Although Liang Yuzhou was the prime suspect, Song Wanchu's intuition told her it wasn't him.
If he wanted to take someone away, he would do it boldly and openly. He disdained such underhanded tactics.
"Miss Song, we can continue on our journey."
The coachman had wiped the itching powder off the horse's hooves, and the horse had become calm and docile.
Shi Luohan looked around warily, drawing his precious sword.
It seemed as if Liang Yuzhou would rush out from behind a tree at any moment.
But the surroundings were deathly quiet. So quiet, in fact, that it made one's heart race.
"Brother, let's go." Song Wanchu placed one foot on the stool and was about to get into the carriage.
Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed before her eyes. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen masked killers in cyan or gray robes sprang out from behind the rocks and trees.
They charged straight at Song Wanchu.
Shi Luohan's eyes turned cold, and he immediately drew his sword.
Although Nanzhi and Suyue were terrified, they held back their screams and tightly protected Song Wanchu.
These killers' martial arts skills were clearly no match for Shi Luohan's, but even a fierce tiger would struggle against a horde of monkeys. Entangled in a fight with more than twenty people, he was hard - pressed to defend on all fronts.
Soon, two killers broke through Shi Luohan's defense and grabbed Song Wanchu's arms.
"They're not here to kill."
This was Song Wanchu's first thought. But who would want to kidnap her in this way?
She was a stranger in Yunzhou. If she had offended anyone, it would be the Qian mother - and - son.
But the Qian mother - and - son definitely didn't have the means to hire more than a dozen killers to do their bidding.
Nanzhi and Suyue had learned some basic martial arts from Shi Luohan over the past year, but their skills were still lacking. They were quickly knocked to the ground by two killers.
"Come with us quietly, and we'll spare their lives!"
The two killers grabbed her shoulders and warned her menacingly.
"Wanchu!"
There were already a dozen or so bodies lying around Shi Luohan, and the ground was stained red with blood.
The killers dragged her away.
Shi Luohan was in a frenzy of killing and refused to give an inch.
His arm was slashed, and blood was gushing out. Song Wanchu's heart skipped a beat.
A cold blade was pressed against her neck. The leader of the killers said coldly, "Shi, if you kill another one of my men, your little beauty won't live either!"
His voice was hoarse and filled with a ruthless edge. Song Wanchu shivered involuntarily, a chill running down her spine.
The sharp blade was like a ferocious beast, biting at Wanchu's neck. One wrong move, and blood would be spilled on the spot.
Shi Luohan wasn't afraid of death, but he was terrified of losing Wanchu!
In a moment of hesitation, his sword was kicked out of his hand.
The leader of the killers sneered mercilessly, "All lovesick men are cowards and weaklings!"
Just as he was about to abduct Song Wanchu, a stone came flying out of nowhere and hit him right in the forehead.
He covered his forehead and let out a howl.
The remaining seven killers immediately became alert.
Three figures flew out of the forest, each one as agile as a cat.
Song Wanchu was stunned. It was Zhou Sheng, Zhou Yan, and Yaoguang!
One by one, the killers fell.
Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the leader of the killers threw Song Wanchu aside and ran away.
Shi Luohan was about to chase after him with his sword.
A tall figure came into his sight, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Liang Yuzhou shed his murderous aura and rushed towards Song Wanchu. His eyes were fixed on Song Wanchu, and no one else existed in his vision.
Shi Luohan's eyebrows were knitted in anger. He changed direction and also walked towards Wanchu.
Song Wanchu's two wrists were grabbed by two tall men, one on each side.
Liang Yuzhou and Shi Luohan's eyes met, and it was as if sparks were flying in the air.
The two men stared at each other silently for a while. Song Wanchu tried to pull her wrists free at the same time.
Sandwiched between two men with such powerful auras, she felt like she was suffocating.
Looking at her pale face, Liang Yuzhou's eyes darkened. "Are you hurt?"
"You don't need to ask, evil star!"
Shi Luohan now fully believed what the Taoist priest Qiu had said.
Liang Yuzhou was the evil star who constantly circled around Wanchu, stealing his glory and trying to drive him away from Wanchu's side!
Liang Yuzhou's dark eyes flashed with a cold light, and the corner of his lips curled into a sneer. "Shi Luohan, is this all you're capable of? If I hadn't arrived in time, you would have just watched Wanchu being kidnapped!"
"It happened so suddenly. Brother doesn't have three heads and six arms. How could he deal with more than twenty well - trained killers at once!"
Song Wanchu defended Shi Luohan.
Liang Yuzhou tightened his grip on her slender wrist.
The delicate skin on that small area was burned by the warmth of his palm. Song Wanchu didn't want to recall that familiar feeling and shook her arm forcefully again.
Liang Yuzhou's hand seemed to be glued to her wrist.
Liang Yuzhou looked at Shi Luohan and sneered, "You're always only concerned about Wanchu's immediate safety, but you never think about preventing possible and unknown dangers. Shi Luohan, is your brain too slow to think, or are you just not smart enough to plan ahead?"
It was a blatant mockery and humiliation.
"Before you brought Wanchu to Yunzhou, didn't you even bother to find out about the situation here? Did you think this was a serene and idyllic place for recuperation?
Do you know how intricate the relationships are among the powerful and noble here? Do you know that there have long been people secretly eyeing Wanchu? Yunzhou may seem like a paradise on the surface, but in reality, it's a hell of treacherous hearts!
Do you know? You know nothing!"
Shi Luohan's face was still flushed with anger, but Liang Yuzhou's questions left him speechless.
He seemed to understand why he was always one step behind Liang Yuzhou.
His heart felt like it was blocked by a stone. He couldn't catch his breath, feeling ashamed and self - deprecating.
Whether as an elder brother or as a fiancé, he was unqualified.
Shi Luohan's dejected expression fell into Song Wanchu's eyes.
Brother must be feeling so bad.
"Thank you, Taoist Priest Qingzhou, for saving us. Now that there's no danger, can I leave?"
She was surprisingly calm when speaking to Liang Yuzhou.
But what she said was that she wanted to leave him as soon as possible.
Liang Yuzhou sneered at himself inwardly, but his eyes softened. "I have something to tell you."
"Just say it here." Shi Luohan looked at him warily.
Liang Yuzhou gave him a cold look, his face full of frost.
Why should an outsider be present when he was talking to his wife?
Song Wanchu thought for a moment. "Brother, it's okay."
She suddenly remembered the note that Liang Yuzhou had secretly slipped to her, inviting her to meet him at the corner gate at midnight.
Maybe he really had something important to say.
She wasn't very clear about her current situation, and she had no clue about the danger that Liang Yuzhou had mentioned.
Liang Yuzhou had been in Yunzhou for a whole year. He should know a great deal about the people and things here.
Shi Luohan's eyes showed a hint of hurt, but he didn't want to be seen as a narrow - minded man in Wanchu's eyes.
Reluctantly, he let go of Wanchu's hand.
Liang Yuzhou pulled Song Wanchu into the carriage.
Song Wanchu wanted to get in by herself, but Liang Yuzhou didn't give her the chance. In front of Shi Luohan's watchful eyes, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her into the carriage.
The space in the carriage wasn't very large. Song Wanchu's clothes and other items were piled up in the corner.
Liang Yuzhou's tall figure filled the space.
His aura was everywhere, rushing into Song Wanchu's nostrils.
"Speak." She looked at him directly, her expression cold.
Liang Yuzhou stared at her red lips as they opened and closed, and his Adam's apple twitched involuntarily.
He suppressed the desire in his heart and his tone became serious. "The mother of the prefect Yue Chengkong, Mrs. Yue, was the wet - nurse of the Princess Dowager."
A name that she hadn't heard in a year was suddenly mentioned. Song Wanchu's scalp tingled.
It was like a slimy snake, hissing and coiling around her body.
The Princess Dowager, the woman who held great power in the court, was cruel - hearted, ambitious.
The woman who most wanted her dead!