Chapter 97: Broken Cage
"Light the lamp—" He tried his best to control his breathing, fearing that if he was not careful, his neck would be strangled by the silver thread as thin as a hair.
He just couldn't understand why, even though all the poisonous weapons and hidden weapons on her body had been confiscated by the maid, she still managed to take out a silver thread from nowhere and fight her way out.
I still underestimated her!
The firelight suddenly lit up, but the brightness was limited to an inch around the sheep-horn lamp, and could not even illuminate a person's face. The inside of the dungeon was still as dark as night. Several people seemed to be drowning at the bottom of a deep and cold lake, and the air was damp.
Chen Qing desperately wanted to feel the light, but after waiting for a long time, there was no light. She suppressed the panic of emptiness in her heart and said viciously: "I said turn on the lights! Turn on the lights! Didn't you hear me?!"
"They've done it! My men have already done it! Perhaps it's because I only had one lantern with me this time, so the light source isn't clear enough." He stretched his neck and shouted, "Move the lantern closer!"
The warm light was getting closer, but only a faint orange shadow flashed before Chen Qing's eyes.
Even a tiny, precarious candlelight is enough to burn the eyes of someone who has not seen the sun for a long time.
So Chen Qing narrowed her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. It felt as if a film was blocking her vision, blurring the firelight. She couldn't help but open her eyes wide, trying to see the source of the light and shadow more clearly. Before she could see clearly, her world suddenly changed from warmth to a bloody gloom.
The warm candlelight was dyed red by the color of blood. She subconsciously touched her eyes and found that a row of blood had flowed down her face at some point, and the blood had a faint smell of decay.
She suddenly realized that the silver soul thread had been buried in her flesh for too long and was suddenly and roughly called out by someone, who didn't know the severity of the situation and had torn off her scalp.
However, the wounds on her limbs were burning like oil in a raging fire, and the pain of cutting flesh was insignificant and was ignored by her.
Chen Qing casually wiped the blood from her face, looking more like a demon crawling out of hell. A fierce light blazed in her eyes as she stared intently at the person who had caused her injuries. She said in a hoarse voice, "Take me out of here! If you dare to have any other ideas, I'll immediately chop off your head and bury it with me!"
The man seemed to be frightened by the desperate ruthlessness in her. He was stunned for a while, then said, "Lead the way."
Chen Qing said, “Stop.”
The bystanders were stunned.
"Give me the light."
"Bastard! Give her the light!" the man scolded to wake his men up.
"……yes!"
Chen Qing hooked her fingers and weighed the sheep horn lantern. It might not be heavy for others, but for her whose meridians were half damaged, holding it in her hand was tantamount to self-torture.
"How do I know whether you are going to take me to a more dangerous place or are really willing to take me out honestly?" She laughed even more happily.
"So, Your Highness, don't take advantage of my blindness, don't cheat—"
With a loud "bang", the sheep-horn lantern fell heavily on the dark and damp ground.
The candle flame, which had been securely placed in the lamp, fell off due to the violent collision, and sparks flew everywhere, just touching the hay piled on the ground. In an instant, a flame quickly jumped up and greedily licked the hay.
The dry wood and the raging fire collided, and in the blink of an eye a small flame was ignited. The flames danced wildly in the darkness, casting shadows in the dungeon, and strange light and shadows swayed on the walls.
The deep and cheerful laughter echoed between the stone walls, interweaving with the crackling sound of burning. The girl's overly crisp laughter seemed even more eerie and creepy in this deadly and hot dungeon.
Cold sweat had already climbed up the man's back, and he cursed in his heart: "She is really a lunatic!" However, he did not dare to urge her, for fear that she would go crazy and burn him to death.
After she had laughed enough, she said slowly, "Your Highness, let's start running for our lives now."
The dungeon was on fire. If the man didn't get out in time, he and Chen Qing would be buried in the billowing smoke. Even if he was not choked to death, he would be burned to death.
He gritted his teeth in anger, veins popping out on his forehead. This woman was truly a spirit!
When she reached the fence, she stopped, hooking the silver thread. The man's breath hitched, and he could only stop to see what she was going to do next.
Chen Qing's eyes were illuminated red by the firelight. The rich flames and smoke could not penetrate her eyes. She reached out and casually fiddled with the fence beside her, and her nails made a sharp friction sound.
She tried to calm her inner restlessness and the pain in her body.
After the fight was over, a few chaotic bloodstains were left on the fence. She finally moved, slowly taking steps forward.
"I haven't seen the light of day for a long time, and I can't control my emotions at the moment. Please don't blame me, Your Highness."
Monster! He cursed in his heart.
Chen Qing walked slowly the whole time, and along the way, he did not forget to say in his voice hoarse from the smoke: "At first, I was just wondering where the other half of the gilded silver box went. Now I know, it turned out that you took it."
The man's eyes widened. "So he didn't know? You actually risked your life to trick me!"
Chen Qing grinned, "Your Highness thinks too highly of me. I'm not that stupid. In fact, at first we thought the box was still in the hands of Gao Changshi. However, after a long while without finding any trace of Gao Changshi, we assumed that he had been killed."
"Of course, this is just a guess. Now your Highness's behavior has completely confirmed this guess." She blinked in fatigue, and the fog in front of her eyes seemed to be even worse.
After all, he hadn't seen the sun for a long time, so even a small flame could burn him.
Suddenly, a small point of light appeared in the distance. The man noticed it and his body trembled violently, a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He thought regretfully, "I'll be able to escape soon. I absolutely can't let this person stay. It's a pity that I haven't been able to get the whereabouts of the box out of her mouth yet."
You have to know that his house is full of experts, including many archers. She is half blind now, so it must be easy for her to escape.
Thinking of this, his brows gradually relaxed and his steps became a little more comfortable.
Shen Qing noticed the subtle changes in him, curled her lips, and said nothing.
The sky suddenly brightened, and they followed the billowing smoke out. As soon as they got out, Chen Qing immediately pulled him into a dead corner.
There were wall corners on both sides of the blind spot, and a bluestone eaves covered her head. The only direction facing outward was blocked by her tall body. She curled up in the small corner, feeling extremely helpless.
The man spoke to comfort her, "Madam Shen, don't be too nervous. The people in my house are all useless. I'm afraid they can't do anything to you."
Chen Qing said, "Is that so? But the quieter the dog, the more ferocious its bite. I wouldn't dare to bet on that."
His face twitched at the implication and became even gloomier.
She was hiding in a corner, and his men didn't dare to act rashly. He had to find a way to get her out, but he couldn't move too much, otherwise his head would be destroyed before the archer's arrow.
Chen Qing's body suddenly swayed unsteadily.
The man had a flash of inspiration! If that was the case, he might as well wait her out! She was so badly injured and had lost so much blood, and it was still winter. He didn't believe that after a while, she would still be as stubborn as a grass root!
Chen Qing seemed to have seen through the man's inner thoughts. He slowly exhaled a breath of foul air, put two white fingers together, and lightly touched the forehead covered with blood. He muttered something and shouted in a low voice: "Break!"
In an instant, the seemingly ordinary house seemed to be violently pulled by an invisible yet powerful force. With a loud "boom," the walls of the house exploded, sending bricks and stones flying everywhere. The archers hidden in the shadows of the eaves were caught off guard and were blown away by the blast.
They drew awkward arcs in the air, and then fell heavily to the ground. Their shrill wails immediately pierced the sky, and the sound was so unbearable that it made people's hair stand on end.
The man's eyes widened as he said, "Impossible! You're a worthless person who can't even cultivate a sword. You don't even have any internal energy. How could you possibly do this?"
"I can't practice swordsmanship, but I am quite proficient in formations and talismans. I'm afraid others haven't told you."
The man recalled the way she had scribbled her fingertips on the fence before, and suddenly realized that it was not just some scribble, but a proper spell!
"Mrs. Shen is so intelligent that she's almost a demon. I really admire her—" These words were squeezed out from between his teeth, and every word was filled with resentment that was difficult to conceal.
"There's no such thing as being nearly as clever as a demon. It's just a life-saving trick I was forced to use." You know, once you're dead, you're really dead. There's no chance of another life in this world. She lowered her eyes, thinking self-deprecatingly.
Hearing this, the man's originally handsome face was distorted and looked a little hideous. "Heh." He laughed inexplicably.
Chen Qing's eyes were always blurry, and he could only roughly distinguish the surrounding scenery by colors.
Looking at the hazy color in the sky, she thought the fire must have spread to the yard.
Not knowing how many enemies were lurking in the dark, Chen Qing simply leaned against the wall for support and waited patiently.
Soon, the man seemed to have noticed it too, "Who are you waiting for?"
Shen Qing nodded forward, “Here it is, take a look for yourself.”
All she could see was a blurry crimson color moving from far to near, from high to low, at such a fast speed that it looked like it would kill any god or Buddha that stood in its way.
He did not carry a sword today, but took the long spear from the mansion. That was the weapon he would use when he went to the battlefield to kill and fight.
Although the saber was compact and portable, it was ultimately limited in length. As the saying goes, "an inch longer, an inch stronger." The young man brandished his spear, its sharp tip unstoppable. A single strike could pierce an enemy, and killing was clearly much more pleasurable.
The spear was slender, gleaming with a cold light in his hand. The tassel was as red as blood, intertwining with the ends of his jet-black hair as he swung it, both of which fluttered wildly in the wind. He always held the spear firmly with both hands, and the knuckles turned slightly white due to the force.
I don’t know how many people are hiding in this mansion, and the noisy commotion didn’t stop for a long time.
Finally, when Shen Qing became increasingly impatient, he finally stopped as he fell to the ground with a final muffled thud.
He walked hurriedly as he approached the two of them. His scarlet clothes were flamboyant, and he was covered in snow. There was a cold look in his eyes, as if he wanted to split the fog and cut off all the foul air in the world.
Chen Qing couldn't see the man's face clearly, but he could see it very clearly. In his eyes, there was an undisguised murderous intent.
The man finally panicked. He murmured, "My dear brother, you must not kill me! If my father knew, he would tear you into pieces!"
Li Daoxuan ignored him, but stared at Shen Qing with a heavy gaze, his hands shaking so badly that even his breathing became heavy.
He was drawn here by the loud explosion and instinctively thought it was she who made the noise. But now that he was here, he realized that she had been in such a miserable state during the days she had been missing.
He failed to protect her, he deserved to die - he suddenly closed his eyes.
At this moment, a cold little hand gently touched the back of his hand. Because of the intense activity, his hand was extremely hot.
"Good Ah Man, I want to avenge the Shen family and my parents. You will agree, right?"
His face suddenly darkened, he stared at the man intently, held her hand, and said firmly: "Just do it, I'll support you--"
The man's eyes widened in horror!
"No! You can't do this! You are committing treason, but I am..." The silver thread around his throat suddenly tightened, and the fishy-sweet liquid poured into his throat. He widened his eyes and trembled all over, "No, uh, I am..." Gurgle.
All that was left was the sound of choking blood.
Shen Qing secretly gathered his remaining strength and only severed the man's throat, bypassing the artery. The man convulsed in pain but could not die immediately. He stared with his eyes wide open in unwillingness, as if he had never expected to die so hastily in this life.
How could this happen? He didn't understand.
He thought he had just caught a piece of trash, a woman who could not cause any trouble, but it was this woman, whom he regarded as an ant, who dealt him a fatal blow.
Chen Qing slowly squatted down and looked at him, her empty eyes full of mockery: "Do you think I would foolishly wait for that illusory 'other' to rescue me?" She shook her head, "Wrong."
After that, she stood up and patted the hem of her skirt, "My life, Chen Qing, has always been in my own hands."
"You are a hypocritical, cowardly piece of shit who doesn't understand anything."
The man died.
The breath that was stuck in Chen Qing's throat suddenly dissipated.
She thought bewilderedly, "Almost everyone around me is dead. My parents are gone, Li Yu is gone, Cui Ya is gone, and my home is gone. The royal family disputes are too complicated, and she doesn't want to get involved with him. My senior brother is out fighting demons all day long and wouldn't take me with him if there was any danger. Now that my revenge has been taken, how can I live on?"
"Ah Man, I don't want to live anymore."
"No!" Li Daoxuan, who was between a teenager and a young man, hugged her tightly.
When Chen Qing collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion, he knelt on the ground and held her in his arms, fearing that she would disperse if she lost consciousness.
She grasped his collar tightly, and suddenly raised her hand to pull the hairband on his head. The black hair cascaded down straight, and two strands of hair hit her eyelashes, causing her long eyelashes to tremble.
Since she couldn't see in the first place, Chen Qing simply closed her eyes and buried herself in his arms, taking a deep breath and greedily absorbing the scent of grass and wood in his hair.
Ever since he rescued her from the wine cellar, she had become morbidly obsessed with this smell, because it could bring temporary peace of mind to her heart.
Li Daoxuan gently pressed the back of her head and stroked it skillfully.
"We'll get married as soon as you recover from your injury."
"But the Saint disagrees."
"He's nothing." Li Daoxuan sneered.
"After we get married, let's find a quiet place to live happily, okay? Far away from the court."
"Give me one year, You'an, give me one year. Once the court is stable, the evil spirits in the city are completely purged, and the Gao family is cleared of all charges, we will flee far away and never return."
"A year is too long, can't a month be enough?"
I'll take care of your business for a month, and you can stay with me for another two months. Can't you just continue with your work after I've worn you out? She opened her mouth, but couldn't say the words.
What awaited him was his endless silence.
He said in a hoarse voice, "You'an, if the court is not at peace for a day, the people will not be able to live in peace for a moment. The heroic souls of the 30,000 martyrs of the Gao family are waiting for me."
I know, I know.
Chen Qing finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears in his arms.
"Can't you even lie to someone?! I don't want to marry you!"
"I want my mother, mother——"
When Youan started crying, he started crying too. "Wait for me, the doctor will be here soon. Youan, it doesn't hurt."
Chen Qing stopped crying. She tightly grasped the silk ribbon she had taken off his head in her hand and said in a sobbing voice, "Okay, I'll accompany you." She just wanted to make a fuss. She was too depressed.
The boy choked up, "Thank you, I'll be quick, trust me, Youan."
Shen Qing closed her eyes weakly, “Yeah.”
The year is coming to an end and it is snowing heavily today.
As the jade dust flew all over the sky, the sky and the earth turned white, and all the filth and rot on the ground were buried under the snow.
.
A tear rolled down the corner of the girl's eye on the bed.
"Ding, turn on protection mode——"
Chen Qing slowly opened her eyes, her vision clear. She blinked and stared at the familiar bed curtain above her head, still a little dazed.
"woke up!"
"Finally woke up! Madam, wuwuwu——"
The first thing that was heard was Cui Ya's weak cry, followed by Li Yu's wailing.
Li Yu?
Chen Qing turned his head to the side, and was suddenly rushed into someone's arms, "Chen Youan, you bastard! Why did you block the arrow for Li Daoxuan! He has his own hands! At worst, he will die, you you you! Don't be so confused next time! Wuuuuuu——"
"Miaoyin?" Chen Qing instinctively raised her hand to comfort Li Yu, then saw Zhang Miaoyin sitting by the bed, wiping away tears. "Why are you all here?"
Li Yu said, "Chen Youan, do you know how long you've been unconscious? A full twenty days! If I hadn't come, I would have thought you were dead! If you still don't wake up, I'm afraid you'll have to be carried into the mansion on the day of your wedding!"
Chen Qing raised his head and stroked his forehead, then asked, "Where's Li Daoxuan?"
Li Yu raised his head from her embrace. "Oh, it's already this late and you're still thinking about him." She pointed out the window angrily. "That little bastard has been waiting outside your gate for nineteen days, just waiting for you to wake up."
Chen Qing felt a splitting headache. There were inexplicably many things that she needed to remember, but she had slept for too long and her head was really empty, so she could only sort them out one by one.
"So what's happening in Weinan County now?"
"What's going on?" Li Yu frowned and pondered. However, as a princess, she had no intention of paying attention to other places. After thinking for a long time, she could only come up with, "It seems that a monster suddenly appeared in Weinan County recently?"
Chen Qing immediately understood that Li Daoxuan had not leaked any information about their stay in Weinan County.
She changed the subject, "Nothing, my shoulder hurts—"
Li Yu's expression really changed, and he immediately started to rip off her clothes. "Didn't you say the arrow wound was healed? Why does it still hurt? Let me see!"
Zhang Miaoyin explained appropriately, "The arrow wound went through the entire shoulder. Even if only the skin has healed, the wound inside is still there."
Li Yu knew nothing about medicine. He thought for a moment and then nodded, "You're right."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.
"Sister."
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