Wen Che arrived, and the crowd parted.

His brows were tightly furrowed, showing visible tension.

When he saw Wen Yu covered in injuries and extremely bedraggled, he was shocked and deeply worried, his brows drawing even tighter.

“A’Yu, what happened? The injuries on your body…”

Wen Yu immediately withdrew the sword aimed at Luo Yang’s chest. He looked excitedly at his elder brother Wen Che, whom he hadn’t seen in months. That feeling was like having walked before the gates of hell and then suddenly seeing sunlight again—the joy and emotion were overwhelming. After all, he had nearly died in the Nansai desert.

Death and rebirth!

Survival after calamity!

Neither was sufficient to describe his current state.

He shook his head gently: “Elder Brother, I’m fine, don’t worry.”

“Why did you end up like this?”

“In any case, it’s a long story. What happened along the way, I’ll tell you slowly in detail when we get back.”

“As long as you’ve returned safely. You left for three months without a trace of news. Father and I in Yanjing were extremely worried, which is why we rushed here. If we still couldn’t find you, I truly would have turned the entire Nansai desert upside down,” Wen Che said.

Wen Yu’s eyes grew moist, his face appearing even paler.

Wen Che then noticed Luo Yang and Xiao Ba prostrate on the ground.

He didn’t understand!

“Who are they?”

Wen Yu shot them a glare: “I met with disaster in the desert and nearly lost my life. Then I was bound by these two shameless scoundrels all the way to Jiahezhen. Just now, they even nearly sold me!”

Hearing this, Wen Che’s eyes turned cold, veins bulging on his forehead.

He was different from Wen Yu—the fierce nature brought by years of battlefield campaigns made it impossible for him to handle matters with forgiveness and calm.

He raised his foot and kicked hard into Xiao Ba’s shoulder.

He scolded: “Foolish thing courting death!”

Xiao Ba cried “Ah!” and fell face-first to the ground.

This kick felt as if his heart had leapt out of his chest.

Luo Yang’s pupils widened. He shouted in worry: “Xiao Ba.”

But Shu Tian’s long sword was still at his neck. If he moved even a fraction, that sharp blade would likely slit his throat.

So he could only maintain his position without moving!

Xiao Ba clutched his chest, his entire face screwed up in pain. With a sobbing tone he said: “Brother, it hurts.”

Luo Yang glared fiercely at the Wen brothers: “If you’ve got the guts, beat me to death. What kind of skill is it to bully him?”

A flash of killing intent instantly burst forth from Wen Che’s eyes, gradually surging out. He coldly ordered: “Kill them!”

“Yes!”

…

Ji Yunshu got up early and headed to the dock, preparing to take a boat to Liangzhou and then transfer to Yanjing.

But she saw the dock surrounded by crowds.

Because she was in a hurry, she didn’t want to join the commotion, so she inquired with a boatman: “Is this going to Liangzhou?”

The boatman was untying ropes, preparing to depart: “Yes, it’s going to Liangzhou.”

“How long will it take?”

“Three days.”

Three days wasn’t too long!

So she paid the silver and boarded the boat.

Just as she got on the boat, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

“This whole thing was my idea alone. If you want to kill someone, just kill me directly. Spare my brother—he’s already a dying man anyway. Keeping him alive a few more days won’t hinder you at all.”

That voice…

Luo Yang?

How could he be here?

Was someone trying to kill him?

She quickly stopped the boatman, telling him not to depart yet.

The boatman asked: “Miss, are you not going? Right now this is the only boat going to Liangzhou. If you don’t go, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”

Another day’s delay!

She had already delayed time repeatedly. By the time she actually reached Yanjing, she might not be able to find Lichuan.

After some hesitation, she still disembarked.

She quickly walked through the crowd.

Just in time to see a long sword raised, about to stab into Luo Yang’s body…

She called out in time: “Stop!”

That long sword was suspended in mid-air.

It remained there without further movement.

Killing people in broad daylight was simply disregarding the law, but presumably those people were far from ordinary—otherwise they wouldn’t dare be so brazen.

Luo Yang had thought he was about to lose his life, but who knew Ji Yunshu would appear in time to rescue him.

He was utterly shocked.

“Miss Ji?”

He truly hadn’t expected to see her.

“Why are you here?” Ji Yunshu asked.

Luo Yang grasped this like a life-saving straw, saying: “Miss Ji, you must quickly go report to the authorities! They’re going to kill people.”

Ji Yunshu looked toward the “they” Luo Yang mentioned, but saw Wen Yu.

How could he be here too?

Why was there any entanglement between him and Luo Yang?

Just then, Wen Yu also met her gaze.

He looked at this delicately beautiful woman before him, seeming somewhat entranced.

When he’d seen her before, her face had been covered with black cloth.

He hadn’t imagined that beneath that black cloth was the face of a beauty.

“You are… the young lady who rescued me at the Tiansha Inn?”

She nodded: “Young Master Wen, these two… are my friends. I don’t know what wrong they’ve committed that you want to kill them.”

He said: “For that, I’m afraid you’ll have to ask your friends.”

Hmm?

Ji Yunshu turned to ask Luo Yang: “What exactly is going on?”

Luo Yang’s face showed a flash of embarrassment. After all, he was in the wrong, so it was difficult to speak. He swallowed before saying: “Wasn’t I captured by someone? I thought I’d capture him to exchange you back, but I couldn’t find you the whole way, so it turned into this mess.”

Xiao Ba, still clutching his chest in pain, quickly chimed in: “Miss Ji, my brother didn’t really do anything—just didn’t give him much food or water along the way. When we couldn’t find you, we sold him. Who knew that…”

“Shut up!” Luo Yang glared at him. “Why did you tell her everything? Do you still want to live?”

This…

Xiao Ba quickly shut his mouth.

What a pig-like teammate!

Had his cleverness been eaten by a pig?

After hearing this, Ji Yunshu could imagine with just her fingers what had happened along the way. Looking at Wen Yu’s bedraggled appearance, she knew he must have suffered considerable abuse along the way. Moreover, being in Luo Yang’s hands, he had certainly endured even more hardship.

But she couldn’t just watch them be killed!

So she could only speak politely to Wen Yu: “Young Master Wen, their offense against you was indeed wrong, but… could you spare them?”

Wen Yu was also magnanimous: “Miss Ji, you previously saved my life, and naturally I will repay that debt. Since you’ve spoken up, I have no reason not to agree.” Saying this, he looked toward Wen Che beside him. “Elder Brother, I’m already fine now. Taking their two lives would be of no use to me—let’s just forget it. Besides, Miss Ji has shown me kindness.”

So this face, must be given!

Wen Che looked at Ji Yunshu. This woman had been silver-tongued in the courtroom yesterday, and today she appeared here to save people.

Quite a coincidence indeed.

Moreover, his younger brother had already spoken, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to make things difficult.

So he nodded.

He signaled Shu Tian to sheathe his sword.

Finally, Luo Yang and Xiao Ba’s lives were spared.

But Wen Yu warned: “Since Miss Ji has pleaded for you, this matter ends here. But next time, you won’t be so fortunate.”