"No Wedding Unless Enemies and Lovers" 《不是冤家不拜堂》Chapter 177

 Having heard what was said, Xiao Yi Chen looked at Mo Xiang, Mo Xiang straightened up, looking at him with an embarassed smile, waiting for his response, she wasn't as ill at ease as when she was a maid in the residence.

The next moment, Xiao Yi Chen lowered his eyes: "This prince never suspected Xue Er, if she wanted to kill someone she wouldn't use such a stupid method, there's no need to do it in the residence, it's clear someone framed her, even though this prince knew she was framed, I don't know who the mastermind is behind it, to beat them at their own game, I locked her up in the prison, this prince was more worried someone do something to her, I spent the entire night guarding the prison, we were separated by a door, she was sleeping, my heart was at peace."

"This prince thought he was cautious, with so many layers of protection, even a fly couldn't fly into the prison to harm Xue Er, but what I didn't expect the person I liked would take poison and commit suicide..."

Xiao Yi Chen's voice choked up with emotion, recalling the last time he saw Ji Ling Xue was when her body had turned cold, his heart was wrung like a fried dough twist.

Xiao Yi Chen raised his head, forcing the tears back into his eyes, he took a deep breath: "Mo Xiang, you've been by Xue Er's side all along, the closest person to her, did she leave a message for this prince?"

Looking at Xiao Yi Chen's eyes filled with grief, Mo Xiang's heart also sank, her hands beneath her sleeves turned into fists, several times she almost couldn't contain it, she wanted to tell him the truth, this was her mistress's plan, she had to hide it from the prince, she couldn't ruin her mistress's plans.

Mo Xiang lowered her voice, making her tone rather distressed, "Mistress didn't leave a message for prince..."

The light inside Xiao Yi Chen's eyes gradually dimmed, she hadn't left a message...she really was heartless.

Xiao Yi Chen's face was dark, like a storm could break out at any moment, Mo Xiang saw Xiao Yi Chen was in such pain, she couldn't help console him: "Prince...."

Xiao Yi Chen looked up at Mo Xiang.

Mo Xiang slowly said three words: "You...mourning period..."

Xiao Yi Chen nodded, standing up he said: "Keep watch over her properly, when this prince is done with what's at hand, I'll come to take her." He finished speaking and strode away, his back however looked bleak.

Mo Xiang sat blankly for a while, but didn't understand what Xiao Yi Chen's words meant.

Elsewhere, Ji Ling Xue and An Ge had changed into brothers and sisters, the two rode on fast horses speeding to the border, she had travelled down this route several times, she was already used to the landscape of the border.

Finding a tavern to stop for a break, when Ji Ling Xue woke up she received An Ge's news, Ru Ge and his group had been ambushed at Jiayu mountain pass and have gone missing.

Jiayu mountain pass joined Dayan and Dongqi, there were many precipitous cliffs, it was the best place for an ambush, Ji Ling Xue immediately went to the streets and bought some items for travelling before rushing to Jiayu mountain pass with An Ge.

From the prints left behind by the horse hooves, An Ge was able to figure out which road Ru Ge had taken, the two very soon found a steep cliff, there were still dried bloodstains on patches of grass, indicating how intense the fight was then, even after a burst of spring rain it wasn't cleaned away.

An Ge said: "Mistress, seeing how fresh the blood is, the assassination took place last night, even though it rained in the middle of the night, it couldn't clean the blood from the bottom of the grass and leaves, the blood stops at the cliff, should we take a look at the bottom?"

Ji Ling Xue nodded, she took out a rope that had already been prepared from the bundle on her back, after tying it around a tree, Ji Ling Xue threw the rope down the cliff.

An Ge said: "Mistress, this subordinate will go first to find a path."

In case there was some kind of danger at the bottom of the cliff, he had to deal with it first.

Ji Ling Xue smiled shaking her head, "No need." 

It was more important to save them, there wasn't a need to waste time on unnecessary things.

The two went down to the bottom one after the other, the cliff was over tens of zhang, it took quite a bit of time to get from the top of the cliff to the bottom, the weeds and bushes at the bottom grew as tall as people, the surrounding ten meters were shrouded with a thick fog, it was impossible to see clearly.

Ji Ling Xue called Ru Ge's name but didn't receive a response.

An Ge said: "Mistress, you called for so long but no one responded, it seems, the person you're looking for isn't here, we should head back up."

This overgrown land made his hairs stand on end from head to toe, his intuition told him there must be a terrifying creature at the bottom of this cliff, the person mistress was looking for has probably died already.

Ji Ling Xue shook her head: "No, my sixth sense is telling me Ru Ge is here."

An Ge: "..." Mistress, is your sixth sense accurate?

Ji Ling Xue pointed her finger at the black fog in front: "This is miasma, there's no wind from anywhere here, these miasma have gathered together, if Ru Ge and the others came down from the cliff, they would have breathed in the miasma...they wouldn't be able to leave here, the least they would have fallen unconscious, at worst they would have died."

This miasma was a poisonous gas released from dead plants and animals inside some mountain forests.

An Ge said: "If it's so dangerous, mistress wait here, I will use light martial arts to go around once, I'll be able to find them quickly."

Ji Ling Xue pulled on An Ge's sleeve: "You can't take a risk."

She only had one expert by her side, if something happened to An Ge, who would save her from difficulties?

https://translatingsloth.blogspot.com/

An Ge lowered his eyes and said without hesitation: "This subordinate's life was given by mistress, this subordinate is willing to do anything for mistress."

Ji Ling Xue's lips twitched, she was speechless at the bodyguard's expression of his loyalty.

Ji Ling Xue took out a mask from the bundle on her back and gave it to An Ge: "Your life is still useful to me, don't just say such words at random, put this on, I put some detoxifying herbs inside."

An Ge gave a laugh taking the mask from Ji Ling Xue and putting it on, using light martial arts he leapt forward. 

Sisisi...sisisi...

Sound of movement came from behind her, Ji Ling Xue turned to see a red gecko crawling on the cliff, moving it's eyes to stare at her, Ji Ling Xue narrowed her eyes, she took some powder in her hand and threw is at the gecko.

The white powder was dispersed by the breeze, when the powder had completely gone, the red gecko had already long disappeared, only a pair of black boots stood in front of her, lifting her head, Ji Ling Xue's eyes widened, Xiao Yi Chen's face came into view, as before his face was handsome, with a smile on his face his eyes quietly watched her, gentleness written in them.

Ji Ling Xue expression was rather stiff, she didn't know what words to use to describe her current frame of mind, why did Xiao Yi Chen find her so quickly, unless he already knew of her escape plan, why wasn't he angry at all on seeing her?

These thoughts flashed through her mind, Ji Ling Xue laughed, "Xiao Yi Chen, why are you here?"

Xiao Yi Chen said: "Ji Ling Xue, what do you take me as?"

"Ah?" Ji Ling Xue was puzzled, she had thought about Xiao Yi Chen criticising her, then without anything further he would carry her back to the prince's residence, she didn't think he would ask her this, what do you take me as?

He was the prince of Dongqi, only one person above him, tens of thousand beneath him, a protector of Dongqi, he had fought to claim a majority of the land.

Xiao Yi Chen said: "Have you thought of me as your husband? Why didn't you tell me about faking your death, do you know how heart-broken and sad I was when I saw you had committed suicide by poison?"

Ji Ling Xue pointed at Xiao Yi Chen's face: "But prince you don't seem very heart-broken or sad, your face is still meaty, you haven't turned wan or pallid."

Xiao Yi Chen pointing behind Ji Ling Xue, Ji Ling Xue looked back in confusion, Ru Ge's face was covered in dust, his hair was a mess, clothes torn, he unhurriedly walked over to her looking like a beggar.

Xiao Yi Chen said: "Ji Ling Xue, in your heart, is he more important or is this prince more important?"

Ji Ling Xue said: "Ru Ge is my sworn brother, of course he is very important, prince is still jealous?"

Xiao Yi Chen said: "What you're basically saying is that you don't have me in your heart..." He raised his hand as he spoke, shockingly a sword appeared from the palm of his hand, his figure rushed to stab Ru Ge's chest.

"No!" Ji Ling Xue cried out in alarm, she had no time to think, her body reacted quicker than her mind, quickly she threw herself at Ru Ge.

Plop!

The grass as tall as a person swayed, Ji Ling Xue's face was lying on the soft mud, when she raised her head, her face was already black with mud.

Ji Ling Xue turned her head to look, a breeze blew by, the grass produced a rustling sound, Xiao Yi Chen wasn't behind her nor was Ru Ge.

Ji Ling Xue rolled her eyes at the sky, such a great deception, she had never daydreamed in such a way, could it be that red gecko...

"Mistress, are you alright?" An Ge voice sounded at the worst moment.

Ji Ling Xue stood up awkwardly, patting the dust from her body: "Cough, cough, I'm fine, I saw a pheasant pass by, I wanted to catch it so we can roast it for dinner."

An Ge looked left and right, "Where's the pheasant?"

Ji Ling Xue said: "It ran, that thing ran very fast, very slippery."

An Ge gave an oh and didn't continue with the topic of the pheasant, he reported: "This subordinate had a look around, there is a set of footprints ahead, this subordinate had thought of following the footprints but I was worried for mistress's safety, so I can came back to report."

Ji Ling Xue gave an oh, asking: "When you came back, did you discover anything strange?"

An Ge thought about it carefully then shook his head: "No, there's only us two here." 

Actually he had come back earlier and saw Ji Ling Xue talking to herself, afterwards she strangely threw herself into the underbush, for his mistress to do such a strange thing she must have been influenced by something but didn't want him to know, it was better for him to pretend not to have heard or seen anything.

"Oh..." Ji Ling Xue's heart sank, she could only curse that hateful red gecko in her mind, that little thing better hope it doesn't come across her again, otherwise, she would definitely flay it, pull out it's tendons and boil it in a pot until it turns mushy to feed dogs.

Ji Ling Xue took out a mask from her bundle and put it on, nodding at An Ge: "Let's go." When it turns dark it would be harder to look.

An Ge said "my apologies" before putting Ji Ling Xue onto his back and flying like a sparrow to where the footprints were.

"Ru Ge...Yuchi Ru Ge..."

In a dark crevice of the cliff, a hand dripping with blood slowly felt about, apart from stone it was still stone beside his hand, a faint light shone into the darkness through a small crack in the rock, Ru Ge's eyelids moved, did he imagine it? 

Being able to hear Ji Ling Xue's voice before he died was really nice.