Gu Yanxi's ruthless ferocity provoked the black-clad assailants. All of them abandoned their previous targets and surged toward him, surrounding him completely.
The guards rushed over, but a single light glance from Gu Yanxi halted them in their tracks. Exchanging a look, one positioned himself at the front while the other moved to the rear, both drawing bows ready to capture any fleeing enemies.
They all knew just how enraged their leader was this time!
Gu Yanxi lashed out with his whip, causing the black-clad men to instinctively retreat. Unexpectedly, his true target wasn't them at all—the whip coiled around a dagger and retrieved it, precisely the one Hua Zhi had used earlier.
Discarding the long whip, Gu Yanxi gripped the dagger and adopted the very stance A Zhi commonly used: left foot stepping back, body leaning forward in a slight crouch, dagger held horizontally before his chest. Then he moved, his speed so extreme that it seemed multiple Gu Yanxis had appeared on the battlefield.
The black-clad men dared not underestimate him, attacking in unison with practiced coordination. Yet they were still too slow—somehow, Gu Yanxi had already escaped their encirclement and appeared behind them. The dagger flashed across throats, and with dull thuds, the attackers whirled to counterattack, only to find their target vanished again as another comrade fell behind them. This cycle repeated relentlessly.
This was a one-sided slaughter, revealing a side of their leader the guards had never witnessed! They never knew their leader could be this formidable when fighting at full strength!
This effortless harvesting instilled fear in the remaining black-clad men. Exchanging glances, the seven survivors scattered in different directions. The two guards raised their bows to shoot, but then saw their leader had somehow retrieved his long whip. With a sweeping motion, the whip sent all fleeing men tumbling to the ground within steps, unable to rise again.
Staring at the fallen men as if they were mere piles of rotten flesh, Gu Yanxi closed his eyes briefly, finally reining in his baleful aura before turning to carefully lift A Zhi in his arms and carry her inside.
Only then, nestled in that familiar embrace, did Hua Zhi allow herself to sink into darkness.
Without needing orders, the two guards automatically handled the aftermath.
Inside, efficient servants had already prepared the best room. Gu Yanxi carried her to the bed, accepting a cloth to wipe the blood from her face and hands while instructing, "Send someone to the inn to fetch my and A Zhi's luggage. There are medicines inside that can be used."
"I'll go." Hua Pingyang rubbed his face vigorously, pushed past the others, and ran out the door.
Hua Pingyu entered supported by others, his lips pale from pain. His voice trembled as he looked at his daughter lying barely conscious on the bed, "How is Zhi Er?"
"She's not in mortal danger." He had even used life-saving medicine—no matter how severe her injuries, they wouldn't claim A Zhi's life. Yet nothing could alleviate the suffering she'd endure. Gu Yanxi regretted not having Shaoyao accompany them; even if it meant less time alone with A Zhi, her safety would have been better guaranteed.
Hua Yizheng sat down holding the armrest of a chair, glancing back as he said, "We don't need so many people in the room."
Though reluctant, everyone understood they were useless here and might disturb the eldest young lady. Except for the main branch members and elders, all others withdrew, though they remained nearby standing guard outside.
No one spoke, the occasional sound of water coming only from Gu Yanxi wringing the cloth. The Hua family watched him meticulously caring for their daughter, and in this moment, no one found anything inappropriate about it.They had understood it clearly back then—Zhi Er had desperately guarded the door precisely to wait for this person to arrive. She was so certain that once he came, they would be saved. She trusted this man so completely.
Hua Yizheng’s mind was now filled with the fierce image of Zhi Er. His granddaughter had always been someone who only enjoyed pondering over food. Over the years, he had never seen her reprimand a servant, not even when dealing with Berlin—she had never once raised her voice. Her demeanor and propriety were the very model of a young lady from a noble family.
Yet this seemingly unaggressive person had taken up a knife, forcefully keeping those who sought to harm them outside the door. He didn’t know where she had found the strength or the courage, but with that ferocity, she had held her ground.
The cost, however, was her body covered in wounds, nearly costing her life!
Over the past six months, he couldn’t help but think: the Hua family had done good deeds for generations, so they had produced a Hua Zhi to protect the family. As for Zhi Er, she must have owed the Hua family in her past life, which was why she was burdened and dragged down by them to this extent in this life.
Hua Pingyang’s return broke the silence. He carried all the bundles before Gu Yanxi and asked him to choose. Gu Yanxi picked one, opened it, and took out several boxes and bottles.
“The physician is here!”
Accompanying the physician was Wu Yong.
“Broth…er,” Wu Yong corrected himself just in time, nodding to the standing members of the Hua family. He walked over to Gu Yanxi and looked at Hua Zhi, whose clothes were soaked crimson. The Heir’s taste in choosing people was rather particular, but such a young woman was indeed rare. Under those circumstances, he simply couldn’t imagine how a girl like her had managed it!
Gu Yanxi placed A Zhi’s hand on the edge of the bed. The physician from the border regions had no such reservations; under everyone’s watchful eyes, he directly took her wrist and, after a moment, said, “Her qi and blood are severely depleted, yet there is a vibrant vitality within her body. May I ask, has this young lady been given some kind of medicine?”
Gu Yanxi nodded.
“May I take a look at this medicine?”
“There is none left.” Yu Lao had only managed to produce two pills in total. One had been given to Shaoyao, who then hung it around Gu Yanxi’s neck. This medicine could only be used once in a lifetime. It wasn’t as miraculous as reviving the dead or regenerating flesh and bones—its effect was to stimulate the body’s innate vitality. Regardless of the physical condition, with vitality, the chances of recovery were higher.
Of course, it wasn’t a cure-all. For instance, it couldn’t neutralize the alchemical toxins the emperor had previously ingested.
The physician was quite regretful but also understood that this medicine was no ordinary remedy. After taking her pulse again, he lowered his head and wrote a prescription, handing it to Wu Yong. “This young lady, despite her youth, has already been injured multiple times. Though she appears fine now, she will suffer in her old age. Fortunately, she has been carefully nursed in daily life. If possible, such care should continue.”
Multiple injuries? Hua Yizheng’s pupils contracted sharply. Hadn’t it only been once before? Could it be that in these past six months, she had been injured again…?
Gu Yanxi stood up and slightly inclined his body, his demeanor even more like that of the head of the household than the Hua family members. “There are several other injured people in the household. Please examine them as well, physician.”
The physician picked up his medicine chest and went over.
Wu Yong stepped forward. “Brother, these people…”
“We’ll discuss it tomorrow,” Gu Yanxi said as he sat back down. “Send a team of elite guards here to stand watch and prevent anyone from returning.”
“I’ve already brought them. We’ve set a trap, waiting for them to come!”
Gu Yanxi looked at Hua Yizheng. “Old Master, why not rest for now? We can discuss everything else tomorrow.”This was already a clear dismissal, though he himself was the guest. Hua Yizheng nodded and stood up, but before he could fully steady himself, his vision went dark, and he heavily sat back down.
"Father!"
Hua Yizheng waved his hand, waiting for the dizziness to pass before lifting his head. "It's nothing, everyone disperse. Yan Xi, Zhi Er needs medicine applied. I'll call someone to help."
Gu Yanxi stood up and bowed slightly, not objecting.
Hua Yizheng gave him a deep look, then turned to Wu Yong. "General Wu, I'm afraid my entire family will need to take leave tomorrow."
"That's only reasonable, old sir. Please rest well."
PS: It feels like all my energy was drained by yesterday's fight scene. Nothing feels right no matter how I write today. Here's a chapter—please bear with it. I'll adjust my state tomorrow.
OpenNovel