Chapter 122: Piqued, the wangfei pardons (2/2)

If this wasn’t a threat, then what was it?

Mu Qingwu and Guard Shangguan simultaneously sucked in long breaths, even beginning to feel afraid for this woman. Would this woman lose her life before she stepped into the palace; nay, before she even left these mountains? This was a little too audacious, wasn’t it? She had been arranged into this match by the empress dowager, while the emperor had forced the marriage to take place. But now she dared to use the emperor to threaten His Highness Duke of Qin?

Was this woman crazy?

Even Gu Qishao, who had been enjoying the show, raised an eyebrow as he peered at Han Yunxi with a strange expression. This woman was taking a reckless risk. Was she really so thankful to him in her heart?

At last, fine veins bulged out on Long Feiye’s forehead. His expression turned so overcast that it looked like it would rain. Just when everyone was certain that he’d lose his temper, he wordlessly grabbed Han Yunxi and flashed out of sight. A complicated look flitted through Gu Qishao’s eyes. He was about to give chase when Mu Qingwu held him back.

“Gu Qishao, His Highness has lost his temper. You should watch out.”

Gu Qishao laughed and sneered, “What? Since the young general’s been pardoned, you can stand tall and speak up?”

This rascal had a poisonous tongue that hit Mu Qingwu’s sore spot as soon as he spoke. In truth, Mu Qingwu was the chief culprit for this mess. If he hadn’t asked esteemed wangfei for help, brought esteemed wangfei to the teashop, and involved her in the Ten-Thousand Snake Poison case, she wouldn’t have attracted the attention of the assassins. Feeling apologetic in his heart, Mu Qingwu resentfully released his hand, not saying a word.

But Gu Qishao had given up on chasing after them. His bewitching eyes darted a glance at Guard Shangguan before he said lazily, “Shangguan, let’s go.”

“Owner, what should we do?”

“What if His Highness Duke of Qin really closes down the teashop?”

“Owner, can’t we discuss this issue any further?”

“Respected owner, why don’t you catch up to them for a look?”

……

Gu Qishao allowed Guard Shangguan to urge him the whole way as if he hadn’t heard a thing. His mouth was smiling, his movements at ease. After walking for awhile, he lightly pushed against the ground and took gracefully to the skies, his billowing red robes floating behind him like a scarlet iris.

“Owner!” an anxious Guard Shangguan immediately chased after him. Mu Qingwu watched them both depart before expelling a long breath. He wasn’t sure how these affairs would be settled, either. He was more worried about esteemed wangfei. They’d combed the mountain countless times over the past few days, and it’d take a few more to get back. Mu Qingwu wanted to find His Highness Duke of Qin but lacked the nerve to do it.

—

After seizing Han Yunxi, Long Feiye wordlessly sped through the forests with an expressionless face. His palm rested directly above Han Yunxi’s whip injury, making her knit her eyebrows in pain. Still, she didn’t cry out. Her complexion had turned much paler than before as she leaned against his chest with hooded eyes. It wasn’t clear whether she felt piqued or really listless, but she left all her weight for Long Feiye to bear.

When the sun began to set, an angry Long Feiye finally felt the stickiness on his arm. Only then did he slow down to lower his head and saw that he was pressing against Han Yunxi’s wound. Both her arm and his hand were soaked in blood.

“Dammit!” Long Feiye cursed under his breath. He abruptly halted by a large tree and released Han Yunxi with a cold order, “Treat the wound immediately.”

Yet as soon as he let go, Han Yunxi leaned against the tree trunk, feet unsteadily as she swayed to one side. The tenseness of the past few days had made her incapable of closing her eyes no matter how sleepy she was. Add that to the seven or eight different poisons still left in her body and the pain in her arm, and her frail body couldn’t take it anymore! She’d relied on her will to stubbornly sustain herself, but now she was truly exhausted. At this moment, she didn’t even care about the pain, much less Gu Qishao’s fate. All she wanted to do was lie down and sleep without ever waking up.

Seeing that Han Yunxi had no reaction but was tilting to one side, Long Feiye urged unhappily, “Did you hear me?”

But when he finished, Han Yunxi actually toppled towards the ground. Greatly alarmed, Long Feiye finally realized that something was very wrong with this woman and rushed up to hold her upright. Han Yunxi cracked opened her eyes to look at him, her pale lips splitting into a faint smile that was half-scorn, half laughter at herself. It made Long Feiye very uncomfortable to see her expression.

“What’s wrong with you?” Long Feiye helped her to sitting position, his voice as cold as ever. Han Yunxi leaned inside the crook of his arm with drooping eyes as she allowed his question, neither meeting his eyes nor speaking. It wasn’t clear whether she had stopped paying attention, or lacked the strength to do so in the first place.

“Han Yunxi, speak!” a trace of anxiety slipped into Long Feiye’s tone.

But Han Yunxi didn’t react. In the dim, hazy light, her face was as pale as a corpse. Long Feiye hastily took her pulse, knowing enough medical skills to do that much. Only then did he realize this woman was in a dangerously feeble state. If she kept losing blood at this rate, she’d die. He’d long pushed his anger to the back of his mind and went to dig inside her medical pouch, only to find very little things inside. Besides a few medicines that he didn’t recognize, there were just acupuncture needles and some gauze.

Fortunately, he was a man used to fighting who always carried around Jingchuang Medicine[1]. Long Feiye set Han Yunxi against the tree trunk so he could help her bind up her wound, but Han Yunxi was too tired to sit straight. As soon as Long Feiye released her, she slumped towards the side again.

-o-

[1] Jinchuang Medicine (金创药) – jingchuang yao, an item often seen in wuxia novels and the like, used to treat cuts and injuries.