Chapter 103: Dandy

Luo Jince looked at the knife flashing with cold light in Pei Ji's hand, then looked at the bushes and the winding hillside, and fear almost swallowed him.

However, he gritted his teeth, picked up a thick dead branch from the ground, and held it tightly in his hand: "I...I want to go too! I want to find my sister!"

Pei Ji glanced at him, and there was forced fear and stubbornness in the boy's eyes.

He did not object, but said in a deep voice: "Follow me closely and don't run around." After that, he no longer hesitated, holding a knife in one hand and pushing away the dense bushes with the other, and took the lead to step into the unknown darkness.

The guards immediately formed a fan-shaped guard on his sides and behind. The flickering firelight illuminated the road ahead and also lengthened their tense figures.

The bushes were thick with thorns, scraping against the clothes. The dragging marks became clear on the soft soil, mixed with intermittent spots of blood, like an ominous guiding line leading deep into the hillside.

The air was filled with the smell of rotting plants, the smell of blood, and a sense of restlessness that belonged to the wild.

They climbed up with difficulty for about a quarter of an hour. The terrain became higher and the trees became denser and taller.

The drag marks disappeared in front of a huge rock covered with vines.

"There are no traces left!" whispered the guard who was leading the way.

Pei Ji stopped and scanned the huge rock in front of him and the surrounding environment with sharp eyes.

Beneath the rock lay a thick layer of fallen leaves and vines. He noticed that near the ground below the rock, several thick vines looked as if they had been freshly torn or trampled. The bloodstains also disappeared there.

He walked forward and carefully pushed aside the vines with the tip of his knife.

A cave entrance, barely wide enough for one person to bend over and crawl into, suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes! Fresh mud stains and even a small scrap of scraped green cloth fibers clung to the dirt and moss at the edge of the entrance.

A cold and damp breath emerged from the cave.

"It's a cave!" Luo Jince cried out, his voice trembling, "Sister... Sister was dragged into the cave?"

Pei Ji's heart was beating so fast and hard that it almost burst out of his chest.

The cave! The unknown darkness! The blood! The drag marks!

Everything pointed to the worst possibility. He forced himself to remain calm and listened attentively to the sounds in the cave.

There was dead silence.

There was only the "tick...tick..." sound of water dripping from the top of the cave, monotonous and empty, knocking on everyone's heart.

"Torch!" Pei Ji shouted.

The two brightest torches were immediately passed to the cave entrance. The dancing flames struggled to penetrate the cave, but could only illuminate a small section of the rugged ground at the entrance. The depths of the cave were still swallowed by thick darkness.

Just then—

"Woo...Ah..." An extremely weak and vague sound, as if squeezed out from the depths of the throat, similar to the wailing of a baby animal and the sound of a woman suppressing pain, floated out intermittently from the depths of the cave!

The sound was too soft and too vague, but it was like thunder in the dead silence!

"It's my elder sister!" Luo Jince suddenly grabbed Pei Ji's arm, shaking with excitement. "It's my elder sister's voice! She's still alive! She's in there!"

Pei Ji's pupils suddenly contracted, and the veins on his hand holding the hilt of the knife bulged.

The voice was extremely weak and filled with unspeakable pain, like a needle piercing his heart.

"Light the fire! Enter the cave!" Pei Ji's voice was slightly hoarse due to extreme tension, with a desperate determination, "Move gently, be alert!"

He pulled Luo Jince behind him, held the torch in his hand, and without hesitation was the first to bend down and dive into the bottomless dark cave.

The flames danced, illuminating his tense profile and icy eyes. The chilling air within the cave instantly enveloped him, like countless icy hands. The guards followed closely behind, their blades gleaming coldly in the firelight.

The cave twisted downward, the ground slippery and covered with gravel. The air was thick with the smell of earth and a faint stench of wild beasts. The sound of dripping water was amplified in the silence.

Following the intermittent and extremely faint whimpering sound, they went deeper cautiously.

After turning a corner, the space ahead seemed to open up a bit. The firelight revealed the cave walls, which were covered in jagged rocks and cast distorted, terrifying shadows.

Pei Ji suddenly stopped and his breath was caught.

Just a few feet ahead, on a relatively dry ground, a familiar aqua-green skirt suddenly appeared at the edge of the torch's aperture!

The owner of the skirt seemed to be curled up in the shadow of the cave wall, motionless, only the faint whimpering of pain came intermittently from that direction.

"Sister!" Luo Jince couldn't hold back any longer and rushed over with tears in his eyes.

"Stop!" Pei Ji shouted, his arm like an iron clamp stopping him. His eyes were fixed on the shadow and the ground around it.

In the flickering firelight, the ground was covered with messy traces and a few strands of gray-white hair were scattered around!

On the cave wall near the crouching figure, several deep scratches were clearly visible! Those claw marks were far deeper and larger than those seen on the riverbank before, revealing a violent power!

The dangerous aura permeated the cold air like a substance.

The whimpering sound seemed to be a bait for some existence in the depths of darkness.

Pei Ji slowly raised the torch, trying to illuminate the shadow.

The firelight gradually dispelled the darkness, and the outline of the curled up figure gradually became clear - it was indeed Luo Zhaohan!

She lay on her side, her long hair disheveled, covering most of her face. Her aqua dress was tattered, stained with mud and a glaring dark red. One arm hung limply at her side, the other clutching her abdomen. Her body trembled slightly, emitting painful sobs.

However, the moment the firelight illuminated her, Pei Ji also saw clearly the reason why she was curled up in the shadows!

Just in front of Luo Zhaohan's curled up body, less than three feet away, a pair of eyes reflecting a faint green light in the darkness were staring at the uninvited guest who broke in!

Below the eyes was the outline of a huge body crouching in an aggressive posture, its gray-white hair faintly visible in the firelight, and a low "snoring" sound came from its throat!

It wasn't a wild dog, nor was it a fox. Its size, its posture, and that feral, fierce look clearly showed it was a full-grown, irritated wolf!

It stood in front of Luo Zhaohan, its fangs flashing a cold white light in the firelight, as if guarding its prey.

Luo Jince was so frightened that his soul was about to leave his body. His legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground.

Pei Ji's muscles were instantly tensed to the extreme, his hand holding the knife was as steady as a rock, and the cold murderous intent locked onto the ferocious beast like a substance.

He moved slowly, blocking Luo Jince and most of the guards behind him, forming a semi-arc, confronting the bared wolf.

"Woo..." Luo Zhaohan seemed to sense something and his body moved slightly.

This subtle movement instantly stimulated the wolf! It suddenly lunged forward, growling and making an attacking gesture!

"Protect the lord!" the guard leader growled, and the guards immediately raised their weapons nervously.

"Don't move!" Pei Ji's voice was unusually calm and majestic.

He didn't take his eyes off the wolf, nor did he look at Luo Zhaohan lying on the ground, as if her life or death had nothing to do with him. He simply stared intently at those dark green eyes, his body leaning forward slightly, the muscles in his knife-gripping arm flexing, and a powerful sense of oppression emanated from him.

He was gambling! He was gambling on the wolf's intelligence, on whether it would weigh the pros and cons when facing a stronger and more dangerous opponent!

If they attacked rashly, not only would the beast be enraged, causing Luo Zhaohan to die instantly, but in this narrow space, they might not be able to escape unscathed.

Deep in the cold and damp cave, beneath the flickering firelight, humans and beasts were locked in a dead silent standoff.

Every second seemed as long as a century.

Sweat slid down Pei Ji's cold temples.

In this suffocating stalemate, Pei Ji suddenly caught a glimpse of Luo Zhaohan, who was curled up on the ground, with her hand covering her abdomen. She seemed to move her finger with great difficulty and pointed to a protruding rock not far from her side.

There seems to be something in the shadow of the rock.

A small piece of crumpled cloth, as if torn from some gorgeous clothing, was totally out of place in this dark cave!

What was that? A clue she left behind? Who did it point to?

Pei Ji's heart sank suddenly.

…

Luo Zhaohan tightened the reins, and the white horse "Zhuiyun" under him snorted loudly and stopped steadily at the intersection of Longqing Street.

Night was falling, but the whole street was illuminated by countless lanterns, making it as bright as day.

The place was bustling with people and laughter, and the colorful lanterns competed with each other in splendor and brilliance, bringing the festive atmosphere to the extreme.

She dismounted and handed Zhuiyun over to the servant who was in charge of looking after horses at the street corner.

Alone, I blended into the crowd of people.

When she went out tonight, she only brought her personal maid Xiaolian with her. But just now at the street corner, Xiaolian was attracted by an exquisite rabbit lantern, so Luo Zhaohan let her choose one by herself, and agreed to meet in front of the "Lanyue Tower" in the middle of the street later.

At this moment, she was walking alone, her eyes sweeping across the dazzling array of lantern stalls on both sides, but her mind was a little far away.

Pei Ji...will he come tonight? Did he receive the short note I sent him during the day?

She clenched a small sachet in her sleeve, which contained a peace amulet that she had personally selected to give to him.

The war in Mobei is about to begin. Although he is the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple and may not go to the front lines in person, he is in the vortex of the capital, and he is also very nervous. She just wants to seek peace of mind.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way! You blind man!" A burst of rude shouting accompanied by the sound of horse hooves came from far away.

Luo Zhaohan frowned and looked back, only to see several young men in bright clothes riding tall horses, charging through the crowded crowd without any regard for the safety of pedestrians.

The leader, wearing a royal blue brocade robe and with an arrogant look on his face, was none other than the notorious playboy of the Duke of Qi's Mansion, Situ Changrong!

The crowd screamed and hurriedly dodged. A little girl was pushed to the ground in the shoving. The candied haws in her hand shattered and she burst into tears of fear. Situ Changrong's horse hoof was about to step on the child!

Luo Zhaohan's heart tightened, and before he could think about it, his body had already taken action.

She suddenly pushed away a woman who was dodging in front of her, rushed forward, and at the critical moment, she picked up the little girl on the ground, holding her tightly in her arms, and at the same time turned around to narrowly avoid the horse's hoof that was passing by!

"Hiss!" Situ Changrong's horse was startled by the sudden obstruction, raised its front hooves and let out a long neigh.

"You're looking for death!" Situ Changrong steadied his horse. Seeing that it was a woman blocking his way, he was furious. He raised the whip in his hand and was about to lash out, "Who are you, you lowly slave? How dare you block my way!"

The whip shadow came whistling with the wind!

Luo Zhaohan was holding the child and had no way to avoid it, so he could only subconsciously turn sideways and prepare to take it.

The expected pain did not come.

A bony hand firmly grasped the sharp whip tip in mid-air!

Luo Zhaohan looked up in surprise.

She saw a tall figure in black tights, who had stood in front of her without her knowing when.

He had his back to her, his figure as slender as a pine tree. Just his silhouette carried with it a sense of oppression like a deep, deep pool or a towering mountain.

His five fingers gripped the whip like iron pliers, and no matter how hard Situ Changrong pulled, the whip didn't move at all.

"Pei... Pei Ji?" When Situ Changrong saw who was coming, his arrogance suddenly dropped and a trace of fear flashed across his face.

Pei Ji's title as the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple and his famously cold and tough methods were feared by few of the playboys in the capital.

"Second Master Situ," Pei Ji's voice was low, but it pierced through the surrounding noise clearly, carrying a chill as cold as ice. "Under the Emperor's feet, you ride a horse and commit murder, whipping women and children. Is this how you are taught in the Duke of Qi's mansion?"

His eyes were as sharp as a knife as he swept over Situ Changrong and the few silent followers behind him.

Situ Changrong's face turned pale and blue. He tried to pull back the whip, but it didn't move at all. He could only shout in a timid voice: "Pei Ji! Mind your own business! She was blind and bumped into me..."

"Bump into me?" Pei Ji sneered and exerted force on his hand!

"Ah!" Situ Changrong only felt a huge force coming from the whip, and his palm was in great pain, so he involuntarily let go.

The horse whip inlaid with gold and jade has fallen into Pei Ji's hands.

"You rode your horse in the street, disturbing the people. Here is the evidence." Pei Ji weighed the whip in his hand, his eyes cold. "Tomorrow, someone from the Dali Temple will come to your door. Please explain yourself clearly, Second Young Master. Now, get out."

The last word "get out" sounded like thunder in Situ Changrong's ears.

His face was pale, and he was shocked and angry, but under Pei Ji's undisguised pressure and cold gaze, he did not dare to say anything harsh.

He glared at Pei Ji hatefully, then glanced at Luo Zhaohan who was holding the child behind him with a sinister look. Finally, he pulled the reins, turned the horse's head dejectedly with his followers, and squeezed through the crowd and left.

The crowd erupted in murmurings and cheers, making way for Pei Ji. Luo Zhaohan, holding the still-sobbing little girl, gazed at the broad, familiar figure before him, his emotions swirling.

She hadn't expected to meet him here, in this way.

I didn't expect that he would show up so timely.

Pei Ji turned around slowly.

The bright light from the street lamp fell on his face, outlining a cold and deep outline. He saw Luo Zhaohan and the trembling little girl in her arms.

His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, and in those eyes as deep as pools, something seemed to pass by extremely quickly, so fast that it was impossible to catch it.

"Thank you, Master Pei, for your help." Luo Zhaohan calmed herself down and bowed slightly. She handed the little girl over to her parents who had hurried over.