Chapter 221: Sorry, I came late

Qi Shihuai and Gu Rongjin fought so fiercely it was hard to tell who would win; the small carriage was wrecked by them in just a few moves.

Mu Yuanzhi could move; she tightened her robe and quickly jumped off the carriage, but the carriage was moving too fast, so she couldn't keep her balance when she jumped down.

Oh no, this time she's going to fall badly!

Mu Yuanzhi closed her eyes, preparing herself for a nasty fall, but the expected rapid tumble never came.

A strong arm grabbed her waist and pulled her back; due to inertia, she fell into a broad chest, and the familiar scent engulfed her, instantly putting Mu Yuanzhi at ease.

"Are you okay, little Yuanzhi?" a worried voice came from above, the arms holding her tightening, afraid she would fall.

Mu Yuanzhi lifted her head, met Gu Rongjin's worried face, then buried herself in his warm embrace: "I'm fine; I knew you'd come."

"Sorry, I came late." Gu Rongjin held Mu Yuanzhi and landed steadily on the ground, gently pushing her aside to check if she was injured.

She didn't look okay at all.

He gently touched her bruised forehead where she had bumped it, asking, "Does it hurt? Anywhere else injured?"

"It hurts; I've bumped several places, and the soles of my feet are rubbed raw." Mu Yuanzhi flung herself back into Gu Rongjin's arms, throwing a tantrum.

She was truly terrified tonight, having faced danger several times.

After she calmed down, her discomfort worsened, feeling completely drained.

Gu Rongjin scooped her up in a horizontal hold, saying, "Let's go home; we'll tend to your wounds properly there."

"Mm." Mu Yuanzhi, now exhausted and sleepy, curled into Gu Rongjin's embrace, arms around his neck, feeling completely enveloped by warmth, able to truly let down her guard and think of nothing.

With him there, she had nothing to worry about.

Over there the fight was still raging like fire, and Gu Rongjin believed Qi Shihuai could handle Xiao Yichen.

Moreover, reinforcements had arrived.

"Xiao Yichen! I'll beat you to death!" the Qilin's voice came before the person arrived.

He flew over and struck Xiao Yichen's chest with a single palm!

"How dare you abduct my senior sister! You don't even know how to write the word 'death'!"

Facing four hands with his two fists, Xiao Yichen, who was fighting fiercely with Qi Shihuai, couldn't dodge the Qilin's palm and took it squarely.

He was sent flying, barely managing to prop himself up with his sword so he wouldn't fall.

Xiao Yichen felt a tightness in his chest, a sweet taste rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood!

He didn't bother to wipe it with the back of his hand, his eyes locked fixedly on Gu Rongjin holding Mu Yuanzhi.

Soldiers swarmed in from all directions, surrounding him completely, and he didn't lose focus at all.

He was just a little away from being able to take her back!

Qi Shihuai, battered and bruised, spat and said, "His bones are still pretty tough."

"Are you okay?" the Qilin asked him.

Qi Shihuai: "Of course I'm fine; could a mere civil official even rise to the rank of general?"

"Don't push yourself, you've coughed up blood too." The Qilin handed Qi Shihuai a handkerchief: "Thanks to your timely arrival, otherwise that scoundrel would have succeeded!"

At this point Xiao Yichen was already being held by a group of soldiers, he held his head high with arrogance, showing no awareness of being a captive, and even boldly said: "You rebels, if you don't surrender soon, you've blocked your own only way out!"

"You're about to die and still act so arrogantly? Our general said he'd take your head as a sacrifice to the flag—wash your neck clean and wait." The Qilin crossed his arms and snorted coldly.

Qi Shihuai didn't have the Qilin's good temper; the whip strike he had just taken angered him more than a punch or kick, so he picked up the whip Xiao Yichen had dropped and lashed out with a dozen strikes.

Each strike used all his strength, the sound loud enough to make one's hair stand on end.

"This is for our general and Miss Mu!" After a round of strikes, Qi Shihuai was a bit out of breath, while Xiao Yichen remained silent, only furrowing his brow.

The Qilin raised an eyebrow: "He's still tough; General Qi, give him a few more lashes."

"No need for you to say, Young Master Qilin; these lashes are for the brothers who worked hard all night!" The whip-addicted Qi Shihuai continued to lash out with force.

Hearing the sound, Mu Yuanzhi turned back and smiled at him: "General Qi, you're doing great! Hit harder!"

Xiao Yichen, who had made no sound until then, hearing Mu Yuanzhi's words, seemed to have his mental defenses collapse; he finally let out a muffled groan, his eyes flickering, his gaze lingering on Mu Yuanzhi.

Compared to the physical punishment, the mental torment hurt him even more.

He couldn't take her with him, couldn't return to Jingcheng, and couldn't go back to the past…

Qi Shihuai had whipped so much the whip was broken; he tossed it aside, still unsatisfied, saying, "Take him away; we'll interrogate him properly later."

The Qilin curiously asked, "What about Pei Shangling? Can we throw him in the big prison to interrogate him together?"

Keeping him in the woodshed would be too lenient for him.

"We do need to interrogate them, but what I and the National Teacher mean is…" Qi Shihuai whispered in the Qilin's ear: "Turn them to our side."

"You keep at it; these two are impossible to sway, maybe we'll win anyway, but they'll remain like paper lanterns that can't be lit."

Qi Shihuai mounted the horse a subordinate had brought over, saying, "Do your best; it's not the key to our victory anyway."

He reached out his hand to the Qilin: "Shall we mount?"

The Qilin grabbed Qi Shihuai's hand and sprang onto the horse's back, then whispered: "Do you have any leads on the undercover agent? Xiao Yichen couldn't possibly know my senior sister is soaking in the hot springs behind the mountain, let alone know the direction there."

"Aren't you the one who has a lead? Come on!" Qi Shihuai cracked the whip hard.

"But we also need evidence, or we could get bitten back." The Qilin said.

Qi Shihuai: "If someone doesn't know, unless they do nothing, I won't allow a traitor under my nose; let's head back first."

Returning to the courtyard, the Qilin first went to check on Mu Yuanzhi.

Under Mu Yuanzhi's guidance, Gu Rongjin had already applied her medicine; the Qilin came over just to reassure himself by taking her pulse, and then he felt at ease.

"How are you, little troublemaker? You're really okay, right?" Gu Rongjin asked.

He also worried that his wife would report good news but hide the bad.

"Nothing much, just a little frightened and chilled; the medicine we gave just needs some calming and warming herbs." The Qilin said.

Mu Yuanzhi gave him a "see for yourself" look and said, "You believe me now, right?"

"I believe you, I believe you—suspecting the wife is wrong for the husband." Gu Rongjin said bluntly.

He finished speaking and then looked at the Qilin: "Did you find the mole?"

Qilin and Mu Yuanzhi exchanged a glance, then looked toward Gu Rongjin and said: "Not yet, I'll go follow up on it right away."

He didn't want to talk to Gu Rongjin without evidence, wasting his breath.

Mu Yuanzhi instantly understood Qilin's speculation; in fact, she also had such speculation, but whenever she speculated, she always doubted whether she was biased.