My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Chapter 56 A Sudden Moment of Danger

Noticing Chu Ling's teasing gaze, Xie Yan silently tightened the reins and slowed down to the back of the carriage.

Before long, Peach Fairy and Uya rode up to him.

Uya wasn't good at riding and didn't want to ride in a carriage, so she was sitting behind Tao Xian. Her little face was flushed, and she was pressed tightly against Tao Xian's back, her hands tightly wrapped around her waist.

As she got closer, Xie Yan even heard her say, "Sister, you smell so good."

Xie Yan: ...You look really like a pervert.

"Brother Xie, I have to go." Wuya snapped out of her daze, blinked, and said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "The news from the building says there's an important mission that requires me to go back immediately."

Seeing Xie Yan nod, she paused, as if suddenly remembering something, then mysteriously leaned closer to Xie Yan and whispered, "Hehe, Brother Xie, you must do your best!"

Hearing this, Xie Yan was completely confused: "Huh? What kind of oil?"

But then Wuya's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sly smile, and she whispered, "Of course, I'll try my best to win over the handsome brother!" After saying that, she winked at Xie Yan.

Xie Yan: ...I'm tired. Think whatever you want.

Not long after they saw Uya off, the group was walking slowly along the road when they suddenly heard a faint, sobbing sound coming from the side of the road ahead.

The crying was intermittent and sounded very pitiful.

Upon hearing the cries, Xuanfeng, who was walking at the very front of the group, immediately urged his horse forward without hesitation, galloping like an arrow released from a bow.

Not long after, he rushed back to report.

It turned out that a grandfather and grandson were gathering herbs not far ahead. Unexpectedly, the old man slipped and fell, injuring his leg and becoming unable to move.

Faced with this sudden situation, the granddaughter was at a loss and didn't know what to do. She could only cry helplessly by the roadside.

As they spoke, the group hurried along. Before long, the grandfather and grandson that Xuanfeng had mentioned appeared in their line of sight.

From a distance, the elderly man, who looked to be no more than sixty years old, was lying on the ground.

His face was ashen, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Although his eyes were closed, his face was still slightly contorted with intense pain.

Beside him knelt a beautiful young woman. She was crying uncontrollably, her tears flowing like a burst dam, and she looked utterly helpless.

When the woman saw the crowd, she was like a drowning person grasping at a straw. She hurriedly got up and stumbled towards them, pleading repeatedly, "Please, kind brothers and sisters, have mercy and save my grandmother and grandson!"

Seeing Chu Ling nod slightly in acknowledgment, Tao Xian, who was standing to the side, immediately dismounted and quickly stepped forward to check on the old man's injuries.

Fortunately, the old man's injuries were not serious, and he only fainted temporarily from the pain.

Seeing that the place was a desolate and remote area, they couldn't very well abandon the two of them, so they set aside a carriage to take them along and head towards the nearest town.

But who would have thought that they walked for so long that it was almost dark, without seeing a trace of a town or inn.

If they cannot find an inn or hotel to rest in soon, they will probably have to set up camp in this wilderness.

But at this time of year, not only are the nights colder than the days, but the wind howls incessantly. The biting cold makes even lighting a campfire for warmth extremely difficult.

Fortunately, at this moment, Xuanfeng, who had gone to scout ahead, brought back good news—there happened to be a dilapidated temple not far ahead.

It was completely dark when the group arrived at the ruined temple.

At first glance, the dilapidated temple was somewhat run-down, but the roof and the surrounding walls were still relatively intact, barely enough to keep out the wind and rain.

Xuanfeng dismounted first, walked quickly to the temple gate, and gently pushed it open.

With a creak, the rickety wooden door slowly opened, and a cold, damp draft rushed out.

He first peeked inside, but to his surprise, there were several people resting in the dilapidated temple.

The group of people each found a corner to sit or lie down, and didn't react to the noise outside the door, presumably just passersby who came in to rest.

However, their actions were too loud, and their arrival still attracted the attention of several people, who were observing them openly and secretly.

Xie Yan was the last one to come in.

The moment he stepped into the temple, he keenly sensed that a gaze was immediately fixed on him.

This gaze followed me like a shadow, carrying an inexplicable chill, as if I were being coiled around by a cold, venomous snake.

However, the moment Xie Yan noticed it, that gaze vanished.

He paused, looked up, and saw four people inside the dilapidated temple.

They are a man lying down and fast asleep, a man wearing a straw hat and eating dry rations whose face is obscured, and a couple behaving intimately.

Xie Yan thoughtfully withdrew her gaze, turned around, and closed the dilapidated temple door, which offered little protection from the wind.

Inside the temple, everyone busied themselves; some started a fire to keep warm, while others took out dry rations to stave off hunger.

Xie Yan and Chu Ling exchanged a glance, but did not go to his side. Instead, they walked to the side and asked Lu Zizhao to tidy up a cleaner place for them to sit on the ground and rest for a while.

But just as he lit a small fire with his tinderbox, the feeling of being watched surged back into his mind.

However, before he could look up to find the source of that gaze, a soft and warm body quietly approached him and pressed close to him.

Xie Yan turned his head slightly, and the one who was tugging at his sleeve was the girl who had been following them all the way.

She had somehow gotten close enough to grab Xie Yan's sleeve tightly with both hands. Her body was trembling involuntarily, probably from the cold.

After a long while, she seemed to finally realize the inappropriateness of her behavior. Like a startled fawn, she abruptly let go of his hand, a blush rising on her face. She stammered, "I'm... I'm so sorry, I... I was just too cold!"

As soon as she spoke, she quickly lowered her head, her cheeks flushed like the sunset, her hands fidgeting nervously with the hem of her clothes, not daring to meet Xie Yan's gaze.

"It's alright." Xie Yan smiled and then leaned down to whisper in the shy girl's ear, "But I suggest you learn how to restrain your killing intent next time. It's just too obvious."

He pressed the soft sword at the girl's waist back down.