Desperate Situation
Jing Yao's heartbeat quickened, the throbbing echoing in her chest like a drum. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and quickly stood up to look at the young man beside her: "Si Pei! You're awake!"
The young man nodded slightly with a smile on his face. Although he still looked a little weak, Jing Yao could feel a surge of vitality spreading through him again.
She cried with joy and started to feel wronged: "You finally woke up... I almost thought... thought..."
Si Pei raised his hand and brushed her cheek: "Do you think we are going to be a pair of desperate mandarin ducks?"
Jing Yao slapped his hand away angrily: "Who is a mandarin duck with you?"
She was so angry at Si Pei's shameless look that she was speechless. How could someone be so joking and unruly just after waking up?
Or what about the dignified Crown Prince of Xijing?
"I shouldn't be the crown prince now." Si Pei smiled and sighed, "I didn't expect Si Jue to be so resourceful."
He fell into the opponent's trap before he could even react.
"And we couldn't even find the source of the poison in the palace. During that time, I almost didn't dare to eat."
"Si Jue sent someone to destroy it?"
"It's hard to say. Do you think Xing Feng can give them this opportunity?"
Si Pei's original intention was not to doubt Xing Feng's ability to investigate the case, but Si Jue could even secretly move his military forces, so it was likely that he would have no problem dealing with this little trace.
"Indeed." Jing Yao nodded. If she understood correctly and Yue Ningning was still alive, then it would not be a difficult task.
Thinking of this, Jing Yao realized that Si Pei probably didn't know what kind of person Yue Ningning was. She was definitely the most difficult person for Si Jue to deal with.
"Si Jue himself is a complete loser. His rise to power is entirely due to the help of Yue Ningning, the noble person behind him."
Si Pei had some impression of the name: "The owner of Yushan Bookstore, didn't she commit suicide?"
Jing Yao shook his head and was about to explain when a familiar shout from not far away interrupted what the two of them were saying.
"Cousin! Cousin..."
"Miss! Miss!"
Jing Yao wondered why he was always interrupted when he wanted to confess something to Si Pei. Why couldn't he do it without unnecessary complications?
Having said that, it was indeed not a good time to speak. Jing Yao had no choice but to stand up and look at the distance and wave to them: "We are here!"
On the other side, Zhiyue, who had finally woken up after being unconscious for a long time, also followed the sound and came over: "Miss!"
Seeing the girl's figure, Si Cheng subconsciously and excitedly slapped the man next to him on the shoulder: "Quick! Quickly go over there! Oh, hurry up, Zuo Yuanwu!"
Only then did Jing Yao see clearly the miserable condition of Si Cheng and Zuo Yuanwu - Si Cheng was hopping on one foot, and the other foot was wrapped tightly in cloth and kept tapping the ground. It seemed that his injuries were serious and he could only rely on Zuo Yuanwu's support to move forward.
Looking at Zuo Yuanwu again, he saw that most of the fabric at the bottom of his robe had been torn off to bandage Si Cheng. His face and body were covered in blood, though it wasn't likely his own. Dressed in rags and unkempt, it was hard to tell he was the once-dignified General of the Cavalry.
“Huh! Ugh! Hiss…it hurts so much…”
Si Cheng gritted his teeth, clutching his lower back. Not only had his legs been cut by the broken carriage woodwork, but he had also collided with several large rocks during the tumble. If Zuo Yuanwu hadn't been physically fit, so even after being thrown the furthest like him, he wasn't seriously injured, and hadn't quickly come over to help him with his wounds... Otherwise, Si Cheng would have really died there!
He was exiled to mine silver for his rebellion, but he didn't die. How could he be defeated by such a minor injury?
Before Si Cheng could finish his ambitious words, he took a big step and was in so much pain that he couldn't speak.
"Cousin, did you know that I almost died?"
"But I see you're still quite energetic." Si Pei's upper limbs slowly began to recover, and he propped himself up to sit up. His smile was playful, and coupled with his pale face, Si Cheng almost thought he had ascended to heaven.
"You! You you you!..."
Si Cheng was terrified and turned to look at Zuo Yuanwu, but he also had a confused and dazed look on his face, and he didn't look surprised at all.
"It seems that my waking up has made some people unhappy."
Si Pei snorted in his heart. One of these two people wanted to use his power to make a comeback, while the other one tried every means to take Jing Yao away from him, even going so far as to seek help from a tiger and join Si Jue's camp.
"What nonsense are you talking about? The fairies must have helped you wake up! This is a good thing, and we are all very happy!"
Jing Yao was genuinely happy. Putting aside all the right and wrong, she had seen Si Pei die from the poison and couldn't bear to see it again. So, it was a good thing that he was getting better. Although she didn't know how he woke up, since it was a kind gesture from the fairy, she accepted it.
Besides, since Si Pei was awake, they wouldn't be so passive when facing Si Jue. She could finally breathe a sigh of relief...
"Si Cheng, what are you doing!"
Jing Yao's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the scene in front of her. She hurried forward to stop Si Cheng who took out the dagger.
"Cousin, why are you still protecting him? Have you forgotten how your uncle and the Jing family disappeared?"
Jing Yao was completely confused. The Jing family's affairs were already a mess, and now they were mixed up with Si Pei. Of course she knew that she should interrogate Si Pei, but her intuition told her that things were not that simple.
"Stop arguing about this! Let's get out of here first and talk about it later!"
Jing Yao could only temporarily stop the tense atmosphere between the two sides. This place was really not a suitable place to stay for a long time. Zhiyue, Si Cheng and Zuo Yuanwu's wounds also needed urgent treatment.
"Aren't you still on his side?"
After saying this, Si Cheng spat at Si Pei indignantly. Anyway, there was nothing he could do about Si Pei's sickly appearance. He had to get back all the face he had lost in the humiliation he had suffered in the past.
Si Pei had been in a coma for a long time and had just woken up not long ago. His lower body, especially his legs, were a little weak. Jing Yao and Zhi Yue had to carry him on one arm each to give him leverage so that they could barely move forward.
Fortunately, there is a wooden bridge in front of the valley leading to the dense forest at the end. Judging from the care and cultivation conditions, there should be people living there.
As soon as they stepped onto the wooden bridge, they heard the neighing of horses' hooves behind them.
"They're pursuers!"
Zuo Yuanwu's expression changed and he urged everyone to cross the bridge immediately.
"Are they coming for me?" Si Pei turned his head slightly, only to see gusts of wind and sand being blown up, and the group of black-clad killers riding tall horses were rushing towards them.
You can tell at a glance that it was sent by Si Jue.
"Miss, you and Zhiyue hold Si Cheng and walk quickly to the left. I can run faster with the prince on my back, and they won't be able to catch up with us."
Jing Yao thought that this was indeed feasible, so he replaced Si Cheng.
"Yaoyao, take care of yourself."
Si Pei naturally had no reason to refuse. If Zuo Yuanwu took him with him to run, it would attract firepower and buy time for Jing Yao and the others. However, whether Zuo Yuanwu would abandon him halfway was another matter.
Jing Yao gritted his teeth and held onto Si Cheng's arm while nodding: "Xiao Li, you should protect yourself too."
After saying that, he looked at Zuo Yuanwu, who had been silent for a long time: "Yuanwu, promise me that you will take good care of yourself and Si Pei."
"……good."
Zuo Yuanwu nodded, but for some reason there was a hint of gnashing of teeth in his voice.
The two groups split up and fled to the two sides of the dense forest. Jing Yao and Zhi Yue used all their strength to carry Si Cheng forward with difficulty: "You are really... too heavy...!"
Si Cheng deliberately reduced his strength and relied on two people to carry him. How could Jing Yao not notice it? In a flash, he bent his elbow and hit Si Cheng hard in the abdomen.
"Ugh! Cousin, don't!"
Si Cheng rolled his eyes in pain from the beating and screamed incoherently. Jing Yao couldn't help but smile smugly: "Cousin, you'd better behave yourself!"
Otherwise her fists are no joke.
"Ah! I didn't say anything, why did you hit me again!" Si Cheng said angrily, "You stabbed me, it hurts! What did you stab me with?!"
Jing Yao looked confused: "Who stabbed you?"
She didn't do anything.
Si Cheng, bearing the pain, pulled out a small dart from his lower back, held it in front of her eyes, and loudly questioned, "Hey! Wasn't it you who stabbed me?"
“I don’t have any!”
Both of them were stunned and slowly turned their heads to look.
Jing Yao was horrified: "Why are you chasing us?"
Didn't they say that the people chasing them were heading towards Si Pei? But it looked like that large group of people were heading towards them!
Si Cheng's legs and buttocks were aching, and the pain was so severe that his eyes, mouth, and nose were almost squeezed into a ball. He grimaced and shook his head when he heard this: "That's not right... How could Si Jue send someone to kill you?"
Jing Yao heard a hint of teasing in his words. He quickened his pace while carrying him. He pinched his waist unhappily and snorted, "Maybe he's coming for you."
"Ah! Mmm...Mmm..." Si Cheng wanted to scream but was forced to stop, fearing that the sound would attract the pursuers. As soon as he made a sound, the two girls beside him covered his mouth.
Si Cheng struggled desperately, and Jing Yao and Zhi Yue dared not let go until the young man, exhausted and calm, patted their hands. Breathing fresh air for the first time in a long time, Si Cheng felt weak as if he had been beaten: "Finally let me go... Huh, what's the point of them arresting me?"
He has been secretly imprisoned for so many years, and I don’t know if Prince Lin still remembers him as his royal brother.
"Who knows?"
It seemed that another group of people entered the dense forest and chased them. Jing Yao didn't have time to think about it. He and Zhiyue carried Si Cheng and rushed into the depths of the dense forest.
Si Cheng probably knew that the situation was critical and he was about to die, so he didn't care about the pain in his wounds at all. He just stretched his feet and ran away.
But once he stepped on the ground, his wound would hurt. If he didn't step on Jing Yao and Zhi Yue, the burden on their shoulders would be even heavier.
After thinking it over, Si Cheng gritted his teeth and limped along, at least his speed increased a lot.
“Ahhhh!”
While they were carrying the wounded and rushing forward, Zuo Yuanwu and Si Pei, who had walked into the quiet and deep forest, also noticed something unusual.
Zuo Yuanwu stopped and listened attentively: "There are no pursuers behind us."
The man on his back jumped down naturally and swiftly upon hearing this, landing steadily on the ground. He looked towards the other side of the forest and said, "They are heading for A-Yao."
Si Pei frowned and looked solemn, thinking in his heart that something was wrong.
"The young lady has your secret guards by her side, so she should be able to hold out for at least a while." Zuo Yuanwu said, his eyes sweeping over Si Pei's legs, which were completely different from his previous crippled appearance and were now standing normally. "Why did you lie to her?"
Si Pei shrugged and sneered, "What about you? Didn't you already see that I had sent all my secret guards to Yao Yao's side? Why did you volunteer to follow me and die? Could it be that you, Zuo Yuanwu, are truly so loyal, and it's me, Si Pei, who's been judging you by my own standards?"
"You!" Zuo Yuanwu stared at Si Pei with angry eyes. He should have thought that this person would not be so easy to deal with.
"Let me guess. You're afraid that if Yaoyao and I stay together, something unexpected might happen. That's why Yaoyao must take Si Cheng with her, and keeping me in your hands is the safest option. I think if it was really Si Jue's men who caught up with us just now, you would have sold me out long ago."
Si Pei smiled and said, "You said it was all Si Cheng's plan. How could that useless Si Cheng have such a brain? But you, General Zuo Yuanwu, where are you going to take Yao Yao after you kill me, this stumbling block?"
He mercilessly revealed Zuo Yuanwu's thoughts: "It would be great if I really died, but unfortunately, I woke up again, and your beautiful dream was shattered again."
Zuo Yuanwu knew that Si Pei had seen through him, and he didn't bother to play the king-subject game anymore. "So even if you die, you'll drag me down with you. Are you harming Yao Yao just out of jealousy?"
"Yaoyao is not mine, nor is she yours. She doesn't belong to anyone, so don't fantasize about her being yours after I die."
Si Pei didn't want to say anything more to him. His mind was now flying to the other side of the dense forest. He wished that the trees in front of him would turn into shadows so that he could see Jing Yao's position clearly.
"Instead of rushing into a fight with me right now, why don't we find Yaoyao together first?"
Si Pei frowned and glanced at the angry Zuo Yuanwu next to him. If it weren't for this sudden accident, they would have really been fighting by now, but there were urgent matters at the top and Yao Yao's safety was the most important thing right now.
Although Zuo Yuanwu was angry, he did agree with this statement in his heart. The two of them shook hands and made peace temporarily, and followed the direction they remembered to approach the other end of the dense forest together.
"How far have we...how far have we run?"
Si Cheng felt that his lower body had lost all feeling and asked with a weak breath.
Jing Yao also kept panting: "Huh... Who knows!"
Zhiyue was so tired that she was sweating profusely and couldn't say a word. She was shorter than Jingyao, and although Sicheng tried his best to lean towards Jingyao, it was still more difficult for her to support him.
"Miss...it feels...as if...the people behind us haven't caught up."
Jing Yao slowed down and listened carefully. As Zhiyue had said, there were no more footsteps chasing her. But she was still in the endless forest, and she didn't dare to hope for the best.
"Let's keep going forward. We should be able to get out before it gets dark."
Zhiyue took two breaths to calm down a bit and nodded in agreement. Si Cheng in the middle was in so much pain that he almost lost his mind: "Can you... ask me?"
"Why are you asking? If we don't go out and find someone quickly, who will bandage your wound?"
Si Cheng was speechless and could only shut up, grit his teeth and continue walking forward.
"Miss!"
A hurried voice sounded behind them, but because it was so fast and urgent, the three of them couldn't even hear what it said clearly. They only knew that someone was chasing them, so they continued to run for their lives without thinking.
"No...don't run! Miss! It's me!"
The young man took off his mask, and his handsome face was very familiar. It was the secret guard Fourteen who had not been seen for many days.
But Jing Yao didn't hear his shout. Fourteen squatted on the tree trunk and watched their fleeing backs, then hurriedly jumped down to chase them. Unexpectedly, the three people in front ran faster and faster, even the injured Si Cheng in the middle was left behind.
"Miss, was the person behind you calling you just now?"
Jing Yao was so flustered that he almost stepped into a pit. After quickly adjusting himself, he found the time to retort: "Nonsense, if he doesn't call me, who else can he call?"
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Jing Yao heard the sound and looked forward, then quickly stopped: "There's a cliff ahead!"
Zhiyue hurriedly stopped, fortunately she discovered it in time and the three of them were only one step away from rushing out of the cliff.
When they stopped, Fourteen finally had a chance to catch up: "Miss! It's me!"
Just as Jing Yao was about to move, he felt a strange tremor under his feet.
"What does this mean?" She looked at Zhiyue and then at Si Cheng. "Isn't this just a dirt cliff? No...it hasn't rained heavily in the past few days, has it?"
Si Cheng's face was ashen. Zhiyue wanted to step out, but the moment she lifted her foot, the soil beneath her feet cracked open again. Si Cheng quickly pulled her back: "Don't, if you move, your young lady and I will go down."
"Miss!"
"Don't! Come! Over!"
Jing Yao made exaggerated lip movements but didn't dare to shout. Although Fourteen keenly realized what she meant and stopped in time, the soft soil did not give Jing Yao time to think of a way out.
The soft red soil could not bear the weight and cracked more than ten feet inward from the edge. The whole piece of soil slid down and the three people fell down with them.
Jing Yao felt that a lot of things suddenly floated before his eyes, but he couldn't see them clearly.
Just before she lost consciousness, she was still cursing God for her bad luck. Did he see that she didn't die after rolling down the hillside so he arranged for her to jump off the cliff?
As expected, God always has a lot of dead ends in store for us, we just haven't walked on them yet.
But it’s okay, at least this death is quicker.
She closed her eyes tightly, but her whole body was caught by something after losing weight and bounced back and hit several times before she completely fainted.
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