He Yao called out with a pale face, "Tian Qi got the news and is rushing there!"
Wei Dongling leaped onto the carriage abruptly. She snatched the reins and pushed the maid off the carriage. Then she said to the maid, "Hurry and inform Cui Huan!" After that, she drove the carriage and chased after the eagle in the sky closely.
He Yao in the carriage was so angry that her face turned green. She gritted her teeth and shouted, "Wei Dongling, don't cause trouble!"
Wei Dongling made a sharp turn with the carriage. He Yao in the carriage staggered and fell, hitting her head on the carved wooden door of the carriage. It hurt so much that tears welled up in her eyes.
He Yao was about to fly into a rage as she touched the bump on her forehead. But then she heard Wei Dongling call out anxiously, "My lady, if we can rescue Zi Xi safely, he will surely spend a long and happy life with you!"
Wei Dongling was extremely anxious at this moment. For her, his survival was the most important thing!
He Yao was stunned by what she said and swallowed back the scolding words on the tip of her tongue.
The night wind howled past. The carriage wound its way up the endless mountain road. Under the dim moonlight, Wei Dongling looked at the continuous mountains in front of her, her heart filled with anxiety. She whipped the two galloping horses again and again.
He Yao sat in the back, worried and looking pale due to the bumpy ride. She bit her lips and said nothing.
More than two hours later, Wei Dongling suddenly reined in the horse, bringing the carriage to a sudden stop. He Yao in the carriage banged into the door. The bump on her forehead was hit hard again, and it instantly swelled up. The pain made her burst into tears.
He Yao supported herself on the carriage door and stood up. She lifted the curtain and was about to shout angrily when she saw the scene in front of her and was stunned into silence.
On the mountain road beside the cliff, the official road paved with gravel had somehow split open a huge gap. It was dark all around at night. If it weren't for the swaying lantern on the carriage that allowed Wei Dongling to see the road condition in time and stop the horse, they might have fallen off the cliff with the carriage.
Wei Dongling jumped off the carriage and looked at the collapsed road carefully, frowning with worry. She looked up at the eagle flying further and further away in the sky. Then she saw a horse grazing not far away. She knew that Tian Qi had passed by here just now, left his horse behind, and leaped over the gap.
Wei Dongling looked at the rocks by the roadside. With her lightness kung - fu, it would be no problem for her to jump over with the help of the rocks. But it would be difficult for the County Princess Rong'an. She looked at He Yao, who was pale with fear, and lowered her head, saying, "We can't go forward. My lady, please wait here for Cui Huan and the others to come." With that, she walked towards the rocks.
He Yao stepped forward and grabbed Wei Dongling's arm, pleading, "Sister Dongling! I'm afraid of the dark. Don't leave me alone."
Wei Dongling sighed and said, "But Zi Xi..."
He Yao shivered in the night wind and held onto Wei Dongling tightly. Her voice choked with sobs as she said, "Brother Zi Xi said your lightness kung - fu is very good, Sister Dongling. Please find a way to take me over too! In case there are any villains causing trouble, at least I, as a county princess, can speak up, right?" As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.
Wei Dongling thought to herself that what she said made sense. At least with her around, the Crown Prince's minions would have to consider her status as a county princess.
Wei Dongling glanced at the cliff on the rock by the roadside and nodded. "I'm injured. My lady, hold on tight later." With that, she grabbed He Yao's slender waist and leaped lightly.
He Yao quickly hugged her tightly.
It was a bit strenuous when they landed, and her heels ached faintly. Wei Dongling reached out and picked up a wooden stick by the roadside as a walking stick. Then she groped her way in the dark and chased after them. He Yao followed closely behind her, not daring to fall behind for a single step.
Half an hour later, He Yao finally couldn't help shouting, "Sister Dongling, wait for me!" She didn't expect that even with a lame leg, Wei Dongling could still move quickly. She gritted her teeth and followed for a long time, but finally had to stop to rest.
Wei Dongling looked back at He Yao, who was squatting on the ground, gasping for breath. She was anxious. "We lost sight of the eagle and can't catch up with Tian Qi. We can only follow this way, but we don't even know if we're going in the right direction. Can Cui Huan and the others find us?"
He Yao shook her head, indicating that she didn't know.
Suddenly, from far below the mountain came a shout, "Stop!"
The two of them were startled and quickly approached the roadside to look down. They saw a group of people holding torches in the dark and lush forest at the foot of the mountain, chasing someone westward.
Could the person they were chasing be Yu Zixi or Tian Qi?
Wei Dongling and He Yao exchanged a glance, and there was a faint sheen of sweat on their foreheads.
Wei Dongling made a prompt decision. She abandoned the official road and chose a forest path to go down the mountain. He Yao was so anxious that she kept calling out, but she had no choice but to follow Wei Dongling down the mountain on the path.
The downhill path was full of potholes and very difficult to walk on. He Yao stepped on a puddle of mud, and the thorny branches caught her dress and tore a big hole in it. Being pampered since childhood, He Yao had never suffered such hardships. She stamped her feet anxiously, but seeing that Wei Dongling was walking very fast with the stick, she could only grit her teeth and follow far behind, for fear that Wei Dongling would leave her alone in this desolate mountain forest.
"Sister Dongling! Wait for me!" Seeing Wei Dongling's figure disappear into the dark forest ahead, He Yao's voice was choked with sobs, and she cried out in fear.
"Okay." Wei Dongling's response came from afar.
He Yao quickly quickened her pace, ignoring the pain of the branches scratching her body. When she saw Wei Dongling's figure in the distance, she rushed forward and grabbed her slender wrist.
Wei Dongling pointed with the stick by the stream and said to He Yao, "They chased from that side to this side just now. If we follow the stream, we should be able to find them!"
"Shall we take a short rest before going on?" He Yao's clothes were a bit in disarray after being caught by the branches in the dense forest. Her hair was also loose, and her body ached faintly. She looked at the shallow stream full of pebbles and then at her muddy embroidered satin shoes, feeling a bit hesitant.
Wei Dongling felt a bit sorry for her, but still shook her head. "We must find them as soon as possible. The later it gets, the more dangerous Zi Xi will be!"
He Yao had no choice but to grit her teeth and nod. She grabbed the corner of Wei Dongling's clothes and walked forward unsteadily.
They staggered along the stream for a long distance.
In the distance, they saw a glimmer of light in the forest. Some people were holding torches and searching carefully in the dark forest, gradually approaching them.
He Yao's face turned deathly pale in an instant. Wei Dongling quickly pulled her and hid behind a huge rock.
The few patrolling black - clothed men were holding torches. After wandering around in the vicinity, they were about to leave when they seemed to have discovered something. One of them shouted, "There's blood here!" The men quickly groped into the jungle.
Wei Dongling trembled all over. She quietly took out the iron hairpin from her hair bun and whispered to He Yao, "You wait here for me." Then she bent down and quietly rushed out.
He Yao was scared but didn't dare to make a sound. She could only hide behind the rock and tremble.