Chapter 676 She’s Just Fourteen

Chapter 676 She’s Just Fourteen

“How did they even get their hands on a hot air balloon!”

“This is driving me crazy!”

Lu Xixue couldn’t help but curse again.

“It’s over, did the Pope escape?”

Amidst everyone’s uncertainty, Su Zhenyun suddenly exclaimed with joy, “Xi Xue, looks like someone fell from the hot air balloon!”

When Lu Xixue looked up, she saw the person.

Not only did that person fall, but they also took the fire source from the hot air balloon down with them.

She couldn’t help but curse with delight, “Serves them right!”

Su Youyue stood still, in a daze.

For some reason, hearing the joyful voices of her parents and everyone around her, she couldn’t feel happy. It felt like she had suddenly lost something important, leaving her heart hollow.

Watching the hot air balloon, now without its fire source, plummeting down, she took a few steps forward, trying to see more clearly, but it was too far, and she couldn’t make out anything.

She had no choice but to stay put, waiting for news from Xie Yuan.

On the horizon, the deafening sound of cannon fire had long ceased, leaving only the crackling of flames.

Finally, a report of victory came from the front.

“My lady, all enemies have been captured, the Pope of the Holy Church has died… My lord has instructed me to bring you over immediately.”

Hearing that the Pope was dead, everyone around felt a huge relief, their spirits lifted.

Su Youyue nodded, but quickly frowned, “Xie Yuan said to bring me over immediately?”

The messenger nodded, but there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

Lu Xixue instantly became alert, “Did Xie Yuan really say that?”

Su Youyue grabbed her mother’s arm, “Mom…”

For some reason, she panicked, her throat tightening, “This person is a trustworthy shadow guard… He’s fine…”

Just as Lu Xixue was about to voice her doubts, Su Youyue quickly stepped forward, “Take me there now.”

Lu Xixue could see her daughter was acting strange, and she couldn’t help but worry. She immediately pulled Su Zhenyun to follow.

…

Shu Mo was at a loss, staring at Chu Xiaozi, who had just been moved down from the tree branch. Seeing the skin burned off her hand, he was so scared that tears welled up, “Chu Xiaozi… Chu Xiaozi… you, you…”

He wanted to ask if she was okay, but seeing the huge wound where the branch had pierced her abdomen, her clothes soaked in dark red blood, he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

“I misunderstood you!”

He broke down in tears.

He had just been cursing at her!

How could he be so clueless? Couldn’t he see that Chu Xiaozi wasn’t that kind of person? Didn’t he know? How could he still misunderstand her!

Chu Xiaozi's dark skin had turned a pale shade from blood loss. She opened her mouth, glanced at Shu Mo, who was crying so hard that snot dripped into his mouth, then looked at the silent Xie Yuan, and finally at Hua Qingyun, whose eyes were red. She finally said, "It’s fine… I’m not one to hold grudges…"

"Xiao Zi."

Seeing her look at him, Hua Qingyun took a step forward, but his body couldn’t help but sway.

He crouched down, and his wide sleeve accidentally fell onto Chu Xiaozi, instantly soaked with blood.

"Hua… Hua Qingyun…"

Chu Xiaozi was already struggling to breathe, gasping for air: "Actually, I am…"

She got halfway through her sentence, then suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

After choking, she coughed for a moment, then abruptly changed her words: "I can’t feel the pain anymore… so don’t pity me."

"How did that saying go… heavier than…"

"Heavier than Mount Tai, lighter than a feather," Hua Qingyun finished her sentence for her.

Chu Xiaozi smiled contentedly, suddenly feeling as if she had gained an unprecedented strength after hearing those words: "I know what it means… my teacher taught me… Lord Xie, do I count… do I count as heavier than Mount Tai?"

Xie Yuan, silent until now, immediately replied, "Yes, Xiao Zi."

Chu Xiaozi blinked, then smiled again, her lips covered in blood once more: "I used to be scared of you… the first time you called me that, it was… kind of funny… in the future, you must protect my teacher… you must go back with her and take care of her and the baby she’s carrying… and… Jin'er, Zhe Jing…"

Zhe Jing gave a firm nod: "I’ll take care of Jin'er, Xiao Zi."

"Teacher…" Chu Xiaozi’s vision suddenly started to blur, and she forced herself to turn her head, gazing into the distance.

"Xiao Zi, hang on a little longer, my lady is almost here," Zhe Ying couldn’t help but say.

Just as he finished speaking, Su Youyue’s figure finally appeared in the distance.

"Teacher…"

The moment she saw Su Youyue, the tears Chu Xiaozi had been holding back finally streamed down.

The pain was unbearable…

But the world around her was growing darker and darker, and the figure rushing toward her was fading from view…

Mom… it hurts so much…

When Su Youyue arrived, she nearly collapsed.

Xie Yuan steadied her, but she pulled away and lunged forward, clutching the hand that still held a trace of warmth.

But the moment she touched it, the skin on that small hand sloughed off.

She was startled.

Looking down, her tears spilled over.

"Xiao Zi!"

"Xiao Zi, your teacher’s here!"

"Xiao Zi!!!"

When there was no response from the little one, Su Youyue felt a searing pain of despair in her chest.

She couldn't comprehend how such a small body could lose so much blood.

She was deaf to the voices around her trying to stop her, only feeling several hands attempting to pull her away, but she refused to let go.

"Mother, save her! She's just fourteen!"

"Please, mother, I beg you..."

Su Youyue watched her mother shake her head, her face etched with helpless sorrow, and a dark, heavy mountain seemed to crush her heart, blocking out all light, plunging her into darkness.

Despair engulfed her.

"My lord... Shen Yuansong still breathes; he wishes to see my lady..." a shadow guard hesitantly stepped forward.

As Xie Yuan turned, Shen Yuansong was already shouting like a madman, "Tell me... is it... is it really... saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal... is it?"

As he spoke, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Lu Xixue was stunned by his words.

She knew others would eventually discover the formula for gunpowder, but she didn't expect it to be such a young man.

He truly was a genius...

Seeing his crazed state, she was about to fulfill his dying wish, but Su Youyue suddenly stood up and rushed to his face.

"No! You're wrong! You think you're a genius? You're nothing but a failure!"

"You couldn't create divine weapons, and you couldn't fulfill your filial duties in this lifetime!"

The excitement in Shen Yuansong's eyes was extinguished, and he stared wide-eyed, wanting to say something, but in the end, he could only gaze fixedly in the direction of the capital.

Su Youyue was still not satisfied, but the world before her suddenly turned completely black, and she could no longer control her body, collapsing.

As she fainted, she heard the faint calls of "Nuan Nuan."