Chapter 178 Young Master
Yi Xingyao's forearm was slashed open by a sharp sword, and blood gushed out!
"Mother! You've gone mad!"
His expression remained unchanged, and to Madam Yi's astonishment, he snatched the still-dripping sword from her hand.
Yi Xingyao casually wiped away the blood dripping from the sword blade with his sleeve, and stood between Madam Yi and Narcissus, who was tied to the pillar. "Who gave you permission to hurt her!"
"Yi Xingyao!"
Mrs. Yi was both shocked and furious when she saw her son's bleeding hand.
He actually did it all for this woman...
"I think you're the one who's crazy!"
Mrs. Yi pointed at the direction of Narcissus through gritted teeth, "Do you think she cares?!"
Shui Xian seemed to have never expected Yi Xingyao to shield her from the sword. She stood there stunned, her lips, which had been dry from not drinking water for a long time, parted slightly, unable to utter a single word.
After a long while, Shui Xian finally came to her senses. Her body suddenly trembled, and she looked up at Yi Xingyao, who was frowning and staring at the wound on her forearm.
"Why...why did you save me?"
Hearing the tremor in her voice, Yi Xingyao looked up and met her gaze. He immediately saw the slight redness in Shui Xian's eyes and a glistening tear hanging on her eyelashes, about to fall.
"Let me go."
Narcissus struggled slightly, but the knots binding her with Yi Xingyao's ropes were too thick and too tight, and she spoke in a hoarse voice.
Yi Xingyao narrowed his eyes slightly, as if observing her expression, wanting to know if Shui Xian's emotion and shock at this moment were genuine.
But before he could take a closer look, he was interrupted by Narcissus's cold voice.
"Yi Xingyao, let me go!"
Yi Xingyao had never seen Shui Xian so fierce, especially... hidden within her rare toughness was her concern for him.
He let the blood drip from his wound, squatted down, and, ignoring the pain, forcefully tore open the rope binding the narcissus.
Yi Xingyao's dark eyes were fixed on her. His heart seemed to be roaring, wanting to hear what she had to say, but at this moment he couldn't think of what he wanted to hear.
Until Narcissus, with tears in her eyes, revealed a vulnerable expression, overwhelmed by his actions.
She reached out her hand, wanting to touch him with her slender white fingertips, but ultimately withdrew it for fear of hurting him. This greatly pleased Yi Xingyao and filled the emptiness in his heart that had been filled with the harsh winds of the Northwest for many years.
Does it hurt?
He was bleeding, and she was crying.
Narcissus finally said the nice things that Yi Xingyao wanted to hear.
Without a word, Yi Xingyao reached out and grabbed Shui Xian's hand, forcefully pressing her palm against his injured forearm.
Her fingertips were stained with his flowing blood, and Yi Xingyao's wound was throbbing with sharp pain.
But he didn't even frown; instead, he stared intently at the narcissus and said in a firm voice:
"Now do you know? In this world, who truly cares whether you live or die?"
His blood flowed over Narcissus's hand, bringing a warm and sticky sensation.
Narcissus blinked, a soft light flashing in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deep sense of self-loathing.
Yi Xingyao held her hand, but she slumped down, her eyelashes becoming damp again, even more so than the night in the dilapidated temple.
"I am of lowly birth, unworthy of your treatment..."
"Shut up."
Yi Xingyao frowned, wondering why he wanted to see her suffer, but disliked seeing her despise herself.
"If I say it's worth it, then it's worth it!"
Shui Xian tried to pull her hand away, but Yi Xingyao wouldn't let her refuse. Instead, he gripped her hand even tighter, and their intertwined fingers pressed against his wound.
Yi Xingyao was in great pain, and the pain tinged his eyes with a crimson hue.
He looked into her eyes, his gaze wild and unwavering, each word a covenant with her for eternity.
"Remember this pain! You owe me this!"
Narcissus, tears welling in her eyes, was deeply moved by his persistence. Her tears still fell on her fair face, but her cherry-blossom lips parted slightly in surprise.
After finally coming to her senses, Shui Xian met Yi Xingyao's smiling eyes, her face flushed slightly, and she avoided his gaze, lowering her head.
Yi Xingyao still wouldn't let go of her hand, and she could only say helplessly.
"I...I'll help you bandage, young master...no, general."
She accidentally used the wrong title, which inexplicably startled Yi Xingyao.
Young master.
He instantly recalled their first meeting that year; she was still a maid in the Yi family, while he was a young master covered in wounds, just punished by his father.
Yi Xingyao's eyes darkened slightly, and he unconsciously softened his tone.
"No need to change it... just call me Young Master."
During the bandaging process, Shui Xian was extremely attentive. She pulled Yi Xingyao to sit beside her and used the strong liquor brought by the assassins to carefully clean Yi Xingyao's wound.
After looking around for a while, she tore off the edge of her own petticoat and used the freshly applied wound medicine to bandage the wound on his forearm.
Madam Yi, standing to the side, naturally made sarcastic remarks, mostly saying things like the Yi family was doomed.
Narcissus initially tried to ignore it, but later, she still shrank back slightly because of some of Madam Yi's harsh words.
Yi Xingyao gave the assassin a look, and the assassin persuaded Madam Yi to move aside, separating her from Shui Xian, who was bandaging her wounds, and Yi Xingyao.
Yi Xingyao watched Shui Xian's focused expression by the campfire.
After she carefully bandaged him up, Narcissus swayed slightly, as if a lingering fear of being nearly injured by Madam Yi's sword had surged back.
She gently touched her forehead, trying to stand up, but instead softly fell into Yi Xingyao's arms.
Yi Xingyao subconsciously used his uninjured arm to catch her soft body. The movement aggravated the wound on his left arm, causing him to frown in pain. However, the fragile and dependent posture of the beauty in his arms greatly satisfied his possessiveness.
He carried the narcissus and personally went to a place where freshly laid dry grass had been laid out.
Yi Xingyao placed the narcissus on the dry grass, pondered for a long time, and then tied her hands together.
He never believed her, yet he craved her fleeting tenderness.
Narcissus fell into a coma, letting him do as he pleased. Her soft, white hands were bound behind her back, a little too tightly, causing her wrists to turn red.
Throughout, Yi Xingyao kept his eyes fixed on Shui Xian's face. He saw her furrow her brow slightly in pain, but she still didn't wake up. Only then did he turn away with peace of mind to discuss the escape with the assassins.
After Yi Xingyao left, a full incense stick's time passed before Shui Xian slowly opened her eyes.
She was not unconscious, nor was she moved by the sword that Yi Xingyao had blocked for her.
Everything was a stopgap measure that Narcissus came up with on a whim.
Yi Xingyao didn't believe her, but at least she could gain some freedom.
in particular......
Although Narcissus's hands were bound, as she lay on her side on the haystack, she could vaguely sense a cold, hard spot on her chest and abdomen.
That was the token from the Chang'an Escort Agency that Wen Jingfeng gave her before she left the palace. This token was different from the tokens commonly seen in escort agencies. There were no words on it, only a finely carved image of a small boat amidst waves.
The token was small, and its surface was smooth from being constantly rubbed.
Because it was small, Narcissus could wear it close to her body without even Yi Xingyao noticing.
Narcissus remembered the sharp pebble she had touched when she was tied to the pillar.
Yi Xingyao had just pounced on her, and Shui Xian had hidden the pebble in the haystack where they had been. Later, when she was packing up Yi Xingyao's belongings, she glanced at it discreetly and realized that it wasn't a pebble at all, but a shard of porcelain.
Inside the dilapidated temple were some broken porcelain shards with words on them, and Shui Xian noticed several pieces of box paper with the words "Chang'an Escort Agency" printed on them in the corner.
This made her realize something.
Although the dilapidated temple was located in a remote area, it seemed to be a temporary resting place for traveling merchants and caravans.
Perhaps, this is the route that the people from the Chang'an Escort Agency took when entering and leaving the capital!
Narcissus couldn't be completely sure, but this was the opportunity she had recently realized to send out a message again.
She had no choice but to take a gamble!
Before setting off again, Shui Xian made an excuse that she wanted to wash up quickly, and Yi Xingyao personally followed her to a nearby stream, keeping a short distance to keep an eye on her.
Shui Xian refused to let him get close, saying she was shy, so Yi Xingyao tied their wrists together with a rope.
He could detect any unusual activity from Narcissus immediately.
Tied to a rope, Narcissus squatted by the stream, scooping up the icy water and splashing it on her face. Using her body as cover, she quickly pulled the token from her bosom.
Unable to make any large movements, she used her fingertips to forcefully launch it precisely into the depths of a dense thicket beside the stream.
Under Yi Xingyao's almost constant surveillance, this was the only thing she could do.
She didn't even know if any security escorts would actually pass by, let alone whether they would be able to spot her.
"Are you done yet?"
From afar came Yi Xingyao's deep urging.
Narcissus quickly washed her hands and pretended to have just finished washing up before going back.
About half a day after they left, a group of镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) carrying goods under the banner of "Chang'an" passed through the area and stopped for a short rest and to check their carriages and horses, as was customary.
A young bodyguard, who was responsible for scouting the surrounding environment, accidentally kicked something hard while passing by a bush outside the dilapidated temple to fill the water source.
He bent down and picked it up, discovering it was a uniquely shaped token. When he saw the waves and sailboats on the token, the young镖师 (bodyguard/escort) was startled and quickly reported the token and his discovery to the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort leader).
The head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) took the token, glanced at it, and his expression changed drastically!
He dared not delay for the slightest, and called over one of the men in the group, giving him instructions in a low and serious voice.
"Hurry! Send this item to the headquarters in the capital, and make sure it is personally delivered to the young master! Remember, it's extremely urgent!"
——
In the capital city, the headquarters of the Chang'an Escort Agency was bustling with activity, with carriages and horses coming and going in an endless stream.
Beside the martial arts arena in the backyard, a tall and upright young man dressed in a neat and tidy outfit was wiping the gleaming spear in his hand.
He was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a free and easy spirit and sharpness honed from years of traveling all over the country. He was Lu Yuanhang, the young master of the Chang'an Escort Agency.
"Young Master!"
A bodyguard rushed in, presented the token with both hands, and whispered the details of the discovery.
Lu Yuanhang abruptly stopped wiping.
He took the token, and his expression instantly turned serious.
"This is……"
He muttered to himself, and a gentle and serene woman flashed through his mind.
Jingfeng... this token was a gift from him personally back then.
Lu Yuanhang pondered for a long time, combining this with the recent rumors circulating in the capital about the imperial concubine who had not returned from praying at Jingguang Temple...
Lu Yuanhang suddenly stood up, his face serious, with not a trace of his usual frivolity.
He gave a deep, decisive order: "Immediately find a way to contact that bodyguard we know and inform him of this!"
Lu Yuanhang flicked his spear, producing a clear and melodious sound: "This young master will go and see which kind of deity dares to touch the people that our Chang'an Escort Agency is protecting!"
Regardless of whether the person holding the token was a concubine in the palace, it must be someone Jingfeng wanted to protect.
What she wanted to protect was what he wanted to protect!
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