amaotonovel Chapter 372
Chapter 372
But giving up out of despair has never been Zhou Baozhu's character.
After a long pause, she composed herself. Enduring the excruciating pain, she stretched out her arm and picked up a goose egg-sized stone not far from her. Dragging her bruised body, she crawled to the door again and, with all her might, pounded on the doorframe with the stone. The sound of "dong, dong" echoed through the deadly silent courtyard.
The excruciating pain from the wounds all over her body was like a surging tide, making the soreness in her arms seem almost insignificant in comparison. Zhou Baozhu's consciousness grew increasingly hazy, and every time a drowsiness came over her, she bit down hard on her tongue. The taste of blood spread between her teeth, and the stinging pain briefly brought her to consciousness.
She didn't know how many times she bit, how many times she pounded on the doorframe; time seemed to have lost its meaning. Her knocks grew slower and slower, her hand movements smaller and smaller, each blow exhausting her last bit of strength. The glimmer of hope that had seemed like a glimmer at the beginning was now fading.
.........
As dusk deepened, Luo Shuiyao and her maid hurried through the streets. The master and servant were in a state of disarray, fearing being seen by acquaintances, so they lowered their heads and hurried toward the Marquis's residence with sullen expressions. If it weren't for the maid's intimate knowledge of the capital's streets and alleys, guiding her through the twists and turns, Luo Shuiyao would have likely lost herself in the crisscrossing alleys.
Liu Xiangdong invited Lu Zhaozhao out today to enjoy the Hundred Flowers Festival. Luo Shuiyao wasn't supposed to go, but Lu Zhaozhao's repeated provocations piqued her competitive spirit. Feeling just as capable as Lu Zhaozhao, she refused to be outdone and asked to go with them. Unexpectedly, while guessing lantern riddles on the street, she fell prey to Lu Zhaozhao's trap.
Luo Shuiyao, born into a commoner family, studied diligently day and night after entering the Marquis's mansion. She was overwhelmed by the vastly superior Lu Zhaozhao and was defeated in a few rounds. Later, Liu Xiangdong's sarcastic remarks further humiliated her. Xiaotao, the maidservant, though somewhat clueless, was devoted to Luo Shuiyao. Seeing this, Xiaotao volunteered to accompany Luo Shuiyao back home. Luo Shuiyao, unable to argue, fled with her maidservant to avoid further humiliation.
They hadn't left the market for long when it suddenly descended into chaos. There were shouts and cries, and even the screams of someone being trampled and injured.
Fortunately, Luo Shuiyao and her servant were almost out of the market town. Though they were bumped and tumbled along the way, they luckily escaped unhurt. After the chaos in the market town was resolved, they headed to the carriage's parking area, only to be told it had already departed. Since Luo Shuiyao and Lu Zhaozhao had shared the same carriage, she knew without hesitation that Lu Zhaozhao was up to something again. She gritted her teeth in anger, but she could do nothing about it. She took her maid, avoiding pedestrians and taking a shortcut back to the mansion.
The streets were bustling with activity, but this alley was completely silent. Luckily, the moon was bright and round tonight, its clear light shone on the road, allowing people to see the road clearly. Even so, the two girls' hearts were still beating like drums, fearing they might stumble upon something filthy.
As Luo Shuiyao passed a dilapidated gate, she suddenly heard a dull thumping noise from behind it. Childhood ghost tales suddenly flooded back to her, and goosebumps broke out all over her body. The town elders had told her stories: if you encounter a ghost, never look back or panic, as the ghost might notice and attack you.
She gritted her teeth, pretended to be calm, and continued walking forward with steady steps.
Compared to Luo Shuiyao, who had heard all kinds of ghost stories in the countryside, Xiao Tao was obviously much simpler. Although she was also afraid, she stopped and whispered, "Miss, I think I hear someone knocking on the door and calling for help."
Luo Shuiyao's scalp instantly went numb. Due to her excessive anxiety, she even forgot the warning not to look back. She turned around and whispered, "Stop talking nonsense and leave!"
"No, miss, listen, someone is really calling for help." Xiao Tao was startled by Luo Shuiyao's sudden roar, but still couldn't help muttering.
Luo Shuiyao's breath hitched. Though filled with fear, she forced herself to stay awake and listen carefully. Faintly, she could hear a cry for help, but it was so faint that it would be unnoticeable without careful listening. She followed the direction of the sound and stiffly turned her head toward the dilapidated door. It was closed, not locked from the outside, but fastened with a worn wooden bolt.
Luo Shuiyao turned back and saw Xiaotao's eyes, full of curiosity. Terrified, but unwilling to lose face in front of the maid, she feigned composure, feigning fearlessness as she stepped forward and tentatively unbolted the door. Now closer, the faint cry for help became clearer. Feeling Xiaotao's expectant gaze from behind her, Luo Shuiyao gritted her teeth and pushed the door open.
The next moment, two screams pierced the silent night sky.
The dilapidated and decaying yard was overgrown with weeds. A naked woman was crawling at the door. She was covered in blood, her hair was messy, and her face was so swollen that her appearance could not be seen at all. She lay on the ground like a demon from hell.
Luo Shuiyao was so frightened that her legs went limp and she collapsed to the ground. She tried desperately to crawl back, but her legs were too weak to move. After struggling for a long time, she was still stuck in the same place. The master and servant huddled together tightly, trembling.
After a while, seeing that the naked woman did not make any other movements, the master and servant screamed and could no longer make any sound. They just looked at her tremblingly.
When Zhou Baozhu heard the footsteps, she forced herself to shout for help. After a while, she saw that someone finally came to rescue her, and hope ignited in her heart. Hearing the screams of the two, she regained consciousness. Although she didn't know what she looked like at the moment, she knew that it must be not very good-looking. No wonder the two women were scared. But this place is remote, and there is no one passing by today during the Hundred Flowers Festival. She could only slow down her breathing, try to calm herself down, and shout for help. Although the voice was weak, it was heard clearly by the trembling master and servant: "Don't be afraid, I'm not a ghost, I'm a human, please... save me."
She tried hard to look, but her swollen eyes could not make out the appearance of the people in front of her. She only knew that they were two women, two young women.
Hearing her say she was human? It took a long while for Luo Shuiyao to find her voice. Hearing the bloody woman speak, Luo Shuiyao bravely held Xiao Tao tightly with one hand, and the master and servant took a few tentative steps forward.
As she approached, Luo Shuiyao stretched out a trembling hand and felt Zhou Baozhu's breath. When she felt the warm breath, her heart instantly settled down, and her body regained strength. Although her legs were still a little weak, they were much better than before.
Her gaze slid down to rest on Zhou Baozhu's scarred body, her brow furrowed. She deftly took off her cloak and gently put it on her, asking softly, "Miss, what on earth happened? How did you end up like this? Were you persecuted by some villain? Do you need us to report this to the police?"