Xiao Chi Zhan raised his eyes, the originally fierce and terrifying gaze instantly receded. He looked at the appearing woman with obsession, and a bloodthirsty smile unconsciously curled up on his lips.
"Luan Luan."
He reached out to grasp the figure that made his heart ache, but the more he grasped, the faster she ran.
No matter how he tried, he couldn't catch her.
"Prince—Prince?"
Xue Ren was stunned, seeing the man run out wearing only a robe.
The surrounding soldiers also looked at this scene in shock.
When the Prince appeared before people, he was always of noble and peerless bearing. When had he ever been so disheveled?
Xiao Chi Zhan ignored them, running around like a madman, his hands flailing, as if grasping at something, his entire being seemingly trapped in a nightmare.
Bewitched!
Out of control!
Xue Ren hurriedly stepped forward, grabbed Xiao Chi Zhan's arm, and shouted, "Prince!"
A powerful force pushed him back, and he was thrown to the ground. Looking at the Prince who was like a madman, his face was filled with dread.
It's over, has he fallen ill?
He quickly stood up to return to the cabin to get medicine.
Xiao Chi Zhan sat on the ground, leaning on his forehead.
The girl's bright face flickered before his eyes, her approaching eyes bright and cunning, as if mocking his current dishevelment and foolishness.
Xiao Chi Zhan's eyes gradually turned fierce, the murderous intent condensed in his overly seductive red pupils making people tremble with fear.
No one dared to step forward.
All the soldiers on the ship knelt on the ground in humility, their heads bowed low, not daring to cast even a glance.
For several days, Ye Luan led the two of them to hide in the mountains and forests, and they had lost quite a bit of weight.
Granny Fang, pained by her lady's thinness and noting that there were few government soldiers searching in this northern region, suggested they could use the official roads.
Ye Luan was also exhausted. The paths in the forest were thorny and inconvenient for the carriage, causing them to delay for a long time.
Furthermore, the purchased map was not very accurate, and they kept getting lost in the woods.
She gnawed on a dry biscuit, took out the map, and studied it carefully.
"Ahead should be Yuyang Village under the Jixian Prefecture. Let's hurry and find a family to stay with in the village and wash up."
After days in the mountains, she was practically stinking.
"Okay, the weather looks like it's about to rain. It's easy to get sick in the wild."
Fu Dai handed the water flask to Ye Luan and grumbled angrily, "The Prince is not giving Miss any way to survive!"
There were checkpoints everywhere, and government soldiers were searching along the roads and in the villages.
If it weren't for Miss's superb disguise skills, they would have been caught long ago.
Ye Luan was also exhausted lately. Xiao Chi Zhan was truly too troublesome, even expending military and human resources to pursue her so extensively.
How obsessed must this man's heart be?
Why had she, in her hubris, attempted to kill such a man who held the power of life and death over the world?
In this strictly hierarchical dynasty, human lives were as cheap as grass. With a flick of his finger, she would be utterly annihilated.
One person could not contend with a whole class.
Fortunately, she had escaped.
She only hoped never to meet him again in this life.
"Alright, we've finished eating. Let's hurry along," Granny Fang stood up first.
Ye Luan came back to her senses, looked at the two who had been following her, and sighed.
If not for the two of them, she might have found a deep mountain to hide in for a year or half, but Granny Fang was old and could not endure such hardship; it would ruin her health.
Never mind, the best hiding place is often in plain sight.
Youzhou was vast, and Xiao Chi Zhan was far away in Zhongzhou. She wouldn't be so unlucky as to run into him.
But Ye Luan never imagined she would be so unlucky as to run into Li Qiongyu, who was pursuing her in the north.
The world was so vast, and she was so unlucky as to run into Li Qiongyu.
The rain poured down incessantly.
Large raindrops struck the mud in the village and the river. The ground began to emit layers of white mist, and the figures across the way were barely visible.
The two gazed at each other from a distance.
Ye Luan could clearly see the change in Li Qiongyu's eyes across the way. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then touched his handsome face with a look of surprise.
Damn.
He came to take shelter from the rain and bumped into Ye Luan driving a carriage.
Hahaha.
He was too amazing.
"Young Master Li, is that Miss Ye?"
Behind Li Qiongyu followed many soldiers.
They had just returned from Yanzhou.
Hearing news of the Prince's woman, they had rushed back overnight. They encountered heavy rain on the road and were looking for a village to shelter from.
Who would have thought they would run into her like this.
Li Qiongyu's exquisitely handsome face broke into a triumphant smile.
He watched the carriage turn and flee, flicked his horsewhip, and his unrestrained laughter echoed through the wilderness.
"Chase!"
The vast rain washed over the land, and the galloping horses churned the mud.
He wore a flamboyant red robe, and the dark floral patterns of red makeup embroidered on it seemed to come alive, radiating a dazzling sheen in the heavy rain.
Ye Luan's eyes grew colder. Hearing the deafening sound of hooves approaching from behind, various schemes flashed through her mind.
Fu Dai was terrified. Leaning out of the carriage curtain, she looked at the pursuing army behind them and covered her mouth tightly.
Clanging armor, gleaming helmets, and swords flashing with cold light, radiating chilling killing intent.
The rumbling sound of hooves made hearts pound.
The dust kicked up churned, and soon, they were caught up.
Granny Fang looked at Ye Luan driving desperately and shouted, "Miss, let's go into the mountains. If this continues, we will definitely be caught."
Ye Luan shouted, "Jump off the carriage."
With that, she immediately grabbed Granny Fang's waist, rolled, and jumped off the carriage. Fu Dai didn't need her help and also leaped off.
Feeling the pain in her body, she ignored it and, supporting Granny Fang with Ye Luan, ran into the mountains.
"Ye Luan, don't run anymore! Xiao Chi Zhan will never let you go. Go back with him," Li Qiongyu shouted at the woman running madly into the mountains.
But the figures ahead ran swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, they could no longer be seen.
He wasn't in a hurry. He dismounted slowly.
A soldier behind him held an umbrella and held it over his head.
Li Qiongyu narrowed his peach blossom eyes and grinned slyly.
"General Li, send a pigeon to the Prince and tell him we've found his darling."
"Yes."
He then took out a token from his怀 and threw it to the person behind him.
"Go inform the magistrate of Jixian to block the roads and mobilize troops to search the mountains."
"Yes."
The sky was overcast.
Ye Luan's entire body was soaked by the rain. She panted heavily and looked back, seeing no one pursuing her, and stopped.
Leaning against a tree, she gasped for breath, exhausted.
Damn it.
So that's how it was.
Tantai Ye had gone south to hunt her down, and Li Qiongyu had come north to hunt her down. They had split up.
They had set a net to catch her.
Then where was Xiao Chi Zhan?
Thinking of this, her fox-like eyes narrowed slightly. He wouldn't have gone to Youzhou, would he?
"Miss, what should we do? We've been exposed."
Ye Luan put her hand to her forehead and sighed.
Why was she so unlucky?