Futile Devices Scans

Despite the jolting journey, Tao Mo slept surprisingly soundly. When the carriage stopped, Gu She could even hear his faint snores.

“Young Master.” The door was pushed open heavily.

Gu She frowned, but Tao Mo had already been startled awake and sat up, his eyes filled with confusion. It took him quite a while to regain his senses. “Ah, we have arrived?”

Hao Guozi said, “They say this is the place.”

Tao Mo hunched over and began crawling out. Just as one foot extended beyond the carriage, he suddenly turned back to look at Gu She. “Just now, was I dreaming, or…”

Gu She met his gaze without the slightest ripple in his expression.

Tao Mo gave several disappointed, awkward laughs. “As expected, it was only a dream.” He stretched out his leg and was about to jump down when he heard Gu She say leisurely behind him, “I will help you.”

One foot had already descended, but because of those words, the other still lingered inside the carriage. With his two feet headed in opposite directions, Tao Mo abruptly lost his balance and toppled forward. Fortunately, Hao Guozi was standing beside him and hurriedly caught him, sparing him from falling flat on his face. Even so, he still cut a rather sorry figure.

Tao Mo hopped several times on one foot before finally planting both feet firmly on the ground. When he raised his eyes, however, he saw Gu She stepping down from the carriage with graceful ease, his elegance as far removed from Tao Mo’s clumsiness as clouds were from mud. The joy that had only just surfaced was frozen again by the vast difference between them, and Tao Mo could not recover for quite some time.

Fortunately, Gu Xiaojia was not present, so no one mocked him, and the incident passed peacefully enough.

The three of them followed the river downstream.

Sang Xiaotu drove the carriage behind them.

Hao Guozi said, “This place is such a desolate wilderness that there are not even any mosquitoes. Where would we find a passerby, much less a witness?”

Tao Mo said, “Perhaps someone passed through while traveling, or perhaps…”

Gu She asked, “At what hour did the crime take place?”

Tao Mo had an excellent memory and immediately recalled, “The county magistrate mentioned it during the trial. It was at midnight.”

Hao Guozi said, “Ha! In the dead of night, there would be even fewer people!”

Gu She said, “Since no one would be here in the dead of night, how could the woodcutter have lain in ambush along the road?”

Hao Guozi froze, then said, “Because he is not the true murderer. He is only a scapegoat.”

Gu She glanced blandly at him.

Tao Mo suddenly understood. “That is a suspicious point in the case.”

Hao Guozi immediately became energized. “Why not use it to force the county magistrate to retry the case?”

Gu She said, “It is insufficient.”

Hao Guozi sighed. “Who would come to such a desolate place in the middle of the night? Even if someone did, they would probably be doing something unspeakable. Why would they admit it?”

Tao Mo stared blankly. “Unspeakable? What would be unspeakable?”

Hao Guozi’s ears turned red. He stammered, “Do popular novels not often write of deserted places at midnight, deep green grass, and white waves surging beneath the cold moonlight?”

Tao Mo looked bewildered. “What does that have to do with something unspeakable?”

Hao Guozi hemmed and hawed, unable to explain, and could only look toward Gu She.

Gu She said, “There must naturally have been a reason the woodcutter was chosen as the scapegoat. He most likely lives nearby.”

Hao Guozi looked around. “If he is a woodcutter, he should live in the mountains. But even if we find his home, what use would that be? People would hardly live together in several households in a place like this.”

Tao Mo said, “Since we are already here, we may as well look around. Perhaps some clue was left behind.”

Hearing him say this, Hao Guozi could only call Sang Xiaotu down, and the two of them ran up the mountain together.

Tao Mo secretly glanced at Gu She.

Gu She stood beside the river, gazing at the slow-flowing water, his thoughts unknown.

“It is a little cold today.” Tao Mo blurted out the first thing he could think of.

Gu She turned his head to glance at him and gave a noncommittal sound.

Tao Mo’s heart fluttered faintly. He was just about to say something else when Gu She’s expression abruptly changed and he suddenly shoved Tao Mo aside.

A streak of silver flashed past.

Tao Mo watched helplessly as blood burst from Gu She’s arm!

An arrow!

Tao Mo’s entire body went cold. Without thinking, he threw himself toward Gu She.

Gu She seemed not to have expected him to charge over without regard for his own safety. His hands instinctively caught Tao Mo, and the two fell to the ground together.

Two more arrows came flying, but someone intercepted them midway.

Enduring the pain, Gu She glanced to the side.

A burly man who had appeared from nowhere was attacking the archer. The two fought so evenly that neither could gain the upper hand.

“How are you?” Tao Mo’s voice had changed completely, trembling beyond control.

Gu She’s lips had gone pale. Struggling to steady his breathing, he said, “You… get up.”

Only then did Tao Mo notice that he was lying on top of him. He hurriedly pushed himself up from the ground, then reached down to help Gu She.

Cold sweat poured from Gu She’s forehead from the pain. He had always lived a pampered life, and this was the first time he had ever suffered such a flesh wound. Overcome by the pain, he was temporarily unable to speak.

Seeing him like this made Tao Mo even more nervous. He swallowed desperately and said, “I will take you to a doctor.”

Gu She glanced at the assassin and the unknown martial artist locked in combat, then slowly nodded.

Tao Mo immediately rushed over to drive the carriage.

In truth, this was also the first time in his life he had ever driven a carriage. Once seated, he tried to imitate Gu Xiaojia and Hao Guozi, vigorously flicking the reins, but the horse did not move an inch. Never had he hated his own uselessness as much as he did at this moment.

“Hold the reins properly.” Gu She approached the driver’s seat with a frown and supported himself with one arm as he climbed onto the carriage.

Looking at Gu She so close beside him, Tao Mo’s agitation suddenly settled. He shook the reins and shouted, “Hyah!”

The horse slowly began pulling the carriage forward.

Although Tao Mo possessed an astonishing memory, he had slept throughout the journey there, so he quickly lost his way. Fortunately, Gu She was sitting beside him and pointed out the correct direction whenever he became helpless. Even so, Tao Mo’s clumsy driving still led them down many unnecessary roads.

By the time they reached the neighboring county, the streets were filled with mingled aromas of food, crowded carriages and horses, and streams of pedestrians.

Tao Mo became even more constrained and did not dare let the horse move quickly. Fortunately, the medical clinic was not far away. Before Tao Mo could even rein in the horse, Gu She jumped down by himself, frightening Tao Mo into another cold sweat. By the time he finally settled the carriage with the help of some bystanders, Gu She’s wound had already been bandaged. The doctor was holding the prescription and preparing the medicine. When he turned and saw Tao Mo enter, he was greatly startled. He put down the medicine, rushed over, and seized Tao Mo’s wrist to take his pulse.

Tao Mo stared at him in confusion. “What is wrong?”

The doctor said, “Your complexion looked poor, and you were sweating profusely. I thought you had contracted a serious illness, but it appears you merely suffered a fright.” With that, he turned back to continue preparing the medicine, only for Tao Mo to grab him in return.

“How is he? Is his injury serious?”

The doctor followed his gaze and saw Gu She sitting calmly in a chair with his eyes closed, resting. “It is only a superficial wound. There is no cause for concern.”

“But he lost a great deal of blood.” Tao Mo was still worried.

The doctor said leisurely, “How could this be considered a great deal of blood? It will not kill him.”

Only after seeing that the doctor’s relaxed manner did not seem feigned did Tao Mo finally breathe a sigh of relief.

After the doctor finished preparing the medicine and Tao Mo paid, he walked over to Gu She and asked softly, “Are you all right? Do you want to rest a little longer, or should we return first?”

Gu She slowly opened his eyes, pressed a hand against the armrest, and stood. “Let us go.”

Seeing his body sway, Tao Mo hurriedly supported him.

Gu She’s arm drew back slightly, but in the end, he did not push Tao Mo away.

Tao Mo helped him into the carriage, then carefully drove them back to the inn.

Adviser Jin and Old Tao had already returned. When they saw Gu She enter with his arm bandaged, both were greatly shocked.

Adviser Jin asked, “How did this happen?”

Gu She said, “We were attacked.”

Adviser Jin and Old Tao exchanged a glance, each seeing the worry in the other’s eyes.

Old Tao asked anxiously, “Where are Young Master and Hao Guozi?” If anything had happened to Tao Mo, how could he ever face Master Tao in the underworld? At the thought, his blood surged in his chest, and the bloodlust he had suppressed for so long once again churned like raging waves.

Just as he was inwardly working himself into a murderous fury, he saw Tao Mo enter from outside, his face weary.

“Young Master.” Old Tao stepped forward. Only after carefully confirming that Tao Mo was completely unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief. Then he realized Tao Mo had entered alone. “Where is Hao Guozi?”

Tao Mo froze. Only then did he remember that Hao Guozi and Sang Xiaotu were still on the mountain. With a cry of dismay, he turned and ran outside.

Old Tao immediately chased after him.

Looking at Gu She’s pale face, Adviser Jin said softly, “Young Master Gu should return to your room and rest first.”

Gu She nodded. At this moment, even if Adviser Jin had wanted to ask him something, Gu She could not have been bothered to answer.

Previous

Main

Next