Chapter 152: Only to Save You
The cave was silent, filled with a subtle atmosphere.
Ye Chutang blinked, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"You’ve always been perceptive, Princely Heir. Nothing escapes your notice."
She shifted slightly, finding a more comfortable position as she leaned back against the cave wall.
"You were outnumbered. Even with your exceptional martial arts, Princely Heir, I feared you wouldn’t be their match. Moreover... you’ve only just recovered from a serious illness, which would have made it even harder to handle them. My method might have been crude, but it was effective. You won’t hold it against me, will you, Princely Heir?"
’Hold what against her?’
She had saved him, even getting injured in the process. By any measure, her actions had been impeccable.
All Shen Yanchuan could do was accept the favor and thank her.
But the words of gratitude caught in his throat, and he simply couldn’t get them out.
"You could have dodged that. Why didn’t you?" Shen Yanchuan asked.
The situation had been perilous. An ordinary woman would never have been able to dodge it, but Ye Chutang was different.
He had known since their time in Jiangling that she was definitely skilled in martial arts.
Ye Chutang’s eyes curved into crescents. "Doesn’t this make it look more convincing?"
Shen Yanchuan gazed at her steadily, not speaking for a long time.
Ye Chutang tilted her head back slightly and closed her eyes.
’She was putting on an act, but this injury is real. I need to conserve my energy and keep the wound from getting worse until I’m back safely.’
’If Xiao Wu sees this later, she’ll just start bawling again.’
After a long silence, his cool, crisp voice spoke again.
"Why are you going to such lengths to help me?"
Ye Chutang opened her eyes and tilted her head to look at him.
Outside the cave, the sky was gloomy and battered by wind and rain. Shen Yanchuan stood with his back to the entrance, hands clasped behind him, his expression hidden from view.
Ye Chutang felt his tone was slightly different than usual, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. After a moment’s thought, she said sincerely, "You’ve helped me many times before, Princely Heir. It’s only right that I return the favor."
Shen Yanchuan retorted, "Even if it means risking your life?"
’Shen Yanchuan seems unusually full of questions today,’ Ye Chutang thought, ’constantly asking one thing after another.’
She paused before speaking frankly. "To be honest, I didn’t expect them to come so prepared. The throwing darts were one thing, but why did the arrows have to be poisoned too?"
’It’s a good thing I took a dart. If I’d been unlucky enough to be hit by an arrow, things would be much more troublesome.’
Shen Yanchuan was speechless.
Ye Chutang added, "Oh, speaking of which, those arrows... didn’t they look just like the one you were wounded with before? Is it the same mastermind?"
Shen Yanchuan grunted in agreement.
A hint of sympathy entered Ye Chutang’s eyes. "What kind of deep-seated grudge does this person have against you, to be so intent on your annihilation? Fortunately, you’re quite hard to kill... No, what I mean is, you are truly blessed, Princely Heir. Your luck is exceptionally good."
To show her sincerity, Ye Chutang even gave him a thumbs-up, her expression earnest. "Truly."
Shen Yanchuan was at a loss for words.
’I’m definitely overthinking this,’ he suddenly thought.
’Since she came prepared, of course she wouldn’t let herself get trapped in a hopeless situation. She has everything well in hand.’
’She’s injured, but judging by her spirited conversation, it must not be too serious.’
Shen Yanchuan’s anxiety eased slightly, but when he saw her bloodstained clothes, the inexplicable tightness in his chest lingered.
Ye Chutang said, "The rain is heavy outside. You should come over and rest, Princely Heir. In these conditions, it’s hard to say if they’ll even be able to find us."
Shen Yanchuan walked over, took out a flint from his robes, and moved to light the dry branches he had gathered earlier.
Ye Chutang stopped him. "It’s not cold yet. Let’s light it later tonight."
Shen Yanchuan glanced at her and, surprisingly, put the flint away. He then asked, "So, when do you think we’ll be found?"
Ye Chutang thought for a moment. "Before nightfall?"
An afternoon should be enough time to deal with those assassins.
Shen Yanchuan said, "It’s pouring rain, and the mountain paths are muddy. I doubt it will be that quick."
Ye Chutang arched an eyebrow. "Your men should be capable of that, shouldn’t they?"
Shen Yanchuan paused.
A smile touched Ye Chutang’s lips. "Didn’t you already know it was a trap when you came up the mountain today, Princely Heir? Didn’t you make all the necessary arrangements beforehand?"
...
The sudden downpour had trapped many worshippers in the temple.
Amid the hustle and bustle, many people keenly sensed the unusually oppressive and tense atmosphere.
Many began to whisper amongst themselves.
"What’s going on? It looks like the abbot and the others have all come out."
"I don’t know..."
"You haven’t heard? There are assassins on the mountain! At noon, the Heir of Duke Dingbei and Prince Qi were having tea in the pavilion halfway up the mountain when assassins appeared out of nowhere. Prince Qi was injured, and the Heir of Duke Dingbei fell from a cliff. They still haven’t found him!"
"Heavens! Is that true? No wonder so many people suddenly showed up and are guarding this place so tightly. So that’s why... How is the Heir of Duke Dingbei now?"
"They haven’t found him yet! The mountainside is steep, and with this rain, finding someone isn’t going to be easy."
"I wonder who those assassins could be, to be so brazen!"
"I just heard that Prince Qi has already ordered the mountain to be sealed off. The men from the Dingbei Marquis Mansion should be here soon, too. There’s no way those assassins will escape!"
...
"Still no sign of him?"
Xiao Chengxuan asked, his voice heavy.
The guard lowered his head. "Forgive my incompetence!"
Xiao Chengxuan narrowed his eyes, staring at the darkening sky outside. He commanded, "If you can’t find him, then keep looking! As for today’s assassins, do not let a single one escape! And as for the Heir of Duke Dingbei... I want him found, dead or alive!"
The guard tensed. "Yes, Your Highness!"
...
The rain still showed no sign of letting up.
Ye Chutang watched it, feeling a little troubled.
’Yan and A Feng aren’t home today, and I left my medicinal herbs out to dry in the courtyard.’
’They’re probably ruined by now.’
’Sigh, saving Shen Yanchuan this time has cost me dearly. What a huge loss.’
’I’ll have to find a way to recoup my losses later.’
Shen Yanchuan, of course, had no idea what Ye Chutang was thinking. Seeing that she had fallen silent with no intention of continuing the conversation, he said:
"I did know, yes. But that’s a matter between him and me. Second Miss Ye... how did you find out about it?"
Hearing this, Ye Chutang turned back to meet those deep phoenix eyes that seemed to see through everything, and she felt a faint headache coming on.
’The thing I was most worried about has finally happened.’
’When it came down to it, the most inexplicable part of this whole affair was simply this: she knew far too much.’
’But she could hardly say she knew it all from a dream, could she?’
’Shen Yanchuan and Xiao Chengxuan’s meeting today, the assassins lying in ambush, even the exact spot where he would misstep and the cave they would tumble into—she had foreseen it all in her dreams.’
’She had never even been to this place before.’
"I have my ways. I did indeed come today to ensure your safety, Princely Heir," Ye Chutang said without a hint of shame. "I’m just not at liberty to disclose how. I hope you can forgive me for that, Princely Heir."
Shen Yanchuan’s eyelids lifted slightly.