Chapter 123 Being pulled into a slender yet strong embrace
Too far away, and with the shadows of the trees so thick, Li Jinyan could only make out his general appearance. He was dressed in all black, and his tall, muscular figure was visible under the shade of the trees. He wore a hat, and his shoulders were ridiculously broad, like a stone soaked in ink.
She became wary and asked loudly, "Halt! Who are you?"
Ruying and Anyue also sensed something was wrong and looked warily at the people who had suddenly appeared in the dense forest.
However, the man showed no intention of answering Li Jinyan's question. He walked step by step through the dense forest toward them, the branches under his feet crunching under his feet.
Dark Moon shielded Jiang Zhi behind her, held her sword horizontally in front of her, and shouted sharply, "If you don't stop now, don't blame us for being impolite!"
The man paused only slightly before continuing to stagger toward them, even waving his hands at them as if he were drunk.
Dark Moon and Shadow were filled with doubt and wanted to go forward to see what was going on, but in the end they did not leave Jiang Zhi's side for even a moment.
Jiang Zhi felt that the black figure was too eerie, and her unease grew stronger.
She whispered to Li Jinyan, "This person is suspicious. Your Highness, please leave immediately. It would be best if you could find some help."
Li Jinyan's excellent horsemanship was merely due to the social needs of noble ladies in such hunting grounds; she actually possessed little martial prowess.
She knew she couldn't be of much help here, so she nodded and said, "Then please be careful."
Two highly skilled bodyguards are more than enough to deal with a burly adult man.
With that thought in mind, she mounted her horse.
But she couldn't help but turn around and glance at that person.
Unexpectedly, just that one glance made her blood freeze instantly.
The black figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, its body covered in black fur, with a round head, thick claws hanging at its sides, and long, black nails.
It wasn't a person at all, but a bear disguised as a human!
Li Jinyan's whole body stiffened, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
This bear was wearing a huge leaf on its head, which made it look like it was wearing a hat from a distance, so it was mistaken for a human.
It's autumn now, the time when these animals are most active and have the biggest appetite as they store up fat for winter!
The horse beneath her neighed anxiously and fearfully, and before Li Jinyan could take control, it broke free and ran off with her.
When Jiang Zhi saw the bear, her heart skipped a beat, and her throat felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand.
She had heard stories of bears eating people.
Legend has it that bears do not like to eat dead animals. They prefer to keep their prey fresh when eating and will not kill it first. Instead, they will first bite the prey's face and then slowly eat its internal organs.
Sometimes, even after the body has been almost completely eaten, the person is still not completely dead.
Thinking of this, Jiang Zhi felt her hair stand on end.
The bear smelled the blood on Jiang Zhi and, no longer bothering to disguise itself, let out a low growl and pounced on her on all fours.
Jiang Zhi's pupils contracted violently, and Ru Ying and An Yue drew their swords to meet her.
However, both of them were known for their agility in martial arts, while the bear was incredibly strong and thick-skinned, with only a desire to eat in its eyes. Ruying and Anyue could not stop it at all.
In an instant, the black bear was in front of Jiang Zhi.
"Young Miss, run!" Ruying shouted angrily, flipped over and jumped onto the black bear's back, and thrust the sharp tip of her sword toward the back of its neck.
But the black bear grabbed its ankle, easily pulled it off its back, and tossed it aside.
Ruying groaned and crashed into the tree trunk behind him.
Dark Moon seized the opportunity to stab its sword into its abdomen, but it only went in half an inch before the black bear slapped it away with its paw, and Dark Moon spat out a mouthful of blood.
Having dealt with the troublesome person, the black bear, panting heavily, ignored its injuries and focused on its chosen prey.
Jiang Zhi was injured and moved slowly. When she saw the black bear rushing towards her, her eyes narrowed slightly, and she shot out the silver needle in her ring, aiming at its eyes.
"Roar—"
The beast's low growl startled the birds in the forest, causing them to scatter in all directions.
The black bear was shot in one eye, and in pain it became even more ferocious, slapping Jiang Zhi's face with its huge paw.
Jiang Zhi was extremely anxious.
The black bear was too large, and the potent poison applied to the silver needles seemed to have very limited effect on it.
Am I really going to die here today?
A fishy stench, carried by the force of a palm strike, swept in.
She couldn't help but grumble inwardly, thinking that no matter how late it was, it should have arrived by now.
At the critical moment, she was pulled into the arms of a slender and strong man, and she was pulled to roll, narrowly avoiding the black bear's fatal blow.
"Young Miss, are you alright?" A cold, magnetic voice rang in my ears.
Jiang Zhi looked at Shen Ci'an's familiar and reassuring handsome face, and her eyes welled up with tears.
While changing clothes in the hunting grounds, she asked a young eunuch to help her deliver a message to Shen Ci'an, telling him about her situation.
Shen Ci'an is always meticulous in his actions, and when he sees himself being led into the dense forest by a frightened horse, he will surely bring people to rescue him.
"Stop that beast." His voice was deep and cold, unlike anything he had ever heard before.
Although Shen Ci'an was a scholar, riding and archery were among the six arts of a gentleman. Upon hearing that Jiang Zhi was in trouble, he immediately led several guards to rush over.
Luckily, I made it in time.
Shen Ci'an was filled with lingering fear, and didn't even care about the pain in her back.
Jiang Zhi then noticed that his back had been swept by a bear paw, tearing a large piece of his clothes and revealing several scarlet wounds.
"Master! You are injured."
"It's alright." Shen Ci'an raised his eyes to look at the five guards who were fighting with the black bear, his brows furrowed.
The situation is not optimistic.
These guards were more than enough to deal with ordinary people, but now they were facing a crazed black bear, and they were really stretched thin.
Sure enough, within a short time, several guards were injured and fell to the ground.
Although the black bear appeared to be covered in wounds and blood, it was driven by a ferocious and restless nature, seemingly having completely lost its reason.
What Jiang Zhi found particularly strange was that the black bear had a peculiar, sweet smell.
It must have been given some kind of drug that would make the wild beast act violently.
The startled horse, the tripwire, the raging black bear—were these really all the work of Xiao Chengjin?
And from beginning to end, the beast's target was always her, as if there was something about her that drove it mad.
Before she could think, Shen Ci'an pulled her to the ground and made her roll away from the attack again.
She was brought to the wound and gasped in pain.
But the beast was faster; it barely dodged one blow before its next one arrived.
If this continues, Shen Ci'an will surely die here with her.
Just then, the sound of something cutting through the air rang out, followed by the rhythmic sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar.
Jiang Zhi looked up and saw a white-feathered arrow firmly embedded in the bear's forepaw, penetrating half an inch into its flesh, causing it to roar in pain.
Xiao Xuanyou rode atop a pure white steed, holding a bow and arrow. Sunlight fell behind him, gilding him with a dazzling golden edge.
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