Reborn as Powerful Minister's Beloved
Chapter 115: A Clean Break

Chapter 115: Chapter 115: A Clean Break

"Commandery Princess——" Xing Yu bellowed, lunging at the shadowy figure descending rapidly, leaving Zheng Haoyuan petrified until Xing Yu harshly pushed Zheng Nianru towards him, causing her to fall onto his body.

"Ah——" Still, Zheng Nianru’s arm was gashed open by the shadow, the searing pain transmitting to all her senses instantaneously. The unbearable pain turned into a mournful cry that echoed out.

"Nian Ru——" Nanmen Yu’s expression changed as he leapt forward, and several Nanmen Death Soldiers skillfully bypassed him. A black net quickly opened in the air, and by the time they surged forward, the net had already been cast over the shadow.

"Cackling——" Immediately, the shadow abandoned its target on the ground, struggling to flee. However, delicate as the black net appeared, it was incredibly sturdy. Moreover, the net was coated with a unique concoction; once the shadow touched the black net, its skin seared as if burned.

A few Death Warriors did not dare to get too close, merely pulling on the black net from a distance, as if they feared the shadowy figure within the net.

Nanmen Yu had already rushed into the crevice in the wall, only to find it narrower than he had anticipated.

"Nian Ru, how are you?" Nanmen Yu asked anxiously. Zheng Nianru was sitting on the ground, her injuries unclear, while Xing Yu had fainted closest to him.

As Zheng Nianru regained some consciousness from Nanmen Yu’s pulling, her arm hurt greatly, but her fear of death was even stronger. Watching the shadow being trapped, she knew it was the best chance to escape.

"Cousin Sister——" Zheng Haoyuan also realized this, struggling to help Zheng Nianru up, slowly making their way towards Nanmen Yu.

Nanmen Yu first helped Xing Yu out, then waited anxiously for Zheng Nianru, who was slowly coming out. As soon as Zheng Nianru emerged, Nanmen Yu immediately saw the blood-stained sleeve that had been torn.

"Nian Ru——" Nanmen Yu immediately took off his coat and draped it over Zheng Nianru, while Tan Zong had others assist Xing Yu.

"Let’s get out of here first," Nanmen Yu hadn’t finished speaking when another sinister and terrifying screech came from above. A Death Warrior holding the corner of the black net was thrown into the air by the immense force of the shadow, flying out. The net weakened at one corner, revealing a large hole.

"Quick, patch it up——" Tan Zong’s complexion changed. They had unleashed their trump card from the very beginning to trap this monster, aiming for a quick escape.

A Death Warrior immediately charged towards the corner of the black net, but before he got halfway, the shadow burst out like an arrow, colliding with the warrior.

"Bang——" Nanmen Yu only heard the thud of a heavy sandbag hitting the ground, followed by the sight of the warrior sprawling on the ground, while the shadow had vanished without a trace.

Suddenly the air turned deathly silent. Tan Zong, still shaken, kept his gaze fixed on the sky, as another Death Warrior quickly filled the gap, standing on the wall and staring tensely around, fearing the shadow might charge out at any moment.

After a long while, Zheng Nianru could barely hold on any longer, and the shadow seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

The bedraggled Loyal Warriors of the Wen Family had hurried over, and without any hesitation, they stood shoulder to shoulder with the Nanmen Death Soldiers, watching the sky tensely for any movement.

Yan Cheng was supporting Zheng Haoyuan; at this moment, he also did not dare to make any rash decisions, simply waiting for something amidst the tense atmosphere. It seemed as though something was choking everyone, and they dared not utter a sound.

"Princely Heir, the thing has been taken—it’s gone," Tan Zong was the first to speak. After so much time had passed, almost everyone had already slowly arrived at this conclusion. It’s just that the terrifying sound was still echoing in everyone’s minds, making them afraid to voice it out loud.

"Let’s head back to the inn first—" Nanmen Yu glanced at Zheng Nianru, who lay in Xing Yu’s arms, as Xing Yu’s face was pale, having forced himself awake from the unconscious state, while Fu Dong shivered uncontrollably, clinging tightly to Xing Yu’s sleeve. Nian Xia, braver than the rest, gripped a sword found somewhere unknown, guarding in front of them.

Tan Zong took a look at Zheng Nianru. A carriage slowly made its entrance. Xing Yu carried Zheng Nianru onto the carriage, followed by Fu Dong. Zheng Haoyuan also boarded, and the accompanying guards maintained a stern demeanor. Despite being worn out, they seemed to have forgotten their fatigue, wishing only to leave this place as quickly as possible.

"Commandery Princess, Commandery Princess—" Fu Dong carefully wiped the sweat off Zheng Nianru’s forehead.

Zheng Nianru just lay there with her eyes closed, looking exhausted, but her mind was extremely clear.

Having been reincarnated, there seemed to be some differences from her previous life. In that life, her understanding of Qiandao Temple was that it was filled with charlatan mages pretending and deceiving people for money, and those seemingly mystical spells were nothing but mere illusions.

Now, however, Zheng Nianru thought it was just her own ignorance, laced with arrogance. She dismissed what she couldn’t understand as tricks and deceit. Consequently, when a courtier later mentioned the resurgence of Qiandao Temple, she still exterminated them thoroughly, causing public outrage.

Yet now, it appeared that there were some aspects of Qiandao Temple she did not understand, but they indeed truly existed. The shadow she had seen with her own eyes was no illusion. But then, was this also not Qiandao Temple’s true capabilities?

Even Master Ling Yi didn’t understand the origin of that shadow, did he?

A jolt of the carriage pulled at Zheng Nianru’s wound, abruptly interrupting her thoughts. She then felt she was overthinking again. In this life, she had no desire to be the Empress Dowager—the legitimacy of the role was questionable, and its burdens were not worth the responsibilities. Better to live her own life freely and happily.

Zheng Haoyuan looked at Zheng Nianru with her eyes shut and didn’t dare to speak. Seeing her furrowed brow from time to time, he knew the wound was very painful, and his guilt deepened.

"Nian Ru, we’re here—" Nanmen Yu impatiently lifted the curtain, and Xing Yu still insisted on carrying Zheng Nianru into the inn.

Inside the inn at that moment, all irrelevant people had already been sent to a new establishment on some pretext, leaving only Nanmen Death Soldiers disguised as the inn’s staff.

Xing Yu carefully laid Zheng Nianru onto the bed before sitting down next to it, panting for breath.

"Nian Ru, let me take a look at your injury," Nanmen Yu said with concern. The wound must have been sizable, as indicated by the blood that had seeped out, which was not only extensive but deep as well.

Too pained to speak, Zheng Nianru nodded. Immediately, a Death Soldier from Nanmen Yu’s retinue came in and swiftly cut open Zheng Nianru’s sleeve, revealing two long and deep gashes, prompting Fu Dong to burst into tears.

"Commandery Princess, what should we do now?"

Xing Yu paced uneasily, not sure what to do.

Zheng Nianru glanced at the wound and immediately felt terrible. Such a large gash would leave an incredibly unsightly scar.

"I need the Imperial Physician, I need to return to the palace," Zheng Nianru thought of Zheng Congyuan at that moment.