Chapter 70 Rescued

Chapter 70: Rescue

At that critical moment, the man’s movement abruptly halted, his body swaying as he looked down at his chest.

A long blade dripped blood, running straight through his back and out his chest.

Cheng Ge, unarmed, dodged too slow and took a slash across his back.

He grunted in pain, his eyes cold, as he spun and kicked the attacker’s wrist.

The man winced and dropped his blade, and Cheng Ge swiftly snatched it.

Flipping the blade in his hands, he sidestepped and delivered a diagonal slash, warm blood splattering across his face.

A round head hit the ground with a thud, rolling a few times before stopping at Cheng Ge’s feet.

Cheng Ge staggered, gripping the blade and leaning on the ground, spitting up a mouthful of blood.

Cheng Ge: Damn it! I'm spent...

Wiping the blood off his face, he quickly downed two pills.

Steeling himself, he rushed to the cliff's edge and cut all the ropes.

He turned and walked back to Lin Nanshu, slung him over his back, and sped through the forest.

The noise would definitely alert others; running was the only option.

Sure enough, before long, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed behind them.

Cheng Ge carried Lin Nanshu, his steps getting heavier.

The wound on his back was burning, blood soaking his clothes, pushing him to his limits.

Luckily, a few horses were tied up nearby, probably left by the attackers.

No time to think—just escape. He hoisted Lin Nanshu onto the horse and mounted quickly.

“Hyah!” The horse neighed and shot off like a bullet.

The mountain trail was muddy; Cheng Ge gripped the reins tight, pushing the horse on.

The hoofbeats behind them grew closer, a flash of light split the night sky.

Cheng Ge's heart pounded as he glanced back, seeing more pursuers closing in.

He gritted his teeth and kicked the horse's sides hard.

The horse, in pain, sped up, but the torch in his hand barely lit the road ahead.

Lin Nanshu was huddled in front of Cheng Ge, his arms wrapped around Cheng Ge's waist, pressing hard on the wound in his back.

Warm blood seeped through his fingers, almost burning his palm.

“Get them!” The pursuers closed in, nearly on them.

With a thunderous crack, lightning lit up the sky, and a torrential downpour started.

The torch went out, plunging the path into darkness. The horse neighed, stumbled, and fell.

Cheng Ge acted fast, pulling Lin Nanshu and rolling off the path.

In the tumble, he instinctively covered Lin Nanshu's head.

After landing, ignoring the pain everywhere, he scooped up Lin Nanshu and ran.

The rain poured down, blinding them completely; everything was pitch-black.

They had left the mountain trail; the road widened but offered no cover.

Cheng Ge carried Lin Nanshu, stumbling forward, rain and blood mixing on his face.

But two legs couldn't outrun four; soon, the assassins caught up.

“It's over! Yuli, we're both gonna die today.

I don't have many folks here. When you burn paper money, save me some—I don't wanna be broke in the afterlife.”

Hearing this, Lin Nanshu loosened his grip. “Muyu… hand me over to them, and you can escape.”

Cheng Ge slapped Lin Nanshu's rear. “What nonsense! I've brought you this far! That's like a scumbag move.”

“Get them!” In that moment, they were surrounded.

Cheng Ge steeled himself, set Lin Nanshu down, and drew his blade to face the assassins.

The assassins closed in, blades glinting in the rain.

Cheng Ge gritted his teeth, sidestepped, and swung his blade at a horse's legs.

The horse neighed in pain and collapsed, knocking over others, throwing the assassins into chaos.

Seizing the chance, Cheng Ge flung Lin Nanshu over his shoulder and retreated.

He prayed to run into Lin Zhufeng's men, hoping to survive.

But before long, more assassins intercepted from the side.

Cheng Ge parried, forcing them back, but gained new wounds.

Outnumbered and exhausted from the attrition, he was losing steam.

As he dodged one blade, another came from behind.

Cheng Ge's heart sank, thinking this strike would cut him in half.

Just then, a sharp sword aura swept through, knocking the blade away.

Suddenly, Cheng Ge felt a pull at his waist, his body lifted into the air, hoisted onto a horse by a strong hand.

This is what flying feels like…

But before he could react, a figure flew across the night sky from his shoulder.

It wasn't a shooting star—it was his brother-in-arms, Lin Nanshu.

The Secret Guard Chief beside him reacted swiftly, catching him without hesitation.

Cheng Ge let out a sigh of relief and looked up to thank his savior.

Suddenly, the large hand on his waist tightened, pulling Cheng Ge into a warm embrace.

The other person pressed the back of his head firmly down, his vision darkened, and his body was completely covered by a cloak.

Through the man's broad chest, he could faintly hear a steady, powerful heartbeat.

"Who are you? Leave Lin Nanshu behind, and I'll let you live!"

As the words fell, the clashing of swords and wailing instantly filled the air.

The rain let up, and the sounds of fighting gradually faded, leaving only occasional groans of pain.

Cheng Ge opened his eyes, shifted, and tried to peek out.

Before he could act, a familiar voice reached his ears.

"If you want the Eldest Young Master Lin, have your master come to Prince Zhenbei's mansion to ask for him!"

Cheng Ge: Holy crap, it's Cui Ji!

Cui Ji raised his whip, spurred his horse, and galloped swiftly toward the city, his gaze fixed forward, his expression dark and brooding.

Halfway there, he felt the person in his arms stir, and a head poked out from under the cloak.

Cui Ji looked down and saw a face so dirty it was unrecognizable.

He gritted his teeth in anger and said, "I'll deal with you when we get home..."

"Ugh..." Before he could finish, Cheng Ge spat a mouthful of black blood directly onto his chest.

Cui Ji: "!!!"

Cheng Ge weakly raised a hand to cover his mouth, black blood trickling through his fingers.

With his other hand, he clumsily wiped Cui Ji's chest, his vision darkening again and again.

"Thanks... ouch... the goji berries I got you are all gone. I'll bring more next time."

Cui Ji: "..."

"Thanks to all you little ones for your support along the way. Muyu will meet other characters later. Feel free to vote for whoever you like in the book, so I can see the popularity of the contestants.

And finally... begging for love-driven donations and small gifts~"