Chapter 22

Su Ci didn’t think Ji Yuanhao’s appearance was a coincidence. In fact, she didn’t guess wrong, just like Yang Yanzong and the wooden box in the hidden compartment behind him. None of it was by chance. These two were well-matched opponents, but who would win today?

Su Ci’s mind raced but didn’t reach for the wooden box. Instead, she immediately reached out and pulled out the key, the stone wall silently closing. She secretly clenched the key in her hand. The two of them silently faced off for about ten breaths. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and she heard the sound of a sword!

Su Ci quickly looked up, and two figures had already shot out! Silver light flashed, and the two were instantly locked in battle.

Su Ci licked her lips and quickly moved to the side. She crawled and rolled, finally hiding among the large stalagmites and stone pillars at the corner of the dark river and the stone wall, crouching and peeking out.

During her frantic crawling and rolling, she had discreetly hidden the key in an inconspicuous crack in the stone. Keeping the key on her or leaving it in place was equally unsafe. After hiding the key and finding a good hiding spot, Su Ci breathed a sigh of relief and quickly peeked out.

Ji Yuanhao’s long sword trembled, the silver light stabbing straight at Yang Yanzong’s chest. Yang Yanzong blocked with his sword. With a sharp “ding,” Yang Yanzong counterattacked with a horizontal slash! Ji Yuanhao bent backward, his body twisting and counter-stabbing. Their attacks were as swift as lightning, fierce and relentless, but neither allowed the other to get close to the stone wall.

Ji Yuanhao and Yang Yanzong were old acquaintances, having fought together during the northern expedition, one at the front and the other at the rear, forging a great victory that people still talked about. Unfortunately, now they served different masters.

As for Su Ci, her impression of Ji Yuanhao mainly came from the original book. This was her first time seeing him up close. She observed him, realizing that anyone who could protect Ji Chengtan so well must be competent. Ji Chengtan had true feelings but was immature and lacked a sense of responsibility, stemming from his youthful naivety and hot-bloodedness. In the competitive and harsh environment of the prince’s mansion, his brother’s comprehensive protection was essential for him to grow up like this.

Ji Yuanhao, in front of her, was handsome and fierce, his swordsmanship swift as lightning. The previous elegance was gone, replaced by an overbearing presence. His arm and left leg seemed to be injured, and his purple robe was damaged and stained with dark red, though not much. His fair skin, splattered with blood, gave his face a strikingly fierce and sinister beauty.

Su Ci was very nervous. She observed Ji Yuanhao’s face and body, not because of his handsomeness but out of concern for Yang Yanzong.

Yang Yanzong had hit his head. Although it wasn’t a major issue, Su Ci noticed that he would sometimes rub his forehead and pinch his temples. He said nothing, but Su Ci guessed he might be dizzy. This was a symptom of a mild concussion, which is common after a head injury. It doesn’t cause nausea or vomiting and doesn’t require bed rest. Usually, it would heal on its own after a few days of rest. But the problem now was that he wasn’t resting. Intense physical activity would worsen the dizziness, and in a fight between experts, even a slight mistake could be fatal.

Su Ci couldn’t help but feel nervous. Fortunately, Ji Yuanhao was also injured, which somewhat affected his fluidity of movement, making it difficult to determine the winner for a while.

But as time went on, Su Ci’s worst fears came true. The high tension and intense fighting exacerbated the symptoms. She noticed that Yang Yanzong suddenly closed his eyes for a moment during a collision and landing. Although he immediately opened them, Su Ci’s sharp eyes caught it. Her heart leaped to her throat, and she quickly turned to look at Ji Yuanhao. But if Su Ci had noticed it, wouldn’t Ji Yuanhao have noticed, too? He squinted his eyes, and the sword light suddenly intensified, aiming straight for Yang Yanzong’s throat. Yang Yanzong snorted coldly and blocked with his sword. His reaction was swift, not slowing down in the slightest. But this couldn’t go on. The longer it lasted, the more disadvantaged Yang Yanzong would be.

Su Ci licked her lips, feeling uneasy. She thought for a moment, observed, and picked up a few sharp stones, holding them in her arms. She seized an opportunity, “Smack!!”

Aiming carefully, she forcedly threw a sharp stone and quickly ducked to the other side. The two figures separated and merged rapidly, the fierce sword light still lingering. Ji Yuanhao raised his long sword, but at that moment, a sizable stone suddenly flew from the side. It didn’t hit him. He moved slightly and easily dodged it, reacting quickly, but it still took time.

Yang Yanzong reacted just as quickly, seizing the opportunity in an instant. With a swift movement, his agile figure shot forward like a meteor shower! Ji Yuanhao was a fraction of a second slower and had to retreat several steps, with a “rip” sound as his clothes were torn!

Su Ci threw two more stones.

Ji Yuanhao was furious: “You little brat, do you want to die?!”

After a fierce clash with Yang Yanzong, he swept his long sword.

Oh my gosh! Su Ci rolled and crawled, quickly dodging backward.

Fortunately, Yang Yanzong immediately attacked, forcing Ji Yuanhao to block with his sword, allowing Su Ci to get up and run to the other side. It scared her to death.

Su Ci panted heavily, but she continued. She adopted guerrilla tactics, keeping her distance and occasionally throwing a stone, big or small, in Ji Yuanhao’s direction. Most of them missed, but occasionally, one or two would manage to harass him. The battle had reached a fever pitch, with both Yang Yanzong and Ji Yuanhao sustaining injuries that were becoming increasingly severe. With a “shh” sound, a line of blood spurted from Yang Yanzong’s side, instantly staining his shirt red. Ji Yuanhao’s left foot, already injured, took a heavy blow from Yang Yanzong, causing blood to drip continuously and making his movements less agile than before.

Su Ci no longer dared to throw stones randomly. The two were moving too fast and were too close together. She feared hitting Yang Yanzong instead of Ji Yuanhao, so she clutched a stone tightly and watched with wide eyes.

In the final intense clash, swords clashed continuously for over ten strikes. With a “boom,” the two were forced back seven or eight steps.

Ji Yuanhao’s left foot stumbled as he tried to steady himself. He ended up in front of the arch bridge between Su Ci and the dark river. The railing of the dark river was very low—only knee-high. So, Su Ci took a risk. The opportunity was too rare!

She reacted faster than she could think. Almost the moment Ji Yuanhao’s left foot stumbled, and he hadn’t yet steadied himself, she shouted, “Ah—”

With a strong push off the stalagmite behind her, she lunged forward, aiming straight for Ji Yuanhao’s left side, where he wasn’t holding his sword!

At this angle and speed, she could definitely push him down!

Earlier, while hiding, she had noticed that the water was bottomless and fast, rushing into a dark hole whose destination was unknown. Su Ci waited for the right moment, her eyes sharp and her hands quick. The distance was very close, and she timed it perfectly. With a lunge, she succeeded!

Ji Yuanhao, still unsteady, was heavily hit by her, causing his center of gravity to tilt backward. His knee hit the low railing hard, and with a “splash,” he fell into the river!

But before Su Ci could celebrate, Ji Yuanhao reacted quickly. Though he couldn’t regain his balance, he grabbed Su Ci’s wrist with a backhand. Both of them tumbled down heavily!

Su Ci wasn’t unprepared. She had been highly alert to this move, but her skills were still no match for these experts who had practiced internal martial arts for years. Despite her efforts, she was caught. In desperation, she shouted, “Yang Yanzong!!!” Help—

Fortunately, Yang Yanzong was very capable. Before Su Ci’s shout had even finished, he was already there. When Su Ci charged out like a little leopard, he was surprised, but that didn’t stop him from seizing the opportunity to strike. As Su Ci collided with Ji Yuanhao, Yang Yanzong leaped up, and from above, he thrust his sword down, aiming straight for Ji Yuanhao’s forehead. Ji Yuanhao had no choice but to lean back, and the long sword that had just been inserted into the river rock crevice bent to its limit and snapped with a “clang.” This completely cut off Ji Yuanhao’s chance to leap back up, while Yang Yanzong’s other hand wrapped around Su Ci’s waist, and his toes pressed heavily on the railing. In an instant, the three of them separated.

With a “splash,” the dark river splashed up a huge wave. The water inside was deep, cold, and highly turbulent, and the slippery, moss-covered riverbed quickly swept Ji Yuanhao away.

Su Ci watched out of the corner of her eye, seeing the river rush past the arch bridge and into a dark hole leading into the underground river.

Oh my, they finally dealt with him. He was so difficult to handle!

She and Yang Yanzong fell heavily to the ground, and she landed directly in his arms. With a cushion of flesh, she was fine, but the impact was really strong. Hopefully, he wasn’t hurt?

Su Ci quickly scrambled up. He wasn’t crushed, but Yang Yanzong held his head, his sword-like eyebrows furrowing as he endured a wave of dizziness before opening his eyes.

Su Ci felt a bit guilty under his deep, dark gaze. In her panic earlier, she had called him by his full name. Now, she quickly took the initiative, “Brother Yang, are you okay?”

She looked at the wound under his ribs. Fortunately, it wasn’t too serious. She quickly tore off a piece of her hem to press and bandage the wound to stop the bleeding.

“We should take the stuff and leave quickly!”

She had a feeling that Ji Yuanhao wouldn’t be defeated so easily and might come back soon, not to mention the group of imperial soldiers. After using almost all the dressings and bandages in her small bundle, plus a large piece of her hem, she finally finished bandaging the wound. Su Ci helped him sit up, “Brother Yang?”

Oh, now he’s Brother Yang again? And she called him with extra attentiveness and closeness. Yang Yanzong leaned against the stone wall, silently watching her fuss. He snorted twice in response, “Hmm.”

Su Ci secretly gritted her teeth but was thick-skinned enough to pretend she didn’t hear it. She ran over to retrieve the key she had hidden earlier, “I hid the key, but I can’t get it out. Can I use your sword for a moment?”

Su Ci spent some effort and finally pried the key out again. She dove behind the stone table and fiddled for a while to reopen the hidden compartment. Actually, she had considered taking the items earlier, but there was no opportunity. Now, there was no need to rush.

Su Ci lit the fire stick, observed it closely, and tested it. Finding no traps, she carefully took out the entire box. It was a huanghuali wood box containing several account books, each marked with the numbers “Three,” “Four,” “Six,” and “Seven.” Su Ci flipped through them and handed an open page to Yang Yanzong, “Not bad.”

This was it. Phew, after so much effort, they finally succeeded.

…

Having obtained the items, she was naturally elated. Unfortunately, the small bundle couldn’t fit the box. Just as Su Ci was about to take off her outer garment to wrap it, Yang Yanzong frowned, pulled off his belt, and removed his outer robe. Suddenly, a black object was thrown over her head, covering it.

Su Ci turned to see Yang Yanzong standing behind her with the sword in hand. He was wearing only a dark brown, tight-fitting inner armor, and his outer robe was in her hands.

Su Ci then remembered that it wasn’t appropriate for women to undress outdoors in those days. She gave him a sheepish smile, shook out the outer robe, wrapped the box neatly, and slung it over her back. Sorry, she forgot!

She skillfully tied a double loop knot, tugging it left and right to ensure it wouldn’t come loose. After checking, she patted the box, “Alright, let’s go quickly!”

She very consciously extended one of her paws, showing her wrist. She did this because she considered Yang Yanzong’s injury, thinking it might not be suitable for him to carry her on his back—she never thought he wouldn’t carry her.

Yang Yanzong glanced at her, grabbed her paw, and tucked her under his right rib, choosing a passage and swiftly moving away. About half an hour after they left, hurried and chaotic footsteps rushed into the stone hall like a whirlwind. The traces of the fierce battle, the two fallen corpses, and the empty stone wall were all that remained!

Zhu Lianming was furious: “Outrageous, outrageous!!”

“Chase! Quickly chase!!!”

…

But by this time, Yang Yanzong and Su Ci had already left the mine. In the southwestern mountains in winter, the forest was still lush and green, with thin mist and flowing clouds quickly passing through the valleys. After traveling dozens of miles into the vast forest, no one could track them, so they stopped.

It was already night; the sunset had faded, and dusk had fallen. Yang Yanzong put Su Ci down, scanned the area with sharp eyes, and found a camping spot. He used his sword to clear the surrounding weeds and walked out unhurriedly. Before long, he found some wild pheasants and rabbits.

After running all day without a sip of water, their stomachs began to growl once the tension eased. Su Ci touched her poor, hungry stomach and couldn’t just sit and enjoy the fruits of someone else’s labor, so she quickly followed Yang Yanzong to help gather firewood.

The young, energetic girl moved with a light, bouncing step, occasionally humming a few lines of an oddly off-key tune. Who knew how she dared to hum it? Despite being off-key by miles, she hummed happily and cheerfully. Yang Yanzong didn’t need to look back to imagine her state and expression.

After gathering dry firewood, Su Ci picked up a few stones to build a stove, placed the dry wood on it, and took out the fire stick: “Good thing I brought this!”

She was proud of herself. Luckily, she remembered to take it out before getting into the water. Look how useful it was; otherwise, they would have to start a fire by rubbing sticks together. She wondered if the big guy knew how to do that?

Su Ci knew the principle and method but didn’t have the strength to create a spark, so it would have to be Yang Yanzong.

Imagining the big guy kneeling on the ground, desperately rubbing sticks together, completely losing his cool image, she couldn’t help but laugh. Even lighting a fire made her smile broadly. She glanced at him while laughing, and Yang Yanzong, being very perceptive, gave her a faint look.

Su Ci immediately fell silent, not daring to laugh anymore. She coughed twice, very seriously sprinkled salt evenly on the skewered meat, and then placed it over the fire. She shivered as she proudly said, “Good thing I brought the salt, too! Otherwise, it would taste awful without any flavor!”

Saltwater can disinfect and kill bacteria. It’s not medicine but can be very useful in critical moments. When Su Ci was packing her small bundle, she specifically included it—of course, she wouldn’t admit that she had actually considered roasting wild game. Anyway, it was just a coincidence, a coincidence, hehe.

Her eyebrows danced, her eyes sparkled, and she sprinkled the salt like scattering flowers, occasionally praising herself. Yang Yanzong didn’t respond, but she was happily talking to herself.

Yang Yanzong clearly had a lot of experience hunting wild game. He chose the tender, small ones, which cooked quickly. He tore off the charred outside and sprinkled a little salt; it was pretty tender.

Su Ci ate two small chickens by herself, finally filling her stomach. She stretched comfortably, removed her shoes, and applied medicine to her poor feet. She fussed with her legs up. Now that her stomach was full and she felt safe, she started worrying about other things. “Are A Kang and the others okay?”

Luring the enemy was quite dangerous, and they had been doing it for so long.

Yang Yanzong replied concisely, “No problem.” He didn’t say much but knew his trusted subordinates’ abilities best. If he said they were fine, Su Ci believed him.

With one worry off her mind, she frowned and brought up another pressing issue, “What about this ledger? Should we continue looking for the next volume? But we don’t even know if there is another volume.”

After leaving the mine, they had carefully examined the ledger during their rest and found that it was incomplete. Some parts needed to be included. They didn’t know if they were hidden within this ledger or if there was a supplementary volume. Thinking about this made Su Ci frown.

However, Yang Yanzong was unconcerned, “No problem, not much is missing. We’ll have Liu Ying complete it.”

“Liu Ying?”

Su Ci was skeptical, “Can he complete it for us?”

No way, that guy is a lunatic!

After a series of setbacks and blows, this man was at the end of his rope, a hard nut to crack. The incident with the explosives made it seem like he had given up on everything, willing to drag someone down with him. Would he be so obedient as to complete the ledger?

Su Ci felt it was unlikely.

Yang Yanzong said calmly, “His brother isn’t dead, is he?”

Su Ci replied, “But both brothers are guilty of capital crimes. No matter what they say, they can’t escape punishment, right?”

She understood this, and Liu Ying surely knew it, too!

Yang Yanzong, however, smiled faintly, the firelight flickering, his smile carrying a chilling coldness: “First, cut off Liu Sheng’s arm, then cut off his nose. If Liu Ying still doesn’t speak, then slice his brother’s flesh off piece by piece.”

“Stop when he talks.” In his hands, it was impossible for Liu Ying not to speak!

This was what it meant to say something calmly that sent chills down one’s spine. Su Ci got goosebumps.

“…” Su Ci fell silent, as quiet as a chicken.

After that, Su Ci finished applying medicine to her feet, scooped water to wash her hands, and said softly, “Let me re-bandage your wound.”

The medicine on his head also needed changing. Better to keep busy; sitting idly in the cold was a bit unsettling.

Su Ci got up, washed her hands several times with soap, mixed some saltwater to clean his wound, and reapplied medicine and bandages. His wound was on his head, so he sat on a large stone without moving while she stood beside him, busy with the task. As she changed the dressing and bandaged him, she felt him staring at her.

His gaze made Su Ci’s heart flutter. This look, this posture, made her feel like something was about to happen. And sure enough, it did.

Su Ci leaned against the stone wall, carefully adjusting the tightness of the bandage, tying a knot, and said softly, “Alright, it’s good. The wound isn’t infected.”

As soon as she finished speaking, it felt like in the blink of an eye, before she could even react, a warm, calloused hand covered her cheek.

It was Yang Yanzong. He rubbed her face for a moment, stood up, and finally moved his hand to her chin, lifting her face. “I’ll give you one more chance.”

“You don’t want to marry me?”