The Eunuch's Declaration of Loyalty

Chapter 77

Qin Shu and Liu Qingtang stood up from the pile of rocks, not caring whether they would be discovered, and stumbled towards the forest below the cliff. They couldn't stay where they were. Although there were many rocks that could conceal them, the search party would find them soon. Their only option was to hide in the woods and wait for rescue.

Qin Shu was panting heavily the whole way. He felt a tightness in his chest, as if he couldn't breathe. His broken right leg was almost immobile, and every step he forced forward felt like something sharp was drilling into his flesh, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. But seeing the worry on Liu Qingtang's face, he could only remain silent and try to appear as well as possible.

Looking back at the group of people still climbing down, shouting something, and then at the boulders where they had fallen, Liu Qingtang endured the burning pain in her back and legs, pursed her lips, and forcefully helped Qin Shu into the woods.

Once inside the woods and out of sight of those people, Liu Qingtang didn't continue running deeper into the forest. Instead, she immediately helped Qin Shu towards the edge of the woods, in the direction to their right.

As fate would have it, Liu Qingtang saw a shallow pit under a tree, filled with fallen leaves, and a clump of thorns nearby that could provide shelter. She helped Qin Shu over and let him lean against it.

A faint smell of blood reached Liu Qingtang's nose. She glanced around and began to rummage through the leaves at the bottom of the pit. The leaves, which had been piled up for a long time, were turned over, releasing a strong smell of rotting leaves—a very common smell in this forest, which somewhat masked the smell of blood.

She and Qin Shu were both wearing dark blue clothes, which were not very noticeable in the forest. With the help of the thorn bushes and tree trunks, they should be able to avoid the eyes of those searching for them.

Liu Qingtang calmly considered the current situation. Those people clearly intended to kill them without the slightest hesitation. They were undoubtedly sent by Xiao Huaixu, but why would Xiao Huaixu want to kill her at this crucial moment? Liu Qingtang couldn't understand why the situation was different from what she had anticipated; her plan had been foolproof. It seemed she hadn't considered something after all. Thinking this, Liu Qingtang's expression darkened.

Those people will definitely come into the woods to look for them, and their first instinct will be to search deeper into the forest. Since there are many of them, they'll spread out and search, but their main focus will be on the spot where they entered the woods. As long as they don't search such a remote and peripheral area, she and Qin Shu can take advantage of their attention being focused on the woods to return to the boulders and hide. Those people probably won't immediately suspect that they didn't escape deeper into the woods at all, but instead returned to the pile of rocks.

If they could buy some time, they would be rescued. Liu Qingtang had left Zhuiyi and Taoye at the Yufo Temple as a precaution, instructing Zhuiyi to follow them with the remaining guards a short while after they set off, just in case anything happened.

Actually, she believed it to be about 80-90% true this time. She was usually very cautious about such instructions, and she never expected that they might actually become their lifeline.

"Qingtang, don't worry. As long as we hold on for a while, everything will be alright. I told Taoye when I came that they should quietly follow us in a while, just in case. When Taoye and the others get here and see those corpses up there, they will immediately realize that something is wrong." Qin Shu leaned against the tree for a while to recover, and seeing Liu Qingtang's pale expression, he immediately comforted her.

Liu Qingtang was taken aback when she heard his words. It turned out that Qin Shu had done the same thing as her.

"Yes, we'll all be alright, Qin Shu, promise me you'll hold on." Liu Qingtang knelt down beside Qin Shu, looking at his bloodied hands cut by sharp stones. She wanted to hold them but didn't dare. Finally, she suppressed her anxiety and said, "Are you badly injured? Let me see where it hurts."

"It's alright, I can manage." Qin Shu spoke slowly, because even speaking made his chest ache. Seeing her hands gripping his clothes tightly, he couldn't help but reach out and take Liu Qingtang's hand. This movement seemed to pull on his back, Qin Shu's chest heaved rapidly, he felt a burning sensation when he breathed, and it seemed as if he had choked on blood.

When Liu Qingtang held his hand, for some reason, her tense nerves relaxed instantly, and she felt a sense of security.

Before she could speak, Qin Shu opened his mouth slightly and breathed heavily, looking like he was in pain. Qin Shu was the kind of person who would always endure whatever pain he was in front of her, so as not to worry her. The fact that he couldn't help but show this expression now meant that he must be in a lot of pain, probably more seriously injured than she had imagined.

Liu Qingtang's heart leaped into her throat. Just then, she noticed blood seeping from the tree trunk Qin Shu was leaning against. Her expression hardened, and Liu Qingtang leaned over carefully to support him, looking behind him.

Qin Shu's eyes were half-closed, and there was a thin line of blood at the corner of his mouth. His head drooped uncontrollably onto her shoulder. Liu Qingtang trembled under the weight of his extremely light body, and in that position, her eyes subconsciously looked down at Qin Shu's back.

When she saw the situation clearly, Liu Qingtang's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

The clothes on his back were worn and torn, and the skin on them was rubbed raw and bloody, almost to the point that there was no skin left. There were also some pebbles and torn clothes stuck in the bloody mess, which was a very horrifying sight.

However, the most serious injury was on his back near his lower abdomen. It looked as if a sharp stone had pierced through his flesh and bone, leaving a bloody hole. Blood was gushing from the gruesome wound, and Liu Qingtang could even see the ribs faintly visible next to the wound.

With such a large and severe wound, and so much blood, could Qin Shu really wait for the person who would come to save them?

Unable to resist, she reached up and covered her mouth, swallowing back the sobs that were about to escape her lips. Liu Qingtang's body trembled uncontrollably as she held onto Qin Shu's shoulder, pulling his head closer to her. It was as if she would be too afraid to stand up again if she didn't do this; she was terrified that Qin Shu would die here, right before her.

"Qin Shu, do you remember you promised me that you would never die before me no matter what?" Liu Qingtang bit her trembling lips and whispered as she turned her face close to Qin Shu's neck. Large tears slid down her fair cheeks and dripped onto Qin Shu's collar, leaving a few water stains.

Qin Shu remained silent. If he could still speak, he would answer her. Liu Qingtang knew this very well, and thus her heart suddenly sank.

"I beg you, I've never begged anyone before, but now I beg you, please don't die, please stay with me and don't die, please hold on, I beg you Qin Shu..." Hearing the shouts of those people getting closer and closer, Liu Qingtang could only lower her voice and say through sobs.

Liu Qingtang was an extremely proud and self-centered woman. In her past life, she would rather die than bow her head to anyone or compromise with anyone. Even when Xiao Huaixu tried to kill her, she didn't utter a single word of begging for mercy. She rarely even apologized. She had never begged anyone, much less cried with such suppressed despair.

At this moment, her expression was full of fear and helplessness, devoid of even a trace of strength. She was simply an ordinary woman who could only watch helplessly as her lover's life slipped away.

Qin Shu remained motionless. Liu Qingtang sat there stiffly in the suffocating silence, her breathing even slowing down. She was trembling involuntarily, unable to tell whether Qin Shu was still breathing or not; she couldn't even move an inch.

When she heard those people heading deeper into the woods to search, she should have returned with Qin Shu to the boulder to escape their pursuers, but she didn't. She simply sat there, letting Qin Shu lean against her without any reaction. If Qin Shu died here, even if she escaped, what would be the point?

Liu Qingtang suddenly felt disheartened. Thinking of Yu Jing, Xiao Huaixu, her father, her brother, and Su Shu's godson, she still had no intention of standing up. Instead, she hugged Qin Shu even tighter. She had once been able to stand up after countless setbacks, but this time, she felt she could never stand up again.

"Qin Shu, I beg you, please wait a little longer. Someone will come to rescue us soon. Please talk to me, okay?"

"Qin Shu, say something..."

Qin Shu vaguely heard crying beside him, the woman he loved more than his own life pleading softly. Even in his semi-conscious state, he couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. He could never bear to see her suffer even the slightest bit, how could he bear to let her cry?

The only time he had ever seen her cry was on that night, the night Qing Tang married him in her red dress. After that, he said he would never upset her or make her sad again. In the years since then, he has always remembered those words. What makes him most gratified is that her most frequent expression since then has been a smile. She hasn't cried again, but now she is crying, and she is crying so sadly.

The cries jolted Qin Shu back to his senses, and he suddenly remembered that their situation was still dire; those people could discover them at any moment. Qing Tang was still in great danger, and he had to make sure she was out of danger. With this thought, Qin Shu, who had almost fainted, miraculously opened his eyes again.

As if driven by his deep desire to see Liu Qingtang safe and sound, Qin Shu suddenly felt a surge of strength and gripped Liu Qingtang's hand tightly.

Liu Qingtang suddenly looked up, her eyes red and somewhat dazed as she stared into Qin Shu's eyes. Suddenly, she reached out and stroked his face, revealing a smile of relief and joy. "Qin Shu, Qin Shu, you're still alive."

"Qingtang," Qin Shu paused for a moment and then said, "Let's hurry back to the pile of rocks, buy some time, and wait for our people to arrive."

Author's Note: Hmm, I need to take a break here. Anyway, I know you're all not nervous. You know, none of Fu Huazi's male protagonists actually die halfway through their stories.