Chapter 20: Wanting His Life
Chu Fufeng watched Hanmianâs figure gradually disappear into the darkness, and his heart felt like a pot of boiling waterâscalding, hot, and unbearable.
The fact that she was willing to give him a chanceâdid it mean she didnât hate him that much after all? Perhaps it was just that what he had done before was too extreme, leaving her unable to find a proper reason to forgive him.
Standing there, Chu Fufeng exuded the aura of a single warrior capable of holding off ten thousand foes.
Chen Yan charged forward, leading his men. When he saw Chu Fufeng gripping his weapon, his eyes darkened with fury, his expression twisted.
âKill him.â
Immediately, the orcs surged forward. Most of them had been hired by Chen Yan, and though they were reckless, none dared to kill in plain sight.
But Chen Yan had paid them far too muchâthey couldnât back down.
So, with silent understanding, they aimed only to wound Chu Fufeng, waiting for him to bleed out and die.
Chu Fufeng faced more than a dozen opponents alone. His fists were no match for their four hands, and soon his body was covered in injuries.
Yet he fought like a mad dog with nothing to lose, focusing solely on Chen Yan.
This unwavering gaze only irritated Chen Yan further. How dare this man treat him like prey? Who did he think he was?
No orc could tolerate such provocation, and soon Chen Yan met him head-on.
Both sides were ruthless; for a moment, neither advanced, quietly observing the bloody battlefield before them.
âŚ
Hanmian noticed Yanâanâs steps slowing, and impatience flashed in her eyes.
âDonât stop. Ciri is badly injured, and you canât defeat so many orcs. Go join Chen Xueji and the others first,â Hanmian urged, suppressing her frustration.
Yanâan realized she was right and suddenly quickened his pace, running recklessly as if he had no regard for his life.
Soon, Chen Xueji and Yu Jin arrived.
âHowâs Ciri?â Chen Xueji asked first.
Hanmian shook her head. âNot good. Heâs seriously wounded.â
âAnd Fufeng?â Yu Jin patted Yanâan, who was panting like a bull and nearly collapsing, instinctively scanning their surroundings.
âSave⌠him! Heâs behind!â Yanâan finally caught his breath, pointing to the forest behind them, ignoring the sting in his throat.
Yu Jinâs grip on Yanâanâs arm tightened.
âWhat do you mean? You left him behind as a rear guard?â Chen Xueji, having just given Ciri the medicine, asked in disbelief.
Seeing Yanâan unable to speak and Ciri unconscious in his arms, Chen Xueji turned his gaze to Hanmian.
She was standing off to the side. Noticing his look, she seemed slightly surprised, tilting her head in curiosity.
Her whole demeanor was relaxed, almost cold, as if she were watching a farce that had nothing to do with her.
At that moment, he suddenly realized that the little princess of the Han family was gone. What remained was this cool, detached woman.
Yu Jinâs expression also darkened.
âWhat are you looking at me for?â Hanmian asked, then, as if realizing something, said, âYouâre not blaming me for leaving Chu Fufeng behind, are you?â
âCiri is seriously wounded, Yanâanâs body canât handle much, and I have no combat strength. If not him, then who?â
After Hanmianâs âexplanation,â the tense atmosphere slowly eased.
âIâll go bring him back,â Chen Xueji said, paying no mind to Hanmian, and transformed into his beast form.
Hanmian first saw a massive, dark green serpentine body, then a pair of enormous wings, nearly black.
She stared in shock.
But Chen Xueji moved so fast that he disappeared several miles away in a flash, leaving her unable to clearly see his beast form.
âŚ
Hanmian felt a bit tired. Seeing Ciri still unconscious and knowing they couldnât leave anytime soon, she found a large tree and leaned against its trunk, sitting down.
Yu Jin had Yanâan continue giving Ciri his medicine at intervals, then walked over to Hanmian.
He knelt beside her, taking out a medicinal ointment. Carefully, he dabbed a bit onto her scratch from the tree branch.
âLady⌠do you want Fufeng dead?â
Hanmian barely raised her lashes, her expression weary.
âOf course not.â
Her reply was perfunctoryâshe didnât even bother pretending.
âYou always want to be the one who benefits, wanting everything but giving little in return. Itâs infuriating.â
Yu Jinâs upbringing prevented him from speaking rudely to his companion, yet this remark was blunt enough.
Hanmian tilted her head back, revealing her pale, soft neck.
âOh, andâŚ?â
Those few words made Yu Jinâs head spin. Only then did he realize he had been provoked.
âLady, be careful. Donât play with an eagle all your life and get pecked blind by it,â Yu Jin said, his usually gentle voice carrying a rare sharpness.
âHow strange. If the eagle is so foolish, how could it remain all its life?â
Hearing her reply, Yu Jin felt an inexplicable chill.
He stared at Hanmianâs beautiful face, as if trying to see the cold-blooded monster hidden beneath that flawless exterior.
âHad enough?â Hanmianâs expression soured; she didnât like being stared at so strangely.
Yu Jin seemed to snap out of his daze, slowly blinking.
âForgive me, Lady.â
His instincts had made him apologize without thinking.
Seeing him still well-groomed and composed, Hanmian suddenly lost the desire to tease him. She turned her head, showing she didnât care to engage.
Yu Jin, sensing this, left.
Meanwhile, Chu Fufeng was nearing the end of the road.
His body, covered in wounds, looked like a tortured humanoid creature on the brink of death.
In truth, he felt close to dying.
Every swing of his blade was a final song before death.
Suddenly, he remembered the day he stormed into the villa in anger, seeing Hanmian holding berries and lightly licking her lips with her soft, pink tongue.
At that moment, he had clearly heard his own heartbeat.
He hadnât understood what it meant, only reacting with instinctive anger. He knocked over the berries and ended up hurting her.
His clouded mind made him foolish enough to kneel outside her house afterward.
When she told him not to appear before her, he felt panic for the first time in his life, his chest inexplicably tightening.
He couldnât utter a wordâhe could only flee miserably.
He owed her an apology, but it seemed he would never have the chance.
Chu Fufeng forced a stiff smile, exhaustion making it impossible even to form a bitter grin.
If he died here, would she remember him? Would she spare him a fraction of her favor for Yanâan?
Chu Fufengâs determination earned the respect of the surrounding orcs, slowing their attacks. That was why he had survived the onslaught.
Among the orcs present, except for Chen Yan, none truly wanted Chu Fufeng dead.
Some even subtly restrained Chen Yan, because they bore no grudge that demanded death. Some knew that Huo Linhua had never belonged to Chen Yan from the start.
Chen Yan noticed this, his gaze darkening even further.
Chu Fufeng had to die.
He silently gathered his strength, his eyes filled with deadly intent, and quickly transformed into his beast form, revealing venomous fangs aimed at Chu Fufeng.
