Chapter 260 Lu Zhaoruo shields Meng Xi from a knife
Lu Zhaoruo felt a sudden relief from the pressure and took the opportunity to take two steps back and look in the direction of the sound.
Meng Xi and Chang Hong were standing under a tree not far away.
As dusk filtered through the leaves, dappled light and shadow fell around him as he held a small crossbow in his hand.
That face, which usually carried a lazy smile, now had tightly pursed lips, a tense jaw, and half-closed phoenix eyes that were now open, filled with lingering fear and worry.
The next second.
Chang Hong charged forward like a cheetah, his sword flashing, and with a few crisp "clangs," he parried the attacking blades and immediately engaged in a fierce battle with the assassins.
Seeing that Lu Zhaoruo was temporarily out of danger, Meng Xi quickly stepped forward. Although he did not know martial arts, he still reached out without hesitation and pulled her behind him.
He raised his crossbow again, aiming it steadily at the assassin who was about to rush forward.
Lu Zhaoruo was taken aback by his sudden protection and subconsciously looked up at the back of the figure blocking her way.
This man, who usually wore a lazy smile, was now tense, exuding a resolute air that was completely out of character for him.
Meng Xi seemed to notice her gaze, but did not turn around. His voice remained lazy, yet deep and clear, carrying a sense of certainty: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The moment the words left my mouth, a long-forgotten image suddenly flashed into my mind.
Many years ago, he said the same thing to his mother on her sickbed.
In the end, however, he failed to protect her.
That familiar, profound sense of powerlessness washed over me like ice water.
However, at this moment, feeling the woman's soft breathing behind him, a completely different emotion overwhelmed the desolate chill.
Lu Zhaoruo.
After his mother, she was the only person in his quiet life that he wanted to hold on to tightly and that he could never lose again, no matter what.
At this moment, an assassin noticed Meng Xi's languid posture and the small crossbow in his hand, as if he were completely ignorant of martial arts. A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
He pretended to swing his knife at Chang Hong, forcing the latter to parry. Then, seizing the opportunity, he suddenly twisted his body and rushed straight towards Meng Xi!
Although Meng Xi was not good at close combat, his reaction was quick. When he saw the assassin rushing over, he raised his hand and shot an arrow!
The crossbow bolt pierced the air, aiming straight for the assassin's face.
But the assassin was truly formidable. In the midst of his charge, he suddenly flipped to the side, narrowly avoiding the crossbow bolt. His body only paused slightly before he pounced again, his long, narrow scimitar radiating a chilling aura, aimed straight at Meng Xi's neck!
"careful!"
Lu Zhaoruo saw it clearly and her heart clenched. Almost instinctively, she shoved Meng Xi aside and used the force to dodge sharply to the right!
However, the assassin's strike was swift, ruthless, and extremely cunning.
Although Lu Zhaoruo avoided the vital point, the cold blade sliced open the sleeve of her left arm, leaving a deep gash that exposed the bone!
Blood gushed out instantly, a shocking sight!
Meng Xi staggered several steps after being pushed, and in his haste to turn around, he witnessed a scene that shocked him to his core...
As the blade flashed, blood spurted out. Lu Zhaoruo trembled in pain, her brows furrowed tightly, and her originally rosy lips turned deathly pale in an instant.
He was frozen in place, forgetting even to breathe.
At this moment, Chang Hong turned around with lightning speed, accurately stabbing the assassin's shoulder blade with his sword. Together with Sun Jing, he forced the remaining assassins to retreat in defeat.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the leader let out a sharp whistle, and the crowd quickly helped the wounded up and retreated into the depths of the dense forest like ghosts.
The danger has been temporarily averted.
A sudden, deathly silence fell over the surroundings, leaving only the whistling of the wind through the treetops and suppressed breathing.
Meng Xi then snapped out of his shock and almost stumbled to Lu Zhaoruo's side.
He reached out to support her, looking at the glaring red mark on her arm, his voice low and hoarse, almost unlike his own: "Your injury...does it hurt badly?"
Lu Zhaoruo used his strength to steady herself, her forehead beaded with cold sweat, but she still shook her head and said, "It's just a superficial injury, nothing serious."
She looked up at him, her gaze clear yet scrutinizing. "Young Master Meng, why do you happen to be here?"
Meng Xi, however, seemed not to have heard her question.
His gaze was fixed on the blood-red stain, and the image of her pushing him away without hesitation kept replaying in his mind.
An unprecedented, scalding, and surging emotion silently exploded in my heart.
At this point, the woman before him was deeply etched into his heart.
Sun Jing rushed over immediately, his face deathly pale.
He instinctively wanted to step forward to separate Meng Xi and support his wife, but he stopped abruptly as soon as he took a step.
He was well aware of his own identity and understood that Meng Xi was the one who was about to lend a helping hand.
He suppressed the anxiety and bitterness in his heart, quickly untied the leather water bag hanging from his waist, and stepped forward: "Young Master Meng, in this urgent situation, we must clean my wife's wounds immediately."
Meng Xi understood and immediately and carefully protected Lu Zhaoruo, letting her lean against him and slowly sit down on the ground.
Sun Jing knelt on one knee, lowered his eyes, and said, "My wife, I'm sorry."
After saying that, he pulled out the stopper of the water bag and carefully rinsed the hideous wound on her arm with clean water to wash away the blood and dirt.
His movements were swift and precise, without the slightest sign of panic.
He then took out a flat tin box from his pocket, opened it, and found pale yellow powder inside.
He carefully sprinkled the powder evenly onto the wound.
The entire process was silent, swift, and professional.
Meng Xi stood to the side, watching the torn flesh and Lu Zhaoruo's furrowed brows as she endured the pain. His heart clenched, but he found himself completely unable to help.
After Sun Jing finished applying the medicine, Meng Xi suddenly came to his senses, immediately tore off a clean corner of his robe lining, and silently handed it over.
Meanwhile, deep in the dense forest.
More than ten assassins dressed in black are making a quick and orderly retreat.
An assassin, whose shoulder was stabbed by Chang Hong and whose movements were slightly slow, was being helped forward by his companion.
The leader, his eyes cold and sharp beneath his mask, walked briskly while speaking in a deep voice to his trusted aide beside him: "The person who fought me the longest just now... his skills and techniques all exuded a familiar ruthlessness."
He paused briefly, then his tone became extremely certain: "He's just like the number one defector in the 'Dark Slayer' organization back then, codenamed 'Dark Gull'!"
"Quickly take the shortcut back and report to the lord," the leader's voice was even lower, carrying a chilling aura, "tell him that the target, Lu Zhaoruo, is suspected of being guarded by a traitor from the organization, 'Dark Gull.' This person is highly skilled and knows the organization's secrets well, which could cause a major upheaval. Please make a decision quickly, lord!"
"yes!"
The trusted confidant obeyed the order, and with a flash, disappeared like a ghost onto another path.
Lu Zhaoruo's wounds were treated, but she was still very weak. She took a deep breath and suppressed the dizziness: "We can't stay here any longer. It's getting dark, and something might happen. Let's go back to the city quickly."
Sun Jing nodded immediately, but then looked troubled: "Wife, one of our horses has run away..."
Changhong looked back and said, "My lord, a batch of our horses has also run away."
Meng Xi immediately chimed in: "Chang Hong, you and Sun Jing ride together on one horse, leading the way and keeping watch."
He turned to Lu Zhaoruo, his voice softening: "Madam Lu, your injuries are quite serious, and riding alone might lead to an accident. Forgive me, but I will ride with you to protect you."
Lu Zhaoruo looked at her bandaged left arm and then at the deepening night, knowing that this was the safest arrangement at the moment.
She was not one to mince words, and immediately nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Young Master Meng."
Meng Xi carefully helped her onto the horse, then mounted himself and sat behind her. He wrapped his arms around her body to hold the reins, trying to avoid her injuries, but forming a protective posture.
Lu Zhaoruo stiffened slightly, but did not say anything.
Sun Jing looked at the two people riding together ahead, and silently mounted another horse with Chang Hong.
He pressed his lips together, his gaze constantly scanning the dark woods warily, suppressing all his emotions deep inside.
Two riders and four men, taking advantage of the faint moonlight, sped off towards the direction of the capital city gate.
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