Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Gao Can was absolutely furious with Ning Zhanyan. He saw Ning Zhanyan's eyes practically glued to Chen Jinhuan, so he quickly flung open his folding fan to block Ning Zhanyan's burning gaze and warned him, "Lord Ning, no! Commander Chen, if you really want to enter the palace, you can't stare at Consort Luo like that anymore. You all need to restrain yourselves, or you'll harm yourselves and others!"

Chen Jinhuan quickly averted her gaze from Ning Zhanyan, and the two rehearsed the scene several more times in front of the high-ranking official before he ordered a carriage to be prepared again to send Chen Jinhuan to the palace. Sitting in the carriage tent, Chen Jinhuan recalled the tender moments she and Ning Zhanyan had shared in the carriage during the day, and couldn't help but shed tears silently.

It was dusk when the carriages and horses entered the palace gates. Emperor Huizong of Song didn't even eat his evening meal, anxiously waiting at the palace gates for Chen Jinhuan's carriages to arrive. Only when he saw Chen Jinhuan standing before him in a magnificent dress did Emperor Huizong's heart finally settle down.

"Consort Luo, I heard that you were kidnapped by assassins when you entered the palace this morning, and were later found by Chen Ge. Were you frightened?" Emperor Huizong gently embraced Chen Jinhuan and asked the beauty with heartache.

"Your Majesty, I am unharmed! Thank you for your concern! The assassin has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice by Minister Gao. Your Majesty must avenge me and severely punish the mastermind!" Chen Jinhuan said to Emperor Huizong in a coquettish tone. Emperor Huizong immediately ordered Minister Gao to give him an answer by tomorrow, to ensure the true culprit was caught and to give his beauty closure. Minister Gao quickly assured him that he would complete the task assigned to him by the Emperor.

On the same day that Chen Jinhuan and Ning Zhanyan entered the palace, Du Rushuang also fulfilled one of her long-cherished wishes: to secretly rescue Wu Song. Du Rushuang sent a bodyguard from the Flying Eagle Escort Agency to find Lu Zhichen and have him accompany her to Sunset Cliff on the outskirts of the capital.

Lu Zhichen had been away from Zixiang Pavilion for many days and was unaware of the matter between Du Rushuang and Zhang Ruowen. He assumed that Du Rushuang still liked Wu Song, so he readily agreed to rescue Wu Song and even brought two of Liangshan's lackeys with him.

After Du Rushuang arrived at Sunset Cliff, she subdued the wolf pack. After bringing Lu Zhichen to the wooden house at the foot of the cliff, she said to Lu Zhichen, "Brother Lu, when you see Wu Song later, don't tell him that I came to Sunset Cliff. Just say that Du Shiniang sent you here to save him, and that you found a martial arts master who can tame wolves, which is how you found him."

"Miss Du, why won't you show yourself? Did you have a falling out with Wu Song? Can't you two talk things out face to face? I don't want to lie to Brother Wu." Lu Zhichen asked Du Rushuang, somewhat puzzled.

"I'm begging you! Brother Lu, you absolutely can't tell him that I asked you to come and save him. Everything I did was so that Wu Song could leave here safely. You have to believe me!" Du Rushuang pleaded with Lu Zhichen, her eyes slightly moist.

Lu Zhichen was most afraid of women crying in front of him, so his heart softened and he nodded in agreement to help Du Rushuang keep Wu Song's affair a secret. Du Rushuang quickly turned around and returned to Sunset Cliff.

Lu Zhichen and his two companions wandered among the five wooden huts, and soon their footsteps attracted Wu Song. Wu Song's face was flushed, clearly he had been drinking; he reeked of alcohol, holding a roasted pheasant in one hand and an exquisite wine jug in the other. Seeing Lu Zhichen standing before him, Wu Song was still somewhat disoriented and thought he was dreaming.

"Brother Lu, come and drink with me! There's so much good wine here that we could drink it all in ten lifetimes!" Wu Song put his arm around Lu Zhichen's shoulder and held a wine pot to Lu Zhichen's lips, warmly inviting him to drink.

Lu Zhichen wasn't surprised and immediately took a few sips of wine. The wine was fragrant and mellow. He felt that it was really unfair of him not to call Wu Song, who had been hiding alone at the bottom of the cliff these past few days, drinking and eating heartily. He should have told him to come here and live a carefree life with him sooner. Thinking of this, Lu Zhichen snatched the chicken from Wu Song's hand and took a big bite.

However, Lu Zhichen's movements were too rough, and he accidentally bit Wu Song's finger while biting into the meat. Wu Song cried out in pain, only then coming to his senses. He excitedly cupped Lu Zhichen's plump cheeks in his hands, looked him over carefully, and then cried out in surprise, "Brother Lu, you've come to save me!"

Seeing Wu Song's overjoyed expression, Lu Zhichen quickly replied in a gruff voice, "That's right! I've come to rescue you from this hellhole."

"How did you find this place? Did Shuang'er tell you I was here? Where is she?" Wu Song asked Lu Zhichen while scanning the surroundings of the wooden house, trying to find Du Rushuang.

Lu Zhichen coughed lightly, quickly covering his guilty conscience by lying to Wu Song, "It was Du Shiniang who found out you were trapped at Sunset Cliff and notified me to come and rescue you. It wasn't Du Rushuang who notified me. There's a pack of mad wolves outside, and I finally found a martial arts master who can tame wolves. It was that person who helped me find you."

Seeing Lu Zhichen's somewhat evasive gaze, Wu Song clearly didn't believe the man's words. Lu Zhichen, straightforward and incapable of lying, panicked under Wu Song's gaze and, wanting to cover his tracks, added, "Didn't Du Rushuang disappear with you? Did you upset her, that's why she doesn't want to see you?"

"How did you know that Shuang'er and I had a fight? Did she tell you I was here?" Wu Song stared intently into Lu Zhichen's eyes and questioned him in a harsh tone.

"I don't know anything about what happened between you and Du Rushuang. I was just guessing! If you two hadn't had a falling out, why would she bring me here and refuse to show herself?" Lu Zhichen blurted out the truth without thinking. Only after he finished speaking did he realize what he had said, and he quickly stuck out his tongue and turned to run away.

How could Wu Song let him go? He grabbed Lu Zhichen's monk's robe and anxiously asked, "Brother Lu, I'm begging you! Tell me quickly, where is Shuang'er? I miss her so much!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhichen's forehead twitched, and he felt goosebumps rise all over his body. He quickly squinted his eyes, put his hands together, and muttered to himself without looking at Wu Song's expression: "Amitabha! Love is a dangerous thing. I only know that Miss Du led us to the door of the wooden house and then turned and left."

Upon hearing this, Wu Song realized that Du Rushuang must have turned back to Sunset Cliff. Without her controlling the wolf pack, they wouldn't be able to escape once they reached the top. He had tried twice before when his leg had healed, and the wolves were numerous and had ferocious appearances. As soon as they saw him climb to the top, they would open their mouths wide, trying to bite his neck off.

Thinking this, Wu Song ignored Lu Zhichen, turned and ran out of the wooden house, heading straight for the exit at the bottom of the cliff. Lu Zhichen and his companions quickly followed Wu Song.

When Wu Song hurriedly climbed up the cliff to the top, he didn't see the wolves waiting for him. Instead, he heard a familiar sound of an xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument). He guessed it was Du Rushuang playing the xun, controlling the wolves so that he and Lu Zhichen could safely leave Sunset Cliff. After Wu Song steadied himself, he searched the surroundings for Du Rushuang, shouting as he went:

"Shuang'er, I know you're nearby, please come out and see me!"

"Shuang'er, come out quickly!"

"Why are you avoiding me? Shuang'er, come out and explain yourself."

Wu Song shouted like a madman, his voice echoing across Sunset Cliff and the mountains opposite it, each cry like the howl of a wounded beast, sending chills and sorrow through Du Rushuang's heart. She leaned against two tall rocks opposite Sunset Cliff, while the gray wolf Geri stood obediently beside her, listening to her play the xun (a type of ancient Chinese wind instrument).