Chapter 117 Bao'er is Kidnapped
Ling Jin did not miss the fleeting look of disgust in Bao'er's eyes.
"I've gone mad!" Ling Jin roared. "I've gone mad ever since I watched you marry someone else! I've endured and worked so hard for so many years. I thought I could only silently protect you for the rest of my life, but fate played a cruel joke on me. I became the Crown Prince of the Western Regions! Bao'er, everything Mu Cenlin could give you, I can give you now! He couldn't even protect A-Yu! Come with me, I will never let anyone hurt the people you care about again!"
Li Bao'er was startled, taken aback by his words. What happened to A-Yu?
On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes. Li Bao'er was losing her composure. Looking at Ling Jin's almost demonic state, she felt utterly unfamiliar and chilled.
"Ling Jin, wake up!" Li Bao'er tried to rouse him. "I only consider you family..."
"I don't care what you think now!" Ling Jin interrupted her, his eyes filled with obsession. "As long as you're by my side, one day you'll understand that I'm more worthy than Mu Cenlin! I'll treat you better than he ever did!"
As he spoke, he moved, intending to use force, and stepped forward to grab Li Bao'er's wrist!
"Don't touch me!" Li Bao'er suddenly shook him off.
She was truly disappointed now, not because of Ling Jin's love, but because he could disregard her wishes and try to forcibly kidnap her.
"Ling Jin, if you still have any lingering feelings for us, leave immediately! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!"
She quietly gripped the curved knife she carried for self-defense. Ironically, this knife was a gift from Ling Jin, yet it was now being used against her former family.
Looking into her wary and unfamiliar eyes, and seeing her brandish her weapon against him for another man, Ling Jin felt as if his heart had been ripped out. The crazy possessiveness and the excruciating pain intertwined, almost suffocating him.
Just then, the faint sound of horses' hooves and shouts of searching could be heard in the distance. It seemed that the soldiers had come looking for the princess because she had not returned in time!
Ling Jin's eyes sharpened, knowing the time was running out. He said no more, a resolute glint in his eyes!
Seeing that his expression was off, Li Bao'er immediately tried to back away on guard. However, Ling Jin's movements were as fast as a ghost. He moved in a flash and was already close to her! Li Bao'er felt a pain in the back of her neck, as if she had been stabbed by something tiny. A strong sense of dizziness instantly came over her. Her vision went black and she lost all consciousness, falling softly forward.
Ling Jin immediately reached out and caught her steadily, then picked her up in his arms.
"I'm sorry, Bao'er, but I can't bear to watch you be with someone else." He murmured softly, then without further hesitation, he picked up Li Bao'er and disappeared into the depths of the dense poplar forest in a few leaps, leaving only Linglong and Miao Qing lying unconscious on the ground.
When the searching soldiers arrived, they found only an unconscious maid and some messy hoofprints and footprints on the ground.
The soldiers brought the unconscious Linglong and Miao Qing back to the camp and reported to Mu Cenlin the traces they found in the forest and the suspected abduction of the princess.
Inside the commander's tent, the atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing point.
Mu Cenlin stood in the tent, listening to the soldiers' reports, the color draining from his face. His hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
The oppressive atmosphere emanating from him made the entire tent feel like the dead of winter, making even breathing difficult. "Are you sure it's the Western Regions?"
"Your Highness, the footprints and hoofprints do indeed point to the Western Regions," the soldier replied, forcing a smile.
Yuan Ting, Feng Li, Zhu Zhi, and other generals stood aside, not daring to breathe, their hearts filled with worry. It was all their fault for not protecting the people properly.
Just then, the military doctor in charge of taking care of Li Yu rushed into the tent:
"Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! Young Master Li is in critical condition!"
Mu Cenlin turned his head sharply, his phoenix eyes already bloodshot: "Speak!"
The military doctor knelt down with a thud, trembling as he said, "Young Master's shoulder wound is extremely deep, and most importantly, the spear tip was coated with deadly poison!"
He swallowed hard and continued with difficulty, "This poison takes effect extremely quickly and is incredibly cunning. I can only temporarily use medicine to keep the young master's heart functioning, but without an antidote, I'm afraid he won't last more than three days!"
"What kind of poison is it?!" Mu Cenlin's voice was hoarse.
"This poison is called Falling Glow. When it is poisoned, yellow pus will ooze around the wound, resembling the path to the underworld. This is a unique and deadly poison that is kept secret by the Western Regions royal family! It is only available to core members of the royal family!"
The Western Regions Royal Family's Secret Poison!
Li Yu is seriously injured and poisoned, and her life is in danger!
Bao'er has been kidnapped and her whereabouts are unknown!
The tent was deathly silent, and everyone could feel the terrifying aura emanating from the prince.
Mu Cenlin slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, all his emotions were frozen, leaving only overwhelming killing intent.
"Pass down the order: all troops, prepare for battle!"
His gaze swept over the kneeling military doctor: "Use every means possible to keep A-Yu alive!"
In the stillness of the night, Sha Ni gazes at the cliffs outside the city.
This is where Mu Cenlin's uncle, Zhang Ling, secretly trained him in martial arts when he was young. The cliff is steep, and the moonlight shines like a ribbon, casting a desolate glow on the man's figure.
Mu Cenlin knelt alone on the edge of the cliff, a jar of strong liquor and two rough earthenware bowls in front of him. He first filled one bowl, then slowly poured it onto the ground in front of him, his voice low and hoarse:
"Uncle, your nephew respectfully greets you."
The wine seeped into the dry soil and quickly disappeared.
Then, he poured himself another bowl, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. The strong liquor burned his throat, but it couldn't suppress the pain and helplessness in his heart.
He gazed at the cold moon on the horizon, his mind filled with countless thoughts.
"Heh..." He chuckled softly, with endless self-mockery, "It seems that I, Mu Cenlin, have always been separated from my closest and dearest loved ones throughout my life."
“When I was young, my mother cruelly sent me out of the palace to be with you, my uncle, so that I could live. I remember that the palace road was so long that day, and she never looked back once…” Mu Cenlin’s voice trembled slightly.
"When we arrived at the border, Uncle, you treated me like your own son, but you were also extremely strict with me. I practiced archery under the scorching sun, my hands cracked and blistered, and I wielded a sword in the wind and snow, my frozen fingers almost numb. But I dared not complain of pain or fatigue, because I knew that only by becoming strong enough could I survive and bring my mother out."
"Although you are not good with words, I know you love me very much, so I don't feel sorry for myself. I have the best teachers and elders in the world."
He gulped down a mouthful of liquor, the spiciness shooting straight to his head.
"Later, I heard that my mother was having a hard time in the Cold Palace. Young and impetuous, I thought I had honed my skills, so I secretly sneaked back to the capital." His voice suddenly became hoarse, filled with deep-seated hatred. "And what was the result? Like a stray dog, I was chased all the way by assassins sent by the Crown Prince. I was stabbed multiple times, almost bleeding to death, and finally escaped to the back mountain of Longhua Temple, thinking that I was going to die there..."
He paused for a long time, his fingers gripping the wine bowl trembling slightly with force. In the moonlight, the hard lines of his profile seemed to soften for a moment.
"Then I met Bao'er."
“She was so small then, wearing a pale yellow shirt, like a little glutinous rice ball. When she saw me lying in the grass covered in blood, she didn’t run away in fright… Instead, she trembled and clumsily bandaged me with her clean handkerchief, saying in her childish voice that she wouldn’t let me die.”
That was the first time my nephew had experienced kindness from a stranger.
“From that moment on, I secretly vowed in my heart that when I grew up, if she was willing, I would definitely marry her, present her with all the good things in the world, cherish her for the rest of my life, never let her suffer any grievances again, and let her always be as clean and happy as she was back then.”
"Later, I finally had the ability to return to the capital. I went to find her with great anticipation, thinking that perhaps... perhaps she still remembered that boy in the pool of blood."
“She doesn’t remember me anymore. Her eyes and heart are filled with Mu Yuan! For Mu Yuan, she would risk her life, she would… she would do anything.”
Mu Cen chuckled softly, his laughter filled with desolation. "I can only watch from the sidelines like a rat in a sewer, desperately suppressing my maddening jealousy and love."
“She shot my horse, spread rumors about me, and stole my tiger tally. Every time she bullied me for Mu Yuan's sake, I never really resented her.”
Under the moonlight, he raised his hand, looking at his calloused palm, his voice so soft it seemed to shatter in the wind:
"I will only hate myself more, hate that I came back too late, hate the blood feud I carry, hate that my hands are stained with blood and filth."
Mu Cenlin closed his eyes and felt the howling wind for a long time. Then he suddenly drank the remaining wine in the jar, smashed the pottery jar heavily on the rock, and stood up.
"But this time, it's different. Whether it's the Western Regions Royal Court or the Underworld, I will definitely bring them back!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com