Also, it was simply miraculous that Duoduo had dreamed of the Prince of Pingyang on the other side of the mountain.
If Duoduo were the Prince of Pingyang's biological daughter, he could understand it as a telepathic bond between father and daughter.
However, Duoduo was merely his adopted daughter.
Furthermore, judging by the expression on the Prince of Pingyang's face, the situation seemed far from simple.
Li Jin pondered quietly while the Prince of Pingyang rode ahead, constantly urging the horse to gallop faster.
By the time the horse was panting from exhaustion, Li Jin spotted a manor ahead.
"Whoa!"
The Prince of Pingyang pulled the horse to a halt. The beast reared up on its front hooves, nearly throwing Li Jin off the back.
"Li Jin, approach quietly and see if there is anything unusual at the manor."
"Yes, sir."
Just as Li Jin was about to dismount, he suddenly remembered Duoduo in his arms.
"Your Highness, please hold the princess for a moment."
Li Jin carefully handed the sleeping Duoduo over to the Prince of Pingyang.
The Prince of Pingyang received Duoduo rather stiffly.
Li Jin dismounted and stealthily made his way toward the manor.
Halfway there, feeling a bit uneasy, he turned his head to look back.
He saw the Prince of Pingyang sitting on horseback, looking down at the sleeping Duoduo, the intense hostility radiating from him having diminished significantly.
In her sleep, suddenly finding herself in a different embrace, Duoduo shifted restlessly.
The Prince of Pingyang gently patted her back.
"Daddy... don't be afraid..."
Duoduo murmured in her sleep, reaching out her small hands to hug the Prince of Pingyang's waist.
The Prince of Pingyang lowered his head and gazed at the sleeping Duoduo.
Her long eyelashes cast a row of dark shadows under her eyes.
Having gained some weight, her cheeks had plumped up with baby fat.
The two pear-shaped dimples at the corners of her mouth had become even more pronounced.
A sweet, milky scent emanated from Duoduo, lingering at the tip of the Prince of Pingyang's nose.
Looking at the lovely and endearing Duoduo, the icy frost in the Prince of Pingyang's eyes gradually melted away.
Just a moment ago, he had harbored thoughts of mutual destruction.
If those people didn't want him to live, then he would bring destruction upon this world!
No one would be allowed to live in peace!
But now, he had changed his mind!
He would insist on living!
And he would live well!
Let all those who deserved to die go straight to hell!
The Prince of Pingyang held Duoduo a little tighter and gently spurred the horse's belly.
The horse moved forward slowly. The Prince of Pingyang guided it into the nearby woods before finally coming to a stop.
"Your Highness?"
Li Jin's voice rang out from outside the woods.
The Prince of Pingyang rode out.
Seeing that Li Jin was alone, he relaxed.
"Your Highness, the manor is very quiet. It seems no enemies have been here. What would you like me to do next?"
The Prince of Pingyang thought for a moment.
"Go find a man named Wang Changsheng and bring him to see me."
"Understood."
Li Jin acknowledged the order and quickly disappeared.
The Prince of Pingyang looked at the distant manor, lost in thought.
Earlier today, halfway through his journey with his guards, he had noticed it was about to rain.
Ling Feng had suggested finding a place to take shelter and waiting until the rain lightened up before continuing.
Thus, they had found an abandoned thatched pavilion.
Just as they ducked inside, a torrential downpour began.
While they were still rejoicing at having taken cover in time, suddenly, men in black rushed out from all sides.
The men in black were all masked and, without a word, charged at them with drawn swords.
The guards hastily engaged in battle, while Ling Feng stayed close to protect the Prince of Pingyang.
As the number of men in black increased, Ling Feng decided to retreat with the Prince of Pingyang.
Ling Feng was pushing the Prince of Pingyang toward the carriage when an arrow was shot from an unknown direction.
Ling Feng pushed the Prince of Pingyang aside to dodge by the carriage, but the horse was killed.
Seeing that the enemy actually had archers, Ling Feng had no choice but to push the Prince of Pingyang toward the woods.
Although it was difficult for a wheelchair to navigate the woods, the trees blocked the archers' line of sight.
The other guards fought the men in black while covering the Prince of Pingyang's retreat.
Just as the two sides were locked in a fierce battle, a landslide occurred.
With no time left to fight, men from both sides scrambled to escape.
Just as Ling Feng was about to carry the Prince of Pingyang on his back, a tidal wave of mud and water surged down from the collapsing mountain.
In the nick of time, Ling Feng only managed to shove the wheelchair forcefully toward the woods.
Coincidentally, he pushed it down a slope.
The wheelchair slid forward continuously while the Prince of Pingyang gripped the armrests tightly, steering it.
He could have abandoned the wheelchair to escape, but he forced himself not to.
The wheelchair slid all the way down until it plunged into a pond.
The moment he hit the water, the Prince of Pingyang finally discarded the wheelchair and swam to the shore.
However, before he could climb ashore, he spotted the figures of the men in black.
The Prince of Pingyang had no choice but to submerge himself again.
Even so, the men in black refused to give up.
They took tree branches and continuously poked into the water, trying to strike him.
Breathing through a hollow reed, the Prince of Pingyang hid among the waterweeds at the edge of the pond, narrowly escaping his pursuers.
Having held his breath underwater for too long, he ran out of strength and lost consciousness.
If Li Jin and Duoduo hadn't come searching for him, he, the Prince of Pingyang, might have ended up as fish food.
The Prince of Pingyang looked down at Duoduo.
He didn't know why Li Jin and Duoduo had appeared here.
And, by sheer coincidence, managed to save his life.
"Your Highness, Wang Changsheng pays his respects!"
Li Jin and Wang Changsheng walked in from outside the woods.
The Prince of Pingyang concealed his emotions and stared at Wang Changsheng.
"Has anyone else been to the manor?"
Wang Changsheng nodded.
"A few days ago, a group of people suddenly arrived at the manor. They spoke with a capital accent. After they arrived, they looked around everywhere and asked if Your Highness was here."
"I didn't know what they were up to. Following Your Highness's instructions, I simply told them this place was part of the Princess Consort's dowry. They asked me if there was anything special about this place."
"I replied that the manor was nothing but crops and farmers, so what could possibly be special about it? Later, unable to extract any information, those people left."
Wang Changsheng looked very terrified.
"Did they go up the mountain?" The Prince of Pingyang looked toward the mountain in the back.
"They did, but they definitely couldn't find the entrance. The person Guard Ling brought over last time was very skilled and set up a formation outside. Without someone to lead the way, it's absolutely impossible to find the entrance."
Wang Changsheng looked full of admiration as he spoke of this.
"Wang Changsheng, gather some men, grab your tools, and go to the collapsed mountain to rescue people! You must be quick!"
The Prince of Pingyang didn't know if those guards were still alive.
Hearing that lives were at stake, Wang Changsheng immediately ran off to call for help.
"Your Highness, if you send them now, wouldn't it be dangerous if they run into the men in black?"
The Prince of Pingyang shook his head.
"The men in black's target is me. Li Jin, you will lead them to search for the survivors shortly. Remember, dig only on the side closer to the woods. Be quick, there might still be survivors."
"Then what about you, Your Highness? Why don't you go into the manor to take shelter from the rain?"
"No! I will leave with Duoduo."
