mtl008 Chapter 247 Chasing Shadows
Chapter 247 Chasing Shadows
The young man inside turned and shoved Gu Yan into Bai Zhi's hands. He then stepped onto the mountainside, put two fingers in his mouth, and let out a sharp, loud whistle: "Whoever can't catch me is Chilimububugui!"
From afar came the thunderous roar of Wushameng: "Capture him!"
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bai Zhi immediately grabbed Gu Yan and fled to the other side, which was the road leading out of the camp and into the mountains.
Most of the barbarians went after the inside buddy, leaving less than twenty to chase Bai Zhi. Gu Yan's steps became heavy, and he was panting heavily. Bai Zhi held him tightly as they ran, saying, "Gu Yan! Run faster! Otherwise, I'll let go! I'm going to leave you with the barbarians!"
"You...you shouldn't have saved me," Gu Yan said, panting. "I have nowhere to turn back now."
The weight on his hands grew heavier and heavier, and Gu Yan actually slowed his pace, as if he were about to face his death. The pursuers behind them were getting closer and closer, and Bai Zhi was also losing strength; she could no longer carry Gu Yan.
What should we do? Should we just leave him behind?
"Gu Yan." Bai Zhi also started to breathe heavily, tightening her grip on his hand. "I'm not kidding you. You helped Chu Yunchuan, but you didn't help me. I really will dump you on the barbarians. Think it over before you speak. Do you really want to die?"
There was silence for a long time.
Just as Bai Zhi's patience ran out and she was about to let go, a steel knife flew over and stuck right next to their feet. If it had been an inch off, it would have nailed Gu Yan's foot.
Gu Yan suddenly cried out in pain, squeezing out all his strength to run forward, bumping into Bai Zhi and causing her to stumble.
Bai Zhi angrily shouted, "Running for your life! Be careful! You don't want to live, but I do!"
They fled until dawn.
When the two escaped to an unknown canyon, no one was chasing them anymore.
Bai Zhi slowly stopped, falling to the ground with a thud. Her grip on Gu Yan's hand was so stiff she couldn't let go, pulling Gu Yan down with her. Her throat felt rusty, and her whole body ached. Gu Yan coughed and wheezed violently, as if his chest no longer contained lungs but a broken old bellows.
Exhausted and hungry, Bai Zhi rested for a while, but finally succumbed to the overwhelming weariness and fell into a deep sleep.
On the desolate, windswept land, amidst the mountains of the far east, another group of people was making their way. The group consisted of only a dozen or so people, leading their horses, and they were quite scattered, each one checking their surroundings for any signs of movement as they went.
Chu Yunchuan, dressed in a black outfit, walked at the front of the group.
With a sudden hoot, Chu Yunchuan extended his right arm, and the black eagle landed steadily on the armband, with a small communication tube at its claw.
Changfeng leaned closer: "Your Highness, is it Lu Jiliang who sent a message?"
The small letter contained only a few words, and was indeed signed by Lu Jiliang. It stated that he had obtained the location of Salam and decided to secretly send troops, and that Bai Zhi was in Salam.
Chu Yunchuan stopped abruptly, overwhelmed by a mixture of elation and fear. He took a deep breath, his mind blank for a moment, and then said, "Changfeng, let's go. Send a message to Qiao Wanwan right now. Ask her what route Lu Jiliang and the others took. No, no need. The army's infiltration must have been led by General Zhu... Wait a minute."
His palms were icy cold and sweaty as he gripped the small letter tightly, his lips pressed together and his eyelashes trembling. Only when the letter was damp and crumpled did he hesitate and say, "Bai Zhi is imprisoned in Salam. Our people will definitely rescue her. A month has passed since we infiltrated. Her mask has fallen off. If we were going to rescue her, we should have done so long ago. Perhaps she has already left the mountains."
Changfeng: "That won't stop us from meeting up."
"...For some reason, I always feel that she is in the mountains." Chu Yunchuan tilted his head slightly, looking at the endless mountains in front of him. A tingling sensation ran through his heart. When the wind blew, the tingling sensation circled down from his heart and flew softly and bonelessly ahead to lead the way.
Changfeng didn't know where his premonition came from, so he didn't say anything and could only wait for him to give the order.
Suddenly someone shouted, "Your Highness! There's a sword here! It's the same type as the barbarian's!"
The two rushed over and found a steel knife stuck diagonally in the ground, and a few steps away, a dusty little wooden box lying askew.
The wooden box looked very familiar. Chu Yunchuan bent down and carefully picked it up. He wiped the dust off with his fingers and then squeezed it hard—creating a small crack. Half-hidden inside was the twin jasmine flowers that he had carved himself.
Flowers bloom in pairs, jasmine should never be separated.
"Someone come here!" Chu Yunchuan gripped the wooden box tightly in his hand and shouted, "Search the surrounding area carefully for footprints!"
"Yes!"
Changfeng asked, "Your Highness, what is this?"
“This is for Bai Zhi. She must have passed through here when she was being chased by the barbarians. I’m getting closer and closer to her.” Chu Yunchuan took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to Changfeng. “Inside are my specially made mechanical arrows that can penetrate Wu Shameng’s armor. Now take them and Flying Eagle to find General Zhu.”
Changfeng nodded, packed his things, mounted his horse, and left.
When Bai Zhi woke up, her whole body felt as relaxed and comfortable as if she were soaking in a hot spring. She touched her body—she was naked, without any clothes, only slippery water.
She was indeed soaking in a hot spring, or more accurately, in a tub of warm water. The tub was shallow, less than half a person's height, and there was a support inside to hold her body steady so she wouldn't slip into the water and drown.
The surroundings resembled a cave, with a bright firelight. The jar containing her was placed in a corner, surrounded by a screen made of wood and coarse cloth. Outside the screen, one could hear the laughter and chatter of barbarian women, all speaking in their own language.
Bai Zhi took a while to process what was happening, but still didn't understand. She decided to get up first, and after looking around, she realized her clothes weren't there.
"..." Bai Zhi cleared her throat and greeted them in the local language. After a moment of silence, she heard the women seem to be approaching.
The screen was suddenly opened, and several women in their forties and fifties, each holding something, surrounded her with smiles, asking her questions in soft voices. She didn't understand a word and dryly explained in an unfamiliar, barbaric language, "Language, I, can't, hear, understand."
The women exchanged glances and a few words. Then, one of them, holding a cloth, gestured for Bai Zhi to stand up. When Bai Zhi emerged shakily from the water, the woman wrapped the warm cloth around her. The other women then offered her various gifts: warm clothes, soft food, and a bowl of wine.
Bai Zhi was at a loss as the women wiped her down, dressed her, and fed her, as if she had suddenly shrunk back to being a newborn baby.
After tidying up and leaving the cave, Bai Zhi realized that this was the wasteland where she had fallen asleep. These people must have kindly rescued them after they collapsed there. It was still daytime outside; she didn't know if it was the same day or the next.
Bai Zhi stretched her arms and yawned, and the fatigue and soreness disappeared without a trace.
Is it the effect of that jar of water? That's really amazing.