Chapter 204 A Hero Saves a Beauty
After watching for a while, Zhong Min realized that these masked men in black were none other than Asan and his group. For a moment, her mood was at its lowest. It was obvious that both groups had bad intentions. She would be helpless no matter who caught her.
Seeing that the two sides were fighting fiercely, she looked around, trying to find a good breakthrough point to take Xier away in the chaos, but before she could move her feet, she found that people from both sides had already locked eyes on her, leaving her no chance to escape.
"Don't think about those useless things. After I finish dealing with these men in black, I will take you away." Shangguan Hong looked at Zhong Min with ease. It was obvious that he didn't take those men in black seriously at all, and he was not worried that Zhong Min would escape from his clutches.
Zhong Min was furious upon hearing this, and then she turned her head away, ignoring the shameless man. She had no interest in the fight before her; it made no difference to her who won. Her only hope was that both sides would be hurt, that they would perish together, so that she could leave as she pleased.
However, her idea was obviously not realistic at all. Asan and his men seemed to have discussed it beforehand and did not want to fight anymore. They just tried every possible way to get closer to Zhong Min and take her away smoothly. But Shangguan Hong's men were not pushovers either. They tried to stop them one after another, and a stalemate was formed for a while.
Just when Zhong Min was getting a little impatient, she suddenly felt that something seemed to be wrong. She looked carefully and saw that there seemed to be someone coming from the front. Moreover, those people were very fast. They chose weaker openings in a very planned and cooperative manner and rushed towards the crowd.
Zhong Min suddenly became excited again, and thought to herself, this time it's really lively, it's the third wave, who can tell if it will be even more lively?
Before this mentality could fully spread, Zhong Min suddenly froze, his mouth almost unable to close. He kept pulling Xi'er beside him and shouting, "It's Brother Qin, it's Brother Qin and the others!"
Oh my god, some reliable people finally came this time. Zhong Min was so happy that his heart was blossoming. The first few people who had rushed into the crowd were Qin Ke, Xiaowu and Xiaoliu.
Shangguan Hong naturally discovered Qin Ke and others immediately, and the same was true for the two sides in the fierce battle. However, on the one hand, the two sides were too entangled and it was impossible for them to get out immediately. On the other hand, Qin Ke and others were extremely fast, and there were people responsible for blocking and clearing the way along the way. So by the time they reacted, Qin Ke and others had broken through the siege and rushed to Zhong Min and Xier.
"Let's go!" Qin Ke blocked the blockers who were getting closer to Zhong Min, and ordered Xiaowu and Xiaoliu to protect Zhong Min and Xier and leave quickly.
At this moment, Zhong Min naturally would not drag his feet. He nodded quickly, pulled Xier and followed Xiaowu and Xiaoliu closely, breaking out to the northwest.
Seeing this, Ah San and Shangguan Hong immediately ordered their men to stop Zhong Min, but Qin Ke and some of his men quickly opened up a gap in the resistance line, creating a gap for Zhong Min and his men, thus containing the enemy. Qin Ke's skills were extremely impressive, and with the help of many other experts, Ah San and Shangguan Hong's men were quickly stopped, and they could only watch helplessly as Zhong Min was rescued.
After running about three hundred meters in one breath, the people who had been prepared to greet them quickly brought horses and asked Zhong Min to get on the horses and go to a safe place.
"Wait, Xiaowu, what about Brother Qin and the others?" Now that they were out of the encirclement, Zhong Min instinctively asked about Qin Ke and the others' situation. It would be disloyal to just run away without caring about the others. Although she had no skills, not only could she not help, but she was also a huge burden. But at least she needed to know their plans, to know if they had a way to escape safely.
"Don't worry, young lady. Hero Qin and the others will be fine. They will hold our opponents back for us first, buying time for us to retreat. Then they will retreat safely and meet up with us at the designated location. Go ahead, young lady. It's better for everyone if you leave early!" Xiao Wu answered quickly, and as he spoke, he brought the horse and helped Zhong Min onto it.
Zhong Min had a clue in her mind and didn't ask any more questions. She pulled Ma Qiang and said to Xiao Wu, "Xiao Wu, Xier doesn't know how to ride a horse. You're a better horseman than me. Take her along!"
Why was Qin Ke here at this time, and why were Xiaowu and Xiaoliu with him? Seeing as they brought quite a few people with them, it seemed like they had made ample preparations to rescue her, not just by chance. What had happened in between? Zhong Min's mind was naturally filled with thoughts, but now was not the time to talk too much. Everything would have to wait until they were truly free of Shangguan Hong and Asan's men.
Xiaowu followed Zhong Min's instructions and got on the horse with Xier. Without wasting any more time, they whipped the horses quickly and disappeared in a short while.
Meanwhile, Qin Ke had been holding back those attempting to pursue Zhong Min. Later, for some unknown reason, Ah San and Shangguan Hong unexpectedly reached a temporary agreement, and the two groups joined forces to deal with Qin Ke and his companions. Seeing the situation was dire, and figuring that Zhong Min and her companions would have already left without a hitch, Qin Ke decided not to fight any longer. He suddenly threw a smoke bomb and quickly evacuated with the other brothers as planned.
"Master, those people are gone!" After a moment, the smoke dissipated, but Qin Ke and others were nowhere to be seen, as if they had never been there.
Shangguan Hong sneered, looking in the direction where Zhong Min and the others had disappeared, and said, "Very good, this is getting more and more interesting. Zhong Min, wait and see, we will see each other again!"
After saying that, Shangguan Hong turned around and left. Upon seeing this, some of his subordinates stood in front of Asan and other masked men in black vigilantly, while the other part quickly stepped forward to protect Shangguan Hong and leave. After a while, the rest of the people followed suit and retreated. Only a group of masked men in black were left in the whole place.
"Brother, has Shangguan Hong already known our identities?" Someone stepped forward and said to Ah San, "Otherwise, when Xiao Mingzheng's men showed up just now, he wouldn't have allowed his subordinates to temporarily join forces with us."
"So what if he knew? If he hadn't shown up mid-sentence to disrupt things, we would have already completed the mission!" Ah San's eyes darkened as he stared fixedly at the spot where Shangguan Hong had left. "He's more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything!"
"Brother, I'm worried about him..." The man seemed a little uneasy, as if he wanted to remind San, but he held back the words when they came to his lips.
Ah San immediately understood the man's thoughts and turned to him, saying, "What are you worried about? You useless thing! Even if he knows our identities, what's the use? Are you still worried that he will embarrass us in the future? Remember, our master's status is no worse than his. What's more, we are his people, not his. Don't worry about it. Just think of a way to recapture Zhong Min and complete the mission!"
At this moment, Asan understood that the situation seemed to be completely unexpected. Not only did the troublesome Shangguan Hong suddenly appear, but Qin Ke also came, and Qin Ke also brought a lot of Xiao Mingzheng's people. It would not be so easy to catch Zhong Min.
"Actually, I think my master is being too emotional. In my opinion, it would be better for him to kill that woman like Shangguan Hong did. This way, it would be all over and it wouldn't distract my master." The man had obviously vented all his dissatisfaction on Zhong Min. She was such a troublemaker. He felt sorry for his master. Was it worth it to care so much about a woman like her?
Upon hearing this, Ah San's face immediately fell and he said in a cold voice, "Shut up! Does the master need your instruction? He must have his own reasons for doing this. Shangguan Hong only understands one side of the story, so he's only making matters worse. With your status, how could you say such a thing? Remember, the master is always the master. No matter what he says, we should just do our best to get it done for him. Don't bother with anything else!"
"Yes! I understand!" After hearing what Ah San said, the man didn't dare to say anything more. Soon, these men in black also left. In an instant, the place became quiet, as if no one had ever been there.
As darkness fell, Zhong Min and the others, led by Xiao Wu, finally stopped in a secluded forest, resting and waiting for Qin Ke and the others. This was the rendezvous point they had agreed on earlier in the morning. If nothing unexpected happened, once everyone had arrived, they would escort Zhong Min back to Muzhou early the next morning.
"Go back to Muzhou?" Zhong Min couldn't help but ask back after hearing Xiaowu's words. The fire in front of her drove away the coolness in the forest, but at this moment her heart began to fluctuate.
"Yes, it is indeed too dangerous for the young lady to be outside right now, so the prince asked Hero Qin to find you and escort you back to Muzhou safely." Xiao Wu replied, "When Hero Qin returns, he will explain the specific arrangements to the young lady."
Although Xiao Wu didn't quite understand what had happened between Min'er and the prince, he did understand one thing: just do your job well, and others will naturally take care of the rest. Moreover, many things couldn't be explained by him alone, so he simply asked Zhong Min to wait for Qin Ke to return and explain everything all at once.
Seeing this, Zhong Min did not ask any more questions. Instead, Xier beside him seemed a little excited. Zhong Min knew what the girl was thinking without asking. If she returned to Muzhou, Xier would naturally go back with her, and then she would be able to see Luo Jiaxing again, so the girl was naturally not unhappy.
After eating some pre-prepared rations to replenish their energy, they gathered around the fire to rest while waiting for Qin Ke and the others. Xiao Wu told them that on the day she was abducted by the men in black, Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu were both in a market town not far from the village. However, due to their small numbers, they were unable to stop Ah San and the others, so Xiao Liu and another secret guard had to follow them secretly, while Xiao Wu rode away day and night to report the news.
After returning, Qin Ke happened to be there. When he heard that Zhong Min was captured, he set off immediately without saying a word. Xiao Mingzheng sent more than 20 secret guards with high martial arts skills to Qin Ke's command, and made sure they rescue Zhong Min safely.
As for the rest, Xiao Wu really didn't know what Qin Ke and Xiao Mingzheng talked about. He only knew that the two of them locked themselves in the study and talked for almost an hour before leaving. When they came out, they both had serious faces. Then Xiao Mingzheng gave Qin Ke a very solemn fist-clasp. Of course, Xiao Wu didn't tell Zhong Min much about these things. Some things would be better to tell her when she asked in person one day.
No one spoke anymore. Xiaowu assigned someone to stand guard nearby, while the others were absorbed in their own thoughts. Zhong Min was in a state of intense confusion, but he didn't want to dwell on it. He simply stared blankly at the fire. Xi'er leaned against a tree to rest, no longer paying attention to Zhong Min. Only the occasional crackling of burning wood made the night seem even more silent.
After a while, Qin Ke and the others still hadn't returned. Zhong Min couldn't help but feel a little worried. Although she knew that Qin Ke was a martial arts expert, he was now missing an arm, so fighting was not as convenient as before. In addition, Asan and Shangguan Hong were not pushovers either, and their combined number was much greater than Qin Ke and the others. She really didn't know what would happen to these three groups.
"Xiao Wu, why haven't Brother Qin and the others come back yet? Have they gotten into trouble? Otherwise, why don't you go and pick them up?" She discussed her idea with Xiao Wu. She was really anxious because she had to wait like this all the time.
Xiao Wu naturally understood Zhong Min's feelings when he heard this, but he didn't agree. Instead, he said, "Miss, Hero Qin has already explained that our mission is to protect you. No one can leave without permission. Don't worry, Hero Qin and the others will be fine. If anything unexpected happens, they will find a way to inform us in advance. We haven't received any news yet, which means they are fine. They are probably just afraid of being followed, so they took a detour."
Yes, sometimes no news is actually good news. Zhong Min nodded slightly and said nothing more. Everyone here is more capable than her, and now she can only trouble these people for her life.
Sometimes she thought that many things were really unexpected. She never thought that her affairs would affect so many people who were not related to it. She felt guilty. She had never done anything for these people, but when she was in trouble, so many people ran around for her, even risking their lives.
Her heart was heavy as she thought about her future. She didn't know what to do. She had originally thought that she could just hide away somewhere and live her life without bothering anyone, but she had caused so much trouble. Now, it seemed she had no right to act as she pleased. After all, even if she didn't want to, she had already implicated many people who had nothing to do with her. She didn't mind trouble, but she had absolutely no reason to cause more trouble for others.
Right now, she could only wait until Qin Ke came back. Subconsciously, she had regarded Qin Ke as the most trustworthy relative, just like her own brother. So, if there was something she couldn't figure out, the first person she thought of was him.
Just as he was thinking, there seemed to be some movement ahead. Xiao Wu and the others jumped up immediately, weapons in hand, and immediately became alert. However, Xiao Liu, who was standing nearby, made a reassuring gesture and said, "It's okay, it's Hero Qin and the others who are back!"
When Zhong Min heard this, she was immediately overjoyed, and her heart, which had been hanging in the air, could not help but feel relieved. Qin Ke and the others finally returned safely!
Qin Ke soon arrived with his men. Zhong Min took a quick look and saw there were about twenty of them. They all came over to her and saluted, making her feel very uncomfortable. She was nothing, and yet she had caused these people to work so hard for her. How could she still have the nerve to let them salute her?
"Come on, stop it! You don't have to do this. I should be the one thanking you all for coming all this way to save me." Zhong Min quickly waved his hand and said, "Don't do this again in the future. I feel guilty."
When those people heard what Zhong Min said, they looked at Xiao Wu beside them in a state of bewilderment. When they came out, the prince had instructed them to treat Miss Zhong Min like the prince and to escort her back to Muzhou safely at all costs. But now, they just bowed to her, but she asked them not to do that again in the future. In this case, they didn't know who to listen to.
"Okay, there's no need to be so particular when you're out. Just protect the girl well. You can rest on the spot in batches first." Xiao Wu was very steady. He had been working in the capital with Zhong Min for more than a day or two before, so he was naturally more familiar with her temperament and personality. Therefore, he immediately ordered the other secret guards to do their own things. Rescuing Zhong Min also rescued the others.
"Are you okay?" Qin Ke stood there, staring at Zhong Min intently, as if they hadn't seen each other for a century. When he learned that Zhong Min had been abducted, he felt indescribable regret. If anything happened to her because of his mistake, he would never be able to forgive himself. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I made you suffer these days."
Zhong Min naturally saw the worry and concern on Qin Ke's face, as well as the deep remorse. She shook her head repeatedly and said, "Brother Qin, I'm fine. Don't be like this. It's not your fault. Why do you have to take all the blame on yourself? Besides, I've been fine these days. I'm sorry to have caused you so much worry and trouble."
"Silly girl, you are more important to me than anything else. If anything goes wrong with you, in this life, I..." Qin Ke's face was moved. If he would always remind himself not to show too much true feelings in front of Zhong Min before, but now, after experiencing this time, he really couldn't help but show it.
Zhong Min suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. Qin Ke's deep affection was not concealed at this time. Even though Xiao Wu had already taken the others away, she still felt uncomfortable looking into his gaze.
She subconsciously cleared her throat, then changed the subject towards Qin Ke and said, "Brother Qin, stop standing. Sit down and have a rest and eat something. I think you're exhausted too."
Xi'er was quite clever. Seeing this, she immediately went over and pulled Qin Ke to sit down by the fire. She then brought some food and drinks for Qin Ke to eat. Qin Ke also quickly realized that his subconscious emotions had made Zhong Min a little uneasy. He smiled slightly, put on a new expression, and started eating first.
He could tell Zhong Min had a lot of questions, especially...especially about Xiao Mingzheng. After all, he'd rushed to rescue her this time, bringing so many of Xiao Mingzheng's secret guards with him. And Xiao Wu had probably already told her something else, at least about returning to Muzhou. But judging by her expression, it was clear she didn't know much. Firstly, Xiao Wu and the others didn't know either, and secondly, Xiao Wu probably didn't say much else.
"Do you have a lot of things you want to ask me?" He took a mouthful of dry food and asked her softly, with the most natural affection in his voice.
"Well, you eat first, there's no rush." Zhong Min smiled, as if you saw through her, and she felt much more at ease than before. In fact, as long as Qin Ke didn't show his affection in front of her like that, she was still used to being with him and felt at ease.
"Then tell me about your experiences these days. I'll listen to you while we eat." Qin Ke also had many doubts in his mind. Originally, he heard Xiao Wu say that he only knew that a group of men in black had kidnapped Zhong Min, but he didn't expect that another group of people would show up halfway.
It seemed Xiao Mingzheng was right. Zhong Min's situation was not optimistic. Furthermore, the court officials were beginning to stir. They knew how important Zhong Min was to Xiao Mingzheng, so as the war progressed, they might target Zhong Min and use this as a threat. So, while Muzhou was a dangerous place, it was the only place where Zhong Min could be guaranteed safety.
When Zhong Min heard this, she remembered that she was only thinking about other things and forgot that Qin Ke still knew nothing about what had happened to her in the past few days. She also sensitively guessed that perhaps the things she knew now might have some important value, so she nodded and told him everything that had happened in the past few days, especially about Shangguan Hong, in great detail, and also included some of her own guesses, which she also told out one by one.
After listening to Zhong Min's words, Qin Ke realized that the matter was indeed quite complicated, even more complicated than he and Xiao Mingzheng had guessed when they were in Muzhou. Obviously, the black-clothed men brought by the man named Asan should be Xirong people, and their purpose in capturing Zhong Min was not clear for the time being, but they must have some intention.
As for Shangguan Hong, Qin Ke frowned when he thought of him. This man actually wanted to kill Zhong Min from the very beginning. It was unforgivable. No matter who this man was, what his identity and background was, as long as he dared to have such thoughts about Zhong Min, he would not let him go!
Moreover, he vaguely discovered that Asan's group seemed to have something in common with Shangguan Hong's group, especially when they appeared to delay the two groups and buy time for Zhong Min to leave, the two groups that were originally in conflict unexpectedly chose to join forces to deal with them first.
Could it be that Shangguan Hong is...
"Min'er, he said he was Shangguan Hong?" Qin Ke suddenly thought of something and immediately confirmed with Zhong Min again.
PS: Thank you Xiaoyu for the sachet, kisses, and thank you Yunyun and Yunduoer for the pink clouds.
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