lcionline Chapter 368 Finding a Way to Survive a Desperate Situation, and Capturing the Beauty in the End
Chapter 368 Finding a Way to Survive a Desperate Situation, and Capturing the Beauty in the End
The sound of carriages and horses could be heard outside the mansion gate.
The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet morning, like a heavy hammer blow to Chu Ruohan's heart.
coming.
The envoys from Zheng were already waiting outside the gate, ready to take Yun-ge'er back to his country.
Chu Ruohan took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and walked into the side hall.
Yun-ge'er has woken up and is being dressed by Yu-ling.
He sat on the small couch, his eyes fixed on the direction of the door.
Upon seeing Chu Ruohan enter, he immediately jumped off the small couch and pounced on her.
"Mother!"
Chu Ruohan felt as if her heart was being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and it ached terribly.
She knelt down and embraced the small body in her arms.
The child in her arms was trembling slightly.
"Mother..."
Yun-ge'er buried his little head in the crook of her neck, his voice thick with nasal tone and suppressed sobs.
"Father hasn't come back yet... Yun'er doesn't want to leave..."
The little arms clung tightly to Chu Ruohan's neck, as if afraid that if she let go, she would never see her again.
The envoy's voice rang out from outside the door at just the right moment.
“Madam Gu, it’s getting late. His Highness the Prince of Chu’s itinerary concerns the diplomatic relations between our two countries, and we really cannot delay him.”
Chu Ruohan closed her eyes, forcibly forcing back the tears welling up in her eyes.
She released her embrace, placed her hands on her son's shoulders, and looked solemnly into his wet eyes.
"Yun'er, be good."
She tried to keep her voice steady and gentle, "Father has very important matters to attend to and cannot leave."
"Mother promises you, Mother will come to see you soon."
"Father will come to see you, he definitely will."
Yun-ge'er knew that when his mother said that, it meant she was really leaving.
He sniffed hard, but tears streamed down his face like beads from a broken string.
He looked at his mother, his little face filled with grievance and reluctance, but finally nodded vigorously.
"Mother...come see Yun'er soon..."
"Father is coming too..."
"Definitely." Chu Ruohan nodded vigorously.
The envoy's men also stood respectfully to the side, bowing in greeting.
Yun-ge was led outside, turning back every few steps.
Every time I turned around, I saw my mother standing in the same spot.
Chu Ruohan stood there, motionless, watching Yun Ge'er leave.
Until the convoy completely disappeared around the corner of the long street.
A certain part of my heart felt instantly hollowed out, leaving only the howling wind.
Empty.
Her worry for Gu Junze was like a wildly growing vine, entangled her so much that she could hardly breathe.
Tiger Tooth Mountain... Junze... you must, you absolutely must come back safely.
Tiger Tooth Mountain was filled with deafening battle cries.
General Shi led his men in a counterattack, charging up the mountain.
His armor was soaked in a sticky, dark red liquid, and his saber swung wildly in the wind.
The enemy's firepower was fierce, and almost all of it was concentrated in this area.
Deep in the dense forest behind the mountain stronghold, however, lies a completely different scene.
Gu Junze broke through the encirclement, leading Shadow Three, Shadow Four, and dozens of elites, and moved silently through the area.
The fallen leaves underfoot made almost no sound.
Deep in the mountain stronghold, a lone wooden house stood guard by several fierce "bandits".
The interior furnishings, however, were unusually simple.
Gu Cheng'an, his hands bound behind his back with thick hemp rope, was thrown onto the cold, damp ground like a discarded piece of merchandise.
He didn't struggle; his breathing was steady as he calmly felt the way the ropes were binding his wrists.
The knot was tight, causing a painful constriction, but it was not an unsolvable knot.
The two "bandits" guarding him were now uneasy.
Their attention was completely drawn to the sounds of fighting in the valley ahead.
The two kept peeking out, their faces betraying their nervousness.
The door to the wooden cabin was pushed open with a creak.
The alluring female leader strode in, the dim candlelight highlighting the barely concealed smugness on her face.
"That old magistrate sent word that the main force of the army is trapped at the bottom of the valley and can't escape!"
Her voice carried a hint of sharp excitement.
"Hmph, a general? His reputation is illustrious, but he's nothing special!"
She glanced contemptuously at Gu Cheng'an, who lay lifeless on the ground, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.
"Watch him!"
"I'll go and meet that general myself, and then I'll deal with this reckless spy properly when I get back!"
Having said that, she turned and left with the air of a victor to admire her spoils.
Almost at the same instant she turned around and faced away from Gu Cheng'an.
"kill--!"
From behind the mountain stronghold, a deafening roar of battle erupted without warning.
The sound was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, instantly drowning out the clamor in the valley.
Gu Junze's elite squad, like a red-hot blade, brutally tore through the mountain stronghold's defenses.
They struck the heart of the stronghold with deadly precision from the most unexpected and least guarded spot.
The village was immediately thrown into chaos.
The remaining "bandits" were completely stunned. Faced with this group of monstrous beings who seemed to have crawled out of hell, they were unable to mount any effective resistance.
Screams, the clanging of weapons, and panicked cries filled the air in an instant.
"what happened?!"
The female leader's smug expression froze instantly, turning into shock and anger as she abruptly turned around.
It's now!
A glint of light suddenly flashed in Gu Cheng'an's eyes, which had been slightly closed.
Taking advantage of the moment when the two guards turned around in surprise at the sudden turn of events, he suddenly tensed all the muscles in his body.
The wrist exerted force at an extremely tricky angle, and the joints made a slight cracking sound.
He managed to break free of the thick hemp rope, which wasn't a knotted one.
In the blink of an eye, he leaped up from the cold ground with a somersault.
He seized the long sword from the waist of the guard who was closest to him.
The cold blade flashed a chilling light in the dim candlelight.
Hearing the commotion behind her, the female leader turned around in surprise and uncertainty.
Gu Cheng'an moved with lightning speed, advancing instead of retreating.
He lunged forward and pressed down hard with his backhand.
"Shh!"
A soft sound.
The icy, sharp blade was already firmly pressed against her fair, smooth neck.
The movements were clean, swift, and extremely fast.
"Don't move!" Gu Cheng'an shouted sharply.
"Otherwise, I'll kill her right now!"
The bandits, who had just realized what was happening, were instantly frozen in place as if they had been struck by a spell.
They looked at the blade against their leader's neck, hesitant to act rashly for fear of inadvertently harming him.
The female leader was both shocked and furious, her body trembling slightly.
She never expected that this frail spy, whom she considered her own, someone she could do whatever she wanted with, would turn out to be so cunning.
Not only did it break free from its restraints, but it also possessed astonishing skill and terrifying courage.
The icy touch on her neck, along with the chilling murderous aura, made the hairs on her body stand on end.
"You...you dare!"
She gritted her teeth, but her voice trembled slightly, without her even realizing it.