"Bloody hell."
After replying with a single word, Yan Tinghao withdrew the sword from the black-clad man and watched as the accompanying blood splattered in a dazzling arc, a few crimson drops even landing on his boots.
Despite this, Yan Tinghao showed no signs of nausea or dizziness.
Finding it a bit strange, Lin Qingge asked again, concerned, "Officer Yan, you really don't feel faint at the sight of blood anymore?"
"Mm."
Yan Tinghao nodded, then took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and carefully wiped away the bloodstains on Lin Qingge's face with meticulous attention.
"Because compared to my hemophobia, I'm more afraid of seeing your blood."
Yan Tinghao’s last sentence was spoken so softly that Lin Qingge, standing opposite him, did not hear it at all.
It wasn't that Lin Qingge had a hearing problem, but rather that after a fierce battle, Lin Moyuan, who had already suffered severe internal injuries, coughed up another mouthful of blood, his body swaying as he began to fall to the side.
Lin Qingge, who had been closely observing the situation, paid no mind to Yan Tinghao who was still wiping away her bloodstains and rushed over to support the staggering Lin Moyuan.
"I say, Brother Lin, while I quite want to send you off to play chess with the Jade Emperor, you absolutely must stay alive right now. I don't want to be burdened with eternal infamy because of you."
Upon hearing this, Lin Moyuan spat out another mouthful of blood, which brought considerable relief to the suffocating pressure in his chest.
"Don't worry, I won't die."
Although Lin Moyuan said this, his footsteps were weak and unsteady.
"Tsk, being this weak is no good for a man."
After admonishing him, Lin Qingge called Yan Tinghao over. Together, they helped Lin Moyuan to a tree hollow and gently laid him down.
"The hollow is full of dead branches and dust, and there are no signs of large animals around. It should be safe from beasts. You stay here and hide. If I don't return for you within half a day, or if you encounter any danger, use this."
With that, Lin Qingge gave Lin Moyuan the signal flare from Hua Jinrong, the two remaining packs of poison powder, and a pastry wrapped in oiled paper.
"It's too risky to find a water source nearby. The forest is damp, and there will be dew in the morning, so you'll have to make do."
Lin Moyuan, faintly guessing Lin Qingge's intentions, frowned deeply enough to crush a fly and adamantly repeated his earlier words: "No, it's too dangerous!"
As if thinking of the other's troublesome personality, Lin Moyuan added, "If she knows you're risking your life, she'll definitely blame me. Also, I already owe your brother, Lin Jingxing, a tremendous favor. If anything were to happen to you because of me, I would be truly ashamed of the Lin family."
"Heh heh."
Lin Qingge chuckled dryly, thinking that if he knew the Lin family's true identity, dismembering her alive would be a light punishment. With that thought, she seized the opportunity to state her request: "Brother Lin, if we both survive this ordeal, will you promise me one thing?"
Lin Qingge simply stopped referring to herself by title, but Lin Moyuan looked at her as if she were an idiot. Although somewhat perplexed, and with time pressing, Lin Qingge did not pursue the matter further.
"Fine, I'll take that as your tacit agreement."
Instructing Yan Tinghao to lay a layer of branches outside the tree hollow and clear away any nearby footprints, Lin Qingge then led Yan Tinghao in another direction.
Along the way, Lin Qingge left markers and cautioned him in advance: "Officer Yan, if you truly encounter insurmountable danger, you should leave first. You don't need to worry about me."
Despite her previous self-deception, Lin Qingge was now quite certain, after that last battle, that she was the target. That was why she had made herself bait. However, to her surprise, Yan Tinghao, who had always obeyed her implicitly, refused this time.
"My lady, I, I can't do that!"
"Are you foolish? Haven't you heard that as long as the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn? If I were to perish, at least someone must survive to avenge me, right?"
"My lady, you are blessed with good fortune; you will surely turn disaster into blessings."
"I'll take your good words."
Lin Qingge's tone was somewhat perfunctory. Much time had passed since the incident, yet neither Leng Ningyue nor Hua Jinrong had appeared. Coupled with a growing unease in her heart, she felt that something unpleasant was about to happen. Could it be that at such a young age, she was truly going to meet her end here?
As Lin Qingge mused to herself, Yan Tinghao suddenly asked, "My lady, what did cousin mean just now when he apologized to your brother, Lin Jingxing?"
"Uh..."
Just as Lin Qingge, who had forgotten about that, was about to explain, Yan Tinghao suddenly hoisted her onto his shoulder and flew rapidly into the distance.
However, his Qinggong, or lightness skill, was not top-tier, and carrying someone further slowed him down. After not running for long, Yan Tinghao was caught up by a group of black-clad assailants who suddenly appeared.
This group of black-clad men was even more troublesome than the previous one, possessing more profound martial arts skills. Yan Tinghao fought for a long time, failing to eliminate even two of them and nearly getting injured.
Finally, as he fought and retreated, Yan Tinghao was forced to the edge of a cliff. Although the appearance of the cliff seemed rather abrupt, as if it were specifically waiting for someone to jump off, Lin Qingge, recalling the cliché trope of protagonists surviving falls from cliffs, couldn't help but ask, "Officer Yan, what are your chances of escaping if you fight these people?"
Yan Tinghao tightened his grip on his sword and answered truthfully, "Two out of ten."
"And if I must be protected?"
Yan Tinghao remained silent this time. Lin Qingge glanced at the dark abyss behind them. Suddenly, a gust of wind swept by, blowing her hair into her eyes. At the same time, a plan had already formed in her mind.
However, Yan Tinghao, whom she playfully called a傻狍子 (shǎ páo zi, a term for a silly or naive person, literally "silly roe deer"), was surprisingly astute this time. As if divining her intentions, after a feigned move, he turned, embraced her, and leaped off the cliff!
?!!!
Unable to accept this turn of events, Lin Qingge, after a brief moment of surprise, shouted furiously over the whistling wind, "You idiot! I wasn't going to jump off the cliff, I was going to stand upwind and deploy the poison!"
Although the two remaining packs of poison powder had been given to Lin Moyuan, she still had muscle relaxant, anesthetic powder, and itching powder! Who would have thought this fool would jump off a cliff carrying her?! Did he really think he was a protagonist in a storybook? If he wanted to die, he didn't need to drag her down with him!
Fortunately, Yan Tinghao wasn't truly seeking death. After his moment of stunned realization, he plunged his sword into the cliff face. The friction between the blade and the rock sparked, but it also slowed their descent.
Fortunately, despite the height of the cliff, there was a deep pool below. Although the immense impact of hitting the water nearly knocked Lin Qingge unconscious, she managed to keep her life.
Crawling to the shore, Lin Qingge struggled to stand. At this moment, Yan Tinghao's voice, filled with shock and disbelief, sounded from behind her: "My lady, you, you..."