Free Web NovelChapter 383: Chapter 383: She Doesn’t Care
Princess Qingyang’s expression shifted. "Yao Gai!?"
She immediately swung herself off her horse and rushed over. The unconscious youth on the ground had a face covered in blood. A deep scratch marred his right thigh, and the blood had already soaked through his clothes, leaving him in a wretched state.
"Yao Gai! Wake up!"
Princess Qingyang called out several times, but the boy remained unresponsive. Growing anxious, she turned to Ye Chutang for help.
"Chutang! Come take a look! I think he’s seriously injured!"
The moment Ye Chutang saw him, she knew something was wrong. Without any hesitation, she strode forward to examine him.
"It looks like he was wounded by a wild beast. He passed out from excessive blood loss."
Ye Chutang took a white Jade Bottle from her sleeve and evenly sprinkled the medicinal powder within onto Yao Gai’s wound to stanch the bleeding.
Xu Rongqing also hurried over. Seeing the scene, his brow furrowed in worry. "Isn’t this one of Yan’s and A Feng’s classmates from the Imperial College? I remember they entered the forest together. Why is he the only one here?"
As he spoke, he looked around, trying to spot the others.
Ye Chutang fed Yao Gai another pill, which was just enough to keep him breathing.
Princess Qingyang watched as the bleeding from Yao Gai’s wound gradually stopped and his once-faint breathing became steady and deep. Only then did her anxious heart settle.
Yao Gai’s father, Yao Feng, was once a general under King Yan Nan, so she was acquainted with Yao Gai.
"Yao Gai’s archery and riding skills are quite good. How could he end up in such a state?" Princess Qingyang said, still shaken. "And where did the others who were with him go?"
Just then, Yao Gai finally began to stir, struggling to open his eyes.
Princess Qingyang’s face lit up. "Yao Gai! You’re awake?"
Yao Gai’s mind was still fuzzy, but upon hearing Princess Qingyang’s voice, his thoughts slowly began to clear.
"Commandery... Commandery Princess...?"
His voice was weak. Princess Qingyang grew frantic. "Where are Ye Jingyan and Ye Yunfeng? Weren’t you all together?"
Yao Gai opened his mouth, trying to say something, but more blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
Suddenly, a clear, calm female voice flowed into his ears like a cool spring:
"Don’t speak yet. Your chest has suffered a heavy blow, and your ribs are likely broken. If you’re jolted again, they could pierce your lungs, which would be even more trouble."
Yao Gai turned his head and was shocked to see Ye Chutang beside him.
Her head was slightly lowered as she calmly bandaged his wound.
Her movements were practiced and her touch was light. In no time, she had tied a perfect knot.
Not only did he not feel much pain, but even the heart-wrenching, tearing agony he’d felt before passing out had significantly subsided.
’Ye Chutang... That’s right. There have always been rumors in the capital that her medical skills are superb.’
Like many others, Yao Gai had been skeptical of these claims, but seeing it for himself now, he knew they were true.
’The way she works, it’s clear she’s a seasoned veteran who has saved countless lives.’
"I’m going to ask a few questions. Just nod or shake your head."
Having finished the first aid, Ye Chutang paused and looked at Yao Gai.
"You, Yan, and A Feng were hunting a fawn and pursued it deep into the forest. But then, someone shot a hidden arrow at you. A Feng gave chase, pushing deeper in, while Yan told you to return to camp and report that assassins had attacked."
"But on your way back, you encountered a fierce beast and were overpowered and injured. Your horse must have been spooked, throwing you off in the chaos. You were severely wounded and fell unconscious, remaining that way until we arrived."
"As for Yan and A Feng, they likely headed toward the Beast Circle. You were separated from them, so now you don’t know where they are or what condition they’re in."
"Is that right, or not?"
She laid it all out so calmly that everyone standing by was left stunned.
’She... she deduced the entire sequence of events just like that!?’
Yao Gai’s eyes also widened. By the end of her speech, his eyes were red-rimmed as he nodded with great difficulty and effort.
’Yes, yes!’
He laboriously raised a hand and pointed into the forest, his expression filled with urgency.
"Save... save..."
Ye Chutang nodded. "Don’t worry, we’ll go and bring them back. But your injuries are severe and can’t be left untreated. You need to return immediately."
As she spoke, she turned back to the accompanying guards and singled out two of them.
"You two, escort him back to camp first."
With that said, she had already swung herself back onto her horse.
"The rest of us will press forward."
Princess Qingyang quickly grabbed her reins. "Chutang! You... how did you guess it was assassins—"
"I know Yan."
Ye Chutang’s reply was concise and to the point. She offered no further explanation.
’His willingness to risk going with A Feng already speaks volumes.’
’There’s no other possibility besides encountering assassins.’
Princess Qingyang was shaken to her core.
Based on just the subtle clues along the way, Ye Chutang had accurately guessed the cause of the incident and even deduced the general course of events!
Her observation of the external environment and her insight into people’s minds were both nothing short of masterful.
Even she, who had been personally taught by her father the King, couldn’t compare to Ye Chutang in this regard.
’Just what is she...?’
Gazing at that calm and composed face, Princess Qingyang nodded firmly. "Alright! We’ll follow your lead!"
But Xu Rongqing frowned, growing even more worried about their journey. "So they ran into that group of assassins too? We don’t know the enemy’s strength or our own. Rushing in blindly like this is dangerous. It would be better to send someone else back to report at top speed and request reinforcements."
His reasoning was sound, of course, but the crucial point was—time was running out.
They could afford to wait for a round trip, but Yan and A Feng might not have that luxury.
Ye Chutang glanced up at the sky.
’If night falls, the mountains will become even more dangerous.’
’We have to be fast!’
She yanked the reins. "Giddy-up!"
Princess Qingyang quickly spurred her horse to catch up. "Chutang, wait for me!"
Torn, Xu Rongqing immediately instructed a guard to return to camp for help, while he himself quickly urged his horse to follow.
「...」
The deeper they went, the denser the forest became.
Overhanging branches and rustling leaves blotted out the sun.
The light grew dimmer, and even the wind carried a biting chill.
Princess Qingyang knitted her brows. "What were those assassins thinking? Of all the places to go, why come to this Beast Circle?"
But Ye Chutang wasn’t surprised. "It’s remote and rarely trodden. The perfect place to kill someone and hide the body."
A sudden chill crept up Princess Qingyang’s spine.
She suddenly realized something. "Are you saying—they were already familiar with the terrain here and deliberately chose to lure people to the Beast Circle!?"
Ye Chutang gave a noncommittal response.
Princess Qingyang’s expression turned grim.
"The Third Prince was also attacked. These people must be from the same group. Could it be... that Yan and A Feng just happened to run into them?"
She wracked her brain, but she couldn’t think of anyone the two brothers might have offended enough to warrant such retaliation.
Anyone capable of infiltrating the Royal Hunting Ground undetected was no simple character. They had most likely been unfortunately caught up in this.
"Perhaps."
Ye Chutang said calmly.
She didn’t care about the reason or the process. She only cared about the result.
’Whoever touches Yan and A Feng, I will kill them!’
