Sunlight filtered through gaps, casting light on the damp earth, the rock walls, and also, on a disheveled garment.
The wound on the woman's right shoulder had been roughly treated, with some herbs applied. Green juice trickled down her fair, rounded shoulder, dripping onto the ground.
A man not far away, his face pale, sat on the ground with one leg bent, leaning against the rock wall behind him and resting with his eyes closed. Fatigue was evident in his brow.
Although water could be collected from trees and leaves here, food was scarce. Hunger and his wounds had weakened him. Despite this, Qin Lang remained exceptionally vigilant. Any slight rustle would cause his hand, gripping his knife, to tighten instantly, his eyes snapping open sharply to look in the direction of the sound. Sudan Novel Network.
Shen Jianxi opened her eyes to see him warily watching the area outside the cave.
She tried to sit up, but the slightest movement pulled at the wound on her shoulder.
"Hiss!" Shen Jianxi instinctively gasped, her features contorting for a moment.
Almost simultaneously with her attempt to move, Qin Lang walked towards her.
"Awake?" His voice was flat, devoid of discernible emotion. Perhaps having confirmed her true identity, his demeanor lacked any of the former deference.
Shen Jianxi parted her lips to answer him, but after several attempts, only a faint sound emerged.
Seeing this, Qin Lang offered her some of the water he had collected over the past few days.
Drinking water from his hand, her dry throat was moistened, allowing her to finally utter a complete sentence, "Where is this place?"
As she spoke, Shen Jianxi took in her surroundings.
The empty cave contained only a few bowls made of wood by Qin Lang, and the two of them. There wasn't even a single blade of grass inside.
Qin Lang did not answer her question. Instead, he held his knife to her throat, his cold gaze fixed upon her.
The frigid blade touching her skin made Shen Jianxi's nerves instantly taut.
Dried bloodstains were still clearly visible on the blade, and the scent of blood rushed into her nostrils, causing her heart to pound furiously.
"Who are you? Someone from the other princes, or a spy from the Great Yan Kingdom?"
The Great Yan Kingdom was the small country Qin Lang intended to attack.
It wasn't unreasonable for him to think this. When treating Shen Jianxi's wound, Qin Lang had examined the upper part of her right arm.
No one knew that the King of Anhuai Kingdom and he had been childhood friends. During a playful incident, he had accidentally injured the King's right arm, and that wound still existed. However, this woman of unknown origin had a perfectly smooth arm.
Coupled with the fact that they were ambushed shortly after Shen Jianxi's disappearance, this string of events made him suspicious.
Qin Lang's face was stern and murderous, his expression making Shen Jianxi feel as if a single wrong word would result in her immediate demise.
With the knife at her throat, even swallowing felt like a precarious act. She wanted to reach out and push the blade away, but as her hand by her side moved, the knife at her neck pressed down slightly.
Shen Jianxi dared not make any further rash movements. She had to find a way to placate him before her pendant could take her back. Her injuries would disappear once she returned.
Thinking this, she intended to appeal to reason and emotion. However, before she could speak, her fear betrayed her, her eyes involuntarily stinging and misting over.
"I, I..." Shen Jianxi steadied her mind, suppressing the tremor in her voice, and spoke again, "I just saved your life, Qin Lang."
She enunciated each word deliberately, her voice not loud, but clear.
"Are you going to repay kindness with enmity now?"
Qin Lang evidently heard her words. Though he didn't remove the knife, his expression visibly shifted slightly.
Seeing this, Shen Jianxi continued, "I am not a spy. No one would act against their own country."
"Seeing my face, don't you have any suspicions?"
At this, Qin Lang's expression froze. The pressure of the blade on her neck noticeably lessened.
How could he not have suspicions? He had examined her face and found no trace of a mask, indicating she truly looked this way. This inevitably led to speculation about her connection to the current Emperor.
Qin Lang put away his knife, sat down cross-legged beside her, and asked coldly, "Speak!"
Looking at his expression, Shen Jianxi knew that while he didn't fully believe her yet, he harbored some suspicions.
She struggled to sit up, her wounds pulling several times, causing her to grimace in pain. Qin Lang sat by her side, motionless, observing coldly.
Finally managing to sit up, Shen Jianxi cut to the chase, speaking with ragged breaths to continue her deception, "This matter concerns royal secrets, and I cannot tell you too much.
But I can guarantee that I will do nothing detrimental to the Anhuai Kingdom, to the Emperor, or to you."
She knew that secrets were best told in part, half-truths lending a sliver of credibility. If she could deceive Qin Lang for the moment, she would return immediately, or even never come back to this world again.
Qin Lang remained silent, his eyes unmoving, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
Just then, a rustling sound came from the cave entrance. The man instinctively gripped his knife, glanced at her, who was immobile, and then quietly crept towards the opening.
The sound grew closer, every movement drawing the attention of the two in the cave. They temporarily set aside their previous discussion, focusing intently on the outside.
Although the cave was not deep, a raised section of the rock wall provided cover for their figures.
Shen Jianxi also held her breath.
If it were an enemy...
The consequences would be unimaginable.
---
While updating this novel, I plan to carefully refine the outline and save some drafts.
This book was started rather hastily, without a proper outline, which led to many moments of writer's block. I hope the new book will be better.
This world will conclude soon, and then I will officially begin working on the new book.