Chapter 618

"Miss, be careful."

"No matter what happens later, please let my subordinates go first."

Li Qingluo dug her hands and feet into the ground.

"Don't treat me as trash."

"Zhui Yu, I chose you to come with me because you're more level-headed than the Kill lot; you won't just rush forward blindly for me."

"Listen! If I hadn't asked for help, you would have sworn to put the bigger picture first."

"Given the situation, I can still protect myself; you just look after yourself."

After saying that, she let herself start moving slowly again.

Zhui Yu remained silent.

"If he really listened to the miss and something happened to him, would he dare come back alive?"

Thus he gripped his sword tighter, ready to block for Li Qingluo at any moment.

However, at that moment, Li Qingluo heard another voice.

She and Zhui Yu stopped again.

Those voices began to fade and become indistinct, so she tried to slide down a bit more.

But gradually she seemed to hear her own name.

"Luo'er older sister…"

"Luo'er older sister?"

Li Qingluo immediately whispered: "Is it Nanping?"

"Such a familiar voice—she would never mistake it!"

Overjoyed, Li Qingluo hurriedly slid down again and soon saw a glimmer of light.

When she finally crawled out of the pitch-black narrow tunnel, outside was another world altogether!

Everywhere was lush green grass; besides the clear pool, there even stood a towering tree!

Moreover, miraculously, the pool emitted light on its own, making this place bright without torches!

Turning her head again, Li Qingluo indeed saw the person she had been desperately searching for days!

It was her close friend whom she hadn't seen in nearly two years—Princess Nanping.

Li Qingluo couldn't help but laugh.

"Nanping."

All the chaos and fatigue vanished at once.

Seeing her suddenly appear, Nanping was also shocked.

"Luo, Luo'er older sister?"

"Is it really you, Luo'er older sister—?"

Nanping's eyes instantly filled with tears.

Then they fell in large drops.

She sprang forward and threw her arms tightly around Li Qingluo.

"Luo'er older sister! Wuwu…"

"Luo'er older sister, how can it be you, Luo'er older sister! Wuwu… I'm really not dreaming, am I?"

"Could this be a hallucination before my death?"

"If it's a hallucination, I can die in peace, wuwu…"

"Heaven has treated me well after all, wuwu…"

Li Qingluo let her hold her, listening to these words, and was both laughing and crying.

She poked Nanping's forehead: "Then take a closer look—am I real or not?"

Nanping quickly reached out, first touching Li Qingluo's face, then her neck.

Feeling the warm skin and beating pulse, Nanping gasped, her mouth wide open.

"It's really real?"

Meanwhile, Kill One and Kill Two, who had just stopped fighting, rushed over: "Your Highness the Princess, we said before—it was our young lady who came to find you."

"Now you're finally alright, right?"

The two looked helpless.

Nanping blushed: "I really have never seen you before."

"And what if you're just an illusion again? We'd get killed all over again!"

"But Luo'er older sister, how did you come here? This is utterly unbelievable!"

"Also, weren't you a guard beside the Fifth Royal Uncle? After he passed, you all disappeared—turns out you went to look for Luo'er older sister?"

"Luo'er older sister, where have you been these past few years? Do you even know? Wuwu…"

Thinking of these painful memories, Nanping couldn't stop her tears.

It seems she really suffered a lot.

Before Li Qingluo could answer, sounds came again from behind in the tunnel.

Amidst successive cries of "Ah—ah—ah—", one after another tumbled out of the tunnel like spilled beans.

Nanping looked shocked.

Li Qingluo looked helpless, and Zhui Yu yanked her away, fearing she'd get caught up and hit.

Kill Three and Kill Four came down first; they hadn't even had time to roll clear before Zheng Mama and Que'er behind them also tumbled down.

The two were smashed mute, but their faces showed pain.

Ah—

Just then, sounds suddenly came one after another from inside the tunnel.

Sha san held Que'er and hurriedly rolled to the side; Zheng Mama also quickly climbed up.

Zhui Yu stirred, seeing Sha san and Que'er dodge in time, he still restrained himself.

One, two, three, four…

More than twenty people fell one after another.

Some ended up with bruised noses and swollen faces.

Some were completely unharmed.

But not a single one was missing; each closely followed Li Qingluo to this astonishing place.

"What place is this?"

"Are you all right, miss?"

"It really is Princess Nanping!"

"There's fresh water here!"

"Don't drink it yet!"

"This cave is so bright—take a quick look, could it be because of those glowing stones at the bottom of the pool?"

Everyone chattered excitedly, and a lively scene ensued.

Suddenly, someone noticed Sha wu sitting on the ground.

"Eh? Sha wu, how did you get your head all bloody?"

The first Sha wu to come down was also the most embarrassed.

Because he fell into the cave without warning, and as soon as he arrived he was ambushed, so he now has unspeakable suffering.

He could only cover his head in resentment and look toward Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo then looked at the other person beside Nanping, Cui Qilang.

Li Qingluo hadn't forgotten that Nanping had previously been chasing after Cui Qilang; during the summer hunt at Xiaomiao, her affection for Cui Qilang was obvious to everyone.

But Cui Qilang had been rather cold toward Nanping back then, even hurting her heart.

It was obvious that in the two years since, they had not become a couple.

And now, is Cui Qilang still the one escorting Nanping on her marriage journey?

In this cave, aside from Li Qingluo's people, it seems only Cui Qilang and Nanping remain.

They are a lone man and woman, with no one else around.

Seeing Li Qingluo's gaze fall on him, Cui Qilang politely stepped forward and bowed: "Cui Qilang pays respects to the Princess of Yaoguang."

Li Qingluo nodded at him: "I never expected to see you here. How is your elder sister these days? I hope all is well."

Li Qingluo and Cui Jiuniang were somewhat acquainted.

So I just asked about her.

Cui Qilang: "My ninth sister is now a wife of the Pei family; she and her husband live in harmony, loving each other."

"She has already given birth to the Pei family's eldest grandson."

"Ninth sister has said that the Princess of Yaoguang once did great favors for her and the Pei family."

"But the Princess of Yaoguang suddenly vanished, and Ninth sister has been worried all along, regretting that she hasn't yet had a chance to repay you."

"Now that I see the Princess of Yaoguang is safe, I can also send a message to my elder sister."

Li Qingluo originally felt it a pity that such a fine person as Cui Jiuniang would marry into the Pei family.

But hearing now, she seems to be doing quite well in the Pei family?

That's also good.

Although the Pei family lost their marquis title, Pei Jingzhe at least has more wit than his father.

I also solved the Pei family's silk-drawing poison, so they no longer need to worry about dying out; as long as they lie low and wait for the right moment, Pei Jingzhe reviving the Pei family is far from impossible.

Li Qingluo took Nanping to sit elsewhere.

After separating from the others, she then asked: "What on earth is going on?"

"To be honest, I came looking for you after receiving your letter."

"I originally planned to catch up with you in Eagle City, but I didn't expect the journey to be so far, causing some delay."

"I lost track of you again, so I inquired about your whereabouts in Eagle City, and finally found this place."

"How many people were in your bridal entourage?"

"Why are only you and Cui Qilang left here now?"

"How long have you been here?"

"But seeing that you're safe and sound, I can relax."

"Nanping, you've grown up a lot."

Li Qingluo rubbed Nanping's head; that fourteen-year-old girl from before is now seventeen in the blink of an eye.

Her height has shot up, and her appearance has completely blossomed.

Having shed her youthful immaturity, she is now a graceful young lady.

Li Qingluo felt deeply moved, her gaze toward Nanping tinged with pity.

Nanping's eyes reddened.

"There are few who can truly treat me sincerely in this world. Sister Lu er, you are one of them."

"Also my elder sister and father."

"As for Mother… she has long since changed."

Nanping raised a hand and wiped their eyes: "These past few years I lost contact with you, and I often missed you in my heart; seeing you safe and sound, I am truly happy as well."

"That letter—I originally sent it out only in utter desperation, never expecting it would actually reach your hands, let alone that you would brave the dangers of the Western Regions and travel ten thousand li to find me."

"Even my father couldn't manage this in this world."

"Luò'er, let's not talk about these."

"Let's just talk about Eagle City. The city lord Baza and that Liu Li are both bad guys!"

"You too fell for his trick?"

"They are truly deceitful and crafty!"

"Just half a month ago……"

"As it turned out, half a month ago Nanping's party had already arrived at Eagle City."

"As a marriage princess, she had the king of the Eagle King Kingdom—Baza himself—come to meet them and usher them into the lord's mansion."

"Although Nanping was formerly only a commandery princess, she has now been made a marriage princess, her status naturally most exalted."

"She is also exceptionally lovely in appearance and demeanor, quite unlike the women of the Western Regions."

"Baza thus harbored lustful thoughts toward Nanping."

"Princess, why not marry me, your king?"

"That third prince is unfavored, ugly in appearance, short and stocky—you wouldn't look up to him."

"Rather, submit to me, and I will make you my consort, treating you with tenderness and love."

"Once you are mine, I will go to the imperial court myself to request approval, and I will certainly not wrong you—"

"Saying this, Baza lunged at Nanping."

"If it weren't for Cui Qilang's appearance, Nanping would surely have fallen victim that night."

"She was taken by Cui Qilang fleeing from the prince's mansion, yet since Nanping had already been sent on the marriage mission, she knew she bore the honor of DaLiang and understood her responsibility."

"So how could she abandon those over a hundred attendants and flee alone?"

"She and Cui Qilang fought their way back."