Tan Hua - Chapter 97: Worth Dying Nine Times Over

Chapter 97: Worth Dying Nine Times Over

Song Liqing had exhausted every insult he knew, but Jun Qiyu acted as though he hadn’t heard, indifferently carrying him into the city.

Frustrated, Song Liqing bit down on his arm. Jun Qiyu’s arm was muscular, and the flesh was hard to bite into. Song Liqing held on, refusing to let go.

“Mmmpf! (Let me go!)”

Song Liqing threatened fiercely, but Jun Qiyu merely pressed his thin lips together.

“I can listen to anything you say, but not this,” Jun Qiyu said.

“Who’s there?” came a sharp shout from the city wall, its voice alone cutting through the night.

Naturally, it was a guard on duty.

Jun Qiyu looked up and called out loudly, “You blind fool, Wei Chi, get down here and open the gates!”

Song Liqing’s jaw ached from biting, and he finally let go of Jun Qiyu’s flesh.

“You’re calling people blind while you’re the one blind…” Song Liqing muttered angrily.

Although Jun Qiyu was insulting him, his tone was laced with warmth and familiarity.

Indeed, the guard immediately recognized Jun Qiyu’s voice. A man with thick brows and a square face appeared in surprise from the city wall.

“Your Highness! It’s Your Highness!”

The general, Wei Chi, quickly gave orders to open the gate, running out with joy, while a group of guards lined up on either side.

“Your Highness! How did you end up at the Yumen Pass? Why are you without any guards?”

Wei Chi asked non-stop as he approached. Upon seeing Jun Qiyu’s numerous injuries, he immediately gasped, his thick brows furrowing with worry.

“Your Highness! Who did this to you? And your eyes… Who’s the bastard who did this? I’ll take my men and kill him!”

Wei Chi immediately began shouting for revenge. Not only was the fact that the Crown Prince was blind a serious matter, but his many years of following Jun Qiyu had also stirred up his anger.

“A prince from the former dynasty appeared in the Western Regions, claiming to be the rightful heir. He caused a rebellion in Loulan and killed many of the officials sent by Jingguo,” Jun Qiyu explained as he entered the city. “Get me a good carriage.”

“A prince from the former dynasty?!” Wei Chi exclaimed excitedly. “This means there’s a war to fight!”

There weren’t many good carriages on the border, but Wei Chi found a relatively spacious and comfortable one and matched it with four gentle warhorses.

“Wei Chi, issue a war order to prepare all border defenses, and gather soldiers and supplies. After I send Liqing back to the Qilin Mansion, I’ll personally lead the army to Loulan and take his head.”

“Won’t you stay here at Yumen Pass to recover?” Wei Chi asked.

Jun Qiyu shook his head. “Once the war begins, Yumen Pass might not be safe. To be on the safe side, Liqing cannot stay here.”

“Understood!”

Wei Chi cupped his hands in respect. He didn’t know who was in Jun Qiyu’s arms but laughed jovially.

“Your Highness has such a gentle and attentive side. I can see how soft your bones are in the warmth of your sweetheart…” Wei Chi whispered, “Where did you pick up this little beauty? Look at how you cherish him.”

Jun Qiyu raised an eyebrow. “Little beauty?”

“He’s truly handsome…” Wei Chi grinned, “Little beauty, don’t be reluctant. Stick with His Highness and you’ll enjoy a life of luxury. His Highness will treat you well.”

Jun Qiyu sneered. “You really have a big mouth, daring to speak ill of my Crown Princess.”

“C-Crown Princess?! The Crown Princess isn’t… I mean, uh…”

Wei Chi stammered, realizing his mistake. He hadn’t seen Song Liqing before, but upon closer inspection, he recognized him from the wanted poster. Wei Chi immediately stopped talking, noticing how Song Liqing was struggling, thinking that Jun Qiyu had kidnapped him from somewhere.

“Oh no, my eyes were deceiving me! I forgot to address the Crown Princess properly, forgive my rude mouth!”

Wei Chi lightly slapped himself, his thick brows furrowing in an awkward smile.

“Say another word and I’ll cut your tongue out.”

Wei Chi quickly covered his mouth, terrified that Jun Qiyu would carry out his threat.

Jun Qiyu scolded him but couldn’t help but smile faintly.

How could he not treasure the person he’d nearly lost?

If it hadn’t been for Xiao Taizi’s kidnapping and the ensuing chaos, Jun Qiyu might not have had the resolve to bring Song Liqing back from Loulan.

“This life-and-death struggle was worth it!” Jun Qiyu thought.

He even felt a little grateful to Xiao Taizi for giving him this chance, which had cleared his mind.

Wei Chi kicked him in the rear, and then ordered food, water, and supplies to be gathered. He also prepared a medical kit for Qi Miao.

Jun Qiyu carried Song Liqing into the carriage and set him down.

Without further delay, the carriage set off as the sun began to rise.

“Liqing, can you rest easy now?” Jun Qiyu asked, squatting down in front of Song Liqing.

Song Liqing certainly couldn’t rest easy. Judging by Jun Qiyu’s tone, he was planning to settle him in the Qilin Mansion, which would delay him even more. Every day spent away from Loulan made it more dangerous.

But at least Jun Qiyu hadn’t broken his word; he had already ordered the military to prepare for the rescue.

“Then… you must save Xingxu.”

“I promise,” Jun Qiyu replied.

After saying that, he lowered his head and collapsed onto Song Liqing’s shoulder.

Song Liqing was nearly crushed under Jun Qiyu’s weight, only just managing to hold himself up with the side of the carriage. It was difficult, but when he pushed Jun Qiyu up, he realized that his eyes were closed, and he had lost consciousness.

“Jun Qiyu!”

Song Liqing’s heart skipped a beat. Jun Qiyu had never shown weakness in front of him; he had always been energetic, seemingly invincible. He never thought Jun Qiyu would collapse one day. Feeling a twinge of sympathy, Song Liqing realized that Jun Qiyu, too, was only human—how could he never get tired or hurt?

Qi Miao immediately laid Jun Qiyu flat. Fortunately, the carriage was spacious, but the tall Jun Qiyu made the seat feel cramped.

Song Liqing squeezed into the corner, his leg serving as Jun Qiyu’s pillow.

“Don’t worry, it’s just exhaustion from his injuries. There’s no life-threatening danger,” Qi Miao said after checking his pulse. “If it were anyone else, they’d have collapsed already, but His Highness managed to hang on until now.”

Qi Miao opened his medical kit and began treating Jun Qiyu’s wounds. Soon, Jun Qiyu was wrapped up tightly in bandages, showing just how many injuries he had.

Border posts always had plenty of medicine, so Qi Miao didn’t hesitate to use it.

Song Liqing stayed still, unable to move, but with Jun Qiyu’s head on his lap, his leg became numb from the weight. Every time he tried to move, it hurt.

He tried to shift but was immediately caught by Jun Qiyu’s hand.

“Where are you going?”

Jun Qiyu’s anxious voice revealed that he feared Song Liqing might try to escape.

Song Liqing’s hand was tightly held in Jun Qiyu’s, his fingers calloused and firm.