Chapter 18

Chu Huan held Su Linlang in one arm, while the other hand clutched the gray package he had found with great difficulty. The other hand held the reins of the horse, galloping under the moonlight through the wild forest, heading east. He was not familiar with the terrain, but he noticed a road to the east, so he could only follow it, knowing that Su Linlang had been hit by an arrow in the leg and must be in excruciating pain. He said in a deep voice, "Bear with it, we'll shake them off soon!"

However, he could faintly hear the sound of hooves behind him, realizing that Lin Dai'er had not given up and was still in pursuit. He thought to himself that if it were a one-on-one fight, he might not lose to Lin Dai'er, but with the injured Su Linlang to take care of, and the sound of multiple horses behind him, it was clear that it wasn't just Lin Dai'er. This made the situation more difficult.

Behind him, Lin Dai'er was in pursuit, and ahead, he faintly heard the sound of Wei Tianqing's horse. After galloping for about a mile, he saw a side path and, without hesitation, turned the horse and headed down it. He thought that if the pursuers came, they would see two paths and split up, thus weakening their numbers.

The side path was overgrown with weeds, and there was a river nearby. Fortunately, the horse was strong and trampled through the weeds, not knowing how long they had been riding. In the dim light, they found themselves at the foot of a mountain.

The sound of hooves behind him had disappeared for a while, but just as Chu Huan relaxed, he heard the sound again. He continued to ride for about ten miles and then asked in a low voice, "How is your wound?"

Su Linlang did not respond, and Chu Huan felt something was wrong. Seeing a dense patch of withered grass ahead, he stopped the horse, held Su Linlang, and whispered, rolling off the horse and landing in the grass. He quickly hid Su Linlang behind the dense grass, and the horse continued to gallop away.

After a short while, the sound of hooves grew louder. Under the moonlight, a horse quickly caught up, and Chu Huan could faintly see two people on the horse, one of whom was the female bandit leader. He sighed inwardly, realizing that she was indeed persistent, having chased them for half the night without giving up.

Xue Qingshan and Lin Dai'er did not think Chu Huan had already dismounted with Su Linlang and continued to chase the unoccupied horse.

After they passed, Chu Huan looked at Su Linlang. Her bamboo hat was gone, revealing a beautiful face with delicate features, a delicate nose, rosy cheeks, almond eyes, and cherry lips. A small, red mole was visible below her left lip, adding a touch of charm to her already beautiful face.

However, her face was now pale, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She was biting her lower lip, and her beautiful eyes showed signs of pain.

Chu Huan was startled and said in a low voice, "We can't stay here long. Madam... I must apologize!" He had intended to call her "young lady," but given her mature and graceful appearance, he called her "madam."

Chu Huan knew that although the etiquette in the Great Qin was not very strict, the rules of propriety between men and women still existed. If not for the situation, he would not have been so close to Su Linlang.

Su Linlang, understanding the gravity of the situation, nodded slightly despite her pain. Chu Huan tied the package around his neck, picked up Su Linlang, and felt how light and soft her body was. Su Linlang, feeling both pain and embarrassment, turned her head away, not daring to look at Chu Huan.

Chu Huan did not say much and carried Su Linlang into the nearby dense forest. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting a cold glow, but the forest was still eerie, with the sounds of snakes and insects and the occasional howl of a wild wolf. Chu Huan moved through the forest without hesitation, but Su Linlang was a bit afraid. At this moment, Chu Huan was her only protector, and she subconsciously regarded him as her guardian.

After walking for a long time, they turned into a valley. The surroundings were covered with grass and strange rocks, and the valley was deep, with towering cliffs on both sides, like prehistoric beasts with their mouths open. Chu Huan walked cautiously, occasionally looking down at Su Linlang. The moonlight illuminated her beautiful face, which was even paler than before, and her eyes were tightly closed, showing even more pain.

Chu Huan knew that Su Linlang's leg wound could not be delayed. It was late autumn, and the wind was cold. He needed to find a place to rest temporarily.

He continued down the valley, hoping to find a shelter from the wind and cold. The valley was very deep, and after walking for a while, he suddenly felt a cold wind, and a shadow from the grass lunged at him. Holding Su Linlang, he could not counterattack and could only roar and leap forward a few steps. The path was uneven, and he stepped on a loose stone, causing him to slip. If he had not been holding Su Linlang, he could have easily regained his balance, but he fell to the ground, fearing he might hurt her. He used his hands to stabilize her, but his leg knelt on the ground, feeling several sharp pains, knowing he had been injured by the rocks.

Reacting quickly, he ignored his own injuries. The cold wind attacked again, and he quickly placed Su Linlang on the ground, drawing the sharp dagger given by Wei Tianqing. He turned around and heard a "bang" as he collided with something hard and furry. He heard a howl, and the thing flew away. In the moonlight, he saw that it was a large gray wolf, which he had knocked back with his collision.

Without hesitation, he pounced on the wolf before it could get up. The wolf was also fast and lunged at him again. The wolf's sharp claws aimed for Chu Huan's chest, and just as they were about to collide, Chu Huan suddenly moved, creating a gap. He thrust the dagger with his right hand, and another howl echoed as the dagger pierced the wolf's abdomen. Chu Huan gritted his teeth and pulled the dagger down, creating a deep wound. Blood spurted out, and the wolf was gutted in an instant, convulsing a few times before lying still.

After dealing with the wolf, Chu Huan panted, put away the dagger, and went to Su Linlang's side, asking in a low voice, "Are you okay?"

Su Linlang, who had seen the entire scene, was terrified. Seeing Chu Huan's hands covered in blood, she exclaimed, "You... you're injured?"

Chu Huan looked around, ensuring there were no other wolves, then shook his head and smiled gently, "No, this isn't my blood, it's the wolf's!" He noticed Su Linlang's hand was bleeding and realized she had been injured by the rocks when he placed her down. He tore a piece of cloth from his already tattered clothes, quickly tearing it into strips, and said, "Let's stop the bleeding first, and I'll treat your wound later!"

Su Linlang hesitated, then raised her hand. Chu Huan quickly bandaged her left hand. When their hands touched, Su Linlang trembled, whether from pain or something else. Her eyes showed a strange expression as she looked at Chu Huan. In the moonlight, she saw that his face was covered in blood and dirt, his hair disheveled, and he looked unkempt, but for some reason, she found him the most handsome man she had ever seen.

After bandaging her hand, Chu Huan picked up Su Linlang again and continued searching for a place to rest. The open air was cold, and they could be attacked by wild animals at any time. Fortunately, they soon found a small cave, not very wide but large enough for two people. Inside the cave, Chu Huan gently placed Su Linlang down and sighed in relief, saying, "They won't find us here. Let's rest for a while!"

Although there was moonlight, the cave was dark, making it hard to see each other.

Chu Huan thought about Su Linlang's arrow wound and knew he couldn't delay. He gathered dry grass and wood outside the cave, brought it inside, and after much effort, started a fire. He also cut some branches and placed them at the cave entrance, then sat down. Seeing the arrow still in Su Linlang's leg, he bowed and said, "Madam, the arrow wound can't be delayed. I need to treat it now. Please bear with me!"

Su Linlang, feeling her injured left leg almost numb, knew she couldn't refuse despite her adherence to propriety. She did not speak but closed her eyes and turned her head away.

Chu Huan understood her meaning, knowing she had given her consent. He said softly, "I must apologize," and knelt beside her leg. He hesitated for a moment but then gently lifted her green skirt, revealing her pink silk trousers. The arrow had pierced her calf, through the trousers and into her flesh. Chu Huan admired her strength, thinking, "This woman is truly resilient, enduring such a severe injury without a single cry of pain!"

He gently held her calf, feeling the smooth and elastic skin through the trousers. Su Linlang trembled, biting her lower lip and closing her eyes.

Chu Huan took the dagger and carefully cut the fabric around the arrow, revealing the skin. The area around the wound was bruised and black blood was oozing out.

Chu Huan frowned and said in a low voice, "The arrow is poisoned!"

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