Su Yushan retreated in fear, her voice trembling as she asked, "Who are they?"

Hongli's eyes narrowed, he gripped her hand tightly, and gritted his teeth, saying, "A man destined for death!"

The reason why Hongli was able to stand calmly in place at this moment was because he knew very well that Demin was not far behind him and was rushing towards this side, and the boatman and crew on the boat were also his secret guards in disguise, and they were rushing to the shore.

Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred. Demin rode his horse at breakneck speed, leaped up, and stopped beside his master.

The boatman, wielding two swords, tossed one to his master. Hongli and his two companions had a slim chance of winning against the six men in black, but Su Yushan was by his side. Since she was unskilled in martial arts, someone had to protect her.

Hongli immediately instructed Demin, "Protect Yushan well!"

Demin's mission was to protect his master, but his master ordered him to protect Su Gege. Although he hesitated, he could not disobey his master's orders. Helpless, Demin could only stand in front of Su Gege and use his sharp sword light to block the black-clad men who tried to approach!

She used to think that Hongli looked very dashing when he practiced swordsmanship, but when she actually saw such a scene of swords clashing, she could no longer appreciate his heroic figure, and was only filled with fear and worry.

The sound of sharp blades clashing was crisp and piercing, making her heart tremble and her legs involuntarily go weak.

Two bodyguards protected Hongli, preventing the men in black from getting close to him.

In the midst of the chaos, a man in black gradually retreated. By the time Demin noticed, the man was already holding a bow and arrow, aiming at Hongli!

Seeing this, Demin sighed inwardly and ran quickly to his master's side, but he was no match for the speed of the arrow. He could only try his best to strike with his sword and knock the arrow down the moment it came flying in!

The next moment, a man in black engaged him in combat. He was caught off guard, and Su Yushan was left unprotected. The man in black then aimed his bow and arrow at her!

Upon catching a glimpse of that scene, Hongli's heart tightened, and only one thought remained in his mind: Su Yushan must not be harmed!

In a moment of panic, Hongli rushed towards Su Yushan without thinking, shielding the terrified woman in his arms. A swift arrow struck him directly, and a sharp pain shot through him instantly. Hongli groaned and his handsome brows furrowed.

Su Yushan, who witnessed the whole thing, stared in shock, grabbed him tightly, and cried out, "Hongli!"

Just now, when Demin rushed over, he had already given a signal, and twenty guards from afar quickly arrived. Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, the man in black had already lost the initiative and, without lingering, quickly retreated, jumping into the lake. The guards continued their pursuit, and Demin immediately moved closer.

"Fourth Master, you're injured..."

Before Demin could finish speaking, Hongli, enduring the pain, raised his hand and slapped him across the face! His gaze towards Demin was filled with icy coldness!

Demin had always been loyal to his duty and had never been beaten by his master before. This was the first time he had been beaten so suddenly. He was a little stunned and surprised, not understanding why his master was angry.

Hongli angrily pointed at him, gritting his teeth and rebuking him, "I ordered you to protect Yushan, what are you doing? If anything happens to Yushan, you will have to atone with your death!"

Clenching his fists, Demin straightened his back, neither humble nor arrogant, and said with his eyes lowered, "This humble servant is not afraid of death, as long as Fourth Master is safe and sound."

"You still dare to talk back?" Hongli was about to raise his hand when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. Su Yushan quickly supported him. "Hey---you are injured. Don't move around. Demin didn't mean to disobey you. He just cares about your safety."

Being shot by an arrow is no small matter. The most urgent thing is to treat the wound as soon as possible. If he were to take a carriage back to the mansion and treat it there, it would take at least an hour. In order to avoid any mishaps, Hongli decided to treat the wound nearby.

Su Yushan always thought that there were only a few people traveling together. It wasn't until after the incident that she realized that Hongli had secretly arranged for so many people to accompany him, including a doctor. Perhaps this was to guard against any unforeseen events during their trip.

The guards found a nearby clinic, and the doctor borrowed a room to examine the Fourth Prince's injuries.

Fortunately, he was shot in the arm. If it had been in a vital area such as the abdomen, the doctor would not have dared to remove the arrow easily. It was possible to try removing it from the arm.

So the doctor cut off half of his sleeve, prepared clean water and gauze, and some liquor, and then prepared to remove the arrow.

The arrow had barbs on its blade, and pulling it out would tear at flesh, causing excruciating pain. However, Hongli did not cry out; he simply gripped Su Yushan's hand tightly, clenching his teeth to endure the pain. The veins on his forehead bulged, and he was covered in cold sweat.

Seeing this, Su Yushan seemed to empathize with him, and squeezed his hand back, tears streaming down her face, "Does it hurt a lot?"

It was indeed very difficult, but he was unwilling to show weakness in front of her. A forced smile appeared on his pale lips as he gently comforted her, "It's alright now, you've made it through."

Recalling the stories in the storybooks, Su Yushan was terrified and asked the doctor, "Is this arrowhead coated with a deadly poison?"

The doctor examined it carefully and said, "The arrowhead is not poisonous, but it is rusty. If it is simply bandaged after piercing the skin, the wound can easily worsen, and in severe cases, it could be life-threatening."

"What should we do?" Ancient medical technology was not as advanced, and it was difficult to disinfect and sterilize like modern methods. She was very worried that Hongli's injury would worsen. The doctor did not have a better way and could only choose to use a red-hot iron to burn the wound, using this clumsy method to prevent the wound from deteriorating.

"Huh? He just pulled out the arrow and he's still bleeding! Then... then it must hurt a lot!"

"The pain is bearable, but once the wound worsens, there will be no hope of recovery!" The doctor was also helpless. Hongli knew how serious the consequences of being shot by an arrow were. Without hesitation, he ordered the doctor to get a branding iron.

To prevent her from worrying, Hongli coaxed her gently, "Go out first, it will be taken care of soon."

"No! I won't leave, I want to stay with you!" How could Su Yushan be at ease in this situation? She had to stay by his side and accompany him through the most agonizing time.

She insisted on staying, and Hongli had no choice but to let her have her way.

A quarter of an hour later, the doctor was ready. The red-hot branding iron was steaming. Hongli turned his face away, saying that everything was ready. The doctor seemed very experienced, his expression was normal. He directly raised the branding iron and pressed it onto his wound. A sizzling sound came immediately, along with a burnt smell.

Witnessing this cruel scene, Su Yushan burst into tears. Hongli immediately pulled her into his arms and covered her eyes, saying, "Don't look."

At that moment, Su Yushan broke down emotionally and could no longer hold back. She burst into tears, saying, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault for dragging you down and causing you to suffer such a serious injury. It's all my fault."

She knew very well how critical the situation was. If Hongli hadn't appeared in time and stood in front of her, the wound should have been on her, and she would be the one suffering the pain of the branding iron.