Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

The sky was still shrouded in a pale blue hue, and the carriages at the entrance of the Wen residence were already harnessed.

Wen Zhimiao was dressed in a moon-white long robe, with a dark jade belt around her waist, from which hung a double-fish jade pendant.

Her black hair was neatly tied up with a jade crown, and her profile had a cold, porcelain-like quality in the morning mist.

He glanced at the sky, then looked into the mansion. Just as he was about to instruct Wen Lin to urge them on, he saw Liu Yunshu appear at the door, lifting her skirt.

She was wearing a light purple short jacket embroidered with dark patterns, with pearl buttons at the collar, and a matching horse-face skirt.

Her hair was styled in a snake-like bun, adorned with a small pearl hairpin, and her cheeks were flushed with the light blush of dawn.

Biyan followed behind, clutching a gilded food box in her hand.

When Liu Yunshu ran up to Wen Zhimiao, she was slightly out of breath: "Big brother, I'm not late, am I?"

"No, hurry up and get in the carriage."

Wen Zhimiao reached out to help her, but quickly withdrew her hand after she regained her balance, only giving a brief instruction: "The mountain road is bumpy, so sit tight after you get in the car."

Liu Yunshu smiled and replied, "Okay," before getting into the carriage.

The carriage was lined with thick, soft brocade cushions, and in one corner sat a brazier burning silver charcoal, its warmth carrying a faint scent of pine.

As soon as she sat down, the carriage slowly began to move.

Liu Yunshu lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and watched the street scene gradually receding in the morning mist.

Suddenly remembering something, he turned around, took out two steaming plum blossom cakes from the food box, and handed them out of the car.

"Brother, would you like a piece of cake to tide you over? It's freshly steamed in the kitchen, sweet but not cloying."

Wen Zhimiao, who was riding her horse beside the carriage, lowered her head upon hearing the voice and said, "No need, I've already eaten."

"Alright, then I guess I won't be able to enjoy it, big brother~"

Liu Yunshu withdrew her hand and took a big bite of plum blossom cake herself.

The soft aroma of glutinous rice mingled with the sweetness of red bean paste, and she puffed out her cheeks, peering at Wen Zhimiao through the gap in the carriage curtain.

His back was ramrod straight, his moon-white robe fluttered slightly in the morning breeze, and the jade pendant with two fish swayed gently at his waist.

Wow, this man is so handsome!

The carriage arrived smoothly at Huguo Temple, where the ground was covered with fallen ginkgo leaves at the entrance.

Wen Zhimiao dismounted, straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, and turned to look at the carriage. Wen Lin had already stepped forward and lifted the curtain.

Liu Yunshu helped Biyan down, the hem of her horse-face skirt sweeping across the ground, catching a few ginkgo leaves.

The young novice monk stepped forward, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, and said, "Young Master Wen, Miss Wen, the abbot is already waiting in the main hall."

Wen Zhimiao nodded in response and took the lead into the temple: "Let's go, let's pray for blessings first."

Liu Yunshu quickly followed.

Incense smoke curled up in the main hall, and the abbot stood before the Buddha, prayer beads in hand.

After washing her hands, Wen Zhimiao took the incense and lit the candles. As she closed her eyes and kowtowed, her long eyelashes cast a faint shadow on her pale face.

Liu Yunshu stood beside him, imitating his manner of burning incense, but secretly glancing at him while looking down.

He held the incense and candles in his palm, his finger bones clearly defined, and even his bowing movements exuded a dignified elegance.

After the prayer ceremony, the abbot invited Wen Zhimiao to a side hall to discuss scriptures, and Liu Yunshu took the opportunity to say that she wanted to go to the backyard to admire the chrysanthemums.

Wen Zhimiao instructed her, "Don't go far, have the guards follow you."

She smiled and agreed, then turned and pulled Biyan towards the backyard.

Just as I turned the corner of the corridor, I saw a patch of bright red camellias blooming in the corner of the wall, their petals still glistening with morning dew—it was a beautiful sight.

By the time Wen Zhimiao finished discussing the scriptures with the abbot, it was nearly noon.

He went out of the side hall and saw Liu Yunshu squatting on the ground picking up ginkgo leaves.

Hearing footsteps, Liu Yunshu looked up. A ginkgo leaf fell into her hair. "Big brother, look how pretty these leaves are. I want to collect some to press in my books."

Wen Zhimiao hummed in agreement. "It's almost lunchtime. Let's go to the kitchen for lunch first."

Liu Yunshu immediately stood up, carefully gathered the ginkgo leaves in her arms into a handkerchief, handed it to Biyan, and then quickly followed Wen Zhimiao's footsteps.

After the meal, the two went to their respective rooms to rest for a while.

In the afternoon, the two went to the main hall to recite prayer sutras.

When they finished reciting the prayer sutra, it was almost late afternoon. The two bid farewell to the abbot and returned the way they came.

As the group entered the bend in the mountain path, dozens of men in black suddenly sprang out from the bushes on both sides, their long knives gleaming coldly, and rushed straight at Wen Zhimiao.

Wen Lin immediately drew his sword and stood protectively in front of Wen Zhimiao, shouting sternly, "Protect the young master!"

Wen Zhimiao's expression darkened, and he quickly drew his sword from his waist, blocking the oncoming blade with a flash of light.

Inside the carriage, Biyan, pale-faced, huddled close to Liu Yunshu, stammering, "Miss...Miss, there...there's an assassin!"

Liu Yunshu patted her hand and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, your elder brother and the guards are here."

No sooner had he finished speaking than an assassin bypassed the guards and charged toward the carriage, brandishing his knife.

He clearly realized there were members of the Wen family in the car and wanted to capture them for blackmail.

"Go protect the young lady!" Wen Zhimiao shouted sternly.

The two guards immediately turned around and stood in front of the carriage, engaging the assassin in combat.

At this moment, two more men in black came over, their large knives aimed straight at the carriage.

The carriage was instantly cleaved, sending wood shards flying and the curtains breaking and falling. Biyan screamed in fright and tightly gripped Liu Yunshu's sleeve.

Fortunately, the two guards dealt with the men in black earlier and returned to defend in time.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Liu Yunshu pulled Biyan off the carriage and hid to the side.

Just as Liu Yunshu pulled Biyan behind the rocks, an assassin bypassed Wen Lin's defenses and slashed at Wen Zhimiao's back with his knife.

Wen Zhimiao was entangled and had no idea of ​​the murderous intent behind her.

Her heart tightened, she picked up the long knife from the ground, rushed over there, and suddenly stabbed the assassin in the back!

The assassin groaned in pain, his movements abruptly halting.

The assassin's knife clattered to the ground. He looked down in disbelief at the blade piercing his chest before collapsing heavily to the ground.

Liu Yunshu drew her long sword, her delicate face stained with specks of blood. The warm blood splashed onto her lotus-colored jacket, like a fallen dark red plum blossom.

Her hand gripping the knife hilt trembled slightly, but she forced herself not to back down, only raising her eyes to look at Wen Zhimiao.

He had just dealt with the assassin in front of him when he turned around and witnessed this scene, causing his pupils to suddenly contract.

"Who let you come here!" Wen Zhimiao's voice was filled with unprecedented ferocity as he strode forward, pulled her behind him, and held his long sword horizontally in front of him.

Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining assassins became even more ferocious in their attacks. Wen Lin and his guards held them off tenaciously, the crisp sound of clashing blades echoing through the mountain path.

These men in black were clearly after Wen Zhimiao. He protected Liu Yunshu, fighting and retreating at the same time.

As they retreated to the steep slope on the inner side of the mountain path, an assassin suddenly abandoned his guards and charged straight at Liu Yunshu.

Wen Zhimiao reacted quickly, stepping aside to block her. Her longsword pierced the assassin's shoulder blade with precision, but she couldn't prevent another assassin from attacking from the side.

The moment the blade pierced her shoulder, Wen Zhimiao let out a muffled groan, and her moon-white robe was quickly soaked with dark red blood.

"Big brother!"

Liu Yunshu had no time to think and picked up her long sword to slash fiercely at the assassin!

The sound of the blade slicing through the fabric was piercing, and the assassin turned around in pain.

Taking advantage of the moment, Wen Zhimiao twisted her wrist, and her longsword precisely pierced the assassin's throat.

The man groaned and fell heavily to the ground, blood trickling down the blade of the sword.

Before the two could even catch their breath, two more assassins pounced from behind, their blades whistling as they aimed straight at Wen Zhimiao.

Liu Yunshu reacted quickly, grabbing Wen Zhimiao's wrist and pulling him to the side and back.

Unexpectedly, there was a steep slope behind them. The two lost their balance and tumbled down the slope.

In the chaos, Wen Zhimiao held Liu Yunshu tightly in her arms, using her back to brace against the protruding rocks and broken branches on the slope.

The rough stones tore through her clothes, and a sharp pain spread down her back, but he only held her head tighter, not letting her suffer the slightest bump.

When she rolled to the bottom of the slope, Wen Zhimiao crashed heavily into an old maple tree. A metallic taste rose in her throat, and she passed out.

Liu Yunshu was held protectively in Wen Zhimiao's arms, her back only brushing against some small pebbles.

She immediately pushed herself up from the ground, ignoring the scrapes on her elbows, and reached out to help Wen Zhimiao: "Big brother! Big brother, wake up!"

Wen Zhiming's head was tilted on her shoulder. The back of her moon-white long robe was already torn by gravel, and dark red blood seeped out, staining her hands.

Liu Yunshu's fingertips trembled as she checked his breath. Thankfully, though weak, it was steady.

"Xiao Ba, how is he?"

"Master, Wen Zhimiao is only unconscious due to severe external injuries and the impact. Her life is not in danger, but the wounds on her back and shoulders need to be treated as soon as possible."

Liu Yunshu breathed a sigh of relief and looked around.

The bottom of the slope was covered with withered yellow leaves, and the surrounding area was dense with trees, suggesting that the leaves had veered off course when they rolled down.

Biyan and her guards are probably still on the slope and won't be able to find this place for a while.

"Xiao Ba, help me find a cave where I can hide from people."

"Master, there's a cave about half a person's height fifty steps ahead. It's dry and secluded, perfect for temporarily treating your wound."

As soon as Xiao Ba finished speaking, Liu Yunshu immediately bent down and carried Wen Zhimiao on his back. His tall and straight figure made her shoulders feel slightly heavy.

But she dared not slow down, trudging through the fallen leaves towards the cave, her sleeves brushing against the thorny bushes, leaving a few fine marks without her noticing.

When they reached the cave entrance, Liu Yunshu was covered in sweat. She gritted her teeth and gently placed Wen Zhimiao on the pile of dry grass inside the cave.

As soon as I straightened up, my arms felt weak, and I slid down the rock wall to the ground, panting heavily.

"Little Eight, quickly get me some water, I'm dying of thirst!"

A short while later, a bottle of mineral water appeared in Liu Yunshu's hand.

"Drink up, big brother! I smuggled this over here!"

Liu Yunshu unscrewed the bottle cap and took a few big gulps. The icy water slid down her throat, barely suppressing the thirst in her throat.

"Hachi, having you is truly my blessing!"

Xiao Ba: (⑅˃◡˂⑅)

After finishing her water, Liu Yunshu immediately got up to check on Wen Zhimiao's injuries.

She carefully unbuttoned his blood-stained pale white robe, instantly revealing the wound on his back.

The cuts from the gravel were crisscrossed, the deepest one still bleeding, merging with the wound on her shoulder from the blade, making her heart clench.