With her body hunched over, she held the torch in front, while Ji Lan protected Shangguan Yi from behind. If anyone discovered them, she would be the first to be killed—what a human shield!
As you walk out of the long tunnel, a faint scent of gardenias wafts through the air.
"Take the torch and head east."
East? If she remembered correctly, the thief who brought Shangguan Yi back had a strong floral scent, and the east was where the wind came from. This female knight was clearly trying to send her to her death.
Seeing her hesitation, Ji Lan said softly, "Miss Yu, don't be afraid. After you lure the thieves away, we'll meet up in the woods to the south. The three of us will come and go as we please. The young master and I won't abandon you."
"real?"
"If you don't believe me, ask the young master."
She turned her head to look at Shangguan Yi, whose eyes were like deep pools and whose lips held a playful smile.
"Then you must wait for me."
"I know, I know, why are you nagging!"
Pushed away by Ji Lan, she walked for a while with the torch in hand, when she heard a woman's voice in the distance: "Help! Young Master Shangguan has run east!"
She stopped and hurled the torch far away. Riding the east wind, the flame, carrying the scent of gardenias, spread westward, soon illuminating the path she had come from.
"Hurry! Hurry!" With hurried footsteps, the masked thieves rushed out, speeding towards the burning flames. As they passed the artificial hill, the last one suddenly disappeared, and after a while, a shorter masked man emerged.
"Where did Shangguan Yichao go?" The people who arrived later grabbed "him" and asked.
"He went west." The voice was low, almost inaudible.
"The hall master was right, that sound was indeed a decoy."
"Master is wise!" the short man flattered.
"You're quite the flatterer. You must be Elder Chen's subordinate," the man in black said as he dragged "him" along.
"Brother, you have sharp eyes! It wouldn't be good if the brothers were fooled by that voice just now. Why don't I stay here and show them the way?" With that, the "short man" stopped in his tracks.
"Hmph, it's not time to slack off yet, run!" A powerful kick sent "him" flying, and the man in black yelled at those behind him, "Keep up! Keep up! We can't let this 'fat sheep' get away!"
Pain, pain, pain.
The short man rubbed his backside and, steeling himself, headed west.
One, two, three—several bloody thighs flew off the cliff.
No way, that's ruthless.
Seeing the Emei reinforcements locked in a fierce battle with the masked men, "he" couldn't help but widen his eyes.
"What are you standing there for?" The White Tiger Hall leader, who had been stabbed, shoved "him." "Hurry up and snatch Shangguan Yi back!"
"There are so many people." He was still young and didn't want to go to the West to see Buddha.
"I didn't expect that woman to leave so many marks along the way; the Emei people arrived quickly." The eldest brother roared, and with another kick, he sent "him" flying right into the fray. "Are you men afraid to fight a woman? Go!"
But "he" isn't a man.
He sighed, then suddenly sensed something amiss behind him. Without turning around, he dodged a hidden weapon. The stench of blood overwhelmed the scent of gardenias, and the few men in black gradually dwindled in number. He staggered, dodging several hidden stabs, and was just thinking about how to escape when he heard his elder brother shout at him, "Shangguan Yi is right behind you!"
Looking back, the pale blue figure changed hands several times amidst the flashing swords. Gazing upwards, he saw a pair of naturally warm, handsome eyes staring straight at him, a knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Hurry up!" the man in black shouted again.
He doesn't understand the code of honor among江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry), nor does he possess such noble principles. He remembers the saying "A wise man submits to circumstances" most firmly.
Shangguan Yi, you'd better pray for yourself.
Thinking of this, he twisted the blade slightly, letting it pierce his clothes with a sound almost like flesh being cut. Then he bit his tongue, and sticky blood slid down his lips.
Fortunately, it was a chaotic battle, and the heroines didn't have time to pay attention to "him," a minor character. If it were "him," they certainly wouldn't have forgotten to finish him off.
Pui pui pui, children speak without thinking, please spare my life, heroine.
It lay on the ground like a corpse, and after being trampled three or five times, a loud bang suddenly came from upwind.
"Oh no! The leader has something to attend to! Retreat!"
The sounds of swords and spears gradually ceased, but "he" remained lying there, not in a hurry to reveal his identity.
"Young master, come quickly and leave with my fellow disciples." The voice sounded very familiar, overlapping with the whispers under the tree.
It really was that person.
"Miss Ji, are you in such a hurry to see me off?" Her voice, clear as a spring, flowed quietly into the night.
"Since it can't be hidden..." It was the other Emei disciples who interrupted.
"Shut up!"
"I knew Senior Sister harbored feelings for Shangguan Yi." The man sneered. "Does Senior Sister intend to betray the sect?"
“You…” Ji Lan was silent for a moment, “Since Young Master Shangguan already knows, why not hand over the things to me, and I will spare your life.”
"Young lady, you're joking again. If I were to hand over that token proving that Liu Wushuang was born into a brothel, I'm afraid I'd be beheaded in the next moment."
So that's how it is. Even without those masked men, Shangguan Yi would still be in danger tonight. It's just that this person knew he was in trouble, yet still dragged "him" into it; he really holds a grudge.
"Young Master." The voice was clearly impatient, almost threatening.