Chapter 362: Concern for the chaos
Long Feiye had always been calm and cool, but he was shocked by Chu Xifeng’s words.
“Who was it?” he asked urgently.
“Someone dressed in black and wearing a face mask, I couldn’t make out his features,” Chu Xifeng replied truthfully. Only his master, himself, and Tang Li knew the identity of the person inside the Hidden Pavilion’s secret chamber. Even the guards who delivered meals didn’t know the prisoner’s identity. Whoever came to kidnap their charge obviously knew they were keeping someone there. Moreover, they probably knew the identity of the person inside as well.
But how?
Chu Xifeng wanted to say a few more things, but Long Feiye simply flickered out of sight. The person he’d been keeping at Hidden Pavilion was someone very important. Nobody could know of their existence. By the time Long Feiye arrived at Hidden Pavilion, Tang Li was still stuck in the throes of battle with the black-robed kidnapper. It was fortunate that Tang Li had blocked their way into the chamber. The would-be kidnapper seemed to fear him, because he didn’t try to force a rescue, but attempted to escape.
As if Tang Li would let him! Tang Li’s martial arts skills might be average, but he had plenty of hidden weapons in his arsenal. After resolving to never return to the Tang Clan again, he had his trusted subordinates bring over all of his hidden stores here. His assassination weapon skills were top of the line compared to his fighting prowess, so the battle because black-robed man VS. hidden weapons, rather than against Tang Li himself.
In the darkness, Tang Li moved effortlessly in his white robes, looking both elegant and unrestrained. His serene back really gave him the aura of a high immortal descended to Earth. Compared to him, the black-robed man was using far more effort to fight back. Still, he was definitely an expert in his own right. Even after fighting so long with Tang Li, he still avoided being snared by all the weapons.
Long Feiye and Chu Xifeng rushed onto the scene, but Long Feiye prevented his subordinate from going to join the fray. Instead, master and servant crouched on the sidelines to observe any changes in the battle. Chu Xifeng immediately realized that his master was planning to launch a sneak attack! Facing His Highness Duke of Qin in direct combat was horrific enough, to say nothing of a sneak attack…the results were simply unimaginable. Chu Xifeng began to worry for the black-robed man.
In the darkness, Long Feiye stared at the battle before them. He too, was dressed in black, his eyes as sharp as a hawk’s as he lurked in the shadows like a mysterious hunter. Sometime ago, he’d already unsheathed his sword. Suddenly, the black-robed man did a flip to avoid Tang Li’s Plum Blossom Needles. At the same time, Long Feiye made his move, his body traveling with his sword to aim for the black-robed man’s vital points!
No one expected Long Feiye to attack now, and so fiercely! Even when his sword stabbed through the black-robed man’s chest and caused him to spit up blood, everyone was still caught in the throes of shock–including the victim himself. Tang Li didn’t even have time to stop his weapons as they flew out towards the man. However, Long Feiye knocked them aside with his sleeve, and they clattered to the ground. Time froze as everything grew still. Only the black-robed man’s blood kept flowing down his clothes.
Abruptly, Long Feiye pulled out his sword, spraying blood everywhere. The black-robed man clutched his chest as he toppled backwards and crashed to the ground. The blade had missed his heart by a hair–as per Long Feiye’s calculations. This meant that the man wouldn’t die immediately, but he wasn’t due to live for much longer, much less escape. He stared at Long Feiye with wide eyes.
Everything was over. Tang Li and Chu Xifeng finally recovered their wits before the former cried out, “Big bro, you’re pretty ruthless!”
Long Feiye had always been the cruel and ruthless type, especially when faced with a situation like this. He would show no mercy. Nobody could know of the person inside the secret chamber of the Hidden Pavilion, much less kidnap them. Aside from his trusted subordinates, anyone else who found out would be executed without fail! Ignoring Tang Li, Long Feiye crouched by the black-robed man’s side and impatiently worked at a corner of his face mask.
“How did you know there was someone in the secret chamber?” he asked.
“I…I…save… Save me,” the black-robed man muttered weakly, his words unclear. Blood flowed unceasingly from his chest wound, but Long Feiye pretended it didn’t even exist.
“If you don’t want to die, then answer your lordship’s questions immediately.”
“Fine, I…I…I’ll talk. It’s my master…” the black-robed man’s words became illegible even as his lips kept moving. Long Feiye leaned in closer to listen, but the man took this chance to take out a dagger and stab him in the chest!
“Your Highness!” “Big bro!”
Chu Xifeng and Tang Li sucked in a cold breath as their minds grew blank. Their bodies reacted faster as they both stepped forward, but it was already too late. The black-robed man withdrew his weapon and viciously shoved Long Feiye aside before taking to the air and escaping.
Long Feiye’s blood splashed on the ground, making it impossible for him to regain his balance. He staggered a few steps before forcing himself to stand still. Blood trickled from his lips as his face paled until it was the color of a sheet. His right hand clutched his chest as his clothes were slowly stained red with blood. Soon enough, it dyed his fair white fingers scarlet as well. Long Feiye looked blankly after the fleeing black-robed man, unable to imagine how he’d managed a sneak attack despite being so seriously injured. Where did he get the strength?
This was absolutely incomprehensible!
He was certain that he hadn’t miscalculated with his sword. There could be no mistake. Even the strongest body would crumple beneath that stab! That was because someone like him was already teetering on the edge after receiving the same wound. His current chest wound was identical to the one he’d given the black-robed man. It was a hair’s breadth away from his heart, not enough to take his life immediately, but…enough to end it quickly!
Tang Li and Chu Xifeng didn’t get to see Long Feiye’s injury clearly, but once they came closer, the sight made them panic. Both of them knew enough of martial arts to understand that Long Feiye was severely injured. Their minds froze as they stood in place.
What now?
Long Feiye stared back, his vision growing hazy. He too, was extremely shocked. He never imagined there’d come a day when he was so seriously hurt. He had always been prudent and careful. If this was the past, he’d never go to personally remove the man’s face mask, much less get so close. But he’d been too preoccupied with the implications of today’s attempted kidnapping and lost his usual cool. Because he cared, he’d been careless. Because he cared, he’d been impatient.
Silence fell upon the trio as Long Feiye’s blood kept flowing from his chest. Abruptly, he crashed to the ground, one knee resting against the dirt. Soon afterwards, he fell over entirely in a dead faint.
“Doctor! Quick, find a doctor!” Tang Li shouted, alerting the entire Hidden Pavilion.
Chu Xifeng was trembling all over. He’d followed his master for years, but he’d never been in such a situation before. He was so flustered that he went the wrong way; fortunately, one of the other guards quickly brought over Doctor Lin, the Hidden Pavilion’s in-residence physician. He too, was stunned by the sight.
“Stop the bleeding, quick! We have to do it now!”
Most doctors were expressionless in emergency situations, maintaining their calm and cool. It didn’t mean they were heartless, just that their duty made it an obligation. How were they supposed to save their patients if they were panicking too? They couldn’t afford a single moment of carelessness when a life was at stake! Doctor Lin was a highly professional physician stationed at the Hidden Pavilion, but even he was left flurried by the recent events. After all, His Highness Duke of Qin was in critical condition. It wasn’t clear whether he’d be able to save him!
As he shouted, he took out various things from his medical kit, only to find he did everything out of order. He had to apply medicine before stopping the bleeding first!
“Jinchuang Medicine! Where’s the Jinchuang Medicine?!”1 he dug wildly through his medical kit.
Chu Xifeng and Tang Li stood on the side, both anxious and angry.
“I’ll go find esteemed wangfei!” Chu Xifeng cried, but Tang Li held him back.
“You can’t. You definitely can’t tell Han Yunxi about this!”
“We don’t need to mention the secret chamber. We can just say an assassin attacked him. Otherwise, if His Highness…” Chu Xifeng didn’t dare to finish the sentence. Everything had happened all too fast.
“It’s no use even if Han Yunxi comes. She’s a doctor of poisons, not some Divine Doctor.” As Tang Li held Long Feiye, he realized the man’s hands were getting colder and colder.
Doctor Lin was in a state of absolute panic, but forced himself to suppress his fear and apply medicine to Long Feiye with shaking fingers before binding the wound to stop the bleeding. But how could blood from a chest wound stop bleeding so easily? Could simple Jinchuang Medicine treat an injury like that? Doctor Lin only managed to slow the rate of blood loss instead. Tang Li was close to finding Aunt Ru instead, but Doctor Lin suddenly hit upon a plan.
“Young Clan Head Tang, hurry and find esteemed wangfei. This old man remembers that esteemed wangfei once used a medicine to stop the bleeding when treating poisons. It was very effective. Quickly!”
Naturally, Doctor Lin knew they had to do more than just stop the bleeding, but this was all he could think of for now. This wound had come all too suddenly.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier?!” Tang Li wanted to smack him. He left Long Feiye with Chu Xifeng and hurried away.
It was now the middle of the night, but Han Yunxi still hadn’t gone to bed despite busying herself all day at the estate. Right now, she was sitting on the steps to Long Feiye’s quarters, waiting for him. Because they’d set the date to leave for the disaster areas tomorrow, she was sure he’d come back tonight. She wanted to help him pack his things when he returned. As she waited, she couldn’t help but yearn for their trip ahead. She and Long Feiye had left the estate multiple times, but most of the time they’d hurried out and then hurried back. This time was different, because the trip itself would take multiple days. Moreover, they were going to many different places.
Even though it’d be difficult to relieve the people in disaster areas, Han Yunxi was still happily treating it as a tour. As long as they were together, the trip would be worthwhile no matter where they went, right?
In the middle of her reverie, Tang Li landed in the courtyard and unceremoniously grabbed her by the hand. “Han Yunxi, come with me, quick!”
Han Yunxi was completely baffled as she struggled in his grasp. “What are you doing?”
Tang Li didn’t let her go, but hurried on as he explained, “Someone tried to kill His Highness and stabbed him in the chest. His life’s in danger!”
What?
Han Yunxi was dumbstruck.
1. Jinchuang Medicine (金创药) – jinchuang yao, a type of medicine mentioned often in wuxia novels, good for treating all sorts of injuries in the absence of a doctor.