Chapter 82: Standing Together Through Life and Death

Elsewhere, Fang Duobing and the princess were about to leave this dangerous place through an abandoned mine tunnel. The place was dimly lit, with only a few dying torches casting flickering shadows. The air was thick with the smell of dust and blood. Suddenly, chaotic footsteps were heard around the corner ahead. Several remnants of the Wansheng Dao, armed with weapons, appeared, blocking their way. The leader was one of Shan Gudao's trusted confidants, known for their strange and brutal martial arts.

"Fang Duobing, leave the princess here and I will spare your life!" The other party approached with a grim smile.

Fang Duobing's pupils shrank, and he immediately protected the princess behind him tightly. The Erya sword was unsheathed in an instant, and the tip of the sword pointed at the enemy. He whispered: "Princess, follow me closely, and don't leave no matter what!" His face was solemn. He knew that his internal energy had been consumed a lot when he broke into the dungeon before. Now he had to protect others, and the situation was extremely unfavorable.

The enemies swarmed! Fang Duobing's sword danced, unleashing his exquisitely created moves to the fullest extent. However, every time he struck, he had to look behind him, which inevitably restricted his movements. He repeatedly put his body between the princess and the deadly attacks in front of him, and bloody marks instantly appeared on his arms and shoulders. The princess looked at his bleeding wounds, her eyes filled with anxiety and heartache, but she suppressed a cry of surprise, so as not to distract him. She even keenly noticed the flaw in one enemy's moves and hurriedly whispered a warning: "Fang Duobing, the man on the left is unstable!"

The enemy outnumbered them, their attack unstoppable. At one point, two enemies attacked simultaneously from both sides. Fang Duobing parried a blow from the left, but a sword from the right was already heading straight for the princess! Unable to draw back, he thrust his left arm to block the blow for the princess, tearing flesh and splattering blood! The excruciating pain intensified his right sword strikes, forcing the enemies back, though his steps were already stumbling. The princess hurriedly tore off her skirt to bandage him, her hands shaking uncontrollably.

Seeing signs of defeat looming, Fang Duobing, protecting the princess, retreated to a corner, practically trapped. In the final moments, Fang Duobing glimpsed several abandoned gunpowder barrels (or perhaps wooden carts used to transport ore in the mines) stacked in a corner. His mind raced, and he urgently called to the princess, "Get down!" Then, mustering his last remaining internal energy, he lifted up the rubble from the ground with his sword, channeling it like a hurricane and raining down force, unleashing a torrential stream of energy at the gunpowder barrel fuses!

There was a loud "boom" sound. Although there was no actual explosion, it successfully created chaos and temporarily blocked the enemy's sight and offensive. Fang Duobing took the opportunity to pull up the princess and try to break out from the weak point on the flank.

Just as Fang Duobing was about to collapse, shouts suddenly rang out from the other end of the passage! It turned out to be Shi Shui leading some of the Sigumen's former troops, who had arrived just in time to reinforce! The fresh troops instantly turned the tide. Seeing the situation was hopeless, the remaining enemies fled in panic.

The crisis was over, and Fang Duobing finally breathed a sigh of relief. He swayed, and used his sword to steady himself. The princess immediately stepped forward to support him. Looking at his wounded body, tears welled in her eyes, and her voice choked with sobs: "Fang Duobing, your injuries..."

Fang Duobing forced a smile and soothed, "It's just a minor wound, nothing serious. I hope the princess is alright." Only then did he truly feel the relief of having survived the ordeal, and the princess's genuine concern. This shared adventure had undoubtedly strengthened their bond.

Shi Shui and others cleaned up the battlefield and escorted them away from this dangerous place quickly.

After Di Feisheng finished dealing with Jiao Liqiao, a chilling murderous aura still lingered around him, his dark robes stained with a faint scent of blood. He strode through the chaotic battlefield, his gaze as precise as a hawk's fixed on the pale-faced Li Lianhua leaning against the ruins.

All the noise seemed to fade away in an instant, leaving only that slender figure in his world. Without a moment's hesitation, he strode forward, one hand domineering yet gentle, grasping the back of Li Lianhua's neck. He brought her towards him, lowered his head, and kissed her fiercely! The kiss carried the aggression of blood, yet was filled with the eagerness and panic of regaining what had been lost, as if to confirm her existence.

Li Lianhua's pupils shrank slightly at the sudden kiss, and his pale cheeks instantly flushed crimson, spreading all the way to his ears. He subconsciously raised his hand to press against Di Feisheng's chest, his voice tinged with panic and anger: "A Fei! ... There are so many people watching..."

His eyelashes trembled slightly, his eyes dodging, not daring to look directly into Di Feisheng's burning gaze, let alone the reactions of the others around him. However, Di Feisheng's kiss was undeniable, and even his slight struggle made the kiss deeper, as if to swallow up all the pain and grievances he had endured these days.

Fang Duobing, the princess, and the disciples from Tianji Villa and Lotus Tower were all stunned at first, then they all turned their faces away with red faces, looking up at the sky or down at the ground, pretending to be busy.

Fang Duobing pulled the princess around, coughing dramatically, "Don't look at anything inappropriate! Don't look at anything inappropriate!" But the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up. Wuyan silently waved his hand, signaling his men to turn their backs to the two of them and form a human wall, isolating the lord from a small corner of his own. A subtle mixture of awkwardness, understanding, and blessing hung in the air.

Di Feisheng paid no heed to the reactions of his surroundings. Li Lianhua's wrath intensified his possessiveness. He abruptly untied his black cloak and, with a wave of his hand, enveloped the two of them tightly. Beneath the cloak, the light suddenly dimmed, instantly shutting out all sight and noise from the outside world, creating a private space that belonged only to them.

He kissed Li Lianhua's lips fiercely again, this time, no longer with plundering intent, but with a deep affection that was almost shattering. His tongue gently but firmly penetrated, entangled, and sucked, as if to confide in him the fear, search, and deep longing he had felt over the past few days.

Li Lianhua's initial resistance gradually softened under the onslaught of such intense emotion. The hand that had been pressing against Di Feisheng's chest slowly shifted to tightly grasping his shirt, her knuckles turning white as she awkwardly yet sincerely began to respond to the kiss. In the darkness, all they could hear was their heavy, chaotic breathing and the drumming of their hearts, whose own they couldn't tell.

During the long kiss, Di Feisheng's lips gently moved to the corner of Li Lianhua's eye, kissing away the moisture that had seeped out of her eyes. His voice was extremely hoarse, and he whispered at very close distance with a barely perceptible tremor: "Don't... let me lose you again."

Li Lianhua didn't answer, only burying her face deeper into his neck, conveying his commitment and dependence with concrete actions. Outside the cloak, the flames of war had just subsided, and everything was in ruins; inside the cloak, after enduring life and death, they found their first unconditional reliance and peace.