dognovel Chapter 414 Lightning and Thunder
Chapter 414 Lightning and Thunder
The two of them had to pull and persuade him to come back from the riverbank, and it was only with great difficulty that they managed to drag the nearly collapsing Choi Ji-ho back.
Choi Ji-ho slumped on the grass by the shore, his hands buried in his messy hair, suppressed sobs escaping from his throat, making everyone's heart tighten.
He and Miss Shi had known each other for a long time, and their feelings for each other had long been deeply ingrained.
She was ordered to inspect Chuzhou this time, and he specially came to accompany her, but unexpectedly, this accident happened.
These past two days have been agonizing, with all sorts of terrifying speculations constantly surfacing in his mind, almost consuming his sanity.
Lin Yiyu and Zhao Hu stood guard beside him, both with solemn expressions.
Lin Yiyu had known him for some time, but had never seen him so distraught and desperate.
There are undercurrents within Chuzhou City, and His Highness the Crown Prince's men are also operating in the shadows. The disappearance of Lord Shi is probably not a simple matter.
They not only had to find Master Shi, but also guard against unforeseen events, and at the same time, keep the nearly collapsed Choi Ji-ho in check. They were truly beset by internal and external troubles.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar, breaking the silence of the riverbank.
The group looked up and saw a guard dressed in black riding towards them. The rider was clearly in a hurry and didn't even bother to brush off the dust kicked up by the horse's hooves.
Upon approaching, the guard suddenly pulled on the reins, dismounted, and strode to the group.
This person was not one of Cui Zhihao's men, but rather a personal guard of the Crown Prince.
Lin Yiyu and Zhao Hu immediately became alert and stood in front of Cui Zhihao.
The guard, however, had no time to spare; his face showed a mixture of eagerness and barely concealed joy.
Addressing Choi Ji-ho, who was still immersed in grief, and also addressing the spies and informants who seemed to be everywhere in the air, he said loudly, "His Highness the Crown Prince has given an order! Guard Choi Ji-ho's urgent message from the front has been intercepted by us!"
"The letter states that Lord Shiwei has been successfully rescued and is currently unharmed, and is being escorted to Chuzhou!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the riverbank fell into a deathly silence.
Choi Ji-ho suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the guard, as if he couldn't believe his ears.
His lips trembled, and he opened them several times before finally uttering a hoarse voice: "What...what did you say?"
Seeing this, the guard repeated, "The letter from Guard Cui Jiu says that Lord Shi has woken up and is on his way back. He will arrive in Chuzhou soon!"
This time, Choi Ji-ho heard clearly.
Overwhelmed by immense joy, the fear, despair, and grief that had been building up for two days vanished in an instant, replaced by the relief and excitement of regaining what was lost.
He suddenly stood up from the ground, but because he had not eaten or rested properly for two days, he staggered. Fortunately, Lin Yiyu caught him in time.
"She's awake...she's alive...she's alright!"
Choi Ji-ho murmured, his eyes instantly filling with tears, this time, but they were tears of joy.
He gazed at the rushing waters of the canal, as if he could see a familiar figure slowly approaching him in the distance, and the heavy weight in his heart finally lifted.
Lin Yiyu and Zhao Hu exchanged a glance, both letting out a long sigh of relief, and their faces broke into long-lost smiles.
The wind still blows along the riverbank, and the river still flows ceaselessly, but this land of despair on the banks of the Chu River has been rekindled with hope because of this sudden good news.
Meanwhile, Shi Wei and Cui Jiu, far away on their journey, were unaware of the turmoil in Chuzhou City. They continued their slow journey towards their reunion, their carriages swaying and jolting.
Shi Wanxia was seriously injured this time. She was swept downstream by the flood and her body was covered with scratches of varying depths.
The female physician brought by Wang Jinqian was fine with ordinary minor illnesses, but Miss Shi's injuries were quite serious!
I don't know how long it will take to reach Chuzhou. It's dark outside, and it's only past noon. It seems like things are destined to be turbulent!
"Boom~"
Suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder roared across the sky, followed by a fierce wind and torrential rain, plunging the world into silent darkness.
The convoy quickly stopped in an open space at the foot of the mountain. Cui Jiu frowned; the sudden downpour had disrupted their rhythm.
There's a river behind them right now. If the rain comes and the river rises, causing a flood, then they...
After a moment's thought, he quickly gave the order.
"Keep moving quickly, everyone be careful and watch your step!"
Just as the convoy was about to start, a soft voice stopped them.
"Wait, don't move!"
Shi Wanxia, with a pale and weak face, stepped out of the carriage and stopped them.
“Cui Jiu, no! It’s thundering right now. The road ahead is all mountain road and all kinds of trees. If we are struck by lightning or encounter a landslide, we will have nowhere to escape.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, cleaving a large tree in half and sending thick branches tumbling down its branches.
It startled everyone present; thank goodness!
Before the thunder had even faded and the afterimage of the pale lightning that cleaved the sky had faded, a muffled thud that made your teeth ache suddenly came from the mountaintop.
At first, it sounded like a boulder rubbing against rock strata, making a dull "crunching" sound, but then it turned into a thunderous roar that swept down from the sky.
Shi Wanxia's fingers tightened suddenly as she gripped the carriage shaft, her knuckles turning white from the force.
Her body, still weak from just surviving a brush with death, was now completely drained of color, her face already as pale as paper.
The sound was all too familiar—the sound of loose soil and rolling stones, a death omen she had vaguely heard through the murky water not long ago when she was struggling in the flood.
"not good!"
She screamed almost instinctively, her voice trembling slightly from her rapid breathing, yet carrying an undeniable power.
"It's a landslide! Get away from the foot of the mountain! Everyone, move to open ground!"
Before the words were even finished, a loud crashing sound came from above.
As everyone looked up, they saw that under the dark sky, the entire hillside seemed to have been lifted up by an invisible giant hand. Countless yellowish-brown soil, carrying bowl-sized pebbles and broken branches, rushed down the steep mountain like a roaring yellow dragon.
Mud splattered, stones collided with a piercing crack, and the sound of grass and trees being torn apart by their roots was mixed in, as if the entire world was filled with this destructive force.
Cui Jiu's expression changed drastically, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
He had traveled all over the country and encountered all kinds of dangers, but this was the first time he had ever experienced a landslide so close at hand.
If it weren't for Miss Shi stopping them from going into the mountains, they would probably be buried in the pile of rocks by now.
A wave of fear gripped his heart, but there was no time to hesitate.
"Quick! Everyone back up! Giddy up!"
Cui Jiu yanked the reins sharply and roared loudly.
His black horse, in pain, reared up and, with its four hooves flying, pulled the foremost carriage towards the open space behind.
The wheels rolled over the muddy ground, splashing up mud and water half a foot high, and the axle creaked under the strain.