what you want. If I'm lucky enough to survive, I'll be close to death anyway. By the time I can move again, your secret will no longer be a secret."

King Min smiled and nodded, even gesturing for me to proceed. I quickly said thank you, but inside I was practically spitting blood: he was clearly trying to kill me, yet I had to put on a grateful act!

There was no point in hesitating; jumping might offer a sliver of hope. He took a step back, turned, and jumped…

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 83

Chapter word count: 3820 Update time: 09-08-26 09:50

I truly experienced freefall; the speed of my descent increased rapidly. In the blink of an eye, the distance of thirty or forty meters was covered, and I was on the surface. Before I could adjust my posture, I heard a loud "plop," and I was already at the bottom. Such a loud sound must have created a huge splash; if this were a diving competition, my score would definitely be very, very bad.

Fortunately, the water where I fell was quite deep. I had already taken a breath before falling in, and started to float to the surface before reaching the bottom, avoiding close contact with the rocks. Fearing that King Min's men were still watching from above and would start chasing me again if they saw I was still alive, I had no choice but to hold my breath and drift downstream for quite a distance before finally climbing ashore.

Back on shore, I didn't dare venture into the woods, fearing I'd run into King Min's men. I found a secluded spot, picked up a large rock, and lay down, finally experiencing the surreal feeling of escaping death. Now, I'm incredibly grateful for that cliff, with a deep ravine at its base; otherwise, if I had kept running, I would have surely run out of energy and been caught and killed. I'm also incredibly grateful that at this time, apart from fishermen who made their living from the water, very few people could swim; otherwise, King Min wouldn't have so easily granted my request. Even more fortunately, after the strenuous exercise, I suddenly fell into the water without cramping; otherwise, I would have drowned, if not died from the fall… In short, I'm incredibly lucky to have survived, and unharmed at that.

I am truly grateful to God for all these coincidences. If God can also protect Zinuo and keep him safe, I will thank Him even more.

My clothes dried quickly. To avoid injuring myself when I jumped off the cliff, I had thrown away my bow and arrows and the short sword I was carrying, so I was now completely unarmed. Looking at the sky and getting my bearings, I decided to head back to Qingzhou City. If it got any later and some large, aggressive animals appeared, along with some slippery snakes and hairy insects, I figured it would be better if I just died at the hands of King Min.

I proceeded cautiously, fearing I might encounter any more unwanted people. I traversed mountains and valleys, taking many wrong turns. When I finally reached the top of a hill and saw the majestic city walls of Qingzhou standing tall in the afterglow of the setting sun, I was so excited I almost jumped off. Thank goodness I made it out! I got lost several times in the forest, and my legs were quite weak. I sat on a warm rock for a while to rest before finally finding my way down the mountain.

They came out on horseback, but Shen Haoyu sent them back after they left the city. Now, no matter how tired they are, they can only walk back.

Reaching the city wall, I found the gates closed due to the fighting. I presented my Prince Qing's residence pass and pleaded with the guards to open the gate, but they ignored me. I decided to ask what I was really concerned about first: "Gentlemen upstairs, has Prince Qing, who left the city this morning, returned?"

A person upstairs said, "No one has entered the city yet today."

So, are Shen Haoyu and the others still on the mountain? Are they looking for me and Zinuo?

She had hoped to hear from them upon her return, to find out how Zinuo was doing, but they hadn't come back yet, and her worry for Zinuo rose again. For a moment, she didn't know whether to go back to find them or wait here. Just as she was hesitating, a familiar voice rang out from upstairs: "Is that Huai'en from the Prince Qing's residence outside the city?"

I looked up and saw it was Cui Lang. I felt a glimmer of hope and quickly said, "That's him!"

Cui Lang ordered the city gates to be opened and let me in. He himself came down to greet me and immediately asked, "Why are you the only one who came back? Where are the others?"

“We encountered the men of King Min of Xuan Ying. I lured some of them away and managed to escape on my own, but I lost contact with them.” I hurriedly said. Although I went out for fun under the guise of business, I did learn some things by chance today. If Shen Haoyu had sent someone back to report the news first, we might have been able to capture King Min. Anyway, this place is so far from Shizhou, he can’t escape back anytime soon… Now it’s my turn to feel sorry.

Cui Lang looked at me and said, "You're all alone... Alright, don't worry, I'll send someone out of the city to find them right away."

"Okay," I said gratefully, and gave a general account of King Min's situation, not knowing whether they had left yet.

Cui Lang immediately set about making arrangements and dispatching troops. I waited to the side, but then I heard voices outside: "Third Prince." I quickly stood up, but before I could move, I saw Shen Zexuan fling his sleeves and walk in. He looked slightly surprised when he saw me, but then immediately gave me a captivating smile: "Huai'en, what are you doing here?" As he got closer, he saw my disheveled appearance and frowned: "What happened?"

I then repeated what I had said to Cui Lang to him. After I finished speaking, Shen Zexuan urgently took my hand: "Are you hurt?"

I felt weak all over and didn't want to struggle: "I was lucky I wasn't injured, but I ran so far and I'm exhausted."

After saying that, Shen Zexuan pressed me down to sit down again: "Don't worry, I'll go find them right away."

I shook my head and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, but General Cui has already made the arrangements." Shen Zexuan's face fell. I forced a smile and didn't want to waste any more energy saying anything.

Before long, Cui Lang returned. Upon seeing Shen Zexuan, he bowed, and Shen Zexuan responded indifferently. Cui Lang didn't seem to mind and simply said to me, "We're going now. You can go back and wait for news."

I wanted to go with them, to see Zinuo sooner and put my mind at ease, but looking at my tired body, I knew I'd only be a burden. So I nodded, thanked them, and watched Cui Lang leave. Seeing that I didn't go with them, Shen Zexuan's expression gradually improved, and he insisted on taking me home. Knowing my current situation, I didn't insist. Since he was a neighbor and it was on my way, I went home with Shen Zexuan.

One good thing about this former residence of the Qingzhou City garrison commander is that several maids were specially assigned to take care of Shen Zexuan and Shen Haoyu, which reduced my workload considerably. However, Shen Haoyu is picky, and I still often have to do some personal chores. Sometimes I can't avoid it, so I just have to accept my fate. Normally, I should be preparing water for him by now.

Today, the entire courtyard was quiet. Most people had been taken out by Shen Haoyu, and a dozen or so guards had been sent out to do other things. After all, there still needed to be something delivered to Du Zhai. Having run around all day, his body was soaked in sweat countless times, sticky and uncomfortable. Despite being exhausted, he still fetched water, washed himself thoroughly, changed into lighter clothes, and then went to the main hall to wait for news.