Chapter 616: Holding Her Own
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After escaping from the palace, Xiao Juan headed straight for the city gate.
He wanted to leave the Imperial Capital before anyone reacted.
However, he was still too late.
When he arrived near the city gate, he saw that there were heavy troops guarding it.
It was impossible for him to rush out with his serious injuries.
He could only retreat silently, planning to find a place to hide for the time being.
Unexpectedly, just as he turned around, he saw soldiers searching house to house not far away.
Xiao Juan lowered the bamboo hat on his head to cover most of his face and turned to walk in the other direction. At this moment, a child’s cry suddenly sounded beside him— “Uncle, your back is bleeding!”
Xiao Juan’s heart tightened.
The arrow on his back had been pulled out, but because of the time constraint, he did not have time to apply medication. He only bandaged it with a strip of cloth.
From the looks of it, the wound had split open.
The surrounding pedestrians stopped in their tracks and looked at Xiao Juan together. Indeed, they saw blood seeping out of the clothes behind him.
The soldiers not far away also sensed the abnormality and walked over.
Xiao Juan did not dare to stay here any longer. He immediately used his Qinggong and rushed out of the crowd at an extremely fast speed, escaping into the alley beside him.
Seeing this, the soldiers immediately chased after him.
“Stop!”
Wind blew under Xiao Juan’s feet as he quickly shuttled through the alley.
But he could not shake off the pursuers behind him.
Because the wound on his back was seeping blood. Blood dripped to the ground, becoming the best indicator of his whereabouts.
As long as the pursuers followed the blood, it was impossible to lose them.
More and more blood flowed. Xiao Juan began to feel light-headed and subconsciously slowed down.
Just as he was about to be caught up by the soldiers, a courtyard door beside him suddenly opened. A hand reached out and grabbed Xiao Juan’s forearm.
“Follow me!”
Xiao Juan wanted to break free, but he stopped when he heard this familiar voice.
He let the person drag him into the doorway.
Then the courtyard door was quickly closed.
Xiao Juan looked at the woman in front of him, unable to hide the surprise in
his black eyes.
“Niaoniao, why are you here?”
Yu Niaoniao was filled with anger. She originally wanted to scold him after meeting him to vent her anger, but when she saw his pale face, she immediately stopped.
As soon as I returned to the Imperial Capital, I heard that an assassin had appeared in the palace. Now, all the soldiers in the city are capturing the assassin. ”
“I guess this has something to do with you.”
“You should be thinking of a way to get out of the city, so I waited near the city gate. In the end, I really bumped into you.”
“Why do you look so pale? Are you injured?”
Xiao Juan subconsciously took a step back, not letting her see his back.
“I’m fine.”
Yu Niaoniao noticed the blood on the ground and her heart tightened.
She was about to ask him where he was injured when she heard hurried footsteps outside the door.
The soldiers must have caught up.
She immediately shut her mouth and quickly took off her cloak. She put it on Xiao Juan and helped him cover the blood on his back.
Then she ran to the water tank and scooped up clear water with a calabash ladle to wash the blood off the ground.
After doing this, the two of them hurriedly left the small courtyard.
There was a carriage parked at the side of the road. Pan Dafu was standing on the edge of it, craning his neck to look around, looking worried.
He saw Yu Niaoniao help a man in a bamboo hat out and hurriedly opened the carriage door.
The two of them helped Xiao Juan into the car.
After they were seated, Pan Dafu drove the carriage away.
There was a medicine box in the carriage. Yu Niaoniao found gauze and medicine and began to treat Xiao Juan’s wounds.
There were many wounds on his body, most of them superficial. Only the two arrows on his back were very serious.
Looking at the deep wound where the bones and flesh were exposed, Yu Niaoniao’s fingers that were holding the medicine bottle could not help but tremble.
From the situation, it was obvious that the arrowhead had a barb. This guy pulled the arrow very roughly, pulling out even the flesh. Just thinking about that scene made one’s scalp tingle.
However, this guy was still silent.
Yu Niaoniao resisted the urge to cry and deliberately cursed in a relaxed tone,
“Were you a tortoise in your previous life? You’re so tolerant.”
Xiao Juan was puzzled. “What does the two have to do with each other?”
Yu Niaoniao said, “There’s a kind of turtle called the Divine Ninja Turtle. They’re best at ninjutsu.”
Xiao Juan asked humbly, “What is ninjutsu?”
Yu Niaoniao sniffed. “A skill for someone like you, who can still endure the pain and not say anything.”
Xiao Juan said, “It doesn’t hurt.”
Yu Niaoniao wanted to call him an idiot, but before she could say anything, tears fell.
She bandaged him as she cried.
Xiao Juan wanted to turn around and look at her, but she scolded him.
“What are you looking at? Sit still!”
Xiao Juan could only sit obediently and not move, like a clumsy bear. Yu Niaoniao wiped her tears with the back of her hand. “Why did you come back?”
At this point, there was nothing to hide. Xiao Juan answered truthfully, “I want to help you.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “Help me with what? I can settle my own matters myself. You don’t have to take the risk!”
Xiao Juan did not know how to explain and could only remain silent.
Yu Niaoniao gently poked the back of his waist with her finger and choked. “Say something! ”
Xiao Juan felt an itch and wanted to dodge, but he was afraid that Niaoniao would be angry, so he sat obediently and did not move.
He lowered his head slightly and spoke softly,”l know. You can hold your own, but I still want you to rely on me a little more.”
In the past, he was a knife in the emperor’s hand. From now on, he was only willing to be her knife.
If she couldn’t take revenge, he could help her.
He could help her kill someone she couldn’t.
From now on, she no longer had to hold her own because he was everywhere for her.
Yu Niaoniao gently placed her forehead on his back and scolded in a sobbing voice, “You big idiot. You’re already so injured. How can I rely on you in the future? If anything happens to you, I won’t be a widow for you. Tomorrow, I’ll find someone to remarry and anger you to death!”
Xiao Juan laughed softly.
Yu Niaoniao looked up and glared at the back of his head with red eyes. “You’re still laughing?!”
Xiao Juan stopped smiling. “I didn’t.”
Yu Niaoniao said, “1 heard everything. Don’t lie to me!” Then the carriage stopped and Pan Dafu’s voice came in.
“Teacher, we’re here.”
Yu Niaoniao quickly wiped her tears and took out a set of clean clothes to throw to Xiao Juan.
When he was dressed, they pushed open the door and got out.
He realized that this was the back door of Qirui Garden.
Xiao Juan did not understand why they were here.
Yu Niaoniao went forward and knocked.
Soon, the courtyard door was pulled open. When Liu Sixing saw that it was Yu Niaoniao and Xiao Juan standing outside, she immediately turned around and let them in.
Yu Niaoniao turned around and looked at Pan Dafu. “You don’t have to worry about what happens next. Go back quickly. Don’t let your family worry.” Pan Dafu looked at her reluctantly. “Teacher, will we see each other again?”
Yu Niaoniao smiled brightly.
“Of course we can!”
Pan Dafu cupped his fists and bowed one last time to Yu Niaoniao and Xiao
Juan.
“Teacher, Your Highness, take care!”