Chapter 164: Wei Xun, I Forgive You

Chapter 164: Wei Xun, I Forgive You

The man hunched over, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his back a charred, bloody ruin from the burns and blows. Yet to keep the woman from worrying, he bore the pain silently.

"Wei Xun..."

Though A Yuan couldn’t see him, she sensed that Wei Xun seemed injured. She struggled to rise from his embrace, but he only held her tighter.

"Stay still. We need to get out first."

The exit was right beside them. If it meant saving A Yuan, he’d give half his life for it.

"Who are you people?"

A harsh shout rang out from outside as Prince Jing arrived with his men.

Initially anxious at the sight of the raging flames, his anxiety flared into rage upon seeing the figures cloaked in black gathered in the side hall.

The side hall’s blaze intensified. The water Zhang Feng and Chang Yuan splashed was like spitting on a wildfire. Wei Xun and A Yuan were still trapped in the inferno, and now Prince Jing had arrived.

The two men stiffened, faces grim.

"Silent? Kill them all!"

Prince Jing, livid, hated betrayal most.

Shen Qiuyu tried to flee, but his guards shattered her legs. Two guards hauled her by her arms all the way from the front hall.

At Prince Jing's command, the guards abruptly released their grip. Shen Qiuyu, too feeble to stay upright, collapsed to the ground, her fingers trampled by passing guards, agony lancing through her.

From the moment she set the fire, she had prepared herself for Prince Jing's punishment. The prince was a bloodthirsty brute—why would he show mercy?

But hatred gave her courage.

Shen Qiuyu lifted her head, gazing at the distant flames, her fists slowly tightening.

"A Yuan, you won’t survive this."

Wei Xun's men had all been dispatched to support Xie Zheng, leaving only a few loyal men like Zhang Feng and Chang Yuan here.

Though Prince Jing's forces were few, they fought ruthlessly. Seeing Chang Yuan guarding the water vats, they exchanged glances and began targeting them one after another.

"Yuan, what now?"

The last water vat shattered. Zhang Feng hissed a curse and looked at Chang Yuan. This couldn’t go on.

Their lord was still in the inferno—saving him was the priority.

But they were too pinned down to move.

Worse still, Zhang Feng feared that if Prince Jing discovered the marquis was inside, he would stop at nothing to kill him.

Yet, as fate would have it, from the side hall's hidden window, a man emerged, cradling a woman in his arms.

Amid the towering flames and thick smoke, his back remained rigidly straight, but his stiff steps gave away his wounds.

"Wei Xun!"

Shen Qiuyu spotted him first. She would never mistake that man's appearance, even in death.

Here's the edited translation incorporating the expert suggestions:

He really showed up!

Shen Qiuyu was bursting with jealousy—what did A Yuan ever do to deserve this?

"Wei Xun?"

Prince Jing, standing nearby, heard Shen Qiuyu's words.

"Yes! Your Highness, Wei Xun came to save A Yuan. Quickly, have your men capture them!"

Shen Qiuyu gritted her teeth, seething with hatred.

A Yuan was meant to burn to death inside, yet Wei Xun showed up out of nowhere.

He was the noble Marquis of Anning—was he really going to risk his life for a worthless woman?

Shen Qiuyu refused to admit it, but she was green with envy.

The favor of this privileged man should have been hers.

Prince Jing's face was flushed with anticipation, his voice cracking with excitement as he shouted,

"Capture them! Now!"

Wei Xun and Xie Zheng were his elder brother's most trusted men. Even if he couldn't win them over, killing them would be just as satisfying.

The guards rushed forward. Zhang Feng and Chang Yuan blocked most of them, but a few slipped through, making a beeline for Wei Xun.

Under normal circumstances, these men would be no match for Marquis Wei.

But now, his back was injured, his legs burned from crawling through the flames, and with the woman in his arms to protect, Wei Xun was handicapped.

"Gah!"

The guards targeted his legs and back relentlessly, and Wei Xun's strength was running out.

"You... let me go..."

A Yuan lifted her head in his arms, her heart clenching at the sight of his pale face.

"Wei Xun, let me go! If this goes on, you'll die!"

The young woman's already swollen eyes welled up with new tears. Wei Xun trembled as he wiped them away.

"Don't cry, A Yuan. I owe you my life."

Her suffering had all begun because of him. If not for him, Shen Qiuyu wouldn't have kept coming after her.

It was all his fault—he hadn't protected her well enough.

Without A Yuan, what meaning was there in living alone?

He tightened his arms, holding her even closer, his cold eyes filled with do-or-die determination.

The guards hesitated for a moment. But the thought of capturing Wei Xun and returning to the capital as heroes hardened their hearts.

"Charge, brothers! Now! He's badly injured—he won't last much longer. Once we take him down, we'll be living large!" "Attack!"

The guards rushed forward in a frenzy. Wei Xun's legs were struck, the backs of his knees hit by the flat of a guard's blade, and he was forced to his knees.

"Crash!"

The flagstone tiles sent up a cloud of dust as Wei Xun staggered, yet he kept the woman in his arms unharmed.

"A Yuan, don’t be afraid. They won’t hurt you."

The man’s blood dripped onto A Yuan’s face—searing and terrifying.

Without the thick smoke, A Yuan could finally see how badly wounded he was. His black robes were drenched in blood. She clung to his neck, her fingertips and sleeves stained crimson.

Tears blurred A Yuan’s vision, her voice breaking with sobs. "Wei Xun, survive this... I... I forgive you."

She didn’t hate him anymore. Not anymore.

A sudden gleam flashed in the man’s eyes, his lips curving into a faint, contented smile. "Good."

If he could hear A Yuan’s forgiveness before death, then he would die with no regrets.

"Cut off his head! No need to keep him alive!"

Even knowing Wei Xun’s skill, Prince Jing was shocked.

Despite his severe injuries, Wei Xun had fought off over a dozen guards. If he were to recover, would any of them stand a chance against him?

Prince Jing’s fear grew as he shouted orders at his men.

The guards obeyed, raising their swords to strike at Wei Xun’s head.

"No!"

"My lord!"

A Yuan clutched Wei Xun’s arm, her heart pounding in terror. To shield her from seeing, the man used his last ounce of strength to press her face against his chest.

Zhang Feng and Chang Yuan broke free from the guards, racing toward them desperately.

Prince Jing watched them and let out a roar of triumph. "Wei Xun, you did this to me! Today, I shall finally have my vengeance!"

Shen Qiuyu crouched at his feet, her gaze fixed on the distant man, her eyes glazed with madness.

Wei Xun was about to die. They had never been husband and wife in this life—but if they perished on the same day, would they meet again on the Naihe Bridge (the Bridge of Forgetfulness in Chinese folklore)?

In the next life, without A Yuan, Wei Xun would surely be hers.

Everyone stared, transfixed, waiting for Wei Xun’s head to roll.

The courtyard was dead silent—no one dared to speak.

"You bastards! How dare you scare my sister!"

"Swish!"

Xie Zheng stormed in with his men, snatching a bow from one of his subordinates and firing an arrow at the guards.

The arrow hit its mark, piercing a guard’s palm and sending his sword clattering to the ground.

Xie Zheng burned with rage, his arrows like bolts of vengeance. In less than ten breaths, the guards surrounding Wei Xun were forced back.