Chapter 107 Devastating News Arrives, He Spits Blood
They rode swiftly, and soon news spread that bandits had caused trouble in Yanzhou, and the Marquis of Yan had gone out of the city to quell the unrest.
An hour later, Pei Yanzhi dismounted, followed closely by Wu Yang, Lu Changming, and Lian'er.
He looked around at the mountains. He had never set foot in this place before. This was his first time back. The landscape was desolate. As he walked deeper into the dense forest, he could even feel a strong chill creeping up on him.
It's so cold, and it rained last night. How uncomfortable she must be with her frail body!
The hand wearing the thumb ring pressed tightly against her heart, as if only in this way could she stop the panic and pain.
He looked at the towering pavilions in the distance, his gaze darkening: "What's on the other side of the mountain?"
Wu Yang had been circling around this area all day, having thoroughly inquired about the surrounding area. He replied in a low voice, "My lord, the Wei family's territory lies beyond the mountain!"
"The Wei family?"
Pei Yanzhi was unwilling to let any clue slip by, and immediately ordered, "Investigate, don't overlook a single detail!"
Wu Yang felt increasingly uneasy. His lord had already gone to such lengths; if he had seen something he shouldn't have, or if he had gained nothing at all, he dared not even think about it.
When Lian'er learned of this news, she couldn't hold on any longer and fainted. When she woke up, she was already in the carriage.
It was said that the Marquis of Yan needed her to identify the woman, as only she knew exactly what the woman was wearing that day.
Pei Yanzhi said to Wu Yang behind him, "Tell me in detail what you discovered."
Wu Yang led the way and explained the whole story in detail. At first, they had searched all night and were about to give up and return to the military camp when...
I met an old man who had been gathering firewood on the mountain for years. He said that some wild beast had been causing trouble at the foot of the mountain, leaving behind large patches of blood, and even the horse was left with only its head and hooves.
This made Wu Yang's heart tighten. It was too much of a coincidence. The missing carriage and horses all pointed to Lady Ji.
As they searched down the hillside, they also prayed that someone like Madam Ji would never meet such an end.
When the soldiers found it, Wu Yang immediately recognized the carriage. The curtains inside were made of fabric from the Marquis's residence, which he was very familiar with.
It's not something that ordinary people can afford.
Upon hearing this, Lian'er trembled all over, tears streaming down her face. She tightly covered her lips to stop herself from crying out loud.
She simply couldn't imagine how someone as resilient as the young woman and Chunzhi could have died in this place. The pain, the disbelief, the intense emotions crashing against her chest.
If she had been there that day, would things have turned out differently? Overwhelmed by intense self-blame, she almost drowned out the thought.
Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi's expression darkened, and he said in a low, hoarse voice, "Nothing was left behind?"
Wu Yang nodded. The moment he found it, he had already collected everything that could be put into a coffin. However, it had rained last night, so it was inconvenient to transport it directly up from below.
"It just rained last night, and many traces have been washed away."
As the group approached the cave, Wu Yang bowed and said, "My lord, it's inside."
Pei Yanzhi stood quietly to one side. The place was dilapidated, and there were even the remains of wild animals outside the cave entrance, suggesting that this place used to be a den for wild animals.
He looked away. Wu Yang had already lit a torch and handed it to him. He took it and went inside alone.
The woods were dark and gloomy, and all was silent except for Lian'er's low sobs.
There were still guards in the cave. Upon hearing footsteps, they immediately stood up and became alert. When they saw that the person who came was Lord Junhou, they were surprised.
Kneel down and pay your respects immediately.
Pei Yanzhi simply raised his hand and said, "You may all leave!"
"yes."
Several torches illuminated the cave entrance as brightly as day. Pei Yanzhi's gaze swept across the ground, and his heart suddenly tightened.
All that could be seen were pieces of wood, remnants of reins, and half a man's severed arm; there were no women's belongings.
Pei Yanzhi breathed a slight sigh of relief, but before he could catch his breath, he noticed a faint blue cloth on his right side that was soaked in blood and so dirty that its original color was no longer discernible.
For a moment, he felt dizzy and lightheaded, and his tall and upright body swayed.
Wu Yang, watching from behind, was terrified and rushed over to help him, asking anxiously, "My lord, are you alright?"
Pei Yanzhi raised his hand to stop him, and everyone behind him lowered their breathing. He said in a low voice, "Go and bring her in!"
Wu Yang understood, turned around and handed the torch to the others, then left the cave.
Before long, Lian'er staggered in, and everyone held their breath in anticipation.
She approached step by step and saw the half-broken arm lying on it, along with the torn fabric. Her face turned deathly pale.
When Pei Yanzhi caught a glimpse of her expression out of the corner of his eye, he could no longer maintain his composure and asked in a very soft voice, "—Is it her?"
Lian'er knelt down on the ground with a "thump," ignoring the rubble and filth scattered everywhere.
Sobbing uncontrollably, she cried, "My lord... that day the young lady went out wearing this dress, which I personally chose."
"How could this happen? How could this happen..."
Pei Yanzhi stared silently at that spot for a long time before finally taking a few steps toward the piece of fabric.
He bent down to pick it up, but after squatting down, all the people could see was that half-squatting figure that never stood up.
Without moving, his head, which used to be adorned with a silver-inlaid jade crown and held an arrogant and haughty air, slowly lowered.
Looking at the last remaining fabric, images of her falling off the cliff in a panic uncontrollably surfaced in his mind. Perhaps she was only injured when she fell, but in this desolate wilderness, even if the two of them wanted to ask for help, there would be no way.
All I could do was endure the long wait, hunger, and cold, and then it even started raining. And what was I doing at that moment?
Oh, he's still in Yongning Lane.
He was still questioning her whereabouts, wondering if she wouldn't have suffered like this if he had known sooner.
He raised his eyes, carefully surveyed the ground once more, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Is this all you found?"
Wu Yang stepped forward with a look of shame on his face. Pei Yanzhi looked at his bowed head and knew exactly what was going on in his mind.
What followed was a strong, dull pain in my heart, as if something was constantly pulling at that nerve. At first, it was just a slight stinging pain, but after two days, it had turned into waves of excruciating pain.
"Impossible, I don't believe it..." he muttered to himself, his hand clenching the point tightly, his eyes, which were unreadable, were so empty that they seemed to have no light at all.
Lu Changming stepped forward with concern, and heard him roar sternly, "You must not have searched carefully enough! Why don't you go outside and search? Keep searching for me!"
"Even if we have to turn this mountain upside down, we'll turn it upside down." Lu Changming's eyes blazed with fury as he watched his lord stand up.
Just as he was about to say something, a metallic sweetness suddenly welled up in his throat and he couldn't help but spit it out.
Pei Yanzhi braced himself against the wall, his body sliding down the cave wall. Before losing consciousness, he vaguely heard Lu Changming shout, "My lord—"
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