A piece of Japanese incense

Chapter 248 Resolving Misunderstandings

The two watchers were located about ten steps behind Zhiyi and to the right, near the edge of a low bush.

Zhi Yihe began coughing violently, focusing his "scratching" on the exposed areas of his neck and arms. Then, he began to bang his head against the rocks behind him in small, yet extremely painful movements, making a "dong... dong..." sound, looking exactly like a delirious, self-harming, dying person.

The effect is remarkable.

She heard one of them tsk.

Another person said lazily: "It's almost there. Look at her. I'm afraid she's breathing in more than out."

The time is approaching.

Zhi Yihe needs to create an opportunity to get rid of two people at the same time.

She "accidentally" dropped a small pearl hidden in her palm with a "pop". Her hands frantically groped in the gravel, sending sand everywhere.

"Hey? What are you doing?" asked a watcher, taking a step forward to get a better look.

"Be careful! Don't get too close!" Although the other observer reminded, his attention was also drawn over and he followed his companion in moving forward.

It's now!

Her movements were swift, precise, ruthless, and unpretentious. She pressed her right hand's five fingers together, jabbing the opponent's Yamen acupoint on the back of the neck.

"Ugh!" The executioner only had time to let out a short groan.

At the same time, Zhi Yihe reached his left hand into his arms, and judging by the sound, he exerted all his wrist strength.

"Be quiet!" The observer on the left reacted very quickly! The moment she pulled out the dagger, he grabbed her arm and kicked her hard in the calf.

"Hmph! Still trying to play tricks!" spat the observer.

Her hopes were completely shattered. She was being dragged along like cargo, not knowing where she was going.

Or... feign death? Struggle? Weakened by severe injuries? Use the pearls for a surprise attack? But his hands were tied behind his back, and he couldn't even reach the hidden pocket in his arms...

Just as her brain was working rapidly, she heard faint voices in front of her.

"Whoosh-!"

puff!puff!

Zhi Yihe's sides loosened! The force holding her down disappeared! An arm wrapped around her waist, and at the same time, the ropes binding her hands snapped!

"Miss, let's go!"

It's painting!

The graffiti that "disappeared without a trace" after the assassination at the post station, whom she considered to be a traitor!

"Tuhua?! Why is it you..." Zhi Yihe was a little confused and instinctively alert.

Zhi Yihe was half-carried, half-dragged by Tu Hua into a relatively dry place. Tu Hua took off the bag on his back, spread it on the ground, and let Zhi Yihe sit down against the cold stone wall.

"Miss, please be patient..." Tu Hua checked Zhi Yihe's arrow wound on his left shoulder.

"I have some medicine here. I brought it from the mansion a while ago. It might... it might not be very effective, but it's better than nothing." Tu Hua frantically pulled a small package wrapped in layers of oil paper from her lapel. Unwrapping the paper, she found several dark brown pills and a small pinch of powder with a faint herbal scent. She pinched a little of the powder, mixed it with the remaining water in the water bag, and tried to apply it to Zhi Yihe's wound.

Zhi Yihe grabbed Tu Hua's wrist and said:

"Tuhua, where were you that night at the post station?" This was a thorn in her heart. Even though Tuhua had just saved her, she could not feel at ease until this thorn was removed.

"Miss! It's not that Tuhua wants to leave you! Someone tricked me!" Tuhua's emotions suddenly became excited, and he pulled out a piece of paper from his sleeve. "That evening, someone slipped me this note. The handwriting on it is exactly like yours! They said you liked a new rouge from Ningxiangzhai on East Street and asked me to pick it up immediately. They also said it was a surprise for Yutuan, so I had to hurry! I didn't think much of it at the time! You used to ask me to go to that shop to buy things!"

Tu Hua was filled with regret. "I just wanted to go back quickly. When I arrived at Ningxiangzhai, the shopkeeper said there were no new goods and he hadn't received your instructions! I felt something was wrong at the time! I ran back desperately! But... when I got to the post station, it was all blood. On the ground, on the walls, and there were corpses. Someone was cleaning up the scene! Quickly and skillfully! I hid in the shadows and saw some very secret flame patterns on the inside of their cuffs!

I didn't dare to make a sound! I was afraid you were among those corpses... Fortunately, I didn't find you! So I followed the people who were cleaning up the scene! I thought, they must know where you are! Or... or they could lead me to find the person who hurt you! "

She raised her hand and wiped the tears and dirt from her face:

"But they were so cunning! I followed them desperately, not daring to get too close for fear of being discovered, nor afraid of losing them. They kept changing people and routes, sometimes circling the city, sometimes leaving the city at night and taking the waterway. I followed them like a stray dog, sleeping in the open, living in fear for months! I didn't even see your shadow! I even! I even began to doubt whether I was mistaken? Did you really..."

Her eyes lit up. "Luckily! Early this morning, I saw a large group of people, accompanied by a young man dressed in luxurious clothes and with great momentum, heading this way! It was a huge scene! I felt something was wrong! So I took the risk and sneaked down to the beach, hiding in a tree and observing until I saw Miss! It was really you!"

She grabbed Zhi Yihe's hand and said, "I've been waiting for that group of people to leave before I take action, Miss! Please believe me! Even if Tuhua dies, she will never betray you! If I have to die, Tuhua will die before you!"

There was a crushing silence.

Zhi Yihe grabbed Tuhua's wrist with his fingers, and all his doubts were completely shattered when he touched her calloused and scarred hand.

"No, it's not your fault, Graffiti. I was the one who wronged you and made you suffer so much."

Tu Hua shook his palm: "Miss! Your eyes..."

"It's poisoned, it will be fine."

"Poison? How long will it take? How long will it take to heal?"

"I don't know, maybe a few days, or maybe..."

"I'm sorry... I'm late! I made you suffer so much and made you think I betrayed you. Damn Tuhua! Tuhua is useless!"

Zhi Yihe hugged Tu Hua: "It's good to be alive... It's good that we are still alive..."

The sounds of people and horses seemed to be getting closer. Apparently, the people in the camp had discovered something unusual!

Tu Hua immediately tensed up and stood in front of Zhi Yihe. "I'm afraid this cave can't be hidden! Even if we don't find it, we'll drown when the tide comes in! We have to get out of here!"

Zhiyi and Beituhua were almost dragged forward, stumbling under her feet, and the branches and thorns scratched her skin, bringing fine stings.

"Miss! Over here! Found it!" Tu Hua's voice came with ecstasy from the place where the water was more turbulent ahead.

"Miss, I'll lead you aboard! They moored the boat behind the reef, thinking no one could find it. But actually, I saw it clearly from the tree!"

Zhi Yihe heard Tu Hua struggling to push the boat into the current. She felt her way and struggled to move in the direction of the sound.

"Get on! Push harder!" Tu Hua used his shoulders to push Zhi Yihe's waist and hips, pushing her onto the boat. The rough wood thorns scraped against Zhi Yihe's skin, and she felt like a bag of cement, being forcibly pushed onto the boat by Tu Hua's shoulders and head, bit by bit.

"Hu...Hu..." Tu Hua was breathing heavily under the boat, obviously having exhausted most of his strength.

Then, the boat suddenly sank and shook violently, and Tuhua climbed up! She almost fell to the bottom of the boat. Zhi Yihe heard her using her hands and feet to crawl on the slippery planks, and she was also groping for the oars.

Splash! The oars hit the water.

"There! Behind the reef! The boat! They stole the boat!" a roar came.

“Swoosh—swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!”

Zhi Yihe heard the sound of arrows piercing the hull, the surrounding reefs and the water surface.

More footsteps and shouts: "Catch them! Shoot! Don't let them get away!"

The boat was violently shaken by the rowing of the painting: "Miss, lower your head!"

Zhi Yihe instinctively shrank her head. The arrow almost passed by her scalp and hit the side of the boat, with the tail of the arrow buzzing and vibrating!

"Ah——!" A short scream.

"Tuhua! What's wrong with you?!" Zhi Yihe freed one hand to look for Tuhua.

The ship is tilting to one side!

"Miss, row quickly! Leave me alone!"

what happened? !

"Painting?!" Zhi Yihe screamed. She could see nothing and feel nothing. She could only "look" in vain in the direction where the sound came from. In the dark void, there was only intermittent gasping sounds.

no answer.