Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Chapter 11

Despite being mentally prepared, when Xiao Bao saw Huai En's condition, his heart couldn't help but convulse, sweat pouring down from the pain.

Huai En's clothes were now indistinguishable in color, covered in dirt and blood, her injuries blending into the grime. Her hair was disheveled, her face filthy, strands sticking to her face with blood and sweat. If it weren't for those bright beautiful eyes, the straight nose, and the stubbornly pursed lips, Xiao Bao wouldn't have recognized her as Huai En.

A pile of bodies lay on the ground—human bodies, horse bodies.

Four strangely dressed, grotesque-looking individuals surrounded him in the middle, while the five standing were all swaying, indicating that none of them were unscathed.

Xiao Bao felt a pang of heartache. Huai En's current state was even more pitiful than when he first saw her. Her injuries from a few days ago hadn't healed, and now she was fighting for her life again, looking like a figure drenched in blood.

Anyone would feel unbearable seeing such a beautiful woman being treated like this, let alone Xiao Bao, who had already considered her his wife for life.

Alongside the heartache, he harbored a deep hatred towards Huai En's enemies, wishing he could devour them whole.

He hadn't asked Huai En why she was being chased. He knew it would only lead to trouble, and Huai En would never tell him. He was prepared to help her, no matter what. After all, he had made up his mind to marry Huai En in the future. Her enemies were his enemies. If anyone dared to harm his wife, he would mobilize the entire Jin family to retaliate, or even hire mercenaries if necessary. He wouldn't let anyone hurt his loved ones.

As a result of a moment's carelessness, Huai En found herself in such a predicament. Obviously, she had taken the horse and fled, knowing someone was chasing her. Although he was touched by her consideration not to involve him, the fact that Huai En hadn't intended to seek his help was a blow to his male pride.

Xiao Bao gritted his teeth, hiding in the bushes, watching them anxiously.

All five of them were severely injured, otherwise they wouldn't have failed to notice someone hiding in the bushes. Each of them was focused on observing their enemies' blind spots, hoping to find an opportunity for a fatal strike.

Xiao Bao's round eyes darted around as his hand quietly reached into his garment.

He anxiously thought about when the reinforcements from the Jin family would arrive. It should have been enough time for that old man to make the trip back and forth. They should have arrived by now. But maybe they couldn't find him, or perhaps Jin Bao went to fetch something and stumbled upon Huai En's men. They might come looking for him. Regardless, Xiao Bao knew his own capabilities. Even facing any one of those four strange individuals, even in his injured state, his legs would tremble.

But... he feared that Huai En wouldn't wait for someone to come to her rescue...

In the blink of an eye, the forest, already heavily damaged, was engulfed in a storm of flying debris and rocks as the four individuals converged on Huai En without leaving any blind spots. They wielded a variety of weapons, stirring up a whirlwind of broken branches, leaves, soil, and stones, creating an illusion of darkness shrouding the sky.

Xiao Bao could hardly see clearly, only catching glimpses of several figures tangled together, their weapons clashing. The sound made Xiao Bao's heart race. He was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, torn between wanting to help Huai En and feeling powerless. Moreover, he was genuinely afraid. As a pampered young master who had always been well protected, he had never witnessed such a scene. Even crouching beside the battlefield, he felt his life was threatened. But he couldn't leave. The person he cared about was risking her life, and as a grown man, he couldn't just stand by and watch. It would be shameful to flee in the face of danger, and he couldn't bring himself to abandon Huai En.

If all else fails... I'll have to give it a try... I hope that old man didn't deceive me...

"Aaaaaahhhhh!!!"

Xiao Bao heard a heart-wrenching scream, the sound trailing off before abruptly stopping, sending shivers down his spine from head to toe. But he felt lucky because he knew that dreadful baritone voice didn't belong to Huai En.

"Third Brother!!"

"Third Brother!!!"

Several strange cries echoed as three figures lunged towards the person lying on the ground, occasionally emitting beast-like roars filled with anger and resentment.

Huai En's eyes glared fiercely at the figure on the ground. Xiao Bao saw her trembling hand holding a sword, blood dripping from her arm down the blade.

"You damn bastard!! You blinded my fifth sister, and you killed Third Brother!! I'll fight you to the death!!!" A person with disheveled red hair shouted in grief and anger, lifting a massive hammer and swinging it down fiercely.

"Second Brother, don't act rashly!!"

But it was too late. Huai En leaped lightning-fast, wielding a gleaming silver sword. Xiao Bao hadn't seen clearly, but he heard another scream, and a thick arm connected to the hammer flew into the air, crashing down brutally, splattering crimson blood everywhere. Xiao Bao was not far away, feeling his stomach churning as he witnessed the scene.

"You damn bastard!! You damn bastard!! If you fall into my hands, I'll make you wish you were dead!!!" A sharp, piercing female voice shouted, dragging the person with the severed arm back while sprinkling medicine from her pocket onto the wound. The person writhed in pain on the ground, covered in mud, blood, and curses, gradually losing consciousness. The entire scene resembled hell.

Xiao Bao glanced at Huai En and froze in fear.

She stood stiffly, his eyes bloodshot, emanating a ruthless and cruel aura that sent shivers down Xiao Bao's spine every time he recalled it. That wasn't the gaze befitting someone like Huai En. In that moment of realization, Xiao Bao couldn't help but ask himself, what kind of person was Huai En? He realized he knew nothing about her except for her beauty. He hadn't paid attention to anything else about her.

With life and death hanging in the balance, Xiao Bao didn't have time to consider all this. He anxiously awaited the arrival of reinforcements while assessing how long Huai En could hold on.

At present, it was a matter of life or death—either you die, or I live. The three individuals still capable of action were consumed by bloodlust, and in the blink of an eye, they were entangled in another fierce battle.

Xiao Bao's eyesight was excellent. He could see the bloodshot eyes of Huai En, filled with a vacant expression. It was as if instinct was driving her to swing her sword recklessly, disregarding her own safety while adding wounds to her opponents at the cost of enduring their heavy blows one after another.

The sharp-voiced old woman's throwing weapons rained down like hail, while the person wielding a large knife, seemingly the leader, coordinated the attack. Huai En was forced to roll on the ground several times, and her right leg was slashed once again, causing her to grunt in pain. She tried to get up swiftly, but as soon as she managed to raise herself, she collapsed straight down to her knees.

It's over!!

A chill ran down Xiao Bao's spine. He knew Huai En had reached her limit.

The two individuals laughed uproariously in unison, even coughing up blood as they continued to laugh several times before finally stopping.

"You damn bastard, prepare to die!!!"

"Stop!!!!"