Jump off the cliff
The man in black ignored her and was in front of her in an instant.
Fu Zhi Qiao limped backward, quickly reaching the edge of the cliff. The cool wind blowing from below made her skirt rustle and her long, dark hair fly wildly.
These men in black were all highly trained assassins and were not swayed by her charm.
"Come on, let's die together, even if I die I'll take a few down with me!" Her eyes were filled with determination and resolve. She immediately squatted down, grabbed a handful of dirt, and threw it at the man in black.
The men in black thought she was sprinkling some kind of poison powder, so they immediately stopped and instinctively covered their mouths and noses.
Right now, Fu Zhi Qiao seized the opportunity, quickly took two steps back, and leaped off the cliff.
While she was sitting in the carriage, she vaguely heard the sound of water. She guessed that there must be a river at the foot of the mountain. Either way, she was going to die. Rather than fall into the hands of this group of people, she might as well take a gamble. She would rather fall to her death than fall into the hands of these men in black.
Fu Zhi Qiao quickly calculated in her mind: if she was lucky, she could fall into the river and save her life; if she was unlucky, she would at most break an arm or a leg. There were many tree branches at the bottom of the cliff to cushion her fall and prevent her from dying. Even if she was extremely unlucky, she would only die from the fall, which was better than being tortured to death by these people.
There's a 50% chance of surviving if you jump off a cliff.
Fu Zhiqiao quickly analyzed the pros and cons.
As she fell, the wind howled in her ears, and she had only one thought in her mind: Survive! She had to survive!
When her body slammed heavily onto the water's surface, Fu Zhi Qiao knew that her judgment was correct; there was indeed a river at the foot of the mountain, and she had indeed fallen into the river as she had expected.
However, the impact of falling from a height is enormous. Fu Zhi Qiao crashed heavily onto the water, and the pain almost made her faint.
The icy river water instantly soaked her entire body, and the bone-chilling cold spread to every part of her body. She barely managed to stay awake by biting her tongue, using the taste of blood in her mouth to keep herself conscious.
After surfacing and taking a few breaths of fresh air, Fu Zhi Qiao regained some clarity. She had barely escaped death and couldn't just drown in the river like this.
Her will to survive ignited her potential; she struggled to swim to the surface, gasping for breath as she tried to reach the shore.
A rapid heartbeat came from my chest, a mixture of panic after exhaustion and fear of death.
Knowing that her strength wouldn't last much longer, Fu Zhiqiao turned around and searched for something to hold onto. Fortunately, there was a piece of driftwood not far from her. Fu Zhiqiao swam over and grabbed it tightly, finally feeling a sense of survival.
Once she was sure she wouldn't sink to the bottom, her tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and she couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.
The men in black rushed forward to the edge of the cliff, and were stunned when they saw Fu Zhi Qiao, who had already disappeared.
The men in black looked at each other, wide-eyed, and asked, "Boss, what do we do now?"
"Should we go down and look for it?"
"Search? Is there any need to search? This cliff is so high, jumping off would just mean certain death."
"Yeah, boss, that woman looks very weak. Jumping from such a height, she has no chance of surviving."
"Shut up!" The leader of the men in black glared at the person beside him. "Not necessarily. There's a river down there. What if she falls into the water..."
The leader of the men in black paused for a moment: "This matter must be handled flawlessly. Send men down to search!"
*
When Xie Zhuo arrived at the Fu residence, he happened to see Qiu Qin telling Yin Xing about Fu Zhi Qiao being taken away by him. He immediately realized something was wrong and quickly asked, "Who did you say took her away?"
Upon hearing the voice, Yinxing immediately turned her head, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."
Qiuqin hurriedly followed suit and bowed.
Xie Zhuo looked at Qiu Qin expressionlessly, his gaze filled with pressure: "Say what you just said again."
Qiuqin stammered as she relayed the conversation between Fu Zhiqiao and the coachman at the entrance of Taibai Tower.
"You mean I should send someone to fetch her to the villa outside the city?" Xie Zhuo frowned. He came straight to the Fu residence after returning from the Southern Frontier, so there was no need for him to go through all that trouble.
Qiuqin sensed something was off about Xie Zhuo's tone and lowered her head, replying in a trembling voice, "That's what you told me, Miss."
How long has she been gone?
"It's been almost half an hour."
A lot can happen in half an hour. Xie Zhuo's expression suddenly changed. "Wang Qianxin, quickly send someone to investigate!"
Xie Zhuo came and went in a hurry, leaving Yinxing and Qiuqin looking at each other in bewilderment.
"Does the young master mean he didn't send anyone to pick up the young lady?" Yinxing suddenly realized, "Oh no! Could something have happened to the young lady?"
Qiuqin also came to her senses. "You mean someone used the young master's name to trick the young lady? Then... then what about the young lady now..."
Isn't it more likely to be a bad omen than a good one?
Qiuqin didn't say the last sentence, but Yinxing understood. She was filled with regret at that moment, regretting that she hadn't stayed by Fu Zhiqiao's side.
Seeing her pacing back and forth anxiously, Qiuqin comforted her, "Sister Yinxing, don't worry. The young lady is so intelligent, she will definitely be alright. Besides, the young master has already investigated, and the young lady will definitely come back safely."
Qiuqin's words barely calmed Yinxing down, and she murmured, "I hope so!"
Xie Zhuo ordered Wang Qianxin to lead a troop of elite cavalry to search outside the city, and secretly sent Sheng An to investigate which carriages left the city at dusk and which belonged to which family.
Xie Zhuo clenched his fists. Even if he had to turn the entire capital upside down, he would find the person who took her away!
The elite cavalry, carrying Xie Zhuo's token, declared they were leaving the city to capture the thieves. The guards at the city gate dared not stop them, immediately clearing away the civilians blocking the gate and removing the barriers to allow them to leave the city first.
There are many wealthy families in the capital, and quite a few travel by carriage. Inside the city, with its crowds and many eyes, Sheng An can quickly find a carriage based on clues. However, outside the city, it's a different story. The area outside the city is open and sparsely populated, making it much more difficult to find a carriage.
Sheng An could only search for people based on their general location. He shared the information he had with Xie Zhuo, and with a single glance from Xie Zhuo, Wang Qianxin immediately led his men to give chase.
The Akhal-Teke horses in the army were far faster than ordinary horses. Following the tracks left by the wheels, Wang Qianxin led a troop of elite cavalry to the vicinity of the grove.
The men in black were preparing to descend the cliff when they saw the cavalrymen. Their leader, realizing the danger, shouted, "Retreat!"
The men in black began to scatter and flee.
"Stop them!" Wang Qianxin shouted, and the elite cavalry behind him immediately rode after them. However, the men in black were more familiar with the terrain and gradually distanced themselves from the elite cavalry after turning left and right.
Wang Qianxin took out a whistle from his pocket and blew it. The long and short whistles were a message to the elite cavalry who were chasing the man in black, telling them to continue the pursuit while he went to report back to Xie Zhuo.
"Your Highness, there is indeed a force that wants to harm Miss Fu, but they don't seem to have succeeded." Wang Qianxin calmly analyzed the situation. When he led the elite cavalry to catch up, they happened to encounter the men in black searching for Fu Zhiqiao's whereabouts. The men in black immediately retreated when they saw them.
Xie Zhuo pondered for a moment. Fu Zhi Qiao was indeed not someone who would sit idly by and wait for death. If she encountered danger, she would definitely find a way to save herself.
After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the elite cavalrymen who had been sent out returned one after another.
"Reporting to the general, we found no signs of a struggle in the woods."
"Reporting to the general, there are no signs of fighting on the path to the north."
It's normal that there was no fight. Fu Zhi Qiao is a woman who can't even kill a chicken, how could she possibly have the strength to fight against the men in black!
With so many people sent out, not a single one had found Fu Zhiqiao's whereabouts. Xie Zhuo's expression grew increasingly grim.
Just then, a soldier ran over and said, "General, I found what looks like a carriage axle on the western cliff." As he spoke, he presented the piece of wood he was carrying.
Xie Zhuo took the piece of wood. The cracks in the wood were still very fresh. Judging from the shape, it was the part where the shaft and axle intersected. Given the extent of the damage, the carriage was probably already in pieces. And Fu Zhi Qiao was in the carriage when she was taken away...
Xie Zhuo's expression was extremely solemn, and his eyes instantly turned icy.
"Take me there!"
The group rushed to the edge of the cliff.
There were indeed wheel tracks on the ground, but they weren't very obvious. The men in black had already dealt with the damaged carriage to avoid suspicion, but due to the urgency of the situation, some small wood chips on the ground hadn't been cleaned up.
Xie Zhuo frowned as he looked at the tire tracks on the ground. Then, following the soldier's guidance, he walked to the edge of the cliff. When he saw the drops of blood on the ground, Xie Zhuo felt a sudden pang in his heart.
The bloodstains on the ground meant someone was injured, and Fu Zhiqiao was a frail woman. Xie Zhuo immediately assumed the bloodstains were hers.
He stood silently on the edge of the cliff, his drooping eyelashes concealing the boundless darkness in his eyes. The elite cavalrymen standing behind him all bowed their heads, not daring to breathe.
For a moment, only the sound of the wind could be heard at the edge of the cliff.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached. Wang Qianxin looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the elite cavalry who had gone to chase the man in black had returned, bringing with them a man in black whose hands were tied.
Wang Qianxin yanked the gag out of his mouth and demanded, "Speak! Who sent you to assassinate Miss Fu?"
"I was ignorant, sirs, please forgive me!" The man in black knew he was in trouble the moment he saw Xie Zhuo and his group's attire. He kowtowed repeatedly, his head thumping loudly. "It's all my fault, I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness..."
"Stop talking nonsense! I'm asking you, where did you take that girl?"
"We didn't catch her, that girl, she..."
Wang Qianxin grew impatient and snapped, "Tell me the truth! If you keep stammering, I'll cut off your head!"
The man in black trembled violently. He closed his eyes and shouted, "That girl jumped off the cliff!"
Xie Zhuo's face was ashen, and a chilling aura emanated from him.
"Who sent you?" Wang Qianxin continued to question.
"I really don't know who the employer is! I was only sent by the leader to find someone, and I did not participate in the assassination. Please, sirs, understand! The leader sent us to the bottom of the cliff to find a woman, saying that we should bring her body back."
The moment the word "corpse" left his lips, Xie Zhuo could no longer suppress his anger and kicked the man in black in the chest.
The man in black leaned back, immediately vomiting blood and fainting.
"Take him away for a thorough investigation." Two elite cavalry soldiers escorted the unconscious man in black, who was vomiting blood, away.
Silence returned to the edge of the cliff. Knowing that Xie Zhuo was in a bad mood, no one in the elite cavalry dared to speak.
Finally, Wang Qianxin glanced at him cautiously and broke the silence: "Your Highness, there is a river below the cliff. Perhaps... Miss Fu is blessed by heaven and will be safe and sound."
Wang Qianxin's words gave Xie Zhuo a glimmer of hope. He looked down into the abyss below the cliff, a sharp killing intent flashing in his eyes: "Go down and search!"
At Xie Zhuo's command, the elite cavalrymen immediately descended the cliff and began searching along the riverbank. After searching for a long time, they found no trace of Fu Zhi Qiao.
Time passed slowly, and the sun was about to set. The longer it dragged on, the more dangerous it would be for Fu Zhiqiao.
Xie Zhuo's eyes were bloodshot.
Seeing the bulging veins on Xie Zhuo's fist, Wang Qianxin knew that Xie Zhuo's anger was about to burst forth.
"Has it been found?"
The cavalry soldiers searching for her on the riverbank exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison. Wang Qianxin sighed upon seeing this and went to report to Xie Zhuo, "General, this is a bend in the river, and the current is quite rapid. If Miss Fu fell into the river from above, she might have been swept away..."
"Expand the search area. If we can't find them here, we'll look downstream," Xie Zhuo clenched his fist and said, word by word, "No matter what, I have to see them!"
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