The horse riding skills of the two were poor, and they couldn't control their panicked horses at all. Chi Zimò kicked his horse's head and used the momentum to charge towards the carriage.
Just as he entered the front of the carriage, with a crash, the carriage and horses, along with the people, fell into a ground fissure. Many civilian houses also collapsed on top, instantly burying the four people and one horse alive in the ruins!
Feng Jinyao's first reaction was that it was over, and she was afraid she would lose her life here.
Then, amidst a series of violent impacts, she directly fainted. The only sensation she had was that someone seemed to be holding her from behind.
Xiao Tingyi chased after them desperately. When he arrived at the place where the group had passed, he saw only collapsed beams and people scurrying about in panic.
"Ayao! Ayao!"
He called out anxiously, hoping for some response!
Unfortunately, the only response he received was a sky full of ash and gradually blurring vision.
After everything settled down, Qiao Shanwei crawled out of a corner, covered in dust.
The ash made him cough incessantly, but before he could react, he was pulled out of the ruins.
The first thing he saw was the Prince of Ding's bulging veins, his eyes red as if he wanted to devour someone, and he asked in a hoarse voice,
"Where is Ayao?"
Qiao Shanwei immediately looked around.
But all he saw were ruins everywhere. He had never been to Shuzhou before and couldn't tell east from west.
"My cousin's carriage was startled and went in an unknown direction. I... I can't tell."
No matter how capable Qiao Shanwei was in his previous life, he was now only a boy of about fourteen, or even a child.
How could he remain calm in the face of such a sudden disaster?
Xiao Tingyi didn't blame him, only regretting why he hadn't kept Feng Jinyao by his side at all times. Otherwise, in a situation like this, she would have been able to protect Feng Jinyao no matter what.
Instead of being so anxious and helpless now.
Behind him, Xu Lin, after settling Wen Zhe, immediately brought the secret guards.
More than twenty people appeared and began moving the ruins without a word.
Because Xiao Tingyi was standing inside, digging frantically.
It was obvious that Miss Feng San was buried underneath.
Xu Lin's heart sank. If Miss Feng San were to die this time, then the Prince would...
No, for the sake of the Prince, they had to rescue the person.
So they spread out and kept digging down.
Qiao Shanwei didn't even have time to cry about the fright he had just suffered before he also started moving the ruins.
He had not practiced martial arts, so his strength was not as great as Xu Lin's. He couldn't move the wooden beams, so he moved what he could.
And he kept recalling in his mind which direction the carriage had gone.
Otherwise, with just these people, even if they dug for three days and three nights, they might not be able to clear all these ruins.
By then, his cousin would probably not be crushed to death, but starve or die of thirst.
The more anxious he became, the more blank his mind became.
Not far away, Xiao Tingyi's fingertips were already covered in blood, but he didn't feel any pain.
He only had one thought: he would dig Feng Jinyao out even if he crippled his hands.
Without a word, without stopping for a moment.
He kept digging until night fell. The secret guards behind him collapsed one after another from exhaustion, but he was still digging.
Xu Lin wanted to stop him, but he knew that nothing he said would be of any use at this moment.
He seemed to see the Prince again, as he was during the expedition, with a death wish, determined to drive the Southern Yue army out of Da Jin.
So, he remained silent and persevered, staying by the Prince of Ding's side and continuing to dig.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually brightened. When Yang Zhao arrived with his men, Xiao Tingyi had been digging for almost a day and a night without rest, and the surrounding debris had piled up into a small mountain.
"Your Highness!"
Yang Zhao called out and quickly rushed over. However, his movement was too loud, and the already unstable ruins trembled slightly again, scaring him to stop immediately.
"Don't move!"
Xiao Tingyi was prostrate on the ruins, waiting for the aftershocks to subside.
Although there had been no progress so far, he firmly believed that Feng Jinyao was still alive and waiting for him to save her. So, after the aftershocks passed, he scanned the surroundings and unexpectedly discovered a corner of the carriage.
His eyes lit up with surprise, and he rushed over. As he got closer, he slowed down, afraid that his movements would be too large and cause the already dangerous carriage to fall further.
Then, he gestured to Xu Lin and Yang Zhao.
They had followed the Prince of Ding for many years and understood the situation at a glance.
So, they picked out a few of the most agile men and slowly followed him.
When they approached the ruins, they discovered that the carriage was deeply embedded in the ground. The horses had long since been crushed to death by the wooden beams, and their blood had dried, emitting a strong腥味.
Xiao Tingyi carefully called out from under the carriage.
"Ayao! Ayao!"
His voice caused a faint tremor, and some of the dust covering the top fell down.
Feng Jinyao, who had been in a daze, seemed to hear the commotion and wanted to respond but felt her chest being squeezed uncomfortably, unable to speak.
Fortunately, there was a small stone within her reach. She could only use her last bit of strength to tap it gently, hoping someone above would hear.
Xiao Tingyi had excellent hearing. The moment Feng Jinyao tapped, he signaled everyone to be quiet.
Then, he pricked up his ears and, confirming that the sound was coming from below, he was overjoyed and wept.
His face was covered in dust, and tears streamed down his cheeks without him even noticing.
"Don't be afraid, Ayao, I'm here."
His voice was so gentle that Xu Lin and the others couldn't help but swallow.
Feng Jinyao seemed to feel this calming emotion and presence and fainted again.
With the location of the carriage confirmed, the next step was to figure out how to rescue the people.
Xu Lin's suggestion was to dig slowly around the carriage. Once they reached a door, they could pull all four people up in one go.
However, when they tried to do so, they found that it wouldn't work.
The carriage had fallen into a ground fissure, and there was nothing underneath to support it. It was relying on the surrounding objects to be precariously suspended. But if these were removed, the carriage might lose its balance and fall further.
Wouldn't that be regrettable?
So, this method was not adopted.
Yang Zhao, on the other hand, preferred a quick solution. "If you ask me, we should find some brothers to secure this carriage and then pull it out in one go. Otherwise, the longer we delay, the more dangerous it will be for Miss San and the others."
Although Xiao Tingyi had heard the sound of impact from below, they were not sure who it was.
If it was Miss San, it would be fine, but if it was someone else...