Finest Servant

Chapter 467 Buried

Qin Xian'er had unconditional trust in him. Though she didn't understand his intentions when he spoke, she didn't hesitate for even a moment. Swiftly grabbing the arms of the two women beside her, she burst forward like a swallow skimming the water, a flash of light and a streak of fire followed.

Before the trio could even steady themselves, a tremendous explosion erupted behind them. Broken bricks and shards of tiles flew toward them like a swarm of locusts. The deafening roar seemed like it would burst their eardrums.

"Bad man—"

"Mother—"

Ignoring the flying debris, they hastily turned around to witness a heart-wrenching scene. Explosions echoed one after another, and the spot where Lin San and Madam Xiao stood appeared to be the epicenter. Fragments of brick filled the sky, clouds of smoke billowed up, and the intense heat scorched their faces as if they were leaning into a furnace.

Amid the noise, flames erupted everywhere. The wooden lantern holder had been close to the Xiao family's cloth storage, and beyond the courtyard wall was a four-story tavern. With a thunderous "boom," surrounding buildings were leveled, shaking the tavern to its foundation. It began to collapse, bricks and beams hurtling through the air. Thick smoke and dust filled the sky, making it impossible to see anyone within a several dozen-foot radius, let alone find Madam Xiao and Lin Wanrong.

"Husband—" Qin Xian'er's eyes were bloodshot as she dashed toward the epicenter of the explosion.

Another round of "booms" resonated as the hidden explosives within the lanterns ignited. A massive shockwave rolled through, enveloping Qin Xian'er. A stifled cry escaped her lips as if she'd been struck in the chest. Blood trickled down from the corner of her mouth, and her petite body was hurled back through the air.

"Sister Xian'er—" Xiao Yushuang let out a mournful cry, and along with Eldest Miss, they both lunged forward to catch her. The impact threw all three women to the ground with a hard thud.

Explosions continued, one after the other. The crackling sound of fire accompanied the noise of crumbling walls, piercing the soul. Tiles and eaves fell all around them. Xiao Yuruo felt as if her heart was being torn apart, completely oblivious to the looming danger.

"Bad guy—Mother—" The Second Miss wailed, scrambling to her feet, ready to dash into the lingering flames. Her cry snapped Xiao Yuruo back to reality. With tears in her eyes, she tightly gripped her sister and said, "Yushuang, what are you doing? Don't be reckless!"

Second Miss stared blankly at her for a moment, then suddenly broke into sobs and threw herself into her sister's arms. "Sister, where are the bad guy and Mother? Will they die? I... I don't want to live anymore."

"No, they won't. They absolutely won't. You know him, he's so terrible that even the King of Hell wouldn't take him." Xiao Yuruo caressed her sister's hair, speaking softly to comfort her. However, her own body couldn't stop trembling, and tears poured down like rain. Though she had always been strong and independent, today's disaster had far exceeded her imagination. Especially Lin San and her Mother—they were the two most important people in her life. Just moments before, they had been laughing and joking, but in the blink of an eye, they were swallowed up by the smoke and flames right in front of her. Faced with such a tragic scene, how could her heart not break?

"Is it true?! They won't die, will they, Sister?" Second Miss's gaze was vacant, murmuring as she lay in her sister's arms. It was as if she was asking her sister and also reassuring herself, her eyes filled with a lifeless gray.

"My dear sister, they won't," Eldest Miss replied, tears streaming down her face. She held Yushuang tightly and whispered, "Mother and he won't die. Even if they do, we will be with them. We are a family. We'll never be separated."

"Sister—" Xiao Yushuang let out a startled cry and clung to her tightly, overcome with grief. Her body grew colder and colder, and she eventually fainted from crying.

Recalling how she had just been joking around with Lin San moments ago, and how everything had turned uncertain within an instant, Xiao Yuruo felt so heartbroken she could barely breathe. But she had managed the Xiao family for years and was not easily defeated. Now was the time when her composure was needed the most, as the fates of her mother and Lin San were still unknown.

Qin Xian'er slowly woke up from her unconscious state. The first face she saw was that of Xiao Yuruo, her expression both resolute and beautiful. She coughed lightly, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She murmured, "Sister... Sister Xiao, where is my husband? Have you seen him?"

Tears welled up in Xiao Yuruo's eyes, but the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile of strength. She gently wiped away the blood from Qin Xian'er's mouth, "Don't worry, he's fine. You're injured and need to rest. Otherwise, he'll be heartbroken when he sees you."

Qin Xian'er struggled to her feet, her eyes sharp despite her injuries. The explosion had subsided, and the smoke slowly dissipated, leaving the air filled with the smell of burnt things. The grand courtyard of the Xiao family, along with the surrounding walls and buildings, had been flattened. There was no sign of Lin Wanrong or Madam Xiao; the place where they had been standing was now covered with a pile of rubble that was several yards high.

Among the ruins, a corner of a garment protruded, stained a vivid red by blood. Eldest Miss's face turned pale, and she wobbled on her feet, her fists clenched so tightly that her teeth broke the skin on her lips.

"My husband!" Qin Xian'er cried out, spotting the cloth, and lunged forward like a madwoman.

Xiao Yuruo quickly grabbed her, and they pressed close together as they moved forward, their heartbeats audibly racing. Eldest Miss bent down and, her hands trembling, gently touched the fabric. Tears silently fell, and after a long while, she pulled at the cloth. It moved easily, revealing itself to be just a torn corner, its stains of blood clearly visible.

Qin Xian'er stood beside Eldest Miss, forgetting even to breathe as she looked at that bloody fragment. Unable to bear the agony any longer, she suddenly collapsed and frantically began to tear away the rubble with her hands, crying out, "My husband, where are you? Xian'er is coming to find you!"

Xiao Yuruo was startled and quickly grabbed her hands, "Sister Xian'er, stop! This isn't helping him; you're endangering him!"

Qin Xian'er paused, "Sister, what did you say?"

Eldest Miss sighed, "This area is covered in rubble. If Mother and Lin San are really buried underneath, we don't know their exact location. Acting recklessly will only exacerbate the collapse of the rubble, ultimately endangering them."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xian'er froze, unable to move. She hurriedly grasped Xiao Yuruo's hand, her eyes shining with tears and a flicker of hope. "Sister, are you saying that he will be alright? Is that what you mean?"

Even though she knew that Qin Xian'er was merely comforting herself, Xiao Yuruo was no different. She wiped her tears and said with a sorrowful laugh, "Don't you know him? A scoundrel like him wouldn't leave us until he's had his fill of tormenting us."

Qin Xian'er nodded, seemingly invigorated by her sister's words. Wiping away her tears, she said with pride, "You're right, Sister. No one can harm him. Our husband is the strongest—"

Before she could finish, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the distance. Hundreds of robust men rushed toward them. The one in the lead fell to his knees, kowtowing and crying, "I deserve to die! I have failed in my duties and couldn't protect Lord Lin and the others. I deserve the worst punishment! Please, Princess, grant me a swift death!"

"Would your death bring my husband back to life?" Qin Xian'er, infuriated, her face cold and her eyes wet with tears, retorted loudly, "I will exterminate your nine generations, wreaking havoc on your lineage for eighteen generations!"

Although she was a princess, she had grown up within the White Lotus Sect and had been educated by An Biru. She was a fearless witch by nature. Seeing her husband in danger, murderous intent flooded her eyes, which had become swollen from crying, as she reverted to her natural ferocity.

Xiao Yuruo, regaining her composure, quickly grabbed Qin Xian'er's hand and spoke softly, "Xian'er, revenge can wait. Our immediate concern should be saving people."

Qin Xian'er huffed, her eyes red, "You all better hope nothing happens to my husband. If even a single hair on his head is harmed, I'll cut off each of your legs. When I say something, I mean it."

Gao Qiu, feeling guilty, bowed his head and remained silent. Xiao Yuruo wiped the tears from her eyes and recounted what had just happened. She sighed and said, "Mr. Gao, according to your experience, do you think that Lin San and my mother are under these ruins?"

Gao Qiu slowly approached the pile of debris, examining it carefully and sniffing the air. He was taken aback by the strong smell of gunpowder. The explosion had occurred within the courtyard of the Xiao family, in a confined space; its force could only be imagined. He bowed his head, paused for a moment, and softly said, "The remains of Madam Xiao and Lin San should be beneath this—"

"What did you say?!" Qin Xian'er's eyebrows shot up, her tears glistening like diamonds, almost as if she were grinding her teeth. Xiao Yuruo too staggered, her face pale as death, almost fainting.

To survive such a powerful explosion and the weight of the rubble was nothing short of a miracle. Gao Qiu's eyes welled up with old tears. He didn't dare to cause the young ladies further pain. Realizing there was no other option, he bellowed, "Bring the hoses quickly!"

The guards had already connected the hoses. Gao Qiu ordered water to be poured on the rubble to cool it down, aiming to prevent any further burning or heating that might suffocate the people trapped beneath.

Seeing the people start to take action, Qin Xian'er felt slightly relieved. She tightly grasped Xiao Yuruo's hand and said, "Sister, when will they start rescuing them? The delay is unbearable, how can my husband and your mother endure being trapped underneath?"

"There's no rushing this," Xiao Yuruo sighed helplessly. "The rubble all over the ground could collapse again at any moment. The speed of the water stream cannot be too fast. We have to clear the debris manually. If there's another collapse, even if mother and Lin San had ten lives, they wouldn't survive."

Qin Xian'er clenched her teeth, closed her eyes devoutly, and brought her palms together at her chest. Two crystalline tears slowly slid down her cheeks.

The Eldest Miss felt a pang in her heart. She hugged Qin Xian'er's arm and gently rested her head on her shoulder. The two women clung tightly to each other, providing mutual comfort.

…

"Where am I?!" Lin Wanrong slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself engulfed in endless darkness.

Silence filled his ears; not a single noise could be heard. Every now and then, a faint crackling sound arose from an indeterminate direction. The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder, making it hard for him to even open his eyes. A searing heat radiated near his face, as if charcoal fires were burning around him.

"Where is this?" He asked himself again. He tried to stretch out his hands but found himself completely unable to move—his whole body hot and in pain. A simple movement exhausted all his strength. He let out a groan; his throat was so dry it felt as though it would catch fire, his voice weak and hoarse, barely audible even to himself.

Gasping for air, his arms hung limply by his sides. Beneath him seemed to be a soft sandbag; the texture was remarkably pleasant. Subconsciously, he pressed down again. Strands of fine hair brushed past the corner of his mouth, and a faint fragrance filled his nostrils.

The strong scent of rose perfume made him praise involuntarily. Just as he was about to take another whiff, he suddenly froze.

Madam! It's Madam Xiao! His sluggish brain snapped back to reality. The scenes during the explosion flashed before his eyes. A fiery wave had struck, and all he remembered was shielding Madam Xiao beneath him. Then, everything went black.

‘An explosion? And I'm still alive?!’ The more intense the pain, the happier he felt. Such vivid pain was proof that he was alive. Emotional tears filled his eyes. ‘I want to burst into song!’ With a hoarse voice, he let out an indistinct cry, resembling the sound of spring rain hitting the soil.

‘Is Madam still alive?’ His heart gradually cooled. Madam Xiao's soft body was pressed tightly against him, as smooth as fine silk. Her skin was as flawless as milk.

The two were pressed closely together. Usually, facing the beautiful and mature lady, he would seize the opportunity to flirt. Now, however, he seemed to have become noble. Somehow, in this life-or-death situation, he became much calmer, and there was not a shred of irreverent thoughts in his mind.

Madam Xiao's body was icy cold, devoid of any signs of life. Lin Wanrong's heart trembled violently. Ignoring the pain that enveloped him, he mustered all his strength to stretch out his arm and grab her hand. That small hand was as cold as a block of ice, devoid of any warmth.

Lin Wanrong stared blankly, immobilized. A wave of intense sorrow, unlike anything he had ever felt before, suddenly overwhelmed him. He let out a loud scream, as if trying to vent all his anguish. His broken voice rustled like a silkworm munching on mulberry leaves, and those two trails of tears could no longer be held back—they fell freely.

"Where, where is this? Is it raining?" A soft and weak voice faintly echoed in his ears.

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