ALL NOVEL Chapter 56 - I
“Why are you capturing this shuanger? He’s a burden to carry around.” the man covering Shi Yi’s mouth said in disgust.
Shi Yi thought the man might as well just abandon him. Initially, he had been pulled to the side of the road, thinking it was because the villagers found the door too narrow for their performance. However, it soon became clear that a few people had rushed out of nowhere, hugged him, and took him away on their backs were not the villagers. In desperation, he fired two shots.
“Don’t talk nonsense. This person will stay with us, so let’s go!” Da Qing got on a horse, pulled Shi Yi over it, and galloped away.
Shi Yi was jolted so violently that he almost vomited. After calming down, he took a deep breath and shouted for help.
“Help! I’ve been kidnapped! Come and save me!” Da Qing frowned and raised his hand to knock Shi Yi unconscious.
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Pei Xing, who just arrived and had been searching for Shi Yi among the victims, immediately mounted his horse and headed towards the source of horse track.
Zhao Hong left a team to deal with the victims and asked the rest to quickly followed Pei Xing chasing someone.
He and his team fought tirelessly in Nanzhou City for several days. After receiving a secret report that the third prince of Nanyi led a small group to Zhongzhou. Officially, he claimed to be eliminating traitors, but in reality, they were scouting the terrain and setting up defenses. While tracing along the road for half a month, he had a brief conversation with Pei Xing, who was helping rescue people in a nearby village.
He learned that Pei Xing had taken some refugees, so he told him to be careful and investigate if there was anything suspicious. Pei Xing rushed back immediately without saying a word.
He led his troops to join Pei Xing back to the village and surprisingly found someone escaping from the commotion. Very suspicious.
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Heavy rain had fallen a few days ago, making the road treacherous. Now, another downpour hindered their vision.
The three men shouted out their frustration as they got pursued, “These crazy dogs, how can they keep going in such heavy rain?!”
One of them cursed and suggested, “Your Highness, we won’t be able to escape if this continues.”
“Let’s go separately and meet at the old place in the Nanzhou City.” Baili Qing suddenly changed his direction and sped up.
With the group divided, Zhao Hong organized his forces into three separate waves. Pei Xing, without hesitation, continued to chase after Baili Qing.
In the distance, there was a glimmer of light as daybreak approached. The dim light, combined with the pouring rain, made it challenging to see. Pei Xing’s face was tense, his eyes sharp as they locked onto Baili Qing, who remained hidden by the rain curtain.
Baili Qing heard the sound of hooves closing in behind him. Annoyed, he clicked his tongue impatiently. The rain and the noise of the pursuing horses masked the faint sound of the silver bell on Shi Yi’s ankle, preventing him from being discovered. He had managed to run for a long time without detection.
Shi Yi woke up from his unconsciousness after a while. His chest and back ached terribly. Observing the man’s irritation, he attempted to reason, “Brother, if you drop me here, my husband won’t continue chasing you.”
Baili Qing ignored his words, raising his hand to knock Shi Yi unconscious once more. His horse was a remarkable sweat-blooded breed, capable of traveling long distances without exhaustion. A normal horse would be worn out after such an extended run.
As he had anticipated, the more time passed, the further they traveled. By noon, Zhao Hong’s horse collapsed from exhaustion. Pei Xing brought his horse to a halt, his face darkening as he simply said to Zhao Hong, “Return to Nanzhou City.”
He then spurred his horse and continued the pursuit. Despite his deep internal strength, he lacked the extraordinary skill to cover thousands of miles in an instant, leaving no trace in the snow.
The power of animals outmatched human endurance. Baili Qing, not hearing the sound of pursuing hooves, sneered and urged his horse forward.
The horizon remained obscured without any light in sight. The overcast sky and persistent rain had left them without stars to guide their way for a shelter. Exhausted, Baili Qing finally ceased his relentless travel. He found an abandoned house in a village, which was messy, presumably abandoned in a hurry or perhaps plundered by robbers.
After tethering his horse, he carried Shi Yi inside and tossed him onto a bed. Grasping Shi Yi’s right ankle, he removed the silver bell attached to it, chuckled softly, and gazed into Shi Yi’s bright, bewildered eyes in the dark.
Shi Yi was overwhelmed with fear, his heart pounding, and his thoughts in disarray.
“If you dare to touch me, I’ll end my life immediately. You won’t be able to escape, and my husband will surely hunt you down and avenge me.”
Baili Qing chuckled, reached out to pinch his chin, and remarked, “You’ve probably never experienced the sensation of being unable to die.”
Shi Yi looked at him in horror, unable to speak. His mind raced, recalling gruesome incidents from his previous life, causing his body to tremble. Baili Qing had only intended to frighten him and hadn’t planned any harm.
After achieving his goal, Baili Qing left the room to find some clean clothes, tossed a set to Shi Yi, donned another set himself in the courtyard, shaved his beard with a dagger, cut his dirty hair short, and washed up with well water before changing into dry, clean clothes.
About to return to the room, Baili Qing stopped at the door and turned to enter the kitchen. He rummaged through jars and found half a jar of rice that luckily wasn’t moldy. After cooking two bowls of porridge, he carried them into the room.