Chapter 37 Chapter 37 Xie Tingyu, I’m scared to death, woo woo woo…
"Let the little master go, and I'll go with you."
Ji Lian used up all his strength in just ten words. He naturally knew the outcome of following the person.
Therefore, the moment he stood up, he was determined to prove his loyalty and bravery by dying.
Ji Lian stood still like a pine tree, his hand trembling slightly as he gripped the golden sword beneath his wide sleeves. He waited until the young monk stumbled back into the crowd before he slowly stepped forward.
"Your Highness!"
Jiangzhu suddenly stumbled out and knelt heavily on the ground: "I have served Your Highness for many years, please... let me go with you!"
Seeing this, the leading villain sneered and signaled with his eyes to the person behind him to come forward and pull Jiangzhu over.
Ji Lian stepped over the threshold, and the night wind, carrying the smell of blood, blew in her face.
Two lanterns swayed in the wind beneath the eaves. In the dim glow, a fine raindrop fell like silver needles. Wherever he looked, the bodies of monks lay scattered across the bluestone slabs, their blood flowing like streams in the rain.
Hundreds of ferocious men surrounded the hall. The weapons in their hands gleamed coldly, and their faces were filled with ferocious excitement. Just as the leading thug reached out to hold Ji Lian's shoulder—
Whoosh whoosh!
Dozens of feathered arrows pierced the air, their bamboo tubes exploding and sending plumes of white smoke billowing. Amidst the chaos, the thunderous sound of horse hooves could be heard in the distance.
Everyone was immediately trapped in the white smoke, and suddenly they heard thunderous sound of horse hooves.
Although Ji Lian couldn't see clearly, she felt an indescribable joy in her heart.
In the layers of white mist, Ji Lian turned around without hesitation and groped for Jiangzhu's hand in the thick smoke: "Let's go!"
boom!
The sound of horse hooves grew closer, and thick black shadows broke through the white mist. Jinwu Guards, swords in hand, charged into the enemy ranks, throwing the thugs into disarray.
Several eagle feather arrows accurately penetrated the white mist, and the thug's chest exploded with blood and he fell to the ground.
When the villain saw Ji Lian trying to escape, he pounced on her with a ferocious look on his face.
"If you don't have time, just grab a handful of incense ash and sprinkle it over to blind the thief's eyes and then run away." A voice echoed clearly in Ji Lian's mind.
The situation was urgent and it was too late to use the golden knife in her sleeve. Without thinking, Ji Lian fluttered her wide sleeves and scattered a handful of incense ash in her face.
The fine incense ash spread like mist, and the villain's eyes suddenly felt stinging and tears streamed down her face. "Catch him!" She covered her eyes and screamed, "We can't let him get away!"
Ji Lian tightly grasped Jiangzhu's hand and fled in panic in the thick fog.
Suddenly, a rider leaped out of the white mist ahead, dismounted, and unsheathed his sword. Before Ji Lian could react, a bony hand had already firmly grasped his wrist.
Xie Tingyu slid forward, his sword flashing like a thread. With a "puff," blood splattered, and a head fell to the ground with a dull "thump."
Ji Lian stumbled a few steps from the force, his back hitting the cold wall. He looked up, stunned, and saw the man. His black hair was tied up high, a jade button in his ponytail gleaming coldly, and his narrow-sleeved riding jacket outlined his neat lines.
The flash of the knife flew between her left and right hands, and the two thugs fell to the ground. Blood and flesh splattered as she killed them with ease, cutting through the Gordian knot, as if chopping melons and vegetables.
Ji Lian was so engrossed in watching that she didn't notice that two thugs on her left were rushing towards her with knives raised.
Xie Tingyu's ears twitched slightly, and she lifted a sword from the ground with her toes. Holding the two blades in each hand, she spun in front of Ji Lian like a ghost.
Two silver rainbows crossed each other, and she stabbed both blades into the enemy's throat at the same time.
With a "swish", she quickly drew out her knife, and two long bloody marks suddenly appeared on the snow-white wall.
The tip of the knife dropped, blood dripping down the blade to the ground. Every move was clean and neat, fast, fierce, and accurate, each strike deadly, a single blow certain to kill.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Ji Lian heard her own heart beating violently.
The firefly moonlight seemed to have coated her with a layer of silver light, and her arrival at this moment was like that of a god.
The surrounding thugs were intimidated by the fierce and murderous aura that Xie Tingyu exuded, and filled with fear, they dared not move forward. The Jinwu Guards took the opportunity to surround and subdue the thieves.
"Leave a few alive and bring them back for interrogation." Xie Tingyu stood with her sword across her shoulders, her voice stern. She stood there like a god of war, guarding Ji Lian, watching coldly as the thugs fell to the ground one after another, screams echoing one after another.
The situation was reversed in an instant.
Xie Tingyu turned his wrist, sheathed his sword, leaned over and pulled Ji Lian up.
"Are you injured?" Xie Tingyu asked in a low voice, "Let me take a look?"
Ji Lian shook her head, but held Xie Tingyu's hand tightly, her eyes fixed on the bloodstain on her chin, "Are you hurt? Your face..."
He wanted to wipe Xie Tingyu's hands, but found that his hands and the gaps between his fingers were covered with incense ash, and were very dirty.
How can you touch her when she is so dirty?
Ji Lian withdrew her hand tremblingly.
"Nothing." Xie Tingyu wiped it away with the back of her hand nonchalantly. "It's just someone else's blood." She looked at Jiangzhu and said, "Hurry up and take your prince back to rest. It's too messy here."
When the white mist dissipated, the tragic scene on the ground suddenly became apparent: blood flowed like a river, corpses were piled up, and several severed limbs were still twitching.
The abbot, monks, and pilgrims who were originally trapped in the temple all came out with their sleeves covered. Looking at the corpses of the thugs lying on the ground, they felt excited and scared at the same time.
Ji Lian was suddenly struck by this, and his steps became unsteady, his vision went dark, and he was about to fall. Jiang Zhu quickly supported him.
"Huh? I forgot." Xie Tingyu laughed. His other hand, which was not stained with any blood, took out a long black hairband from his bosom and handed it to him. "Give it to your Highness to blindfold him and walk back."
Ji Lian returned to his residence and carefully put away the black hairband. After washing his face, he rubbed his hands repeatedly with soap until every fingertip was clean. After doing this, he stood alone under the eaves and waited.
Strangely enough, the rain stopped abruptly with the end of the killing.
The air was filled with the damp, rusty smell of blood and rain. The moonlight penetrated the dispersing clouds, illuminating the courtyard with a cool and clear atmosphere.
Ji Lian looked up and saw a full moon shining brightly where the dark clouds had dispersed.
About half an hour later, he heard very light footsteps. He turned around and saw Xie Tingyu.
Xie Tingyu had apparently washed herself too. She had washed the blood off her hands and face, even removing her bloodstained armor. She stood beneath the sycamore tree, looking at him.
Ji Lian could no longer hold back the throbbing in her heart, and ran towards Xie Tingyu, hugged her waist with both hands, and buried his chin deeply in her shoulder.
Xie Tingyu was stunned. She hadn't expected Ji Lian to be so proactive. This was the first time since the love poison had taken effect. She was stunned for a moment before she raised her arms and hugged him back gently but firmly.
Hidden behind the door, Jiangzhu saw everything clearly and was now finally convinced of Ji Lian's feelings for Second Lady Xie. He quietly closed the door and stopped peeking.
"I thought you weren't afraid, Your Highness." Xie Tingyu patted Ji Lian's trembling back.
After these words were spoken, Ji Lian trembled even more violently.
A faint whimpering sound escaped, gradually turning into uncontrollable sobbing.
When facing the mob, he straightened his back and didn't shed a tear; when facing life and death, he clenched the golden sword tightly and didn't show any fear. But now, standing before Xie Tingyu, all the grievances were poured out.
"Wuwuwuwuwu..." Ji Lian raised her tearful face, "I'm scared to death, Xie Tingyu. If you come a little later, I will... I will..."
"Your Highness is going to commit suicide with that golden sword?"
Tears streamed down his eyelashes as Ji Lian nodded heavily. "I am a member of the royal family. How can I allow thieves to humiliate me?" He sobbed and clutched Xie Tingyu's clothes. "The only way to clear my name is to die."
"Ah...are you royal subjects so easily willing to die?" Xie Tingyu whispered devilishly, "In fact, there are some people who, regardless of whether they are vegetarian or not, love to desecrate the corpses of nobles, stripping them of their clothes and turning them into voluptuous corpses, and then selling them to those with special fetishes..."
He talked about everything that was horrifying, from corpse refining to ghost marriage, which made Ji Lian so angry that she opened her mouth and bit Xie Tingyu's neck.
"Why are you scaring me?"
"If I scare you, you won't die easily."
Ji Lian snorted and pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve. Xie Tingyu took it and wiped his tears.
Xie Tingyu pressed the handkerchief into Ji Lian's hand and said, "I'm going back to Jiankang City."
Ji Lian was startled, and involuntarily stretched out her finger to hook hers, "Then...will you come again later?"
Xie Tingyu asked softly, "Your Highness, do you want me to appear in front of you tomorrow?"
"Not really." Ji Lian let go of her hand. "You can come tomorrow if you want."
Xie Tingyu grabbed Ji Lian's wrist with one hand and put his other hand around his waist and turned him around.
Ji Lian leaned her back against the trunk of the paulownia tree. Seeing that face approaching within the range where she could hear her breathing, she just stopped.
Now it was Xie Tingyu's turn to bury his face in Ji Lian's shoulder. Her warm breath fanned his neck. "I was scared, too, actually. Luckily I got here in time." She hugged him tightly. "It's a good thing you're okay."
Ji Lian stroked Xie Tingyu's hair and whispered, "You haven't said you'll come tomorrow?"
"Maybe I'll come, maybe not. I'll see if there's anything I can do for you in the city."
A sour feeling welled up in her heart, bitterer than the bitter melon she'd accidentally eaten as a child. Ji Lian pushed Xie Tingyu away a little, lowering her eyes to hide the turmoil in her eyes. "Go quickly. There might still be some thieves in the city who've escaped, and we need you to clear them out."
"The Jinwu Guards who came with me tonight will stay behind to patrol the night."
"Um."
"With them here, Your Highness can rest assured tonight."
"Um."
Xie Tingyu leaned forward again and said, "Since I have just fought so bravely, I would like to ask Your Highness for a reward."
Ji Lian raised her eyes, and the moment their eyes met, even the air seemed to freeze.
It wasn't as passionate and affectionate as before, nor as inseparable as before, just a light kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water. Before I could savor it, a clear whistle pierced the night sky, and a horse, completely black except for its four snow-white hooves, came stepping onto the moon.
Xie Tingyu swiftly mounted her horse, her dark hair wielding a flowing arc. She glanced at Ji Lian, then, without looking back, galloped off towards Jiankang City, followed closely by several of Xie's personal guards.
Everything was quiet.
Ji Lian lay on the bed, her fingertips caressing her lips, as if her warmth and fragrance were still lingering there. He closed his eyes, his mind filled with the image of how she had just killed the thief in an instant with a single blow of her sword.
Neat, decisive, fierce, and especially...good-looking.
Ji Lian suddenly turned over, her legs unconsciously clamping around the thin blanket, rubbing against it gently. Her lower lip turned pale from biting it. After taking several deep breaths, she finally pulled the thin blanket over her head.
"...Go to sleep quickly." A muffled voice came from under the quilt, with an almost imperceptible tremor at the end of the voice.
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The author has something to say: Lianlian: I don’t want just a simple kiss TT
Xie Tingyu: Then next time...can I touch and kiss you?
Lianlian: !!!! No (Hard-mouthed version)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
