Well, no use complaining now. The only thing that Xie Lin Lang can do now is to get Qin Jue out of the city as fast as possible.
Back when she still had her carriage, they wouldn’t have to be this rushed. But now that her carriage is gone, and covered in poison powder, who knows whether the carriage thief Liu Second GongZi can still make it home alive…just thinking about all this made her head hurt!
Could it be that this is what it feels like to be raising an extremely naughty kid? The key isn’t even just that he’s naughty, he’s borderline yandere!
Xie Lin Lang dragged Qin Jue into a run. But as his injuries weren’t healed yet, the moment he started running, his whole body felt like it was tearing itself apart. Yet the more pain he felt, the brighter his eyes grew, and the corners of his lips curved upwards as if he was anticipating something.
Only after a while of running did Xie Lin Lang remember that Qin Jue was still a patient.
She turned her head back to see his face looking just as normal, yet the faintly discernible smell of blood couldn’t get past her. As expected, his wounds were opening up again!
She facepalmed in frustration, and without asking for his opinion, lifted him on her back!
Qin Jue was shocked and immediately wanted to get off. Before he could struggle, she fumed, “If you don’t want me to princess carry you then you better stay still! Gosh, you’re so rowdy even when you’re full of injuries…Don’t you know to speak up if your wounds are opening up again?!”
Qin Jue paused. After knowing Xie Lin Lang for all these years, he had already learned what “princess carry” meant. He also knew that if she can say it as a threat, it will definitely be done. So after a moment of hesitation, he didn’t move again.
Gradually, his ice-cold body seemed to warm up a little, because Xie Lin Lang’s body was like a furnace, always holding a temperature a few degrees higher than an average person. Leaning against her like this, he could feel very warm even if they were separated by layers of heavy clothing.
With Qin Jue on her back, Xie Lin Lang ran like the wind. Yet, no matter how fast she was, her speed was still slower than if they were on horseback. As a result, when she finally got to the side gates, the city entrance was already closed.
At the same time, people approached the guards at the gates, yelling, “Notice! Notice! Liu Second GongZi was poisoned by someone and is now unconscious! Until the assassin is captured, no one is allowed to leave the city!”
The guards at the gate answered grudgingly to the announcement. After evaluating the situation, Xie Lin Lang immediately distanced herself from the gate.
Looks like Qin Jue’s poison was so effective that Liu GongZi had already become unconscious…In this situation, it would be impossible to exit through the city gates. She needed to find another route…
A detailed map of WangJiang City quickly flashed through her mind. When she opened her eyes again, her vision landed on the green mountain within the city not that far away.
At this time, Qin Jue also spoke up, “That mountain is called Yun Mountain. Between the gaps of Yun Mountain, there is a stream called WangJiang crossing through. We can take the water route if we can’t get out through the city gates.”
Xie Lin Lang was surprised that Qin Jue had thought of the same solution as her. But then again, he was the one who did the poisoning, gave away her carriage, and now he wanted to go into the mountains. His goal wasn’t as simple as he made it out to be but she’ll go along with it for now!
Thinking as such, she broke into a run and carried him towards Yun Mountain without hesitation.
On the other hand, Qin Jue felt strange seeing her be this straightforward. Isn’t she trusting him a little too much? She’s already seen the darkest and worst side of him, yet she’s still doing exactly what he asks without hesitation? Is she not afraid that he’s lying to her?
Or is she just confident that she can escape completely unscathed whether he’s lying to her or not? He’ll just have to see.
Soon, they entered Yun Mountain.
Almost at the same time they entered the mountain, the whole prefecture entered a lockdown behind them. As they stood looking down from the hillside, they could see one smoky trail after another of the signaling lights being released into the sky.
That firework pattern was the exact same as the ones the assassins carried with them, meaning her carriage had already exposed their identities. It probably won’t be long until the assassins complete their search through the city and begin their search up the mountain, leaving less and less time left for the two of them.
But Xie Lin Lang wasn’t in a rush. She carried Qin Jue up the mountain and stopped where she heard sounds of water trickling.
“Let’s rest here for a bit! I’m exhausted…”
Then she put him down, walked a few steps toward the small stream, and squatted down to drink the water.
The water was formed from melted snow that flowed down and merged to become a stream. It was clear and cold yet surprisingly sweet.
Xie Lin Lang washed her face and filled up her water pouch that she carried with her. And when she was done, she turned back again only to discover Qin Jue had disappeared!
Could he be any less mischievous?!
She immediately stood up to search for him. And soon, she found him standing near the mouth of a spring not far in the distance.
The location of this spring was cleverly crafted, hidden under a big cyan boulder. The boulder was neatly structured as if it was a natural formation of a terrace.
If a person standing on the boulder looked down, it was possible to see buildings neatly scattered along the path, and the biggest building out of there was the Liu Mansion.
Qin Jue stood at the top, looking down with his arms behind his back. He suddenly laughed in a low voice.
“Lin Lang, did you know? My mother appeared to be generous on the surface, but in private, she would also wonder why the other concubines seemed to be getting more favored by the Emperor and secretly tried to please him.
Then, she discovered that apart from having a powerful family background, all the concubines that managed to keep their status for a long time all had some sort of specialty. For instance, Concubine Ming could play the Guqin, Concubine Xuan could paint, Concubine Liang had a soft and docile personality, Concubine Xu had a delicate and charming appearance…”
Xie Lin Lang couldn’t understand why he was suddenly speaking about this, but she followed him up the terrace.
Following the sound of water flowing out, and under the terrace, the small corner of a waterhole appeared. The part that poured out from the hole became a tiny stream flowing downwards.
Qin Jue continued, “Concubine Liu was never someone who stood out in the harem. But there was an aspect she had that others couldn’t compare with. It was her pale skin, bright eyes, and white teeth.”
“Back when I was small and mother wasn’t so keen on avoiding taboo topics with me, she would go discuss these types of topics with the other people in the palace and take me along with her. She was always curious about how Concubine Hui could maintain her white skin and teeth. After many inquiries, she learned that Concubine Hui didn’t actually do any special care for maintenance. The reason her teeth and skin were as such was because of the water she drank and the water she bathed with since she was little all of which originates from the water on this mountain, the Yun Mountain that’s located in her hometown. That’s why her whole family nearly all have the same clear skin and white teeth as her…”
When Xie Lin Lang first began listening, she was curious to hear how it’ll continue. But when she heard this, she felt her whole body stop!
“W-What are you planning to do?”
Qin Jue turned his head to look at her. In his cold pupils, there was a glint of chilly light. Because of his thinness, the features on his face became even more accentuated. When he was not smiling, his handsome and bright features only seemed to emphasize his bitterness and malice.
He spoke quietly, “Actually, I lied to you earlier. The Yun Mountain ravine does have a water route, but it’s heavily guarded all the way through. So we’re unable to leave either way.
But leaving isn’t completely impossible either. Every evening, someone from the Liu family will come to Yun Mountain to retrieve water in order to ensure the main household has enough water to use the next day.
The Liu boy that fell to my poison earlier should almost be dead around this time too. When the life of a direct lineage is at stake, all the other lineage members will probably start to gather at the main household. That’s why as long as I release the poison into this water source, the majority of the Liu family will not be able to escape.
And as WangJiang Prefecture descends into chaos, we will be able to leave the city successfully. This time, will you also be rejecting my proposal?”