I wish to win one heart
Lu Juezhen was being led westward by Hu Xingche. Hu Xingche was running very fast ahead, and Lu Juezhen was left far behind without realizing it. He couldn't help but shout to Hu Xingche, "Hey! Wait for me! I'm scared!"
"Are you scared and instead of running faster, waiting to become their swordsmen?" Hu Xingche stopped and turned around to say to him.
“I don’t know whether you’ll die or not, I only know that if you don’t turn back, you might really die…” Lu Juezhen pointed tremblingly behind Hu Xingche.
"Watch out!"
Just as Hu Xingche turned around, a long sword brushed past him, and Lu Juezhen, who was rushing towards him, fell flat on his face. Hu Xingche had already turned around and safely dodged before Lu Juezhen pounced on him.
"Ouch—ow!" Lu Juezhen clutched his aching shoulder in pain, saying, "I thought Brother Zhengye was pretty cool when he was protecting my master, but how come when it comes to me—ouch, hey, hey!"
Hu Xingche grabbed Lu Juezhen by the back of his collar, dodging and cursing, "Do you think everyone is as stupid as you? What are you doing rushing at me? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
He kicked Lu Juezhen aside.
"Hu Xingche! You!" Lu Juezhen, who had been kicked for no reason, looked up and was about to curse when he saw Hu Xingche fighting fiercely with the newcomer, sword in hand. He was stunned for a moment and immediately changed his tone: "You, you, you, good luck!"
He scrambled to his feet and found himself a perfect hiding spot. At this moment, not running around or acting recklessly was the biggest help he could give Hu Xingche, since he hadn't learned proper kung fu.
"I will definitely practice martial arts harder next time!"
"Shut up!" Hu Xingche glared at him fiercely.
That bastard! How could he have gotten himself into this mess?
When Hu Xingche was panting heavily, the last person was finally dealt with. Lu Juezhen then showed up and ran up to Hu Xingche to fawn over him: "Hehe, you must be tired! Come on! Let me give you a massage!"
Lu Juezhen pulled Hu Xingche's arm, pretending to massage him, but was shoved away. Hu Xingche wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, glanced at him, and said, "Are you alright?"
Lu Juezhen proudly said, "Very good."
Hu Xingche chuckled and said, "Of course you're doing very well. I'm the one who killed them."
“We’re the same age, how come you’re so amazing!” Lu Juezhen drawled out, his eyes sparkling again.
"Because not everyone is as lucky as you," Hu Xingche said calmly, his gaze lingering intentionally or unintentionally on the longevity lock hanging around Lu Juezhen's neck.
Only by experiencing wind and rain, by suffering hardships, can one cultivate such an innocent demeanor. He lost the right to be innocent many years ago. Hu Xingche silently lowered his head and withdrew his gaze.
"Just so you know, we have to—uh!"
He had just looked up when suddenly darkness replaced his vision, and Lu Jue really fell to the ground. Before he fell, he saw the crossbow bolt raised by the person opposite him.
There are still some that aren't quite dead!
A throwing knife flew out of his hand, and the opponent fell down completely. When Hu Xingche moved Lu Juezhen off his body, he found that there was a pool of blood on his hand.
Lu Juezhen lay on the ground, looking pained.
"Lu Juezhen!"
Hu Xingche quickly helped him to sit down by the tree. His lips were pale, and his voice was trembling as he spoke: "Now, am I finally handsome?"
"Are you crazy! What are you doing rushing at me like that!" Hu Xingche cursed.
"I'm not crazy! I'd be crazy if I just stood by and watched someone die." He raised his voice for the first time and his wound ached from speaking so loudly. Lu Juezhen frowned and gritted his teeth as he continued, "Listen to me, just leave me here and run away."
What are you saying?
"I'm serious, you have to escape on your own! I'm about to die, you can't go far with me. Go as far as you can, I'll stay here and if there are any pursuers, I'll help you delay them." He spoke with a fierce and resolute air, as if he was already prepared to die.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Hu Xingche asked him again, frowning.
Lu Juezhen watched as he suddenly pulled off the longevity lock around his neck and handed it to Hu Xingche as if he had made some kind of decision.
"Take it with you."
Hu Xingche was stunned.
“I can’t walk anymore, but it can.” Lu Juezhen personally placed the longevity lock into Hu Xingche’s hand and said with a smile, “Maybe you’re right, I’m lucky.”
He looked unwell and continued, panting, "I don't know what you've been through, but the past is the past. If it really represents good fortune, now I'm handing it over to you."
He pushed against Hu Xingche's arm, unwilling and reluctant, and continued to mutter, "Run away quickly, you have to live a very, very happy life with my share in your heart!"
"Go! What are you standing there for!" he roared at Hu Xingche, but his eyes, which were fixed on him, became increasingly blurry, and his voice grew softer and softer until he could neither speak nor see anything. Lu Juezhen finally closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
"Lu Juezhen? Lu Juezhen!"
*
How are you?
Tang Qi squatted down in front of Cheng Junshi, feeding him a small leaf filled with water and bringing it to his lips. Cheng Junshi looked up at him.
They eventually stopped in a cave. Cheng Junshi took the drink from his hand, his mind hazy. He was too weak to speak and could only shake his head gently: "Not good, but not too bad either."
"Don't be afraid, everything will be alright, you must hold on..." Tang Qi frantically reached for the bottles and jars at her waist, pretending to be calm and offering unsolicited comfort, but in reality, she was so panicked that even the hand pouring the medicine was trembling.
He didn't know what kind of poison Cheng Junshi had been poisoned with; he had only given him an ordinary antidote, which was certainly not enough to make Cheng Junshi recover. But this was the only thing Tang Qi could keep himself busy.
“Don’t be afraid,” he chuckled, gently reassuring Tang Qi, “I’m fine.”
"I'll set off a signal smoke later. If we delay any longer, your poison won't be cured. Now it's a matter of whether Ah Hu and his men are faster or that group arrives faster."
"But don't worry, you can rest here. No matter how many people come today, I'll send them all flying." Tang Qi smiled deliberately, his fake smile making Cheng Junshi laugh.
He had just picked up the sword beside him and stood up when Cheng Junshi reached out and grabbed it. Tang Qi stared at him, thinking that Cheng Junshi was about to say something sentimental, but unexpectedly he just opened his mouth and said, "I have a dagger, so you don't have to worry about anything."
Tang Qi paused for only a moment before bursting into laughter and saying, "Okay."
He took several steps but couldn't help stopping. Tang Qi didn't turn around, but just held his sword and stared at the cave entrance: "I remember you said before that no matter what, you could guarantee that you would die after me. Shaoqing, you must not go back on your word."
Tang Qi paused, seemingly struggling, and continued in a hoarse voice, "Cheng Wang, if I protect you and help you survive tonight, could you... just let it go?"
He suddenly stopped talking.
"How is it?" Cheng Junshi stared at him.
"...Fine, I'll keep you alive until tonight." Tang Qi laughed again. Just as he was about to leave, Cheng Junshi's voice suddenly came from behind him:
"I promise you."
"I haven't said anything yet, what are you agreeing to? Aren't you afraid I'll screw you over?" He still didn't turn around, but his laughter was extremely bright.
"I agree."
Cheng Junshi spoke softly as always, his voice darting through Tang Qi's ears like a fish swimming wildly into her heart.
"Then I'll have to... come back to you alive to get my revenge."
There were quite a few people there. Tang Qi stood on a tree branch, bent his eyebrows, and let out a long whistle to attract their attention.
"Look! It's up there!" someone shouted.
Tang Qi leaped forward, grabbed the speaker by the neck, and spun him around in the air before slamming him to the ground. Holding his sword, he raised an eyebrow, flicked his sleeve, and said nonchalantly, "He's not here anymore."
"He's all alone, don't be afraid of him!"
Tang Qi was surrounded by people. He raised his hand and pointed his sword at the person who spoke. His eyes were cold, but he smiled and said, "You don't look like you're not afraid."
"Kill them!"
Tang Qi may be good-looking, but when it comes to a real fight, he still knows to run away.
If he continues fighting like this in a one-against-many situation, he'll be knocked down and killed in a couple more waves at most.
He's been climbing trees and walls since he was a child; in his father's words, he's a wild monkey. Now, he walks people around in this forest like he's walking a dog.
Before long, the group of people who had caught up with them, panting, pointed at Tang Qi, who was leisurely perched in the tree, and cursed, "Come down if you dare!"
Tang Qi tilted his head and laughed: "What a coincidence, I really do have this ability."
His eyes were sinister, and his expression looked extremely dangerous. Under their gaze, he pounced like a demon demanding their lives, scaring the group into retreating. By the time they saw the rope Tang Qi was holding as he lunged forward, it was too late.
"Oh no! It's a trap!"
Several bamboo shards pierced his throat with a dazzling display, and many of them quickly collapsed. Tang Qi, however, moved freely among those bamboo shards, his long sword drinking blood from his heart. Tang Qi never showed mercy to his enemies.
In this world, there are fools as well as clever people, and his traps don't always work.
As he stood guard on the tree branch near the cave entrance for the third time, one of the people chasing after him suddenly pointed at him and asked, "Why are you alone?"
Immediately, some people realized that Tang Qi was using a smokescreen.
"The other one is injured, he can't have gone far! Search him! If you catch him, kill him too!"
No matter how much Tang Qi tried to stop him, he couldn't fight against overwhelming odds, and the cave where Cheng Junshi was hiding was eventually discovered.
Tang Qi was kicked to the entrance of the hole and rolled several times before finally getting up from the ground.
"What treasures are in the cave that would make you risk your life like this?" the person opposite asked jokingly.
Tang Qi gripped the sword, blood meandering down his arm like a snake flicking its tongue. He slowly panted and even laughed out loud: "I've already said it's a treasure, of course I have to protect it well."
"You're pretty good at fighting, aren't you? You managed to take so many of our brothers down."
Tang Qi wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand, lazily lifted his eyelids and smiled at the people opposite him: "You guys are too useless. I don't mind going all the way and sending you all on your way."
"Anyone who dares to enter the cave will be killed." Tang Qi's eyes turned cold.
"Don't push your luck! I'll see how long you can hold out. All of you, get on top!"
Cheng Junshi could barely open his eyes. He was breathing heavily, the poison giving him no chance to rest. He could hear sounds coming from the cave entrance, neither too far nor too close. Not far enough that he was unaware of Tang Qi's situation, nor too close that he was able to help.
He leaned helplessly against the cave wall.
Cheng Junshi took the dagger from his waist and slashed at his hand without hesitation. The pain briefly brought him to his senses. He tilted his head back and gasped for breath. He could hear the clash of swords at the cave entrance, the dull cutting sound of the knife piercing flesh, and of course, Tang Qi's muffled cries of pain.
Tang Qi swallowed the bitter blood churning in his throat, gritted his teeth, and blocked the sword that was slashing down at him. Suddenly, someone shouted, "His leg is injured! Attack his leg!"
It was as if they had finally discovered Tang Qi's weakness and began a relentless and frantic revenge.
The attacks grew increasingly powerful, and the silver-white sword tip nearly sliced Tang Qi's neck several times, but he stubbornly held on and blocked them all.
Finally, just as he was about to collapse from exhaustion, someone kicked his leg, and Tang Qi suddenly lost his strength and knelt on the ground. The blood stuck in his throat was coughed up all at once, as if someone had grabbed his lungs, and he was in so much pain that he couldn't breathe.
He finally bent down slowly and stopped in an eerie, calm posture.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
