If I die, I will become a ghost and haunt you.

  Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze was heavier than ever before, as if facing a great enemy. At this moment, from her direction, Luo Ran's open shirt was not wearing anything inside, and on her chest that should be plump, it was actually flat!

  Suddenly, a stormy wave surged in Gu Yunxi's heart. Perhaps it was her eyes that showed too much surprise, Luo Ran followed her gaze and looked down at his own bare chest, smiling softly.

  Luo Ran was delicate and beautiful, her voice should have been as gentle and alluring as water, but at this moment, Gu Yun Xi looked at the person in front of her with ink-black hair and eyebrows like a painting, yet heard a low, evil male voice coming from her mouth. Her eyes closed slightly, and she finally had to admit that this woman who had captured the hearts of many on the streets of Yanjing, this princess who had begged for mercy in the great hall of Yan, was actually a man!

  Luo Ran looked at Gu Yun Xue's expression, his eyes becoming more and more interested. He didn't stop in his tracks, extremely slowly approaching Gu Yun Xue, "This really shouldn't be, letting you see my secret, what can I do about it?"

  Gu Yunxi's entire body went limp and weak, as if she would fall over with just a slight movement. She slightly lowered her head, holding her breath, while her hands, hidden in her sleeves, had already dug her fingernails into her palms.

  Luo Ran finally walked in front of her, he stretched out his slender and extremely suitable hand for holding a sword, slightly lifted Gu Yunxi's chin, at this moment he seemed to be full of patience, not eager to remove Gu Yunxi's veil, just staring at her with a pair of deep and dark eyes.

  Her eyes, as black as jade, were quiet and dark like the night sky, reflecting the lights in the room, as if tiny stars had fallen into her eyes. Luo Ran's eyebrows rose slightly, "Not afraid?"

  Gu Yunxi's eyes were still the same, Luo Ran smiled and turned around to pat his hands. The door that Gu Yunxi had closed creaked open with a soft "ya" sound. Through the layers of curtains, Gu Yunxi only saw a figure standing vaguely at the doorway. Luo Ran raised an eyebrow, and when he spoke, it was again in the voice of a charming woman. He asked, "How is it?"

  The person outside the door bowed slightly and said, "Reporting to Master, there are five people in total, all of whom have been subdued. We await your orders on how to deal with them."

  "What should be done with it?"

  Luo Ran muttered to himself, his gaze turned back to the eyes that had approached him. His hand, separated by a thin veil, rubbed against Gu Yunxi's chin, "You tell me, how should I deal with them?"

  Gu Yunxi bit her lower lip, and a faint light flashed in her eyes, but she didn't say a word. Luoran saw this and shrugged, "You won't speak up, so I'll have to give the order then?"

  "Do you think it's better to cut off their ears, or blind their eyes, or directly behead them and send their heads as a gift to the Yanjing City's Qínhuáng Temple, what do you think?"

  Gu Yunxi's calm eyes finally trembled, she looked straight at Luoran with a faintly determined gaze, "You won't."

  Luo Ran burst out laughing, releasing his grip on Gu Yunxi's chin, and with a swift motion, pulled down her veil. The woman before him wore a white fox-fur cloak, her delicate face framed by a circle of white fur trim, her eyes firm and resolute, her figure slender and elegant, standing tall and unwavering in front of him.

  Luo Ran let out a soft sigh, "I really didn't expect Miss Gu to treat me so kindly, traveling hundreds of miles to see me off. Aren't you afraid that I'll be reluctant to part with you and take you back to Nan Yue directly?"

  "Please let them go, Your Highness."

  Luo Ran saw that Gu Yun Xue didn't respond, so he also stopped talking. His eyes slightly dimmed, "Miss Gu wants me to let them go, but I'll ask you one question, as a young lady from a noble family, bringing the Crown Prince's personal guards all the way here, what is your purpose? If Luo Ran were to fall into Miss Gu's hands by chance, would you really let us go?"

  Gu Yunxi's mouth twitched, but Luo Ran didn't plan to let her continue speaking. "Miss Gu, if you answer 'yes', then I'll ask another question: what if it was my brother?"

  Gu Yunxi fell silent, her hands slowly moving behind her back. Luo Ran burst out laughing, "This emperor has never had any hope for Gong Sunlie. When I heard that he approved my proposal, I knew his killer move would be left in the back. Miss Gu's loyalty is as strong as a man's, is this the kind of emperor you are devoted to?"

  The words fell, and Luo Ran suddenly turned his head to look at the figure in the doorway, "Not a single one will be left, all will be put to death!"

  Gu Yun Xi's eyes suddenly closed, while Luo Ran looked her up and down, picked up the medicine bowl on the bedside table, put it to his nose and sniffed lightly. "Luo Ran didn't know that Miss Gu was actually familiar with pharmacology. This is just an ordinary cold medicine, adding three points of Huang Qi can make people sleep for a long time."

  Luó Rán's hand, which was holding the medicine bowl, tilted slightly, and the thick black medicinal soup poured down all at once. The intense bitter taste of the medicine hit her right in the face. Luó Rán curled up the corner of her mouth, "It's just a pity that the young lady isn't ruthless enough. If it were me, I would have directly used arsenic."

  Gu Yunxi's eyes were slightly closed, her whole body stiffened on the spot, and gradually, sweat appeared on her forehead. Luo Ran looked at her up and down, his eyebrows gradually furrowed with worry. "Miss, please tell me, how many more people are behind you? As far as I know, Duke De's subordinate should still be waiting anxiously at Wulipo..."

  Gu Yunxi fortunately closed her eyes, Luo Ran's eyes changed slightly, and he deeply measured Gu Yunxi for a moment before suddenly leaning in close to her. His mouth curved into a sly smile, "Miss Gu has come from afar, Luo Ran is grateful beyond words. Today is a beautiful day, and I have no way to repay you, so why not..."

  Feeling the scorching breath getting closer and closer, Gu Yunxi subconsciously furrowed her brow. Just as Luo Ran's lips were about to touch her forehead, Gu Yunxi suddenly opened her eyes and said, "Obviously a man, yet dressed as a woman for twenty years, Your Highness must have been very tired."

  Luò then took a step back, listening with interest as Gù Yún Xī continued speaking.

  "Ten years ago, when Luo Xiao came to Da Yan's palace dressed as a woman, it was just an excuse for Luo Xiao to return to Nan Yue. But after so many years of hard work, are you going to spend the rest of your life with the identity of a daughter? Yun Xi doesn't know Luo Xiao's intentions yet, but when he returns to Nan Yue, according to your system of respecting the elder, the crown prince will not be you. You are a dragon and phoenix among people, and in Nan Yue, you have worked hard for many years. When Luo Xiao returns, are you prepared to hand over everything with both hands?"

  "The wily rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked. If I'm not mistaken, the current Emperor of Nanyue, after ascending to the throne at a young age, had his two brothers executed for treason. The details are probably still clear in Your Highness's mind."

  Luo Ran's face turned increasingly ugly, and Gu Yunxi's hand behind her back had a thick, scorching liquid flowing down from her wrist. Her weak and limp body seemed to have regained some strength as she looked at Luo Ran's sinking face. Gu Yunxi continued, "As far as I know, Your Highness still has an empress dowager in the South Vietnam Palace, who has been a concubine for many years. If you won't consider yourself, you should consider your mother."

  Luo Ran gazed solemnly at Gu Yun Xue's eyes, "So, Miss Gu means to say——"

  "My point is that Luo Xiao may encounter all sorts of unexpected events on his way back to South Vietnam, or he might die suddenly from a serious illness due to the exhaustion of traveling. Your Highness went through great lengths and troubles to bring Luo Xiao's body back, which shows how deep your brotherly love is."

  Gu Yunxi's words came out one by one, cool and refreshing. Luo Ran initially looked serious, but when Gu Yunxi said the last four words, he couldn't help it anymore. His delicate eyebrows curved into a beautiful arc, and the smile at the corner of his mouth became more and more obvious. He glanced at Gu Yunxi, then suddenly turned around to face the heavy curtains behind him and called out softly, "Brother, do you think Miss Gu's idea is good?"

  As soon as the voice fell, Gu Yunxi's eyes suddenly narrowed. The house was divided into two small rooms on the left and right sides. She walked straight to the bedroom on the left side of the door, but didn't think about whether there was anyone in the tea room on the right side. At this moment, a thin figure slowly emerged from behind the heavy curtains.

  Gu Yunxi's heart sank slowly, she had thought that at least Luo Xiao wouldn't be with Luo Ran, and with Gong Sun Chenglin's martial arts skills, she would have a 70% chance of keeping Luo Xiao in Da Yan. Unfortunately, her only hope was shattered, and even she herself would be controlled by others!

  As the figure approached, Luo Ran's eyes opened with a sigh, "In those days, between my brother and me, one of us had to be sent to Da Yan. Father chose to let my brother go, so I became a daughter since then, so Miss Gu doesn't need to doubt the relationship between my brother and me."

  The last layer of gauze was lifted, and Gu Yunxi saw Luo Xiao for the third time. The thin-shirted young man still looked as pale as he had when she saw him before. His eyes were no longer timid and shrinking, but instead calm and peaceful like a pool of autumn water. As their eyes met, there seemed to be a hint of helplessness in Luo Xiao's gaze. "Miss Gu wants my life so badly?"

  Gu Yunxi didn't know what kind of choice the two brothers had made back then, and how he had transformed from a man to a well-known woman. As she looked at him, her gaze seemed to recall that snowy day when he saw Luo Xiao being bullied in Jialing Mountain. At that time, he was weak and unable to resist, but today, although there was no intimidating aura around him, he had an air of calmness and grandeur. Gu Yunxi sighed, this was the demeanor that only people who had experienced hardships could have. Gong Sunlie's worries were not unfounded, Luo Xiao was never incompetent.

  "Gu Yun Xi doesn't want your life, Your Highness. It's just that you and I have different masters to serve, and Gu Yun Xi must be loyal to the emperor."

  Luoxiao nodded, "I understand, Miss. The fact that you fell into Ah Ran's trap shows that you are not a heartless person. Moreover, when you helped me out of kindness back then, I haven't even thanked you yet. Although I couldn't give you what you wanted, today I can let you go, consider it as my way of thanking you."

  Lu Ran furrowed his brow and seemed to be at a loss, then looked at Luo Xiao's back and shook his head slightly. "Brother, are you sure you're letting her go?"

  Luoxiao nodded, looking at Gu Yunxi's eyes very seriously. "I only hope that Miss Gu will leave and not come back. Since we are on different sides, if we meet again in the future, it will probably be on the battlefield. The Great Yan is rich and strong, and De Wang has great ambitions. I wish you all the best."

  Luoxiao finished speaking and looked at Luoran, who reluctantly walked to the side table. On it were placed several small jade bottles. Gu Yunxi saw Luoran casually pick up a jade bottle and walk towards her, which must have contained the antidote for the Lan Xiang that would leave her powerless.

  Just as Luo Ran was about to hand the jade bottle over to her, a heavy footsteps sound came from the doorway. Gu Yun Xi vaguely seemed to see the tall figure of the person who had gone downstairs earlier standing at the door with his head lowered, saying, "Master, one of those five people just sent out a signal while the guard brother was not paying attention, and now there is a group of people coming towards us!"

  Luo Ran's eyes sank, and Luo Xiao let out a deep sigh. His gaze turned to Gu Yunxi, "I originally wanted to let you go, but it seems that's not possible now."

  Luoxiao finished speaking, Luoran immediately put the jade bottle into his own arms. Luoran glanced at Luoxiao and put on his outer cloak to go out and make arrangements. Luoxiao walked straight to the table, where their luggage was scattered about. Luoxiao quickly gathered those things into the luggage with his hands and feet moving extremely fast. Just as he picked up an object resembling a jade butterfly, a cold and stern voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

  "Don't move."

  Gu Yunxi held the dagger to Luo Xiao's neck, the cold blade pressing against his jugular vein, and Luo Xiao slowly put down the thing in his hand, his entire body stiffening up.

  Gu Yunxi raised his bloody left hand and locked it onto his left shoulder, while his right hand pressed the dagger tightly against his neck, "Take me out."

  Luoxiao didn't move at all, "Outside are all our people, you were hit by Aran's 'One Branch of Orchid', and you don't know martial arts, once you go out, you really can't escape. Aran sees you treating me like this, will kill you."

  Gu Yunxi's mouth hooked upwards, "Don't bother yourself, Your Highness, just leave!"

  Luoxiao only felt a pain in the skin of his neck, and a scorching heat flowed down from his neck. He frowned slightly, but was still taken away by Gu Yunxi.

  As soon as he walked out of the room, he met Luo Ran at the entrance on the first floor. His sharp gaze fell on Gu Yunxi, and his whole body immediately exuded a cold aura. Gu Yunxi's mouth curved up, "It seems that brotherly love is indeed deep. Since that's the case, it's even easier to handle. Please, Your Highness, take Yunxi downstairs."

  Luoxiao had been a hostage in Yanjing for ten years and was completely unskilled in martial arts. Gu Yunxi followed him down the stairs, step by step, while Xiao Er had already been startled by the scene and hid in the kitchen, not daring to come out. Meanwhile, Luoran stood at the door, dressed in a red women's robe, her eyes growing increasingly dim.

  "Your Highness, would you please lead a horse for me?"

  Luo Ran's eyes stared at Gu Yun Xue with a hint of hatred, then looked at Luo Xiao's bleeding neck and finally waved his hand. Before long, a horse was led to the inn door. Gu Yun Xue saw this and raised an eyebrow, fearless as the Southern Yue guards dressed as escorts stepped out one by one.

  The southern Vietnamese guards watched as their master was being taken away, their eyes flashing with anger. Gu Yunxi hadn't walked a few steps when his lips moved slightly, and a soft sound escaped from his mouth. The crowd didn't know what Gu Yunxi meant, but suddenly a white shadow leapt out of the darkness behind the guesthouse wall.

  Wolf!

  The originally vigorous guards suddenly changed their faces, and Luo Ran followed step by step. Seeing Chu Yi's menacing gaze protecting Gu Yunxi as she retreated step by step, her face also became increasingly unsightly.

  "Waaaah——"

  Suddenly, a wolf howl broke through the night's tranquility and rose to the sky. The horse was frightened and knelt down with its front legs trembling. Gu Yunxi helped Luo Xiao mount the horse easily. Chu Yi let out another wolf howl, and the horse leaped forward. Luo Xiao sat in the front, while Gu Yunxi held a dagger against his neck, her eyes slightly cold. "Ride!"

  Luoxiao hesitated for a moment, and Gu Yunxi's hand slipped, and Luoxiao's neck instantly had another blood mark. Luoxiao finally urged the horse to move towards the direction where Gu Yunxi came from. Luo Ran stood at the door, watching the two people getting farther and farther away, and jumped onto the horseback, "Chase!"

  The night wind howled, and with that one wolf's cry, the lights of the entire village lit up one after another. On the short street, the doors of wine shops and stores opened one after another. The villagers stretched their bodies to look outside, but when they saw several lines of horsemen galloping down the street, they hastily closed their doors and windows with fearful faces.

  Gu Yunxi and the other person were in front, while Luo Ran led a few people behind them. As they watched the two people who were about to climb over the mountain ridge, Luo Ran's eyes darkened as he took down a longbow from his horseback. He narrowed his eyes slightly, nocked an arrow, and slowly raised it, aiming at the white figure that was gradually climbing upwards in the distance.

  In the pitch-black night, stars twinkled, and the mountain wind whistled through the forest. Gu Yunxi seemed to have heard a faint horseshoe sound from the wind, her eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of her mouth rose slightly.

  "A lone wolf can only last for so long, you probably won't be able to hold on much longer, and then Ah Ran will follow right behind you, at that time I'm afraid it'll be too late for me to save you."

  Luoxiao spoke softly, and Gyunxi heard in her ear that the arm holding the dagger had indeed weakened and was about to fall, but the sound of horseshoes echoing through the mountains was not fake. As long as she could hold on for a little while longer, she would be able to wait for Gong Sun Chenglin's reinforcements!

  Thick blood dripped onto Luo Xiao's collar, and he let out a soft sigh as he watched. "The first time I saw Miss Gu was when she was racing horses with the Crown Prince, how spirited and proud she was. Why must you humiliate yourself like this today? If you truly want my life, just place the dagger in your hand on my shoulder and stab me with all your might. You'll get what you want."

  Gu Yun Xie made an effort to rouse her spirits, but upon hearing this, she didn't quite agree. "He's behind us, if I were to get rid of you now, would I still have a life to return to?"

  Luoxiao's mouth slightly hooked, "Miss Gu can make a bet. If you want to achieve something that cannot be easily achieved, you should stake your life on it. Such opportunities to gamble with one's life are not easily encountered." After a slight pause, Luoxiao seemed to sneer and smile, "I forgot, Miss still hasn't reached the point where she has nothing left but her life to bet with."

  If someone else had said this, Gu Yunxi would have laughed it off, but since it was Luo Xiao who spoke, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. Gu Yunxi's eyes narrowed slightly, "Your Highness saved the Emperor's life by blocking the sword with your body at the Jialing Mountain hunting grounds that day. According to your position at the time, it would have been impossible for you to rush over and save him, unless... unless you already knew..."

  "Whoosh!"

  The quiet mountainside was only filled with the sound of horseshoes echoing through the air, but Gu Yunxi suddenly felt a strange noise reach her ears. She subconsciously stopped talking and turned around, and in her line of sight, an arrow shaft emitting a cold glow was mixed with the biting cold wind and heading straight for her!

  That was a flash of cold light enough to stop Gu Yunxi's breathing, the sharp arrowhead seemed to be tempered with poison-like brightness, just when the strong wind was only three inches away from her, Gu Yunxi subconsciously closed her eyes, and by her ear, a "don't" slipped out of Luo Xiao's mouth in surprise.

  "Ding!"

  A loud crack, the expected pain did not come. When Gu Yunxi opened her eyes, it was the sound of a horse's neigh. The arrow that was originally heading towards Gu Yunxi had instead hit the neck of the horse she was riding on. The sudden severe pain caused the horse to jump high into the air, and when it landed, it seemed to have gone mad as it galloped wildly into the mountain forest by the side of the road.

  The small path between the mountains was overgrown with branches, and the horse, ignoring its pain, would dash into any gap it saw, making life difficult for the two people in the carriage. Luo Xiao had been injured on the back of his neck, but at least it was only a flesh wound and he could still hold onto the reins. The one who suffered the most was Gu Yun Xi; to boost her spirits, she had already hurt her own hand, and furthermore, under the influence of the Lan flower, her whole body felt weak, unable to withstand this kind of jolting.

  However, just after walking a short distance, Gu Yunxi fell off the horseback. Luo Xiao's expression changed slightly, and he took advantage of the steep slope to stop the horse quickly. Nevertheless, when he returned on horseback to rescue Gu Yunxi who had fallen into the snowy ground, he was stunned. In this mountain forest at midnight, in that vast expanse of white snow, a figure clad in black stood atop a massive boulder between the mountains.

  It was just a back figure, standing alone, with clothes and sleeves blowing in the wind, having an air of elegance and pride. It was reflected between the bare branches and snow of winter, like a black-and-white ink painting. Gu Yunxi was already extremely weak, and when she fell down, she didn't know how she bumped her head. She dazedly lifted her head, and what entered her eyes was that proud back figure. Suddenly, thousands of shadows seemed to reverse, and she thought of the arrow that had suddenly changed direction earlier. With great effort, she whispered, "Wu You..."

  Helpless, the voice was too small, and the figure seemed to have not heard her voice. Gu Yunxi wanted to get up, but her head was dizzy, she seemed to see that black back move a little, he turned around, but there was no familiar silver mask on his face. Gu Yunxi's heart moved, wanting to see clearly that face, but he walked towards Jiaoluo Xiang instead. She felt anxious, and suddenly a dizziness came over her, the entire world fell into absolute darkness.

  Carefree

  A faint, low whisper, with a hint of uncertainty, slipped quietly into the silent night, and the figure in the distance slightly turned their head towards her direction, their deep eyes seeming to flash with a hint of mysterious light.

  ——

  "Reporting back to Your Lordship, all five of them have stopped breathing."

  Sun Lu's face was gloomy, and Gong Sun Chenglin's eyes changed as soon as he heard the words. He jumped off his horse and rushed into the house in a hurry. When he came out, his eyes were already slightly red.

  Gongsun Mo glanced at Sun Lu and said, "Bring back the body and give it a grand burial."

  "Damn it!" Gong Sun Chenglin was furious, his eyes scanning the entire street before finally falling on Xiao Er again. His face darkened as he strode over in big steps, "What did you say?"

  The inn's little servant was cowering in the corner, already frightened by this commotion. He was the one who understood Gong Sun Chenglin's mood the most, "Master, this little servant said she didn't know whose daughter that was, at first she wanted to stay in the best room, but later because there was no place to stay, she stayed in a medium-sized room. However, before midnight, Gu Niang took control of the previous guests and went downstairs, with a wolf by her side. In the end, everyone packed their bags and left, looking like they were going to chase after the person taken away by Gu Niang."

  Gongsun Cheng's eyes sank, "Have you searched all around this area of several miles?"

  "Yes, there are too many footprints on this road, we've been back and forth several times but haven't found any clues, can only wait till dawn to search again."

  Gongsun Mo's eyes deepened as he heard this, and when her letter was delivered to his hands, he knew she must have left the city in person. He immediately dared not to be careless, and even without returning to the capital, he took a shortcut through a dangerous path to hurry over, but he still didn't arrive in time to find her.

  Gongsun Mo's gaze swept through the village, which was a necessary path to the main road. If she couldn't be found here, then they must have taken her away!

  "Ride fast and whip hard, go south!"

  Gongsun Mo gave a loud order, and immediately spurred his horse to gallop forward. Sun Zhe and Sun Lu exchanged a glance, how dare they be careless? They immediately gathered their brothers who had come with them and mounted their horses to follow. Gongsun Chenglin's gaze swept around, suddenly fixing on the small mountain peak behind the entire village. The night was deep, and the mountain peak looked like a straight tree shadow standing there. Gongsun Chenglin let out a soft sigh, and similarly spurred his horse to follow. Apart from finding the disappeared Gu Yunxi, he would not let off the people of Nanyue!

  Suddenly, the large group of people who came to the village quickly left, and the tranquility of the village was broken from then on. Many villagers lying in bed heard the urgent and chaotic sound of horseshoes, with their hearts hanging in their mouths.

  On the precipitous mountain peak, a person stood upright on a half-suspended boulder, his dark eyes gazing at the shuttling torches, his thin red lips lightly hooked.

  Behind him was a Guanyin Temple built by the villagers, which had some years of history. In the small temple, apart from a statue of Guanyin that had lost its paint, there was also a stone bench. On the stone bench were soft straw and a reed mat, on which a woman was quietly sleeping at this time. The lower hem of her white cloak had been soaked through and had now been taken off to dry by the fire, while she was covered with a dark-colored cloak that had a faint scent of orchid fragrance on it.

  The crackling of the fire pit didn't stop, and Gu Yunxi, who had been sleeping quietly, suddenly opened her eyes. Her forehead, which was slightly injured, was covered in sweat, as if she had calmed down. She turned her head to look around, and when she saw where she was, she sat up with a start.

  The warmth of the cloak on her body was soothing, and Gu Yunxi picked it up to take a closer look at the firelight. There was a faint scent of fragrance on the tip of her nose, and suddenly all the memories came flooding back like a tide. Her hand was now bandaged, and she touched her forehead to find that ointment had been applied as well. The feeling of weakness in her body had also dissipated by more than half.

  "Don't worry!"

  She murmured softly and immediately rushed towards the door, but before she could step out of the threshold, she bumped into a pair of arms. Gu Yunxi looked up to meet a pair of eyes that were as deep as an abyss.

  "Carefree?"

  A person came with a black scarf covering their face, wearing a long black robe, only revealing a pair of eyes. Gu Yunxi blurted out, causing the person to pause for a moment. Wu You's worry-free eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded, "We meet again."

  Gu Yunxi seemed to have made up her mind, took a deep breath and looked him up and down for a while. "Has the injury from last time in Jialing Mountain healed?"

  Worry-free nodded, "Alright."

  Gu Yunxi looked at him, her gaze suddenly falling on a team of moving torches in the distance. Her eyes sparkled slightly, "It must be Prince Wang!"

  Worry-free's eyes darkened for a moment, then Gu Yunxi turned around and stared straight at him, her eyes shining brightly. "You're probably still unfamiliar with the De King, so the torches below must be them. Worry-free, let's chase after them! They're currently heading south, but Luo Xiao and his group definitely won't take the southern route. The south has many waterways, and once they're blocked, they'll be unable to escape. So, based on Luo Ran's personality, they must be taking the southwestern mountain path!"

  Gu Yunxi's eyes held a glimmer of hope as she stared fixedly at Wu You, but Wu You stood stock-still, not budging an inch. Time ticked by, second by second, and the atmosphere was infused with the chill of the mountain wind, causing people's hearts to tighten in unison. Gu Yunxi's lips curled up into a sarcastic smile. "So it was you, after all. You're the one who let Luo Xiao go."

  Her eyes flashed with a hint of unease as she looked away, but the words that escaped her lips sent chills down Gu Yunxi's spine. He said calmly, "If I hadn't let him go, based on the situation earlier, Luo Xiao could have killed you."

  "But your appearance must not be for saving me, you originally wanted to help them escape, right? Is this what your master meant?"

  Gu Yunxi looked at his back, wanting to investigate further, but Wu You's eyes became increasingly deep and solemn, without saying a word. Gu Yunxi sighed, "I never knew whether your master and De Wang were of one mind or not. Today, you're doing this, I won't ask you about it, but now I must go down the mountain to catch up with De Wang."

  As soon as the words fell, Gu Yunxi thought of going around Wu You to leave, but Wu You's figure silently blocked her way, his eyes heavy with a single word: "No."

  Gu Yunxi suddenly felt a surge of anger and her eyes turned cold, "Get out of the way."

  Worry-free stood firmly in front of her, Gu Yunxi was furious, raised her hand and beckoned to Worry-free, her move did not contain any internal force or fancy style, but simply a direct and efficient way to hurt people. Worry-free's body turned around and grabbed her wrist with one hand, "You can't beat me."

  Gu Yunxi let out a cold snort, "I'll fight even if I'm no match for you, unless you get out of the way."

  Carefree and helpless, on this side, Gu Yunxi's leg had already kicked out. Although not a high-ranking martial artist, Gu Yunxi won by being agile and unpredictable, with no fixed pattern. Carefree's eyes narrowed slightly, one hand behind her back, the other hand drew a stroke in mid-air. In an instant, Gu Yunxi felt a powerful force rushing over, and her arm seemed to have fallen into a muddy swamp, unable to move due to the sticky constraint. Gu Yunxi's eyes turned icy cold.

  "Don't worry!"

  Gu Yun Xi gritted her teeth, her eyes fixed intently on her as she said, "Let Luo Xiao go."

  Gu Yunxi furrowed her brow, "This is the Emperor's order. If De Wang does not comply or fails, with the Emperor's temperament, wouldn't it put Wang Ye in a precarious situation?"

  The corner of his mouth curled up, "Since you could let go of Jiudan assassin, why can't you spare Luoxiao this time?"

  Gu Yunxi was shocked, but it was just for a moment. She lowered her eyelids and said, "This is completely different!"

  Her eyes dimmed slightly as she said coolly, "How can it be the same? Jiudan is here to avenge the shame of his country's destruction, whereas Luoxiao, as the prince of Southern Yue, has been held hostage in Yan for ten years. For him, returning home today is something he fought for with his life. Moreover, the fact that the king of Southern Yue is gravely ill is true. You wouldn't understand the feeling of having a home you can't return to and loved ones you can't see. Ten years - how many decades has it taken from his life?"

  Gu Yunxi fell silent for a moment, and Wu You's eyes slightly relaxed at the sight. "Either I tie you up, or I press your acupoints, or you stay here obediently. After dawn breaks, I'll naturally let you go down the mountain to see whoever it is you want to see."

  The two of them standing still at the door was not a solution either. Gu Yunxi nodded, "After dawn."

  The huge force suddenly disappeared, Gu Yunxi pinched her painful wrist and turned to walk towards the fire pit, but she stopped after a few steps. At the door, a white figure was wandering around. Gu Yunxi's eyes moved, and she turned to walk towards Chu Yi.

  No worries, nothing much to say. Chu Yi was afraid of fire and wouldn't go near the bonfire, so she saw Gu Yun Xi's gentle stroking of Chu Yi's clothes twice, then Chu Yi turned around and hid back into the woods again.

  Gu Yunxi watched as Chu Yi disappeared from view, a hint of profundity flashing in her eyes.

  The crackling fire, Worry-free leaned against the door, gazing into the deep and dark night with an expressionless gaze. Gu Yun Xi glanced at the ink-colored cloak on her body, only then realizing she hadn't returned it to its owner yet. Gu Yun Xi took a few steps forward, using the dim light of the fire to look at Worry-free's eyebrows and eyes.

  Worry-free discovery of Gu Yunxi's measurement, casually took over the cloak handed over by Gu Yunxi and re-tied it for himself. As their eyes met, Gu Yunxi softly spoke up, "You go ahead, I'll naturally wait here until dawn before heading down the mountain."

  No worries furrowed his brow, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

  Gu Yunxi's mouth curved into a smile. "I'm very curious to know, what does your master think about you doing this? Isn't this equivalent to betraying the Virtuous King?"

  Worry-free shook his head, "But it's just because of the gathering of interests, where did the betrayal come from? If you say betrayal, why don't you go ask your King De, how many years has he not been helping his father to put my master to death every moment?"

  Gu Yunxi's face was calm, but he couldn't help smiling. "You regard him as your master, so naturally you wouldn't think of him as being so despicable. However, Gu Yunxi, open your eyes wide and take a good look - there are many people in this imperial city who will surely surprise you."

  Wu You's expression was no longer carefree, his eyes suddenly changed, and he stared at Gu Yun Xi with a sharp gaze, "What did you do?"

  Gu Yunxi raised her head and sprinted out the door, and in the small village at the foot of the mountain, which was originally shrouded in darkness, many torches were lit again. The corners of her mouth curled up, and she turned to look at Wu You, "Wu You, I agree with what you said, but our positions are different. When I chose this path, I couldn't regret it."

  The night wind howled and lifted Gu Yunxi's clothes, she continued, "Wu You, you can go now, I'll just pretend I never saw you, consider it as repayment for the last time we protected each other at Jialing Mountain."

  She raised her bandaged hand, "Thanks today too."

  Worrying about it beforehand and thinking about it afterwards, he finally remembered the scene where Gu Yunxi comforted Chu Yi earlier. He looked at her mouth corners slightly raised in an arc shape, his body moved suddenly and he rushed to her side, "Unfortunately, it's too late!"

  Gu Yunxi's expression changed slightly, and as soon as Wu You's words fell, he wrapped his large hands around her waist. The two figures turned, and Gu Yunxi instantly blocked Wu You's front. At this moment, a white shadow flashed out of the quiet mountain forest, followed by many more people emerging one after another.

  The newcomers were all dressed in black, and Gu Yunxi recognized them at a glance. On the waistbands of their belts was embroidered a dark grey eagle, which was the emblem of the De Wangfu.

  "Your Highness!"

  The last two people to walk out were Gong Sun Mo and Gong Sun Cheng Lin, both of whose gazes fell on Gu Yun Xi. Gong Sun Cheng Lin's eyes narrowed, "Who are you?"

  Worry-free didn't say a word, only stuck one hand on Gu Yunxi's neck, the meaning was self-evident. Gu Yunxi looked at Gong Sunmo and Gong Sun Chenglin with slightly disordered eyes, for a moment, she didn't know what to do.

  The two sides were at a stalemate, the Imperial Guards of the Duke's Palace each held crossbows, their finely crafted crossbows aimed directly at Wu You, and as soon as he let his guard down for even a moment, the cocked and loaded bolts would be fired, turning him into a hedgehog.

  "Your Highness."

  Gu Yunxi's voice trembled slightly, and Gong Sun Chenglin felt a pang in his heart as he heard this. He looked at Gu Yunxi with a hint of pity in his eyes, then turned to Gong Sun Mo. Gong Sun Mo's eyes were also fixed on Gu Yunxi, and after a long while, he spoke softly, "Let her go, I'll let you leave."

  Gongsun Mo Li was more than ten zhang away from Gu Yun Xie, and at this moment, he only saw Wu You holding Gu Yun Xie still, while Gu Yun Xie seemed a bit anxious. Her lips moved slightly, "Leave."

  Worry-free, he smiled slightly, and the scorching breath spilled all over Gu Yunxi's neck. His tone carried a hint of sigh, "It's hard for you to remind me to leave early, not yet at the point of being ruthless and unscrupulous. Unfortunately, what your De Wang said was to let me go, but the fifteen people behind him won't let me go."

  "Besides these fifteen people, on the roof of Guanyin Temple, behind the eaves, and in the woods on both sides, there are no less than forty or fifty people waiting for me to let you go. Tell me, should I let you go or not?"

  Gu Yunxi's lips pursed slightly, "He won't."

  "Hmm—"

  He was originally a carefree person, but now he had a hint of evil intentions. He tightened his grip on Gu Yunxi's neck and said in a closer distance, "Why don't we make a bet? Will he let me take you away safely or will he turn us into sieves?"

  "His eyes were deep and mysterious, 'He won't.'"

  "Hmm, you're quite resolute about him." Wu You stepped forward, embracing Gu Yunxi, and with each step, Gu Yunxi's body tensed up. Even though she had no internal energy and her divine sense was unclear, at this moment, she strongly felt the killing intent emanating from the person hidden in the darkness with every step forward.

  Gongsun Mo stood far away, with an increasingly dark color in his eyes. Gongsun Chenglin stood anxiously behind him, "Second brother, saving Yunxi is the priority, this person is probably from Nanyue, letting him go won't cause much harm!"

  Gongsun Mo's fists clenched slightly as he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist. He turned to look at Sun Lu, but just as he was about to speak, he looked again at the two people standing on the giant rock. For some reason, a strange feeling crept over his heart, and the words that had been on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

  "How can you still believe he won't? He must have given a death order, and I won't be able to walk out of here alive today." Wu You held onto Gu Yunxi and retreated, behind him was the cliff with howling winds. "There are people on all three sides, only the deep abyss behind me is left, Gu Yunxi, what do you say we should do?"

  Facing the murderous array, Wu You's words were not particularly heavy, Gu Yun Xi clenched her lower lip tightly for a moment, "You take me out of here, I bet the king won't hurt you."

  "Alas."

  Carefree slowly let out a sigh, the hand on Gu Yunxi's nape slightly loosened, as if reluctant to part with her, and the large hand on her waist tightened. He lowered his head beside her ear, "In the end, you still believed him, you're willing to bet with me, but I'm not willing to bet with you anymore, Gu Yunxi, if I die, I'll definitely become a ghost to haunt you!"

  A wave of unease swept over her heart, and Gu Yunxi felt herself leaning against a scorching chest. However, it was only for an instant. When that sentence tightened around her heart, the warmth behind her suddenly disappeared. Gu Yunxi's eyes widened in shock as she turned around abruptly, a black robe corner slipping past her eyes.

  After standing in the cold wind for a long time, Gu Yunxi finally couldn't hold on any longer. Her eyes stared blankly at the endless abyss, and she collapsed onto the icy stone floor.

  A shout of surprise came from behind, followed by the sound of chaotic footsteps. Gu Yunxue felt her whole body weaken, and the whistling wind rushed towards her face, almost making it hard for her to breathe. Her ears were also a bit unclear, leaving only that sentence "If I die, I'll become a ghost and haunt you" echoing for a long time.

  A large hand wrapped her in his arms, and a warm temperature came over her. Gu Yunxi stared at the deep and unfathomable cliff, her whole body feeling even colder. Gong Sunmo picked her up around the waist, glanced at Sun Lu, who nodded knowingly and gathered the men to head down the mountain.

  Gu Yunxi turned her head to watch the giant stone getting farther and farther away from her. She couldn't understand why Wu Gong, who had achieved unparalleled martial arts skills, would choose this bottomless abyss and was unwilling to make a bet with her. At that moment, Gu Yunxi wouldn't know that fate would one day come full circle, and perhaps only then would she realize that sometimes love is just a reckless leap.

  Digression

  The subscription is as bleak as I imagined, please grant me a strong heart to ignore the subscription and work hard to write, striving for 20,000 words per day ah ah ah ~