Chapter 290: Something’s Off

Chapter 290: Something’s Wrong

This didn't feel like an escape, but rather... a departure that was tacitly permitted, or even guided?

This thought chilled him more deeply than the winter wind and snow.

He exhaled softly; a puff of white mist quickly formed before his eyes and then dissipated.

As if driven by some unseen force, he instinctively turned his head, his gaze piercing the driving snow against the wind, looking back at the distant gate tower of Yuanzhou.

On that city wall—like the spine of a giant beast—amid the swirling wind and snow, a solitary figure stood out.

The man was draped in a heavy black cloak, his stature tall and straight, almost merging with the dark battlements.

His eyes blurred by wind and snow, Cheng Ge squinted, trying to focus.

At that moment, the wind and snow seemed to relent for a moment, allowing him to finally see clearly.

Standing with his hands behind his back, quietly gazing in this direction, was none other than Lian Wujing.

He stood there, his gaze seemingly piercing the long distance and settling on Cheng Ge.

But it also seemed like... he was simply appreciating the endless wind and snow.

And the carriages in the snow, tiny as ants, desperately "fleeing" from his control.

The feeling of being a fish caught in a net instantly gripped Cheng Ge's heart.

He had been discovered—this realization hit him with absolute clarity.

But why? Why did Lian Wujing, clearly seeing through his ruse, merely stand on the tower and watch, showing no intention of stopping him?

This defied all reason! That bastard of an official would never do anything without a purpose.

Cheng Ge's thoughts churned wildly, like ice water thrown into boiling oil—turbulent and wild.

A stifling pressure in his chest made him reach out to support himself against the cold edge of the carriage, stifling a series of violent coughs.

His gaze inadvertently swept over Wufeng, who was half-conscious in the carriage.

In an instant, a terrifying thought flashed into his mind, making his blood run cold.

"Stop!" he barked urgently, his voice laced with undisguised panic.

The carriage jolted to a halt, and everyone looked at him, confused. Ling Feng reined in the horse, asking uncertainly, "Young master?"

Cheng Ge had no time to explain; he jumped off the carriage without a second thought, the snow instantly burying his ankles up to the shins.

He stumbled a step forward, then leaped onto a sturdy horse carrying luggage nearby, his movements incredibly fast.

"You two! Escort Wufeng and these documents, proceed to Yingzhou as originally planned, and make sure to find Lord Song Yunzhi!

The rest of you follow me, we're heading to Weixian County right now!"

With that, without giving anyone time to react, he spurred his horse hard and charged into the snow curtain.

Cheng Ge gripped the reins tightly, his knuckles white with the strain, almost frozen to the icy reins.

The gale drove hard snowflakes that pelted him head-on, stinging his face until numbness set in.

He felt his body gradually losing sensation—from his exposed skin to his limbs wrapped in thick clothing, turning heavy and sluggish.

"Hah... hah..." Air rushed into his lungs, dry and painful, as if filled with a thousand knives.

He could only rely on sheer willpower, staring at the blurry outline of the road ahead, urging his horse forward.

Suddenly, the horse's front hoof sank deep into the snow, the animal letting out a frightened neigh as its entire front half pitched downward.

Cheng Ge had no time to react; the tremendous inertia flung him violently off the horse, and with a muffled thud, he landed heavily in a deep snowdrift.

Icy snow instantly filled his mouth and nose, causing him to cough violently.

He struggled to push himself up quickly, feeling a strange sensation in his left arm.

Looking down, he saw that the arm guard had come loose during the tumble, the wet leather strap dangling limply.

"Damn it!" Cheng Ge couldn't help cursing under his breath, reaching to retie the leather strap.

But his fingers were stiff as frozen carrots—tying a knot was out of the question; even gripping the end of the strap was extremely difficult.

After several attempts, the strap only slipped more, and anxiety and anger flooded over him.

"Ugh!" Cheng Ge let out a muffled growl from his throat and shook his left hand vigorously.

Then he suddenly lowered his head, biting down on the slippery strap; the taste of cold leather mixed with snow filled his mouth.

Relying on the feel of his teeth, he clumsily but stubbornly pulled and twisted, his tongue tasting the bitterness of dirt and ice on the leather.

Finally, he managed to tie a crooked knot.

He spat out the bits of ice and the strange taste of the leather, then grabbed a handful of cold snow and shoved it into his mouth without a second thought.

The snow melted quickly in his mouth, icy water sliding down his throat—a throat that felt like it was on fire.

It gave a cruel jolt, clearing his foggy mind for a moment.

He crawled on his hands and knees toward the horse that was struggling to get up in the snow.

With all his remaining strength, he mounted the horse, not even bothering to brush the snow off his clothes, then spurred it again.

"Hyah!" he croaked, and his figure once again disappeared into the boundless curtain of wind and snow.

The clatter of hooves shattered the deathly silent night of Weixian.

When Cheng Ge finally burst through the curtain of snow, he was not greeted by the peace he had expected.

On the streets, overturned lanterns burned in small, eerie clusters of flame on the snow, only to be stomped out by panicked fleeing feet.

The commoners, like ants whose nest had been destroyed, cried out in fear, shoving and pushing in confusion.

A woman in a tattered cotton jacket clutched her sobbing child tightly, standing dazed in the middle of the street, letting the snow pile on her shoulders.

Several men dragged simple luggage, stumbling as they tried to flee toward the city gate.

Their faces were etched with primal fear; the howling wind and snow could not drown out the chaos of this living hell.

Cheng Ge reined in his horse, his heart feeling as if it were clutched by an ice-cold hand, nearly suffocating him.

His cheeks, numb from the wind and snow, twitched slightly; thick frost on his eyelashes obstructed his vision, but his bloodshot eyes swept fiercely over the chaotic crowd.

"What happened?! What's going on in the west of the city?!" He nearly rolled off his horse and grabbed an old man who was frantically running past him.

The old man's cotton cap was askew, revealing ears frozen to a bluish-purple. His eyes were unfocused, his wrinkled face etched with nothing but sheer terror.

"Fire... a huge fire! Divine punishment... it's a divine punishment!"

The old man's lips trembled, and his bony fingers shook as he pointed toward the west of the city, his speech incoherent.

"They're... they're hanging... all dead... don't go, don't go!"

He wrenched himself free of Cheng Ge's grip, as if a demon were chasing him, staggering as he vanished into the panicked crowd.

The western part of the city! The last shred of hope flickered and went out with a puff, like a candle in the wind.

Cheng Ge hesitated no more. He mounted his horse, his movements clumsy with urgency.

He dug his heels hard into the horse's flanks. The exhausted steed let out a mournful whinny before mustering its last strength, charging frantically toward the west end of the city.