Chapter 124 I really want to just strangle her like this.
Behind him followed dozens of well-equipped guards.
Seeing Jiang Zhi nestled in Shen Ci'an's arms, Xiao Xuanyou remained silent, his phoenix eyes half-closed, their depths dark like a sword hidden in its sheath, radiating a chilling coldness.
He looked down from his vantage point and raised his arm to draw his bow once more.
The silver arrowhead was aimed at Shen Ci'an's chest, his gaze icy and filled with undisguised killing intent, like a demon god.
Jiang Zhi had just escaped death, and was immediately startled by Xiao Xuanyou's actions.
"Your Highness!" she exclaimed in shock, almost instinctively shielding Shen Ci'an with her own body, "No!"
Shen Ci'an rushed over desperately to save her, and was injured in the process. When he was dodging the bear, he almost cushioned his own fall with his body.
How could she accept that Xiao Xuanyou, this madman, actually wanted to kill her without a word?
Xiao Xuanyou's already displeased gaze suddenly darkened, his lips pressed into a straight line, and a storm brewed in his eyes, cold and intense.
"Get out of the way." He gave Jiang Zhi almost no time to explain. As soon as he finished speaking, the silver-white arrow tore through the air and shot out with a sharp whistling sound.
Jiang Zhi's mind went blank. At the last moment, Shen Ci'an protected her head and helped her to the side to avoid him.
A deep, mournful howl came from the side of the bear, which had been shot in its only remaining eye by an arrow and was now enraged.
Jiang Zhi then came to her senses; it turned out that Xiao Xuanyou was trying to deal with that beast.
She looked up somewhat guiltily, only to see Xiao Xuanyou sitting on the sturdy back of his horse, backlit, making it impossible to see his expression. "What, did you think I was going to kill Lord Shen?"
"This humble woman dares not," she said in a hoarse voice, suppressing her still wildly beating heart.
Before the black bear could attack, it was surrounded by the surging guards, who swung out iron hooks that hooked its limbs and body.
The more the black bear struggled, the tighter the iron hook tightened. In no time, the iron chain bound its entire body, and its massive body fell to the ground, unable to move any further.
Jiang Zhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
With the crisis temporarily averted, Shen Ci'an released his grip on Jiang Zhi and frowned as he examined her body from head to toe.
Her hair was disheveled, her face and body were covered in blood, one of her hands was probably broken and had been given some basic treatment, and her foot was also injured. She looked pale and still had lingering fear.
Shen Ci'an pursed his lips and carefully helped her up from the ground. When he looked up, he saw that Xiao Xuanyou had already come to them. His outstretched hand was still hanging in mid-air, as if he wanted to help her up.
Shen Ci'an and Jiang Zhi took a step back without making a sound. "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving Princess Qinghe."
Xiao Xuanyou's expression was unreadable. "I saved Miss Jiang, it has nothing to do with Lord Shen, right?"
“After all, Princess Qinghe is my cousin, so it is only right that I express my gratitude on her behalf.” Shen Ci’an’s posture was respectful, but his voice was cold.
"No need," Xiao Xuanyou sneered. "I was just doing this incidentally on my way to save the Crown Princess."
“Yes,” Shen Ci’an frowned slightly at his obvious hostility, but there was something more important at the moment. “Princess Qinghe is injured and cannot move. She needs a sedan chair. May His Highness send someone back to fetch it?”
Xiao Xuanyou curled his lips, "Lord Shen need not worry about this. You are also injured, so go back with the guards first. I have nothing to do, so I will stay here with Princess Qinghe and wait."
Shen Ci'an was naturally worried and was about to refuse when Jiang Zhi spoke up: "Master, your injury is no less serious than mine, and it was caused by that beast's claws, making it very susceptible to infection. It is more important to go back as soon as possible and have the imperial physician treat you."
This is just one aspect.
The image of Xiao Xuanyou aiming an arrow at Shen Ci'an was still vivid in my mind.
She was really afraid that this madman might do something extreme again, so she tried her best to avoid any conflict between the two of them.
Xiao Xuanyou raised his chin, and two trusted confidants immediately stepped forward and, half-inviting and half-coercing, helped Shen Ci'an onto the horse.
The injured Dark Moon and Shadow, along with several guards brought by Shen Ci'an, were also helped onto their horses. Even the black bear was dragged behind the three horses and taken back.
Only a few of Xiao Xuanyou's personal guards remained in the dense forest, scattered around with their backs to the two men.
Looking at Jiang Zhi, who was in a disheveled state, Xiao Xuanyou really didn't know how to treat her.
When something happened, her first thought wasn't to notify him, but to go find that powerless Shen Ci'an, putting herself in danger. I really don't know what she was thinking.
When he saw her being held in Shen Ci'an's arms, it felt like a fire was burning in his chest.
What he found even more unacceptable was that she still protected Shen Ci'an at all costs!
What was so good about that poor scholar that made her risk her life for him?
A subordinate brought a damp cloth and handed it to Xiao Xuanyou. Xiao Xuanyou bent down, held Jiang Zhi's chin with one hand to make her look up, and gently wiped the dried blood from her face with the other hand.
"Didn't you say you wanted to become my blade?" His tone was a mixture of pity and mockery. "How did you end up like this?"
Jiang Zhi looked away. "Isn't now the perfect time for His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Xiao Xuanyou raised an eyebrow, his hands, which he used to hold a pen and a sword, lightly brushing over the scars on her face. "What do you mean?"
“This matter must be related to the Third Prince. We can obtain evidence with a little investigation.”
Xiao Xuanyou said, "Since he dared to do it, he must have made thorough preparations. Do you think he would be foolish enough to wait for us to find something to use against him?"
"That's not necessarily true. Even if no evidence can be found, wouldn't His Highness the Crown Prince make one himself?" Jiang Zhi's voice was cold as she endured the pain and used her still-intact hand to take out a small, lustrous jade pendant from her clothes.
The jade pendant was shaped like a rabbit, round and cute, white and translucent, with tassels hanging at the bottom, clearly an item worn close to a woman's body.
“This is…” A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Xuanyou’s eyes.
Jiang Zhi smiled slyly, but the movement instantly aggravated the wound on her face, causing her to hiss and wince in pain.
"I took this from the Third Prince's wife when she wasn't looking at her earlier in the hunting grounds, and now I'm handing it over to His Highness the Crown Prince."
Xiao Xuanyou's face showed a complicated expression. "So, back then, you already guessed that we would encounter danger?"
“I knew they were going to attack me because Consort Chen forced me to ride a horse, so I had to have a backup plan. I just didn’t expect it to be this dangerous.”
Jiang Zhi handed him the jade pendant, gesturing for him to accept it quickly. "Fortunately, everything turned out alright. As for how to link this item to this matter, that's up to Your Highness to decide."
Xiao Xuanyou simply kept his gaze fixed on her, without reaching out to take it.
"Do you think that I can't deal with Prince Su without you?"
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but frown. What was wrong with this person now?
"This humble woman does not know where she has gone wrong, and please tell me frankly, Your Highness."
Xiao Xuanyou took a deep breath, his forehead veins throbbing, and his fingertips traced her neck.
If he could, he really wanted to just strangle her right there.
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