Hiding here might be safe for the time being, but Li Yan would definitely not be able to wait for rescue, and there was no point in waiting to die safely.
Heading onto the main road would allow someone to find us sooner, giving us either a quicker chance to survive or a quicker death and complete annihilation.
Shen Ning was never one to sit idly by and wait for death. If Li Yan was destined to die, she couldn't accept watching him breathe his last. At least she should do something. Perhaps God would take pity on her after all the hard work she had put in.
Li Yan felt that his chances of survival were slim, but he had no good advice, and he was in so much pain that he couldn't even speak.
Shen Ning seemed to sense his discomfort as well, and kept talking as they walked, telling him stories she knew.
First, they came from operas, then from interesting things I encountered myself, and finally from stories I read in travelogues and anecdotes.
Li Yan's attention was indeed diverted. He listened in a daze, but could still tell whether he had heard or seen it before.
Shen Ning spoke until his mouth was dry and blistered, and large drops of sweat slid down his face. His previously injured shoulder felt as if the bones had cracked again.
Feeling a bit panicked when she realized the person behind her wasn't responding at all.
"Crown Prince, Qin Yan, Qin Yan? Are you still alive?"
"You're dead? Looks like I won't even need an assassin to take you down with me."
"I've imagined a thousand ways to die, so this is completely unexpected."
"It's just a pity that my caravan hasn't been assembled yet. I wanted to make a lot of money and become the richest woman, but I never expected to fail here."
Shen Ning rambled on and on, her tone light, but it sounded like she was about to break down.
Li Yan, his mind hazy, let out a low cry: "It hurts..."
Shen Ning felt as if she had heard heavenly music, and tears streamed down her face. She quickly closed her eyes to clear her blurred vision and continued to carry him on her back.
"Honey, the pain means you're still alive. It won't last long; someone will come to rescue us soon."
Shen Ning coaxed him while carrying him on her back, but the closer they got to the roadside, the more weeds and bushes there were. She had to push through the grass while carrying him, which was really difficult.
The sharp leaves cut her cheeks painfully, and blood beads appeared all over her arms, but she didn't care about the pain at the moment.
Finally, they reached a slightly more spacious area where they could see the official road in the distance. Shen Ning was too exhausted to walk any further.
Li Yan was placed on the ground, and his head was supported by a piece of clothing to help him lie flat.
Shen Ning was covered in sweat, his lips were chapped, and his head was spinning. He had said too much just now, and now that the person had been put down, he couldn't utter a single word.
She didn't look at Li Yan, but leaned against the tree trunk to get some fresh air. After a while, she calmed down and walked to the clump of grass. She picked out some grass, chewed it, and then put it in her mouth.
I was so thirsty, my mouth was practically steaming.
Li Yan was completely out of consciousness. He turned his head slightly as if looking at her, but it seemed like he wasn't looking at anything at all.
Shen Ning looked towards the official road, awaiting the final judgment.
However, it seems that this crown prince is not favored by God.
As the assassins dressed in black descended, Shen Ning remained calm and composed, as if nothing had happened: "We lost!"
Li Yan lay on the ground, looking like a corpse, while Shen Ning was even more disheveled, covered in mud and grass clippings, her face covered in cuts from grass leaves, with blood droplets of all sizes smeared all over her face. She looked so wretched and half-dead that she didn't seem aggressive at all. The assassins didn't even make a move when they saw this.
Although there was nothing she could do, Shen Ning still walked to Li Yan's side and half-embraced him in her arms.
The lead assassin walked slowly over, his gaze shifting from Li Yan to Shen Ning's face: "You are not a member of the Crown Prince's faction. Leave immediately, or I will not kill you."
Shen Ning looked up in surprise at the man. While the other assassins had their faces covered, he was showing them his face openly. He had an ordinary face that would be easily lost in a crowd, but his temperament was quite special.
She stared for a moment, then suddenly laughed. She was in so much pain that she couldn't speak, but she mouthed three words: Wang Xiaoya.
The assassin's eyes suddenly sharpened, but the corners of his eyes turned up slightly, showing no anger at being recognized and no intention to kill him to silence him.
Shen Ning wasn't afraid at all. She leaned back against the tree trunk and looked up at the sky.
What a beautiful day! The sky is clear and cloudless. It's wonderful; she doesn't want to die in the snow.
"Clang!"
A sword thrust forward, aimed directly at Li Yan's throat. Whether he lived or died, he had to be completely dead.
But the sword failed to penetrate.
Shen Ning blocked it with her hand; the long sword pierced her arm, only half an inch from Li Yan's throat.
Wang Erya, Tao Ji, or perhaps she should be called the Thousand-Faced Demon Fox.
She stared at Shen Ning's injured arm and narrowed her eyes: "You're really willing to go to any lengths for him."
Shen Ning trembled with pain, tears streaming down her face, but she forced a sad smile and spoke, her voice hoarse: "I didn't want to either... but I've protected him all this way... I can't just give up now."
Her throat hurt, as if she had a piece of burning coal in her mouth: "How can you let him go this time... name your price."
The Thousand-Faced Fox seemed to smile: "To be honest, I'm actually quite tempted, but unfortunately, there's no room for negotiation this time. But don't worry, I won't kill you. As long as you follow me, I won't let you get involved."
Whether it was the first kidnapping or their interactions when she was Tao Ji, she had a good impression of Shen Ning. Moreover, she had always been disguised, so no one knew her true face. Tao Ji was just an identity, so it didn't matter if she was recognized.
Shen Ning chuckled awkwardly. Should she thank her?
The injured hand was slowly removed from the sword, and blood splattered all over Li Yan's face.
This adorable, almost unfairly cute baby face was now stained with blood, making it look extremely jarring.
Shen Ning tried to wipe him clean with her sleeve, but the more she wiped, the dirtier he became. In the end, she simply closed her eyes and thought, "Oh well, I'm going to die anyway, why bother with all this?"
The Thousand-Faced Demon Fox didn't waste any words with her and once again swung his sword at the Crown Prince.
"bite!"
The clanging sound of metal clashing was deafening.
Shen Ning watched helplessly as an arrow struck the tip of a sword, producing dazzling sparks that stung her eyes.
The next moment, more arrows rained down, forcing Thousand-Faced Fox and his companions to dodge backward.
Shen Ning stared blankly at the rain of arrows falling in front of him. The arrows were so deeply embedded in the ground that most of them were stuck in the ground, with only the fletchings of the arrows trembling.
Any one of those arrows would have been fatal, but they all avoided her.
We're saved?
Shen Ning was stunned. Before she could even feel joy, she was embraced.
That aura was... Shen Ning slowly raised her head and saw Qin Zhuo's cold and stern face, his jawline taut and extremely sharp, his eyes bloodshot and filled with murderous intent.
She wanted to say something, but everything went black and she knew nothing more.
Before she fell into darkness, her only thought was: This is great, this time I won't die in the freezing cold, and I can even die in the arms of the person I love. It's a win.
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