After chasing out of a small lane, Lu Yuanchi saw a woman in a pink dress on horseback standing at the intersection. Upon hearing the sound of hooves, she turned around to look.
Lu Yuanchi tightened the reins and watched as Yan Xiaoxu took the lead and spoke, "The princess is indeed as brave as the rumors say. I have broadened my horizons today."
Yan Xiaoxu had anticipated his words and did not say much, gesturing for Lu Yuanchi to lead the way.
The two did not speak much further, and Lu Yuanchi led her to the western outskirts.
The summer night breeze was refreshing, and the fluttering robes looked like ink splattered and dancing in the air.
They arrived at a secluded mountain foot at the destination.
They tied the horses to a nearby locust tree and then went to a mountain path at the foot of the mountain.
The mountain road twisted and turned, with weeds and shrubs on both sides, and the surroundings were faintly visible under the bright moonlight.
On the mountain was a fruit orchard owned by the Xiao family. This business was not prominent, and the location was remote. It was the first time Yan Xiaoxu had heard of it.
In the depths of the orchard were several small wooden houses, faintly revealing the light.
Lu Yuanchi gestured for Yan Xiaoxu to crouch and pointed to the entrance of the house. Following his direction, Yan Xiaoxu saw a team of fully armed guards patrolling around the wooden houses non-stop.
In theory, the defense of the orchard should not be so tight. Hiring a few strong servants as guards was more than enough. This level of strict guard indicated that there must be something going on inside.
Yan Xiaoxu took a deep breath, with various thoughts churning in her mind. As she furrowed her brows, a very unexpected figure walked out of the wooden house. It was a young man in his twenties with a gloomy face, the elder brother of the prince consort, Xiao Yan Chen.
He stood outside the door, looked around a few times, and motioned for a few servants to enter the house.
Lu Yuanchi squinted, approached Yan Xiaoxu's ear, and whispered, "With such a setup, there must be something behind it."
Before Yan Xiaoxu could respond, she suddenly saw the servants dragging something out. In the bright moonlight, she clearly saw that the servants were dragging two people, or rather, corpses.
They had closed eyes, full of wounds and blood, and their faces were a terrifying grayish-blue.
Yan Xiaoxu was shocked, and she exchanged a glance with Lu Yuanchi, who, having seen many killings, was very clear. The two people dragged out were already stiff, and they were likely dead.
The servants proficiently dragged the people out, one lifting the hand and the other pulling the foot, going to a corner out of view of the two of them behind the wooden house.
Lu Yuanchi remained silent, his eyes sharp as he stared ahead. This scene far exceeded his expectations. In a low voice, he said, "They are dead. This place is not suitable for staying. Let's leave first."
As he finished speaking, the sound of tools like shovels came from behind the wooden house. It seemed as though they were digging a hole to bury the two corpses on the spot.
Clearly, Yan Xiaoxu was shocked. Two lives were being casually buried. The Xiao family's hidden secrets were probably far more than what was immediately visible.
Before Yan Xiaoxu could speak, Lu Yuanchi suddenly and quickly covered her mouth with his hand.
A guard with a long spear was slowly approaching their location.
Wide-eyed, Yan Xiaoxu's heart was pounding violently, her hand gripping the dagger at her waist. She was thinking that when the guard approached, she would strike first.
Fortunately, when the guard was still a few paces away from them, he stopped. He loosened his robe and actually began to whistle while urinating.
At this moment, the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.
The pungent stench mixed with subtle rustling sounds spread in the air. Lu Yuanchi looked straight ahead at the guard relieving himself, a faint smile crept up at the corner of his mouth. He also discreetly raised Yan Xiaoxu's hand, covering her eyes that were darting around in confusion.
After a moment, the relaxed guard left with a contented expression on his face.
Landyuan stared at the back of the guard and gently patted Yen Ruoxu's shoulder as they walked in the direction they had come from. Not long after, several men in brocade emerged from the wooden house behind them. They accepted torches handed to them by their subordinates and murmured something to each other with bowed heads.
"That guard from earlier, I'm afraid he has already discovered us," Landyuan said, looking at the commotion with cold eyes as several scattered servants dispersed. In a low and somber voice, he said, "Princess, stick close to me and never get separated."
With that, he led the way, the two of them bending over and creating a path through the thick bushes and wild grasses.
The surrounding voices gradually became loud and bustling. In the quiet orchard, dozens of people suddenly emerged, armed and slowly searching for their whereabouts.
The refreshing night breeze had now been tinged with a hint of chill.
They couldn't discern the direction in the thicket, and after wandering through the trees they arrived at a cliff edge. Looking down, they saw a pitch-black void, its depth unknown, making it clear there was no way of retreating.
Yen Ruoxu experienced such a dangerous situation for the first time, and sweat beads trickled down her forehead. Countless thoughts raced through her mind: if these people found them, what would they do? Kill them or spare them?
The sound of footsteps drew nearer from some distance away.
Landyuan crouched in the thicket, peering through the dense and overlapping leaves. In the clear, cold moonlight, a strong figure appeared. He was alone.
Landyuan breathed a sigh of relief and quietly picked up a small stone from the ground. Using his fingers, he flicked the stone with some force, sending it flying to the side. It made a faint, crisp sound upon landing.
The figure paused for a moment, and his steps faltered as he turned to look towards the source of the sound, not more than a few feet away from them.
Seizing the distraction, Landyuan swiftly lunged forward and ambushed the man from behind. He grabbed the man by the throat and snatched the dagger from his hand.
These actions happened in an instant. Landyuan deftly subdued the man, pressing him to the ground, and whispered in his ear, "Don't make a sound, or you'll regret it."
Having been through many battles, Landyuan's secret to survival on the battlefield was speed and ruthlessness, focusing on striking the crucial points. His movements were not fancy, all directed at the key points. Such a seasoned skill immediately made the captive man understand that Landyuan's words were not to be taken lightly, and he obediently remained silent.
Landyuan swiftly removed the man's belt and tossed it beside Yen Ruoxu. "Tie him up," he ordered.
Nodding, Yen Ruoxu picked up the belt and securely bound the man. It was her first time doing such a thing, and her actions were inevitably clumsy, prompting Landyuan to glance down at her several times.
The captive man also murmured to himself, noticing the cold and experienced martial skills of the stoic young man, while the girl, on the other hand, appeared to be an inexperienced novice.
Following his gaze, Landyuan gave Yen Ruoxu a stern look and lightly slapped the back of the man's head. "What are you staring at? Stay still."
After Yen Ruoxu had finished binding the man, Landyuan tore off a piece of the man's robe and gagged him securely. The two of them escorted the man and bound him to the base of a small tree.
Once everything was done, a faint glow appeared in the depths of the distant dense forest. They concluded that their pursuers were unable to find them and were preparing to surround them from the outside. When day broke, they would lose the cover of the night and have nowhere to hide.
"Let's go this way," Landyuan disregarded their differing statuses and the traditional gender roles, holding Yen Ruoxu's arm as they retreated in another direction.
Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past, landing close to them. The arrow buried deep into the ground, its tip still slightly swaying, startling Yen Ruoxu. The sound of arrows continued to fly behind them, creating a mesh of arrows.
"Princess, we've fallen into a den of bandits," Landyuan grinned, adding a firmer grip on her arm. In the darkness, his eyes flickered slightly as he turned a glance back, pulling Yen Ruoxu along.
Author's Note:
Landyuan: My lady, I will protect you.
Yen Ruoxu: We've been surrounded.
Landyuan:
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Yen Zhe: Does anyone remember me? I'm all prepared and will soon be arriving at the set~