The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 38

38: Assassination Attempt

He sighed, looking down the path, his legs nearly giving out. “How much longer until we get there…?”

Qi Ren’s eyelids twitched again. Looking up, he couldn’t see Xiao Zhu; looking down, the foot of the mountain was nowhere in sight. It was as if the heavens and earth had abandoned them, leaving him with a sinking feeling in his chest.

Though Fu Yu’an had never climbed the treacherous paths of Shu before, he now understood the meaning of the line, “How the green cliffs coil and twist, a hundred turns in just nine steps around the rocks.”

I’m really too weak, he thought. Qi Ren wasn’t even out of breath, yet here he was, younger by several years, panting and struggling to keep up.

A cold gust of wind swept past, and Fu Yu’an sneezed, tightening his grip on Qi Ren’s arm.

Suddenly, the surrounding bushes rustled unnaturally, the sound of leaves shaking eerily loud in the silent mountains.

Qi Ren’s expression darkened as he scanned their surroundings warily, pulling Fu Yu’an closer.

Fu Yu’an also sensed the danger and held his breath, eyes darting around.

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Qi Ren abruptly yanked him aside as something whizzed past his face, embedding itself into a nearby tree trunk with a thunk.

Fu Yu’an was horrified. Qi Ren shielded him, dodging arrows and hidden weapons with swift movements.

“Have the guts to show yourselves instead of hiding like cowards!” Qi Ren roared, his voice booming through the mountains, startling even Fu Yu’an.

No sooner had he spoken than a dozen black-clad assassins, their faces masked, leaped out from the shadows. Armed with swords and knives, they encircled the two men with deadly intent.

Qi Ren let out a fierce shout, unleashing an invisible wave of pressure that forced the attackers back a step.

The assassins exchanged glances, then lunged forward in unison.

Fu Yu’an’s heart pounded like a drum. With one hand clutched in Qi Ren’s grip, he could only dodge, unable to counterattack. They were quickly overwhelmed.

Fu Yu’an was useless in the fight, sweating anxiously, his mind racing.

“Just leave me! With me weighing you down, neither of us will make it!”

These killers were ruthless, their every move calculated to kill. If Qi Ren insisted on dragging him along, there was no way he’d escape unscathed.

Fu Yu’an didn’t want to owe him anything.

Qi Ren only tightened his grip. “No! They’re here for me—if I’m not afraid, why should you be?!”

The assassins pressed closer. Without a proper weapon, Qi Ren could only wield broken branches, which snapped one after another. Bl00d seeped from several gashes on his body.

Fu Yu’an watched helplessly, praying Li Ke would hurry down. But given the situation, someone must have been holding him back—otherwise, why was there still no sign of him after all this time?

And Xiao Zhu…

He didn’t dare think about it.

The mountain path was rugged, and Fu Yu’an, untrained in martial arts, stumbled clumsily over the uneven ground. Suddenly, his foot caught on a rock, and he fell hard.

“Just go!” He yanked his hand free. “Avenge me later.”

“Stop talking nonsense!” Qi Ren blocked a sword strike aimed at Fu Yu’an with his arm, wincing in pain. He scooped Fu Yu’an up in one swift motion and leaped toward a gap in the attackers’ formation.

Fu Yu’an had no idea where he was being taken, his eyes tightly shut and his lips bitten, not even daring to make a sound.

Suddenly, the chaotic sounds of fighting around them vanished. Fu Yu’an opened his eyes and was met with the sight of a broad chest and the moss-covered cliff face behind them.

Qi Ren had actually jumped off the cliff with him!

At this moment, the weight of both of them rested solely on Qi Ren. With his injured arm, he clung tightly to a section of vine.

The mountain was shrouded in fog. When Fu Yu’an looked up, he couldn’t even see the top.

He had no idea how far they were from the ground—below them was also a hazy, indistinct blur.

His heart pounded with fear. Qi Ren gritted his teeth, holding both of them up, bl00d from his arm dripping down his sleeve. As Fu Yu’an lifted his head, a drop landed right on his face.

Fu Yu’an didn’t dare move now, let alone make a sound. Nestled under Qi Ren’s protection, he slowed his breathing.

After what felt like an eternity, the vines beside them suddenly rustled and began to fall. Fu Yu’an’s heart sank—sure enough, the next moment, the vine they were clinging to snapped, and they plummeted downward once more.

The assassins, unable to find them, had simply cut the vines to eliminate any chance of escape.

Qi Ren cursed under his breath, quickly releasing the vine and wrapping both arms around Fu Yu’an. Mid-fall, he twisted his body, shielding Fu Yu’an in his embrace.

“I’m sorry…” Fu Yu’an heard himself sob. “I’ve dragged you into this.”

Qi Ren couldn’t even muster a laugh. The sensation of freefall was too unbearable. All he could manage was a grimace that was neither a smile nor a cry, pressing Fu Yu’an’s head firmly against his chest.

Fortunately, the ground wasn’t too far below. No sooner had they resigned themselves to their fate than Qi Ren felt his back slam into something jagged, followed by a searing pain as his clothes were torn by protruding branches.

He quickly adjusted his posture, using the branches to cushion their fall before landing nimbly on the ground.

“Damn it! If I’d known it was this close, I wouldn’t have had to be your cushion!”

Fu Yu’an was overcome with joy, the exhilaration of survival so intense that he laughed and cried at the same time, tugging at Qi Ren’s arm to check the injuries on his back.

The cushioning had been thorough. Qi Ren had been wearing thin clothing that day, and now his back was a mess of tattered fabric, crisscrossed with red welts and streaks of bl00d—a horrifying sight.

Fu Yu’an reached out carefully, his fingers brushing the wounds. Qi Ren sucked in a sharp breath, then suddenly seemed to remember something and instantly changed his expression, whining pitifully, “Yu’an, it hurts so much!”

Fu Yu’an: “…”

Still pretending at a time like this? Fine, let’s see how long you can keep this act up!

He pretended not to notice, looking at Qi Ren with feigned concern as he played up his injuries, obediently blowing on the wounds to soothe him.

“Right now, they’re probably still searching for us. Let’s find a place to rest and head back tomorrow.” Fu Yu’an suggested, carefully pulling one of Qi Ren’s arms over his shoulder to support him.

Qi Ren sighed softly. “But I’m in so much pain!”

“I’ll go find some herbs. This place… there should at least be some wild plants that can stop the bleeding.”

Qi Ren glanced at the fiery maple forest around them and thought, Sure, maybe.

He had originally wanted to take Fu Yu’an to see the autumn leaves. Now, in a way, that wish had been fulfilled.

There happened to be a thatched hut in the woods—who knew who had built it. After enduring days of wind and rain, it was now in tatters.

Fu Yu’an helped Qi Ren inside, settling him in a dry spot before hurrying off to search for hemostatic herbs.

Qi Ren leaned against the wall and sighed, looking at his bloodied arm. He had a feeling he might have given himself away.

Maybe I shouldn’t have been so heroic just now. If I’d acted a little more foolish, it might’ve been more convincing.

But then again, he’d always fought like this in front of Fu Yu’an. The situation had been urgent—hopefully, Fu Yu’an hadn’t noticed.

Qi Ren finally convinced himself, clutching the straw beneath him as he waited for the other to return.

Outside, the wind picked up again, howling through the small thatched hut. A few strands of straw blew onto his face.

Fu Yu’an finally returned just before the rain grew heavier, his arms full of gathered herbs as he hurried inside and knelt beside him.

Fortunately, the dense foliage and the relatively intact roof of the hut provided enough shelter to keep the rain at bay for now.

Fu Yu’an chewed the medicinal herbs into a pulp and applied them to the more heavily bleeding wounds, blowing gently on them as he worked, treating him like a child.

Qi Ren was thoroughly enjoying the attention, whimpering and playing up his fragility.

Fu Yu’an nearly laughed in exasperation.

Had he not realized he’d already been exposed? How could he keep up this act with such determination?

Did he really think I was too stupid to notice?

That must be it! He’s always looked down on everyone, acting so high and mighty—now he must think I’m a complete fool!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and his hands unconsciously pressed harder. Qi Ren winced sharply, his face twisting in pain.

“Once the rain stops, we’ll head to the nearby village for shelter.” Fu Yu’an said, easing his touch. “When I was gathering herbs earlier, I saw lights in the distance. There must be people living there.”

“Good, I’ll listen to you!”

Qi Ren grinned at him foolishly.

He had no idea where they were. The mountain wasn’t far from the capital, and there were dozens of villages in the area—no telling which one they’d ended up near.

Playing the fool is so annoying, he thought. Maybe I should just come clean! But then he’d definitely get angry, and things would just get awkward.

Forget it, better endure a little longer. Once the mess in the palace is dealt with, I’ll explain everything properly.

He’s so reasonable—he’ll definitely hear me out!

On the mountain.

Li Ke had just grabbed some clothes to take down the mountain when a group of masked men intercepted him. He cursed inwardly—these people were surely after Qi Ren!

Luckily, their skills were mediocre at best, no match for him. The only trouble was their underhanded use of hidden weapons, which were tricky to defend against and cost him some extra effort.

Xiao Zhu was still waiting for him where he’d left her, but the two masters were nowhere in sight.

Li Ke’s heart lurched as he asked urgently, “Where are the general and His Highness?!”

Xiao Zhu, startled by his expression, pointed downhill. “They went ahead first. They told me to wait here for you.”

Li Ke let out a frustrated noise, hoisted her onto his shoulder, and immediately sped down the mountain using qinggong.

Xiao Zhu jostled against him, feeling nauseous from the motion, but the heavy scent of bl00d on him filled her with a growing sense of dread.