Chapter 33

Princess Min Ruoxi was tightly bound to Qin Feng’s back with a vine. Now, there was no way out. In reality, even if there was a way, he wouldn’t dare to take it. The one chasing them was Deng Pu, a ninth-level grandmaster. If he caught up, it would mean death for her. Now, she was crawling into any place that was hard to navigate.

Min Ruoxi was as soft as a noodle, able to speak and blink, but her whole body felt boneless. However, in this moment of fleeing for their lives, Qin Feng couldn’t afford to care much. He had no time to consider whether Min Ruoxi was comfortable being tied to his back. Between survival and comfort, he believed Min Ruoxi would choose the former.

Oh, no, if caught by Deng Pu, she would die, but this high-born princess might be taken advantage of by that man. Now, she had no ability to defend herself.

Although he had a knife, Qin Feng didn’t dare to use it to clear the way. Using a large knife would be comfortable, but it would inevitably leave traces. For someone experienced like Deng Pu, finding his trail would be too easy. He could only carefully push aside the dense thorns with his hands, moving through them and trying to restore the original state afterward.

Being tied to Qin Feng’s back like a sack of rice, Min Ruoxi was naturally uncomfortable, especially with such intimate, gapless contact with a man, and a man who was a complete stranger not long ago. As a princess, she had never even thought of such a thing before.

The heat caused by the drug had long since faded, but the heat in Min Ruoxi’s heart persisted. Her head rested on Qin Feng’s shoulder, and if he turned his head slightly, their faces would come into intimate contact. Qin Feng’s unshaven stubble, which hadn’t been trimmed for days, was rough and caused her delicate face to feel pain repeatedly. But she was helpless, unable to even turn her head.

Qin Feng’s breathing was heavy but long, indicating his high level of internal cultivation. However, his movements were incredibly stealthy and despicable, moving through the forest like a large rat, agile and leaving no trace. Min Ruoxi even saw him catch several large spiders with a piece of cloth torn from his own clothes and stuff them into his waistband.

Thinking about the several black, furry spiders near her waist, Min Ruoxi felt a chill and her body hair stood on end. She kept worrying if these disgusting creatures would crawl out of the cloth and onto her body.

Seeing Qin Feng stop again and skillfully set up something in the grass, Min Ruoxi couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What are you doing? Setting up traps? I doubt they will be useful against Deng Pu.”

“Not really. These small gadgets aren’t for dealing with him. They’re just for alerting me. If Deng Pu really finds this path or triggers these traps, I’ll know in advance. This gadget is called a leaf whistle. If triggered, it will shoot into the sky, flying high and emitting a sharp whistle. I’ve set up quite a few along the way. But I hope none of them are triggered.”

He straightened up, looking at the gradually darkening sky, and muttered, “The Ying Mountains are so vast. Our luck can’t be that bad, right? May heaven bless us and let Deng Pu fall to his death. That way, we’ll be safe.”

Hearing Qin Feng’s prayer, Min Ruoxi couldn’t help but laugh. Hoping for Deng Pu to fall to his death was less realistic than hoping for a pig to climb a tree.

“I saw you pick some red berries on the way. Are they for me to eat? And those flowers and plants, what are you collecting them for?” she asked.

Qin Feng laughed, as if he had heard something strange. He turned his head to speak but forgot Min Ruoxi’s current position. This turn of his head resulted in their lips touching intimately.

Qin Feng froze, as if struck by lightning, turning into a wooden statue. Min Ruoxi, unable to move, made a muffled sound, her face instantly turning red like an apple.

It seemed like an eternity before Qin Feng, as if electrocuted, turned his head back.

“Sorry, Your Highness, I forgot,” he muttered.

Min Ruoxi was both angry and anxious. Her first kiss, taken by a soldier in such a strange way. But what could she say? She could only glare at his profile with her big eyes, thinking if this bastard had done it on purpose.

Qin Feng wanted to say it wasn’t intentional. Their lives were in danger, and they could be caught and killed at any moment. There was no time for such frivolous thoughts. But would an explanation help? He had indeed taken advantage of a young lady, and not just any young lady, but a high-born princess.

Lowering his head, pretending nothing had happened, Qin Feng continued to move through the dense thorns.

“Those berries are not edible; they can be fatal. The flowers and plants are all poisonous. In the Ying Mountains, there are many strange things. Some can save lives, and some can take lives. I have a friend who is a doctor and has studied this extensively. I learned more about harming people than saving them from him. Collecting these things, we can use them to make poisons and powders when we rest. They might come in handy later,” he explained as he walked.

However, the curious baby on his shoulder didn’t respond this time. Qin Feng found it strange and wanted to turn his head to look, but he immediately stopped, remembering the previous moment. The first time could be considered an accident, but the second time would be intentional.

It was almost dark, and they needed to find a place to rest. They had been fighting and fleeing all day, and carrying a princess who looked slender but was actually very heavy was exhausting, even for Qin Feng.

Fortunately, they found a cave on a cliff face after a short search. A large natural rock blocked the entrance, making it hard to notice from the outside. Only someone like Qin Feng, who was used to navigating deep forests, could find such a place. Pushing aside the overgrown grass, they entered the cave, which was about the size of a room and quite dry.

Inside the cave, Qin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He untied the vine and placed Min Ruoxi down, leaning her against a rock. But as soon as he let her go, she slid down.

Seeing this, Qin Feng could only sigh and readjust her position.

“Any signs of improvement?” he asked. It was completely dark outside, and the cave was pitch black. Sitting cross-legged beside Min Ruoxi, Qin Feng asked.

“No, I still can’t use any strength,” Min Ruoxi said, her voice filled with frustration. “How can this drug have such side effects? In the palace, I’ve seen guards use it, and they just lose strength for a few days.”

“Maybe a woman’s body reacts differently from a man’s,” Qin Feng said, trying to cover up. He would never admit that he had slipped a pill into her mouth while she was unconscious, even mouth-to-mouth.

“Maybe. When we get back, I’ll have a female guard test it,” Min Ruoxi said.

Qin Feng’s body trembled. “Your Highness, I have some medicine for internal injuries. Would you like to try one? It might help.”

“Sure, I’ll try anything. It can’t be worse than this,” Min Ruoxi said. She was desperate to regain her ability to move. If someone offered her a bowl of poison, claiming it could cure her, she would drink it without hesitation.

Qin Feng was secretly pleased. This way, even if Min Ruoxi tested it on a female guard and found no such side effects, he would have an excuse.

He took a pill from a small bottle in his pocket, put it in Min Ruoxi’s mouth, and then unfastened a leather bag from his waist to help her swallow it.

“Your Highness, it’s safe here for now. Rest for a while. I’ll go find some water. There should be a water source nearby; I heard the sound of water.” Qin Feng stood up. “I’ll also look for some food. I’m out of rations, and you don’t have any, right?”

“I don’t. They’re all with the guards,” Min Ruoxi said.

“Alright, I’ll be back soon. It’s safe here for now.” He glanced at Min Ruoxi lying on the ground and then turned and walked out of the cave.