When Lingyan looked aside, both the Holy Master and Zongzheng Fengyi had vanished.
Lingyan broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing that the battle between Yi Yuan and Xie Huaiyue in the front was coming to an end, she shouted at the top of her voice, "Your Highness! The young lady has been abducted by the Holy Master!"
Yi Yuan was startled. His hand holding the sword trembled, and Xie Huaiyue's sword nicked his arm.
But Xie Huaiyue was at the end of his tether. Although he managed to wound Yi Yuan's skin, it was not a serious injury. On the contrary, Yi Yuan was worried that the Holy Master might do something desperate to harm Yun Xi. In his anxiety, he attacked more fiercely and immediately struck Xie Huaiyue to the ground, leaving him unable to get up.
Xie Huaiyue shouted unwillingly, "So what if you capture me?! I have more troops. They've reached the capital. It won't be long before they take over the city gates! None of you can escape!"
"Moreover, tens of thousands of commoners and soldiers have been infected by the Gu worms, and the infestation will spread! Yi Ju, Yi Yuan! If you capture me, they'll have no way out! And Dayin will..."
"Shut up!" Emperor Zhaohuan roared angrily.
"Do you think Hunyuan has been absent for no reason? He's already developed an antidote for your so - called Gu worms. As for that deputy general Hu who colluded with you, Prince Yu'an has already found out. Do you really think you've kept your dirty deeds a secret?"
"Did you ever consider that once Shen Zhou defected, Yun Weisheng would be in danger? Since Yun Weisheng is alive but not in the capital, guess where he is at this moment?"
"What... What? No... This can't be true..." Xie Huaiyue murmured and looked around. Only then did he notice that the guards and soldiers pouring in from outside were the same ones who had been writhing in pain with abdominal cramps just now!
Emperor Zhaohuan let out a cold snort. His imposing and stern gaze fell upon Xie Huaiyue from above. "You don't care about the lives of the commoners and soldiers at all. You're willing to sacrifice them for your wild ambitions and still dream of sitting on the throne to rule the country? Do you think you're qualified?! Even if you did become the emperor of Dayin, a ruler who doesn't care about the lives of his people and soldiers will surely lead Dayin to ruin!"
After saying that, he didn't pay any more attention to Xie Huaiyue. Instead, he turned to Yi Yuan and said, "Go after them. Take Mianxiao Lin'an with you. Don't worry about this place. He won't be able to cause any more trouble!"
Then, as if remembering something, he reminded, "Use the secret passage!"
When one is worried, one can easily lose one's wits. Yi Yuan was in a state of extreme anxiety, not knowing where to look for Yun Xi. At Emperor Zhaohuan's words, he was suddenly enlightened. He cast a complex look at Emperor Zhaohuan, bowed briefly, and then quickly ran to the spot where the Holy Master and Zongzheng Fengyi had stood.
Yi Yuan quickly recalled the map of the palace's secret passages drawn by Lan Chu in his mind. Soon, he noticed a slightly darker pattern on the intricate lamp - stand on the wall.
He pressed it gently, and a hole just big enough for one person to pass through appeared silently on the ground. He ordered Mianxiao Lin'an to lead the people from Heavy Frost to block the exit. Without hesitation, Yi Yuan jumped in.
Lingyan and... Shen Zhou also jumped in with him.
At this moment, Yun Xi was being carried on the Holy Master's shoulder and running at full speed.
The jolting made her nauseous.
There were a multitude of voices in her ears, coming from all directions. She could clearly feel her heart pounding abnormally fast.
It seemed that a seed was about to sprout.
All the blood in her body seemed to be flowing towards her heart, nourishing the restless seed and helping it break through her chest.
An indescribable pain filled her entire body. Yun Xi's face turned deathly pale, and sweat poured down like rain.
The Holy Master's voice was faint in her ears. Yun Xi could only vaguely hear, "...It's done. The Gu worm is about to come out..."
"The Drunken Gu Ring is missing. We have to take her to the secret chamber quickly to stabilize the mind - reading Gu worm for now, or else..."
Yun Xi didn't catch the rest of the words, but she guessed it wouldn't be anything good.
Most likely... it was just a matter of death...
Just as she was thinking, she suddenly heard the clash of weapons.
The two sides engaged briefly and then separated quickly.
"Let go of Xiaoxi!" It was Yi Yuan's voice.
Yun Xi forced her eyes open and found that she had somehow ended up in a spacious secret chamber.
Yi Yuan stood in front of the Holy Master and Zongzheng Fengyi with his sword drawn. Lingyan and Shen Zhou were on his sides.
Probably because of Yi Yuan's sudden attack, the Holy Master had put her down from his shoulder, but his hand still tightly grasped Yun Xi's shoulder, keeping her under his control.
"The mind - reading Gu worm has matured," the Holy Master's voice was hoarse and gloomy. "She's doomed. Look at her face. Right now, only I can stabilize the mind - reading Gu worm on her. Are you sure you want her now?"
Before Yi Yuan could say anything, Shen Zhou sneered contemptuously and spoke first. "Do you think we'll believe you?"
"Since the mind - reading Gu worm has matured, why don't you take it? Instead, you want to stabilize it and prevent it from coming out. Isn't that self - contradictory?"
Yi Yuan's heart skipped a beat. He naturally knew why the Holy Master didn't take it. But he was worried that if he insisted on taking Yun Xi away, it would arouse the Holy Master's suspicion.
If the Holy Master found out that the Drunken Gu Ring was in his possession, Yun Xi might really be in mortal danger.
Now that Shen Zhou had said this, he took the opportunity to follow suit. "Right. Do you think you can deceive me? You're dreaming!"
With that, he twirled his sword and charged forward recklessly.
The two sides soon got into a fight.
Zongzheng Fengyi was infuriated. He never expected Yi Yuan to be so "reckless".
While drawing out his strange big knife to block Yi Yuan's attacks, he shouted, "You're really a fool! It's one thing that you've been kept in the dark about your own background. Now, Yun Xi's situation is right in front of you. Can't you open your eyes and take a good look?"
Yi Yuan ignored him and attacked more and more fiercely.
Lingyan cooperated, saying, "Don't try to mess with our minds. Given the young lady's current situation, who knows if you two shameless people have given her some other strange things!"
"She already has a mature mind - reading Gu worm in her. She's on the verge of death. What else could you possibly give her?!"
Zongzheng Fengyi parried Lingyan's sword with a clang and almost spat out blood in anger. "Not to mention ordinary poisons and drugs, even all other Gu worms are useless to her at this moment!"
Pretending not to believe him, Lingyan tried her best to entangle Zongzheng Fengyi, creating opportunities for Yi Yuan and Shen Zhou. She hoped that the two of them would quickly capture the Holy Master and rescue Yun Xi.
Unfortunately, the Holy Master was extremely skilled in martial arts. Even when Yi Yuan and Shen Zhou joined forces, they couldn't gain an advantage for the time being.
Moreover, with Yun Xi in the Holy Master's hands, although it restricted the Holy Master's movements, it also hampered their own moves.
The situation fell into a strange stalemate.
Yun Xi was in a daze. She only knew that the two sides were fighting. But she couldn't hear clearly, and everything in front of her began to blur. Her strength was fading away.
Amidst the spinning of the world, Yun Xi felt herself falling.
"Xiaoxi!"
"Yingying!"
Yi Yuan and Shen Zhou exclaimed in unison. Even the Holy Master couldn't help shouting, "Oh no! The mind - reading Gu worm is about to come out!"