Hearing his words, Shen Shao Feng’s grip on his sword unconsciously tightened a bit.
He furrowed his brows, “I can’t think of any reason why you would reject this offer. After all, who would pass up an easy and safe path for a constantly dangerous and life-threatening path?”
His words made Qin Jue smile even deeper. He shook his head, saying, “You’re right, who in their right minds would do that? The Imperial Preceptor’s condition, I’ll do it.”
Hearing this, Shen Shao Feng immediately let out a breath, his hand also moving off of his sword handle.
“At least you’re sensible. At this critical point of your life, only Imperial Preceptor DaRen is able to protect your life!”
Not letting Qin Jue respond, he continued, “Since there’s no time to lose, I won’t be escorting you myself. I will send two people to escort you to WoJiang City. As for the rest of the matters, once you reach WoJiang City, there will naturally be people to help you arrange them.”
He summoned two people, after murmuring some commands to them, they set off on the road with Qin Jue.
Shen Shao Feng wasn’t afraid of Qin Jue backtracking. Because firstly, no one would reject the Imperial Preceptor’s offer of help and choose a young lad’s instead.
Secondly, his golden needle acupuncture could only suppress Qin Jue’s hidden disease for a short time. Qin Jue should know this fact clearly himself. In other words, if he wants to stay alive, he better behave and not cause any trouble.
Taking care of an important business, Shen Shao Feng didn’t linger any longer. Taking the rest of his people, they promptly rushed towards Xie Lin Lang’s direction.
Although he knew nothing would happen to Xie Lin Lang, if something does happen to her, then the consequences would be unbearable.
*
Around this time, Xie Lin Lang who had been leading the assassins through one circle after another suddenly stopped. Not far in the distance in front of her was a small hill, but further up ahead was a dead end.
Seeing her stop, the assassins promptly moved forward and completely surrounded her!
“How come you’re stopping? Aren’t you great at running away?!”
The assassins that were chasing after her clearly didn’t think the ‘Crown Prince’s’ stamina was this good! Taking them around in circles, so to speak, but also tactically taking them through dangerous swamp areas and causing them to lose a lot of men!
Sure enough, he was a toughie. No wonder all the assassins and guards that were sent after him were completely annihilated.
After being surrounded, Xie Lin Lang wasn’t worried. She suddenly threw open her cloak and smiled at them.
“Why are you chasing me? I’m Xie Lin Lang, the Number One Scholar that His Majesty titled himself! You’re really scaring me, chasing me like this!”
Her words shocked the whole crowd! One of the masked people came up and after examining her, asked in a vicious tone.
“You’re not the Crown Prince? Then where is the Crown Prince? Where did you hide the Crown Prince?!”
Xie Lin Lang took two steps back in the darkness, cheerfully saying, “Of course the Crown Prince is already gone! Who told you all to be so stupid and follow me all the way here?”
Her words angered the burly man greatly! Feeling tricked, he lifted his broadsword and headed straight for Xie Lin Lang!
“Die!”
Xie Lin Lang dodged his sword swiftly.
After her movement, almost all of the people began to take action. At this time, she faced the bottom of the hill and yelled loudly!
“Shen Shao Feng, how long are you planning on hiding? You want to see me be stained with blood first?”
Following her yelling, the crowd was shocked, all turning their heads back! From the dark forest suddenly rushed out a large number of exquisitely geared cavalrymen along with Shen Shao Feng’s angered roaring!
“Fuck! Xie Lin Lang, how dare you trick me again!”
What about being captured? Clearly, she was playing these people like monkeys! If Shen Shao Feng still hadn’t realized that he’d been played, then he suffered all these years for nothing!
Clearly knowing that it’s a trap, the assassins still had no choice but to jump in. Xie Lin Lang wasted so much of their time that they lost their target and failed the mission. How could they just peacefully and calmly let the black-armored cavalry take her away?
Soon, the two sides began battling and the area escalated into chaos.
Amidst the chaotic warfare, Shen Shao Feng slashed at the assassins while angrily yelling at Xie Ling Lang.
“It would’ve been great if these people could really get you stained with blood. I would’ve awarded them greatly!”
At this time, Xie Lin Lang had already taken the opportunity and jumped on top of a large boulder, replying in a very sad tone.
“You’re so heartless. What about our promise to be brothers for life?”
“Yeah right!”
Shen Shao Feng slashed his sword toward the assassins rushing at him while making his way in front of Xie Lin Lang step by step.
“It must have cost me eight lifetimes of misfortune to have a brother like you!”
Xie Lin Lang was originally full of laughter until she stood on the higher ground, scanning the whole area with Qin Jue nowhere in sight, the smile on her face froze.
Seeing her rare caught off guard face, Shen Shao Feng sneered.
“Are you surprised? Why didn’t I bring Qin Jue with me?”
He said pridefully, “Bet you didn’t expect that, huh. I didn’t come down here just to look for you but also for him! I already sent someone to ‘escort’ him to Xiang City, so just give up and behave and follow me back!”
“What?” she lifted her brow, “I didn’t think you were so generous!”
“How is that me being generous? It’s the Imperial Preceptor that’s generous! Imperial Preceptor DaRen promised him to help you repay your favor. His Highness isn’t stupid. Given a choice between you and the Imperial Preceptor, he would know who to choose even with his eyes closed!”
Hearing Shen Shao Feng’s words, Xie Lin Lang originally had a smile on her face but her expression slowly became strange.
“Imperial Preceptor DaRen helping me repay my favor?”
“Yeah!” Speaking to here, Shen Shao Feng’s tone began to become serious, “Xie Lin Lang, don’t be stubborn and go back. This result is the best outcome for both you and the Crown Prince, yet why are you still so obsessed on this issue?”
Xie Lin Lang laughed angrily, “Then what if I don’t go back?”
Hearing her still be so stubborn, his expression became gravely cold.
“Then don’t blame me for using force! I don’t believe that just for one Qin Jue, you would take off your Buddha beads to kill me!”
As he spoke, he jumped off his horse, putting force in his feet and flew onto the big boulder Xie Lin Lang was on! As expected, Xie Lin Lang chose not to engage in combat, but instead, she hopped off the boulder and into the battlefield, using her height as an advantage to become hidden.
Shen Shao Feng furrowed his brows and immediately went to chase after her. But the moment he stepped on the battlefield, flocks of assassins endlessly rushed towards him!
They would not let Xie Lin Lang be taken away by Shen Shao Feng. It seemed to them that Xie Lin Lang was the only person who knew of the Crown Prince’s location so it would be possible that this group of people also wanted Xie Lin Lang in order to find the Crown Prince!
Under the layers upon layers of attacks, the only thing Shen Shao Feng could do was chop the people attacking him while simultaneously moving in Xie Lin Lang’s direction.
Seeing that she found a breakthrough point and started running up the hillside, he began yelling at her at once.
“Xie Lin Lang! Stop being stubborn! Even if you chased after him right now, you won’t be able to catch up to him! He’s the type of person that abandoned you without giving a second thought. Are you really going to continue worrying about this type of person?”
Xie Lin Lang’s silhouette paused, then she sneered, “Then he should at least be telling me this himself!”
Her attitude made Shen Shao Feng begin to panic, “What are you talking about? His body is already at its limit, his inner wounds are rupturing and his life is hanging by a thread!
Only the Imperial Preceptor is able to provide him with the best herbs, medicine, and the safest place for rehabilitation. Isn’t it obvious why he would choose the Imperial Preceptor? Why must you go seek humiliation for yourself?!”
Xie Lin Lang was stunned after hearing his words. So the reason for Qin Jue’s abnormal temperature wasn’t because he had a fever, but because all his inner wounds were bursting?
No wonder he seemed like he was in so much pain…And coincidentally, the Imperial Preceptor offered him such an attractive exchange, giving him exactly what he needed right now. So the fact that he would the Imperial Preceptor seemed to be…given…?
Her heart dropped. Even if the assassins that were hunting Qin Jue down were being completely demolished exactly as she had planned, she still couldn’t bring herself to be happy.