Chapter 18 018 Entangled and Passionate
In the mountains and forests.
After a long and arduous journey of half a day, the two carriages from the Su family finally arrived at Xiangshan Temple before noon.
There is only one Xiangshan Temple on the mountainside. Its halls and pavilions are arranged in a well-organized manner, with green eaves and tiles. There is a constant stream of worshippers, and occasionally a few deep bell tolls echo through the forest.
Since they had come to fulfill a vow, Aunt Meng immediately took Li Qiuyan to find the temple abbot as soon as she entered the temple.
Lin Wan looked at the century-old banyan tree planted in the courtyard in front of the main hall. Its branches and leaves covered the sky and were very magnificent. She was amazed. Suddenly, as if by telepathy, she looked towards the back hall of the temple. The temple bell suddenly rang, startling the birds in the forest.
Where are you going?
Lin Wan suppressed her doubts and was about to turn around and head towards the back hall when Su Furong beside her stopped her, pointed to the entrance of the main hall, and said, "I heard that the Bodhisattva here is very efficacious. Since we're here, let's go and offer some incense together?"
She followed Su Furong into the hall, lit incense like a worshipper in a temple, and bowed respectfully and devoutly.
After the young novice monks came out to greet them, Meng and the others descended the mountain along the same route.
It was already dusk, and there were hardly any other pilgrims to be found on the mountain paths besides them.
The driver skillfully held the reins, urging the carriage to speed along, hoping to get back to the mansion before nightfall.
Lin Wan rode in the same carriage as Su Furong and Li Qiuyan.
The journey had been peaceful, and Su Furong was about to say something when the carriage beneath her was suddenly jolted violently.
Immediately afterwards, the entire carriage tilted violently to one side. The women inside were completely unprepared and were thrown about, ending up sprawled on top of each other in a disheveled state.
Lin Wan endured the pain of Su Furong stepping on her shoulder and used her strength to steady her falling body. Just as she was about to ask the driver what was going on, she heard a chaotic shouting and fighting sound outside the carriage.
Something's happened!
Lin Wan felt extremely uneasy and hurriedly struggled to get up. Su Furong's face turned pale instantly, not to mention Li Qiuyan, whose eyes were filled with terror. The group instantly understood from each other's eyes that they had probably encountered bad people.
Su Furong asked, trembling, "Are they villains? Mountain bandits?"
"Silence." Lin Wan moved closer to the carriage curtain, her slender white fingers lifting a corner of the curtain as she held her breath and peered out.
As dusk fell, the figures moving in front of the carriage were not clearly visible.
All that could be vaguely seen were two groups of burly men dressed differently, each wielding swords and knives, seemingly vying for a black package, hacking and slashing at each other with reckless abandon—it was terrifying.
When I came to Xiangshan Temple before, I did not bring any servants or guards from my residence. I thought it was just to fulfill a vow and would not take long. However, an accident happened on the way back.
If those people are bandits, I wonder if we can persuade them to leave with money.
However, for now, it's best to avoid alarming them if possible.
Lin Wan thought to herself, signaling Su Furong and Li Qiuyan to hold their breath. But in the next instant, a terrifying broadsword suddenly cleaved open the carriage, splitting it in two. The woman hiding inside was completely caught off guard and screamed in panic.
"Ahhh..."
The sounds of clashing weapons filled the air!
In just a moment, some of the fierce-looking thieves were clearly unable to hold out and fled in all directions, making the situation even more chaotic.
Lin Wan suppressed her panic, pulled Su Furong and Li Qiuyan up, and the three of them ran in the opposite direction of the fight. The coachman and servant had already been hacked unconscious by the broadsword. There was no time to worry about them, they had to run!
"Mother!"
Su Furong stopped and turned around to look for the other carriage, which was also overturned in front of her, motionless, very close to where the thieves were fighting.
Lin Wan grabbed Su Furong, who was about to run back, and said, "Stay aside, I'll go take a look."
She used the trees in the woods as cover to run around and get there. Fortunately, Meng and her aunt only suffered minor injuries and were still able to walk. The group helped each other and ran quietly and quickly!
Just then, the retreating bandits spotted them. They were all frail women. Suddenly, several bandits rushed out and the first one raised a long knife and slashed down at them.
Lin Wan panicked and pushed away Meng Shi, who was frozen in shock and didn't flinch. Meng Shi looked back in surprise.
In her haste, she ducked and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the long knife. One strike wasn't enough, so another followed, the blade grazing her head and scattering her neatly tied hair. Startled, she staggered and fell to the ground.
Seeing that his long sword missed its mark, the thief roared in anger and charged forward again with his sword drawn.
Suddenly, with a sharp "whoosh," a sharp arrow pierced the thief's face, its momentum undiminished, carrying the thief away and embedding him in a tree trunk, the arrow's fletching still trembling.
Lin Wan was still in shock when she heard the sound of galloping hooves approaching from afar. More than a dozen guards dressed in black appeared from the forest and instantly disappeared into the two groups of bandits fighting.
The sounds of weapons clashing, whether sharp or dull, mingled together with shouts of battle, screams, and the neighing of horses, echoing through the mountains and forests.
Amidst the chaos, a black warhorse appeared, carrying a powerful man in a long black robe. He held a bow and arrow; it was none other than Prince Xie Huaiyuan.
The bandit leader roared and spurred his horse to strike Xie Huaiyuan with his sword. In this situation, only a desperate counterattack could save their lives.
Xie Huaiyuan neither dodged nor evaded, but instead raised his longbow, nocked the arrow, and shot it right into the Adam's apple!
Soon, they swept through the enemy lines with unstoppable momentum, and the thieves who were unable to escape were captured or killed by the men in black.
However, at that moment, an unexpected turn of events occurred. Lin Wan heard a sudden gust of wind behind her, and Shi Liu, who had just escaped danger, cried out "Miss!" before being injured and knocked unconscious by the thieves.
She was immediately enveloped by the thick stench of blood behind her. A blood-soaked bandit, carrying a bundle and brandishing a sword, seized her, held the blade to her neck, and roared, "Get out of the way! Or I'll kill her!"
The wind in the mountains and forests instantly stopped, and the guards stopped at the sound, ready to strike.
Lin Wan was so panicked that she almost forgot to breathe. The large knife against her neck was icy cold. She was terrified. How could she be so unlucky?
"Let us go, or I'll kill her!"
Seeing that the blade was about to draw blood, Xie Huaiyuan calmly raised his longbow, his cold eyes fixed on the man, hooked the arrow with his finger, and slowly lowered the chilling bow.
Lin Wan looked at him with teary, captivating eyes, unable to believe it.
"Let's do it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a cold, fierce arrow whistled through the air! At the same time, several black-clad guards rushed out from behind and around him. The thief who was holding Lin Wan hostage couldn't dodge in time and was hit in the shoulder by an arrow. His grip loosened and Lin Wan struggled to escape. The blade almost cut her skin.
She didn't care anymore and ran towards him with all her might.
But it was too late. The thief's accomplice behind him also drew his bow and shot an arrow. Just as he was about to fire the arrow at Xie Huaiyuan, Lin Wan, who was rushing towards Xie Huaiyuan, managed to block it.
"ah!"
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much!
With tears streaming down her face, Lin Wan watched as a crack finally appeared on that handsome, calm face. Unable to bear the pain, she fainted.
-
The rear hall of Xiangshan Temple.
In the brightly lit inn, figures moved about. The blue curtain was pulled back, revealing Lin Wan lying face down on the bed. She had completely lost consciousness, and the horrifying arrow wound on her shoulder was still bleeding.
"Why did you call me over in such a hurry again? Who's injured this time?"
The renowned physician Hua, who was originally at the manor on the outskirts of the capital, rushed over without stopping. As soon as he entered the room, he saw Xie Huaiyuan standing by the bed with a large patch of blood on his chest and exclaimed, "Young Master, are you injured? How did you get so badly hurt?"
"It wasn't me, it was the one inside."
Hua Yisheng leaned over and looked, lifting the torn clothes to see blood seeping from the wound on his shoulder. He frowned and said, "This wound is quite long; it will take a while to heal."
The courtyard outside the guesthouse.
Su Furong looked anxiously at the closed door, fidgeting with her seat, and asked worriedly, "Mother, my cousin should be alright, right?"
Meng opened her mouth, hesitated for a long time but still didn't speak. The long arrow had pierced straight into her back and shoulder, and the bloody scene was horrifying. She should be alright.
When Su Furong saw Xie Huaiyuan come out, she hurriedly stepped forward: "Young Master... how is she?"
Xie Huaiyuan: "Hua Yisheng's medical skills are superb, Miss Lin will be fine."
Green Bamboo, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Your Highness, Lord Shen asked what should be done with those survivors?"
Xie Huaiyuan lowered his eyes, his gaze seemingly frozen with the icy blade of winter, almost coldly saying, "I'll personally interrogate him later."
Nearly an hour after Xie Huaiyuan left, Hua Yisheng finally walked over, looking exhausted, under the moonlight.
Hua Yisheng said, "Miss Lin's wound has been treated, but the wound is too big, so don't move her for now. Let her rest for a few days until the wound heals before she can get up and move around."
Su Furong was about to speak when Meng interrupted her: "Thank you for your help, Doctor Hua. Let Lin Wan rest here for now. Once she's healed, I'll send someone to pick her up."
Meng said that she had to go back home because of some family matters, and she braved the night to go down the mountain to return home.
As the moon rose above the willow branches, the rear hall of Xiangshan Temple became even more tranquil.
Shen Rongshi yawned and leaned against the stone bench in the courtyard: "You've finally finished the interrogation?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the handsome figure emerged from the shadows and stood before the stone table, wiping bloodstains with a handkerchief: "The contents of the package are fake; the real one has been hidden away."
"Oh no! All that work for nothing!"
Shen Rongshi said angrily, "I have to pry those people open their mouths again and make them tell me where the real hiding place is."
"He's dead. No need to ask anymore."
Shen Rongshi's expression was subtle. He withdrew his foot and turned his head to look.
Xie Huaiyuan walked slowly over, his eyes sinister. The large bloodstain on his chest had dried into a dark black color, and a heavy smell of blood could be faintly smelled from it.
Chen Rong asked, "Are you injured?"
Xie Huaiyuan lowered his eyes: "It's not mine."
The large bloodstains under the moonlight were indeed horrifying; they were from when Lin Wan fell into his arms.
The mountain night was cool and still, but the strong smell of blood warmed his heart slightly.
Shen Rongshi said, "Since that's the case, I won't stay up tonight. I haven't been back for a long time, and I need to go back tonight."
The night was quiet, with only the occasional sound of the wind in the mountains and forests.
Xie Huaiyuan gently pushed open the door and walked into the bedside, bathed in candlelight.
Lin Wan lay on her side on the bed, a thin blanket gently covering her back, her pale and bloodless face turned outwards.
The injury on her shoulder hurt so much that even in her dream, Lin Wan let out a soft moan: "It hurts..."
Xie Huaiyuan: "..."
As he turned to leave.
"Don't go."
Her soft, warm fingertips hooked onto his fingers, entwining and gripping them tightly, like a seductive fox spirit tempting a scholar in the night, clinging to him and refusing to let go.
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