Chapter 105 The Perilous Cliff If we could keep going like this forever, then...
The lush greenery deep in the forest had long since faded, revealing an even more desolate autumn scene, with only withered and yellowed leaves as far as the eye could see. After noon, the wind picked up, and although the sun was still high overhead, it felt chilly and offered no warmth.
The sound of footsteps on the fallen leaves startled several birds that were circling and perched in the forest. Their gray wings flew through the cage-like branches and leaves, leaving a few hurried shadows in the sky.
When Xue Rongyue regained consciousness, her hands and feet were bound to a restless horse, her mouth was stuffed with bran and wrapped with hemp rope, making it impossible for her to utter even a faint sound.
The female official sighed, not daring to look her in the eye: "Don't blame me, I had no choice. My family's lives are in their hands."
The female official had already changed into a light robe and was carrying a pre-prepared bag, ready to flee. She knew that no matter the outcome, she had to leave as soon as possible; once caught, she wouldn't be able to fool anyone.
Having said that, she no longer hesitated or dared to waste any more time. She turned her face away, plunged the sharp, thick needle in her hand into the horse, and then quickly cut the rope binding the horse.
"hiss--!"
The horse roared angrily, raising its two thick front hooves as if it wanted to kick the person in front of it to pieces.
The female official quickly stepped aside, and the already restless horse was completely unrestrained, shooting out like an arrow!
It ran wildly through the forest, almost recklessly, as if sensing the presence on its back, and desperately twisted its body, trying to shake Xue Rongyue off.
However, Xue Rongyue was tightly bound, and after several unsuccessful attempts, Da Ma became even more agitated.
As the horse galloped away, branches kept lashing at Xue Rongyue, and soon, a horizontal bloodstain appeared on her body.
Xue Rongyue's vision blurred in waves.
She was knocked unconscious by a blow, and the dizziness and discomfort had not yet subsided. The jolting of the horse made it worse. She struggled and dug her fingertips into her palm. Blood dripped down her hand, leaving a trail of blood and briefly bringing her back to consciousness.
Panting heavily, Xue Rongyue opened her eyes, but could no longer tell where she was. Her hands were tied together and then tied to the horse's neck with hemp rope, making it impossible for her to move. The sharp object hidden in her sleeve had also been taken away.
But because her hands were tied to the horse's neck, although she couldn't control the direction the horse was running, she could try to influence some subtle things—making the horse as close to the trees as possible.
As the horse galloped at high speed, Xue Rongyue's left ankle repeatedly grazed the trees, leaving not only marks but also rubbing against the hemp rope binding her feet.
The repeated impacts left her ankles bloody and mangled. Fine beads of cold sweat appeared on Xue Rongyue's forehead. From the initial excruciating pain to the later numbness, Da Ma ran forward tirelessly, the pain even making it difficult for her to see the road ahead.
After an unknown amount of time, Xue Rongyue's feet were suddenly loosened, and then with a "thud," the hemp rope binding her feet fell to the ground.
Before she could catch her breath, Xue Rongyue endured the excruciating pain and desperately stretched her left foot forward. Fortunately, thanks to her years of martial arts and dance training, her fingertips finally hooked onto the embroidered shoe, allowing her to remove it from her left foot.
Hidden inside was a thin needle, which she had deliberately concealed during this autumn hunt. It was the only sharp object that the female official had not searched and taken away.
With trembling fingertips, Xue Rongyue picked up the thin needle. She was covered in sweat and countless bloodstains, but the stimulation kept her awake and prevented her from fainting.
Xue Rongyue used the needle to slowly rub the hemp rope binding her wrist.
Dark clouds gathered, the autumn sun lost its brightness, and the forest, shrouded in lush foliage, was completely dark, as if it were an endless night.
The constant jolting on horseback made Xue Rongyue feel as if her internal organs had shifted, and the dizziness and pain became even more pronounced, leaving her in a state of semi-consciousness from time to time. Only her hands continued to tirelessly pinch the fine needle and draw the hemp rope up and down.
The sky gradually darkened, and a sudden gust of cool wind howled through the forest, enveloping every inch of Xue Rongyue's skin in cold.
As time went by, the horse's running speed slowed down slightly, but it continued to run forward, while the whistling wind in its ears grew stronger and stronger.
Although the rope had loosened, Xue Rongyue had an even worse premonition.
She cautiously raised her head to look ahead, and her pupils immediately contracted sharply—
Ahead, beyond the dense forest, lies a cliff!
Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart felt as if it had fallen into an abyss. Xue Rongyue tried to control the direction of the galloping horse, but the restless horse was already out of control, and even the most skilled animal trainer could not control it.
Watching helplessly as the horse hurtled towards the cliff, Xue Rongyue's movements became faster and more frantic.
Her fingertips were already pierced with several bloody holes by the needle, and the blood soaked the hemp rope, but at this moment, she couldn't care less about that.
But in the end, Da Ma rushed towards the cliff without hesitation!
With its two front hooves suddenly slipping into the air, the horse let out a mournful neigh and began to fall uncontrollably toward the cliff!
Everything seemed to happen both quickly and slowly. It was so fast that Xue Rongyue couldn't react or think, her mind went blank. It was so slow that Xue Rongyue's fingers were still piercing and scratching the hemp rope.
Suddenly, a crisp sound was heard; it was the sound of the thin needle that Xue Rongyue was holding on her fingers breaking.
The broken needle slipped limply from her fingertips, but in the next instant, Xue Rongyue's heart, which had been heavy with despair, suddenly began to pound again.
—What fell from my hand was not just the fine needle, but also the thick hemp rope!
Xue Rongyue's eyelids twitched violently, and her heart pounded. Her whole body was already falling towards the cliff with the galloping horse, but at the same time, she instinctively grabbed a protruding rock on the edge of the cliff!
With a "whoosh".
Pebbles were falling around her feet. Xue Rongyue clung tightly to a protruding rock, her whole body suspended in mid-air on the edge of the cliff!
Even now, no sound of the horse hitting the ground can be heard. Large beads of sweat slide down her nose. Xue Rongyue doesn't dare to look down. She grips the rock tightly, trying to climb up.
But she was already exhausted. The torment of just half an hour had left her covered in wounds. Whether it was from excessive blood loss or the lingering pain of the blow, Xue Rongyue's vision was blurring.
The blood flowing from her hands and feet stained the rock face red, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't get herself up the cliff. More importantly, she was about to give up!
what to do?
She was unwilling to accept it.
I am unwilling to accept that even with all my efforts I could not gain a chance to live, unwilling to accept that my life has been so wasted, and even more unwilling to accept that I have ended up like this...
Even now, amidst this intense surge of resentment, Xue Rongyue vaguely reflects on her short life.
She thought of her mother, Jingnu, Zheng Shuman, Princess Yu'an, and... Qin Jin.
Thinking of the past life I glimpsed through that original book, and of the promise I had just made—the promise of a long future...
A tear slid down her cheek.
Then, even more torrents of tears fell onto Xue Rongyue's cheeks, and then—
"Grab me!"
Xue Rongyue looked up in astonishment, and the person who had only appeared in her mind was now standing vividly in front of her.
Was it a dream?
The next instant, her hand was forcefully grabbed by another pair of large, strong hands!
Veins bulged on his forehead, Qin Jin's eyes were bloodshot, and half of his body was already exposed outside the cliff. He had rushed over following the tracks left by Xue Rongyue, his face contorted and his appearance disheveled. He roared, "Give me your hand!"
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Xue Rongyue snapped out of her daze, suddenly regaining her senses, and forcefully reached out her hand to Qin Jin!
Qin Jin immediately gripped her wrist tightly with his knuckles.
But just then, a sharp arrow whistled through the dense forest!
Over the years, Qin Jin's instinct for danger made him want to dodge, but he immediately realized that he was holding Xue Rongyue tightly in his hand. If he dodged, Xue Rongyue would fall.
The arrow pierced his leg, Qin Jin frowned and cried out in pain, but his grip on Xue Rongyue's hand did not loosen in the slightest.
Fortunately, after discovering the traces left by Xue Rongyue, Qin Jin took the lead, but the Imperial Guards followed closely behind, rushing towards the direction of the arrow, so the second arrow was delayed.
Taking advantage of this moment, Qin Jin used his strong and powerful arms to pull her back inch by inch from the edge of the cliff.
The moment their bodies touched the ground, their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled. Xue Rongyue, who had survived the ordeal, had no strength left and collapsed to the ground. Her fingers trembled as she gripped Qin Jin's hand, not daring to let go.
Qin Jin held Xue Rongyue tightly, his whole body trembling with fear. He wanted to hold Xue Rongyue in his arms immediately, but at this moment, the two of them couldn't even say a word.
They both needed to get out of here quickly.
However, just as Qin Jin lifted Xue Rongyue up, an unexpected event occurred.
The crossbow bolts, accompanied by the whooshing sound of the wind, came hurtling in from the other end!
The person wielding the crossbow was very close; Xue Rongyue even caught a glimpse of that fleeting shadow in the forest the moment she looked up.
The crossbow was fast and powerful, giving no one a chance to react, and it was already in front of them in the blink of an eye!
In that critical moment, Qin Jin only had time to push Xue Rongyue away. The next instant, his left shoulder was pierced by the crossbow, and the spurting blood splattered onto Xue Rongyue's hand, which was too late to fall. The force of the crossbow shot sent him flying!
Just an inch behind them was a bottomless abyss.
It was as if she had been jolted awake from an endless nightmare. Before the joy of surviving the ordeal could even rise in Xue Rongyue's heart, another nightmare had already enveloped her.
Everything slowed down; the exclamations, footsteps, chases, and the clamor of the wind all faded away in that moment, leaving only boundless silence.
Xue Rongyue turned her head stiffly, her eyes wide with horror, as she watched Qin Jin fall off the cliff!
Her mind went blank, and in that instant, she couldn't even make out the last expression on Qin Jin's face.
A mouthful of blood suddenly spurted from her mouth, and Xue Rongyue's vision blurred. Swaying precariously, her body finally collapsed weakly to the ground.
A muffled thud was heard.
Xue Rongyue fell heavily to the ground, her lips trembling as if she wanted to call out Qin Jin's name, but no sound came out of her mouth. She could only try her best to look towards the edge of the cliff.
The constant flow of blood from her mouth and nose made her increasingly weak, and eventually her eyelids closed weakly, and she completely fainted.
"Something terrible has happened! Prince Qin has fallen off a cliff!"
"Come quickly, Madam Xue is here."
"Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
"Go and report to His Majesty first. Prince Qin has fallen off a cliff, and Lady Xue is unconscious."
"Didn't you say that her injuries were healed? Why hasn't Madam Xue woken up yet?"
"Why is she running a high fever again? How exactly are you taking care of Princess Yong'an!"
"Has the thief been caught? His Majesty has ordered that the thief be found alive or dead!"
"Since the thieves have already infiltrated the hunting grounds, the hunting palace is probably not safe either. I urge Your Majesty to consider the well-being of the nation and return to Chang'an first."
"Please, Your Majesty, return to Chang'an."
"Why hasn't the person improved yet? Summon Physician Xu again!"
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Lady Xue has vomited blood again!"
"No matter what, get the medicine down my throat first! Then boil some soup!"
"Your Highness, something has happened! Liu Yuanhu has confessed that the Crown Prince Qin instructed him to slander General Xue!"
"Your Highness, Liu Ruyu's personal servant has identified him, saying that Prince Qin is the man in black who colluded with Liu Ruyu."
"The people sent to search have sent word that a male corpse was found at the bottom of the cliff. Based on the clothing, it was confirmed to be Prince Qin."
......
Every day that followed felt like Xue Rongyue was living in a bizarre and fantastical dream.
She didn't know how many days she had been wandering in her dream. She often heard a cacophony of sounds. She could distinguish each sound, but most of the time she couldn't open her eyes to see or respond.
Until she dreamed of Qin Jin.
He was still the spirited young man she remembered. Qin Jin crossed his arms, a smile playing on his lips, and quietly looked at her. She vaguely felt that she had forgotten something, but she couldn't remember it no matter what she did. Only tears kept flowing down her face.
Perhaps noticing that she was crying, Qin Jin stepped forward and gently took her hand: "Come with me."
She gazed longingly at Qin Jin, following him step by step. The two walked and walked along the blinding white light in the distance, never stopping for a moment, as if they wanted to walk together to the end of their lives...
If we can continue like this, that would be good.
Xue Rongyue thought to herself.
Finally, the two stepped into the white light together.
***
"Your Highness, I have done my best. If... if Lady Xue does not wake up today, she may never wake up again..."
Princess Yu'an's face suddenly turned pale, and she slumped into a chair. Before the imperial physician could kneel and beg for mercy, a maid rushed in from outside—
The maidservant cried with joy, "Your Highness! Your Highness! Lady Xue has woken up!"
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Author's note: Goodnight everyone [droopy-eared rabbit head]
Hehehe, everyone don't need to worry~
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