Chapter 84 Great Crisis
"I didn't expect that my sister-in-law is not only beautiful, but also so skillful."
"She's like a fairy descending from heaven, and her demeanor is like someone who was carefully nurtured by a wealthy family."
"That's right. If I could marry a girl like this, I'd probably wake up laughing every night."
"Thank you, scholar, for your good fortune."
Listening to everyone's praise for Su Cheng, Xie Suzhou's smile deepened a little.
As night fell, the whole mountain was shrouded in thick fog, and the trees swayed in the wind, making rustling sounds.
"What the hell!" Sun Po cursed inwardly, looking around, his mood growing heavier. "I've never encountered weather like this, especially in the mountains, and with such heavy fog."
"Brother Sun, this fog has come here strangely. I can't quite find peace of mind." An Zhicheng stood beside him, worried. "Are we going to get stuck here?"
With such heavy fog, if we encounter bandits who are familiar with the terrain of the mountains, wouldn’t we be able to wipe them out in one fell swoop?
"Go away! What are you saying?!" Sun Po punched him. The force was not strong, but it was enough to shut him up. "It's just fog. How can it kill us?"
Sun Po was also worried, but as the leader, he could not disturb his brothers.
Trapped in the mountains, they didn't even dare to light a fire, for fear of attracting the attention of those with ulterior motives and further limiting their vision.
Xie Suzhou looked up at the sky. The fog was so thick that even the stars in the sky could not be seen.
"Xie Xiucai, go to bed early." Sun Po walked slowly to him and said comfortingly as if nothing had happened. "When the day breaks, the fog will dissipate and we will set off. We will definitely not miss the provincial examination."
"Brother Sun Po, don't feel pressured. I've already missed it once, and I'm mentally prepared. Waiting another three years won't hurt." Xie Suzhou, always calm, lifted the curtain with his long fingers and said gently, "As long as Brother Sun Po can safely lead these brothers to the capital, I'll be satisfied."
"How can that be possible? My dear husband has high hopes for you." Sun Po leaned against the carriage and chatted with him like a friend. "First, you were a Juren, then a Gongshi, and finally a Tanhua. Three years after three years, it was already difficult. My dear husband asked me to protect you closely, which means he knows your talent."
"General Dou and I have followed you for so many years, and we know your temperament very well. Perhaps because he was raised in Dingbei, far away from the capital, he doesn't understand the twists and turns that can get him killed. He must have a counselor to help him. Besides Lord Wang Lin, that's you."
Xie Suzhou nodded slightly and said quietly, "A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. Suzhou has found a wise master, so I am naturally willing to serve you like a dog or a horse."
"We all know how to judge a person." Sun Po winked at him and smiled brightly. "You are both talented and beautiful. Everything is top-notch. No wonder the young master specifically asked for you to be the third place."
Xie Suzhou looked at him and smiled politely.
"Go to bed early, you may have to leave very early tomorrow." Sun Po gave a few instructions and went to sit on a stone pillar nearby.
I'm afraid no one will be able to sleep well tonight.
Xie Suzhou lowered the curtain and leaned against the wall of the car, with his knees covered with the thin blanket that Su Cheng had prepared for him. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a cold arrow suddenly shot out and pierced straight into the center of the car wall.
If he had not tilted his head just now, the arrow would have hit him between the eyebrows.
"Who is it?" Sun Po sensed something was wrong and immediately rushed to the front of the car with his sword drawn. "Xie Xiucai, are you okay?"
"Nothing." Xie Suzhou calmed himself down and glanced sideways at the arrow. The tail of the arrow was still trembling, which showed how much force the person who shot it had.
He ran his fingertips over the raised tip of the arrow and recognized the words carved into the end. "Xuan?"
"Who's behind this?" Sun Po's eyes were fierce as he stood in front of the car. "If you have the guts, let's fight face to face!"
Just as he finished speaking, within a few breaths, a group of people slowly came in the thick fog.
Sun Po's face was cold, and he drew his sword and pointed it at them. "You are so brave to shoot arrows and hurt people."
There were about a dozen people on the opposite side, about the same size as Sun Po and others. All of them had black scarves covering their faces, and their original appearance could not be seen. Three horses were pulling several carts with mahogany boxes on them.
"Anyone who blocks the way will die." The masked man standing in the front was still holding a longbow in his hand, with only a pair of eyes showing, and his gaze was cold.
Sun Po was furious. Before he could say anything, An Zhicheng stepped forward, smiled at the people opposite him, and shouted in his hometown accent, "Gentlemen, we are merchants from elsewhere, hoping to go to the capital to do business and support our families. We mean no offense. If we block your way, we will get out of the way immediately."
The next moment, the arrow flew straight towards his face.
Sun Po's eyes were bloodshot and he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Zhicheng!"
An Zhicheng reacted extremely quickly, dodging sideways and the arrow shot into the mud under his feet.
"Merchant?" The masked man sneered and slowly put away his longbow. "Do you have such a quick reaction?"
An Zhicheng turned around and stared at him for a long moment before grinning, "Is this gentleman determined to kill us all, no matter what?"
The masked man drew his sword from his waist, a cold light flashing before his eyes. "If you want to blame someone, you can only blame your bad luck."
An Zhicheng glanced sideways and met Sun Po's gaze. The next moment, the sword was unsheathed, and two figures flew forward and started fighting with the masked man.
The fog was getting thicker and thicker, and the two groups were fighting. Xie Suzhou could not help, so he could only try his best to keep his body steady and hide in the carriage so as not to cause trouble for Sun Po and others.
"Xie Xiucai! Run quickly——"
The long sword pierced through the curtain, and Xie Suzhou raised his eyes instantly, meeting the cold gaze of the masked man.
-
Xie Family of Xinghua Village
Su Cheng lay on his side on the bed with his eyes closed. His inner clothes were soaked with cold sweat and his whole body seemed numb.
Half asleep and half awake, she dreamed that a long sword pierced her heart and penetrated her body.
"ah!"
Su Cheng suddenly opened her eyes, turned over and sat up, beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, blurring her vision.
"Mom..." Xie Cuicui was awakened by her scream. She got up in a daze and groped her way closer to Su Cheng before she could even sit still. "Mom, are you having a nightmare? Don't be afraid, Cuicui is here."
Su Cheng looked dazed and could hardly speak. Fear spread throughout her body. Even the pain of the sword piercing her body seemed so real. She couldn't believe it was just a dream.
"Mom, have some water." Xie Cuicui turned over and got out of bed. She poured a cup of tea with her short legs and handed it to Su Cheng.
The cold tea went down his throat, washing away the dryness and allowing Su Cheng to come to his senses.
"Cui Cui, what time is it?"
Xie Cuicui leaned against the window and looked up at the sky, whispering, "It's not even daybreak yet, Mom, please sleep a little longer."
Su Cheng shook her head, her breathing becoming heavy. She didn't dare to close her eyes or think too much.
Somehow, the handsome face of the man suddenly popped up in her mind. Su Cheng shuddered suddenly, and her expression became more solemn. "I don't know where your second uncle is."
[Host! Big crisis! Xie Suzhou is in danger in the mountains, his life hanging by a thread!]
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