Chapter 52 The Chase [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Your Highness, please allow us to stand with you.
"The Shiguang Palace is sealed off? Who gave the Marquis this right?"
After Wei Jingshan turned around, Lian Yue rushed forward to question him. Wei Jingshan looked at her coldly and said with undisguised disdain, "I don't need anyone to grant me power. Jinling is now in my hands. If you're not afraid of death, you can break in."
"But don't blame me for not warning you. If you die, Liu Shiyu won't get away with it either."
Wei Jingshan's words left Lian Yue feeling regretful. She remained silent.
After speaking, Wei Jingshan walked proudly past Lian Yue, stepping down the long steps a hundred paces in front of Shiguang Hall and disappearing into the distance.
Lian Yue turned around and looked at the Shiguang Hall that had been sealed off by the guards, wishing he could immediately slaughter everyone in his path.
But the sword she held in her palm remained unsheathed; she was torn. She didn't know what to do... Should she stay by Liu Shiyu's side? Or should she fulfill the request she had made...?
She thought she would regret it no matter what.
The moonlight was cold, and the wind was chilly.
Lian Yue stood guard outside Shiguang Hall until the hour of Chou (1-3 AM). A female official in charge of the night duty passed by and called out, "Lian Yue."
Lian Yue turned around, and the female official, seeing her absent-minded appearance, comforted her: "Today's events happened so suddenly, and although I haven't figured out the situation yet, don't be discouraged. I believe that His Highness is blessed with good fortune and will not be trapped here so easily."
"Don't wait any longer. If there's nothing else, you should go back to your residence and rest. When you come to see His Highness tomorrow, please bring him some clean clothes."
"Go ahead, drive carefully." The female official said, gently patting Lian Yue. Lian Yue stood up and replied, "Okay."
Looking back, she was gone.
She turned and walked along the narrow palace path. For so many years, this was the first time she had returned home so alone. She saw the stone lanterns lining the path, almost burnt out, but no eunuch came to relieve them.
Lian Yue lowered her eyes.
Everything tonight is so unusual. So unusual that it's bewildering.
Suddenly, the lights went out and the wind rose. Lian Yue keenly sensed the eeriness lurking in the air. She saw shadowy figures moving about on the gray palace walls. But demons and monsters were nothing to fear; nothing was more poisonous than the human heart.
Lian Yue resolutely drew the sword from his waist.
"Come out!" she shouted, gripping her sword hilt tightly. "Whoever wants to kill me, I'll fight them to the bitter end!"
Her words fell into the bleak wind.
In an instant, someone leaped across the green tiles. When she looked up again, seven or eight dark figures landed in front of her.
There was no confrontation, no shouting.
After the leader nodded decisively, these "ghosts" moving through the night swarmed forward, attempting to devour Lian Yue. Unfortunately, they overestimated themselves; they did not have the ability to swallow Lian Yue whole.
However, it seemed that Youhu had already seen through Lianyue's unusual behavior, and the experts he sent this time were all outstanding masters.
But the Bodhi Sect's swords, aside from that catastrophe, have never lost.
The bright moon hung in the sky, and the clouds drifted by. Lian Yue stared in disbelief, deftly accepting the first sword strike they had delivered. She retreated, the blade reflecting her unusually excited face.
"How despicable, outnumbered against overwhelming odds. Even if you win, it will be an unfair victory." Lian Yue stared into the dark eyes of the person in front of her, which were visible in the darkness, and suddenly burst into wild laughter.
The man seemed to be provoked by her and was about to sheathe his sword and retaliate.
Lian Yue saw through his weakness and sent him to his death with her sword.
But from that point on, swords kept coming, and the fierce battle between them escalated month after month.
Unbeknownst to her, a thick stench of blood filled the air, and Lian Yue's nerves tightened. The massacre of the Lian family and the catastrophe of the Bodhi Sect... began to play out alternately in her mind.
She became absent-minded and careless without realizing it.
Only when the blade pierced her body did the pain pull her back to the present. With a swift movement, Lian Yue, supporting herself on her sword, knelt on the ground. She had never imagined she would leave in such a wretched manner. She regretted not being able to do more for Liu Shiyu...
So, with that unwillingness still lingering, she picked up her sword again.
At the same time, a slender figure rushed towards her, and after landing, he held Lian Yue firmly behind him.
Everyone stared in surprise at the fierce-looking young man before them.
"Sister, I'll go." Lian Xing drew her sword and was about to rush forward when Lian Yue grabbed her and whispered, "Don't get entangled with them. Wei Jingshan has betrayed us. Your Highness, you may be in danger. Shake them off and go to Shiguang Hall quickly."
Even if it meant sacrificing himself, Lian Yue was determined to save Liu Shiyu. But Lian Xing couldn't bear to leave his elder sister behind.
He put his arm around Lian Yue's waist and said with a firm look in his eyes, "We'll go together to save His Highness."
As they spoke, Lian Xing rose and fell, quickly disappearing from everyone's sight with Lian Yue. They knew no one better than Lian Xing, and they could never catch him. It seemed that, apart from Xu Luchuan, no one else in the world could compare to him.
But those people still gave chase, only for a short while before they were lost in the magnificent Wanshe Palace.
Having temporarily shaken off their pursuers, Lian Xing and Lian Yue rushed towards Shiguang Palace without stopping for a moment.
...
Inside the Shiguang Hall, Liu Shiyu awoke from a state of utter chaos.
She turned her head to look at the dimly lit hall, feeling completely numb. Everything that had happened yesterday seemed unreal.
Liu Shiyu pulled hard on the curtains and sat up, the deathly silence around her making her uneasy. She dared not make a move.
She needs to slow down a bit more.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the back hall. Liu Shiyu focused her gaze and saw two familiar figures appear before her. These were two figures that made her feel at ease. But then Lian Yue, covered in wounds, stood before her.
Liu Shiyu choked back tears and covered her mouth, trying to stifle a sob.
Seeing that Liu Shiyu had woken up and was unharmed, Lian Yue finally felt relieved. She covered the wound on her waist with her sleeve and smiled as she slowly approached her. But she couldn't take more than three steps before collapsing to the ground in the hall.
Lian Xing caught her from behind, and Liu Shiyu also tumbled barefoot off the couch and ran towards her.
Holding Lian Yue in Lian Xing's arms again, Liu Shiyu was overwhelmed with grief: "Who? Who hurt you like this? Didn't I tell you to protect him for me? Why are you still here?"
"Why...don't you obey my orders...?"
Lian Yue laughed upon hearing this.
“Your Highness, I understand your words are not a reproach. I also understand that your request for me to protect Master Xu isn't entirely what you say. You actually... want us all to stay out of it, leaving yourself to bear everything alone, right…?”
Lian Yue gently grasped Liu Shiyu's arm as she spoke. Her breath was weak, but her voice was strong and clear.
"Unfortunately, you are wrong."
"No one can let you go, not even Mr. Xu. You are our salvation, and since you are our salvation, how can we give you up so easily? Even if we die on this journey, it is better than living in endless regret."
"Therefore, we humbly beg you to allow us...to stand with you..."
After talking for months.
Lian Xing knelt before Liu Shiyu, picked up the longsword, and replied, "Your Highness, together."
In that instant, Liu Shiyu suddenly realized the truth. She suddenly understood the meaning of her existence, and she also realized that she had not been walking alone all these years.
She held Lian Yue tightly, her resolve unwavering.
"Okay, let's do it together."
The words had barely left his lips when suddenly, a flash of light appeared outside the door. The sound of a sword sheath clashing against iron armor shattered the deep silence of the night.
Liu Shiyu peeked through the crack in the door and saw Wei Jingshan leading the Northern Army slowly ascending the steps, shouting, "Assassination attempt in the palace! Kill anyone seen! Search thoroughly!"
Liu Shiyu immediately turned to look at Lian Xing; this time, she had finally changed her mind.
"Lian Xing, you must leave quickly. Leave Wanshe Palace and whatever you do, do not return to the Princess's residence. Go find Xu Luchuan; he is the only person we can trust now."
"Your Highness, Sister, let's go together." Lian Xing wanted to rescue both her and Lian Yue, but Liu Shiyu shook her head. "No, if I leave, it will only cause greater chaos and implicate more people. I must stay. Besides, Lian Yue needs medical treatment now, and I have a way. Just do as I say, and hurry."
Wei Jingshan was closing in, and they didn't have much time left.
Suddenly, the door of Shiguang Hall was kicked open with a bang. Wei Jingshan stood proudly in front of the hall, gripping the hilt of his sword. He squinted and looked at the torches held high by the Northern Army behind him. Liu Shiyu was sitting alone on the floor, holding Lian Yue, who was covered in blood.
The surroundings were silent. Liu Shiyu lowered her eyes and gritted her teeth. She swallowed her anger towards the person in front of her.
Looking up again, Liu Shiyu feigned helplessness and cried out, "An assassin attacked Shiguang Palace! He has been seriously injured while saving me for months! Someone... summon the physician immediately!"
The guards who followed Wei Jingshan seemed to have no doubt about his intentions, and one of them even tried to set off to find the physician. However, without Wei Jingshan's approval, the man hesitated.
"I have said that anyone who trespasses on the Shiguang Palace will be executed without mercy. So, where did she come from?"
Wei Jingshan rubbed the hilt of his sword, attempting to confront Liu Shiyu. Liu Shiyu, however, lowered his head and murmured in the darkness, "Wei Jingshan, if you want to marry a cold corpse, then do as you please. I don't ask you for anything."
Her words angered Wei Jingshan, who strode across the palace gate and confronted her, demanding, "Are you threatening me?"
Liu Shiyu refused to look up again. She guessed that the person chasing Lian Yue was Wei Jingshan. Just seeing his face made her feel nauseous. She simply gazed silently at the unconscious Lian Yue in her arms.
"So this is what it feels like to be threatened? Then... Lord Marquis, do you like it? In that case, let's watch Lian Yue breathe her last together, and watch me leave together."
As Liu Shiyu spoke, she picked up the dagger Lian Xing had left behind and pressed it against the side of her neck. Just as she pressed the dagger down hard, Wei Jingshan immediately raised his hand and said, "Go and summon... the physician."
Wei Jingshan compromised.
Therefore, Liu Shiyu's life is the only thing that can hold him in his grasp.
He really is fragile and "vulnerable".
Even so, Liu Shiyu found it increasingly difficult to escape this life-or-death predicament. But... every predicament eventually has a solution. However... where is the one who can break this deadlock?
[Author's Note]
Xu Luchuan: It's okay, I'll take care of it. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 20230106 16:50:49 and 20230107 19:28:14!
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: He Xie (14 bottles); ZY (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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