Chapter 68: Danger

As for… Young Master Su was inexperienced and sensitive, easily losing control with such things, unable to withstand her casual teasing. It seemed she would need to maintain an appropriate distance from him in the future to avoid stirring up trouble.

After pondering, Lu Yuner’s eyes suddenly became calm and waveless. She reached out her other hand to gather his loosened clothes, then picked him up by the waist and carried him to the bed.

Lu Yuner helped him cover up with the quilt again, and said in a heavy tone: “Wan, have you forgotten what I told you before?… If you act recklessly like this again, I will…”

Seeing Lu Yuner’s serious expression, Su Qingwan hurriedly tugged at her sleeve and said anxiously: “I was wrong, Sister Yuner, don’t be angry. I… I just couldn’t control myself, that’s why I… that’s why I acted like that…”

“Alright, say no more. I was at fault earlier too.” Recalling her own actions just now, Lu Yuner’s face reddened slightly as she continued: “It’s late now, we should rest early!”

If they kept pulling at each other like this, they wouldn’t be able to rest tonight.

Just as she was about to return to her own small bamboo bed, Lu Yuner’s sensitive ears suddenly twitched, catching very light and scattered sounds from the roof.

Lu Yuner’s expression became solemn, her body instinctively on guard, while feeling a vague sense of unknown danger.

Su Qingwan seemed to sense something too, and asked curiously: “Sister Yuner…”

In the next second, Lu Yuner covered his mouth with her hand, leaning to his ear and lowering her voice, “Don’t make a sound, there’s someone on the roof. Don’t be afraid, just listen to me from now on.”

Su Qingwan’s face changed instantly, and he subconsciously thought, could it be that assassin coming after them again?

With a worried expression, he cooperated with Lu Yuner to tidy up his clothes and put on shoes. The two of them walked lightly towards the outside in the dim light.

Suddenly, Lu Yuner sensed great danger rapidly approaching. She pulled Su Qingwan and ran quickly towards the outside of the room. Sure enough, in the next second, there was a huge crash from the roof. The entire structure collapsed under tremendous force, raising dust as high as a zhang.

A perfectly intact room was instantly reduced to nothing.

Su Qingwan was extremely shocked, and said fearfully: “This…”

Lu Yuner also drew in a sharp breath. Fortunately they hadn’t fallen asleep yet tonight. If they hadn’t detected it in advance, she and young master Su would likely have met with disaster.

The moonlit night was particularly cold, with occasional bird calls heard. The house was in a miserable state, but the perpetrator was nowhere to be seen.

Lu Yuner frowned and held Su Qingwan tightly, shielding him behind her. Her whole body remained on high alert, carefully observing any movement hidden in the darkness around them.

Suddenly, Lu Yuner felt a chill from behind her right side. She glanced sideways and unexpectedly caught sight of a flash of cold light fast as lightning. With a crisp “whoosh”, a familiar flying dagger came straight for her back. Lu Yuner quickly pushed Su Qingwan behind her to the side.

The cold light was too fast and sudden. In the desperate dodge, it still sliced open the flesh on Lu Yuner’s forearm. In an instant, Lu Yuner felt a searing pain.

Lu Yuner hid her injured arm behind her, her eyes flickering. So it was that assassin.

She had come.

“So you two are really still alive, you weren’t killed by the fall! You’ve cost me my reward money, and I nearly lost my life because of you two.”

The masked assassin’s eyes were fierce as she gripped a gleaming long sword and flew down from the osmanthus tree, murderous intent radiating.

The masked assassin stood coldly in the killing night wind, suddenly raising her sword to point at Su Qingwan. She said through gritted teeth: “I never expected such a handsome young man to be Yun Qinwang’s son. No wonder Yun Qinwang has been pressing me so hard and sending people to hunt me down everywhere. She ruined my standing in the jianghu, and now I have nowhere to hide. Even living in hiding is worse than death. It’s a pity Yun Qinwang searched so hard for you but doesn’t know where you are.

Hmph! But thanks to your mother, young master Su, don’t you think I should give you a good taste of pain!”

The assassin’s words allowed Lu Yuner to quickly capture a lot of important information.

And she knew this time the assassin wouldn’t let them off easily.

Lu Yuner instinctively shielded Su Qingwan with her body, slowly backing away. As she moved, she whispered to Su Qingwan, “I’ll hold her off. When you get a chance, run and hide. Miss Ma will surely send you back to the capital afterwards.”

“No! I won’t!” Su Qingwan shook his head anxiously.

Having experienced mortal danger, knowing how ruthless this assassin was, Su Qingwan seemed to sense something. He gripped her hand tightly, his eyes starting to moisten with worry, “Sister Yuner, I won’t!”

Even if he died, he wanted to be with her.

“Listen to me!” Lu Yuner’s expression was serious with a hint of anger. Suddenly she felt a sharp pain from her injured forearm that struck straight to her heart, as if countless sharp claws were viciously gripping her internal organs, causing her to break out in a cold sweat from the pain.

Lu Yuner’s eyes flashed. So she had been poisoned!

This made the already dangerous situation even more unfavorable for them.

Lu Yuner endured this excruciatingly painful torture with all her might. Her voice was ice cold, “If you truly care for me in your heart, you should listen to what I say. Otherwise, the feelings between us end here.”

“I… I don’t want that.”

Their interactions these days had shown him Lu Yuner’s true and deep feelings for him. Su Qingwan knew she was deliberately saying such cruel words to force him to leave.

Su Qingwan’s eyes brimmed with tears as he said firmly: “Whether in life or death, I will not leave Sister Yuner. If I don’t have you, I won’t live on anyway.”

Lu Yuner didn’t respond, staring at Su Qingwan with complex emotions for a moment. Her tone was simple, helpless, and tinged with heartache: “Silly boy.”

Su Qingwan’s words touched the soft spot in her heart. Faced with life and death, people’s instinct is to want to survive. Yet he unhesitatingly wished to live and die together with her. How could she let him be in danger and die because of her?

Thinking of this, a dark look flashed in Lu Yuner’s eyes. Her tone softened, “Listen to me. I won’t die. I promise I’ll come back to you safe and sound. You have to believe I’ll escape danger!”

Seeing he was still hesitant, Lu Yuner coaxed him: “If you listen to me, I’ll listen to you from now on. I’ll do whatever you want me to do, how’s that?”

Su Qingwan’s eyelashes trembled, a hint of temptation flashing through his heart.

He knew Sister Yuner was very clever and always had plans and strategies for everything. She had also made him a promise. Although he was still worried, he steeled himself to agree: “You must not lie to me!”

“Mm, I won’t lie to you.” Lu Yuner endured the pain and smiled briefly, but the dim surroundings concealed her subtle expression.

At this moment, the assassin dragged her long sword across the ground, sending sparks flying. Looking at the two whispering, she said impatiently: “Don’t worry! I’ll give you time to say your last words soon!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the masked woman charged fiercely with her sword, her clothes billowing dramatically.

Seeing this, Lu Yuner’s heart tightened. With a lightning-fast step backwards, she pushed Su Qingwan towards the courtyard exit, urgently saying, “Go quickly!”

Lu Yuner had nothing to defend herself with. She swiftly delivered a powerful kick, sending all the objects lying outside flying towards the assassin.

In the chaos, Lu Yuner seized the chance to grab a wooden stick and engaged in fierce combat with her. Su Qingwan was still hesitating when suddenly an angry shout rang out, “Wan! Go quickly!”

Su Qingwan snapped back to his senses, retreating in confusion, his eyes full of reluctant tears as he looked back. He believed Sister Yuner wouldn’t lie to him. Finally, Su Qingwan steeled his heart, tears spilling from his eyes as he turned and ran into the vast darkness ahead.

Seeing young master Su finally listening to her and leaving, Lu Yuner let out a sigh of relief. In the next second, she suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood. Enduring the pain in her body, she looked at the assassin before her, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.

The masked assassin glanced in the direction Su Qingwan had fled, saying disdainfully: “You think he can escape? Although you can barely hold your own against me one-on-one, you’ve unfortunately been poisoned by my cold toxin and are already at death’s door. You think you can protect him? Once I deal with you, he will surely die too. But don’t worry, I always treat men with tenderness. Before he dies, I’ll be sure to savor him thoroughly.”

Lu Yuner’s gaze was as sharp as a sword, staring intently at the assassin before her. The longer she could stall, the further and safer Su Qingwan could run.

Lu Yuner wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, then rushed forward in one swift move. Her figure flashed rapidly as she engaged the assassin, but the poison was taking a severe toll on her body.

Before long.

Lu Yuner’s face was pale as she knelt on one leg, leaning on the wooden stick for support. Her body was weakening and in excruciating pain, already pushed to dangerous limits. She couldn’t help but vomit another mouthful of blood.

“Although you’re no match for me now, you were still able to trade a few blows. You do have some skill! But the more you exert yourself, the faster the poison will spread. You’re certain to die. Seeing you suffer so, stop struggling. Let me send you on your final journey!”

As she spoke, a gloomy pall settled over heaven and earth, filled with murderous intent.

The masked woman gripped her cold gleaming sword tightly once more, coming at her with full force. Lu Yuner felt a calm in the face of death, perhaps due to the poison. She sensed everything around her becoming silent.

Lu Yuner was too weak to resist. She sat weakly on the ground, facing the approaching danger. Lu Yuner chose to quietly close her eyes, allowing death to come.

Death was not frightening to her, perhaps it was another kind of rebirth. But for young master Su, she felt only endless regret.

However, at the critical moment, the impending danger did not arrive. Instead, there was a “squelch” sound.

The sound of a cold blade entering flesh.

Lu Yuner, unharmed, opened her eyes in confusion. She saw the masked woman fighting with another woman. Looking closely, Lu Yuner realized it was Sister Lan.

How did she get here?

But with Sister Lan’s martial arts skills, taking down the assassin would be more than easy. She didn’t need to worry at all.

Suddenly she heard Qiu Yi’s anxious voice from not far away, “My lady, you scared me to death!”

Qiu Yi’s face was full of concern as she hurried to her side. The worry on her face faded, replaced by a hint of tension and care, “My lady, are you alright?!”

“How did you all get here?” Lu Yuner asked, struggling to support herself and stand up.

“It was Lady Han who devised a plan to track this masked woman here, but she discovered us on the way and led us in circles. Luckily we ran into young master Su on the way, so Miss Liu and I rushed here first,” Qiu Yi explained as she supported her.

“Then where is young master Su?” Lu Yuner looked around.

“He is safe with General Wan now, and will be here shortly.”

Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream rang out, “Ah—”

Lu Yuner and Qiu Yi looked over in unison, only to see the masked woman lying on the ground in agony, the tendons in her hands and feet severed, barely clinging to life.

After finishing, Liu Lan gave her a cold look, then ran towards Lu Yuner, “Sister Yuner, I knew you were blessed with great fortune and would surely be alright.”

As soon as she finished speaking, “Puh—” Lu Yuner couldn’t help but vomit blood again.

Qiu Yi’s face was filled with panic as she anxiously said, “My lady, what’s wrong with you?”

Liu Lan quickly felt her pulse, her expression gradually becoming grave, “Your pulse is so erratic, Sister Yuner, have you been poisoned?”

Lu Yuner nodded. At this moment, she heard countless footsteps in the distance, and there seemed to be quite a few people coming.

She quickly wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, glanced at the two of them, and hurriedly said, “Help me.”