Chapter 21: The Inner Demon saw her tossing and turning in bed, touched her neck and felt a chill, and listened...
The two of them fell straight down like kites with broken strings. Before they could even catch their breath, they slammed into a protruding rock. Fang Yilan felt as if his internal organs had shifted, and a sweet, fishy, and salty taste rushed up his throat.
"Ugh." Zhao Huaixu let out a groan of extreme pain under her.
She smelled that sickening rust again.
Fang Yilan was about to check on him when her body slammed uncontrollably to the ground again. They seemed to have fallen halfway up the mountain and were tumbling down the steep slope.
Along the way, we kept colliding with sharp gravel, and each hit felt like a heavy hammer hitting our body.
She subconsciously protected Zhao Huaixu's head with her hands, and her hands were repeatedly bumped and crushed by the gravel.
She felt strangely relieved in her heart. Fortunately, her arm had been severely injured on the cliff before, and it was almost numb at this moment, which alleviated the pain a little.
No one knew how long they rolled around like this, but they finally exhausted all their strength and passed out completely, without a sound.
When Fang Yilan regained consciousness, the sky was already turning pale.
Only then did she realize that she was still nestled in Zhao Huaixu's arms. The two of them were still hugging each other and had not separated. Zhao Huaixu seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, but his arms still unconsciously clamped her, trapping her head against his chest.
She tried to break free several times, but failed.
But no matter how they pushed or called, Zhao Huaixu did not wake up.
At first, Fang Yilan thought it was just because of the cold weather, but soon, she noticed something strange. There was no warmth in their embrace at all, as if she was hugging a piece of ice that chilled her to the bone.
She panicked and frantically reached out her hands to feel around, trying to find a foothold to support herself, but all she found was something sticky.
Her fingertips trembled violently, and her entire hand began to shake uncontrollably.
She took several deep breaths before slowly putting her ear to Zhao Huaixu's chest.
The gods heard her prayers.
The faint heartbeat became the most beautiful sound in the silent night.
The heartbeat seemed to give her strength. She gritted her teeth and struggled to get out of Zhao Huaixu's arms.
I don’t know if it was because Zhao Huaixu acted as a human cushion, buffering most of the impact, or because Fang Yilan was lucky, but her injuries didn’t look too serious, and at least she could still force herself to move.
The premise is to ignore her bloody, strangely bent right hand.
But Zhao Huaixu was obviously not so lucky. There was a hideous penetrating wound on his back, which was shocking. It was obviously caused by hitting the sharp stone when he fell. At this moment, blood was constantly gushing out from under his body.
Fang Yilan bit the hem of his clothes and pulled hard with his left hand, which was still able to move, tearing off a large piece of cloth and strangling his wound.
She reached out to feel Zhao Huaixu's temperature, and it was icy cold, almost devoid of heat. Without thinking too much, she took off her jacket and gently covered Zhao Huaixu with it.
After doing all this, he began to look around.
They seemed to have landed in the depths of a valley. Heavy snow was falling all over the sky, and the snow curtain was getting thicker and thicker. The coldness penetrated into the bones, and they didn't know how long they could hold on here.
It is unknown whether Zhuang Gu and Xun Yun can return in time and send reinforcements to rescue them.
*
There was chaos between heaven and earth. The strong wind carried snow particles, lashing at the exposed tree trunks and rugged rocks.
In the snow, a series of deep and shallow footprints extended crookedly to the south.
Fang Yilan's figure looked frail in the snow, her lips chapped and pale. She was carrying Zhao Huaixu on her back, her muscles stiff and sluggish from the cold, and she had to pause with every step.
From time to time, she turned her head to look at Zhao Huaixu. His eyelashes were covered with frost and his hair was turned into silver threads by the snow.
Gradually, it became increasingly difficult for her to support the weight of two people, and she could only move forward along the mountain, relying on the protruding rocks on the mountain wall for support.
Suddenly, she felt nothing in her hand, and she stumbled, almost falling to the ground with Zhao Huaixu.
After steadying myself, I realized that I had found a cave.
She carefully placed Zhao Huaixu on the ground, avoiding the shocking wound on his back, and her movements became increasingly gentle, resting his head on her legs.
Zhao Huaixu actually had a nightmare, saying: "Fang Yilan...can't die..."
When she touched him, his forehead felt burning hot, so Fang Yilan used her hands, which had already been frozen red and swollen, to help him cool down.
Fang Yilan didn't know how she could still smile in such a situation, and said softly: "I'm not dead, you have to hold on too."
"Thirsty... so hot..." The cracked lips opened and closed slightly, the breath was weak and hot.
Fang Yilan could only force himself to stand up and stagger out of the cave.
After much difficulty, she found a few relatively intact dead leaves and managed to gather a handful of snow. When she returned to the shelter, she used her left hand to pick up some snow in her palm, but her palm was already frozen and had lost all its warmth, and the snow refused to melt.
At this moment, she no longer cared about the difference between men and women. Fang Yilan took the snow in her hand and put it into her mouth. It froze her temples so much that it hurt and her teeth couldn't stop trembling.
After the snow slowly melted into water in his mouth, Fang Yilan pried open Zhao Huaixu's tightly closed lips, leaned closer, took a deep breath, made up his mind, pressed against the soft spot, and passed the melted snow water to him.
Zhao Huaixu was choked several times by the water flowing into his mouth, and started coughing violently. He also regained some consciousness. His defensive posture made him subconsciously attack anything that approached. He subconsciously bit the softness between his lips, and actually bit through Fang Yilan's lower lip. Blood oozed out and mixed with snow water, and was swallowed by Zhao Huaixu.
It was not until the familiar scent lingered at the tip of his nose that Zhao Huaixu loosened his teeth as if he had found support.
Fang Yilan straightened up, raised her hand and touched her lower lip. She felt a sharp pain and there was some blood on the back of her hand.
She couldn't help but frown. Why would he repay kindness with enmity?
At this moment, there was a sudden rustling sound outside the cave, which was particularly abrupt. Fang Yilan was instantly alert and was about to get up and go out to investigate.
A hand grabbed the corner of her clothes. Although the force was weak, it was enough to make her stop.
Fang Yilan felt the pull, turned around in surprise, and once again fell into those dark jade eyes.
Zhao Huaixu tried hard to open his eyelids, but they only opened a tiny slit, still showing some clarity: "Don't go..."
The response he got was the corner of his clothes being torn open.
Fang Yilan covered his cold hand, squeezed it gently, and said softly, "Don't worry, I'll go see if it's pursuers or rescue."
She walked out lightly, bent her body, hid behind a huge rock, and looked out.
I saw a few sparks swaying towards this side, but the distance was still too far and the faces were blurry and difficult to make out.
When the firelight illuminated their front and revealed the outline of Xiling's unique clothing, Fang Yilan's heart sank. Those who came were undoubtedly Xiling's pursuers. At this rate, it wouldn't be long before the cave they were hiding in would be discovered.
She sighed deeply, bent down, picked up some gravel at her feet, and threw it in front of the people.
With a "crackling" sound, the stone hit the dead wood, which was particularly harsh in the night.
The Xiling soldiers were startled by the sound and looked in the direction of the sound. They happened to catch a glimpse of the fleeing black shadow in the dead woods and shouted excitedly, "Over there, don't let her get away!" They chased after it while shouting.
Seeing that the pursuers' attention was successfully attracted, Fang Yilan turned around and ran in the opposite direction. In the blink of an eye, his figure disappeared in a dead tree forest in the distance.
She led them into a forest of dead trees, finding a thick tree trunk to hide behind. While the pursuers were lost and hesitant, she flashed the cold light of her dagger and precisely slashed across the neck of an enemy soldier. Before the soldier could even cry out in pain, he instinctively covered his blood-spattered throat and fell to the ground, dead.
The other two enemy soldiers reacted instantly, shouting and rushing towards her with swords. Fang Yilan only had a short dagger in her hand, so she was at a disadvantage in terms of weapons and could only step back to avoid the attack.
She spotted a broken wooden stake half a meter high, accelerated her run, and used the momentum to leap with all her might. She leaped into the air, spun her legs, and instantly grabbed the enemy soldier's neck, twisting it hard. They both fell to the ground, and he accidentally touched her right arm. A sharp pain pierced Fang Yilan's face, and her features were squeezed in pain.
In this moment of delay, the last enemy soldier seized the opportunity and thrust his sword forward, the cold blade instantly piercing her abdomen. Fang Yilan felt a sweet taste in her throat and a mouthful of blood suddenly spurted out.
The Xiling soldier was overjoyed upon seeing this. He suddenly pulled the sword out of her abdomen and raised it high, intending to give her a fatal blow.
Fang Yilan felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, but he gritted his teeth and used the momentum to roll to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack. Then he kicked the enemy soldier in the wrist, sending the long sword flying out of his hand.
This completely enraged the enemy soldier. Having lost his weapon, he roared and grabbed Fang Yilan from the ground, punching him hard. Fang Yilan was dizzy and had no strength to fight back. Blood oozed from his forehead, making his face a glaring red, and his consciousness gradually became blurred.
Fang Yilan was thrown heavily to the ground, struggled for a few times, and finally became motionless.
Seeing this, the enemy soldier sneered triumphantly, then took a few steps forward, picked up the sword beside him, and approached her, ready to deliver the final blow.
The sword pierced through the flesh, and the sharp blade actually broke out from the enemy's chest.
The tip of the sword, with a bead of warm blood hanging on it, was the first to show through. The enemy soldier's eyes widened, and before he could make a sound, he fell straight to the ground, revealing Zhao Huaixu's pale face behind him.
Zhao Huaixu's action of drawing his sword again affected the wound on his back. He swayed his body and hurriedly thrust the sword into the enemy soldier's body again. His legs could no longer support him and he knelt in front of Fang Yilan.
Fang Yilan, lying on the ground, was equally miserable, with his hair scattered around in disarray, soaked in blood and sticky into clumps, and he was gasping for breath.
Zhao Huaixu's pale face tried hard to pull out an arc, but his eyebrows were full of coldness. The hilt of the sword in his hand kept spinning and grinding: "The second time."
"Why does the General always abandon me?"
Fang Yilan was so angry that she almost laughed, but she gasped in pain as she laughed, and the blood oozed out of her wound even faster. But she couldn't help but complain, "I was clearly trying to distract the pursuers, but you're blaming me."
Unreasonable. Glancing at the flames coming from the distance, there was no time for further bickering.
Fang Yilan gritted her teeth and supported herself with her hands, struggling to stand up. Looking at her clothes that were torn beyond repair, she could only grope for the only whip rope that was still usable, wrapping it around her waist again and again, and tying it tightly.
The stinging pain multiplied her nerves a hundredfold, and she cried out in pain.
Then, taking advantage of the brief excitement brought by the severe pain, he stood up suddenly, his steps staggering but determined, and moved step by step to Zhao Huaixu. With a forceful left hand, he pulled the man up, and the wound on his collapsed abdomen dripped again, weaving a bloody web on the ground.
She no longer had the strength to carry Zhao Huaixu forward, so the two of them snuggled up to each other, holding each other's shoulders and staggering away.
At first, Zhao Huaixu tried his best to hold Fang Yilan up and reduce the pressure on her. But as his strength faded, his legs gradually became weak and his body began to sink uncontrollably.
Fang Yilan was pulled by the downward force and her body shook violently.
"Hold on... hold on." Fang Yilan whispered, "We'll be able to get out soon. Once we get out alive, I'll agree to one condition of yours. Anything is fine."
Zhao Huaixu's dim eyes brightened up for a moment, and he regained some strength in his steps. "Huaixu has made a note of this."
At this time, if he fainted, it would be unknown whether he would wake up again. Fang Yilan was afraid that he would not be able to hold on, so she pinched her palms and tried to cheer herself up to chat with him: "By the way, we have known each other for such a long time, but I still don't seem to know your age."
"Huaixu has long passed the age of twenty."
"I heard that after a man is crowned, his elders will give him a nickname. What is yours?"
"No one has given me a crown or a name, so why don't you, General, choose one for me?"
Fang Yilan looked up at the white sky and earth, and suddenly thought: "Why not call me Yu'an?"
Even after going through countless twists and turns, you can still survive and find peace.
"Yu'an... Let's call him Yu'an." Zhao Huaixu murmured repeatedly, the corners of his cracked mouth raised: "The mountain breeze gently expresses my wishes, and the years are long and peaceful."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Huaixu fell forward and fainted again.
Fang Yilan took off the outer jacket and found that the wound on his back had not stopped at all. The blood soaked his entire back and was still flowing down his body.
He definitely won't be able to hold on like this, so Fang Yilan stood up and left again.
When Zhao Huaixu opened his eyes again, there was only a dead white silence between heaven and earth, and there was no one around.
The falling snow added frost to his black hair, and the snow piled up thicker around his body. The merciless wind and snow seemed to swallow him up.
Perhaps he would die here in less than a stick of incense.
He smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly. In fact, he didn't feel any sadness in his heart. The burden on his shoulders was too heavy, and he inexplicably felt that he was finally relieved.
Just accept the loss and don't worry about it.
Having said that, a feeling of resentment and hatred grew in my heart for no reason.
If he really died, he would curse himself to turn into a wronged spirit, haunting Fang Yilan for generations to come, and never enter reincarnation.
The moisture sweeping from the southeast with the plum rain penetrated into every one of her nightmares and stared at her silently.
Watching her tossing and turning in bed, touching her cold neck, and hearing her sobbing and begging for mercy.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Start to enter v from this picture [scatter flowers]
I beg you guys to click on the pre-collection [Crown Prince is a professional poacher]
After the crown princes were crowned, they had to go to the imperial capital to study for three years.
Jiang Yu is the only queen among the seven kingdoms.
She went to the capital with a hundred eggs that the tribe had saved for her, in order to pay off the huge debt that her father had owed.
The prices in Jingzhong were too high, so Jiang Yu could only dig some wild vegetables in the bamboo garden of the imperial palace to supplement his meals, but he discovered the secret hidden by the crown prince.
If I drop out of school now, can I still get my tuition refunded?
Looking at the cold light on his neck, Jiang Yu raised his hands to the sky: "Prince, let's talk it out nicely. If you kill me, no one will pay you back for the fifty eggs I owe you!"
The man's eyes were like frost and snow, and he hadn't put away his sword. Jiang Yu made up his mind, "...How about adding ten more?"
Xiao Bowen was the crown prince when he was born. People praised him as a gentleman like jade, but he was aloof from others and seemed to be covered by a veil when interacting with anyone.
He felt that this was good, at least better than Jiang Yu.
Although he was the crown prince, he was laughably poor and loved to take advantage of loopholes to break the palace rules, which frequently caused him to break the rules and be punished.
Xiao Bowen: "Because of you, I have developed feelings that are redundant to me."
Jiang Yu: "How can you be so righteous when you've become stingy? You didn't even glance at me before when I watered your Clivia to death, and now you're so angry that you want to bite my neck off because you owe you ten taels of silver!"
Xiao Bowen: "Shut up now and pay me back five taels less."
Jiang Yu: "Master Imperial Master, the breeze and the bright moon are so beautiful!"
He was a sick tree that was easily broken, but when it met the bright sunshine, the white jade Bodhi tree finally bloomed.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com