dognovel Chapter 370 Night Raid on East Street
Chapter 370 Night Raid on East Street
Having lived most of their lives, they had seen too much of the hypocrisy and deceit of officials and no longer believed in those high-sounding promises.
But the girl in front of me had eyes as clear as mountain spring water, and the urgency and heartache in her voice seemed genuine.
A long silence hung in the air before the old man finally sighed heavily and said in a hoarse voice to the old woman, "Let's go... let's go... listen to this girl..."
The old woman didn't say anything, but simply wiped her face with her sleeve and let Shi Wanxia support her as they slowly walked towards the street corner.
The old man followed closely behind. As he passed the pile of ruins, he glanced back, a hint of reluctance flashing in his cloudy eyes. In the end, he gritted his teeth and quickened his pace to catch up.
Shi Wanxia helped the old woman to a safe area. Seeing Shen Yanzhou have someone hand them hot water and dry food, her tense nerves finally relaxed a little.
She looked up at the bright moon in the sky. The moonlight was still cold, but it seemed to have gained a bit more warmth.
Shen Yanzhou walked to her side and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry you had to go through this."
Shi Wanxia shook her head, looking at the people who were gradually settling down at the temporary resettlement site, and said softly, "As long as they are safe, that's all that matters. As for the promise... I will keep it."
Under the moonlight, her figure, though slender, stood straight, like a bamboo shoot growing tenaciously in the ruins, carrying the hope of breaking through the soil.
The bonfire on East Street was burning brightly, and the leaping flames reflected on the tired faces, dispelling some of the chill of the night.
The fire and displacement experienced during the day seemed to be temporarily soothed by this warm light.
Most of the people huddled together, the old holding the young, and the women leaning against the ruins, drifting off to sleep amidst intermittent sobs and murmurs.
Having experienced so much panic, even if the current peace is only temporary, it is enough to make them lower their guard.
Not far away, Shi Wanxia leaned against a half-burnt wooden pillar, her eyelids too heavy to lift.
The day's running around and persuading had exhausted all her strength, and now she felt weak all over.
Shen Yanzhou beside him was the same; the hem of the Crown Prince's court robes was casually spread on the ground, his usually meticulous hair was slightly disheveled, and his handsome features were softened by the firelight.
The two were separated by an arm's length, yet they seemed to share a silent understanding, jointly guarding this fragile peace.
The guards of the Eastern Palace did not slack off. They divided into several teams, carrying long halberds, and patrolled back and forth between the ruins of East Street and the temporary resettlement area.
The footsteps were as light as the wind, yet carried an inviolable vigilance, forming an invisible barrier for the sleeping people.
The moonlight shone on their armor, casting a cold glow that mingled with the warm light of the campfire, creating a tranquil and solemn scene.
Just then, a sharp whistling sound suddenly pierced the night sky!
"call out--"
The sound was extremely fast, sharp and penetrating, aimed directly at the sleeping people by the campfire!
Having practiced martial arts for many years, Shen Yanzhou's perception of danger far surpasses that of ordinary people.
The moment he heard the arrow's cry, he opened his eyes almost instantly, all sleepiness vanishing, replaced by sharp alertness.
He sprang to his feet, moving with the speed of a cheetah. In a single turn, he hid behind a wooden pillar, using the dim firelight and moonlight to quickly scan his surroundings, searching for the origin of the arrow.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
The guards of the Eastern Palace reacted almost simultaneously, and someone quickly struck the gong they carried with them. The rapid and loud sound of the gong instantly tore through the silence of the night.
The others immediately drew their swords and formed a human wall, protecting the people around the campfire behind them.
The awakened people were still confused, rubbing their sleepy eyes to see what was happening. When they looked up, they saw several arrows gleaming coldly in the moonlight, shooting towards them like locusts!
"what--!"
A piercing scream rang out instantly, and the crowd exploded like water splashed with pebbles.
The coughs of the elderly, the cries of children, and the screams of women mingled together as people scattered in panic, turning the once relatively orderly resettlement site into chaos.
Shi Wanxia was also awakened by the sudden commotion and screams. Her mind went blank, and she had not yet fully realized what was going on in the chaos.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flying rapidly toward her—it was an arrow, its arrowhead gleaming coldly, pointing straight at her chest!
Overwhelmed by fear, her legs felt as heavy as lead, and she was so frightened that she forgot to dodge. Everything went black before her eyes, her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"Late Summer!"
Shen Yanzhou happened to catch a glimpse of this scene, and his heart clenched suddenly. Without thinking, he was about to rush over, but another arrow flew past his ear, forcing him to retreat behind the pillar to take cover again.
At the critical moment, a black figure rushed out from the side like a ghost, his long sword flashing as it was drawn from its sheath, creating a dazzling sword flower.
"clang!"
A crisp metallic clang rang out as the arrow aimed directly at Shi Wanxia was deflected and fell to the ground, its fletching still humming.
Cui Jiu's hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and his back was soaked with cold sweat.
Just now, his heart almost jumped out of his throat—if he hadn't been so worried about Shi Wanxia and hadn't secretly followed behind, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
He didn't even dare to turn around to see if Shi Wanxia was alright; he just stared intently at the direction the arrow came from, vigilantly protecting her in front of him.
More and more arrows came from the shadows, as dense as a sudden rain.
The guards and civilians with some fighting skills searched for sticks and stones as weapons to defend themselves, while the elderly, women and children huddled in corners, trembling with fear.
"Miss Shi, it's dangerous here, you must leave!"
Cui Jiu's voice trembled slightly, not from fear, but from lingering dread.
Shi Wanxia finally recovered from the shock. She looked at Cui Jiu, who was standing in front of her, and then at the chaotic scene around her. She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
She quickly got up from the ground, her voice still trembling slightly, but already calm: "Cui Jiu, thank you."
Cui Jiu's cheeks flushed slightly, but he dared not be distracted. He said urgently, "Miss, you flatter me too much. Let's go quickly, it's really dangerous here!"
Shi Wanxia nodded, her gaze quickly sweeping over the surroundings. She saw Shen Yanzhou directing the guards to organize the defense, and although there was some panic among the fleeing civilians, there were no casualties yet, which put her at ease.
She steadied herself and called out, "Everyone, don't panic! Get behind the obstacles and don't run around!"
Her voice was clear and resonant, carrying a calming power that caused some of the panicked people to instinctively stop in their tracks.