“Tang Si!”

Ji Yunshu shouted loudly.

Crying until tears streamed down her face!

Her entire body trembled as she gripped tightly those hands that still held some warmth.

“Don’t… don’t…”

Sobbing uncontrollably!

That kind of pain was even more unbearable than being flayed alive.

Tang Si lay there peacefully, a smile at the corners of her mouth as she drifted into eternal sleep!

Outside, the sound of clashing weapons rang out continuously, fresh blood splashing onto the white tent.

Streak after streak!

The stench of blood also wafted in from outside.

So pungent!

Ji Yunshu bit her lip hard, reason telling her again and again to pull herself together.

She had promised Tang Si she would save her child—she couldn’t break her word!

At hand was the dagger Tang Si had personally placed in her hands.

“Rest assured, I will never let anything happen to your child!” Her voice choked.

She pulled away the cloth covering Tang Si’s body, removed her upper garment, exposing her swollen belly.

Then she drew the dagger.

But her hand was shaking!

She couldn’t bring herself to make the cut.

If she was off by even an inch, the child in the womb would likely be in grave danger.

She could only take a deep breath, gradually calming herself down.

Until she focused all her concentration on Tang Si’s belly.

Only then did she tilt the dagger and slowly cut downward, bit by bit.

The skin was gradually opened with an incision.

Then carefully, layer by layer, she made several more cuts.

Blood continuously flowed outward.

Staining her hands red.

Also staining red that little garment just finished being woven.

Ji Yunshu concentrated intently until she slowly cut open Tang Si’s belly!

She set the dagger aside and reached both hands inside.

She felt that tiny little person.

Grasping the legs, she pulled it out bit by bit.

The infant’s body was covered in blood, so tiny!

The moment it was taken from the womb, it cried out “Wah.”

The sound was loud and clear!

It was a baby boy!

Safe and sound!

After cutting the umbilical cord, Ji Yunshu quickly found a clean cloth to wrap the infant in.

The child was very well-behaved and stopped crying.

Lying quietly in her arms.

She then placed the child beside the already deceased Tang Si.

“Tang Si, it’s a boy. He looks very much like you. You should have seen him.”

The infant at her side was wriggling its body.

So tiny.

So fragile.

But—

Tang Si couldn’t wait for Muruo to return safely, couldn’t see her own child be born, didn’t even know if it was a boy or girl—this would perhaps be her life’s greatest regret!

Ji Yunshu stroked that pale face.

In her mind flashed the first time she had met her.

It was at a lantern festival. She wore red robes, holding a wine jar and drinking deeply.

Her whole being radiated the bold spirit of Houliao people.

At that time, she had asked: “What’s your surname?”

“Ji.”

“Ji what?”

“Whatever you wish to call me, call me that.”

“Then… I’ll call you A Ji. Where I’m from, everyone calls me A Si. You can call me that too.”

“Mm.” She had nodded faintly.

Now, she still remembered the smile that had spread across Tang Si’s face then.

Truly more beautiful than the stars!

“Rest assured, I will let your child grow up healthy and won’t let him know about anything that happened today.”

Mo Zhi, Mo Zhi.

May he not know the world’s desolation, may he not know suffering or pain.

And this point would indeed be proven true many years later.

That boy called Mo Zhi had no sense of taste and no sense of pain.

…

Bai Yin and his men had been slaughtered by Chu Chengyu’s forces, bodies littering the ground.

The few remaining were all severely wounded.

Finally surrounded on all sides!

Bai Yin still refused to admit defeat, refused to yield even one step.

Chu Chengyu’s long sword pressed closer as he said: “I’ll give you one more chance. Just hand over the person, and I’ll spare your life.”

“Bah!”

“Hehe, fine. Since you all want to die so badly, then I’ll just have to send Buddha all the way to the West.”

Just as Chu Chengyu was about to order the massacre—

The curtain behind Bai Yin was pulled open.

Ji Yunshu, covered in blood, emerged from inside holding the child in her arms.

Her expression was calm.

Showing no trace of everything she had just experienced.

In that moment, everyone outside froze!

Including Chu Chengyu.

He stared wide-eyed at Ji Yunshu, uncertain in his heart.

At the same time, both sides stopped their killing.

Bai Yin looked at her, then at the tiny person already asleep in her arms.

His voice trembling, he asked: “Miss Tang, she…?”

Ji Yunshu said nothing.

But Bai Yin already understood!

The next moment, rage surged through him. Veins bulging, he gripped his long sword, wanting to kill Chu Chengyu.

“Brother!”

Ji Yunshu called out to stop him in time.

Bai Yin’s face flushed red as he shouted at Chu Chengyu: “I’m going to kill him!”

“Even if you kill him, Tang Si won’t come back to life.” Her tone was calm, not a trace of hatred detectable. What mattered most to her now was Tang Si’s dying request, was this infant in her arms.

“Yunshu…”

“I have my own plans.” She looked calmly toward Chu Chengyu and asked: “If I return to the capital with you, will you let them go?”

“That’s right, as long as you agree.”

“Fine, I’ll return to the capital with you then.”

“Truly?”

“Do I have a choice?” Ji Yunshu asked him back.

Chu Chengyu pondered this in his heart, wondering why she would agree so readily?

Could this be a trap?

But thinking about it, this group of people before him were covered in wounds—where would they have the ability to resist?

Therefore—

He also agreed quite readily: “Good. As long as Miss Ji is willing to return with us, everyone here can keep their lives.”

How magnanimous!

Bai Yin immediately grabbed her arm: “Yunshu, you can’t!”

She looked at Bai Yin, her red lips parting slightly: “I’m doing this willingly.”

“I won’t let you go with them.”

“If I return to the capital and it can save all these lives, it’s worth it.”

Bai Yin shook his head, continuing to hold her arm, refusing to let go.

Only hoping she would change her mind.

But Ji Yunshu’s mind was made up—no one could dissuade her. She looked at the infant in her arms and said to Bai Yin: “Before Tang Si died, I promised her I would do everything in my power to save her and Muruo’s child, and would never let this child suffer the slightest harm. Brother, we’ve reached a dead end. This is the only way, isn’t it? I don’t want to lose you either, don’t want to see every person I cherish die before my eyes.”

“Yunshu…”

“Having so many people die for me is even more unbearable than staying alive myself. I’m already a sinner—I don’t want to fall into an endless abyss. Moreover…” She took a deep breath. “You and I both believe Jingrong isn’t dead, right? Then… we must stay alive and wait for him. Even if we’re clinging to life by a thread, we must wait for his return.”

Bai Yin listened to her words, his heart struggling immensely!

“Brother, please promise me that after you leave here, you’ll help me continue searching for him. No matter where in the world, as long as we haven’t seen his corpse for even a day, I’ll never believe he’s dead. Only if you’re alive can you help me keep searching for him!”

“Yunshu…”

“Promise me.”

Finally, Bai Yin released his grip!

He said: “Alright, I promise you.”

How much determination it took to say those words!

Ji Yunshu smiled faintly, but her smile was filled with desolation.

Then, holding the child in her arms, she walked toward Chu Chengyu’s men.

Bai Yin was powerless to stop her.

Watching helplessly as his sister walked into the tiger’s den.

Chu Chengyu sheathed his sword and stepped forward to personally receive her.

“Miss Ji, if you had agreed earlier, so many people wouldn’t have died.”

Heh!

Ji Yunshu looked at him coldly.

Wishing she could flay his skin alive.

But she said nothing.

“This child?” Chu Chengyu asked.

Ji Yunshu: “You were only ordered to bring me back to the capital. This child has nothing to do with you.”

“Fair enough. Then please.”

He made a gesture of invitation!

Unexpectedly, Chu Chengyu had even prepared a carriage.

She was about to board.

Suddenly, from somewhere came the sound of hoofbeats.

Accompanying them were several sharp arrows.

They shot and killed Chu Chengyu’s men! Death on the spot.