Aye was originally preparing to leave, but as he was about to go, he felt a lingering attachment to that smile. He hesitated and remained in the crowd, looking at Shen Youying through the throng, unwilling to leave immediately.

The change happened in an instant—

The white lion, which was passing through the ring of fire, suddenly roared and charged into the crowd, ignoring the tamer's commands.

The cheering crowd erupted in shrill screams. Those in front desperately retreated, while those behind were bewildered and panicked, unaware of what had happened.

In just a short moment, the crowd descended into chaos.

Aya stood at the back of the crowd and saw two groups of guards going against the flow, trying their best to pass through the crowd to protect their master.

One group consisted of the fourth prince's guards, while the other group consisted of the young couple's guards.

Aya's gaze swept across the clearing made by the terrified crowd, and he realized that the person killed by the white lion was none other than Baozhu.

His expression darkened, and he immediately realized that it wasn't just the Third Prince who wanted to kill Baozhu and stop the Fourth Prince from forming an alliance with the Qingmu tribe, but also the Eldest Prince, who was confident of victory.

The sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, like a flower, ultimately withered on the day she was born.

Aye's gaze swept over Baozhu's corpse and finally settled on the concerned woman.

The crowd was terrified and scattered in all directions. Some who lost their footing were pushed to the ground and never got up again. Others who rushed ahead blocked the way and were pushed and trampled by the panicked crowd behind them, letting out shrill and desperate cries.

The woman was pregnant and it was not advisable for her to run away with the crowd, so her husband simply stopped running and stood with his back to the crowd, firmly planted in the sea of ​​people like a stabilizing pillar, protecting his wife tightly in his arms.

Aya saw many people desperately trying to escape pushing him, but he remained unmoved, using only his body to separate his fragile wife from the dangerous crowd.

The guards were still trying their best to get closer to him, but the flow of people was too fast, and it was really difficult for them to go against the current.

Aya felt a pang of fear when she saw the woman's pale face emerge from her husband's arms. Ignoring the danger, she moved against the flow of people and used her back to shield the couple from some of the crowd.

*

Crowds surrounded them from all directions, and the sounds of cursing, screams, and cries seemed to haunt their ears like demonic noises. Shen Youying buried her face in Xue Shen's arms, her face deathly pale.

Xue Shen held her tightly in his arms, not daring to relax for a moment. Fearing that she might be startled and have a miscarriage, he gently covered her ears with his hands and whispered in her ear, "Zhao Zhao, don't listen or look. Don't be afraid, I won't let anything happen to you or the baby."

Hearing his voice, Shen Youying wanted to look up to see if he was injured, but he held her back and she couldn't move.

Looking through the gap in her arms, Shen Youying saw the crowd fleeing frantically like a school of fish squeezed together. In a daze, she seemed to see someone who looked very much like her elder brother walking against the current towards them.

Shen Youying opened her mouth, but her voice was drowned out by the wails of the crowd.

She watched as the person who looked just like her older brother got closer and closer, but just as she was about to see his full face, he turned his back to her.

Shen Youying tried her best to open her eyes wide, wanting to see clearly whether that person was her elder brother or not, but the crowd of people fleeing for their lives blocked her view, and she was still able to see clearly.

After an unknown amount of time, the crowd finally dispersed, the riot subsided, and Tibetan soldiers hurriedly arrived to maintain order.

Xue Shen stood with Shen Youying on the empty street, surrounded by guards who formed a circle around them.

Outside this protective zone, corpses littered the ground.

Xue Shen glanced around, but did not let go of Shen Youying. Instead, he carefully picked her up and whispered in her ear, "We're safe now. Zhao Zhao, don't open your eyes. Let's go back."

Upon hearing this, Shen Youying stubbornly opened her eyes wide, wanting to find the person who looked so much like her elder brother.

Despite Xue Shen's attempts to stop her, she looked around and discovered that the person had disappeared without her noticing.

Shen Youying looked stunned. Xue Shen thought she was frightened, so he covered her eyes with his hands to prevent her from seeing the tragic scene on the street, and carried her back to the inn.

Even after returning to the inn, Shen Youying was still somewhat dazed and couldn't quite come to her senses.

Xue Shen waved his hand in front of her eyes several times before she belatedly looked at him.

Xue Shen frowned, raised his hand to check the temperature of her forehead, and spoke very softly, as if afraid of frightening her: "Are you frightened? Is anything uncomfortable? When Master Huodong comes later, he will take your pulse."

Shen Youying shook her head, pulling herself out of her thoughts, only to realize that Xue Shen's clothes were torn all the way down the back.

She then became anxious and grabbed Xue Shen's arm, asking urgently, "How did your clothes get torn like this? Are you hurt? I'm fine, let Master Huodong take a look at you first."

Seeing that she looked lively, Xue Shen felt relieved. He touched her cheek and laughed, "I thought she had been scared silly."

Shen Youying shook her head. She didn't want to say anything uncertain at this time and add to his worries, but she was afraid he would worry and overthink things. After hesitating for a moment, she still told him the truth: "I think I saw my brother in the crowd just now. When you were protecting me, he kept walking against the crowd towards us..."

"There were just too many people, so I couldn't get a clear look at his face."

Xue Shen frowned: "Are you sure you saw it?"

Shen Youying hesitated for a long time, then shook her head uncertainly: "I'm not sure."

Now, when she talks about it, Shen Youying is even starting to have some doubts about whether she really saw her older brother or if she was just having a hallucination from being frightened.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!