Chapter 212: "You Scared Me to Death, Scared Me to Death...
Chapter 212: Chapter 212: "You Scared Me to Death, Scared Me to Death...
Xie Anning’s body plummeted straight down.
Smashing right onto the left side of Cui Lingyao’s shoulder.
As she grimaced in pain, Xie Jinbai had already rushed to her side.
"...Yaoyao?"
His pupils shook and his face was deathly pale. His legs seemed to give out as he knelt, reaching out to hold her. He wanted to transfer his Inner Strength, but he was afraid he would only end up hurting her, just like last time.
He was as flustered and helpless as a toddler learning to speak.
He didn’t even dare to speak.
Her heart ached for him. Forcing back the pain, she gently shook her head. "I’m fine..."
She wanted to comfort him; only the left side of her shoulder was in agony, and she was still conscious.
She had her own sense of self-preservation; when she’d acted, she hadn’t intended to throw her own life away by becoming a human cushion. She had only shielded her sister-in-law from the sharpest corner, ensuring the fall wouldn’t kill her outright.
The tremendous impact was painful, but it hadn’t caused any internal injuries.
But time was of the essence. Beside them, Xie Anning had already passed out, her life hanging in the balance.
Frantic with worry, Cui Lingyao pushed herself up with her right hand on a rock. "Quick! Go check on my sister-in-law!"
Xie Jinbai turned a deaf ear, his eyes scanning her meticulously from head to toe.
He was in no state to care about anyone else. It didn’t matter that the other person was just his cousin; even if his own father were lying here right now, he probably wouldn’t have spared him a glance.
Once he heard Cui Lingyao say she was fine and confirmed that only her left shoulder was hurt, he gathered her carefully into his arms.
With her in his arms, he seemed to lose all his strength and collapsed to his knees, whispering hoarsely, "You scared me to death... You scared me to death..."
The arms holding her were trembling, and a choked, shaky sound escaped his throat.
He had been scared out of his wits.
He couldn’t bear to lose her again.
If anything more were to happen to this girl, it would literally kill him.
Not even destroying the heavens and the earth would be enough to quell his panicked agony.
Though it seemed like a long time, from the moment Xie Jinbai leaped over to when they were holding each other, it had all happened in an instant.
Seeing this veritable god of death arrive, the dozen or so black-clad assassins still didn’t retreat, but instead redoubled their efforts to break through and close in.
From deep within the dense woods, more hidden arrows were loosed.
Clearly, these were assassins sworn to die, operating under a kill-or-be-killed order.
Meanwhile, Chen Minrou, who had been left on the sidelines, also snapped to her senses and rushed over, wanting to check on Cui Lingyao’s injuries.
SWISH.
An arrow grazed past her right ear, heading straight for Cui Lingyao. The sharp tip sliced a cut across her right cheek as it flew by before Xie Jinbai raised a hand and caught it.
Fresh blood dripped to the ground.
One arrow followed another; there was no telling how many archers were hidden deep in the forest.
"Get down!"
Zhao Shijie, galloping toward them, saw his wife standing in a hail of arrows and was so shocked he nearly tumbled from his horse. His pupils constricted as he roared, "Minmin, get down! Get down!"
His usually gentle voice was twisted and distorted by terror.
But Chen Minrou was so familiar with his voice that she recognized it instantly. No matter how much friction there was between them, he was still the husband she had spent many years with.
They had grown up together. Even when their relationship was at its most strained, they had only ever wished the best for one another.
At such a life-or-death moment, hearing Zhao Shijie’s voice, Chen Minrou didn’t have time to think. Her body reacted purely on instinct.
Her panicked heart instantly steadied, and she immediately obeyed, covering her head and dropping to the ground.
Forgetting all about her dignity, she threw herself flat on the ground.
In the next instant, a volley of arrows sliced through the air where she had just been standing, heading straight for the pair still embracing behind her.
A ferocious glint flashed in Xie Jinbai’s eyes. He shot to his feet, pulling Cui Lingyao behind him with one hand. With the other, he unfastened his cloak and, with a great sweep of his arm, deflected the entire volley of arrows.
Before the assassins could react, he wrapped an arm around her waist, intending to carry her away.
"Wait!" Cui Lingyao tugged frantically at his robes. "We can’t leave my sister-in-law! Save her!"
’This was an undeserved disaster that had befallen her sister-in-law because of her. If they just left her behind and something happened, how could she possibly face her older brother?!’
Xie Jinbai knew how important her family was to her. Unless it came down to a critical, last-resort choice between the two of them, he didn’t want her to live the rest of her life wracked with guilt.
He kicked away two assassins who charged him, then spared a glance at his cousin, who had rolled beneath the rocks and was now lying on the ground with her back to them, her condition unknown. His brow furrowed slightly. "Go see if she’s still alive."
Cui Lingyao immediately nodded. She crouched behind the rock and reached out to feel for a pulse on Xie Anning’s neck. Her expression quickly brightened. "She’s breathing!"
’Great.’
’So much for leaving now.’
Xie Jinbai said resignedly, "Stay hidden and don’t stand up!"
He picked up a sword and began to engage the enemy.
He never strayed far from that rock.
In the few moments it took for this exchange, Zhao Shijie had reached Chen Minrou’s side.
He was a civil servant; although his riding and archery skills were decent, these assassins were all elite fighters. He was no match for them.
After barely holding his own for a dozen exchanges, a moment of carelessness left his arm sliced by a blade. He gripped his sword tightly and forced himself to keep fighting. Chen Minrou watched, sprawled on the ground, her hands clamped over her mouth, not daring to even gasp for fear of distracting him.
Fortunately, this was the Royal Manor, which was effectively Xie Jinbai’s territory. Even if the mastermind behind the plot had laid an ambush, they wouldn’t be able to maintain the upper hand for long.
After they managed to hold on for several dozen more exchanges, the Yulin Guards began to arrive as reinforcements.
The archers hidden in the woods were rooted out one by one.
Without the aid of the archers, the assassins surrounding them were quickly cut down. Preoccupied with his wife’s injuries, Xie Jinbai had no interest in charging out to kill more. He returned to Cui Lingyao’s side and was about to check her wound again when she stopped him with a raised hand.
"I’m really fine!"
Xie Anning hadn’t moved an inch. Deeply worried, Cui Lingyao waited until the immediate danger had passed before daring to emerge from behind the rock. She went straight to check on her without a second’s delay.
"Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law!"
Blood trickled from Xie Anning’s mouth and nose; she had clearly suffered severe internal injuries.
No matter how much she called out, Xie Anning remained unconscious, her eyes squeezed shut.
On the other side of the clearing, Cui Mingrui—who had just breathed a sigh of relief seeing his younger sister was safe—whipped his head around at her cry of "Sister-in-law," his expression changing drastically.
He had arrived with Zhao Shijie and hadn’t seen his own wife fall from her horse.
The woods were crowded, and with the chaotic melee, he hadn’t even noticed Xie Anning on the ground.
He had assumed that only his sister and Chen Minrou were in danger.
Only now did he realize his own wife was here as well.
And of the three ladies, his wife was the most grievously injured.
The sudden, terrible news struck Cui Mingrui like a bolt from the blue, so shocking him that he nearly lost his grip on his longsword. A black-clad assassin seized the opening, thrusting a sword straight for his heart.
"Princely Heir, look out!" Li Yong arrived in the nick of time, raising his sword to shield him.
The tide of the battle was gradually turning.
Cui Mingrui had narrowly escaped death.
This normally composed and proper man, who valued etiquette above all else, didn’t even have a moment to offer thanks for having his life saved. He dropped his longsword and scrambled toward his wife.
His steps were unsteady.