The worst of the currents had already passed allowing a few of the team captains of the inner courtyard guards along with a few important guests to come rushing in shouting “Save His Highness! Activate all the traps! Close the gate! Alert the guards out in the city! Close the roads… Ah!”
The ending to that last sentence obviously went weary. Everyone looked at the person and saw that he was already on the ground holding his stomach. Bumbling around directionless, a few of the guards tried to move the mangled main tent. Dark shadows suddenly flashed by and a few figures sprang out from under the tattered tent, all heading in different directions. The guards rushed over, moved aside the tent and dragged out a Jin Siyu covered in bloody water.
Jin Siyu was covered in blood, his face pale with hair plastered to his forehead. Seeing how badly he looked, all the guards felt their hearts drop, instantly wondering what was going to happen to them if His Highness died. Jin Siyu’s suddenly opened his eyes.
Overjoyed, the guards called out to each other. Touching the area over his heart, Jin Siyu let out a sneer, coughed a few times then shouted angrily “Chase after them!”
The guards quickly jumped up to give chase but had no clue which direction to go so they could only divide up to pursue the direction where the black shadows went. No one noticed that just when the black shadows scattered in all directions and Jin Siyu was dragged out, a few figures disappeared in the direction of the lake.
Jin Siyu wiped the mud off his face as he stared at the tent and the stage that had been swept down by the water. Looking at the chaotic state of the manor, an expression of fury and viciousness flashed across his eyes. Raising his sleeve abruptly, he pulled out a short tube and pulled it.
*pop*
A gold light shot into the sky, brighter and more gorgeous than the city’s fireworks. Like a golden sword, it instantly pierced through the dark sky.
Helian along with his men who had snuck in during the chaos took care all of the outer manor guards and were on their way to their meeting place outside of the city, looked up in surprise.
Ning Cheng who was carrying Hua Qing on his back and following the path Helian had cleared also looked up at the sky.
In a certain corner, a man who had used the chaos to silently take a person a away, frowned. (My guess is that this is most likely Ning Yi)
Jin Siyu, helped up by his guards, looked towards the direction that is out of the manor while listening to the report of Kelie’s death and Hua Qing’s rescue. Gripped tightly in his hand was a strange colored jade-like item. He sneered in a low voice “Very good, very good, blow up the lake, blow up the lanterns, hurt the actors, destroyed the traps, poisoned the guards, rescue those they want and didn’t forget to kill those that needed to be killed…What a grand plan! But I still want to see if you guys can walk out of Pucheng city!”
————————————–
“It’s easy to get out of Pucheng.” Someone was squatting at the entrance of a tunnel in an old house outside of the manor as he told the two people who were climbing out “What I am afraid is that it won’t be easy to get far.”
It was Zong Chen who was speaking. He was wearing a diving suit and holding a diving spear in hand. Seeing Gu Nan Yi carrying Zhi Wei out, he promptly stuck a pill into her mouth after seeing her face.
Feng Zhi Wei who had been covering her mouth the whole time while coughing found the time to raise her hand to express her thanks. Peering at her closely, Zong Chen sighed “Jin Siyu had this place so heavily guarded that we had to go with this plan. We delayed the plan for a while because we were concerned that you wouldn’t be able to handle being drenched by the winter lake water. We finally dared to attempt it after you got stronger a bit. How are you feeling now?”
Feng Zhi Wei smiled, and waved her hand, indicating not great.
Gu Nan Yi came over and found some dry cloth they had put in the old house’s cabinet. He wanted to help her rub-dry her hair and then tried to unbutton her clothes, wanting to change her into dry clothes but was strongly rejected by her. Stopping in confusion, Gu Nan Yi couldn’t understand why Feng Zhi Wei is suddenly acting so distant.
Zong Chen came over and handed a cloak to Feng Zhi Wei. The cloak was very large that it could almost drown Feng Zhi Zhi in it. Snuggled in it, even her breath wouldn’t escape it when she spoke.
Feng Zhi Wei thanked him before asking “Why won’t it be easy to get far?”
“Jin Siyu seemed to have a backup plan, he is a cautious person.” Zong Chen said, “Although we have chosen the most unlikely day to make our move, but I suspect he still took some precautions. For example, I know that there was some movement in the military camp nearby a couple of days ago, but we don’t know where it went.”
With a thoughtful expression, Feng Zhi Wei replied with a “Hmm.” She was about to say something when a tall figure rushed in with a few people behind him. Seeing Feng Zhi Wei, the tall figure immediately spread his arm and let a quiet yell “My aunt!” Just as he is about to pounce on Zhi Wei, he was kicked away by Gu Nan Yi.
Feng Zhi Wei smiled slightly but there was a strange expression in her eyes.
Zong Chen said to Helian “Ning Cheng and them have already left the city?”
“Their route is different from ours, he headed straight out of the city with Hua Qing. I warned him, if he dares to do anything funny then I will cause trouble for his master.” Helian said through gritted teeth.
To disperse the target, everyone had planned from the start to not take the same route. Zong Chen nodded “It’s not good to drag this on, Zhi Wei, if you can handle it then we will leave immediately.”
Zhi Wei nodded but didn’t say anything.
Helian laughed “My wife is still waiting at home for me. It’s not far from here. I told Third Brave to go get her already. You guys go first, I will wait for her for a bit.” (He didn’t use the word “wife” directly but it’s a word that indirectly means that, like “my other half”)
Zhi Wei turned to look at him questioningly. Helian smiled and flashed his sparkling white teeth at her “Report to my grand queen, I just took in a third concubine in Pucheng. If you don’t mind, she will come to serve you milk tea some other day.” (Traditionally, concubines have to go through a formal ceremony where they serve the wife tea. The wife would accept the tea as a signal that the concubine has been accepted into the family. Apparently, it’s goat milk tea in the wild grassland.)
“Third Concubine? Excuse me? Isn’t it obviously the fifth concubine.” Zong Chen scolded with a smile before signaling without delay for Gu Nan Yi to carry Feng Zhi Wei on his back. However, Feng Zhi Wei suddenly said “Xiao Dai (her nickname for him) is all wet and would be uncomfortable carrying me. Sir, the diving suit you wore before is dry now, I would like to trouble you.”
Gu Nan Yi and Zong Chen were both taken aback. Gu Nan Yi stared down at his drenched clothes silently and promptly used his internal energy to dry them.
Zong Chen glanced at Feng Zhi Wei and said, “Alright.” before turning to Helian “Come quickly after she gets here, we need to be fast.”
All smiles, Helian nodded. Watching them leave, the smile on his face abruptly disappeared.
Helian didn’t turn his head when there were footsteps approaching from behind him. With his hands behind his back as he watched Zong Chen and the rest of the group disappeared into the night, he asked “Still can’t find her?”
Third Brave lowered his head and replied “Yes, we searched all over. Miss Jiarong is not there. Perhaps…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. Everyone knew other than this “home” the only place Jiarong could go is the manor.
Helian raised his head to the sky, and thought for a moment before saying “You go catch up to them, leave the city immediately.”
Third Brave didn’t move, staring at Helian’s back, “King, you…”
“Go!”
No one moved. Third Brave didn’t even try to say anything more. He knows he can’t drag his king away but his king can’t chase him away either.
Helian sighed, turned around and said “It’s alright. Things are still a mess over there. I can go in and come right out with her, nothing will happen.”
No one paid him any heed. Helian let out a resigned smile, feeling that his “kinghood” is sure getting less and less.
The group of them turned back and head straight for the manor.
“King, why…” As they are rushing back, Third Brave couldn’t help but ask. He clearly saw in King’s eyes that he really wanted to go with Mr. Zong and the grand queen.
Helian pursed his lips and was silent.
After a long while, in the air filled with the smell of firecrackers and gunpowder smoke, there came an answer that seemed to be more of a self muttering.
“She called me husband.” (So the way this sentence is worded in Chinese gives more a feeling that Helian is pointing to a sense of duty. Kinda like if someone refers to you as “teacher” then you should act befitting that title. In English, the sentence might give a sense that Helian is moved romantically but that’s not the case in Chinese.)
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Why is she so hesitant with Gu Nan Yi? I’m sure she has a good reason. Is something wrong with her body?
And Helian is such a responsible person in the book. I really love him.
Thank you for your translation and your comments.
Great chapter. I hope Helian makes it out safe. Thanks!!!!
Another great chapter. How is that Jin Si Yu survived the attack when he was getting cut in certain section of his body? I hope they can all get out of this safely. But I am sensing this maybe the end of the road for Helian. He is truly a dedicated person.