Chapter 37 The Scent of Citrus She actually abandoned me and ran away...
Xue Chan rolled down the hillside until she crashed into a tree and stopped.
The instant she hit the tree, she instinctively used her hand to brace herself, and her hand was cut by a sharp object.
Xue Chan stood up, supporting her back: "I should have known better than to jump down."
That was reckless.
But now that I've already jumped, where am I now?
The night was quiet, so even the slightest sound was extremely clear.
The chirping of birds, the rustling of unknown creatures crawling by, and... the sound of flowing water, the rustling of water hitting the bluestone.
Fantai Mountain is located on the upper reaches of the Jinliu River, and it is not too far from the Gaomei Temple. Moreover, the moon had just risen from the right when she was watching the fireworks.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two more fireworks pierced the air, instantly illuminating the mountain forest. But in a few moments, the heavy, oppressive darkness returned.
A few steps away was what appeared to be a low slope. Through the heavy shadows of the trees, Xue Chan could see scattered lights in the distance, and then there was another light above that.
Xue Chan quickly sketched out the general terrain in her mind and determined her approximate location.
Located on the east side of Fantai Mountain, below the Gaomei Temple.
The night was pitch black, yet a series of strange noises were drawing ever closer. She turned sharply, and a single light flickered towards her in the quiet mountain forest.
Xue Chan assumed that those people were chasing after her, and disregarding the pain, she slid down the slope and ran away.
As she looked at the crescent moon peeking through the leaves, she estimated her approximate location based on the moon's position and determined where she should run.
If you misjudge the location and wander aimlessly in this deep forest, you'll only be doomed if you run into those two on your way back!
The mountain path was difficult to traverse, and she gradually lost her strength; her hands and feet ached. She gasped for breath, her throat feeling as if it were being repeatedly scraped by pebbles.
Xue Chan waded across the rushing stream, stumbled to the water's edge, and scooped up some water, drinking a few mouthfuls.
She was like a withering, decaying plant, frantically absorbing the hard-won water. As the cool water flowed down, it soothed her burning throat.
The rushing stream made it almost impossible for her to stand up, but fortunately it wasn't deep. She used her hands to feel her way forward along the stones.
The dark forest was like a ghost, with countless hands reaching out to grab her hands, feet, and clothes, entangled her, and dragged her along.
She fell into the water several times, and got up several times. The stream soaked her clothes, making them heavy like shackles.
She simply took off her outer garment and groped her way forward.
Xue Chan touched the grass and soil.
After crossing the stream, they continued westward in the dark.
"Bang"
Xue Chan bumped into someone unexpectedly, and both of them fell to the ground. She smelled a citrus scent, the same scent as in the main hall of the Gao Mei Temple.
Xue Chan subconsciously asked the other person, "Who is it?"
The other person did not answer, but quickly got up and pulled Xue Chan to hide behind the large blue stone.
"Miss Xue, it's me."
The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but Xue Chan was still unsettled, so she became even more vigilant.
Seeing that she remained silent and was still wary of leaving, they pulled Xue Chan back inside.
"I am Xiao Yangjun."
Xue Chan did not struggle and was quite taken aback.
"you......"
Someone blew a breath, and the light from the tinderbox shone behind the bluestone.
Xue Chan first saw a pair of bright, sparkling eyes, then a beautiful, gentle face, which was now somewhat dirty.
Beside her was an even younger girl, who looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old.
Xiao Yangjun laughed: "It really is me, don't be afraid."
Xue Chan realized what was happening and blew out the tinder in one breath, and the surroundings quickly went dark again.
She asked Xiao Yangjun, "What are you doing here? And what's going on with you?"
Xiao Yangjun whispered, "My brother and I went out to celebrate the Shangsi Festival, but we were knocked unconscious and kidnapped without our knowledge. When we woke up, we were locked up with a group of girls. Later, when it was time to worship the gods, many of the girls disappeared. So I discussed with the other girls how to knock out the guards and then escape with them."
He got caught, knocked people unconscious, and ran away, taking others with him.
The more she talked, the more dizzy Xue Chan felt.
It turned out that the noise she heard at the Gaomei Temple was made by them.
Xue Chan was still somewhat shocked: "You just ran away with them like that? How come there are only the two of you?"
"yes"
Xiao Yangjun let out a soft "ah" and then said, "After we escaped, we came to Fantai Mountain. We could only run into the mountains. There were a few girls who were tortured and injured inside, so I hid them. I came out to scout the way."
Xiao Yangjun spoke with utmost seriousness, and Xue Chan felt her heart pound with fear.
"Isn't anyone pursuing him?"
“Yes, I’ve had suitors,” Xiao Yangjun smiled, sounding even a little shy, “but I’ve managed to dodge them all.”
As if she had just remembered something, she grabbed Xue Chan's arm and added, "But don't worry, I've hidden all those girls well, and not a single one has been caught!"
Xue Chan: "......"
Is this the key point?
Xue Chan couldn't see her expression, but she could fully imagine the pride and joy on the girl's face.
She sighed to herself; to be this carefree was truly remarkable.
Xue Chan asked her, "So what are your plans next?"
"I don't know either......"
Xiao Yangjun thought for a moment before answering in a low voice, "I was thinking of going to find my brother."
Xue Chan felt that she hadn't been captured or searched for, but was about to faint here first. How could there be such a girl?
Xiao Yangjun pulled her a little further in: "I haven't asked Miss Xue yet, why are you all wet?"
Xue Chan spoke casually and briefly: "Someone also kidnapped me. I stabbed the other person in the neck with a hairpin, then jumped down the hillside and ran across the stream to get here."
Xiao Yangjun: !!!
She was still in shock when Xue Chan sneered again: "It's a pity I couldn't finish him off with a hairpin!"
Xiao Yangjun thought she was already very brave, but she didn't expect Xue Chan to be even bolder than her. She made killing someone sound so simple and even expressed resentment for not being able to kill the other party.
She stammered, "You...you..."
Xiao Yangjun had been talking for a long time without saying anything, so Xue Chan exhaled and shut her mouth.
She got carried away and said too much, which probably frightened them.
Xiao Yangjun was stunned for a moment before he gripped Xue Chan's hand tightly again.
"Miss Xue, you are truly amazing."
The girl's voice was earnest.
Xue Chan leaned against the stone wall and sighed softly.
Xiao Yangjun asked her in a low voice, "Miss Xue, shall we go together now?"
We should leave, but where should we go?
She looked up and saw the crescent moon through the gaps in the branches and leaves above her head. When the procession of worshippers left the Gaomei Temple, the moon had just risen in the west, but now it was on the treetops in the west, roughly half an hour later.
You could still faintly hear the drums and music of the sacrificial ceremony. Fang Youxi said that the procession would go from Gaomei Temple, circle around Fantai Mountain, and then return to the temple.
They are probably at the foot of Fantai Mountain, east of Gaomei Temple. The stream she just waded across is the one that flows to the Bridge of Sorrow.
If that's the case, then the Bridge of Sorrow must be not far away.
Xue Chan touched Xiao Yangjun's hand in the darkness: "Come with me."
Xiao Yangjun grasped her hand back, then took the girl's hand behind him and whispered to her, "Hold on tight, don't get lost."
The group stood up quietly, crouching low as they prepared to walk out of the large blue stone.
Xue Chan suddenly stopped and reached out her arm to stop Xiao Yangjun and the other person from leaving.
Although Xiao Yangjun couldn't see clearly, he could feel that she tensed up.
"What's wrong?"
Xue Chan lowered her voice: "Someone is chasing us."
Xiao Yangjun held his breath and concentrated, but all he could hear was the sound of the stream flowing and hitting the rocks, mixed with the chirping of insects and the rustling of branches and leaves.
Xue Chan heard the sound of birds flapping their wings and taking flight, the sound of dry branches breaking, and the sound of grass and trees being hurriedly cut.
There are people, more than one.
As it approaches from afar, it becomes increasingly clear.
Xue Chan's heart pounded wildly, and she gripped Xiao Yangjun's hand tightly.
Her mind raced. It wasn't safe for the three of them to hide here. If those people came, they would only be caught together or even lose their lives.
Which way should we go?
If we travel together, my inability to see at night will only be a burden.
Xue Chan raised her eyes, her mind made up.
While Xiao Yangjun was frightened, he also pulled the girl beside him behind him.
The girl felt guilty. If it weren't for her, Xue Chan wouldn't have stopped and wouldn't have fallen into such a predicament.
She bit her lip, steeled her resolve, and took out her tinderbox, intending to give it to Xue Chan so she wouldn't have to hold them back and could escape quickly.
Before the item could be handed over, Xue Chan suddenly leaned in and said urgently, "Walk in the opposite direction of the moon until you hear the drums and see the light. Don't stop anywhere else!"
Before Xiao Yangjun could react, he and the little girl had already been pushed out.
The hillside is steep, but it's close.
Xue Chan listened as the sound of the two rolling down the hillside grew fainter and fainter, without any cries of pain or sobs, only silence.
She finally let out a heavy sigh, and then suddenly remembered the innocent and coquettish Cheng Huaizhu.
If there truly are gods and Buddhas, I hope she can return home safely.
Xue Chan ran out from behind the blue stone and ran downstream along the stream.
There were faint lights on the other side of the stream, and someone shouted sharply, "She's there! Go after her!"
Xue Chan ran all the way, through the crisscrossing, thorny bushes.
The people behind him were chasing him harder and harder, getting closer and closer.
She was so tired, completely exhausted, with only the burning desire to live remaining within her.
Xue Chan tripped over the vines and tried to get up, but the person behind her quickly grabbed her hair.
"We've got him!"
"You were pretty good at running, why aren't you running now?" The man grabbed her long hair and pulled it back hard, cursing at her again.
A sharp pain shot straight to the top of her head, forcing Xue Chan's head to tilt back and dragging her along. She saw the crescent moon in the sky.
Feeling a sense of despair, she thought that she might really never be able to go home.
Tears streamed down her face, blurring her vision.
But...she hasn't become famous yet.
Xue Chan suddenly struggled desperately, and the person pulling her hair did not expect her to suddenly unleash such great strength. The two of them fell into the stream.
With her head freed, Xue Chan immediately climbed out of the rushing stream and picked up a stone, smashing it heavily onto the person who had collapsed in the water.
She couldn't see, so she could only smash things randomly, and all she could hear was the person's screams of pain and the sound of flesh and bones shattering.
Others went down into the stream, and Xue Chan immediately stumbled and ran towards the shore. The people chasing her were knocked back by something flying towards them.
Meanwhile, someone carrying a lantern rushed towards him.
Xue Chan was suddenly horrified and quickly took off her long hairpin and clutched it tightly in her hand.
He's coming over...
With a heavy heart, she rushed forward with the long hairpin, but the other person grabbed her wrist.
The night was dark, with only a single lamp casting a faint glow that illuminated his slightly cold expression.
"Xue Chan!"
It was a familiar voice, and I felt a sense of relief.
Thankfully... Heaven wasn't so cruel.
Jiang Ce had just found her when Xue Chan suddenly rushed up to kill him.
The two didn't have time for pleasantries before the crowd surrounded them.
Jiang Ce kicked off a section of tree trunk and held it in his hand, using it to shield Xue Chan behind him: "Step back a bit."
Someone swung a knife at him, and Jiang Ce blocked it with his bare hands. The lantern fell to the ground, and the long knife cut several branches off his hand, the tip of the knife slicing through his palm.
Jiang Ce then used the momentum to his advantage, grabbed the man's hand with one hand and twisted it downwards, then deftly pulled the man's hand as a weapon and flung it away, knocking back several people.
The blade fell to the ground. Xue Chan quickly picked up the long sword, following the sound, but it was quite heavy. Exhausted, she tossed it to Jiang Ce with some difficulty.
"Catch the knife!"
Jiang Ce was only momentarily surprised when he got the longsword in his hand.
Several more people came down from the mountain and surrounded the two.
Jiang Ce gripped the knife tightly in his hand, and the blood from his palm dripped down the blade and into the ground.
He lowered his eyes; they couldn't stay here.
The blade spun and flew, a cold glint flashing.
Jiang Ce took the initiative and injured several people. He then engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy, managing to break through a path.
"Run!"
The person behind him immediately picked up the lantern and ran away without hesitation.
Jiang Ce didn't know what to say. In fact, her staying would only increase the risk of her getting hurt.
But she ran away without the slightest hesitation, leaving herself behind.
He sighed softly. He had known all along that she was such a cold-hearted person, so why be disappointed? Besides, in the end, it was he who told her to leave; she had done nothing wrong and bore no responsibility.
.
Someone chased after Xue Chan, and Jiang Ce swung his long sword, precisely slashing her leg before falling into the stream.
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