Search and rescue for Yu Li.
Crane Cry Mountain.
A tiny light source, barely visible.
The fire was hidden by the cave walls on three sides, and the vines hanging from the cave entrance further obscured it. The dense forest outside the cave absorbed some of the light, and finally, the rain came down, completely shrouding the people inside the cave.
In this way, although it is safe and not easily detected by the enemy, it may also lead to the loss of rescue.
Xuan Ge was on high alert, paying close attention to both inside and outside the cave, as tense as if he were next to Xiao Zhi'an.
Outside, it was pouring rain, and inside the cave, the firewood was almost gone. Xuan Ge, shirtless, knelt on the ground, continuing to take care of Yu Li.
Yu Li lay flat in Xuan Ge's clothes, her face ashen and her breath faint. Beside her were scattered porcelain bottles and silver boxes. Her dress was torn to shreds, and her bare limbs were cut into sections by strips of cloth. The flesh was covered with dense, linear wounds from dagger cuts, each cut clearly showing a pair of dark blue holes.
That was the wound from the snake's fangs, and perhaps also the entry point for the venom. Although they immediately bound and cut it open to bleed it, and used all of Xuan Ge's secret medicines, the skin and flesh around the wound were still swollen and hard, with the pores stretched to their maximum size, and the touch was as cold and hard as stone.
Xuan Ge didn't stop for a moment, checking her breath and wiping away her sweat, repeatedly confirming that she was still breathing. At the same time, he started sucking the poisonous blood from the wounds near the main torso, then loosened the strips of cloth slightly to let the bruised flesh regain its color, before continuing to suck the blood from the next wound.
Blood pooled on his left side, reflecting his bluish-black face and his gradually weakening body.
Xuan Ge didn't know how long this emergency treatment lasted. He only knew that he had to hold on and save the little girl in front of him, otherwise he would be letting down Miss Lin, His Highness, and himself.
On his way down the mountain in the morning, Xuan Ge keenly noticed something unusual—there were many Imperial Guards dealing with the remains of White Lotus Sect traitors in the mountains, either burying or burning them. He could see the smoke and dust flying around, but the movement of leaves in one part of the forest was very unnatural.
Since only he had seen it with his own eyes, Xuan Ge immediately volunteered to go and investigate. Unexpectedly, after chasing after her, he found no trace of her, but instead discovered Yu Li's purse.
Xuan Ge had always kept an eye on Yu Li's belongings, so he immediately became alert and followed the trail of grass and branches. Unexpectedly, he found more of Yu Li's hairpins and jewelry.
The bizarre turn of events made Xuan Ge increasingly alarmed as he chased after the blurry figure. He pursued at full speed until he caught sight of Yu Li being pushed into a pit by the thief.
Enraged, Xuan Ge was about to capture the thief when he was startled by the hissing of countless snakes ahead. He was horrified and saw that there were snakes in the pit. Yu Li instantly disappeared into the snake swarm. He no longer cared about the thief, hooked a thick vine from an old tree, drew his sword and jumped into the snake pit, fighting the snakes to snatch the man away.
Fortunately, Xuan Ge arrived quickly. Yu Li had not completely sunk in, and her bones had not been crushed. Grabbing Yu Li's arm, Xuan Ge pulled and wielded his sword, snake blood and snake pieces flying everywhere. Yu Li was covered in blood, but he finally managed to save her.
However, in just a short while, Yu Li had lost consciousness, her body was stiff, she was convulsing violently, and a strange "hoarse" sound was coming from her throat.
Oh no, it's snake venom.
Sweat beaded on Xuan Ge's forehead. Liu Cang's gruesome death clung to his back like a ghost. He was soaked to the bone. Without hesitation, he took out several porcelain bottles from beside the snake pit, pinched Yu Li's chin, and poured the blood into them. After finishing, he threw away the bottles and picked up his dagger. He precisely sliced open each venomous tooth hole with the tip of the blade, and blackish-purple venomous blood gushed out.
The pungent, rotten smell instantly filled his nostrils. Xuan Ge bent down, covered the wound with his mouth, and sucked hard. Then he turned his head and spat out mouthful after mouthful of poisonous blood. Saliva mixed with blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.
He pressed down on Yu Li's left chest, and with each breath he took, he was afraid to hear the sudden stop of her heartbeat.
Only when the blood he sucked out turned bright red did Xuan Ge quickly pull out a flat silver box from his pocket.
In light of Liu Cang's death, Physician Lu specially prepared a box of snake ointment, the color of jade and the smell of pungent odor. Xuan Ge carried it with him and it came in handy now. He used his fingertips to scoop out the ointment and carefully applied it to each wound with the utmost gentleness.
When the ointment touched her skin, Yu Li, even in her unconscious state, shuddered violently in pain and let out a mournful cry like a young animal.
Xuan Ge's arm muscles tensed, but he did not stop until all the wounds were treated. He tore off the relatively clean lining of his inner robe, and roughly bound his limbs temporarily to prevent the poisonous blood from circulating with his blood. Only then did he look around.
After a moment's consideration, he gave up on finding a way out for Yu Li and chose to hide in a nearby cave.
Upon entering the cave, the treatment became even more meticulous. The legs were bound in sections with strips of cloth to prevent them from becoming completely useless. Xuan Ge constantly observed Yu Li's skin color, prepared to amputate her leg at any time due to snake venom.
Life is more important than legs. If Yu Li's legs are cut off, he will take responsibility for the rest of his life.
Xuan Ge made up his mind.
After doing all this, he removed his armor and clothes and gave them to Yu Li. He then found some withered vines and branches at the cave entrance and started a fire to keep her warm.
The corpses were being disposed of in the mountains, thick smoke billowing out, making Xuan Ge's smoke and fire seem insignificant. Then, a sudden gust of wind and bitter rain arrived, and he completely abandoned the idea of taking Yu Li down the mountain.
Yu Li is too weak to risk moving her.
Xuan Ge was exhausted, but he dared not close his eyes. He kept checking his wounds, bleeding them, sucking out the poisonous blood, and applying medicine.
He stared intently at Yu Li's face, afraid that if he made a mistake, she would no longer be able to cry in front of him.
---
After an unknown amount of time, a strange sound suddenly broke through the wind and rain outside the cave.
Xuan Ge instantly became alert, extinguished the fire, completely covered Yu Li with his armor, quietly gripped the hilt of his sharp blade, narrowed his leopard-like eyes, and stabbed at the vines at the cave entrance.
"Look! There's a cave up there!" A low, excited voice pierced through the rain.
"There are signs of trampling here!"
"Yu Li!! Miss Yu Li!!!"
The cacophony of voices and footsteps drew rapidly closer, and the light from the horn lamp tore through the darkness of the cave entrance.
The vines were suddenly ripped apart!
"Fish Beauty!"
Lin Huaiyin saw the figure and rushed in like an arrow. When she got there, she recognized Xuan Ge. Her heart ached as if her bones had been removed. She suddenly went limp and almost collapsed against the cave wall.
"Xuan Ge? How could it be you? How could it be you?"
Lin Huaiyin was soaked to the bone, her hair disheveled, and her pale yellow shirt splattered with mud. But her eyes were frighteningly bright, her gaze sweeping across the cave like lightning. Inside, she only saw Xuan Ge and his armor, but not Yu Li. She collapsed in an instant.
We searched for most of the night. The mountain was so treacherous, the rain so heavy, and there was no trace of the snake pit. The lamp was almost out of oil, and we had completely reached the end of the road...
She's gone. Yu Li will never come back. Yu Li is no more. She killed Yu Li once again...
Lin Huaiyin broke down in tears, with Xie Ao beside her, his eyes blurred with tears.
“Miss Lin,” Xuan Ge gently lifted his armor, “Yu Li is here.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Huaiyin turned her head in disbelief. The imperial guards' horn lanterns were instantly raised high, revealing a Yu Li who was covered in bruises and barely recognizable as a human.
"Fish Beauty!"
Lin Huaiyin gasped and knelt down, her movements so fast she almost fell to the ground. Her whole body trembled, her face and fingers shook, but she dared not touch the horrific wounds on Yu Li's body. In the end, she only lightly brushed her hand across Yu Li's cold cheek.
I touched it, it's a fish skin!
Lin Huaiyin was overjoyed—she could actually see and touch her fish skin again, a perfectly intact fish skin!
When she finally detected that faint but undeniable breath, tears streamed down Lin Huaiyin's face. She grabbed the crab claw, crying, laughing, and shouting all at once.
"She's still alive! Crab Claw and Fish Beauty are still alive! Xuan Ge saved her!"
"That's wonderful, Third Miss!" The Imperial Guards were excited and passed the message among themselves, clearing a path for the snake catchers to come in and help.
The snake catchers were experienced and praised Xuan Ge for his work as soon as they saw the situation. The ten of them gathered together to discuss emergency treatment and assured each other that the person would not die in their hands.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Ge breathed a sigh of relief, and Lin Huaiyin and the others were so happy that their noses tingled with emotion.
Lin Huaiyin took a deep breath, the breath mixed with the stench of poisonous blood, the ecstatic joy of regaining what she had lost, tearing her throat and piercing her chest and lungs.
She forced herself to calm down, suppressing her overwhelming emotions, and turned her gaze to Xuan Ge.
Xuan Ge still had bloodstains on the corners of his mouth, and his face and body were extremely exhausted, but his eyes were burning brightly as he kept staring at Yu Li.
"Xuan Ge." Lin Huaiyin called to him, her voice hoarse, "You are my benefactor, our Lin family owes you a favor."
“Miss Lin, you flatter me. I just happened to be there, so it was my duty.” Xuan Ge’s voice was low and hoarse from exhaustion and the sucking motion he had just performed.
"But Miss Yu Li was pushed into the snake pit out of a sense of responsibility, and this matter still needs to be investigated further," he added, still concerned.
"Don't worry, we've caught the thief. You've had a hard day, take a rest first, and leave the rest to us."
Talking takes a toll on one's energy, so Lin Huaiyin stopped talking and instead asked the snake catcher to come and check on Xuan Ge's condition.
The snake catcher came over, took a look, slapped his forehead, and cursed himself for forgetting this young man who sucked venomous blood. He immediately pinned him down and dealt with him.
Lin Huaiyin stood up, her legs trembling. She was still afraid, but now she had a reason to be strong.
She scanned the cave, glancing at Yu Li and then at Xuan Ge. He was leaning against the stone wall, seemingly exhausted even of breathing. In the firelight, he kept staring at Yu Li, though she was surrounded by people and couldn't see him at all.
Lin Huaiyin noticed Xuan Ge's attitude.
Lin Huaiyin didn't miss the tenderness hidden deep within his cold, hard features. She recalled how Yu Li never hesitated to mention Xuan Ge, showing no restraint towards outsiders, and even prepared a large bowl for him to drink tea... It seemed she had become quite accustomed to Xuan Ge coming to her for tea.
When Yu Li wakes up, Lin Huaiyin will ask her what she thinks.
Of course, there is a major premise: how Xiao Zhian will deal with Princess Pingyang.
Princess Pingyang must die.
Only when she dies will Xiao Zhian be safe, Xuan Ge be safe, and everyone else be safe.
Yu Li could no longer endure any more disturbances. Lin Huaiyin made up her mind not to take Yu Li back to the Shen family. Yu Li and Xie Ao would return to the Lin family together and live their peaceful lives, and not allow any of the storms outside to affect them.
The wind and rain swirled outside the cave. The Imperial Guards relayed messages, some returning to their camps to settle down, while others stayed behind to guard the area.
Blow out some of the horn lamps, and keep them for later use.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the snake catcher to provide treatment.
The rain subsided slightly the next morning.
Yu Li did not wake up, so they used clothes and tree branches to make a makeshift stretcher and carried her slowly down the mountain.
Following the muddy mountain path, Lin Huaiyin led the group down the mountain to the inn.
Xuan Ge followed at the back of the group. He hadn't slept all night and felt hot and weak. Gazing at Yu Li and the post station at the front, he felt vaguely uneasy. Before the White Lotus rebels attacked the mountain, the prince consort Yuan Jie'e confessed that Princess Pingyang had an affair with Shen Congyun. Shen Congyun had long been colluding with the White Lotus. At the same time, Miss Lin was dealing with the White Lotus and Shen Congyun.
A massive conspiracy began to take shape in Xuan Ge's mind.
Standing opposite the conspiracy was Princess Pingyang. No one understood better than Xuan Ge how much Princess Pingyang meant to Xiao Zhi'an—more than anything else, more important than life itself.
Xuan Ge was very worried about Xiao Zhi'an. He recalled the year Princess Pingyang disappeared, Xiao Zhi'an's gloomy expression, his face pale and lifeless as he starved himself to death.
The main force slowly descended the mountain.
Back at the inn, Lin Huaiyin quickly entrusted Yu Li to Lin Cuiyue and went straight to find Xiao Zhian.
Princess Pingyang stood languidly by the window, her black hair cascading down her slender waist and landing on her ankles, gently brushing against them and tickling her slightly.
All her people had been taken away by Xiao Zhian, so she had to do her own hair and makeup. She thoroughly enjoyed this peaceful and quiet time.
Lin Huaiyin hurriedly stepped into the courtyard gate directly opposite Xiao Zhi'an through the window. Princess Pingyang smiled sweetly, her eyes sparkling, knowing that Lin Huaiyin would definitely run out crying and furious.
Princess Pingyang knew Xiao Zhi'an too well; at this juncture, anyone who went to him would be doomed.
If she confronted Xiao Zhian first, Xiao Zhian and Lin Huaiyin were a loving couple, deeply in love, and naturally wouldn't tolerate anyone slandering them. If she said anything bad about Lin Huaiyin, Xiao Zhian would think she was ungrateful and asking for trouble.
Therefore, Princess Pingyang would never go.
She was waiting for Lin Huaiyin to arrive.
As the night passed, the anger subsided. The brother and sister were inseparable, like blood relatives, and if Lin Huaiyin were to force Xiao Zhian to harm her now, what would Xiao Zhian think?
It would probably be something like, "Why are you forcing me? Pingyang is my own sister. She has sacrificed so much for me. Can't you think about me for once? I've been so good to you, why do you have to force me?"
"hehe."
Princess Pingyang slowly combed her hair, waiting for Lin Huaiyin to scramble out in a panic.
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