Chapter 201 A Thrilling Escape
Jiang Ling reached into her pocket and felt for the sleeping powder inside, hesitating whether to take it out and use it.
The dosage of sedatives here is enough to knock out two adults without any problem.
But this is her only chance. If she uses it up easily, she won't be able to do anything if she encounters other dangers.
But if she doesn't use it now, she's unsure if she'll have another chance to use it later.
"Miss Jiang?"
He was awakened by Fang Shijie while he was thinking.
Jiang Ling looked out the window at the sky; it was completely dark.
The bandits all thought they were still asleep, and that now was the perfect time to escape.
Jiang Ling made a firm decision and took out the sleeping powder from her pocket.
"Looks like this is the only option."
Fang Shijie curiously leaned closer and asked, "Miss Jiang, what is this?"
"This is a sleeping potion, it's very effective. In a moment, cover your mouth and nose with your sleeve, and try not to breathe. Otherwise, you'll be knocked out too."
This drug is colorless and odorless, but extremely potent. Jiang Linghua bought it at a high price.
Jiang Ling may still have some drug resistance, but Fang Shijie and the people at the door have never been exposed to modern Western medicine. These drugs will definitely have a more obvious effect on them.
She didn't want to run away with the drugged Fang Shijie on her back.
Seeing how serious she was, Fang Shijie couldn't help but feel nervous.
Is there really such a powerful drug in the world? That it can knock someone out without even covering their mouth and nose?
Although he had some doubts, he dared not disobey.
Jiang Ling tiptoed to the door and glanced at the distance between the two gatekeepers.
Fortunately, it wasn't far; they were sitting on the steps by the door, with two large knives beside them.
This distance can also allow the medicine to take effect.
Jiang Ling glanced at Fang Shijie, who was holding a fan and preparing to fan himself, then took out a bottle of sleeping powder and nodded to him.
After pulling out the cork, immediately cover your mouth and nose with your clothes and point the bottle opening towards the door crack.
Fang Shijie covered his mouth and nose with one hand and fanned himself with the other.
Soon, a nearly transparent wisp of smoke drifted by, colorless and odorless.
The two bandits guarding the gate were chatting happily, their breathing heavy and rapid, and they quickly inhaled the sleeping potion.
Before long, a heavy thud was heard as something fell to the ground near the door.
Jiang Ling quickly put the cork back in the bottle.
Fang Shijie stepped forward and quietly opened the door to the woodshed.
It was fortunate for the bandits that they were so lax in their guard and didn't even lock the door.
Fang Shijie looked around to make sure no one was coming.
"Let's go!" he shouted in a low voice, and he and Jiang Ling quickly slipped out of the woodshed.
Outside was a simple courtyard, and the distant sounds of bandits could be faintly heard.
The darkness provided them with the best cover.
Using the shadows, the two cautiously made their way toward the edge of the mountain stronghold.
"Who's there!" Just as I reached the stockade wall, a shout suddenly came from behind me.
Before Jiang Ling could turn around to check, Fang Shijie suddenly appeared from the side, tightly gripping the bandit's neck with his arm and covering his mouth and nose with his other hand.
The bandit struggled for a few moments before collapsing limply to the ground.
Just when they thought they had escaped a disaster, the mountain stronghold behind them suddenly burst into flames and became bustling with noise!
"Oh no! They've escaped!"
"Quick, after them! They can't have gone far!"
"The boss has spoken: if we don't catch him, none of us will have a good time!"
Fang Shijie grabbed her feet and pushed her up the wall:
"You jump first, I'll cover you from behind!"
Jiang Ling gritted her teeth, stepped on the bricks and climbed over the wall. Sure enough, outside the wall was a steep slope covered with weeds.
As she turned around, several people carrying torches rushed towards her from around the corner!
"Jump!" Fang Shijie roared.
Jiang Ling closed her eyes and jumped down. The weeds on the steep slope cushioned the force of her fall, but she still fell and hurt her elbow.
She got up and was about to call Fang Shijie when she saw him also jump down, staggering a few steps when he landed.
The two dared not linger and plunged into the dark, dense forest.
The mountain path was rugged and overgrown with thorns; they fled desperately, stumbling and sinking.
During the escape, Fang Shijie suddenly groaned and staggered.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ling quickly helped him up.
"It feels like... I was bitten by something." Fang Shijie gasped.
By the moonlight, you could see two tiny teeth marks on his calf.
"It's a poisonous snake!" Jiang Ling's heart tightened.
Jiang Ling turned around and, seeing that there was no longer any firelight or shouts, breathed a slight sigh of relief.
They helped Fang Shijie find a secluded old locust tree to stop and rest for a while.
Fang Shijie said, "Miss Jiang, don't worry about me. You should run first. I can't run fast now, so I'll have to trouble you to go back to the East Alley in the capital and find a Fang family residence to inform the people there so they can come looking for me."
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Jiang Ling immediately tore off the hem of her dress and tightly tied it above Fang Shijie's wound to prevent the venom from spreading.
Then, disregarding the danger, she bent down and, using the first aid knowledge she had learned in modern times, sucked the wound with her mouth in an attempt to expel the toxic blood.
"Miss Jiang! No!" Fang Shijie exclaimed, trying to stop her.
Soft lips pressed against his calf, and for a moment his mind went blank.
Even the hand that tried to stop it froze in mid-air, refusing to fall.
"Don't move!"
Jiang Ling spat out a mouthful of black blood, her tone resolute.
She repeated the sucking and spitting motion until the blood she sucked out turned bright red.
Looking at her serious expression, Fang Shijie felt a mix of emotions.
He knew very well that the snake's venom was not enough to harm him; at most, it would only make him unconscious for a period of time.
Knowing that the snake wasn't very venomous, he didn't avoid it when he saw it, allowing it to bite him.
They were betting that Jiang Ling wouldn't stand idly by.
I never expected her to go to such lengths for me.
For some reason, he felt a pang of guilt for having plotted against her.
Jiang Ling then fetched some clean water from a nearby stream and repeatedly rinsed her wound.
While cleaning Fang Shijie's wounds, Jiang Ling noticed obvious whip marks on his legs, crisscrossing and seemingly only recently healed.
How could a wealthy merchant like him have whip marks on his legs?
“Miss Jiang, you shouldn’t have taken such a risk. Your life is precious…” Fang Shijie’s voice was weak.
Jiang Ling came to her senses and said, "Everyone is equal. Everyone only has one life. No one's life is more precious than anyone else's. We have just been through life and death. How can we just leave you to fend for yourself?"
Everyone is equal?
Fang Shijie seemed to have heard something absurd yet deeply moving.
He chuckled very softly, the sadness in his eyes hidden in the darkness.
"Isn't everyone born into different classes? How come everyone is equal when it comes to Miss Jiang?"
"Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? Dynasties come and go, but the people remain the same. Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it, and the Great Yu Dynasty is no exception."
Fang Shijie's eyes lit up. "Well said! Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it! Miss Jiang is indeed different from ordinary women! Dynasties rise and fall, but this has remained unchanged throughout history. When water is full, it overflows; when things reach their peak, they decline. Even a powerful dynasty like the Great Yu Dynasty is no longer what it once was."
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