Chu Fengqing: “What’s wrong?”
Ji Yujin looked over there, “Something is not right.”
“Qing Niao!” Ji Yujin shouted into the void.
The next moment, a dark guard in green clothes walked out of the darkness, his feet touching the ground without making any sound. Chu Fengqing was a little surprised that someone had been following them, and he didn’t notice it at all.
“Governor.”
Qing Niao spoke in a very flat tone, without any emotional ups and downs.
Ji Yujin looked in the direction he came from, as if trying to gauge whether there was any danger. After a moment, he looked at Chu Fengqing and said, “I’m afraid something has happened to the old emperor. I have to go over and take a look. Let Qing Niao take you back.”
Chu Fengqing nodded. He had no force, and staying would only cause trouble. “Be careful.”
“En.” Ji Yujin carried him down, glanced at his shoes, and let out a “tsk”. His shoes would definitely get wet if he walked back, but there was no other way now. “Change your shoes immediately after you get back.”
Chu Fengqing was stunned. Is he still thinking about such a trivial matter at this time? However, he did not refute and nodded, “Alright.”
“Qing Niao, you must send this person back to the camp intact, or bring your head to me.”
Qing Niao cupped his hands and said in a serious tone, “The subordinate obeyes your orders.”
Ji Yujin put his hands on the horse’s back and climbed onto the horse. His hair, which was tied up high, moved with his movements. With his red clothes and black horse, it was no exaggeration to say that he was a demon from nowhere.
This demon’s eyes softened slightly only when he looked at the pale-faced person in front of the horse.
The horse whip was raised and lowered, and the horse’s hooves made a not-so-crisp sound on the snow. Chu Fengqing looked at his back and frowned slightly.
Qing Niao: “Madam, let’s go.”
Chu Fengqing: “En.”
Considering Chu Fengqing’s pace, the two of them did not walk very fast. Instead, it could be said that they walked a little slowly. He was concerned about Ji Yujin, so he did not speak. Qing Niao was a taciturn person. He might not even reply to you when you talk to him, let alone ask him to speak first. That was impossible.
So apart from the “crunching” sound of their footsteps on the snow, there was no other sound. Chu Fengqing’s shoes were not too thick, and the snow became damp after a while of stepping on it. The cool air from the snow seeped in through the gaps in the cloth.
It’s a bit cold, indeed.
After taking only a few steps, the sound of horse hooves was heard behind them. Chu Fengqing turned around to look, but before he saw anyone, he was captured and put on the horse again. He smelled a familiar smell, and Chu Fengqing’s body, which had just stiffened, slowly relaxed.
Ji Yujin’s hot breath fell on his neck. “I was confused. Something has happened to that old emperor. The camp must have fallen.”
Chu Fengqing was just thinking about this problem. If he wanted to choose this time to assassinate, then the women, children, and civil servants in the camp would be the biggest bargaining chips in his hand. Most of the guards went to protect the emperor, and the military officers also went hunting. There were not many guards in the camp, and they were easy to control.
Regardless of whether the assassination attempt is successful or not, the more chips you have in your hand, the more likely you are to escape unscathed.
But it would be nice if he didn’t go to the camp.
Chu Fengqing: “Put me down, I can stay in the woods. I can’t help you much, and you even have to take care of me.”
Ji Yujin: “You are stupid. They made such a big noise, how could they not search the forest? After thinking about it, I think it is better to keep you with me instead of worrying about you all the time.”
“Don’t worry, my life is tough.”
Tough life?
Ji Yujin said in a natural and nonchalant tone, “As long as I don’t die, no one will hurt you, so it’s a good deal to stay with me.”
Chu Fengqing’s pupils shrank slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his clear eyes. He closed his eyes and wondered if Ji Yujin knew how many promises he had made.
This time, Chu Fengqing was facing Ji Yujin, sitting in reverse. The horse ran very fast, but he didn’t breathe in any cold wind. The cloak behind him also blocked the cold wind well.
Because he was so close, he could even hear Ji Yujin’s heartbeat, which was beating fast and strong.
Ji Yujin held the reins with one hand and placed the other hand on his waist to protect him. “Sit tight.”
Chu Fengqing hummed, slowly stretched out his hand, put it around Ji Yujin’s waist, and slowly tightened it.
Ji Yujin paused, his body stiffened slightly, and he subconsciously pulled the horse reins hard, almost stumbling. He lowered his eyes to look at Chu Fengqing, but only for a moment, then raised his eyes again to look forward, with only a flash of excitement in his eyes.
Qing Niao looked at the two people in front of him expressionlessly and followed silently.
The further in he went, the more messy footprints he found on the ground, and there were corpses lying every few steps. Ji Yujin glanced at them, and it didn’t look like it was man-made.
He stopped his horse, and Qing Niao also arrived. He turned over the corpse and took a closer look at the scars. The scars were uneven, large, deep, and extremely hideous. They did not look like they were caused by a sharp blade, but more like wounds torn open by some large animal.
Qing Niao: “It looks like it was done by a wild beast.”
Ji Yujin pointed his whip at the ground and saw several large claw marks. “It’s definitely not a human.”
“It’s easy if it’s not a human. Qing Niao, you, and…” He almost blurted out the word “Madam”, but when he met Chu Fengqing’s eyes, he couldn’t say anything else. “You two stay here. I’ll go over and take a look.”
“Protect him.”
Qing Niao: “Yes.”
He did whatever Ji Yujin asked him to do without any objection.
The roar of wild beasts was heard, mixed with chaotic human voices, “Protect the emperor! Protect the emperor quickly!”
Ji Yujin frowned. Normally, these ferocious beasts rarely come out of their caves in the winter. There must be someone who is so reckless as to provoke them.
Ji Yujin: “Qing Niao, you guys go back to the camp first.”
As long as they are not assassins, the camp will be safer.
Chu Fengqing: “I can go back by myself, let Qing Niao help you.”
Qing Niao was an extraordinary warrior. He had heard an opera in which it was said that the fierce beasts in the mountains could defeat an elite army, so it would be of no use if Ji Yujin went over alone.
Ji Yujin disagreed: “Do you know the way?”
Chu Fengqing pursed his lips, obviously unhappy that Ji Yujin looked down on him. “I can even draw you a topographic map of this place without any mistakes.”
Ji Yujin was stunned for a moment, then met Chu Fengqing’s eyes. Knowing that he was serious, he frowned slightly. “Photographic memory?”
Chu Fengqing’s pupils shrank slightly, and he did not answer. Ji Yujin did not ask any more questions and rode his horse towards the roar of the beast, leaving only one sentence: “Qing Niao, send the person back for me unharmed.”
Qing Niao: “Yes.”
He turned and looked at Chu Fengqing. “Madam, let’s go.”
Chu Fengqing: “En.”
It seemed that his recent vigilance towards Ji Yujin had disappeared, and the hidden things could be spoken out by him at the slightest provocation. Chu Fengqing closed his eyes, as he was really too relaxed.
On the other side, Ji Yujin’s horse refused to move forward even before reaching the destination and just stood aside, snorting.
Ji Yujin jumped off the horse and patted its head: “How come I have such a cowardly horse like you?”
As he said this, he jumped to the top of the tree and looked into the distance. Sure enough, he saw the figure of a ferocious beast with white stripes. It turned out to be a white tiger.
Ji Yujin rushed towards that place. When the Emperor saw him, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes. “Ji Yujin, Zhen is here. Come to escort Zhen quickly.”
Ji Yujin slowly drew out the soft sword from his waist and said, “The minister coming to the rescue late, Your Majesty, please forgive me.”
“No problem.”
Li Yu touched his face and whispered, “Dog Ji, if you still don’t come, you won’t be able to see me again!”
Ji Yujin: “It seems that I still came too early.”
Li Yu: “Go away.”
He glanced behind Ji Yujin and said, “Where’s Qing Niao? This beast is not easy to deal with.”
“Qing Niao didn’t come.”
Li Yu: “He didn’t come? Qing Niao didn’t come at this time?”
“So much nonsense.”
Ji Yujin joined the battle after saying a few words. The white tiger attacked fiercely. Several arrows pierced its body. Blood flowed out along the mountain pass, instantly dyeing its white fur red. Its skin and flesh were turned inside out, but it still rushed towards where the emperor was regardless.
The strong, fishy smell made Ji Yujin feel a little nauseous. The tiger let out a low roar from its throat, as if to intimidate the enemy. Its hot breath formed a white mist. Both sides were looking for the most appropriate time to attack.
Suddenly, a low sob was heard from behind, as if the person’s nerves had finally broken down. It was particularly obvious in the silence. Everyone looked behind them, and the tiger seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack.
Ji Yujin rushed forward, holding the soft sword, his figure graceful and his movements like a ghost.
After repelling wave after wave of tiger attacks, Ji Yujin was also injured. The white tiger’s claws scratched a deep wound on his arm where the flesh was visible. He tore off a piece of cloth, wrapped the piercing injury.
Something is wrong.
Ji Yujin frowned. Generally speaking, wild beasts at this time would attack humans just for food, but this tiger continued to rush forward after knocking people down, which was not in line with the rules.
Ji Yujin wiped the blood off his face, looked behind him, and asked, “Can I ask how you lords provoked such a ferocious beast?”
“This…”
In response to his question, several people looked at each other and then chose to remain silent.
Ji Yujin sneered, “Not saying?”
He retreated directly from the front and shouted, “Xichang, Jinyiwei, listen to my order, protect His Majesty, and retreat.”
He paused and added, “I mean, only protect His Majesty.”
As soon as these words came out, there was a moment of silence in the small world, and then everyone responded in unison: “Yes, sir!”
The Jinyiwei and Xichang’s guards were well-trained. They retreated from the front line in an instant, surrounded the emperor in the middle, and retreated backwards.
Once the Jinyiwei and Xichang’s people retreated, there was no one who could compete with the white tiger. The white tiger pressed forward the lords and princes who were separated outside, step by step.
Li Yu licked his dry lips and admired Ji Yujin’s move of cutting off the source of the problem.
The Crown Prince and the Second Prince were dressed in military uniforms and were relatively calm, but their faces were pale. The Seventh Prince had grown up in the deep palace and was spoiled. He had never seen such a scene before. He hid behind Lin Ying, crying and shouting to the Emperor, “Imperial Father, Imperial Father, save me.”
Of course, the emperor couldn’t really watch his sons being torn apart by the white tiger, so he frowned and said, “Ji Yujin…”
Ji Yujin: “Your Majesty, please wait for a moment. It will be over in a moment.”
The white tiger roared, and everyone could even smell the fishy and rotten smell coming from its mouth. Those who were less courageous had already collapsed to the ground with weak legs.
Finally, someone couldn’t hold it in any longer and said, “It was them. They killed the little white tigers.”
Ji Yujin looked at the ground and saw the corpses of three or four little white tigers. Someone was throwing the corpses of the white tigers out.
The white tiger naturally saw it, and it hummed softly a few times and nudged the little white tiger with its nose, but the little white tiger could no longer make any sound and would no longer gather around its feet to beg for food either.
After discovering that the little white tigers were dead, the white tiger roared loudly and rushed towards the crowd.
The Seventh Prince’s face turned pale instantly, and his legs went limp as he leaned against Lin Ying.
Lin Ying could only half pull and half tug: “Master, please leave quickly.”
Ji Yujin’s face turned dark. “A bunch of people looking for death.”
But he couldn’t really watch them die. Although these people’s lives had nothing to do with him, but the emperor would still punish him, as it was his duty.
He gritted his teeth and said, “Defense.”
At the command, he rushed forward first.
However, the Seventh Prince failed to dodge in time and was hit on the foot by the white tiger, leaving a deep wound from the tiger’s claws.
Seeing the white tiger right in front of him, he cried and shouted. Ji Yujin wanted to stop it, but the angry white tiger was not so easy to stop. The Seventh Prince Zhao Lin might have touched the little white tigera he caught, and there was a smell on his body, so the white tiger attacked him.
The scene was too chaotic, and everyone was fleeing, while the Jinyiwei and Xichang’s people were trying to stop the white tiger’s attack.
No one cared about Zhao Lin. Lin Ying wanted to take him away, but his feet could no longer move. Lin Ying dragged him, but he moved too slowly.
Lin Ying gritted his teeth and suddenly let go of Zhao Lin. He wanted to touch Zhao Lin’s face, but when he was about to touch it, his fingers curled up again. He said, “Master, run away quickly.”
Zhao Lin was stunned for a moment and tugged at Lin Ying’s sleeve fiercely. Fearing that he would be abandoned, he begged, “Don’t abandon me.”
Lin Ying smiled at him and pried his hands apart. “The servant will never abandon the Master. Master, run away quickly.”
As he said that, he took a cloak, wrapped something in it, and ran in the opposite direction of Zhao Lin.
“Awoo—”
The cry of the little white tiger came from behind. The white tiger stopped moving and turned to look behind. Lin Ying was sitting on the horse, holding a little white tiger in his hand, whose eyes were not even open yet. The little white tiger was calling softly.
The white tiger let out a low cry, and the next moment, Lin Ying spurred his horse and ran forward.
The white tiger chased after him, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The beast was lured away, and they were at least safe for the time being.
Zhao Lin’s eyes were a little dull, as if he hadn’t reacted to what had happened. He collapsed to the ground and looked in the direction of Lin Ying, his face soaked with tears and stained with strands of black hair.
Ji Yujin’s eyebrows twitched, and his eyes turned red instantly. That direction was the direction Chu Fengqing left.
T/N: Help T__T I feel so bad for the tigers.
