Chapter Forty-Three: Liquidation (Part Three)
At the most critical moment, Mu Lian unleashed boundless potential. Her body bent backward at a strange angle that exceeded human limits, and the resulting gust of wind caused the dark arrowhead to fly at a slightly off-center angle, grazing Mu Lian's bent chest and abdomen before embedding itself in the cave wall with a "ding." In the glow of the blazing fire, the tail feathers flowed with an eerie green light.
"So poisonous!" Ah Zhe shuddered with lingering fear. Never before had he felt such utter terror and panic. Since joining the Judicial Office, he had never worried about his own safety, but just now, as he watched helplessly as the person he had held dear from the first moment faced peril, and he failed to protect him in time, he felt as if his liver and gallbladder were shattering, his soul leaving his body. It felt as if a thousand-pound stone had crushed his heart, the pain making it hard to breathe. Thankfully, he was unharmed. Even now, Ah Zhe's hands trembled uncontrollably, and his wildly beating heart pounded as if it would burst from his chest.
It wasn't poison, it was a curse. She rolled over and sat up, her palms slightly sweaty, her heart heavy. She hadn't expected this old scoundrel Liu Zhang to be so difficult to deal with. Not only had he secretly established an armory, but he had also colluded with the southern barbarian tribes. If this scourge wasn't eliminated, the nation might be doomed. But before Mu Lian could think any further, a dense barrage of dark arrows, accompanied by the incessant screams of burning figures, hurtled straight towards her, seemingly intent on injuring her.
"My lord, run!" Upon hearing this, A-Zhe leaped out of the firebreak and stood in front of Mu Lian with his sword. The raging flames instantly scorched A-Zhe's body, and his originally dark hair and clothes were now wreathed in flames.
“Ah Zhe…”
Mu Lian's eyes widened in shock, but her actions were swift and decisive. Taking advantage of the opportunity, she leaped backward, dodging the barrage of arrows. Once the arrows had exhausted their momentum, she lowered her body and darted forward, using the tip of her longsword to pierce through the swarming firemen. The firemen staggered and fell towards the inner circle. The opportunity was fleeting. Stepping over the screaming bodies of the fallen firemen, A Zhe swiftly dodged, then leaped and rolled, managing to escape danger temporarily. Seeing the figure he longed for approaching, A Zhe struggled to his feet, but ultimately, exhausted, he could only kneel on the ground, leaning on his sword, panting.
A rough, dark hand gripped A Zhe's arm tightly and pulled him up. It was Mu Lian. Although he was still dressed as a dark-skinned, rough man, A Zhe could still feel the delicate softness inside through the black and yellow human skin gloves.
"Let's go together..." Mu Lian gestured, and the group retreated while fighting. Behind them, there were the crackling sounds of fireballs exploding, along with the screams and wails of the mindless fire people. After another round of fierce close combat, the group helped each other get closer to the exit.
Suddenly, a tremendous roar exploded in everyone's ears, sparks flew out along with pieces of corpses and blood, splattering everywhere. Looking up, they saw the mountain collapsing and the earth splitting behind them, smoke and dust rising, and billowing red lava flowing and surging along the cracks in the rocks.
"Be careful, hurry up..." someone shouted urgently. In an instant, the original mine was completely transformed into ruins. There was despair at being unable to evacuate and buried in the ruins, and there was also the unwavering willingness to give up the chance of survival to others.
They ran frantically until they were far away from the scorching lava before finally stopping, staggering. Looking around, they saw that twelve or thirteen of the rescued girls remained, and fourteen or fifteen villagers had been abducted to do hard labor. However, the entire magistrate's team was missing, including Ah Zhe… Mu Lian's heart sank to the bottom. Although they had indeed destroyed Liu Zhang's armory, their own side had suffered heavy losses, making it seem like a lose-lose situation.
"My lord, it seems there are still people..." Just as she was feeling distressed, Meng Yuan exclaimed in surprise.
Waving for everyone to take cover, Mu Lian and Meng Yuan immediately flew off to investigate. Not far away, the group of Imperial Censors who had been covering the retreat were now helping each other along, staggering towards them. Behind them, another person was being carried on a makeshift stretcher – it was A-Zhe. It turned out that when the mine exploded, A-Zhe and the others, unable to evacuate in time, had thrown their climbing chains to the upper exit. They then gripped the chains and leaped up one by one. These chains and eagle claws were specially made by the Imperial Censorate, exceptionally sharp and tough, providing an extremely secure grip. With this powerful tool, everyone leaped out of the smoke and dust as the mine exploded. Ultimately, except for one soldier who lost his footing and fell, and another who was hit by a black arrow, everyone else landed safely. However, A-Zhe, already injured from saving Mu Lian and the last to evacuate, was struck by a large boulder rolling from the cave ceiling, and now his leg injury was severe, rendering him unable to walk.
"My lord, I have not failed you..." At this moment, Ah Zhe, lying on the stretcher, was extremely weak, but his eyes lit up the instant he saw Mu Lian. If he hadn't been fighting for his last breath to see the person he wanted to see, he might not have made it through.
"You've worked hard," Mu Lian patted A Zhe's shoulder, looking at his pale face from excessive blood loss, and gently instructed, "Take good care of yourself."
"Yes, thank you, sir..." A-Zhe's eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. The person in front of him had already walked far away, but his gaze still followed them closely.
"What a devoted lover," Feng Wuniang chuckled, hiding behind the crowd, her interest piqued by Ah Zhe lying on the stretcher. These days, most men are heartless. Someone like this, risking his life to save his master, is truly admirable.
They escorted everyone down the mountain, and the villagers, filled with gratitude, went home together. Many of the rescued girls also left with them, leaving only Alan, Ayuan, and Feng Wuniang in the end.
“Miss Alan, you…” Before he could finish speaking, Alan suddenly knelt on the ground, looking at Mu Lian with earnest eyes: “Lord Mu, my brother and I have nowhere to go. We are willing to join the Court of Judicial Review and serve the court…”
"Yes, I want to join too..." A-Yuan knelt down with a thud and said. She hadn't expected the people in the Judicial Office to be so amazing. Not only were they all highly skilled, but they were also incredibly loyal and fearless in the face of death. They were truly upright and honorable heroes. A-Yuan wanted to become one of them.
"Please get up quickly..." Mu Lian hurriedly helped the group up, but she couldn't bear to say, "Have you thought it through?" The soldiers of the Judicial Office are all forged through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Miss Alan is delicate and frail, and Ayuan is too young. It's really not a good place for them.
“That’s natural…” Before Alan could speak, Feng Wuniang brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and said with a charming smile, “Women like us who came from Xiaoyao Cave originally didn’t have a good place to go. Why don’t we go to the magistrate’s office to beg for a meal? Maybe that will allow us to live a few more years.”
“That’s right. Don’t worry, Lord Mu, we can endure hardship…” Alan’s attitude was also firm.
Mu Lian looked at Alan and the others, her heart filled with emotion. Since the Empress established the Court of Judicial Review, many women had entered, but ultimately, not many had persevered to the end. If more women joined the Court of Judicial Review, it might help to balance the political situation in the court.
"Alright, then follow me for now." Nodding, a faint smile appeared in Mu Lian's eyes, which, reflected on his dark, rough face, made him look rather happy.
The group then formed a line and left.
It was dusk, the setting sun like blood, accompanied by a bleak autumn wind, and twilight gradually descended. The fiery lava, cooled, emitted scorching smoke, and the once lush mountains were now unrecognizable. Withered branches and fallen leaves mingled with scattered dust, creating a thick fog in the chilly wind.
In the shadows, a slightly stiff figure moved back and forth, seemingly searching for something. When he found the communication code commonly used by the magistrate's office, a strange light flashed in his dull eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com