lcionline Chapter 262 The enemy army has captured five cities in succession, and the northern frontier has com
Chapter 262 The enemy army has captured five cities in succession, and the northern frontier has com
The sound of soldiers' armor rubbing together grew louder as it approached, breaking the despairing silence on the cliff top.
The leader, dressed in a garrison officer's uniform, was Guan Cheng, now a minor leader in the capital's garrison.
He strode forward and bowed to the distraught Gu Junze.
"Sir."
Guan Cheng's voice carried the composure of a soldier, yet it couldn't hide a hint of urgency.
"His Majesty is waiting for you in the palace."
Gu Junze seemed not to hear, his gaze still fixed on the abyss that had swallowed Chu Ruohan, emanating a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.
The shadow guards kept him firmly under their control, not daring to relax their grip even slightly, for fear that he would act impulsively again.
Seeing this, Guan Cheng had no choice but to drop an even more sobering message.
"Your Highness, an urgent report from the northern frontier."
His voice was lowered, carrying an ominous undertone.
"General Wang was ambushed, and the reinforcements he sent... were completely wiped out."
"The young prince... the young prince has also been captured."
Every word felt like a boulder crashing into Gu Junze's heart.
Guan Cheng took a deep breath and continued, "The enemy has captured five cities in succession, and the northern border... the northern border has completely fallen."
Northern Xinjiang.
Gu Junze stiffly rolled his eyes.
That was the place where his mother had spent so much effort to drive the thieves away.
Now, it has fallen.
The Emperor summoned him to the palace at this time, ostensibly to discuss matters, but in reality... was he trying to use him as a bargaining chip?
Use him to blackmail Duan Qingye?
A cold laugh rose in Gu Junze's heart.
Such actions would likely provoke Duan Qingye and hasten his attack on the city.
He slowly raised his bloodshot eyes and looked at Guan Cheng, his voice hoarse but filled with an undeniable determination.
"My wife fell from here."
"I'm going down to find her now."
"Once I find them, whether they are alive or dead, I will go back."
His tone was calm, as calm as the stillness before a storm, and every word was imbued with profound sorrow.
Guan Cheng looked at the deep pain in Gu Junze's eyes and sighed inwardly.
He nodded. "Understood."
He then turned and gave orders to the soldiers he had brought with him.
"Send half of your manpower to assist the young master in searching for the young mistress."
He added, "After learning the news, the Emperor has ordered people to search for the young mistress along the way."
Gu Junze remained silent, only signaling to Shadow Three to prepare the ropes.
Live to see people, die to see corpses.
This was his only thought at the moment.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the cliff.
"Cough...cough..."
Chu Ruohan coughed violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of icy river water, her chest burning with pain.
She struggled to open her eyes, and what she saw was an unfamiliar, wet stone bank, and a narrow sliver of sky overhead.
The icy river water beneath her was constantly splashing against her.
There's such a big river here...
She thought that if she jumped down with Gu Chengyan, they would surely die.
The immense impact and the icy river water left her feeling as if her body was being torn apart, and her consciousness was still somewhat blurred.
A slightly familiar voice rang in my ears, filled with concern and surprise.
"you're awake?"
Chu Ruohan turned her head and saw a young face that was also soaked with sweat.
It is Gu Cheng'an.
He squatted down to the side, struggling to wring out his wet clothes, water dripping onto the ground.
"How did you get here?" Chu Ruohan asked in a hoarse voice, weak from the shock of surviving a disaster.
Gu Cheng'an's face showed a mixture of annoyance and lingering fear.
"I came with my older brother."
"On the way... I accidentally twisted my ankle and couldn't walk fast, so I couldn't keep up with them."
He sighed and continued to explain, "Later, I encountered a snake, and accidentally slipped down the hillside, rolling all the way here, where I immediately passed out."
"When I woke up, I saw a figure floating in the water... It vaguely looked like you, so I quickly pulled you out..."
As Gu Cheng'an spoke, he looked at Chu Ruohan's pale face with concern.
Seeing that Chu Ruohan remained silent, he couldn't help but press her for more information.
"How did you fall into the water? Where's your brother? Didn't he go to save you?"
His tone was anxious.
"Is it...is it Chengyan...?"
Chu Ruohan interrupted him, looking at him sharply.
Where is Gu Chengyan?
"Huh?" Gu Cheng'an didn't react for a moment, then followed Chu Ruohan's subtle gaze, looked up at the towering mountain wall, and instantly understood what was going on.
His face turned deathly pale.
"Chengyan... he fell down too?"
Gu Cheng'an suddenly stood up and, without the slightest hesitation, turned around and jumped into the icy river.
He dove in, and it took him a while to surface. He wiped the water off his face and then dived back in.
This was repeated several times, and apart from the sound of the rushing water, there was nothing else on the river.
Gu Cheng'an's figure rose and fell in the water, appearing anxious and futile.
Chu Ruohan watched him search in vain in the water and said coldly, "Come up first."
Gu Cheng'an paused, then looked up at Chu Ruohan on the shore.
“I stabbed Gu Chengyan in the heart and sealed his acupoints. He can’t survive.”
Chu Ruohan's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable certainty.
"What?" Gu Cheng'an was struck dumb as he scrambled up the riverbank, soaking wet and looking utterly disheveled.
Water droplets dripped from the ends of his hair as he stared blankly at Chu Ruohan, seemingly unable to process the information.
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end it only turned into a suppressed sob.
The pain of losing his younger brother instantly overwhelmed him, filling his young face with sorrow.
Chu Ruohan didn't comfort him; she simply calmly observed her surroundings.
"Look at this river."
She pointed to the seemingly calm river surface, where undercurrents were surging.
"The current is very strong. This shouldn't be where we fell in. We've been swept downstream."
She and Gu Chengyan were separated after falling into the water.
This is better.
Gu Cheng'an suppressed his grief, wiped his face, and looked at Chu Ruohan.
He stood up, leaning on a nearby rock for support, though his ankle still ached slightly.
“I’ll take you out,” he said in a hoarse voice.
Just then, the faint sound of people talking could be heard from the bushes not far away.
Chu Ruohan's eyes sharpened, and she reacted quickly by grabbing Gu Cheng'an's arm and pulling him down to squat. The two of them quickly hid behind the dense reeds on the shore.
“…Search carefully! According to the direction of the water flow, the lady should be in this area, right?” a rough male voice came.
"Could it have drifted further downstream? Or... what happened to it?" another voice asked with concern.
"Shut up! Don't jinx it! If something really happens, with Third Master's temper, we'll all be in deep trouble!" the voice from before snapped.
A series of hurried footsteps approached.
"How's it going over there? Have you found it yet?" a slightly impatient voice asked.