novelhk Chapter 134 Xuanyuan's Disappearance
Chapter 134 Xuanyuan's Disappearance
In that vast, deep, and mysterious primeval forest, tall and straight trees stand proudly like towering giants, their dense branches intertwining to form a green canopy that blocks out the sun. The air here is fresh and pleasant, so pure that it seems to cleanse the soul, bringing an unprecedented sense of tranquility and peace.
The birds sang merrily, their melodious songs rising and falling like heavenly music; the flowers, not to be outdone, bloomed in vibrant colors, releasing enchanting fragrances. The birdsong and the floral scents intertwined, composing a breathtaking and beautiful symphony that captivated all who heard it.
In this picturesque setting, the group suddenly had a sudden inspiration and decided to play a fun game of hide-and-seek. After some discussion, the handsome and dashing Ye Beichen was entrusted with the important task of finding his hiding companions. As for the others, they quickly disappeared into the vast forest like clever chameleons.
Time ticked by, and Ye Beichen, with his keen observation and exceptional intelligence, tirelessly searched for his friends. However, despite his best efforts, he couldn't find their hiding place. But the kind and lovely Su Yuning and the loyal guard couldn't bear to see Ye Beichen working so hard, so they voluntarily emerged from their hiding place and waved vigorously at him, indicating their location. And just like that, Ye Beichen easily found them.
At this moment, a look of confusion appeared on Ye Beichen's face. He muttered to himself, "How strange! Why can't we find any trace of Xuanyuan Rong'er after searching the entire forest?" Upon hearing this, the guard standing to the side smiled knowingly and replied slowly, "Perhaps Miss Xuanyuan is afraid that you will easily discover her hiding place, thus causing her to lose this game."
After listening to the guard's words, Ye Beichen nodded thoughtfully. Then, the gentle and charming Su Yuning cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Miss Xuanyuan! Show yourself quickly! The game is over!" Her clear and loud voice echoed through the silent forest. However, unexpectedly, all around remained silent, without any reply.
"Oh no! Could something have happened to her?!" Ye Beichen's expression changed drastically, and a fine layer of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. His eyes widened, filled with fear and worry, as if he had seen an extremely terrifying scene. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists, his body tense, as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
"Let's search together and find her as soon as possible!" Ye Beichen shouted, his voice echoing through the silent forest, carrying a hint of anxiety and command.
“Okay!” the other two replied in unison, their tone firm and decisive.
So they quickly formed a group and cautiously moved forward. Along the way, they shouted at the top of their lungs, "Xuanyuan Rong'er, come out quickly!" The shouts rose and fell, intertwining and breaking the original tranquility of the forest.
However, time ticked by, and they wandered through the dense forest for a long time without receiving any response from Xuan Yuan Rong'er. The guard was extremely anxious, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan. His lips trembled slightly, his eyes gradually reddened, and tears welled up, threatening to spill over.
"It's all my fault for failing to protect her! If we had known this would happen, we shouldn't have come along!" The guard was filled with self-reproach, his regret evident in his words.
Just then, Su Yuning, who had been silent all along, stepped forward, gently patted the guard's shoulder, and softly comforted him, "Don't worry, we'll keep searching and we'll definitely find her." Her voice was gentle and melodious, like a warm spring breeze, gently brushing over the guard's heart and soothing his anxiety a little.
After a moment's thought, Ye Beichen suggested, "This isn't working. Let's split up. Yu Ning and I will continue searching, while you, Guard, go back and carefully search every corner where someone might be hiding!" With that, he strode forward, his figure quickly disappearing into the depths of the dense forest.
“Alright then.” The guard nodded emphatically in agreement. He then waved to the others, signaling them to split up and begin their tasks.
The group dispersed, carefully searching every corner. Time ticked by, and everyone was increasingly anxious, but they still couldn't find any trace of Xuan Yuan Rong'er. Just when everyone was almost in despair, someone suddenly shouted, "Here she is! Found her!" Hearing this shout, everyone quickly gathered around.
Xuanyuan Rong'er lay quietly in the grass, unconscious. The guards rushed forward and immediately noticed two deep teeth marks on her calf, the surrounding skin already turning purple. Clearly, she had been bitten by a highly venomous snake.
Enraged, the guard glared, drew his longsword, and slashed fiercely at the venomous snake that was trying to escape. A crisp sound rang out, and the snake was instantly cleaved in two, blood splattering everywhere. However, despite the guard's revenge, Xuan Yuan Rong'er showed no signs of waking, and her poisoning symptoms seemed to be worsening. Her once fair face was now completely bloodless.
"Wake up, my wife!" The guard held Xuan Yuan Rong'er tightly, shouting hoarsely. Tears streamed down his bloodshot face, dripping onto Xuan Yuan Rong'er's pale cheeks. His cries echoed through the silent forest, filled with despair and helplessness.
Just then, a gentle yet firm voice rang out: "Don't worry, I can save her." It was Su Yuning who spoke. She quickly walked to the guard's side, knelt down, carefully examined Xuan Yuan Rong'er's injuries, and then got up and walked towards the woods not far away.
A moment later, Su Yuning returned to the spot carrying a pile of freshly gathered medicinal herbs. She skillfully kneaded the herbs in her hands, and in no time, they were transformed into a green ointment. Then, she carefully applied the ointment to Xuan Yuan Rong'er's injured area and gently bandaged it with a strip of cloth.
After finishing all this, Su Yuning turned to Ye Beichen, who was standing to the side, and said, "Go and fetch some spring water." Ye Beichen nodded and quickly left.
While Ye Beichen was fetching water, Su Yuning took out a few crystal-clear life-saving pills from her bosom. She gently pried open Xuan Yuan Rong'er's tightly closed lips and slowly placed the pills into her mouth. Then she picked up the water jug next to her and carefully poured a few mouthfuls of water into Xuan Yuan Rong'er's mouth.
Time ticked by, and everyone waited anxiously for Xuan Yuan Rong'er to wake up. Finally, after a long wait, Xuan Yuan Rong'er slowly opened her eyes.
Upon seeing Xuan Yuan Rong'er awaken, the guard was overjoyed and almost burst into tears again. He quickly stood up, bowed deeply to Su Yuning, and thanked her profusely, "Thank you so much, Young Madam, for saving my wife! Thank you so much! If it weren't for your help, I really don't know what I would have done..."
Faced with the guard's sincere gratitude, Su Yuning smiled and waved her hand, saying softly, "You're welcome, it's what I should do."
At this moment, Ye Beichen, who had been observing silently from the side, stepped forward and looked at Su Yuning with a puzzled expression, asking, "Yuning, didn't you say before that you didn't know how to treat illnesses? But today you're so skilled at saving people. Have you been hiding your true abilities all along?"
“I used to go with my parents to collect medicinal herbs, so I know the basic uses of them. That’s why it was easy for me to find the herbs that could cure snake venom. As for the life-saving pill, it was given to me by my father. He told me to carry it with me at all times, just in case,” Su Yuning replied with a smile.
"In that case, I really have to thank my father-in-law for his extraordinary foresight!" Ye Beichen replied solemnly with an extremely serious expression on his face.
Hearing this, Su Yuning couldn't help but smile and said softly, "Oh, no need to be so polite." She looked up at the sky and continued, "It's getting dark soon. What should we do next? Should we hurry back in the carriage, or find a place to rest and stay nearby?"
After a moment's thought, Ye Beichen replied, "Hmm... In my opinion, we should find a cave to stay in for a few days. That way, we can shelter from the wind and rain, and it will be relatively safer." With that, he turned and led several guards around to search for a suitable cave as a temporary residence. Su Yuning, on the other hand, quietly stayed where she was, carefully taking care of Xuan Yuan Rong'er, who was still somewhat weak.
"Young Madam, thank you so much." Xuan Yuan Rong'er forced a grateful smile on her pale face and responded weakly.
Su Yuning quickly waved her hand and smiled to comfort her, "Don't be so polite with me, we're good friends."
At this moment, Xuan Yuan Rong'er sighed softly, her face full of regret, and said, "Alas, if I hadn't been injured, with my skills, I could definitely have hunted a lot of game for everyone to eat. It's just a pity that I don't even have the strength to walk anymore, let alone hunt. I'm really too unlucky." As she spoke, she shook her head helplessly, her eyes full of disappointment and frustration.
"Don't be discouraged, things will definitely take a turn for the better! Just focus on recovering here and don't worry about anything else. I'll take Ye Beichen hunting with me and bring back some good food." Su Yuning replied gently with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Rong'er's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief: "Young Madam, you look so gentle and delicate, could you really be a hunter?" She simply couldn't imagine that this seemingly delicate woman could possess such a skill.
Su Yuning smiled gently, as if recalling some interesting past events, and replied playfully, "Actually, I didn't know how to hunt before, but one time when I went hiking with my good friends, I learned some hunting tips and techniques. I never had a chance to put them to use until now, and I didn't expect them to come in handy this time!" After saying that, she winked, looking somewhat smug.
Before long, Ye Beichen successfully found a very suitable place to stay—a spacious and deep cave on a mountain not far from the forest. The group worked together to carry all their luggage and plenty of water into the cave, and then sat around the warm campfire, eating and chatting happily.
As night gradually fell, the sky turned pitch black. Su Yuning turned to look at Ye Beichen beside her and asked softly, "It's so late today, Beichen, how about we go hunting again tomorrow?" Her eyes revealed a hint of expectation and dependence.
However, Ye Beichen gently waved his hand and said firmly, "No, you should stay in this cave and keep Xuan Yuan Rong'er company. Leave the hunting to me and the guards. Don't run around." His eyes were full of concern and care, as if he was afraid that Su Yuning would encounter any danger.
"No, no, I want to go hunting!" Su Yuning said coquettishly, shaking Ye Beichen's arm with both hands, her big, watery eyes looking at him with longing, a look that was truly irresistible.
Seeing this, the guard beside him quickly suggested, "How about this, I will accompany the young mistress on the hunt, and I would like to ask the young lord to stay in the cave to take care of the luggage and Xuan Yuan Rong'er. What do you think, young lord?"