Chapter 65

Feng Ji crouched in the grass, cold sweat seeping from his back, soaking his clothes.

He carefully pulled open his collar, touched the wound, and let out a sigh of relief. With the leather armor and winter clothes as protection, the arrow had not penetrated deeply, only half of the arrowhead had entered. However, he immediately drew in a sharp breath. He felt a layer of ointment on the remaining half of the arrowhead.

Feng Ji's scalp tingled, and his whole body stiffened.

Three steps away, a faint groan came from the attendant. His foot had been pierced by an arrowhead buried in the ground by Liang Xiao. Without a doubt, that arrowhead was also poisoned.

Feng Ji did not dare to raise his head, or even to breathe. He did not know if he had hit Liang Xiao. The situation had been sudden, and he had not had time to think, only shooting an arrow by instinct, with little confidence. He had not even clearly seen if his opponent was Liang Xiao, as the figure exuded a calm and confidence that did not match a mere fifteen-year-old who had only practiced archery for half a year.

Could it be Huan Yuan?

At the thought of this name, Feng Ji became even more uneasy. He touched his wound, increasingly convinced of the possibility. Liang Xiao was already injured, bleeding heavily, and it was a miracle he was still alive, let alone able to shoot such a confident arrow.

Feng Ji focused intently, listening carefully. There was the sound of the wind, the chirping of insects, and the groans of the attendant, but nothing else.

Feng Ji became even more uneasy. Huan Yuan was a marksman, with hearing far superior to that of an ordinary person. Although his archery skills were not inferior to Huan Yuan's, he had no advantage in such an environment, especially since he had already been hit by an arrow, and the arrow was poisoned.

Liang Xiao should be dead, right? Feng Ji thought of the trail of blood, the shoe soaked in blood, and the broken arrow, gritted his teeth, and quietly parted the wild grass to look at the attendant.

The attendant saw him and made some gestures. Feng Ji responded, signaling the attendant to retreat. The attendant was overjoyed, struggled to sit up, raised his shield to protect himself, and slowly retreated to Feng Ji's side.

The opposite side was silent, a silence that was suffocating.

Feng Ji's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat. With the attendant's cover, he cautiously stood up, raised his bow, and shot three arrows in quick succession.

The arrows sank into the ground with a hiss.

Feng Ji's brows furrowed, and he became even more uneasy. He was certain that the opponent was nearby. At such a close distance, the chances of hitting were high. The opponent, however, showed no reaction, neither dodging nor avoiding, which could only mean one thing: he could determine the direction of the three arrows by hearing alone, without the need to dodge.

Feng Ji became even more uneasy. He did not dare to engage in a prolonged battle and slowly retreated to the main road under the attendant's cover.

The wound had lost sensation, and the poison was beginning to take effect. The attendant's injuries were more severe, and he could hardly climb onto the horse. Feng Ji helped the attendant onto the horse, then jumped on himself, and galloped towards Guangling City.

Liang Xiao lay motionless in the grass.

An arrow was deeply embedded in the soil beside his neck, just a couple of inches away from piercing his throat. However, he could not move, lying there, listening to Feng Ji and the attendant retreat to the road and then ride away.

His consciousness gradually blurred, and the world turned dark.

...

The sound of water and wind drifted around him, like a cradle or a cloud. The sounds grew clearer and more numerous, and Liang Xiao gradually distinguished the water sounds from the wind, which turned out to be the breathing of two people.

Two people? Liang Xiao was somewhat surprised. Who could they be, the black and white spirits?

Liang Xiao struggled to open his eyes, and a familiar exclamation followed. "Xiao'er, Xiao'er, you're awake."

"Mother?" Liang Xiao's vision gradually cleared, recognizing his mother's swollen eyes. He turned his head with difficulty to the other side and saw another familiar face, a face with only one eye. "Master?"

Huan Yuan reached out and touched Liang Xiao's forehead. "Mm, you're fine. Rest well, and in half a month, you'll be as lively as ever."

"Master, why are you here? Did you save me?" Liang Xiao moved his eyes, looking around, realizing he was lying in a cabin. Huan Yuan and his mother were sitting by the bed, and there was no other space in the cabin. "Where are Niu'er and Rongqing?"

"I'm here." Niu'er's voice came from outside.

"Shut up!" The familiar stern voice of Zhongli Qi followed, and a sharp sound indicated that Niu'er had been slapped again.

"Where is Rongqing?"

"She was captured by the Hu family to protect me." Liang Miao's eyes were red, and she glanced at Huan Yuan, giving Liang Xiao a meaningful look. "Xiao'er, your master can help us save Rongqing."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Liang Xiao blurted out.

Huan Yuan did not move. Liang Xiao paused, understanding. He smiled bitterly. "Master, I'm in this state, and you're still making conditions? It's not that I'm unwilling, but it's a dead end. Master, please listen to me, don't go down that path, okay?"

"Prosperity comes with risk; there is no easy path." Huan Yuan said slowly. "Do you know that in Chang'an, Chao Cuo was beheaded, and Zhou Yafu starved to death in prison?"

"Uh..." Liang Xiao was speechless. He did not know how to counter Huan Yuan. Serving the emperor was as dangerous as the battlefield.

"Come with me to Jiangnan, and you will have more opportunities."

Liang Xiao was silent for a long time. "If I refuse, will you not help me save Rongqing?"

"If you refuse to come with me, our master-disciple relationship is over. Why should I take such a great risk to save someone unrelated to me?"

"Ao Xiao..." Liang Miao, seeing the situation, quickly held Liang Xiao's hand, giving him meaningful looks.

Liang Xiao shook his head. "Master, please listen to your disciple. Liu Bi is not worth your loyalty, and that prince is even less so."

Huan Yuan snorted, patted Liang Xiao's face, and laughed lightly. "Boy, we'll meet on the battlefield. If you're right, I'll give you my head as a final gift."

"Master, I don't want your head; I want you to live well. Master, I want to serve you for life and see you through to the end."

Huan Yuan turned his head, fell silent for a moment, stood up, and bowed, walking out of the cabin. Liang Xiao, enduring the pain, called out, "Master, be careful of Feng Ji."

Huan Yuan paused, turned his head, and looked puzzled. "Why?"

Liang Xiao took two deep breaths. "When Feng Ji and I fought, he injured you multiple times. He seems to have been waiting for you."

Huan Yuan did not turn back again. The boat swayed, and Niu'er called out, "Master, master, why are you leaving again? Who will beat me if you leave? Master, master?"

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