Chapter 21: Rescue
Despite the scolding, Jinsui still knew what was important and urgent.
The bandit struggled to get up and simultaneously pulled out a whistle from his neck to blow it.
She didn’t care about being beaten and thrown around, or how much it hurt, and scrambled to press herself onto the bandit.
At the same time, she pressed the handkerchief soaked in anesthetic firmly against the bandit’s nose and mouth.
Unfortunately, her strength was too little, and the struggling bandit almost threw her off.
Gu Changxiao was far away, but fortunately, Jin’an, who was hiding nearby, reacted quickly and rushed over to help Jinsui restrain the bandit.
With the siblings working together, and the anesthetic taking effect, the bandit struggled a few times and then collapsed softly on the ground, unconscious.
Gu Changxiao walked closer, looked at the bandit, then at Jinsui, who was panting heavily beside him, and the handkerchief in her hand.
His eyebrows slightly raised, he asked, “Little Taoist priest, this anesthetic, it wasn’t prepared for me, was it?”
Jinsui felt no guilt at all, got up, and pointed at his nose, scolding him:
“We agreed to cooperate, and this is how you cooperate? Using me as a punching bag!”
Grandpa Ling hurried in to mediate, “Now is not the time to argue, let’s go!”
Gu Changxiao wiped his short blade clean on his sleeve, then swiftly stepped forward and delivered a fatal blow to the unconscious bandit.
Jinsui wanted to ask him, what was the point of wiping his blade? It would get bloody again anyway.
Jin’an picked up a bandit’s knife and was about to help Grandpa Ling when Gu Changxiao bent down and said:
“Taoist priest, get on my back, I’ll carry you.”
Grandpa Ling didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately climbed onto his back.
Jinsui maliciously speculated that this person was probably afraid of her anesthetic, so he was using Grandpa Ling as a hostage by carrying him.
But he couldn’t carry her and Jin’an, and they couldn’t carry him, so they had no choice but to accept.
Jinsui picked up the torch at the cave entrance, and the four of them hurried into the depths of the mountain cave. The further they walked, the darker it became, and the wind in the depths sounded like roaring tigers and dragons.
It felt like they were not walking towards a place of freedom, but towards hell and the abyss.
Fortunately, the mountain cave was not deep. After walking for only half an hour, they heard the sound of flowing water.
Outside the cave was a forest with swaying trees, and not far away was a waterfall.
Fortunately, the rain had stopped, but there was no moon or stars, and the light from the torch was growing dimmer.
Jinsui quickly asked Gu Changxiao, “Which way do we go next?”
Unexpectedly, Gu Changxiao replied very directly, “I don’t know either. We’ll go wherever there’s a path.”
Jinsui was anxious, “Is this your escape plan? ‘Wherever there’s a path, we go there’? Are you trying to deliver us to the constables for them to sign for!”
Grandpa Ling once again played the role of the reliable elder and busied himself by taking out copper coins:
“Allow this old Taoist to cast a divination.”
Jinsui and Jin’an habitually waited, while Gu Changxiao looked speechless, took out his short blade, and tried to pry open the lock on his feet, but it was useless.
Soon, Grandpa Ling finished his divination and pointed north, saying:
“The gate of life is to the north, let’s go, head north.”
Gu Changxiao had no objections and set off again, carrying Grandpa Ling. Jinsui held the torch in one hand and the ankle chain in the other.
Although they hadn’t escaped the bandits’ territory yet, they already felt a sense of having survived a disaster. It was only when they relaxed that Jinsui realized how heavy the ankle chain truly was!
Her ankle ached so much that every step felt like being hit by a stone.
Also, the mountain path after the rain was truly difficult to walk. She stumbled and fell into a mud pit. If Gu Changxiao hadn’t grabbed the iron chain in time, she would have rolled down the cliff.
Jin’an stepped forward to help her and whispered in her ear, “Sister, can this person be trusted?”
Jinsui shook her head, “Even if he can’t be trusted, there’s nothing we can do. Let’s escape first.”
She then instructed, “Call me ‘brother’! This person is highly skilled, his hearing must be excellent.”
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind, followed by shouts and the clanging of copper.
It was obvious that the bandits had discovered their escape route.
Jinsui looked back and saw a large patch of firelight at the cave exit. She quickly extinguished the torch in her hand.
As soon as the torch was extinguished, she realized with a start that the sky was already dimly lit.
Gu Changxiao shouted from ahead, “Hurry!”
The siblings scrambled forward with their hands and feet, but they couldn’t match the speed of the pursuers behind them.
When Jinsui heard the ‘whoosh’ of an arrow in the wind, she instinctively threw herself over Jin’an.
As a result, the arrow shot directly towards Grandpa Ling’s back.
Jinsui cried out in horror, “Grandfather!”
At the critical moment, Gu Changxiao twisted his body, and the arrow flew past almost grazing Grandpa Ling’s head, embedding itself in Gu Changxiao’s shoulder.
Gu Changxiao grunted, Grandpa Ling slid off his back, and holding him, he urgently called out,
“Suisui, quickly, get the medicine!”
Gu Changxiao said, “Don’t stop, run!”
When Jinsui and Jin’an caught up, Jin’an supported Grandpa Ling, and Jinsui supported Gu Changxiao.
There was no choice; their feet were chained together, and neither could leave the other behind.
Seeing Gu Changxiao take the arrow for Grandpa Ling, she instantly forgave him for using her as a punching bag earlier.
She asked him worriedly, “How are you? Do you need me to bandage you?”
Gu Changxiao grunted, broke off the arrow, and gritted his teeth,
“No need, let’s find a safe place first.”
The four of them exerted almost all their strength, but they were old, young, and injured.
And the pursuers were too strong, whether they were young and strong bandits or skilled constables. Once they confirmed their escape route,
arrows rained down from behind, and the sound of running figures grew closer.
When Jinsui felt a dark cloud flying overhead, she looked back and saw a constable leap into the air, his long saber aimed at Jin’an, who was at the very back.
She was both anxious and panicked, shouting, “Jin’an!”
She turned to save her younger brother, but her movements were too slow. Gu Changxiao reacted faster.
With a flying tackle, he grabbed Jin’an and rolled a few times on the ground. The constable’s saber swung like lightning, chopping down at Gu Changxiao and Jin’an one after another.
Jinsui, dragged by the iron chain on her feet, also fell to the ground.
Seeing the man’s saber about to strike Jin’an, Gu Changxiao suddenly threw Jin’an aside, letting the saber slash into his back.
At the same time, he shouted to Jinsui, “Pull the iron chain!”
Jinsui instantly understood his intention. Their chained feet were lifted simultaneously, and the iron chain flew high, striking the constable.
Hit by this blow, the constable’s movements slowed. Gu Changxiao lunged forward and reversed the constable’s saber, stabbing it towards his neck.
However, he was injured and his strength was greatly reduced. The constable suddenly flipped over, pinning Gu Changxiao beneath him, the blade heading straight for his neck.
Jinsui crawled rapidly along the iron chain and picked up the knife that Jin’an had dropped.
At that moment, her mind went blank. She forgot she was a doctor, forgot she had lived in the peaceful Flower Planting Family.
She had only one thought in her mind: kill this constable, or they would all die!
Using almost all her strength, she stabbed the constable in the back.
The constable, spitting blood, fell onto Gu Changxiao.
As Gu Changxiao got up, he saw Jinsui’s face was snow white, and she was trembling, holding the knife:
“I killed someone, I actually killed someone.”
Gu Changxiao stepped forward and grasped her shoulders, comforting her for the first time in an extremely gentle tone,
“It’s okay, you’ll get used to it after killing a few more.”
Jinsui was about to say, what kind of comfort is that?
But then she saw Gu Changxiao close his eyes and collapse onto her.
Grandpa Ling and Jin’an hurried forward to help him. Jin’an tearfully said to Jinsui,
“Brother, he’s a good person, we can’t leave him.”
If he hadn’t taken the arrow for Grandpa Ling and the saber for Jin’an, Jinsui would have been able to harden her heart and abandon him.
But now, if Jinsui abandoned him to escape on her own, it would be like not fulfilling Jiang Shi’s last wish, and she would be restless for life.
Since she was in the Peach Blossom Spring, her heart would be tormented.
In this life, she feared owing a debt of gratitude the most.
