Huanzhu Time Travel: Yan Luo's Unbreakable Love in the Yong Dynasty

Little Swallow looked back with lingering fear, patted her chest, and said, "Your Highness, there were so many unexpected dangers along the way, it really scared me half to death!"

Hongli held Xiaoyanzi's hand and gently comforted her, "My beloved consort, don't be afraid, I'm here for you. We've been through so much together, no matter what we encounter in the future, we'll surely overcome any danger."

Hongzhou wrung out the water from the corner of his clothes and said with a wry smile, "Sigh, this trip has been quite an ordeal. I wonder how many more challenges await us!"

Consort Fucha tidied her slightly disheveled hair and echoed, "Yes, I just hope we can return to the palace smoothly."

As they were talking, a rustling sound came from the woods ahead, and everyone immediately became alert.

Little Swallow's eyes widened, and she lowered her voice, saying, "Your Highness, this voice isn't right. Could there be another ambush?"

Hongli placed his hand on the hilt of his sword and said in a deep voice, "Everyone be careful, let's assess the situation first."

An old man slowly emerged from the woods, dressed in a gray robe and holding a cane. He appeared to be kind and benevolent.

The old man looked them over and asked, "Where are you all headed? You all look so disheveled, have you run into some trouble?"

Little Swallow stepped forward and asked suspiciously, "Old man, please don't pry into our affairs. And where did you come from?"

The old man smiled slightly and said, "Young lady, I am a hermit from this area. I heard quite a commotion here, so I came to see what was going on. It seems you are being chased. If you trust me, please tell me what's wrong, and perhaps I can help you."

Hongli looked the old man over, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Old man, we have indeed encountered many dangers and were just about to return to the palace when we were stopped by villains along the way."

The old man nodded slightly and sighed, "Alas, the world is not peaceful these days! Your return to the palace has probably touched the interests of some people, which is why you are being hunted down like this."

Hongzhou said anxiously, "Old man, do you have any way to help us avoid those pursuers?"

The old man stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "There is a way. There is a small path to the east from here, which few people know about. If we follow that path, we might be able to avoid those pursuers. However, the path is a bit rugged and not easy to walk."

Little Swallow's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "As long as we can avoid those bad people, what's a little difficulty in walking? Thank you so much, old man!"

The old man waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite, but you must be careful. Although the path is hidden, it is still possible that someone will discover your tracks."

The group thanked the old man and headed towards the path to the east.

As they walked, Hongzhou couldn't help but mutter, "This path is so narrow and full of potholes, it's really hard to walk on!"

Little Swallow laughed and said, "Prince He, please stop complaining. It's better than being caught by those pursuers!"

Consort Fucha also smiled and said, "That's right, Prince He, just hang in there a little longer, and we'll be back in the palace safely."

But they hadn't gone far when the road ahead was suddenly blocked by a pile of fallen rocks.

Little Swallow exclaimed, "Oh dear, what are we going to do! The road is blocked, we can't move forward!"

Hongli frowned, looked around, and said, "It looks like the rocks fell from the mountain not long ago. Let's try to move them and see if we can clear a path."

The group then began to move the stones, and it took a lot of effort to move only a portion of them.

Hongzhou wiped the sweat from his forehead and complained, "This is too much work! When will we ever finish moving everything?"

Just then, the sound of horses' hooves came again, and the sound was getting closer and closer.

Little Swallow said anxiously, "Your Highness, the pursuers are probably catching up again. The road is still impassable. What should we do?"

Hongli made a quick decision and said, "Let's ignore this road for now and hide in the woods next to us to see what happens."

Everyone quickly hid in the woods, concealing themselves behind dense bushes, barely daring to breathe.

A moment later, a group of men in black rode past on horseback from the path where they had just been. The leader of the group shouted, "Strange! We clearly saw them coming this way, but where did they go? Search carefully! We can't let them get away!"

The men in black began searching around, and several even headed towards the woods where they were hiding.

Little Swallow was so nervous that her palms were sweating, and she gripped Hongli's clothes tightly.

Hongli gently patted Xiaoyanzi's hand, signaling her to be quiet.

Fortunately, after circling around the edge of the woods, the men in black did not find them and rode off to another place.

Once the man in black had gone far away, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Consort Fucha patted her chest and said, "Oh dear, that was close! We almost got discovered."

Little Swallow nodded and said, "Yes, but the road is blocked, so we have to think of another way."

Looking at the surrounding woods, Hongzhou suggested, "Fourth Brother, why don't we try to go through the woods? Maybe we can get around to the other side of that path."

Hongli thought for a moment and said, "That's the only way. But the situation in this forest is unknown, so everyone should be careful."

The group cautiously made their way deeper into the woods. The woods were dimly lit, and the ground was covered with withered branches and fallen leaves, making a rustling sound as they walked.

Suddenly, Xiao Yanzi felt her feet go weak, as if she had stepped on some kind of mechanism. With a "whoosh," several sharp arrows shot out from the side.

"Ah!" Little Swallow exclaimed in surprise and quickly dodged to the side.

With quick reflexes, Hongli pulled Xiaoyanzi behind him and used his sword to deflect the arrows aimed at them.

Hongzhou exclaimed, "There are traps in this forest! This is too dangerous!"

The primary consort of the Fucha clan was also frightened and turned pale, saying, "Your Highness, we must be even more careful!"

Little Swallow said with lingering fear, "The journey was fraught with danger at every turn; it felt like we were walking through the gates of hell!"

Hongli looked at Xiaoyanzi and said firmly, "My beloved consort, don't be afraid. No matter how dangerous it may be, I will protect you. Let's continue on our way."

The group rallied their spirits and continued to explore the woods, avoiding several traps along the way. They finally emerged from the woods only to find themselves in an unfamiliar valley.

Little Swallow looked around and said in confusion, "Your Highness, where is this? We seem to be lost."

Hongzhou scratched his head and said, "I don't know either, what should we do?"

Consort Fucha said worriedly, "Your Highness, we must find a way back to the palace as soon as possible. Staying in this valley is not a solution."

Hongli looked around, trying to find a way out of the valley, and said, "Let's look around first and see if there is a way out or any signs that can help us find our way."

Just then, a melodious flute sound came from the valley, its gentle and ethereal notes echoing through the valley.

Little Swallow asked curiously, "Hey, where is that flute music coming from? How come someone is playing the flute in this desolate wilderness?"

The group followed the sound of the flute, eager to find out what was going on. However, the valley seemed to hide even more unknown dangers. Would they be able to find a way out and return to the palace safely? The political landscape of the palace remained ever-changing, and the story continued to unfold.