Jiang Huanran struggled to defend himself, already bleeding from several wounds.
Hua Zhi glanced at the situation on the battlefield. "Wang Cheng, take my place."
Wang Cheng responded immediately, while Hua Zhi moved to Jiang Huanran's side. The two stood shoulder-to-shoulder against their opponents. Seeing this, Yu Tao and Shaoyao adjusted their encirclement to reduce the pressure on that flank.
Jiang Huanran breathed heavily but wore an exceptionally joyful smile. What did a few injuries matter? Not everyone had the chance to fight alongside the young mistress. When he returned to the capital and told the story, those people would be green with envy. Just imagining their reactions was exhilarating.
With the two weakest fighters now working together to subdue enemies, the breakthrough point disappeared. Yu Tao and the others could now fight unrestrained. Even though their opponents were government soldiers, how could they match those from the Seven Constellation Bureau? The scales of victory gradually tipped in Hua Zhi's favor.
On the other side, the Sixth Prince was also wounded. Though unpopular in court, he was still a delicate and precious prince—any bump or bruise would have people begging for forgiveness. This was his first time sustaining a real, bleeding injury. It wasn't that it didn't hurt, but whenever he thought about how many wounds Sister Hua might have accumulated, he felt he could endure anything. Still, his movements inevitably slowed.
"Your Highness, please fall back."
The Sixth Prince pressed his lips together, shook his head, and continued advancing toward the enemy without a word.
Chen Zhen had no choice but to stay as close to His Highness as possible. Fortunately, although the enemy outnumbered them, their combat skills were inferior to those on the other side.
Only then did Bao Xia's heart settle somewhat. Fearful that someone might break through, she and Xu Ying each held a stick, remaining vigilant. Thus, she didn't notice Wu Dashuang stepping toward Zheng Bei behind her. But after just two steps, Wu Xiaoshuang grabbed her arm. "Elder Sister, where are you going?"
Wu Dashuang glanced at Zheng Bei, then pulled her younger brother inside. "Xiaoshuang," she whispered, "do you really intend to go with them?"
"Elder Sister, we've signed the indenture contracts. Have you forgotten?"
"But..." Wu Dashuang pushed her brother lightly. "They've killed so many people. They'll surely be arrested. When that happens, will we have to die with them?"
Wu Xiaoshuang's face darkened. "Elder Sister, we're indentured now. Our fate is tied to our masters."
"Don't be foolish! The young lady is so kind-hearted. If we beg her and say we don't want to leave our hometown, she'll definitely release us."
Wu Xiaoshuang felt a pang of sadness. Was it because the young lady was compassionate that they should act this way? Would his elder sister only refrain from such thoughts if the young lady treated them poorly, like Cao Dahai had?
"Xiaoshuang, I don't want to go with her." Wu Dashuang looked at her brother with tear-filled eyes. She knew he couldn't bear to see her cry.
"You agreed before I spoke to the young lady."
"But I didn't know she was so... so ruthless then. Xiaoshuang, you saw it too—she killed so many people. She's covered in blood. I... I'm scared!"
Yet the young lady was only defending herself. If she hadn't the ability to protect herself, how could the two of them be standing here safe, having this conversation? Wu Xiaoshuang swallowed these words. He had long known—his elder sister took after their father in temperament. It wasn't that they were bad people; they just tended to think of themselves first.
"I will leave," Wu Xiaoshuang met his sister's gaze. "I will follow the young lady.""Xiao Shuang!" Wu Dashuang glared at him furiously, her expression as if looking at a traitor. "I want to stay! As long as I save that man outside, he will definitely..."
"He would violate you first, then kill you."
"He... he wouldn't..."
"Or perhaps he won't even get the chance. Miss would... no, even before Miss takes action, Bao Xia would deal with you first. A servant who betrays their master never comes to a good end, elder sister. Once you take this step, you'll be walking straight into a dead end."
Wu Xiaoshuang gazed deeply at this person who was merely born half an hour earlier than him—more like a younger sister than an elder sister. Overwhelming disappointment nearly drowned him. During their time in Cao Dahai's hands, he hadn't failed to notice how his sister had deliberately or unintentionally pushed him aside. Back then, he could still deceive himself into thinking she was just scared, but now, he couldn't even find a reason to convince himself.
Closing his eyes briefly, Wu Xiaoshuang asked with his last shred of hope, "If the price of you staying is that I must leave, and we can never see each other again, would you still choose to stay?"
Wu Dashuang, having once again gotten her younger brother to yield, smiled sweetly. "Xiao Shuang wouldn't want to be separated from your sister either, right? If you beg Miss properly, she surely wouldn't have the heart to split us apart."
Wu Xiaoshuang shook his head, waiting for her answer.
Wu Dashuang pouted and stubbornly lifted her chin—a common posture she adopted in front of her brother. "I want to stay."
A sharp pain pierced Wu Xiaoshuang's heart, as if for a moment everything before him turned monochrome. "I will beg Miss to release you."
Wu Dashuang's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"But I will leave."
"Xiao Shuang!"
Ignoring his sister's anger, Wu Xiaoshuang took ten taels of silver from his chest and handed it to her. "This is my indenture money. Keep it safe."
Without hesitation, Wu Dashuang took it, clutching it tightly in her hands before looking up to ask, "Xiao Shuang, are you really sure about this?"
Wu Xiaoshuang glanced toward the door. The commotion outside had ceased by now. He gave his sister one last deep look, then turned and left.
Wu Dashuang instinctively took a step forward to follow, then stopped. Carefully, she tucked the silver close to her body. Ten taels was a substantial sum—in Shui Guang Village, some families might never save up ten taels in their entire lives. With this money, she might even find someone to marry.
Thinking of these possibilities, Wu Dashuang couldn't wait to leave the docks immediately, to stay far away from those people. A young woman traveling alone doing business—even if she came from the capital, so what? She was probably just some lowly merchant from a family with modest means. She wanted no part of it.
Footsteps sounded at the doorway. She immediately looked up and, seeing the blood-soaked figure enter, instinctively covered her chest and retreated two steps.
Hua Zhi was utterly exhausted. Noting the movement, she narrowed her eyes but said nothing, allowing Bao Xia to support her as she sat to the side.
"Miss, I'll go boil some water..."
"This isn't an inn. Where would you find water to boil? I won't drink river water." Hua Zhi's voice was hoarse. The seven or eight wounds on her shoulder, arm, and calf throbbed with piercing pain. She felt that even taking one more breath would add to her body's exhaustion.
"But your injuries..."
Just then, Shaoyao rushed in quickly. After examining Hua Zhi, she frowned. "We need to return to the city to treat these wounds. It's hot and humid here—if not properly treated, they might fester."Hua Zhi knew she couldn't leave according to the original plan in her current state. Letting out a bitter laugh, she said, "I need to rest first. There are also matters outside to handle. With such a big commotion, the authorities can't pretend to be deaf for long. Moreover, the Zheng family definitely won't let this go easily. I'll just wait here."
PS: The next chapter got derailed. Not sure if it'll come out today, ladies don't wait. Kongkong is guilty - went to support Liu Yueban today. Feeling more than just a little disheartened, which directly sparked a new plot idea.
Seeing many people speculating about what trouble Dashuang might bring Hua Zhi, hmph! Kongkong disdains using such clichés - that's too petty. Just a maid, what could she possibly do? If Hua Zhi could be outsmarted by her, it would only prove the female lead's foolishness. From the very introduction of these twins, I only intended to use the younger brother. Little Six can't be without someone to attend to him, but the attendant can't come from the Hua family - that would raise suspicions of planting people.
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