Why everything changed in the blink of an eye.
Xiao Luolan couldn't figure it out, so she just gritted her teeth and kept walking forward. The soil in the deep forest was damp, and the leaves were piled up all year round. The bottom ones had rotted, and new leaves were covering them again. When she stepped on them, they were soft and made a cooing sound. There was a squeaking sound, and the further in, the dirt on the shoes became more and more dirty. Xiao Luolan walked quickly, as if tirelessly, and walked forward mechanically. His voice was already hoarse, and he shouted as he walked.
"Qingxue! Qingxue!"
"Where are you?"
Seven or eight cavalrymen were scattered around the sect leader, exploring along the surrounding area.
Zhou Xu stood not far away, looking around, his thick eyebrows furrowed. Madam Xiao seemed to suddenly appear in the dense forest. Apart from the messy footsteps she had left before, there were no other traces. The geese passing by left their voices, and the people passing by left their traces. , if what she said is true, her daughter is also in the dense forest, and has not responded for a long time. She should be in danger at this moment, and is probably in a coma.
Just the coldness at night in Youzhou is very likely to kill a delicate lady. This is not the warm Jiangnan, but Cang County, a small county in Youzhou in the north. Even in summer, after nightfall , the temperature will also drop rapidly.
Although the fabrics of Mrs. Xiao's clothes are colorful and exquisite, they have no thermal insulation properties at all. The same must be true for her daughter.
This was a good situation as expected by Zhou Xu. This place is the famous Niulao Mountain outside Cang County. Niulao Mountain is densely covered with miasma, the mountain is steep and infested by savages. These savages rely on their familiarity with the mountain topography of Niulao Mountain. Occasionally they would go down the mountain to rob, and they would rob whatever they saw, food, clothes, and even people. The magistrate of Cang County also had a huge headache for those savages. He disappeared without a trace. He went into the mountains several times to arrest people, but found nothing. Instead, he was made to suffer from vomiting and diarrhea due to the miasma in the mountains. He could only issue an announcement. Villagers entering the county should go together and do not leave alone. If conditions permit, you can bring some with you. Guys, if you cut off a savage's head, you will be richly rewarded.
The savages also bullied the weak and feared the strong. When they saw that there were many people at the foot of the mountain and they were armed, after suffering several losses, they naturally did not dare to rob them.
As for the person who was robbed... Zhou Xu took a look at the charming and beautiful Mrs. Xiao and felt that her daughter's appearance was definitely not too bad. A young lady in her prime was alone and unconscious. If she was discovered by a savage, Zhou Xu didn't have to think about it. Everyone knows what the consequences will be.
At this moment, he saw Mrs. Xiao staggering in front of her.
"Mrs. Xiao, be careful."
Xiao Luolan's eyes went dark, and it took a while to recover, and she found that Sect Master Zhou was supporting her by her arm. Only then did Xiao Luolan realize that she had almost fainted.
Zhou Xu saw that her lips were chapped and her face was pale, so he knew that Mrs. Xiao's strength had long been exhausted. He found a place under a tree in the lee of the wind and placed her on a big rock to sit down.
"I..." Xiao Luolan struggled to stand up, but couldn't. How could she stop? The night was so cold, the forest was so dark, and her daughter couldn't be found. She couldn't rest at ease for a moment.
Zhou Xu held the woman's shoulder with one hand, and at the same time took the torch she was holding and stuck it on the ground, saying, "Mrs. Xiao, it's time for you to rest for a while."
Xiao Luolan opened her mouth and felt pain in her throat. Her legs seemed to be not her own. They were sore and weak that she couldn't straighten up. She didn't know how long she had been looking for her daughter. She had been running since she found out that her daughter was missing. , searching, time seems meaningless, maybe three hours have passed, maybe five hours have passed, where is my precious daughter? How is she?
Zhou Xu signaled the cavalry to continue exploring.
Zhao Qingshan came over at this time and persuaded the lost Mrs. Xiao: "Mrs. Xiao, the sect master is right. This dense forest is quite large and it will take a lot of time. If you insist on walking further, I'm afraid you haven't found Ling Qianjin yet." , he fainted, it’s better to take a short break, take care of yourself, and then continue searching.”
Xiao Luolan understood: "I understand, thank you."
Zhao Qingshan and Sect Leader Zhou are kind-hearted people, and she knows they are doing it for her own good.
Xiao Luolan stared blankly into the depths of the forest, thinking wildly in her mind. When she finds her daughter this time, she will definitely follow her closely and never let her daughter leave her sight. When the time comes, Qingxue will It will definitely be very annoying. She will pout her mouth angrily and act coquettishly while holding her arms as usual...
Zhao Qingshan is guarding Mrs. Xiao not far away, neither advancing nor retreating. Mrs. Xiao is obviously a woman, and he is a man. Standing too close always seems to be overstepping. Stand far away, in case something suddenly happens in the forest. What to do if insects and snakes break out?
Zhao Qingshan touched his beard and could only quietly get closer as if nothing had happened. When he got closer, he discovered that Mrs. Xiao's eyes were slightly red. Zhao Qingshan could only pretend that he had not seen her. The sect master asked him to take care of her, and he entered the forest. Zhao Qingshan I was wondering if my lord was too kind to Mrs. Xiao.
Hiss, Zhao Qingshan was thinking about something, and a piece of his beard was pulled off by him. He grimaced in pain. Fortunately, Lei Hu was not here, otherwise his image as a counselor would have been half ruined.
It really didn't matter who was coming. A quarter of an hour later, Zhao Qingshan turned around, and Lei Hu came out of the forest to the west with more than a dozen horsemen holding torches.
"Zhao Qingshan." Lei Hu's voice was the loudest: "Brothers have checked, there is no trace in the southwest, and there are mountains beyond that. Do you want to continue?"
He rolled his eyes: "Where is the sect leader?"
Zhao Qingshan: "Since there is no one in the southwest, let's go to the north and look for it. The sect leader and Lei Bao have gone to the north. If you rush there now, you can still meet the sect leader."
Xiao Luolan was awakened by the sound. She couldn't understand the dialect here. When they stopped talking, she quickly asked: "Mr. Qingshan, is there any news about Qingxue?"
Zhao Qingshan saw a surge of hope on Mrs. Xiao's haggard face and shook his head. Although he couldn't bear it, he still told her the information Lei Hu collected.
Xiao Luolan swayed and held on to the tree trunk to keep from falling. She forced a smile and said, "That's it, then, let's continue looking. I've rested too."
Lei Hu secretly glanced at the beautiful woman, scratched his head, and secretly asked Zhao Qingshan: "What is she talking about?"
Zhao Qingshan said concisely and concisely: "Looking for my daughter."
"This Niulao Mountain is not safe. There are usually no wild animals in the dense forest outside. But in the deep mountains, there are wolves, tigers, and wild boars. It's dark at this time, and we don't have a map. Brothers are taking care of themselves when they go out this time. I didn’t bring a bow/crossbow, and only had a few knives. It’s a bit dangerous to enter the mountain hastily.” Lei Hu is a warrior, and he thought of this in an instant, and he said straightforwardly: “There are still savages in the mountains, I’m afraid, little lady…”
Zhao Qingshan coughed and interrupted Lei Hu: "I know, wait for the sect master to make a decision."
Xiao Luolan looked at them blankly. Although he couldn't understand Lei Hu's words, he knew from their expressions that the situation was not good. A terrible thought suddenly flashed through his mind. It was too difficult. Don't you want to help?
Xiao Luolan stirred her cuffs vigorously, her fingertips turning white from the exertion. What should I do?
"Mr. Qingshan." Xiao Luolan walked up to Zhao Qingshan, who could communicate with her, and tried her best to keep her voice from trembling: "What happened?"
Zhao Qingshan found that Mrs. Xiao's face became even paler, as if the rest just now had no effect on her. He quickly asked Mrs. Xiao to sit back on the stone to rest, and then picked up several dangers in Niulao Mountain and told Mrs. Xiao, The first is to let Mrs. Xiao know that they are looking for someone. Lei Hu and the others have not failed to do their best. The second is to let Mrs. Xiao prepare mentally in advance. The third is to tell her that if she goes into the mountains to search, it will take a long time. Maybe it's getting longer.
After Xiao Luolan listened, she repeated: "There are savages in the mountains?"
Zhao Qingshan consoled him: "Only occasionally, the savages in the mountains will come down to rob."
Xiao Luolan only felt that everything around her was terrible. There was no law and no police here. Apart from these kind people, there was no place where she could get help.
There was a rustling sound.
Xiao Luolan found out that Sect Leader Zhou was back.
Even the seven or eight cavalrymen who had been dispersed returned.
They are all back.
Despair spread in her heart, and the suspicion in Xiao Luolan's heart grew bigger and bigger. These kind people were back and they stopped looking. So what should her daughter do? Relying on her alone? By the time she finds it, will her daughter be gone?
Xiao Luolan felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Under the warm firelight, she was trembling with cold.
Zhou Xu stepped forward and found that something was wrong. There was cold sweat on Mrs. Xiao's forehead, her eyes were blurred, her lips were pale, and her delicate face seemed to have lost its vitality, with a sickly pale look.
Zhou Xu bent his knees and half-crouched, and observed carefully, he found that the woman's shoes were now covered with soft mud, staining the fine red damask embroidery on the shoes, which was timidly hidden under the Qingluo skirt, a little bit peeking out.
Zhou Xu looked away calmly, his Adam's apple twitching.
Then he looked at the woman, very concerned: "Mrs. Xiao, what's wrong with you?
Xiao Luolan heard the question and slowly looked at Sect Leader Zhou.
Suddenly, she pulled off her jade bracelet, and then all the hair accessories on her head, and stuffed them into the hands of Sect Leader Zhou.
Zhou Xu was stunned.
Xiao Luolan kept moving, not even missing the pearl earrings on her ears, and put them into the pile of jewelry.
The round and smooth pearls exuded a bright white color under the firelight. They were expensive at first glance. Unfortunately, there were traces of blood on them. Zhou Xu looked at Madam Xiao's ears. The originally white jade-like earlobes now had bloodshot eyes oozing out, and they were bright red. A strand of hair snakes into the deep clothes along the snow-white neck.
"Sect Master Zhou, these are all for you. Please help me find my daughter. Don't give up on her. Don't give up on her. I beg you." Xiao Luolan got off the stone and knelt in front of Clan Leader Zhou. Her eyes were filled with tears, her hair was disheveled, and the faint fragrance of peony on her temples was still there.
Zhou Xu's hands were filled with gorgeous pearls and jade, but he didn't even look at them. He just stared at Xiao Luolan. After a while, he said hoarsely: "Madam, please don't cry. I will help you."
Chapter 5
The surrounding knights were all stunned. Even Zhao Qingshan, who had always been quick-thinking, did not react. Lei Hu was stunned and speechless.
Witnessing a lady from a wealthy family kneeling on the ground, the impact was enough to make his scalp numb and he couldn't believe it.
Don’t those aristocratic families with eyes on the top of their heads value their reputation and family image the most? This noble lady actually knelt down when she was told. The ground was covered with mud. If the sect master hadn't supported her, Lei Hu doubted that she would kowtow without hesitation.
Even though Lei Hu was a rough man, he felt the woman's love for her daughter at this moment. It was so straightforward, so profound, and inexplicably like their Youzhou style.
"Mrs. Xiao, please get up first." Zhou Xu helped Mrs. Xiao up: "I came back this time to tell you that I found a river to the north of the dense forest. The thunder leopard has a keen sense of smell and smelled a different smell above the river. I have sent three of them to investigate upwards, and there are also horsemen guarding the surrounding areas of the river. This trip may be fruitful."
After hearing this, Xiao Luolan's eyes lit up instantly. The joy of surviving a desperate situation gave her endless strength and courage. She was even more grateful to Sect Master Zhou and didn't know what to do. It turned out that she had misunderstood, and Zhou The sect leader and others have been helping her and never gave up. They are indeed good people!
"Thank you, thank you." Xiao Luolan cried with joy and ran to the north of the dense forest.
"Mrs. Xiao, please wait a moment. I'll go with you." Zhou Xu picked up the torch and more than twenty riders gathered together and set off.
Ten minutes later, Xiao Luolan heard the sound of water flowing, and the fire on the opposite side shook a few times. Lei Hu also responded with a torch, and saw a rider quickly running over to lead the way.
The riverside was covered with gravel. After walking for a while, Xiao Luolan felt an excruciating pain in the soles of her feet. She secretly breathed in, not letting anyone notice her abnormality, and quickly followed the leading rider. In fact, she had been walking in front. The joy of being eager to see her daughter made her ignore the pain in her body.
Not long after walking like this, Xiao Luolan finally smelled the scent of Safeguard Lemon Shower Gel that her daughter often used. The wind blew from above the river. Apart from the fishy smell of water, this scent was the most unique.
Xiao Luolan ran staggeringly, even surpassing the rider leading the way. As soon as she moved, Leihu and the others also moved, and the fire followed her and illuminated the front.
Soon, Xiao Luolan saw several people holding torches in front of them, as well as the girl surrounded by the torches. The girl's orange-red dress was as gorgeous as the sunset.
Xiao Luolan moved faster, the wind whined past her ears, but she felt so happy.
Finally found!
Xiao Luolan ran to her daughter and found her lying on the river beach, her eyes tightly closed, a big bulging black and purple lump on her forehead, with dried blood on it, and she was shocked: "Qingxue! "
She hugged her daughter tightly and put her trembling fingers under her daughter's nose. Her moist breath made her whole body tremble as if exhausted.
Zhao Qingshan put the folding fan back on his waist and said: "Mrs. Xiao, I know a little about medical skills, why don't you let me diagnose Qian Jin first."
When Xiao Luolan heard the doctor's words, she quickly let go of her daughter and said with a tearful smile, "Thank you, Mr. Qingshan, please come over and see if Qingxue has any other injuries."
Xiao Luolan kept holding her daughter's hand and never let go.
Zhou Xu stood not far away and gave a few instructions to Lei Hu. Lei Hu immediately accepted the order and walked into the forest with seven or eight horsemen.
Zhao Qingshan spent a lot of time and carefully inspected the back of the beautiful girl's head, and then felt through the clothes to see if there was any swelling or misalignment in the back spine and the joints of the hands and feet.
"Except for the injury on her forehead, your daughter has no other physical problems for the time being." Zhao Qingshan said: "But don't be careless. There is a post station more than ten miles away from here, and there will usually be doctors inside. It's getting late now, so it's best to go there The inn wants Qianjin to bandage it to prevent the wound from getting worse. If he doesn’t wake up tomorrow, he will consider whether there is any blood stasis remaining in his skull."
Xiao Luolan has always respected doctors very much. When he heard this, he said without thinking: "Just listen to Mr. Qingshan."
Zhao Qingshan sighed softly in his heart. In fact, in his opinion, this Mrs. Xiao was in urgent need of medical treatment. She had a lot of injuries. There were sharp gravels on the river beach. The riders and servants were all warriors. Even he knew how to do it. Some boxing and kicking skills, not to mention the sect leader, have superb martial arts and rare physical strength. People like them walk outside and wear specially made boots, which are rainproof and thick, like thunder tigers. If they hit with all their strength with their feet, they can It dents a person's chest by three inches and breaks his heart. This is the horror of the Lei family's elite.
But Mrs. Xiao is different.
The thin-soled, lightly forged soft shoes she wore walking on the river beach were like walking barefoot, and it was difficult for her to remain silent.
Zhao Qingshan hadn't noticed this problem before, but the lord reminded him. Thinking of this, Zhao Qingshan's expression was a little strange. What was the lord doing observing Mrs. Xiao's shoes? Think again about the warm, kind and helpful qualities that the Lord has shown since meeting Mrs. Xiao...
Zhao Qingshan suddenly felt that the night wind was a bit cold.
If he remembered correctly, Mrs. Xiao has not yet said whether her husband is dead or alive. What if Mrs. Xiao's husband is still alive and well, and has a deep relationship with Mrs. Xiao? What should the lord do?
After all, Mrs. Xiao is always a married woman!
Zhao Qingshan felt sad in his heart. He felt that the career of a counselor was so difficult. Why did he still have to worry about his lord's private affairs when he was already in his thirties.
"Mrs. Xiao, Ling Qianjin is in a coma now. It's not advisable to move around." Zhou Xu waved, and several riders took out a stretcher and said, "This stretcher is woven from tree vines. It can put your beloved daughter on it." Up there, there are less bumps in the road.”
Xiao Luolan saw that the pergola had obviously just been built not long ago. There was a thick tree trunk on the left and right sides that could be lifted. There was also a layer of thatch-like plants on the pergola, and another layer on top. Clothes, I feel more and more moved.
"Thank you, Sect Master Zhou." Xiao Luolan's voice choked up: "You are such a good person, thank you so much."
