Chapter 58: Traces Exposed, Escape from Life and Death
The smoke in the study hadn't yet cleared when the guards' cries of killing surged in like a tide. Xie Heng shoved Yun Zhi behind the bookshelf and held his sword in front of him. The dagger sliced through the air, accurately striking the throat of the first guard who rushed in. Blood instantly splattered on his moon-white robe, a shocking sight.
"Hurry! Jump out of the window!" Xie Heng roared, forcing the two guards back with another sword strike. However, the long sword accidentally cut his back, causing a searing pain. He knew he couldn't stay here for long. The smoke could only temporarily hinder the guards. By the time they reacted, they would be unable to escape.
Yun Zhi clutched the secret letter and Shen Qingyue's diary tightly in her arms. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Xie Heng, covered in wounds. She didn't dare to stop. She climbed onto the windowsill and glanced back—Xie Heng was surrounded by four guards, his dagger swinging slower and slower, clearly exhausted.
"Thank you, Brother! I'll wait for you!" Yun Zhi gritted her teeth and jumped out of the window. Her knees slammed hard against the stone slabs as she landed, causing her vision to go black in pain. However, she struggled to her feet and ran desperately along the wall of the embassy's backyard.
As soon as he turned the corner, he heard Batu's furious roar from behind him: "Chase them! Even if it means turning the capital upside down, we must capture them! Whoever can get evidence will be rewarded with 100 taels of gold!"
The clatter of footsteps, horse hooves, and arrows piercing the air intertwined like a death-beating drumbeat, hammering at Yun Zhi's heart. She didn't dare look back, only running forward. The evidence in her arms felt heavy against her chest, but she clutched it tightly, not daring to let go even a little—this was her father's injustice, her only hope for revenge.
"Swoosh—" An arrow flew past her ear and lodged itself in the tree trunk in front of her, its feathers still trembling. Yun Zhi's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly ducked behind a large tree, holding her breath.
The footsteps of the pursuers were getting closer, and she could hear the guards talking: "I just saw her running this way, why is she gone?" "She must be hiding, search carefully!"
At this moment, a dark shadow suddenly rushed out from behind the tree, covered Yun Zhi's mouth, and pulled her into the bushes nearby. Yun Zhi was about to struggle when she heard a familiar voice: "It's me, don't make a sound!"
It's Ali, Liu Zhong's old subordinate! Why is he here?
"Uncle Liu was worried something might happen to you, so he asked me to meet you outside the embassy in advance," Ali said, lowering his voice and pointing to a small alley not far away. "Follow me quickly, Uncle Liu is waiting for you at the entrance!"
Yun Zhi nodded and followed Ali, crouching down as they ran towards the alley. As soon as they reached the alley entrance, they saw Liu Zhong leading two horses, looking around anxiously. "Hurry up and get on the horses!" Liu Zhong helped Yun Zhi onto the horses. Just as he was about to turn around to pick up Xie Heng, he saw Xie Heng stumbling towards them, followed by a group of guards.
"Thank you, Doctor!" Yun Zhi shouted and wanted to jump off the horse to help him.
Xie Heng waved his hand and said in a hoarse voice: "Don't worry about me, hurry...go away!" As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Batu riding a horse, holding a bow and arrow, aiming at Yun Zhi's back!
"Be careful!" Xie Heng's pupils suddenly shrank, and he rushed over desperately and pushed Yun Zhi off the horse.
"Swoosh——" the arrow broke through the air and shot accurately into Xie Heng's back!
"Thank you, brother!" Yun Zhi cried miserably, got up and wanted to rush over, but was held down by Liu Zhong.
Xie Heng stumbled to the ground, blood gushing from his wounds, staining the bluestone beneath him red. He looked at Yun Zhi, a weak smile playing on his lips. "Take the evidence... and live... to avenge the Yun family..."
"Catch him alive! Don't damage the evidence!" Batu rushed over on horseback with a ferocious look in his eyes.
Liu Zhong gritted his teeth and said to Ali, "You take Doctor Xie and go first, I will protect Miss Yun!" After that, he drew out his long sword, stood in front of Yun Zhi, and slashed at the guards who rushed up.
Ali carried Xie Heng on his back and ran deep into the alley. Yun Zhi watched Xie Heng being taken away and watched Liu Zhong fighting with the guards. Her heart ached like a knife. But she knew she couldn't stay and let Xie Heng's sacrifice go to waste.
"Uncle Liu, let's go!" Yun Zhi picked up the dagger on the ground and stabbed at the guards who rushed over. She had never learned martial arts before, so her movements were clumsy, but she was extremely determined - she wanted to survive, to bring evidence with her, and to seek justice for Xie Heng, for her father, and for all those hurt by Prime Minister Shen!
Liu Zhong knocked down a guard and pulled Yun Zhi onto the horse's back: "Gee!" The horse neighed and galloped towards the dilapidated temple on the outskirts of Beijing.
The shouts and cries of killing gradually faded behind her, but Yun Zhi didn't dare look back. She lay on the horse's back, listening to the wind whistling in her ears, feeling the weight of the evidence in her arms, and tears silently flowed down her face.
Is Xie Heng's wound still bleeding? Will he be okay? Can Liu Zhong and Ali successfully bring him to the ruined temple? Countless questions swirled in her mind, but she could only hold the evidence tightly in her arms and pray that Xie Heng would be safe.
After an unknown amount of time, the horses finally stopped in front of the ruined temple. Liu Zhong dismounted and was about to help Yun Zhi down when he saw Ali stumbling towards him, carrying Xie Heng on his back. His voice was filled with tears, "Uncle Liu, Doctor Xie...he's dying!"
Yun Zhi quickly jumped off her horse and rushed over to support Xie Heng. Her hand touched the wound on his back, which was covered in blood. "Brother Xie, hold on. I'll find a medical book right now. I will definitely save you!" Her voice choked with sobs as she supported Xie Heng and walked towards the dilapidated temple.
In the dilapidated temple, Liu Zhong lit a torch. In the flames, Xie Heng's face was as pale as paper, and his breathing was weak. Yun Zhi trembled as she opened Xie Heng's medicine box. Inside were only a few bottles of hemostatic medicine and some silver needles. She picked up the silver needles and tried to stop the bleeding according to the method Xie Heng had taught her, but the wound was too deep and the blood continued to flow.
"Miss Yun, don't waste your energy," Ali said, wiping his tears. "Doctor Xie's wound has hit his lungs. I'm afraid... I'm afraid he won't be able to hold on for much longer."
Yun Zhi shook her head, tears falling on Xie Heng's face: "No, Brother Xie will be fine! He hasn't seen Prime Minister Shen brought to justice, and hasn't seen the Yun family's injustice redressed, how could he be in trouble!"
Xie Heng slowly opened his eyes and looked at Yun Zhi. Using his last bit of strength, he grabbed her hand and said, "Don't... cry... The evidence... must be... handed over to the Emperor... Shen Qingyue... she's still alive... be careful..."
Before he finished speaking, Xie Heng's hands dropped and his eyes closed forever.
"Brother Xie!" Yun Zhi cried miserably, holding Xie Heng's body, her body shaking constantly.
Liu Zhong and Ali stood by, their eyes red, not knowing how to comfort her. In the dilapidated temple, only Yun Zhi's sobs and the howling wind outside the window intertwined into a tragic elegy.
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from outside the dilapidated temple, and there was also a voice saying: "The Prime Minister has ordered to search all the dilapidated temples in the suburbs of Beijing. Yun Zhi and the evidence must be found!"
It was Prime Minister Shen’s men who were chasing us!
Liu Zhong immediately blew out the torch and said to Yun Zhi, "Miss Yun, we can't stay here anymore! There's a cave in the back mountain. Let's go hide there first!"
Yun Zhi held Xie Heng's body, her eyes empty, but she nodded. She carefully placed Xie Heng's body behind the altar in the dilapidated temple, covered it with a cloth, then picked up the evidence in her arms and followed Liu Zhong and Ali to the cave in the back mountain.
She glanced back at the ruined temple and swore inwardly: "Brother Xie, don't worry, I will bring evidence and make Prime Minister Shen and Shen Qingyue pay with blood! I will definitely clear the Yun family's name and comfort your soul in heaven!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
