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

Outside the old temple, Fu Lun's face was ashen, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the cave entrance tightly, his eyes wide open as if trying to see through it. He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother, hold on! We're coming to save you!" After shouting, he gritted his teeth, waved his hand, and shouted to his men, "You few, come down with me. The rest of you stay here and keep watch in case anything goes wrong!" With that, he took the lead and stepped towards the cave entrance. His steps were resolute, but they trembled slightly, clearly indicating that he was not confident either.

The subordinates who were called out exchanged glances, all seeing fear in each other's eyes. But they dared not disobey orders and could only grit their teeth and reply, "Yes, sir!" One of the subordinates' lips trembled, and he fumbled for the rope around his waist several times before finally grasping it. As he tied it, he muttered, "This... I'll have to be careful going down there. God help me!" As he spoke, he swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his nervousness evident.

The other henchman gripped his weapon tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. He took a deep breath, as if to bolster his courage, but his legs still trembled involuntarily. He muttered under his breath, "Please, please, nothing fatal happens. I don't want to die!"

Hearing the commotion outside, the young henchman inside the cave grasped at a straw and cried out in a tearful voice, "Sir, come and save me! There seems to be a trap here, and I'm too scared to move!" He pressed himself tightly against the cave wall, his face filled with terror, his eyes wide open, tears welling up in his eyes, and his helpless appearance was truly pitiful.

Inside the palace, Xiao Yanzi had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red. She sat on a chair, gripping the armrests tightly with both hands until her knuckles turned white. Her eyes were fixed on the doorway, and she kept muttering, "It must be safe, it must be safe!" Her expression was tense and focused, as if she could know what was happening outside just by staring at it.

Consort Ling was also restless, constantly wringing the handkerchief in her hands, her brows furrowed. She would glance at Xiao Yanzi from time to time and softly advise, "Your Majesty, please don't worry. Lord Fu Lun and the others are experienced and will surely be able to turn the situation around." But her words also revealed a hint of worry that she herself could hardly detect.

Lin Yuxuan crossed his arms and paced back and forth in the room, stopping every few steps to peek towards the door, muttering, "Hmph, it's been so long, still no news, it's driving me crazy!" He stomped his foot angrily, his face full of anxiety and frustration.

Lin Yuhang sighed helplessly, walked over to Lin Yuxuan, patted him on the shoulder, and frowned, saying, "Yuxuan, just calm down for a bit. There's no use being anxious now. Just wait patiently." Lin Yuxuan, however, shook off his hand and said angrily, "How can I calm down? I feel like a cat is scratching my heart, I'm so upset!"

Inside the imperial study, Hongli's hands trembled with rage. He walked to his desk, picked up a teacup, and smashed it on the floor with a bang. The teacup shattered into pieces, and tea splashed everywhere. He roared, "These useless fools! They haven't given us any definite news in ages! My patience is finite!" His furious expression made the atmosphere in the room seem to drop several degrees.

Su Peisheng knelt on the ground, bowing even lower until his head was almost touching the ground, pleading with a sob in his voice, "Your Majesty, please calm down! This servant will personally urge them to come and report as soon as possible. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!" He kept kowtowing as he spoke, his forehead turning red from the repeated kowtows. He looked so terrified that he seemed about to faint at any moment.

In the woods surrounding the old temple, the shadowy figures had already crept up to the temple wall. The leader gestured for silence, lowered his voice, and said menacingly, "Be careful, don't make a sound. We'll make our move when they start to panic!" The other shadowy figures nodded and found their hiding places. Their eyes were sinister, and they gripped their weapons tightly, waiting for the right moment to rush out and wreak havoc. They looked like a pack of wolves waiting for their chance.

Liu Qing and Liu Hong were in Shufangzhai, trying to soothe Little Swallow. Little Swallow, however, was relentless. Hands on her hips, head tilted back, she huffed, "Brother Liu Qing, Sister Liu Hong, if you don't tell me, I'm going to go see for myself! Humph!"

Liu Qing quickly squatted down, grabbed Xiao Xiao Yanzi's shoulders with both hands, and said with a serious face, "Xiao Xiao Yanzi, you mustn't be naughty. It's dangerous outside right now. What if something happens to you if you go out?"

Liu Hong chimed in, "That's right, little swallow. Be a good girl and we'll tell you when it's safe, okay?"

Little Swallow pouted, her eyes reddening, and said in a tearful voice, "You all bullied me and didn't tell me, boohoo..." As she spoke, she actually started crying. Her aggrieved little appearance left Liu Qing and Liu Hong at a loss, and they hurriedly tried to coax and comfort her.

Just then, the eyes outside Shufangzhai narrowed slightly, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his lips. He muttered to himself, "Hmph, little girl, you'll have your day. Just wait and see. This palace is about to become even more lively!" After saying that, he quietly disappeared into the shadows, like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, ready to strike at any moment. Beneath this calm, it seemed that an even greater storm was quietly brewing. Everyone's fate seemed to be manipulated at will by an invisible hand, and no one knew what kind of changes they would encounter next.

This chapter concludes here. Stay tuned for the next chapter.