The footsteps behind him were slowly approaching, and Huo Qixiao’s stiff body tensed further. He would rather be eaten by the two monsters than fall into their hands again and experience that inhumane torture!
As the footsteps stopped a few meters behind him, Huo Qixiao’s trembling body steadied somewhat.
The giant eagle always flew overhead. Its favorite thing was to flash its pair of sharp talons in front of him. Each time before it grabbed him, those talons would dangle before his eyes for a bit. Only after he was scared half to death and the suffocating feeling in his chest disappeared would it spread its talons slightly to grasp his shoulders.
It had been a long time since he was injured by the eagle. Thinking of the wounds on his shoulders that healed and then reopened, only to heal and reopen again, Huo Qixiao shivered inexplicably. How could he have started to miss it!
As for the other many-legged monster, it always moved on the ground when it chased him. It made a distinct "rustling" sound, like the sound a python makes when slithering on the ground, but because its body was always slippery, other sounds were mixed in.
After all, Huo Qixiao had been tortured by the two monsters for so long that the fear of the sounds and noises they made had long been deeply etched into his heart. So when the footsteps behind him got closer, he could immediately distinguish that it was not the eagle or the many-legged monster.
Suddenly! Huo Qixiao seemed to have thought of something, and his momentarily relaxed heart clenched again. How could he have forgotten that the dangers in this mysterious place were not just those two monsters, but also the ferocious beasts in that dense forest!
Since there were beasts in addition to monsters, it further proved that besides these two dangers, there were other unknown dangers present…
At this moment, Emperor Rui’s heart was as uneasy as Huo Qixiao’s. From a distance, he hadn’t noticed anything, only feeling that seeing someone else here had slightly eased his fear.
However, as Emperor Rui approached, he saw that the person in front was emaciated and ragged. The tattered clothes he wore were covered in dried, dark red bloodstains. His messy hair was matted into a large clump, hanging precariously over his head.
When Emperor Rui was still a prince, he had gone deep into the countryside to understand the people’s conditions. This person’s appearance resembled the beggars at the city gate. And he seemed a little nervous, as the clump of hair was shaking slightly with the trembling of his body.
Emperor Rui stopped a few meters away from the person, hesitant about whether he should go up and ask him. Moreover, in his current state, going up would be worse than his own situation. What if the person went mad and attacked him?
But this place was too bizarre and unfamiliar. This sense of unknown fear made Emperor Rui feel very insecure. After much deliberation, he decided not to go closer, but to ask from his current position where they were.
Huo Qixiao, who had been waiting here for a long time, heard no movement from behind. Just as he broke out in a cold sweat from his recent speculation, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.
“My… friend, please, do you know what this place is? Why are we here?” Emperor Rui pondered for a long time, but almost called out “my esteemed subject” when he opened his mouth…
It had been a long time since he had heard anyone speak. Huo Qixiao flinched as he heard the voice! It was a man behind him, not a monster!
And from the man’s question, he, like himself, didn’t know what kind of place this was. That was great! That was truly great!
Perhaps it was because no one had spoken to him for so long, but Huo Qixiao, sitting there, suddenly felt like crying.
As for why Huo Qixiao didn’t recognize Emperor Rui’s voice, it was mainly because Emperor Rui had suffered too much stimulation yesterday and had not drunk water for a long time, causing his voice to be hoarse, like that of a seventy-year-old man!
Whether his voice sounded good or not didn’t matter. Anyway, this sudden surprise made Huo Qixiao’s tense body relax sharply. However, he had been too tense just now, and almost lost his balance and fell to the side.
Huo Qixiao quickly reached out his hand, propping himself up on the ground to regain his stability. It was then that he realized his legs had gone numb from sitting for too long. Fortunately, the person behind him was a human and not a monster, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to escape even if he wanted to.
Emperor Rui saw the person prop himself up on the ground and slowly stand up. His movements were somewhat hasty, but his actions looked rather slow. He clutched the clothes in his arms and took a step back defensively.
Huo Qixiao slowly turned around. Seeing that it was indeed a person, his heart, which was about to completely relax, suddenly tensed up again as he saw the man’s face…
His eyes widened in horror, and without exaggeration, his eyeballs almost fell out.
It was him! How did he get here too? Could it be that Huo Qiyuan captured him?
“Your… Your Majesty…?”
Although he hadn’t seen the Emperor for almost half a year, and Emperor Rui looked much thinner, he was still someone Huo Qixiao had revolved around for a long time, so he recognized him at a glance.
Hearing the person’s address, Emperor Rui’s pupils suddenly contracted, and then he scrutinized him with vigilance and suspicion. Who was this person? How did he know his identity? Could he be someone captured by Huo Qiyuan?
Emperor Rui had been with Huo Qiyuan and the others before he fainted. He woke up in this unknown place.
Considering Huo Qiyuan’s hatred for him, Emperor Rui naturally concluded that he had been imprisoned by him to avenge his parents.
It was just that Emperor Rui hadn’t expected that Huo Qiyuan had captured more than just him.
“Who are you? Do you know me?” It was no wonder Emperor Rui didn’t recognize that the man opposite him was Huo Qixiao.
It was truly because his current appearance was too far from his usual image of a gentle, elegant, and handsome noble young man!
“I am Huo Qixiao!”
Seeing that Emperor Rui didn’t recognize him, Huo Qixiao quickly introduced himself. At this moment, he ignored where they were and their respective states of disarray, completely immersed in the joy of seeing a “fellow human,” and even an old acquaintance.
Emperor Rui was truly shocked! The surprised expression on his face was unconcealed. Who did this person say he was? Huo Qixiao? Was he the Huo Qixiao he knew?
Then he thought of something. It must be! Since he was captured by Huo Qiyuan, it was reasonable that Huo Qixiao was also captured.
Then Emperor Rui’s gaze lingered on Huo Qixiao again. Seeing the bloodstains on him, he couldn’t help but feel a little scared.
Huo Qixiao’s miserable appearance clearly showed that he had been captured for a long time and had undergone severe torture.
If Huo Qiyuan could act so ruthlessly towards his own cousins, how would he treat himself, who had indirectly caused the death of his parents?