Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 434 - 433: Hidden Sentries

Zhu Yu realized that Lu Qing must have tidied himself up. The stubble that was previously rough and unkempt was now completely clean-shaven. Even though his face still bore scars, he looked a lot more refreshed, and his demeanor was much calmer than before.

"How are you feeling? Any better?" Lu Qing gently touched Zhu Yu’s forehead with the back of his hand to check her temperature. His movements were so tender, as if he was afraid a bit more strength would break her.

"Much better than when I first woke up." Zhu Yu said, then looked at Lu Qing for help, "Can I sit up for a while?

I’ve been lying down too long and I feel a bit dizzy."

Lu Qing nodded, took a few soft cushions from the side, gently helped Zhu Yu up a bit, and placed the cushions under her, allowing her upper body to be slightly elevated, forming a half-reclining position. He then handed her a cup of warm tea.

Zhu Yu drank the tea in one go, feeling that this time, not only was her mind a lot clearer, but even the pain from her wounds had eased considerably.

"How long did I sleep this time?" she asked Lu Qing.

"Three days." Lu Qing reached out and smoothed the stray hair on her cheek.

Zhu Yu’s eyes widened in surprise.

She thought she had only slept for one more night, at most another morning, but it turned out to be three days!

"You might as well say I was unconscious for three days," she said to Lu Qing with a bitter smile.

"During these three days, Yan Daoxin came to give you a thorough pulse check and had me feed you some tonic that your body could handle. Knowing you were just frightened and injured, and that’s why you slept so deeply, puts my mind at ease." Lu Qing held Zhu Yu’s wrist and felt her pulse, "Although I’m not as skilled as Yan Daoxin, I can feel that your pulse has been getting stronger day by day. It looks like you’ll be able to walk in a few more days.

I just sent the rune to buy a chicken, finely chopped the chicken meat into mince, and simmered it in porridge to make it soft and easy to digest. Once it’s ready, I’ll have him bring it up, and you should eat some."

Zhu Yu, perhaps due to her recovery from severe injuries, didn’t feel particularly hungry at this moment, but she still agreed.

"How was I rescued?" She finally had the energy to ask the question that had been on her mind for a long time.

"After you set out, I was still uneasy, but I was afraid that getting too close to the Little Mountain Building might alert the other side." Lu Qing sighed, feeling guilty about Zhu Yu’s ordeal as he spoke, "Although my Shadow Guards cannot get involved in any conflicts, they are adept at hiding their tracks, so I sent one who had been lurking nearby to scout around the Little Mountain Building.

The Shadow Guard reported back that although the Little Mountain Building seemed not particularly heavily guarded, it actually had many hidden sentries outside.

This was exactly as you suspected when you first made the plan."

Zhu Yu let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Fortunately, she had the experience from Immortal Castle. She always felt that if these people were the same group or were directed by the same mastermind, they couldn’t be careless.

The apparent lack of defense could very well be an illusion, with hidden surveillance.

So she and Yan Daoxin had already done a thorough disguise before leaving the inn, and they took a long detour before reaching the Little Mountain Building.

It seems that all the preparations they did beforehand didn’t expose any flaws; otherwise, she probably wouldn’t have even been able to meet Nanny Shi, let alone enter that now-traumatizing Little Mountain Building.

"The Shadow Guard also informed us that the windows in the Little Mountain Building are fake. The entire building, seemingly built against the mountain, is actually just a shell, and the entire ’building’ is embedded in the mountain.

Realizing that there were many hidden sentries in front of the building, and that the Little Mountain Building itself was half-hidden in the mountain, it was absolutely impossible for just the three of us to take care of those bandits.

In such a situation, it would be difficult for you to send any signal from the inside.

So I asked the Hidden Guard to send a message to Lu Chao.

Coincidentally, he happened to be not too far away at that time and rushed over with his men on fast horses."

Zhu Yu suddenly understood. Earlier, when she heard Lu Qing talking to someone outside, the voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t place it. It turned out to be Lu Chao!

She never expected Lu Chao to be in this Lan Country, so naturally, she didn’t react.

"But..." She still felt a bit puzzled, her mind not fully comprehending, "When I was in that tunnel..."

Recalling the experience before she passed out still gave Zhu Yu the creeps, making her shiver involuntarily.

Seeing her suddenly change her expression, Lu Qing thought there might be something wrong, and his expression became tense.

"What’s wrong? Do you feel unwell anywhere?" he quickly asked, the urgency in his voice startling Zhu Yu.

"No, don’t worry, I feel fine now, even the pain from my wounds has decreased." Zhu Yu didn’t expect him to notice her subtle expression change and react so strongly, quickly trying to reassure him.

"You don’t know how dangerous your situation was before." Lu Qing, seeing that Zhu Yu was fine, assumed she was just recalling the scene in the tunnel, and sighed with relief, but he couldn’t help but lament, "When I brought you out of that tunnel, you were covered in blood, bitten all over by rats.

Not only that, after settling you down, we found a penetrating wound on your leg that looked like a sword injury, already showing signs of suppuration, if it had been two days later, the rot might have penetrated to the bone.

Your entire body was burning due to the wounds, and you were completely unconscious.

When Lu Chao brought Yan Daoxin back, he was shocked by your condition and couldn’t guarantee he could pull you through; he only said if you could survive the first three days without deteriorating, there might be a chance to live..."

Lu Qing sighed, unwilling to recall the scene, which still filled him with dread: "Fortunately, heaven showed some mercy, letting you survive."

"I escaped with my life, isn’t that heaven showing mercy to me?" Zhu Yu laughed.

Lu Qing smiled bitterly, shaking his head: "I was originally free of ties in this world, living alone, but because of the marriage granted by the Holy Emperor, I suddenly harbored thoughts and desires I never had before.

If in such a situation, I was thrown back to my previous state, perhaps I really would have lost all hope."

He lowered his eyes with a bitter smile, gently stroking Zhu Yu’s hand: "Having never had it was bearable, though a bit bleak, it was tolerable.

But to have it and then lose it, that pain is not so easily swallowed."