“Miss, miss, Bai Gu is right here. This is…”
Wanqing ran ahead without noticing the carriage passing by. In front of the pavilion, a fiery red figure swiftly disembarked before the carriage even came to a full stop, shouting at someone inside as she rushed forward. But upon entering and seeing the scene inside the pavilion, her expression changed drastically, and she froze in place.
This was none other than the person who, after finishing her meditation, had discovered Wanqing had already left. Though furious that Wanchun and the others hadn’t informed her, she prioritized her mistress’s safety. Grabbing her sword, she dashed out despite her still-unsteady breath.
Honglian had originally intended to head straight to the West Slope Pavilion to rescue Wanqing, but upon stepping out, she realized her internal energy had only recovered by thirty percent. Knowing that in her current state, she might not only fail to help her mistress but could even become a burden, she hesitated.
Yet, she couldn’t simply abandon her mistress. Though aware she had already severed ties with Linglong Pavilion, she steeled herself and went to seek help. Unexpectedly, Bai Gu, upon hearing the situation, personally came to assist. Unbeknownst to her, her visit to Linglong Pavilion had coincided with Zhong Shu’s departure after going there to seek aid.
Assuming she might already be too late, but remembering her mistress’s kindness, she resolved to see her no matter what—even if it meant retrieving her body. But upon entering the pavilion, she was stunned to see a black-clad man lying on the ground, a pool of blood around his legs, surrounded by dead ants and insects, while two other black-clad men stood nearby, watching him with concern.
She froze in shock: What had happened here? Could her mistress already have been…?
“You—this girl must be with the one from earlier. Capture her, and we can exchange her for the antidote for the Black Guardian…”
During her moment of stunned hesitation, the two black-clad men near the injured man paused upon seeing her enter. Recalling her earlier words and address, their expressions shifted. One whispered to the other, and the two set down the black-clad man, whose leg wounds had already begun to fester, and lunged toward Honglian.
“Watch out!” Honglian, still processing the scene, barely reacted as a white figure darted forward, striking away the weapons aimed at her with a sword and standing protectively by her side.
“You…”
The two black-clad men hadn’t expected their attack to be deflected so easily. Seeing Honglian snap back to attention, her soft sword now in hand, and the white-clad woman beside her glaring at them, their expressions grew grave.
Though outnumbered, the two black-clad men exchanged a glance and reached into their robes.
“Hmph, you think you can play tricks in front of me?” Honglian and Bai Nianlong, their eyes cold and wary, stepped forward. Each struck with their sword, piercing the men’s shoulders and simultaneously sealing their pressure points.
“Spare us, noble ladies! We were blind not to recognize your greatness! Please, spare us!”
“Mercy, noble ladies! We were only following orders…”
Struck by the swords, the men’s hands twitched, and the poison powder they had intended to use scattered onto themselves. Smoke rose from their skin as they screamed in agony, immobilized and sweating profusely, begging for mercy.
Honglian watched as the powder burned their clothes, the acrid smell of scorched fabric making her grimace. The thought of what would have happened if the poison had landed on them sent a chill down her spine.
Angry and cold, she pressed her sword harder and demanded of the man she had stabbed, “You dare act so brazenly in front of me? Speak! Where are my mistress and the old man you captured?”
“Ugh… your mistress and the old man… they’ve already left,” the man stammered, his face pale with fear at her furious expression, knowing a single lie could mean his death.
“Left? Where to? Don’t play games, or I’ll send you straight to the underworld!” Honglian’s eyes narrowed, her grip tightening.
“Please, noble lady, spare me! When we arrived, our guardian was already lying like this, and the others were gone. As for where they went… I truly don’t know. Maybe they left…”
Blood gushed from the man’s shoulder as he trembled in pain.
“You’d better be telling the truth, or you’ll wish you were dead. And the thing you wanted from my mistress—where is it?” Honglian studied them, sensing no deceit.
Relieved but still uneasy, she exchanged a glance with Bai Nianlong—whom she called Bai Gu—and struck the man with her sword hilt, sending him sprawling. But as she reached the pavilion’s entrance, she suddenly turned back. “Wait—what was it you wanted from my mistress?”
“This…” The man, who had thought she was leaving, now panicked as she confronted him again.
“Answer me! Or do you want me to skewer your bones?” Bai Gu, noticing their hesitation, coldly pressed her sword into another man’s shoulder.
“Ah! I’ll talk! We don’t really know what it was—just something called the Dragon-Tiger Token. They said possessing it grants the power of an army, but our guardian never got it…”
The man groaned as her sword pierced his shoulder, blood staining his clothes. He swayed, divulging everything he knew.
“Dragon-Tiger Token? If you don’t know, then shut up. Honglian, let’s go. Your mistress must have returned or gone elsewhere. We’ll check the city.”
Bai Nianlong’s expression darkened at his words. With a swift strike, she knocked both men unconscious and pulled Honglian toward the carriage waiting by the road.
“Wait, Bai Gu—there’s blood here! Could it be from Miss or Zhong Shu? And here—wheel tracks where someone rolled…”
As Bai Gu climbed into the carriage, Honglian noticed blood near the wheel and knelt to inspect it. Confirming it was human blood, she turned and spotted disturbed earth where someone had rolled. Her gaze instinctively shifted to the forest ahead.
“Let’s check it out. I’m curious about this mistress of yours,” Bai Gu said decisively, leading the way into the woods.
“This is Miss’s hairpin! It must be hers! Miss! Miss!”
Not far into the forest, Honglian spotted something glinting—a white jade hairpin Wanqing had worn that morning. The sight of blood and the hairpin filled her with dread. Calling out frantically, she pressed deeper into the woods.
“I’m here. No need to shout.”
As she and Bai Gu searched anxiously, the forest grew denser, and the sky darkened. Lighting lanterns, they continued calling Wanqing’s name. Honglian’s heart pounded at the thought of her injured mistress lost here, especially when distant wolf howls echoed through the trees. She nearly burst into tears.
Then, rustling came from behind them, followed by a weak voice.
“Miss? Is that you? Oh, thank heavens you’re safe! You—you’re hurt? Sit down, let me see…”
Honglian raised her lantern, its faint glow revealing Wanqing leaning against a tree, pale and weak. Overjoyed but alarmed by the blood on her robes, Honglian rushed to her side, helping her sit as she examined her injuries.
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