Chapter 491: Chapter 474: Amulet of Life Preservation
Being kidnapped was something Fengyu was already quite familiar with. She had been abducted once during her childhood, once by Dugu Jing, and now once again, by Chen Mo.
They led her away through the secret tunnel in the iron mine. Fengyu had heard a rumor before that the Jinyi Guard’s spies were spread across the world. She used to scoff at it, but now she had no choice but to believe it—their intelligence was indeed sharp. There were surely Jinyi Guard spies in West State. Last time, when Han Ziqi led troops in a surprise attack, many people escaped through the secret tunnel. It wasn’t exactly a secret. If the Jinyi Guard did have spies, it wouldn’t be difficult for them to discover it. Though the tunnel was dark, Fengyu could still discern the number of people: six. Just six—no one had taken Ruyi or Lady Zhang. As long as Ruyi was safe, that was enough.
She was an exceptionally obedient and cooperative hostage. She wouldn’t struggle or waste effort. Chen Mo must have drugged her with some kind of sedative; Fengyu only felt her limbs were limp and powerless. Even if by luck she managed to escape, unless she could kill Chen Mo and the Jinyi Guards with him, she would undoubtedly be chased down.
After assessing the difference in stamina and combat ability between herself and the Jinyi Guards, she gave up on resisting. Nuanyang would definitely seal off the city gates to search for her once he found out she had been kidnapped. Other than the gates, the only way out of the city would be through the mine’s secret tunnel. The Jinyi Guards moved like specters; Nuanyang was probably one step too late.
Outside the tunnel, Jinyi Guards were stationed. After rendezvousing with them, they mounted their horses quickly and left. Chen Mo threw Fengyu onto the horse’s back. After about an hour of being jostled, she couldn’t bear it anymore and fainted.
When she woke up again, her hands and feet were bound, and she was locked in a plain-looking room. The weather was no longer so cold; she had likely arrived in Zhongzhou. Fengyu didn’t know how many days they had been traveling. Her stomach was so empty it felt glued to her back. The drug’s effects had probably worn off, and Fengyu had regained a little strength.
It was dusk. The sun was setting, and Fengyu saw the light filtering through the gauze window, creating dancing patches on the floor. She tried to untie the ropes binding her, but the more she struggled, the tighter they became. Footsteps echoed from outside; Chen Mo entered with food, throwing two buns and a jug of water to Fengyu.
"Third Miss, it’s time to eat," he said.
The buns rolled to Fengyu’s feet, picking up dust. He wasn’t concerned about her calling for help and didn’t bother gagging her. Fengyu calmly eyed him.
"I’m tied up like this—how am I supposed to eat? Commander Chen, are you going to feed me?" Fengyu asked provocatively.
Chen Mo, as the commander of the Jinyi Guard, wasn’t easily provoked. He drew his longsword and cut through the ropes. After three days of non-stop travel, they had finally reached a safe place where the Jinyi Guards could rest for the night. Chen Mo wasn’t worried about Fengyu yelling for help because this was Jinyi Guard territory; the place was crawling with them. Even if Fengyu did shout, the heavens wouldn’t respond, nor the earth heed her.
The water was stored in a sheepskin water pouch. Fengyu drank it almost desperately, her thirst far more unbearable than her hunger. Chen Mo watched her chaotic state silently and left without saying a word. Fengyu drank almost all the water from the pouch. Only then did her scorching throat feel somewhat soothed.
The buns were far from fresh. Fengyu picked one up, dusted it off, and ate small bites. Once cold, these buns turned extremely hard. Fengyu hadn’t eaten such hard buns for years. She barely managed to finish both buns. Perhaps she had been hungry for too long—two buns weren’t nearly enough, and she was growing even hungrier.
Fengyu couldn’t help but shout, "Is there anyone here?"
"Is there anyone here?"
Chen Mo pushed the door open. "What is it?"
"I’m still hungry," she said.
Chen Mo seemed surprised that Fengyu would complain about the food. He replied indifferently, "Two buns are enough to keep you alive. Third Miss, bear with it."
He was taciturn. He summoned someone to bring a new rope and bound Fengyu again. The experience reminded Fengyu of when she was abducted in her childhood. Those kidnappers had also been careful not to let her eat her fill—one meal a day, never enough to be truly satisfying. It was to prevent their captives from gaining strength and attempting escape.
The night gradually deepened. The room grew dark, with no trace of light. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t untie the ropes. How infuriating!
No wonder they felt so confident leaving her alone in the room.
She had to find a way—she couldn’t allow herself to be escorted to the Capital City by the Jinyi Guards.
But she couldn’t act in haste. She needed to endure, to outlast this group of Jinyi Guards. With that thought, Fengyu soon fell asleep.
This time, Chen Mo led a group of sixteen out of the Capital City. Now in Zhongzhou, they had reached the courtyard belonging to the Jinyi Guards stationed there. It was a three-section compound, the Zhongzhou base for the Jinyi Guards. When Chen Mo passed through Zhongzhou earlier, he ordered it vacated. Now, not a single light was visible in the courtyard. Even though all sixteen men were staying there, the rooms remained unlit. To outsiders, it appeared to be an empty property.