"Do whatever you want, don't worry about me not being able to accept it. I only hope you can promise one thing: don't put them in danger. All I want is for them to be safe. If you can't guarantee that, don't involve them."
This is Heyue's only bottom line, and no one can cross it, including Thirteen.
Thirteen's face lit up with joy. He hugged Heyue tightly and said solemnly, "Don't worry, I won't risk their lives."
Heyue trusted Thirteen and believed his words without question, so she said nothing more.
Heyue and Shisan stayed in Suzhou for two days, during which they wandered around the city. On the third day, they bid farewell to their uncle and aunt and returned to Yangzhou.
The journey was peaceful, with the group chatting and laughing. However, as they approached the outskirts of Yangzhou in the evening, trouble struck.
Dozens of men in black, wielding swords and knives, suddenly appeared and surrounded the carriage.
Apart from Heyue and Shisan, the other four were completely defenseless. Hailan and Li Shun'er were a bit braver and fared better, but Zhizhu and Cuiyan had never seen anything like this before. They were both pale-faced and terrified.
Thirteen told Heyue and the maids to hide in the carriage, while he and Li Shun'er went out to fight the men in black.
He Yue refused. She followed and helped Thirteen fight the men in black, but it was all in vain, and she was almost injured several times.
Of the group, only Thirteen was skilled in martial arts. Li Shun'er and He Yue only knew some rudimentary skills and were no match for these men in black who possessed real skills and were only interested in killing. They were quickly overwhelmed, and Thirteen, who also had to protect He Yue, was injured as well.
The target of these men in black was obvious: Heyue and Thirteen.
Soon, another group of masked men in plain clothes surged up from the surrounding area.
This group of people clearly had different purposes from the previous group of men in black. They immediately engaged the men in black in battle, instantly relieving He Yue and the others of their immediate crisis.
The men in black were entangled and could no longer target He Yue and the others. Thirteen protected He Yue behind him, and several masked men in plain clothes who had come to help them also came to Thirteen and the others, forming a circle around He Yue and the other four, protecting them near the carriage.
But as time went by, He Yue gradually noticed something unusual. These people didn't seem to have any intention of taking Thirteen's life; they were just keeping Thirteen and the masked man in plain clothes occupied, while they were using deadly moves against He Yue at every turn.
Originally, she thought it was someone from the Heaven and Earth Society, but now she was puzzled. If it was someone from the Heaven and Earth Society, why would they let Thirteen go and target a woman like her?
Time did not allow her to think too much. Thirteen held Heyue's hand, holding the sword handed to him by one of the masked men in plain clothes. He showed no mercy to those people, and each strike was only meant to take the life of those who rushed at him.
The scene was chaotic, but fortunately, although both sides were masked, their clothes were different. If they had all been dressed in black, it would have been impossible to tell who was friend and who was foe.
Although He Yue and her group were outnumbered, they were clearly more experienced in battle. The men in black gradually lost ground, and He Yue and her group found things much easier.
Suddenly, a petite woman in black, under the cover of others, came towards He Yue from the enemy crowd, holding a sword and aiming straight for He Yue's heart.
Thirteen immediately stepped in front of Heyue, blocking the other's sword. A fierce glint flashed across the other's brow as he engaged Thirteen in combat.
Despite being masked, He Yue was able to guess the other person's identity from their figure and eyes.
It's Pinggu.
He Yue stared nervously at Ping Gu's suddenly surging aura, as if she had murderous intent towards Thirteen.
However, Ping Gu's kung fu was mediocre compared to the other men in black, and she was quickly outmatched by Thirteen, who stabbed her in the abdomen.
He Yue breathed a sigh of relief; judging from the situation, Thirteen was out of danger.
Just then, another man in black rushed over while there were only a few women with Heyue, took care of the masked man in plain clothes who was protecting Heyue, and went straight for Heyue's heart.
The masked man in plain clothes who was nearby noticed what was happening and immediately rushed over to protect Heyue.
At this critical moment, a petite figure suddenly appeared in front of Heyue.
Everyone was taken aback, and the next moment Cui Yan, who was standing in front of He Yue, had fallen to the ground.
He Yue held Cui Yan's fallen body, looking at the bleeding wound on her shoulder, her feelings complicated.
Cui Yan's face was deathly pale, and she was trembling with pain, but she smiled at He Yue and said, "Madam, it's good that you're alright."
"Okay, stop talking, let's go back right away." Heyue comforted her, pressing her hand on her wound.
Having failed to land a single blow, the opponent had already lost the initiative and was stabbed in the arm by He Yue's men, quickly retreating.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, one of them shouted, "Retreat!" and the enemy retreated like a tide.
Soon, only He Yue and her six companions, along with a dozen or so masked men protecting them, remained in the open space.
Thirteen breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that He Yue was unharmed. He glanced at Cui Yan, who had already fainted, and gestured to one of the masked men: "Carry her back to the carriage."
The other party responded with a "yes," and carefully picked up Cui Yan and put her into the carriage.
Thirteen put his arm around Heyue's shoulder and, seeing her dazed expression, gently comforted her, "Don't worry, she'll be alright."
He Yue came to her senses and smiled wryly: "I didn't expect her to do this."
But was her only purpose to save Heyue, or something else?
He Yue didn't want to think about other things, but she couldn't help but think about them.
Even if Cui Yan hadn't stood in front of He Yue, He Yue would have been fine in the situation just now.
Not to mention that He Yue herself was not to be trifled with, she could still hold out for a while until the people who were rescuing her arrived.
Cui Yan's actions were completely unnecessary.
Even if Cui Yan hadn't thought of that much at the moment, how long had they known each other? And they were rivals in love, so what kind of bond could make the other person risk their life to save her?
However, it is a fact that Cui Yan saved He Yue, and He Yue would naturally not let anything happen to Cui Yan. Everything will be discussed after Cui Yan recovers.
Thirteen thought Heyue was blaming herself, so he comforted her: "This has nothing to do with you, don't think too much about it. Let's go back first, you're injured too."
He nodded in agreement.
Upon returning to the manor, Heyue immediately had someone fetch a doctor specializing in treating external injuries. She had the doctor treat Cui Yan's wounds first, while she and Thirteen went back to their room to wipe the blood off their bodies and faces, quickly bandaged the wounds on their arms, changed their clothes, and then hurriedly went to their side room.
Cui Yan remained unconscious. Hai Lan and Zhi Zhu, under the doctor's guidance, had already applied medicine and bandaged Cui Yan's wounds.
The doctor took her pulse and came out to report: "This young lady was not seriously injured, but lost too much blood and fell into a coma. I will prescribe some blood-tonifying and pain-relieving medicine, and she will be fine when she wakes up."
He Yue breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the person was alright, that was good. Otherwise, she wouldn't know how to explain it to Steward Cui. A perfectly healthy person had almost lost his life after only a few days with her.
The doctor treated Heyue and Shisan's injuries, which were all superficial and nothing serious.
Zhizhu gave the doctor a few taels of silver, saw the doctor off, and then went to brew the medicine.
Seeing that Heyue's face was pale and she looked exhausted, Thirteen frowned deeply and said, "You're injured. Let me take you back to rest. There are maids here to watch over you."
Perhaps due to the recent events and blood loss, He Yue felt somewhat tired. She didn't force herself and nodded, "Mm."
Without saying a word, Thirteen picked up Heyue and carried her back to the main courtyard.
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