Chapter 6: 第五章 获救

In this life, she could finally cast aside her burdens and live for herself. Before, she was a soldier, prepared at every moment to serve her country, even to the point of sacrifice; she had even forgotten that she was actually a young and beautiful maiden. She deserved to have a family, a son and a daughter, to support a husband, raise children, and show filial piety to her elders.

Feng Feixuan struggled to crawl onto the shore. The wounds on her body had turned white from being soaked in the lake water; as they touched the sand by the lakeside, a wave of stinging pain hit her. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and stumble-roll onto the grass.

This short distance, an almost effortless amount of movement, actually left her panting for breath. A sensation of suffocation filled her chest, followed immediately by a clear, twisting pain just like last night, making her unable to help but lie on the grass and writhe.

What kind of poison was this "Worrying Grass"? To think it could torment a person so. Although it wouldn't kill her, being in this state was truly worse than death.

No, she had to detoxify quickly, otherwise, she would eventually be tortured into unconsciousness by this intense pain. This was no place to linger; if that copper-faced man brought people to search for her here, she would be left with nothing but scattered ashes.

Go. She dared not stay a moment longer. Crawling and rolling, she headed straight down toward the north.

On the official road below the mountain, a magnificent carriage rolled forward unsteadily, followed closely by a troop of riders. Gold armor, precious horses, and carved carriages were everywhere, and the scent of incense filled the air.

Shadows flickered inside the carriage. Through the light gauze curtains, the graceful, swaying arms of a charming woman danced with exquisite allure, her peerless beauty appearing and disappearing. From a distance, one could see her hair disheveled like drifting clouds and her bosom half-concealed, seemingly exerting effort to seduce the person inside.

One could tell at a glance that the occupants were either wealthy or noble, and the master inside was surely a man; perhaps he could provide her with temporary safety.

However, she was currently in rags, looking wretched and smelling strongly of blood. It was possible that as soon as she approached, his guards would hack her to death with a single blow, without even giving her a chance to speak.

But if she missed this carriage, she would have to crawl into the city. By then, she would likely be nothing more than a wandering ghost. Forget it; this was her only choice for now.

She would gamble! At worst, she would resort to force, seize their leader, and then talk.

Acting on impulse, Feng Feixuan, still in the mountain hollow, narrowed her eyes. She focused all her light onto a single point, precisely calculating the distance from the hollow to the carriage and the time it would take her to roll down at maximum speed.

"1, 2, 3..." A black figure rapidly rolled down from the mountain hollow. The speed was like a smooth, edge-less wheel, descending without obstacle.

"Who goes there?"

It happened in a flash. Before the guards on the flanks could react, Feng Feixuan had accurately gripped the carriage pole, tore open the gauze curtain, and leaped inside.

"Ah... a ghost!" The woman's hysterical scream pierced the sky.

*Shua!* Almost simultaneously, the sound of weapons clashing rang out from all sides. In an instant, the carriage was surrounded in a circle; with hundreds of armored men and horses, no one could escape even with wings.

The half-naked man reclining inside the carriage flipped over, attempting to sit up, but a sharp short blade was already pressed against his heart from behind.

The lead saber-wielding guard pointed his blade directly at the black shadow inside and roared fiercely, "Which thief are you? Release my master at once!"

"Handsome, you'd better not move, unless you want to find out if your soldiers' blades are faster, or my hands." Feng Feixuan pressed tightly against the man's back, her warm breath spilling unhindered onto his exposed shoulder. The woman's unique fragrance was fresh and natural, carrying a congealed scent of blood that gave it a peculiar flavor.

The man merely froze, and then the corner of his mouth curled into a faint, beautiful arc. Feng Feixuan could not see his features, but a mere slight smile was enough to reveal the man's cunning and wickedness.

"Handsome? To think you are describing me for the first time? How novel." The man's lazy voice was somewhat low, possessing a dazed quality as if he had just woken up, yet it lacked any trace of panic or terror.

Feng Feixuan was enraged. Since when had she become so lacking in intimidation? She was currently radiating killing intent, for heaven's sake!

"Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?" Thinking this, she applied pressure to the short blade in her hand. The tip sank into the flesh, and beads of blood seeped out, staining his snow-white inner garment red.

Unexpectedly, the man remained calm. With a curled lip, he asked, "Is this lady here to seek death?"

Feng Feixuan gritted her teeth. "No."

"Then shall we talk, how about it?" As if knowing her objective, the man's words struck her pain point. "You've been poisoned."

Feng Feixuan was startled, and a surge of wild joy rose in her heart. She asked somewhat impatiently, "You know how to detoxify?" Perhaps because she was being tormented too severely by the poison, the habitually vigilant woman actually became somewhat carried away by her own excitement.

"I don't. I'm guessing." The man denied it without a second thought. That teasing smile at the corner of his mouth gave Feng Feixuan the urge to kill him.

She exploded in fury and shouted, "You are looking for death. Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you?" As she spoke, the blade in her hand sank another inch, and blood began to trickle down.

Inside the carriage, the disheveled and enchanting woman lost all composure. She covered her mouth as if wanting to step forward to protect the man, but her body, shaking like a sieve, could not move at all. Aside from her charming voice remaining melodious, she cried, "Master..."

"Shuniang, do not worry." This dead man—at a time like this, he still had the heart to comfort his woman. Was she truly not afraid of death, or did she have a hidden trump card?

Feng Feixuan could not help but become cautious. Her sharp gaze swept across the magnificent carriage; aside from brocade quilts and blankets, there were porcelain cups and tea sets, and a seven-stringed zither placed nearby. Nothing seemed out of place.

"Master..." The guards outside the door were poised to strike, their bloodthirsty aura suggesting they were ready to tear Feng Feixuan into pieces at any moment.

To their surprise, the man waved his hand nonchalantly and said with absolute authority, "All of you, stand down. Continue forward. Do not delay my return to the capital."

"But, Master..." The guard at the front was naturally unwilling. Protecting their master was their divine duty; now that a female thief with no internal strength had found a loophole and was threatening their master's life, how could they pretend not to see?

"Stand down." The man's command carried the high-and-mighty intimidation of a superior, making one's skin crawl.

For some reason, this feeling felt very familiar to Feng Feixuan. Even as the waves of twisting pain became clearer, she involuntarily felt a trace of fear.

Feng Feixuan clutched her heart in agony, letting out an involuntary, delicate whimper. A mouthful of blood dripped from the corner of her dry lips. With a soft *tap*, the warm drop of blood hit the man's perfect shoulder, spreading a ghostly, brilliant red like a flower blooming in hell. Anyone looking at it would find it heart-wrenching.

It hurt so much. The hand holding the short blade trembled slightly, nearly losing all strength.