In the dimly lit room, Shi Ziran leaned there, his face pale, his forehead covered in cold sweat!

The three sharp arrows in his back had already been pulled out by himself, roughly bandaged with cloth torn from his clothes.

But the bleeding hadn’t stopped.

Blood instead stained the cloth strips red, flowing down his back onto the ground.

That scene was heart-wrenching.

“Ziran.” Ji Yunshu rushed to his side, yet her hands didn’t dare touch him.

Bai Yin had people stand guard outside. He gently patted Shi Ziran: “Shi Ziran?”

Hearing the sound, Shi Ziran’s body moved slightly, his faint breathing becoming somewhat more rapid. He struggled to open his eyes and clearly saw the two people before him.

“Miss Ji? Bai Yin?”

Shocked!

“How… are you here?”

“Can you still walk?” Bai Yin asked him.

He gasped heavily, shaking his head, saying weakly: “I… can’t walk anymore. You should leave quickly, don’t worry about me.”

“I won’t leave you alone here.” Ji Yunshu grasped his hand.

“Miss Ji, listen to me. I know… my own body. I can’t hold on much longer. Even if I leave here, I definitely won’t get far. At that point… I’ll only be a burden to you.”

“No!”

“Listen to me.” He turned to look at Bai Yin, his tone carrying a plea: “Bai Yin, I’ve never begged anyone in my life. His Highness… entrusted Miss Ji’s safety to me. Now I… can no longer continue protecting her. I only beg that you promise me—you must take good care of her, then… find… find His Highness.”

Bai Yin furrowed his brow, gripping his hand. “Yunshu is my younger sister. Even without you saying so, I’ll take good care of her.”

“Then I can rest easy.” Shi Ziran began coughing.

Coughing up blood!

Ji Yunshu anxiously worried: “Don’t speak anymore. In any case, I won’t leave you here. I’ll take you away right now.”

At this moment, the person standing guard outside saw soldiers approaching from the distance with torches. He quickly called into the room: “Hurry! Someone’s coming.”

Bai Yin couldn’t afford to worry about all that.

“Let’s leave here first. Even if you’re going to die, you can’t die here.” He carefully pulled Shi Ziran up from the ground.

Carrying him on his back!

To avoid touching his wounded back.

Bai Yin said: “Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep. I’ll take you to Muruo right now.”

With that divine physician Muruo there, as long as he still had a breath left, he’d be safe and sound.

After the three went out.

Everyone avoided those soldiers and escaped from Xiamen Pass!

Outside Xiamen Pass, several people who had come with Bai Yin were waiting.

Even the carriage was prepared.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry! Those Central Plains people will soon be chasing us.”

Bai Yin helped the gravely wounded Shi Ziran onto the carriage.

Ji Yunshu followed him up.

“Go!”

The carriage convoy set off, heading toward Third Master’s camp.

Inside the carriage.

Shi Ziran leaned sideways against the carriage wall, his face even paler, fresh blood staining over the dried blood at the corner of his mouth.

Because of this escape journey, the wounds on his back had become even more severe, the bandaging cloth strips soaked red with blood.

Like water!

Blood flowed everywhere.

The carriage moved very quickly, so it jolted severely.

There was no choice—to prevent anyone from catching up.

Inside the carriage, Shi Ziran was already on his last breath, struggling to breathe.

“Bang!”

The wheel probably rolled over a rock, and the carriage jolted violently.

Shi Ziran’s body also pitched forward suddenly.

Fortunately, Ji Yunshu caught him, letting him rest on her lap.

Shi Ziran’s back was covered in bloodstains—it felt like the blood was almost completely drained!

She quickly tore several pieces of cloth from her own robe and pressed them on Shi Ziran’s back, yet her hands trembled.

Her eyes filled with tears!

Yet reflecting that crimson blood!

Shi Ziran moved his mouth, calling out: “Miss Ji.”

“I’m here.”

“It’s no use. I… I can’t hold on to see Muruo.”

“You’ll be fine, definitely fine. Soon, we’ll arrive very soon. Once we reach Muruo, you’ll be fine. He’ll heal you. You’ll be fine, definitely fine…”

She kept repeating the last sentence.

Her eyes welled with tears, her throat choked, yet she tried her utmost to keep her voice steady.

Shi Ziran laughed and cried at once, his eyelids drooping powerlessly. He opened his mouth and said: “After I die, you must… must find His Highness. I believe His Highness is still alive.”

“You won’t die.”

“You… must protect yourself. Don’t… return to the capital.”

As if arranging his final affairs!

Ji Yunshu’s face was already streaming with tears, yet she bit her lip hard, not letting herself make sobbing sounds. She tightened her grip and said: “Don’t speak anymore. In any case, you’ll definitely be fine. We’ll see Muruo very soon. He’ll save you.”

“Ugh!” Shi Ziran’s entire body felt cold.

Ji Yunshu kept rubbing his hands!

While calling out: “Ziran, don’t sleep, don’t sleep under any circumstances. Talk to me—say anything.”

“Ugh…”

“Zijin already died because of me. I can’t let you also lose your life because of me. I’ll never be able to repay what I owe you both!”

“You don’t owe us anything. Zijin and I… willingly protected you, and willingly… worked for His Highness.”

“Now Jingrong’s life or death is unknown—you cannot have anything happen to you!”

“I… can’t hold on much longer. As long as you’re safe, I can… go in peace.”

“No…”

Shi Ziran’s powerless eyes looked toward the front of the carriage. His gaze passed through the swaying curtain looking outside. He could feel the firelight from the torches outside, little by little entering his eyes.

At that moment, he seemed to see something.

A smile gradually spread across the corners of his mouth.

No pain, no worry, no real-world killing and fighting.

Everything was so beautiful.

He said softly: “When we were young, Zijin and I grew up in the mountains. Together we… practiced martial arts on the back mountain, together we meditated with our master. In the courtyard there was a… very large parasol tree. Every autumn, fallen leaves were everywhere—very… very beautiful. Beside that tree was a water vat that had been broken long ago. Master wouldn’t… let us throw it away, always kept it there. Beside the water vat was… the path down the mountain, stone steps one by one. From there… looking down, the entire mountain was filled with fog, such big… such big fog… I think I see Zijin. She’s standing under that tree waiting for me. Master… is there too. They’ve waited for me a long time… continuously… continuously calling me…”

His voice grew fainter and fainter.

“Don’t sleep, don’t sleep, Ziran, don’t sleep.” Ji Yunshu gripped his cold hand. “Stay conscious. Zijin isn’t calling you—she’s not here!”

“I… really see her!” Shi Ziran slowly raised his hand.

Pointing ahead.

“She’s right… right there.”

The corners of his mouth maintained a smile throughout.

His eyes filled with joy.

That hand also gradually dropped down…

“Ziran, Ziran…” She desperately called out, then shouted outside: “Faster, faster!”

Bai Yin heard the sounds inside and ordered: “Hurry!”

Someone else said: “That person is wounded. If we go any faster, I’m afraid…” He’ll die!

Before the last two words could be spoken, Bai Yin interrupted: “We can’t worry about that now. In any case, we cannot delay any longer.”

“Yes!”

Thus, the carriage convoy increased its speed.

Racing all the way.

Finally arriving after three hours.

Muruo had been waiting outside the whole time.

When he learned that Jingrong met with disaster, he immediately sent Bai Yin to Xiamen Pass to find Ji Yunshu.

This wait lasted a long time.

Suddenly, he saw the carriage convoy approaching from afar.

Someone shouted: “They’re here, they’re here.”

Very excited.

Bai Yin pulled the reins, immediately dismounting.

Muruo asked: “How is it?”

“We rescued the person, but Shi Ziran is gravely wounded.”

“Gravely wounded?” Muruo rushed to the carriage with swift steps. As soon as he pulled open the curtain, he smelled a strong scent of blood.

Inside the carriage, Ji Yunshu held Shi Ziran, her eyes vacant.

Completely lifeless.

Her eyes filled with bloodshot veins—the sight was heart-wrenchingly painful.

Not crying, not shouting.

While Shi Ziran lay on her lap completely motionless, eyes tightly closed, his entire face deathly pale without a trace of blood to be found. His body was covered in blood, his hands falling powerlessly to the ground, already turned white.

At that moment, Muruo’s eyes couldn’t help but redden.

But he refused to give up, reaching out to grasp Shi Ziran’s hand that had fallen to the ground.

That hand had already stiffened, terribly cold!

Moreover, there was no pulse.

The person… was already dead!

In the end, they were still one step too late!