Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 266 - 264

As Shangguan Xuanyi struggled in the water, clutching the young boy, he could only think of Xiao’er’s words, "We’re in serious trouble!"

The boy he was trying to rescue had instead dragged him into danger too!

With one arm wrapped around the boy, Shangguan Xuanyi swam towards the shore with all his strength.

Giant waves crashed onto them, relentlessly battering their bodies. Shangguan Xuanyi felt as if his body was about to fall apart, mocked by the violent sea.

A few times, he almost lost his grip and let go of the boy.

"This won’t do!" Remembering the spatial ring Xiao’er gave him, he tried to enter it to avoid the waves, but he couldn’t.

Was it because he was carrying another person? Or because they were in the middle of the water?

Thinking about how the sea water might flood into the armor if he entered it, Shangguan Xuanyi was somewhat relieved that he couldn’t enter the space.

After all, items gifted by Xiao’er were still inside. If the seawater poured in, everything would be destroyed.

The sea was still rough. Shangguan Xuanyi stopped struggling to swim. Instead, he let the waves carry them around as they floated on the water surface. He needed to conserve energy for when the sea calmed down.

As another giant wave surged towards them, Shangguan Xuanyi spotted something that looked like a piece of bed board riding on the crest of the wave. He summoned all his strength to swim against the current. Just as he was about to lose all strength, he managed to grab onto a corner of the board. Biting down on his gritted teeth and bracing himself for the impact of the next wave, he resolved not to let go of the board or the boy.

He knew this was their last lifeline!

...

Half a day after Xiao’er had left, news reached the emperor.

Upon hearing the news, he immediately deployed ten thousand elite soldiers under Zhao Youwei’s command to Nanzhou for a rescue mission.

When Shen Chengyao returned from the government office intending to tell Xiao’er the news, he discovered that his daughter had already been aware of the situation and had set off alone to rescue the missing.

Mrs. Liu told Shen Chengyao all about Xiao’er’s words, and suggested that he chase after Xiao’er and bring her back.

Remembering that Xiao’er could retreat to her "fairyland" at any time when in danger, Chengyao shook his head at Mrs. Liu.

"Xiao’er knows what she’s doing, and she’s quite capable. There’s no need to worry. Besides, the people arranged by the Sixth Prince can definitely be trusted. She will certainly find the Sixth Prince, and they both will return safely."

Xiao’er rode swiftly on her horse, sleeping only one to two hours each day. She arrived in Nanzhou almost without rest along the way.

Although peace had returned to the city of Nanzhou, the aftermath of the tsunami could still be seen everywhere. Buildings, the seawall, and city walls had all collapsed, with wreckage strewn about.

One could only imagine the power of the giant waves as they swept through the city.

When Xiao’er arrived in Nanzhou City, dawn had not yet fully broken.

Di Shaowei, together with a dozen soldiers and a few experienced fishermen from a nearby village, were preparing to set off once more to search for the missing at sea.

Upon Bai Tian’s guidance, Xiao’er arrived at the temporarily repaired port, where she found Di Shaowei.

"Brother Di!"

Just as he was about to board the ship, Di Shaowei heard Xiao’er’s voice. He turned his head abruptly, his face full of disbelief. "Miss! How come you’re here?"

"Where is Brother Shangguan?"

Upon hearing those words, Di Shaowei almost broke into tears. "I’m searching for him too. We’re about to head out to sea. We think he was swept away by the wave."

Xiao’er knew that Shangguan Xuanyi wasn’t near this section of the beach. "Get on the ship first. We’ll discuss further once we’re at sea."

Xiao’er, along with the four men assigned to protect her by Shangguan Xuanyi, boarded the ship.

They practically had no choice but to accompany her, for these men would not leave her side.

After asking Di Shaowei about the situation at the time of the tsunami, Xiao’er came to know that the reason for Shangguan Xuanyi’s predicament was his attempt to rescue a child. She didn’t know what to say.

The arrival of the tsunami was a time when everyone was for themselves.

"I hope the heavens acknowledge his good heart and spare his life," she murmured.

The ship sailed calmly on the sea. Looking at the peaceful waters, who could imagine that once the sea roared with fury, it could take everything?

The islands closer to them had already been searched by Di Shaowei and his men. Now, they were heading towards the more distant islands.

"Bai Tian, have you sensed Brother Shangguan yet?" she asked.

"Not yet," he replied.

Gazing blankly at the distant coastline, Xiao’er lost herself in thought.

"Miss, you’ve not slept during this journey, have you? Why don’t you go back to the cabin and rest for a while?" Seeing the huge dark circles under Xiao’er eyes, Di Shaowei suggested with a pained expression.

Except for their first meeting when she was nothing more than skin and bones, Xiao’er had always seemed spirited whenever they met after that.

She mustn’t have rested properly as she made her way here so quickly after receiving the news.

Xiao’er glanced at Di Shaowei’s bearded face and saw his eyes, more panda-like than a panda’s - clear signs of his sleepless nights spent searching for Shangguan Xuanyi.

"Brother Di, you should get some sleep too. We are still far from the island. It wouldn’t be any good if you collapse before we find Brother Shangguan," Xiao’er said.

Di Shaowei nodded, knowing the truth of Xiao’er’s words. For some reason, having Xiao’er there made him feel a little more at ease.

Xiao’er also went to a room in the ship’s hold to catch up on some sleep.

Her sleep was restless, and during her semi-conscious slumber, she heard a commotion outside that fully woke her.

Getting up and dressing immediately, she went outside the cabin to the ship deck. freēnovelkiss.com

Zhao Yong had tied up a man and was threatening to throw him into the sea to feed the fish.

...

"Sir, I dare not do it anymore. Please spare me! I have aging parents and young children at home waiting for me to feed them! I can’t die."

"Sir, please have mercy on him. His family relies solely on him. If he dies, it would be pitiful to leave the old, weak, women and children behind," a commoner could not help but plead.

"What’s happened?" Xiao’er frowned. There was no room for such squabbling at a time like this.

"Miss, this man was gossiping behind our backs saying our master is dead for sure, and that searching is just a waste of time. He even suggested that we might end up losing our lives. I am going to throw him into the sea for feeding the fish. How dare he curse our master!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao’er took a cold glance at the man, "If you don’t want to go to sea with us to search for the missing, just say it outright next time. We won’t force you to come along. However, never curse others. The person that we are trying to rescue is absolutely not dead! Watch your mouth; there will be no second chances! Otherwise, I’ll be the first to cut you up and throw you to the fish. The Sixth Prince isn’t someone you can slander at will! If you do, not just you, but others could well be in danger."

The other commoners on the ship turned pale upon hearing this. Accusing the Sixth Prince could lead to the extermination of their entire family?

"I won’t do it again, ever. I will never dare to do it. Thank you, Miss, for sparing my life." The man was already so scared he was close to wetting himself.

"Let him go," Xiao’er said to Zhao Yong.

It had been over a month since the disaster, after all. It was understandable that the man would harbor such thoughts.

They couldn’t exactly take his life just because his words were foul and passive.

Xiao’er walked to the stern of the ship, and once again asked Bai Tian: "Bai Tian, have you felt Brother Shangguan’s presence after being out in the sea for so long?"

"Not yet." Bai Tian shook his head, then suddenly perked up and sniffed the air, "Southeast, southeast!"