Life and Death Gamble
In the Holy Fire Hall, hurried footsteps echoed in the empty hall.
"The Soul-Chasing Gu actually went to Beimang Mountain?" Chi Lian stopped abruptly, his gaze fixed on the map on the wall, the marking of Beimang Mountain. "Where are they? Why haven't they come to rescue Tiaotiao yet?" He turned abruptly, his dark robes stirring with a gust of chilling wind. "Could it be... they really want to give up on that kid and go straight for the mother Gu?"
The thought just popped up in his mind but he forced it down. He roared, "Impossible! That bitch will never sit idly by! The Seven Swordsmen would never do such a thing!"
The heavy footsteps sounded again.
Suddenly, he froze again, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Could it be... that she has already cured the Soul-Chasing Gu?" He clenched his teeth, his words spitting out, "With her skills, and the Seven Swords... she might be able to do it!"
However, another, even more terrifying, speculation quietly took root in his mind: "But what if... they really thought Tiao Tiao was dead and were determined to destroy the Mother Gu..." He clenched his fists, his knuckles crackling, his eyes filled with murderous intent, "If the foundation of the Holy Fire Hall is destroyed, all my twelve years of hard work will be wasted. What use will there be for me to keep him around!"
"Someone come here!" A loud shout suddenly rang out.
In the shadows below the stairs, a silver-armored guard appeared like a ghost, kneeling on one knee with his head buried deep in his chest.
Chi Lian looked down from above, his voice piercingly cold: "Send a message to Beimang Mountain immediately, highest alert! Report any unusual movement immediately by carrier pigeon! If there is even the slightest delay," he snorted coldly, "bring your heads to me!"
"As you command!" the silver-armored guard responded crisply. His figure moved quickly, his silver armor scraping against each other with a sharp sound, and then he disappeared into the shadow of the palace gate.
In the maple forest, the four held their breath, their concentration high. A steady stream of herbalists poured into the Sacred Fire Hall, their footsteps shaking the ground and sending clouds of dust flying. They watched as the last few, driven by the golden bell, entered the Sacred Fire Hall. The door hinges groaned harshly and slammed shut.
Lan Tu gripped the hilt of the Bingpo Sword tightly, her brows furrowed in worry. "Too many. That day, there were only nine hundred medicine men and thirty core members. Hongmao and I protected Miss Su, and we almost died. Most of the medicine men were drawn away by the granary fire." She glanced at the closed door. "Looking at the situation now, at least half of them, over a thousand, should be mobilized."
"That's why," Su Baiwei's gaze swept across the sky, "Beimang Mountain is empty, so Chi Lian is most afraid of us attacking the Mother Gu formation directly."
Daben's forehead veins throbbed, and he finally couldn't hold it in any longer. He wiped the sweat off his face fiercely, and said in a voice of suppressed anger, "Damn it! Going around in such a long way? In my opinion, we should have just smashed the door and rushed in before those ghosts gathered and killed them all!"
"No!" Su Baiwei frowned. "This is exactly what Chi Lian wants. He's convinced we're here to save people, and the Holy Fire Hall will become an iron wall, sieging and killing us with all their might. Even with all five swords, we can't guarantee a successful attack. Furthermore, Tiao Tiao's exact location is unknown. If we don't win this battle quickly, once the Medicine Man Brigade arrives to reinforce us, they'll attack us from both sides, and we'll be doomed." Her tone suddenly turned cold. "Even if we succeed in our assault, he'll be cornered and push Tiao Tiao into the front line... If we act cautiously, we'll be in danger of being destroyed in an instant."
Hongmao's gaze fell on the charred wall, the burn marks seemingly resembling Tiaotiao's frail face. His Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed the burning pain. "Miss Su's plan is walking on a knife's edge. But right now, this is our only chance of survival. We must act accordingly." He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, pressing the heavy weight of "what if" deep into his heart.
Chi Lian's bargaining chip was Tiao Tiao, a bet on their inseparable bond of friendship. Their bet was Chi Lian's reliance on the Mother Gu Formation, and the stakes were everyone's lives.
Lan Tu glanced up at the dazzling sun. "Shali and Doudou should have reached Beimang Mountain by now. If the medicine men haven't retreated by sunset," she sighed softly, "we'll send a message to Dada and send a signal flare to summon them back. Then... we'll have to gather the strength of the four swords and fight to the death. Miss Su and I will try to sneak in and rescue them."
"If there's still no movement by then," Su Baiwei lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her pale face, "I will show up and exchange my life for yours. Chi Lian... will definitely agree..."
Daben, who was frantically grinding gravel with his boots, froze at the sound, and the gravel beneath his feet cracked. He turned his head abruptly, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"Absolutely not!" Lan Tu's pupils suddenly shrank as she cut him short. "Tiaotiao risked his life to get you out of the Holy Fire Hall. If you fall into his trap, wouldn't that be a waste of his efforts? Besides, you're the only one who can break the Gu formation. If you're trapped, how will the Mother Gu formation respond?"
Su Baiwei raised her eyes and spoke calmly, "Sacrificing me alone is enough to save the Seven Swords. This is the best strategy. Besides, I'm still useful to him, so my life can be saved." The hand in her sleeve trembled slightly. "But if Tiaotiao can't be rescued within two days, he... will surely die."
"In that case, wouldn't it be better to give up Tiaotiao?" Hongmao's gaze was originally on the distant wall, but now it was fixed on Su Baiwei's profile.
The hot wind blew through the maple forest, rolling up a few broken leaves and making rustling sounds.
Su Baiwei's fingertips tightened suddenly in her sleeves. For the first time, intense emotion surged in her icy eyes. Her jawline tensed for a moment, and a sob seemed to be choking in her throat but was forced to swallow.
Hongmao didn't look away. His voice was low, but every word struck Su Baiwei's heart: "Seven Swordsmen will never abandon any of their companions."
Lan Tu's voice was soft but firm: "We came together, and we must return together. Neither you nor Tiao Tiao can be left behind."
The rustling of maple leaves stopped.
Su Baiwei's eyes suddenly flashed. She lowered her eyes to hide them, and when she raised them again, her gaze had turned to the closed door of the Holy Fire Hall.
The maple forest was filled with silence, weighing on everyone's heart.
Inside the Holy Fire Hall, Mu Jin, with a haggard face and hunched back, pushed a cart that reeked of rancidity. She tried her best to maintain a numb and humble expression as she moved toward the dungeon entrance under the guards' gaze.
A stench of blood, mold, and excrement suddenly filled her nostrils, nearly suffocating her. In the dim light, lifeless figures lay behind rows of iron bars. She lowered her eyes and, mimicking the old man's movements, used a wooden spoon to scoop the remaining soup into the broken bowls held out. Every time she bent over the bars, her eyes carefully scanned each filthy face.
Soup splashed on her hands, but she was oblivious, only aware of her own pounding heartbeat. Round and round... the sound of the cart's wheels echoed through the dungeon. Sweat soaked through her undershirt, sticking to her back. After the last spoonful of food was scooped up, the familiar face was still nowhere to be seen.
The wooden spoon in his hand accidentally fell, making a soft "clang" sound, which was drowned out by the noise of the prisoners scrambling for food.
A chill ran down her spine. If the young lady came in and found the young master wasn't there... she would shudder.
She suppressed her trembling body, pushed the empty cart, and moved out step by step. Each step weighed more than a thousand pounds, and the guards behind her looked like thorns.
The heavy iron door finally clanged shut behind her, shutting out the suffocating stench. Only after she had pushed the cart around a corner, completely blocking the guards' view, did Mu Jin suddenly lean against the stone wall, panting rapidly. Beneath the mask, her face had long since lost all color.
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