Chapter 268 Chongtai Three Prisons
The sound of dripping water came from inside the cave, but Zhongli Que, who was not yet fully awake, failed to notice it.
Her right hand was pierced by a sharp arrow, and the injury was quite severe. Although Gu Jun helped treat the wound, the pain still woke her up after the effects of the medicine wore off.
Zhong Lique opened his eyes and could barely make out the person in front of him. He was soaking wet, as if he had just come out of the water, like a water ghost.
His usually stern face now appeared even more solemn, with his brows furrowed.
Ancient Colonel?
How did he end up here?
Zhong Lique frowned.
Seeing that Zhongli Que was trying to get up, Gu Jun said in a deep voice, "Don't move."
He wanted to step forward to stop them, but hesitated because of their status, and only explained, "Your hand injury is serious, you can't exert any force."
Zhong Lique looked up at him, her slender neck revealed at that moment. She was wary, but asked without showing it, "Captain Gu, what are you doing here?"
"I came to Shuiyang Mountain on orders, and while waiting on the cliff, I happened to witness you falling off the cliff," Gu Jun explained. "The pursuers looked like Rakshasa sorcerers from Canhai Prefecture."
"...Are they from Canhai Prefecture?" Zhongli Que frowned, her voice softening considerably. "I don't know."
She saw very little. After the carriage was smashed, she was whipped by the tail of the golden serpent and fell off the cliff.
But what Zhong Lique saw in those few short glances was enough to astonish her for a long time.
The world of the Nine Schools of Arts was more interesting than she had imagined.
Zhong Lique's injuries weren't limited to her hands; she also suffered varying degrees of injury to her waist, back, neck, and abdomen. Her once clean and tidy clothes were now filthy and wrinkled from the mud and sand, and she was covered in the smell of blood.
Feeling the pain coursing through her body, her mind raced, and she opened her mouth to whisper, "Thank you, Captain Gu. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would already be..."
In the dim light, Zhong Lique saw the bloodstains on Gu Jun's clothes: "Are you injured too?"
Gu Jun replied in a deep voice, "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious."
"I'm sorry." Zhong Lique lowered her head, clenching her teeth, her whole body covered in sweat from the pain.
“No need to apologize.” Gu Jun turned around and looked behind him. “Last night’s torrential rain caused the Shuiyang Mountain River to swell, flooding the previously dry areas. The current is so strong that it will be difficult to get out until my strength is restored.”
When they were on the cliff, Chu Jin's last arrow was actually aimed at him.
Both of them knew each other's strength. This arrow, imbued with Chu Jin's rage, was meant to send him crashing into the ground.
Gu Jun hadn't expected Chu Jin to go so crazy.
He looked at the girl and said, "The people from the General's Mansion will definitely contact the capital as soon as possible. Even if something happens to the guards of the General's Mansion, there are still guards from the Golden Armor Army outside. I'm sure someone will come looking for us soon."
Zhong Lique responded unconsciously, her mind hazy. Suppressing the pain had exhausted most of her energy, and she had no intention of listening to what Gu Jundu was saying.
Seeing her dazed look, Gu Jun frowned and stepped forward. Hearing someone approaching, Zhong Lique forced herself to stay awake and opened her eyes slightly to look over.
She resembled a frightened deer, her heart filled with apprehension, yet her eyes remained moist and bright.
“Captain Gu,” she said.
Gu Jun: "You need to rest. Don't worry too much, we'll get out of here."
"Thank you," Zhong Lique said softly, leaning her head against the cold wall, feeling herself grow cold as well. "Could you tell me how my hand is?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Jun looked towards Zhong Li Que's right hand.
Although he was not a doctor or sorcerer, he had been on the battlefield and had suffered all kinds of injuries. Based on his experience, he felt that even if Zhongli Que's hand was healed, it would leave a lingering problem and would not be the same as before. At the very least, he would not be able to lift heavy objects again.
For example, swords.
Even if he were to use it, his injuries would limit his ability to unleash his full power.
Gu Jun pursed his lips and said, "Not good."
"Is that so?" Zhong Lique's voice grew weaker and weaker, and his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
She had never suffered such a serious injury in her entire life.
Gu Jun sensed something was wrong and took a few steps forward to get a closer look. He then noticed that the girl, whose face had been deathly pale before, now had slightly flushed skin.
"Miss Zhongli?" he said in a low voice.
Zhong Lique had already closed his eyes: "What?"
Gu Jun said, "Touch your forehead to check your body temperature."
Zhong Lique: "Didn't you tell me not to move?"
Gu Jun was silent for a moment, then extended his hand and said, "I apologize for the intrusion."
His icy palm gently touched the girl's forehead, feeling its burning heat, while Zhong Lique gradually lost consciousness and fainted again.
Gu Jun withdrew his hand, looked at Zhong Lique's furrowed brows even in her sleep, and after a moment, his gaze fell on her right hand again.
Chu Jin was aiming at the hand on purpose.
He couldn't help but recall their conversation when they met some time ago:
"His Majesty's apprehension towards the Zhongli family extends beyond just Zhongli Ci. Although his son, Zhongli Shan, is far away in Taiyi, news about him frequently arrives. Zhongli Shan's military talent is among the best even in Taiyi, which makes His Majesty very uneasy."
Gu Jun is a Golden Armored Army soldier who has recently gained the favor of Emperor Qingyang. He often accompanies Emperor Qingyang and sees and hears much more than others, and can also directly feel Emperor Qingyang's thoughts.
Emperor Qingyang loathed the Zhongli family and was also afraid of them.
Because Zhongli Shan performed so well, Emperor Qingyang feared that Zhongli Que was also a military strategist. Even though she was restricted from cultivating by the oath, as long as she had high talent, she was a potential threat.
They are all Zhong Lici's children.
Nobody can say for sure.
Chu Jin couldn't find any proof of Zhong Lique's cultivation or talent, so he might as well be more direct and destroy her first. Even if she really had talent, so what? It would be too late by then.
At least the injured Zhongli Que's strength cannot reach the level of her brother and father. She can also use this matter to test Zhongli Ci's attitude and let His Majesty see what Zhongli Ci will do.
Gu Jun didn't expect Chu Jin to be in such a hurry.
Even if this is what Emperor Qingyang wants to see, it will anger Zhongli Ci, and His Majesty cannot do anything to the Zhongli family for the time being. In the end, Chu Jin, who took action, may be the one to suffer.
Unless evidence is found that Zhongli Que is secretly practicing cultivation.
Gu Jun stared at the girl in front of him for a long time.
It seems unlikely that it can be found.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have almost died on the cliff.
Gu Jun made a hand seal to summon the Zhou Tian Fire, dispelling the chill in the cave. Under the firelight, it was clear that this was a cave of moderate size. A few steps back, there was the rising river. If the torrential rain from last night continued, the cave would be flooded.
Fortunately, although dark clouds loomed overhead and occasional rumbles of thunder could be heard outside, no storm was expected.
Shuiyang Mountain has been surrounded by the Azure Dragon Army, and Zhongli Wei personally led his troops to search for people at the foot of the cliff.
Today, the name Zhongli Que has appeared frequently in several mountains in the capital. Just like monitoring the strange fire, Yu Sui set it to be triggered by keywords, so he would only pay attention to messages that mention the strange fire.
She was originally serious about infecting the mountains, letting the mountain spirits invade other people's listening rulers, and letting them take them back to the other five kingdoms. While traveling through the moving mountains, she inadvertently saw a message mentioning Zhongli Que and couldn't help but frown.
After extracting keywords from several mountains, Yu Sui saw the news that Zhong Lique had an accident at Shuiyang Mountain.
Her expression turned slightly cold, and she immediately sent a telepathic message to Elder Yan to inquire.
Old Yan, who is usually slow and deliberate, answered the call immediately this time.
Yu Sui asked directly, "Why did she have an accident at Shuiyang Mountain?"
Elder Yan replied quickly: "There are too many saints in the capital, I can't take any risks, but she will be fine."
Yu Sui stood up and asked, "Are you trying to provoke Zhong Li Ci?"
Yan Lao: "This was bound to happen sooner or later for Zhongli Ci."
Yu Sui paused for a moment, then asked softly, "Have you found the person?"
Her tone was neither too loud nor too soft, but her gaze gradually turned cold.
"She's still at Shuiyang Mountain," Elder Yan countered. "Why did she leave the capital?"
Yu Sui did not reply and hung up the telepathic message.
She couldn't possibly tell Yan Lao Zhongli Que about his ability to predict the future.
Old Yan slowly put away the Listening Wind Ruler.
Shan Rong chuckled softly from behind and asked him, "What are your plans?"
"Hand over those Rakshasa sorcerers from Shenhai Prefecture who have been keeping an eye on her for so long," Elder Yan said expressionlessly. "Lead the military strategist to the clinic and lock her up first on charges of being an accomplice of the rebels."
Shan Rong: "Okay."
Once Chu Jin is imprisoned in Chongtai Third Prison, any evidence needed later, whether it's for the Lan poison or evidence of treason, will be easy to obtain.
Yu Sui immediately located Zhongli Que's Listening Wind Ruler, only to find that it was in the capital, in a familiar place.
Chu Jin's clinic.
After confirming the location of the Wind Listening Ruler, Yu Sui thought the same as Elder Yan: to let Chu Jin take this opportunity to go to Chongtai Three Prisons.
At this moment, Zhongli Que's Listening Wind Ruler is in Chu Jin's hands, and it is irrefutable evidence of her involvement in the assassination attempt at Shuiyang Mountain.
Yu Sui slowly picked up the Listening Wind Ruler and sent a telepathic message to Su Feng.
Su Feng, who had just stepped into the Shuiyang Mountain area, saw the voice transmission display and his heart skipped a beat. He calmed down and found a secluded place to answer the call.
He did not respond directly, but waited for the other party to confirm first.
Yu Sui said, "Second Brother, Queque's Wind-Listening Ruler is in Chu Jin's hands."
With just this one sentence, Su Feng understood what she meant.
Anger and murderous intent surged within him, and he was about to turn back when Yu Sui stopped him: "Wait until they discover the Rakshasa sorcerer of Canhai Prefecture before you act, otherwise you won't be able to explain it to Father later."
If Su Feng had gone to the clinic first to get the Listening Wind Ruler from Chu Jin, Nangong Ming would have asked him afterwards how he knew where Zhongli Que's Listening Wind Ruler was.
Su Feng, suppressing his anger, asked, "How much longer?"
Yu Sui replied, "Soon."
However, news soon came back from the capital that traces of the rebel army in Canhai Prefecture had been discovered. After consulting with Zhongli Wei, Su Feng returned to the capital and went straight to Chu Jin's clinic.
Yu Sui hung up the telepathic message, stood quietly in the room for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and swiftly and fiercely threw the wind-listening ruler in his hand. The jade wind-listening ruler shattered into pieces on the ground, making a crisp sound. At the same time, the door of the dormitory opened from the outside.
Mei Liangyu looked at the fragments of the Listening Wind Ruler that were bouncing around her feet, but she didn't dodge. Instead, her eyelids twitched and she looked at Yu Sui.
Yu Sui: "..."
Mei Liangyu looked around, saw no one, and assumed she was angry at him. He couldn't help but point at himself, somewhat incredulous.
Yu Sui pursed her lips and said slowly, "Senior brother."
This indicates that the anger wasn't directed at him.
"I told you before I came that I was bringing you breakfast." Mei Liangyu shook the food box in her hand again, frowning. "What's wrong?"
This was the first time Mei Liangyu had seen Yu Sui get angry and throw things.
Even if she has grievances, she usually just gives a cold look or remains silent, rarely taking any action.
It's hard to imagine what could have made her so angry.
Yu Sui glanced at the debris on the ground, then suddenly smiled: "It's nothing."
Anyway, the rats hiding in the gutter will be caught soon.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com