Chapter 32 Injury [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Protecting each other with their lives, if this isn't love?
Liu Shiyu and Xu Luchuan followed the stream all the way.
Half an hour later, they found some bamboo baskets filled with pebbles by the stream. Xu Luchuan squatted down and looked at the mess in front of him, saying softly, "It seems that the people who worked here left in a hurry."
Standing behind him, Liu Shiyu couldn't help but ask, "Was it because of the earthquake?"
"Hmm." Xu Luchuan stood up again, casually lifting the carrying pole to test the weight of the bamboo basket. "If there's no road nearby, how can such a heavy thing be transported by manpower?"
Xu Luchuan seemed to be deep in thought, while Liu Shiyu turned around and looked around.
However, due to the earthquake, they were surrounded by piles of rocks formed by landslides. Even if there was a road, it would probably be completely destroyed. But Liu Shiyu was not giving up; she would not overlook any suspicious place.
Suddenly, a sunken pile of stones to the east caught Liu Shiyu's attention. She pointed in that direction and said, "Xiao Lü, look. Isn't that a road?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Luchuan turned around and saw what appeared to be a small path.
Without thinking twice, he hurried over to check.
Standing before the pile of stones and gazing into the distance, Xu Luchuan was surprised to find that Liu Shiyu had indeed been right. Just as he was about to turn and call for someone to come over, Liu Shiyu leaned in and said smugly, "See? I told you so! But... how do we get across?"
Liu Shiyu scratched her head as she looked at the tall pile of stones, but Xu Luchuan, unconcerned, opened his arms and said to her, "Come here."
"???"
Xu Luchuan's strange behavior left Liu Shiyu completely bewildered.
What is he doing? Does he want me to hug him? Little Green, are you being so proactive now? But... in this desolate wilderness, a hug wouldn't be a problem, right?
As Liu Shiyu thought about it, she actually put it into action, reaching out to embrace Xu Luchuan.
Xu Luchuan was stunned into place by her embrace. His fair face flushed crimson instantly. The rising mist above them gradually disappeared into the mountains.
After a long while, Xu Luchuan calmed down and asked, "What are you doing..."
"Huh? Didn't you want me to carry you?" Liu Shiyu innocently peeked out from his arms. Xu Luchuan gripped his sword tightly. "I was just going to help you cross over."
Upon hearing this, Liu Shiyu blinked awkwardly and quickly let go of his embrace.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! I thought..."
But just as she broke free from Xu Luchuan's embrace, a strong hand suddenly grabbed her waist. The person was so close, Liu Shiyu could almost hear a pounding heartbeat. She couldn't tell if the heartbeat was from the person in front of her or her own.
She only heard him say in a deep voice, "Don't apologize anymore."
The words were spoken.
Liu Shiyu didn't have time to think before Xu Luchuan helped her up and down, crossing the pile of stones. Once they were actually on the path, Xu Luchuan let go of her hand and walked forward without looking back.
Liu Shiyu stood there, puzzled by his earlier words, and couldn't help but look back at the high pile of stones...
Little Green, you're amazing!
Meanwhile, Baichuan and Guihai, who were secretly protecting each other from the tree, looked at each other in astonishment.
But when he turned his gaze again, Lian Xing calmly leaped over the other side of the tree branch. His unspoken expression seemed to say: Don't look, he's not as good as me!
Bai Chuan and Gui Hai shook their heads helplessly at Lian Xing without commenting, then lifted their feet and flew away to continue following Liu Shiyu into the distance.
Lian Xing stared resentfully at the departing figures, feeling frustrated and speechless.
...
From the moment Xu Luchuan put Liu Shiyu down, he walked ahead of Liu Shiyu, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings without saying a word.
Liu Shiyu tried calling his name twice during this time, but he did not respond.
The two of them followed the path one after the other, all the way into the depths of Hidden Stone Mountain.
Finally, after stepping over a small tree that had fallen in the middle of the road, Xu Luchuan stopped. Liu Shiyu, who was following closely behind, stopped steadily behind him.
Xu Luchuan intentionally shielded the man behind him, then parted the weeds to look. A sizable mine shaft came into view. However, the appearance of the mine did not relax Xu Luchuan; instead, it made him even more nervous.
Liu Shiyu sensed something was wrong and whispered to Xu Luchuan, "Did you hear anything?"
The noise? Xu Luchuan dared not make a sound, so he remained silent. He simply listened intently to the noise Liu Shiyu had mentioned. But the surroundings were very quiet; all he could hear was the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves, nothing else.
Xu Luchuan shook his head.
Liu Shiyu closed her eyes, carefully searching for the subtle anomaly. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the half-collapsed sloping well.
"It's the sound of people shouting, coming from the other side of the mine."
Having confirmed her suspicions, Liu Shiyu didn't act impulsively; she couldn't yet determine if there was a trap involved. She simply picked up a pebble from the roadside and threw it behind her. Seeing this, Lianxing in the tree reacted quickly, silently landing beside Liu Shiyu.
"Your Highness, what are your orders?" Lian Xing replied softly. Liu Shiyu pointed to the mine shaft. "Take some men and see if there are any people down there."
The sudden appearance of someone behind him startled Xu Luchuan, who exclaimed, "When did you get here?"
Upon hearing this, Lian Xing glared fiercely at Xu Luchuan, seemingly still dissatisfied with what had just happened. Xu Luchuan, however, merely frowned, unaware of her meaning. Seeing this, Liu Shiyu interrupted their argument.
"Go and get it done quickly."
Lian Xing, having received the order, ceased his pursuit of Xu Luchuan, waved to the others in their hiding place, and then departed. Xu Luchuan looked up, seeing only movement in the trees but no people, and asked curiously, "When did you arrange so many people?"
Liu Shiyu glanced at Xu Luchuan but ignored him, as if she was taking revenge for his ignoring her on the way.
Xu Luchuan was puzzled by the reaction of the master and servant, but he didn't say anything more.
Lian Xing reached the edge of the mine, where shouts grew louder and louder, but he was drawn to the commotion behind the thatched hut. His sword was drawn again. He approached with murderous intent, suddenly appearing before the carefully laid ambush of enemies.
Lian Xing ran the white blade across his fingertips, reflecting the bewildered faces of the crowd. He laughed unrestrainedly.
But Lianxing did not make a move.
He was waiting, waiting for the moment when their confusion would completely turn into anger.
Restless and uneasy. But Lian Xing was clearly not their target, yet they had nowhere to escape, so they could only kill him as soon as possible.
In an instant, dozens of people swarmed in, and Lian Xing, wielding her sword, fought against a hundred men single-handedly. Bai Chuan and Gui Hai followed suit, leaping down and joining the melee. The whistling of swords and blades brushed past Liu Shiyu's ears, yet she remained calm and composed, silently counting the passing time in her heart.
Soon after, the opposing side gained a significant advantage.
This chaotic battle, whose inevitable outcome seemed to be over, suddenly saw someone in the crowd light a tinderbox and stand on the shaft, shouting, "This place is full of gunpowder. If I light this fuse, the gunpowder in the bucket at the bottom of the well will connect and kill all the people trapped in the well."
Are you sure you're not going to show up?
The other party's blatant threats and intimidation shook Liu Shiyu, who had been calm and collected. She tried to get up, but Xu Luchuan stopped her, saying, "They're obviously after you. You'll be in danger if you go out now."
Liu Shiyu looked up at Xu Luchuan and resolutely replied, "I will regret hiding here and watching someone die. Wait for me, I will definitely come back safely."
Accompanied by the urging voices from the side of the mine, Xu Luchuan hesitated to let go, but immediately regretted it and gripped it tightly again.
"As long as you don't regret it, I'll stay with you."
As the wind blew and leaves fell, Liu Shiyu's resolve hardened because of Xu Luchuan's presence. They walked side by side toward the mine.
"Who sent you?"
Liu Shiyu stood before the man and questioned him, but he ignored her accusations. Lian Xing finally drew her sword, swiftly pressing it against his shoulder. But the man showed no fear.
After gesturing for Lian Xing to let go, Liu Shiyu said, "I'm here now, what do you want?"
Upon hearing this, the man suddenly burst into laughter, the tinder in his hand flickering in the wind. He glanced at Liu Shiyu and uttered a heavy sentence: "The ground collapsed, the mountains crumbled, everyone was buried in the earth, no one could leave alive. This is the result he wanted..."
Before anyone could react, the man ignited the fuse without hesitation, and could no longer dodge Lian Xing's sword strike. The man's falling figure was like a signal.
The melee resumed, and the remaining fighters all pointed their sword hilts at Liu Shiyu. They wanted to kill her.
But Xu Luchuan and Lian Xing would not give these people any chance.
Under the protection of others, Liu Shiyu ran to the edge of the shaft. Seeing the fuse gradually spreading towards the bottom of the shaft, she turned the windlass to try to pull out the bucket and prevent the tragedy from happening.
Xu Luchuan noticed Liu Shiyu's actions and turned around to help.
The two of them worked together to shake the bucket containing the flying fire out of the well, but the fuse had already reached its limit when the bucket was out of the well. In desperation, Xu Luchuan instinctively pushed Liu Shiyu aside, turned around and cut the hemp rope with his sword, picked up the bucket and threw it aside.
The bucket exploded the moment it was thrown.
Xu Luchuan quickly bent down and tightly shielded Liu Shiyu with his body. The scattered shards pierced his strong back, and the gushing blood gradually soaked his favorite clothes.
The fireball falling from the sky eventually drifted into the thatched hut and began to burn.
Amidst the rising dust, Lian Xing used his sword to finish off the last man.
After the deafening roar, the mountains and forests fell silent, almost completely still. Yet, the endless echoes still surrounded Liu Shiyu. In her eyes, the landscape seemed to hang precariously, and she desperately tried to regain her senses...
"Xu Luchuan, Xu Luchuan"
"Don't scare me, Xu Luchuan. Look at me, look at me."
Liu Shiyu's trembling cries went unanswered. She stretched out her hands, but could only see her palms stained with blood.
Helpless, she hugged Xu Luchuan by the back of the neck, pressing herself tightly against him.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. It's my fault that you've become like this. It's all my fault for insisting you come along. It's all because of me. Why do I bring you misfortune every time I get close to you? Xu Luchuan, I'm so sorry."
The intense pain in his back left Xu Luchuan half-conscious, so he heard every word Liu Shiyu said.
Xu Luchuan nestled against her and smiled, then after a long pause managed to squeeze out a sentence:
"I've already said... don't apologize anymore..."
[Author's Note]
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 20:36:36 on November 29, 2022 and 21:54:48 on December 1, 2022!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Selling Summer Clouds 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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