Chapter 240 - What Year Is It Now?
Surprisingly, it turned out to be a mountainous route. The path grew narrower and steeper, inducing anxious perspiration from Luo Xiaoliu, while Zuo Shaoqing remained incapacitated.
After a moment of contemplation, Luo Xiaoliu halted the carriage. Strategically, he concealed Zuo Shaoqing amidst roadside foliage, shrouding him with straw. Determined, he resolved to press on with the carriage.
“What's your plan?” Zuo Shaoqing queried feebly.
“Lord Third, stay quiet and lie low. I'll divert their attention,” Luo Xiaoliu instructed.
“Fool, you're defenseless. How do you plan to divert them?” Zuo Shaoqing scolded sternly, commanding, “Distract the horses, then hide with me.”
Despite his trepidation, upon Zuo Shaoqing's command, Luo Xiaoliu armed himself with a blade and returned to Zuo Shaoqing's side.
Holding their breath, they awaited the approaching horses. True to expectations, the riders didn't halt as they passed. Tearfully, Luo Xiaoliu inquired, “Why are they pursuing us? Is something amiss with Yinyi?”
Uncertain himself, Zuo Shaoqing sought to reassure him, “Fear not, with Yinyi's prowess, such predicaments are unlikely.”
Gripping his pained chest, Luo Xiaoliu drew a deep breath, “Master, allow me to carry you down the mountain. An empty carriage may arouse suspicion if discovered.”
“Hold, you'll be ensnared if you carry me. Let's alter course and ascend the mountain on foot.”
Affirmatively, Luo Xiaoliu hoisted Zuo Shaoqing onto his back and ventured onto a path obscured by weeds.
Despite initial vigor, Luo Xiaoliu soon found himself sweating profusely under the strain of his burden.
Sensing a lull in pursuit, Zuo Shaoqing urged Luo Xiaoliu to rest while he utilized his remaining inner strength to expel the toxin from his body.
“Cough, cough…” Zuo Shaoqing expelled a clot of black blood, feeling lightheaded.
“Lord Third…” Luo Xiaoliu gasped, poised to inquire about his condition, when a cry rang out, “They're ahead!”
Hastily, he shouldered Zuo Shaoqing and stumbled uphill.
In a frenzy, Luo Xiaoliu navigated, at times straying off trail. Echoes reverberated from behind, alternating between clashing swords and distant chatter.
With one hand clutching Zuo Shaoqing and the other a branch, he pressed onward.
Wary of further delay, Zuo Shaoqing utilized his waning strength to purge the toxin from Luo Xiaoliu's system. The ensuing black discharge stained Luo Xiaoliu's shoulder.
Filled with remorse, Luo Xiaoliu ruefully pondered his route selection, contemplating if an alternate path might have expedited their journey to Cang State. Amidst civilization, would he still cower before adversaries?
Parting the branches before him, Luo Xiaoliu nearly collapsed at the sight ahead. Anxiously, he queried, “Master… There seems no escape… What's our next move?”
Zuo Shaoqing rallied some strength and descended to assist Luo Xiaoliu to the cliff's edge. Below stretched a broad river, its depth shrouded in uncertainty.
Surveying their surroundings, he sighed, noting the insufficient cover provided by the trees at the cliff's edge. “Are we to meet our end here?”
“Don't speak such folly. They surely have vested interest in you. Your life isn't in jeopardy!” Yet, the words were difficult to utter. If Luo Xiaoliu proved inconsequential, those individuals would certainly dispose of him.
A faint smile graced Zuo Shaoqing's lips as he whispered, “It's precisely for this reason that I cannot fall into their clutches.”
A noise ahead caught their attention. Nervously, Zuo Shaoqing and Luo Xiaoliu hoped for Yinyi and the others. However, upon sighting the first figure, they realized their hopes were dashed.
Zuo Shaoqing turned, eyes tracing the river's swift current. Lips pursed, he asked, “Shall we take the plunge?” Survival remained a slender possibility if they leaped. Compared to capture, he preferred the risk.
Long unable to discern Yinyi's presence, Luo Xiaoliu's resolve waned. Clenching Zuo Shaoqing's hand, he affirmed, “Let's do it!”
Without delay, Zuo Shaoqing seized Luo Xiaoliu's arm and leapt. Two figures descended the cliff like drifting leaves.
Moments before impact with the water, Zuo Shaoqing exerted his final strength, hurling Wu Tie upwards to lessen the impact.
Atop the cliff, the three black-clad men exchanged glances, pondering their next move.
One spoke in a foreign tongue, “Let's depart. Without our captives, we face certain death if apprehended.”
Another interjected, “Failing our mission, we're doomed upon return anyway!”
“Better than meeting our end by the hands of the Great Yang!”
The trio retraced their steps. Initially divided into search parties to locate Zuo Shaoqing on the mountainside, they were fortunate to find no pursuers in their wake.
Fleeing, they encountered opposition from Yinyi, who refused to let them escape.
Yinyi hesitated no longer; his priority was to rescue them. “Leave one alive; the rest will be dealt with.”
One of the trio lay deceased. Witnessing this, an injured member murmured in a low voice in Great Yang, “Your master has plunged off a cliff, his fate uncertain!”
“What did you say?” Yinyi lunged forward, seizing the individual's collar and delivering a blow. “Repeat that!”
“Yes… It's true… They jumped of their own accord… Ah…”
Yinyi discarded the motionless body and ascended the mountain swiftly. The pursuing guards behind him mirrored his urgency, leaving no one behind as they hastened their pursuit.
Upon reaching the cliff, Yinyi discerned only darkened bloodstains on the foliage and scattered footprints.
With a forceful punch, he shattered a nearby tree, clenching his fist as he commanded, “This spot is closest to Cang State. Assemble a team and comb both sides of the river. Summon the officials and the members of the Cao Sect!”
A guard, blood-smeared visage obscured, inquired, “Shall we inform Master Lu?”
Yinyi grimaced bitterly; how could he not inform him? If San Ye was indeed real… They all would face the consequences with their lives!
“Proceed to the Cang State stronghold and dispatch the swiftest intelligence report. Only convey that San Ye's whereabouts are unknown, and nothing more.”
“Understood.”
Despite the early spring's frigid rain, Yinyi dared not rest. Leading his men, he meticulously scoured the river's surface, leaving no stone unturned.
The thought of San Ye and Luo Xiaoliu immersed in the icy river filled Yinyi with dread. Though the torches had been extinguished, their eerie glow lingered over the silent waters.
To bolster their search efforts, Yinyi offered substantial rewards, incentivizing citizens to join the hunt. Nearly half of Cang State City's population joined the search.
Hearing that they sought the Duke Zhen's Wife, many volunteered without expecting payment. Master Lu, who had defended the borders for years, found his wife in peril; there was no reason to hesitate.
Boats crisscrossed the river, discovering several bodies by nightfall. Some even stumbled upon a chest of silver taels, its owner unknown.
At dawn, they laid out the retrieved bodies, awaiting identification by Duke Zhen's household. No one wished for the Duke's Wife to be among them.
As Yinyi approached, a putrid stench overwhelmed him, making it difficult for civilians to remain.
Despite the absence of Zuo Shaoqing and Luo Xiaoliu, Yinyi remained anxious. A night-long search yielded no results, leaving only two possibilities: rescue or their bodies sinking into the depths.
“Dispatch these to the authorities!” Yinyi motioned wearily, resuming his search.
Others might halt, but they could not afford to. With each passing moment, hope dwindled.
Zuo Shaoqing found himself in a prolonged dream. In it, he relived his youth, marrying into prosperity and overcoming past grievances.
Yet, the dream shifted, and he awoke in the Jiang Family's courtyard, a place of constraint for the past seven years.
Recognizing the other's suggestive gaze, Zuo Shaoqing braced himself. Such encounters had become routine; Jiang Che favored youthful beauty, leaving Zuo feeling aged despite being only twenty.
Despite Zuo Shaoqing's moving lips, not a single sound reached his ears. When the other person raised a hand, Zuo Shaoqing's eyes narrowed, preemptively delivering a slap. He then uttered a cold command, “Get lost!”
In his dream, he embodied the proud and aloof Madam Duke Zhen, the youngest Minister of Great Yang, and the earliest Prefect in history. His sense of dignity had permeated his being, making it inconceivable for him to tolerate such impertinence from a male companion.
As he watched the fleeing figure, Zuo Shaoqing stood motionless, surrounded by a landscape both familiar and foreign. He understood he didn't belong here, didn't wish to remain here, treated like a mere pet.
Stepping into the recognizable room, each sight triggered painful memories. He rubbed his temple and murmured to himself, “Wasn't I reborn? Why am I here? Why?”
“Lu Zheng… Lu Zheng…” He bowed his head, calling anxiously until a strange voice responded, “Hello… Are you awake? Wake up…”
Zuo Shaoqing's eyes snapped open, fixating on the cobweb-covered ceiling before him. This wasn't the Jiang Family's backyard nor the Wu Steel Manor.
“Hey, are you awake? Do you feel any pain?” Someone shouted near his ear. Zuo Shaoqing turned his head slowly, his mind still foggy.
Grasping the man's hand, he demanded, “Where am I? Tell me now!”
“Don't panic, you're in my house!” Lin Su withdrew his sore arm, pondering, “He seems gentle, but unexpectedly robust. Why does he appear bewildered? If I'd known, I wouldn't have rescued him.”
“Mirror, give me a mirror!” Zuo Shaoqing shielded his face, desperate to confirm his age—whether he was twenty or fifteen.
Lin Su became more convinced of Zuo Shaoqing's peculiar state. Who wouldn't inspect their appearance upon waking? However, Zuo Shaoqing was undeniably handsome. None of the village's prettiest girls could match him, but alas, he was a man.
Viewing the blurry reflection, Zuo Shaoqing realized the mirror couldn't discern his age. He coughed and attempted a different approach, “What year is it now?”
Lin Su scratched his head in confusion, “What year?”
Zuo Shaoqing fixed him with an expectant gaze, “Is it currently the third year of Tianfeng?”
Lin Su shook his head, “I'm not sure about that… But today is the twenty-second of the first month.”
Disappointment filled Zuo Shaoqing's eyes before a realization dawned. He recalled being pursued and eventually leaping from a cliff. The day of his accident was the twentieth of the first month; today was the twenty-second, meaning… “You're the one who saved me?”
Lin Su nodded, gratitude evident on his face.
Only now did Zuo Shaoqing, previously consumed by excitement, register the pain coursing through his body, particularly in his right foot.
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