Chapter 44: Crossing the River If she really shook him off, his next move would be...
Dark clouds rolled in, and raindrops fell like beads that had broken off their strings. The raindrops collided violently with the earth, splashing layers of turbid water.
Zhao Huaixu wrapped the rope around his waist several times, then tightened the knot with a sudden pull. He then wrapped the other end of the rope around a sturdy old tree on the shore.
The secret guard clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, this journey is difficult and dangerous. Let me accompany you."
Zhao Huaixu tugged at the rope around his waist to make sure it was secure. "No need. Three people will be enough to follow me. You lead the others to search carefully in other directions."
"Yes." Shadow responded and left.
Zhao Huaixu and three secret guards went into the water together. The freezing cold water instantly reached their waists.
They were all agile, but still had a hard time moving forward. They tried hard to find a foothold among the rocks at the bottom of the river. However, the impact of the water was stronger and stronger. Just as they avoided a flying tree trunk, they were swept away by the undercurrent and stumbled a few steps.
Before they had gone far, some were knocked off balance by the current and fell into the water one after another. Fortunately, the officers and soldiers on the shore were quick to pull the ropes and drag them back to safety one by one.
Only Zhao Huaixu, who occasionally stopped and sometimes swam to gain leverage, and spent a lot of effort, successfully reached the other side of the river.
Zhou Ting'an, Yang Hao and others all breathed a sigh of relief, but Liang Qian's expression was indecipherable.
Zhao Huaixu's clothes had long been soaked by the cold river water and were tightly stuck to his body. His hair was messy and stuck around his cheeks, making him look even more tired and weak.
He had no time to wait for the secret guards who were still struggling to cross the river, so he went ahead alone and followed the direction of the flood.
I don’t know how long I walked, but suddenly, I felt a strange touch under my feet, which was completely different from the sticky feeling of the soil.
He subconsciously stopped, bent down to pick up the mud-covered object, wiped it with his fingertips, revealing the faintly visible yellow talisman. Zhao Huaixu recognized it at a glance. It was the amulet of Lingwu Temple.
His heart suddenly sank. He didn't expect Fang Yilan to carry it with her all the time.
For a moment, he felt a mixture of emotions. Just as joy and hope dispelled the chill in his body, fear came again, surrounding him layer by layer, almost crushing his sanity.
If Fang Yilan encounters an accident...
Zhao Huaixu didn't dare to think any further. He clenched his fists, held the amulet tightly in his palm, walked faster, and continued to search forward.
Occasional corpses could be seen washed ashore. Zhao Huaixu could only uncover their bodies one by one to check their faces. They were all pale and swollen from being soaked in the flood, which made his heart tense and loose constantly.
He only felt that he was alone, walking on a shaky floating bridge, with a bottomless abyss under his feet. If he was not careful, he would be doomed.
The river turned a corner, and a crooked tree suddenly appeared before my eyes, standing alone on the bank, its branches stretching wildly above the torrent. A dark figure could be vaguely seen half-hanging on one of the branches.
Zhao Huaixu's pupils suddenly shrank, and he ran away without thinking.
Fang Yilan hung lifelessly from the tree trunk, unconscious. Her lips were completely pale, her face frosted. A hideous wound on her forehead was a shocking sight, and blood flowed out in streams, the crimson drops mixing with the rain, spreading and spreading, then winding down her cheek.
"Alan." Zhao Huaixu called her in a trembling voice, squeezing out these two words from his dry throat with difficulty.
He hurried down into the river, but because he moved too hastily, he almost slipped and hit his back against a protruding rock on the shore. He felt a stinging pain in his back, a sweetness in his throat, and almost vomited blood.
But Zhao Huaixu had no time to think about these things. He endured the severe pain and climbed towards the tree trunk. He carefully pushed aside the remaining branches in front of him, fearing that he would scratch Fang Yilan again.
He held Fang Yilan in his arms, and his heart, which had been hanging in the air, seemed to have found its home, landing steadily in the midst of the wind and rain.
Fang Yilan's body was as cold as ice, but fortunately she was still breathing faintly, which made Zhao Huaixu feel a little relieved. He looked down and saw a half-inch long wound on Fang Yilan's waist, the scarlet blood spreading and dissipating in the turbid waves.
Zhao Huaixu tore open the corner of his clothes and bandaged her temporarily. There was no time to stop, so he could only carry Fang Yilan on his back, hold her wrists that fell on her chest, and walk back.
While trekking with Fang Yilan on his back, Zhao Huaixu could clearly feel the temperature of her forehead against his neck slowly rising, and his steps became faster.
He hadn't fully recovered yet, and the constant travel had left him even weaker. Crossing the river had drained him of his energy, and now he was carrying the unconscious Fang Yilan on his back, his legs wobbling in the muddy ground.
He tripped over a stone and stumbled suddenly, almost falling forward.
Fang Yilan on his back also began to shake violently, and this shaking seemed to have affected the serious injury on her waist.
"Cough..." Fang Yilan suddenly choked on a mouthful of blood, and the bright red blood instantly dyed the torn clothes on Zhao Huaixu's shoulders red.
"Zhao Huaixu..." Fang Yilan murmured in a hoarse voice, seeming to be half awake.
"Alan, I'm here." Zhao Huaixu's heart ached as he looked at Fang Yilan, who was dying on his back. He blamed himself and wished her injuries were transferred to him. He hated his own frail body even more. If he hadn't been exhausted, how could he have lost his balance while carrying her, causing her to cough up blood and suffer?
The people on the other side of the river saw that Zhao Huaixu had miraculously brought Fang Yilan back safely, and they began to shout loudly.
Zhou Ting'an was the first to react and said, "Go and help!"
Before he finished speaking, several shadows and Zhou Ting'an jumped into the river one after another, heading towards Zhao Huaixu, to help the two of them get ashore.
Zhao Huaixu found a piece of driftwood, placed Fang Yilan's arm on it, and then used the hemp rope they had used to cross the river to tie Fang Yilan and the driftwood tightly together. Zhao Huaixu then stood in front of the flood and took her across the river together.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the water level was much higher than before, now reaching as high as his chest.
The rope in his hand not only had to bear the weight of two people, but was also constantly washed by the gravel in the river, making a teeth-grinding creaking sound.
The hemp rope was already in danger and obviously could not hold for much longer. At this time, Zhao Huaixu was holding Fang Yilan and had just crossed half of it.
The distance between the two sides was getting closer and closer, and they were about to meet.
"Your Highness, be careful!"
From the other side came the distorted roars of the secret guards.
The hemp rope that could not bear the weight finally broke with a "snap".
Almost at the same moment, Zhao Huaixu instinctively pushed the floating wood forward and pushed Fang Yilan into Zhou Ting'an's hands.
"Take her away." Zhao Huaixu heaved a sigh of relief once he was sure Fang Yilan was safely in Zhou Ting'an's hands. Even he was a little dazed, having never imagined that he would abandon his prey and personally hand her over to his rival.
Zhao Huaixu was washed away by the flood again, but the severe pain in his back made him sober. His fingertips touched a vine at the bottom of the water. The vine followed the direction of the river and took him to a position near the other side of the river.
Luckily, he made it back to the other side. He didn't care about himself and said to Zhou Ting'an who was still in the river, "I'm fine. Take her back to heal her first."
Zhou Ting'an couldn't bear to see Zhao Huaixu's weak appearance, but he also understood that Fang Yilan's injury was more serious at the moment, so he nodded. Soon, the officers and soldiers on the shore worked together to pull several people back to the shore.
Zhou Ting'an took Fang Yilan and left first.
...
Fang Yilan felt a sharp pain in her forehead, as if a sharp axe was hacking away at her. The pain made her frown. Her eyelids trembled, and her consciousness struggled on the edge of chaos.
Suddenly, I felt like a fallen leaf hanging on a branch, about to fall, but was carried back steadily by Zhao Huaixu in the storm.
The rain poured down his messy hair, dripping down her face drop by drop, icy cold yet strangely comforting. She leaned her head weakly against his broad shoulder, her nose gently nuzzling the artery on his neck. She could clearly feel the powerful beat, gradually synchronizing with her own weak heartbeat.
When she struggled to open her eyes again, a warm feeling hit her face, the air was filled with a strong smell of bitter medicine, and her whole body felt like it was falling apart.
It was not until he regained consciousness that he realized that he had actually been rescued.
"You're awake." A clear voice sounded in her ears, with some concern, but it was not the voice that she had been thinking about.
Fang Yilan looked in the direction of the voice and saw Zhou Ting'an standing by the bed with a concerned look on his face. When he saw her wake up, a smile finally appeared in his bloodshot eyes.
It was as if a small stone had quietly fallen into my heart, causing an indescribable ripple.
However, she quickly adjusted her mood, revealed a seemingly relaxed smile, and said softly: "Master Zhou, thank you for saving me."
Zhou Ting'an looked at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions. After hesitating for a moment, he finally explained, "It wasn't me who saved you. It was... His Highness the Seventh Prince who saved you."
Fang Yilan's eyes widened instantly.
Why did Zhao Huaixu come here? Could it be that the scenes in the rain just now were not a dream?
Fang Yilan asked anxiously, "Where is Zhao Huaixu? Where is he?"
Zhou Ting'an's expression was solemn. He said in a deep voice, "You were washed to the other side of the river. His Highness the Seventh Prince was trapped there trying to save you. Lord Liang and Lord Yang have tried their best and sent people to try to cross the river, but the water level is rising too fast. Even the elite troops His Highness the Seventh Prince brought with him are unable to break through the torrent."
Fang Yilan completely ignored the multiple injuries on her body, supported herself on the bed with her hands, and was about to get up.
Zhou Ting'an quickly stopped him, saying, "You're still very weak, you can't take risks."
Fang Yilan insisted on getting out of bed, reached out to take the coat hanging on the side of the bed, and put it on hurriedly.
"Only I can save him."
If he were left alone on the other side of the river, he would probably be very sad.
The moment she opened the curtain, a torrential downpour pelted down upon her. Fang Yilan gazed at the nearby torrent. The water level was indeed much higher than before she had passed out. Even Shadow's physique made it difficult to cross the river, and her own figure would probably be even more difficult.
"hiss--"
Fang Yilan suddenly turned around and saw Jiaoyue tied to the fence outside the camp, with a pair of bright big eyes staring in Fang Yilan's direction, as if calling her anxiously.
Fang Yilan's heart warmed, and he quickly walked over to Jiaoyue. The rain had washed its fur, giving it a silver sheen. Fang Yilan stroked Jiaoyue's hair, wrapped his arms around its head, and pressed his face against hers.
"I need you, Jiaoyue. Are you willing to go with me to rescue him?"
Jiaoyue seemed to understand her words and feel her inner anxiety. He kept digging the mud with his front hooves and neighed to the sky in response.
“Good horse!”
Fang Yilan pushed herself on the saddle with both hands and used the force to climb onto the horse. The movement affected the wound on her abdomen, and her face turned pale, obviously the wound had split open.
"General, you can't do that!" Zhuang Gu exclaimed, "You've got a blow to your head, how can you ride a horse?"
Fang Yilan raised her hand to wipe the raindrops from her face. She curled her lips towards Zhuang Gu and said, "Don't worry. I promise to bring everyone back alive."
After saying that, she patted the horse's neck lightly. Jiaoyue understood her master's instructions, spread out her four hooves, and galloped along the shore to compete with the torrent.
Soon, they saw a group of people still persevering in trying to cross the river from afar.
The secret guards were filled with anxiety, looking at the turbulent river at their wits' end, when they suddenly saw Fang Yilan riding towards them. Their eyes suddenly lit up and they shouted in unison, "General Fang!"
Fang Yilan nodded, turned to observe the flood in front of her, silently calculated in her mind, and then took Jiaoyue to a distance. She squeezed her legs against the horse's belly, and Jiaoyue started to run and rushed towards the river.
Jiaoyue's figure rose into the air like a silver dragon emerging from the water. With just a few leaps, she had already crossed one-third of the distance.
The waves rolled, and the bright moon struggled forward in the water. The horse's hooves kept paddling in the water, splashing large amounts of water.
Fang Yilan lowered his body and tried to lie on the horse's back, pulling the reins and reminding it from time to time to avoid the oncoming tree trunks and gravel.
Another huge wave suddenly hit, and Jiaoyue was hit by the wave and became unstable. Fang Yilan was almost thrown off the horse. Fang Yilan pulled out the whip from his waist, wrapped it around a thick tree trunk on the shore, and with the help of the pulling force of the whip, he barely managed to stabilize his body.
Jiaoyue seemed to sense the danger of his master and felt a forward pull. He gathered his strength and leaped in the direction of the whip, finally successfully reaching the other side.
Fang Yilan jumped off her horse, ignoring the pain in her body, and looked around. Finally, she found the familiar figure beside a protruding rock on the shore.
Zhao Huaixu leaned against the rock, eyes closed, as if resting. While the rock provided some protection from the wind and rain, it was only a drop in the bucket. Strings of crystals rolled down his cheeks, as if he had just cried, looking disheveled and pitiful.
Zhao Huaixu, already alert, sensed the shadow looming over him and instantly opened his eyes, his gaze gleaming with murderous intent. Only when he saw that it was Fang Yilan did the fierceness fade, though his expression remained unsightly. His pale face, as pale as paper, was now flushed with a sickly red from anger.
"Why are you here?"
"You still have an injury on your waist. It's too dangerous to act so stubbornly."
Although he was blaming her for coming, Zhao Huaixu's grip on her wrist was so strong that it almost broke her wrist bones. If she really pushed him away, he would twist her hand off.
-----------------------
Author's words: Bright Moon: Love Security Guard
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com