35 Arrival of a Lightning Bol (2/2)
His voice was as sturdy as his chest, and it carried a certain unimpeded wildness, which Meng Fuyao immediately recognized as belonging to Zhan Beiye. There was no need for her to feel his embrace to do so since no one else had such a crude way of speaking.
Meng Fuyao's whole body loosened and she no longer felt as though there were invisible shackles that tied her down. A familiar surge of inner energy rose from her pubic region, speedily completing an operation cycle. Meng Fuyao was first relieved, then overjoyed, and then furious. She whipped her head around, slamming her fist right up his nose.
Not expecting her to bite back right after he had done her a favor, he was completely caught off guard. Blood flowed down instantly, coloring his face red. He looked rather pitiful at that moment, and Meng Fuyao was unable to contain her laughter. After a few snorts, she restrained herself and turned to look at the blood-soaked youth, and then at Yuan Zhaoxu, her eyes narrowing.
Yuan Zhaoxu initiated a smile before turning around to Yan Lie, who was rushing over with a stern look on his face. Yuan Zhaoxu stumbled forward a little, seemingly affected from the earlier blow.
Yan Lie extended his arm to provide support, to which Yuan Zhaoxu responded with a faint smile.
His smile swayed and twinkled under the moon and stars, producing an absolutely captivating dream-like visualization, in which misty spring flowers, creek water, and fine sand gathered. Reflecting the sunlight at different angles, the rippling water appeared exceptionally glittery.
His gaze was so dazzling that Yan Lie could feel his own conscious mind rippling in layers and turning into fluffs of cloud and mist, almost ceasing to exist.
He collapsed.
The imperial guards rushed forward as Yuan Zhaoxu made a light leap over Yan Lie's body. He said while laughing, ”Aye, what a pity. I think the assassin has poisoned him.”
Zhan Beiye covered for Meng Fuyao and Yun Hen as he charged forward, his eyes falling upon the wound on her shoulder. Due to the force of his movement, it had split open once more, and blood had started surfacing.
His gaze then fell to her skirt, on which drops of blood stain resided. Zhan Beiye frowned, seemingly frustrated, as he retrieved an exquisite jade bottle from his pocket and reached another hand out to tear the cloth over her shoulder.
”What are you doing!?” Meng Fuyao hissed.
He froze, and Meng Fuyao spotted the thing in his hand, immediately snatching it over and adding in a harsher tone, ”Attending to my wound at a time like this? I'll keep this with me and accept your apology.”
Zhan Beiye stared at her as she righteously slotted the bottle into her clothes. It was a skin medication of the highest quality that belonged to the royal family of Tiansha. It was something even the princes had difficulty obtaining. Somewhat amazed, he touched his nose and was shocked to see the blood on his hand afterward. It made him feel rather cheap.
The entrance of this lady into his life had brought nothing but chaos. Matters weren't matters anymore, and Zhan Beiye wasn't Zhan Beiye anymore.
Meng Fuyao repeatedly turned her head around, to which Zhan Beiye snapped. ”What are you looking at?”
”None of your business.”
Zhan Beiye pursed his lips as the blood below his nose started congealing and appearing rather comical. ”No need to look. It's a double act.”
”Knew it, you're not that great,” Meng Fuyao commented. Yuan Zhaoxu had already turned the other way, but with his hands behind his back, he gave her a wave that she couldn't decipher.
Sourness filled her heart. That man was so hard to grasp, and events seemed to have unfolded the way he had planned. How scary...
Before she could complete her thought, the trio had already charged through the second door. The situation was urgent, and bows were no longer effective.
General Pei waved for his gunmen to take aim.
Clank–––
Pei Yuan shrieked, ”What's the point? Do you think 500 over guards aren't enough to take you three down? Don't forget about General Fang's troops–––”
At that, she stopped. The father-daughter pair exchanged looks, finally realizing that Fang Minghe's army hadn't entered the second door.
Pei Yuan turned abruptly, opening a small gap and looking out of the door. She could vaguely see a commotion going on among the troops. And the first door, which was already opened, shut suddenly. She couldn't tell what was going on.
Distracted, she had failed to notice Zhan Beiye's advance toward General Pei. When she did rush forward to assist, she realized that Zhan Beiye had executed a fake move. He whizzed around, just in time to catch Pei Yuan as she pounced forward.
Hands against her throat, Zhan Beiye laughed, ”Eh, why are you getting dumber and dumber, woman?”
General Pei had miscalculated the situation, and upon seeing his beloved daughter being trapped, the fury within him surfaced through his pencil-straight brows. As he was about to call for guards to rescue her, a black shadow flashed past him. The next moment, Meng Fuyao's whip caught up. Keeping a distance, she flung it relentlessly to the left and to the right and to the left again. Her movements were so fast that many shadows were cast by her whip and it was impossible to detect which was real. He could only dodge non-stop, further and further away from Pei Yuan.