The Wife of a Loyal Servant - Chapter 40

Seeing the two corpses on the ground, now bearing faces completely different from before, Ling Yu was likewise shocked to the core.

So had their entire group fallen into the enemy’s trap from the very beginning? No wonder the Crown Prince had so easily “escaped” Longwan Town, the place where he had met his death in his previous life.

At this point, whether regret or hatred, both were futile. Cheng Shaotang stripped off his outer robe and draped it over Little Shitou’s head, using the garment as a sling to swiftly secure the child onto Ling Yu’s back. Then he said in a low voice, “Close your eyes and don’t be afraid. Father will take you and Mother home very soon.”

The little one sobbed in terror, but after hearing his father’s words, he still clung tightly to Ling Yu’s neck and replied through tears, “Okay…”

“Shao­tang…” Ling Yu’s face was deathly pale. She glanced at the black-clad men already charging toward them with swords in hand. On the other side, Zhao Yun and his servant had met the attack head-on, every strike deadly and merciless, a genuine fight to the death.

Meanwhile, two black-clad men on Cheng Shaotang’s side also lunged at him with their longswords.

He raised his sword to block the blade aimed at his chest, then suddenly tightened his grip on Ling Yu’s hand and pulled her into his arms before she could cry out. With a sharp crack, he cleaved down the other attacker. Sword rising and falling, he shielded his wife and child while deflecting, clang after clang, the incoming strikes of the two black-clad assailants.

Ling Yu, carrying her son on her back, was sometimes shoved away by him and sometimes pulled back again. Several times, the enemy’s sword nearly pierced her chest, frightening her so badly she almost fainted on the spot.

Cheng Shaotang launched a rapid succession of strikes, “clang, clang, clang,” more than ten in all, forcing the opponents back. He immediately grabbed Ling Yu’s hand and said, “Go!”

Without a word, Ling Yu followed him closely, sprinting all the way toward the eastern mountain forest.

The two black-clad men chased after them with swords in hand.

On the other side, Zhao Yun struggled to drive off one of the attackers, but his left shoulder was slashed by the enemy’s blade. Gritting his teeth, murderous fury flaring, he charged straight into the longsword thrust at him. The opponent never expected him to meet steel with flesh and hesitated for a brief instant. Zhao Yun seized the chance, slashing hard across the man’s throat. With a muffled groan, the man collapsed, dead.

At once, several more black-clad men rushed in. Anxious, furious, and consumed by hatred, Zhao Yun fought as if his life meant nothing, suffering two more wounds but still managing to kill two more enemies.

Chu Liang was in no better shape. He had been injured repeatedly, blood mingling with rainwater as it streamed down his forehead, his clothes already soaked with bloodstains.

“Your Highness, be careful!!” He thrust his sword through one attacker charging at him, only to see another black-clad man launching a sneak attack from behind Zhao Yun. Alarmed, he shouted as he rushed toward him.

Zhao Yun heard only his subordinate’s cry and had no time to react before another blade struck him from behind. As yet another sword came thrusting in, Chu Liang raised his sword and barely blocked it in the nick of time—only to be attacked from behind himself. He had time for no more than a muffled groan before the enemy’s blade ripped across his back, tearing through his clothes.

In no more than a few moments, master and servant were already covered in wounds and blood. Yet when they saw Cheng Shaotang in the distance, dragging his wife and child along as he fought and fled, their expressions changed abruptly, their eyes practically spitting fire.

“Traitor!!” The more Chu Liang had once admired Cheng Shaotang, the greater his fury now. Had he not seen Cheng Shaotang fighting the black-clad men chasing him, he would have suspected him of being an accomplice, someone who had deliberately lured them onto the boat and led them into this deadly trap.

Zhao Yun, however, seemed almost accustomed to such things. He casually wiped the blood from his face, coldly cleaving apart the sword coming at him, murderous intent overflowing in his eyes.

If he survived this time, he would spare no one who dared betray him.

Cheng Shaotang was not the primary target. Thus, when he pulled Ling Yu and her child away from Zhao Yun and Chu Liang, the black-clad men were briefly taken aback, but still split their forces, sending two in pursuit while the rest focused on Zhao Yun and Chu Liang, determined to assassinate them on the spot.

Ling Yu, after all, had limited stamina, and with Xiao Shitou on her back, she soon began to falter, her pace slowing. Before long, the two assassins caught up and attacked Cheng Shaotang together.

Cheng Shaotang met them head-on, gradually drawing them farther away from Ling Yu and her child. Once he felt the distance was safe, he unleashed all that he had learned, each move lethal, each strike utterly merciless.

The two men had never truly taken him seriously, harboring a sense of overconfidence from the start. Now, seeing the sharp ferocity of his swordplay, they were shocked to find that although he faced them two-on-one, he was steadily gaining the upper hand. Secretly alarmed, they regretted their earlier carelessness.

Already inferior in skill, and now gripped by fear in the midst of battle, they were beaten back until they could only defend, utterly unable to strike back.

The slightly taller assassin shot a glance at Ling Yu, who was hiding behind a tree and gasping for breath. Suddenly, he feigned an opening. Taking advantage of the moment when Cheng Shaotang turned to strike at his companion, he sprang forward, sword in hand, charging straight at Ling Yu and her child.

“Shaotang!!” Ling Yu was terrified beyond measure. She instinctively tried to turn and flee, but the thought of Xiao Shitou on her back forced her to stop short, screaming her husband’s name.

“Daddy!!” Xiao Shitou, his head still covered by clothing, sensed his mother’s fear and burst into loud sobs.

Just as the sword was about to plunge into her chest, Cheng Shaotang appeared as an arrow loosed from the bow, throwing himself in front of her and taking the blow head-on. In the next instant, his sword flashed, blood sprayed, the man’s throat was cut, and he collapsed heavily to the ground.

Seeing his companion killed, the remaining assassin’s face drained of color. Knowing he was no match, he turned and tried to flee. Cheng Shaotang would not allow it. He leapt forward, driving his sword straight into the man’s back. The assassin managed only a muffled groan before dropping dead.

“Go!” Cheng Shaotang rushed back to Ling Yu’s side, swiftly untying their son from her back. Holding the child in one arm and gripping her hand with the other, he continued fleeing east.

“Your wound… your wound…” Ling Yu followed him numbly, her face streaked with rain and tears indistinguishable from one another, her mind replaying the moment she saw a sword pierce his chest.

Cheng Shaotang ignored her, clutching her hand as they ran. The rain grew heavier and heavier, quickly erasing all traces of their escape.

He led Ling Yu and their son deep into the forest, found a concealed mountain cave, placed the crying child back into her arms, and then hurriedly dragged branches and brush to disguise the entrance.

“Shaotang, what are you doing?! Stop—your injuries…” Ling Yu cried, trying desperately to make him stop and tend to his wounds, but he acted as if he hadn’t heard her, his movements growing faster.

“Daddy, Daddy, Daddy…” Xiao Shitou struggled in his mother’s arms, trying to throw himself toward his father.

“Xiao Yu, listen to me. You and our son stay here. No matter what happens, don’t come out. I’ll come back for you as soon as I can.” Just as the camouflage was nearly complete, he suddenly stopped, gripping Ling Yu’s shoulders and speaking in a low, firm voice.

Then he wiped away his son’s tears, kissed Xiao Shitou’s flushed, tear-soaked face, and said hoarsely, “Listen to Daddy. Protect Mommy. Daddy will come back to get you very soon…”

“Where are you going?! Where are you going, leaving us behind?!” Ling Yu grabbed his wrist and cried out.

“I can’t abandon them, master and servant. If it weren’t for my poor judgment, they wouldn’t have fallen into such danger…” Cheng Shaotang felt as though his throat were clogged, his eyes burning red. He drew in a deep breath, forcefully wrenched his hand free from Ling Yu’s grasp, then turned and rushed out of the cave, quickly disguising the entrance amid the cries of the mother and child.

Hearing the faint sobbing drifting from within the cave, his eyes slowly filled with moisture.

“Wait for me to come back…” he murmured. Steeling his heart, he gripped his sword and sprinted back the way he had come.

Ling Yu pressed her son tightly into her arms, covering her mouth with all her strength to keep herself from crying out.

“Daddy… sob… Daddy…” Xiao Shitou whimpered in his mother’s embrace. Outside the cave, the roar of the rain soon drowned out the mother and child’s suppressed sobs.

Cheng Shaotang raced forward with reddened eyes and a grim, killing intent etched across his face. After only a short while, the sounds of fighting rang out ahead.

Through the white curtain of rain, he saw Chu Liang, almost unrecognizable beneath the blood, holding the unconscious Zhao Yun in one arm while wielding a long sword with the other against the assassins closing in. Already gravely wounded, burdened now with Zhao Yun whose life or death was uncertain, and facing enemies superior in number, he stood no chance. In mere moments, he was struck by several more blows. Two of the strikes were meant for Zhao Yun, yet he blocked them with his own body.

Cheng Shaotang’s heart jolted violently. Not daring to waste another second, he leapt into the air, sword raised, and charged straight toward the assassins.

Chu Liang was suddenly struck in the right hand by his opponent’s sword. Unable to keep his grip, the longsword slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. A kick landed squarely on his back, and he fell heavily into the mud and rain together with Zhao Yun, utterly powerless to fight back.

He closed his eyes in despair, waiting for the fatal blade to fall.

Suddenly, a sharp clang of colliding weapons rang out. Someone yanked him up from the ground. Chu Liang’s eyes flew open as he stared in disbelief at Cheng Shaotang, who seemed to have descended from the heavens.

“Protect His Highness!!” Cheng Shaotang roared. As he drove his sword straight toward the assassin on the left, he caught sight of Chu Liang standing frozen and barked the order in fury.

Chu Liang finally snapped back to himself. He immediately snatched up the fallen sword, clenched his teeth, and half-lifted, half-carried the motionless Zhao Yun to his feet.

With a swift spin, Cheng Shaotang kicked away the assassin who was stabbing toward Zhao Yun’s back. He followed with a slash that knocked the weapon from the assassin on the right, and before the man could react, he struck backhandedly, plunging the blade into his chest.

“Move!!” Cheng Shaotang shielded Chu Liang, while Chu Liang struggled to support Zhao Yun. The two fought as they retreated, leaving behind a trail where blood, no longer distinguishable whose, mixed with rainwater, glaring red against the ground.

One assassin fell, then another. The enemies grew fewer, yet the wounds on Cheng Shaotang’s body multiplied. And when Chu Liang was struck again in the left arm, he no longer had the strength to hold Zhao Yun steady.

“Brother Cheng, you should leave! Don’t worry about us anymore!” Seeing the remaining assassins launch another attack, Chu Liang finally gave in to despair. He glanced at his master lying on the ground, his fate uncertain, then at Cheng Shaotang, still fighting desperately despite being struck by multiple blades, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Enough nonsense! Get up!!” Cheng Shaotang stabbed another assassin dead and barked the words without even turning his head.

“I can’t go on, Brother Cheng—I really can’t go on anymore!!” Chu Liang roared weakly, desperation thick in his voice.

He could no longer muster even the slightest strength. His wounds were stretched and torn, waves of searing pain crashing over him. Fighting was out of the question; he could barely even stand.

“If you can still yell and shout, you’re not dead yet. Get up! Do you want His Highness to die here with you?!” Cheng Shaotang took a sword through the left shoulder, yet didn’t so much as knit his brows, casually swinging his blade back at the assassin who had struck him.

That utterly reckless, life-for-life fighting style sent a chill through the assassins surrounding him.

Those who become assassins are not afraid of death, but when death truly looms, not everyone can face it without flinching.

Chu Liang’s heart jolted.

Yes. His own death didn’t matter, but if his master were to be dragged down and buried here with him, how could he ever atone for that, even in death?

Thinking of this, he clenched his teeth hard. Somehow, a surge of strength rose within him, and he actually picked up the longsword from the ground and struggled to his feet. He and Cheng Shaotang each guarded one side of Zhao Yun, who lay on the ground with his fate unknown. As long as he could kill the enemy, he gave no thought at all to the wounds covering his own body.

With a dull thud, the enemy’s sword plunged into his chest. Without hesitation, he swung his blade mercilessly toward the man’s neck. The assassin was startled and tried to pull back and retreat, but the strike came too fast. In the next instant, his throat was slit.

Another one who wasn’t afraid of death…

The remaining four assassins’ faces changed drastically. They exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and together drove their swords toward Zhao Yun on the ground.

After all, he was their ultimate target. As long as he was killed, the mission would be complete.

Cheng Shaotang and Chu Liang surged forward at the same time, using their bodies to block the incoming blades as they fought back with all their strength. Their attacks were ruthless yet riddled with openings, each strike aimed only at bringing the enemy down, utterly heedless of their own safety, a completely life-for-life style of combat.

In no time at all, the assassins were driven back step by step.

“Kill him first!” Seeing the wind and rain gradually subside, most of his men dead or wounded while the one who needed to die was still alive, the black-clad leader grew both anxious and furious. He abruptly pointed his sword at Cheng Shaotang and barked the order.

The other three assassins exchanged a glance, then raised their swords and charged at Cheng Shaotang all at once.

“Brother Cheng, be careful!!” Chu Liang wanted to rush forward to help, but the leader was already upon him, forcing him to fight head-on.

Cheng Shaotang’s face darkened as he fearlessly engaged the three of them. Yet no matter how brave he was, he was already badly wounded, and with one man facing three, he quickly fell into a disadvantage.

A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips, and the weapon in his hand was knocked away. His expression did not change. He suddenly lunged at the nearest assassin, clamping his right arm around the man’s neck and twisting hard. A sharp crack of breaking bones rang out as the man’s neck went limp, and he collapsed heavily to the ground, utterly motionless.

The remaining two assassins were horrified, so shaken that they even halted their attacks. Seizing the moment, Cheng Shaotang surged forward, snatched the weapon from one of them, and stabbed it backhandedly into the other’s chest, killing him on the spot.

The last assassin’s face turned deathly pale. Staring at the blood-soaked, murderous figure before him, his legs went weak. As the blade came for him again, he suddenly turned around—and fled.

Cheng Shaotang raised his sword to pursue, but suddenly heard Chu Liang cry out behind him. He decisively spun around and charged straight at the leader, sword flashing.

The leader, having landed a successful blow, was about to kill Zhao Yun and his servant on the spot when his advance was blocked by a longsword brimming with killing intent. Instantly enraged, he abandoned Zhao Yun and his servant and turned to engage Cheng Shaotang.

The sharp clang of weapons rang clearly through the mountains. Though both men were highly skilled, after fighting for so long, they were already beginning to lose strength, their initial momentum gone. Cheng Shaotang, having fought multiple enemies, was even more exhausted, and after only a few dozen exchanges, he was struck by another sword.

He was driven back several steps. His vision suddenly blurred, and then he was kicked hard in the chest. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and at last, he could no longer hold on. His body swayed, and with a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground.

“Brother Cheng!!” Seeing the sword about to pierce Cheng Shaotang’s heart, Chu Liang felt his mind shatter. Powerless to rush forward and save him, he cried out in anguish.

Suddenly, a sharp tearing sound cut through the air. In the next instant, a swift arrow whistled past him and pierced straight into the leader’s back with flawless accuracy.

Watching the man crash to the ground, Chu Liang lay there in a daze. After a long moment, a look of joy finally spread across his face.

“Brother Cheng!!” Cheng Shaotang had thought he was surely going to die this time. At the very instant the sword was about to pierce his heart, the faces of Ling Yu and his son flashed through his mind.

This time, he had truly broken his promise to the mother and child.

When that familiar voice calling “Brother Cheng” sounded beside his ear, he couldn’t quite process it at first. “Xiao Mu?”

Xiao Mu rushed to his side, helped him up, and checked his pulse. His eyes reddened. “Thank goodness—we made it in time!”

“How did you end up here?” Cheng Shaotang asked as he steadied himself with Xiao Mu’s support.

“I found the bodies of the boatman and his wife and knew you must have fallen into a trap, so I hurried over,” Xiao Mu replied.

Cheng Shaotang had no mind to ask further. He struggled over to Chu Liang’s side and slowly sat down, forcing a grin. “Commander Chu.”

“Good kid—you’ve got one hell of a life,” Chu Liang laughed, joy from surviving the ordeal filling his chest.

Cheng Shaotang then motioned for Xiao Mu to check on Zhao Yun.

“Brother Cheng, his injuries are severe, but he’s still breathing. He needs treatment immediately,” Xiao Mu said with a frown.

“Do you have any medicine with you?” Cheng Shaotang asked urgently.

“I do!”

The three men carried the severely injured and unconscious Zhao Yun to a dilapidated house. Watching Xiao Mu begin treating Zhao Yun’s wounds, Cheng Shaotang quickly tended to his own injuries and got up to leave.

“Brother Cheng, where are you going?” Chu Liang noticed his movement and asked, puzzled.

“To fetch my wife and son,” Cheng Shaotang said, tossing out the words and walking out without looking back.

Chu Liang was momentarily stunned, then let out a long sigh. So that was it, Cheng Shaotang had only wanted to take his wife and son to safety, not abandon his master as Chu Liang had thought. He was a man with a family to care for, unlike Chu Liang, a lonely man with no one to rely on but his master.

Meanwhile, after being left behind by Cheng Shaotang, Ling Yu tightly hugged her son, silently weeping. Xiao Shitou cried for a while in her arms before falling into a deep sleep.

She sat alone in the cave, listening to the wind and rain outside, thinking of Cheng Shaotang, who had vanished without a trace. Tears streamed down her face again before she even realized it.

She knew he must have gone back to rescue Zhao Yun and his servant. But with so many assassins, even Zhao Yun in her previous life couldn’t escape. With him as an ally in this life, could things really change?

She feared that not only would they fail to save them, but he himself might also lose his life.

Tears streamed down her face. She wiped them away hastily, thinking of how he had abandoned her and their child in the same way in her past life. A surge of resentment, anger, and hatred welled up inside her.

How could he do this? How could he abandon her again? If he returned, she would teach him a lesson…

If he returned, what would she do?

Her nose stung again, and tears streamed down once more.

If he returned, she thought, she would probably throw herself into his arms, hold him tightly, and never let him abandon her again…

“You scoundrel! You broke your promise! You promised you would come back for us…”

Time passed slowly. She didn’t know when, but the wind and rain outside the cave gradually subsided, yet he never appeared.

“Father…” Xiao Shitou called out unconsciously in his sleep, making her heart ache even more.

“Go if you want! Anyway, anyway, in this life I will surely remarry with your son and all your assets and truly live a happy life…” she said fiercely, but tears instantly blurred her vision again.

“Once you enter the Cheng family, you become a Cheng family woman. Give up on that idea!” A familiar voice suddenly rang in her ears. She gasped, looking up in surprise and joy.

Through her blurry vision, she saw him smiling slightly, reaching out his hand: “Wife, I’ve come to take you and our son!”

She sniffed, hugging Xiao Shitou even tighter, her voice trembling with tears: “Why did you come back? Let us, mother and son, fend for ourselves!”

Cheng Shaotang smiled bitterly: “Xiao Yu, I’m injured…”

Before he could finish speaking, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.