Chapter 118
The guard merely kept his head lowered in silence.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled patterns on Xia Jingshi's face. Surprisingly, he was smiling. "There's no need to press further. Even if we find out, what can we do? What's done is done."
"Feng Suige—!" Yixiao's furious voice echoed from afar. "Where are you hiding? Get out here now!" Just as Feng Suige was about to respond, Xia Jingshi raised a hand to stop him and gestured with his chin toward the other side. "Don't let her come over—I'll handle this." Understanding, Feng Suige nodded, took a deep breath, and sprinted toward the opposite end of the woods.
Xia Jingshi watched him leave before turning his gaze back to the guard still kneeling on the ground. Softly, he asked, "Was it her?"
"Everyone's busy, and you're here lazing around..." Finally spotting Feng Suige lounging lazily in the shade, Yixiao was so incensed that she pounced on him, pinching him hard. "Get up now! There's movement below!"
Startled, Feng Suige quickly propped himself up. "What movement?" Yixiao tugged at him, trying to pull him to his feet. "It looks like someone's coming—I can't explain it well, just come and see!"
In just a short while, the scattered purple dots at the foot of the mountain had coalesced into a massive formation of Purple Cloud, arrayed outward in a defensive stance. Judging by their posture, reinforcements must have arrived.
They were just one step away from their intended outcome—why did such a grave mistake have to happen now? The guard's unusual behavior only strengthened Feng Suige's suspicions. Yet, he couldn't fathom the reason behind it...
"Is it Weiran and the others?" Yixiao stared unblinkingly at the foot of the mountain. "Shouldn't we be assembling our forces?" When no reply came after a long pause, she turned her head suspiciously toward the man beside her, who was clearly lost in thought. "What's wrong?"
Meeting her bright gaze, Feng Suige snapped back to reality and hastily replied, "Ah... nothing. I was just thinking about our next move..." "Once they engage head-on, we'll concentrate our forces and charge down," Yixiao said, oblivious to his distraction, her excitement evident as she clenched her fist. "By then, they'll have to deal with Weiran and us at the same time—they're bound to leave an opening. If we seize the opportunity, we can definitely break through!"
Feng Suige responded absentmindedly.
Had that person been caught yet? If not... Suddenly, his entire body stiffened, and he turned to dash back toward the camp.
Before he could even reach the woods, he collided head-on with Xia Jingshi, who was walking out slowly. Feng Suige froze in place. "Xiyang..." Xia Jingshi replied calmly, "She's gone too."
It felt as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over his head. Feng Suige shuddered involuntarily.
Xia Jingshi's gaze drifted past his shoulder, settling on Yixiao, who had followed him. A gentle smile touched his lips. "In the end, we've still dragged you into this."
She couldn't remember how many times she had stumbled on the rugged mountain path, nor did she notice the sharp grass blades cutting her cheeks. The anger Yixiao had suppressed for days erupted the moment she learned the truth. Snatching Feng Suige's sword, she sprinted down the narrow trail behind the mountain, leaving Feng Suige and Xia Jingshi's urgent shouts far behind after just a few turns.
Even if it was blind pursuit, even if there were no traces to follow—she had no choice but to keep chasing.If the escaped Holy Emperor couldn't be retrieved, within no time, the lives of hundreds atop the mountain would all be lost under the iron hooves of the Brocade Feather Forest Battalion. As for Feng Xiyang, if she remained obstinate, even if it meant incurring Feng Suige's hatred afterward or sacrificing her own life, she would have to be killed.
Out of the corner of her eye, Yixiao caught sight of a shadow. Without slowing her charge, she abruptly changed direction, lunging to the right, her blade leaving its sheath in the same motion.
With a clang, the blade slicing through the air was deflected by the figure, the impact forcing Yixiao back half a step. At the same time, the person called out in a low voice, "Captain Fu..."
Yixiao steadied herself, sheathed her blade, and stepped back. Before her stood one of Xia Jingshi's lieutenant generals, covered in mud and grass stains, looking at her despairingly. "There's no trace at all. They must be impossible to find now..."
"Shut up," Yixiao coldly snapped, sheathing her sword before turning to leave. "If you still have strength, keep searching. If not, go back up and help the others!"
"But we don't even know which way they went. It's like looking for a needle in a haystack..."
"If it were you, which way would you go?" Yixiao paused mid-step, half-turning to look at him, her voice hoarse—as if asking a question, yet also murmuring to herself. "Two pampered nobles, on a mountain path like this... which way would they go?"
Yixiao's gaze slowly shifted to a gentler slope in the distance. "That way."
Leaping down from a jade stone, the Holy Emperor collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. After a long while, a faint rustling came from the grass beside him. Feng Xiyang, who had been forced to take a detour due to her fear of heights, stumbled out of the thick undergrowth and crouched beside him, panting softly.
If this woman hadn't still been useful, he would never have brought her along to slow him down. The Holy Emperor frowned, glancing at Feng Xiyang before standing up and whispering, "Let's go."
Feng Xiyang struggled to her feet but had barely taken two steps when the Holy Emperor suddenly turned and shoved her to the ground. Her startled cry was stifled by his hand clamping over her mouth.
Not far ahead, the sound of grass being brushed aside echoed. Footsteps lingered nearby for a while before continuing downward, gradually fading away.
Only then did the Holy Emperor's tense body relax. He sneered, "They're quick—already caught up to us here." Xiyang, dazed, pushed him away and sat up. "They found us..."
"Starting to regret it now?" The Holy Emperor stood, carefully scanning their surroundings before turning back and extending a hand to Xiyang. "Come, we need to move faster." Xiyang hesitated, lowering her head to avoid his hand. "You go on alone. I... I want to go back."
"Go back?" The Holy Emperor scoffed. "Fine. But if you do, everything I promised you will be void. When the Imperial Guard Barracks raze this mountain, don't come crying to me."
Feng Xiyang gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand. "Let's go."
"You really are beyond saving," a cold voice rang out, startling Feng Xiyang into covering her mouth with a gasp. The Holy Emperor also spun around in alarm. From the waist-high wild grass not far away, a figure slowly rose—none other than Yixiao. She coldly tossed her scabbard aside, pointing her blade at the two of them as she advanced step by step. "Go back on your own, or step over my corpse to descend the mountain. Choose one!"
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