Volume 1, Chapter 30: Caught in One Fell Swoop!

Patrols around the ancient castle were significantly more relaxed than usual. It was likely that because Si Yan had taken Su Yu out to try on wedding dresses, the guards left behind had let their guard down.

Zhang Yue pulled his hat brim low and signaled for Chen Jing, who was behind him, to follow. The two men hunched over and squeezed through an inconspicuous hole in the corner of the back garden. They had discovered this gap while conducting surveillance; it was hidden behind dense shrubbery and was just wide enough for one person to pass through. It was a hole Su Yu had once cut, and Si Yan had never bothered to have it repaired, providing them with this opportune moment.

Zhou Wenwen had been stationed outside at the pre-arranged extraction point. She clutched her communicator, keeping a constant watch on the situation inside while remaining vigilant against any potential variables on the perimeter.

Chen Jing clutched a map of the castle’s layout, drawn from the memory of a Filipino maid. It was abstract, but it would suffice. The rifles on their backs felt heavy, yet they only served to make their movements more agile.

Before long, based on the clues they had gathered, the pair pinpointed the location of the dungeon where Li Hanyan was being held. The area outside the dungeon was quiet, save for two guards leaning against the wall, idly chatting while tossing their guns between their hands.

Chen Jing and Zhang Yue exchanged a look. Chen Jing quietly drew a dagger from his boot, the cold light flashing in the gloom. Zhang Yue, however, pressed down on his hand, signaling him not to use the blade. Using the shadows of the corner, the two moved lightly and stealthily, circling behind the guards. Almost simultaneously, they lunged forward, one hand clamped firmly over a guard's mouth while the other seized the wrist holding the gun, followed immediately by a sharp strike to the nape of the guard's neck.

"Ugh!" Two muffled groans were strangled in their throats. The guards didn't even have time to struggle before their bodies went limp and they slumped into unconsciousness. Zhang Yue checked their breathing, satisfied they wouldn't wake for at least three hours, before he and Chen Jing carefully dragged them into a corner to hide them.

Zhang Yue retrieved a ring of keys from one of the guards and tried the dungeon lock a few times. With a sharp "click," the lock gave way. They pushed the door open, and a cold, damp air rushed out to meet them. Raising their rifles, they hurried into the dark, eerie depths of the dungeon.

The first cell they breached held Li Hanyan. The light inside was dim, with only a weak flame flickering from an oil lamp on the wall. Li Hanyan was chained to a chair, his clothes soaked in dried blood and torn in several places. Bruises and scabs were visible on his exposed arms, and his face was deathly pale, drained of all color.

"Hanyan! Hanyan!" Chen Jing called out in a low voice while Zhang Yue scrambled to pick the lock on the cell door.

Li Hanyan, leaning dizzily against the back of the chair, felt his throat tighten at the familiar voice. He let out a few weak coughs before slowly lifting his head. As the door creaked open, Chen Jing and Zhang Yue rushed inside. Seeing them, a flicker of surprise crossed Li Hanyan’s dim eyes, his voice rasping painfully, "Why... why are you here?"

"It's too dangerous here..."

"You’re trapped here—how could we not come to save you?" Chen Jing hurried to his side, reaching out to undo the chains, his tone a mix of urgency and heartache. "Don't say another word, we’re getting you out of here right now!"

Zhang Yue was already kneeling to unlock the chains on Li Hanyan’s wrists. Amidst the clinking of metal, he said in a low voice, "Zhou Wenwen has been waiting for you at the Wangcheng border. When you didn't return, we knew something had happened."

"Exactly. You shouldn't have gotten involved in this mess to begin with." Chen Jing supported Li Hanyan’s arm, half-carrying him up, his tone colored with suppressed anger.

Li Hanyan shook his heavy head, but his gaze suddenly fixed, his hand tightening on Chen Jing’s arm. "But... Yu'er... what about her?" His initial reason for coming was to rescue Su Yu. Now that he was leaving, she remained trapped by Si Yan.

"Her? Don't worry about her," Chen Jing scoffed, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Si Yan treats her like his own heart, coddling her in the palm of his hand. If he hadn't taken her out to buy wedding dresses—that's right, wedding dresses! They're getting married!—we wouldn't have even had a chance to sneak in."

"I think you should just forget about her!" Li Hanyan had risked his life to save her, and she, in turn, was off playing house with another man, even trying on wedding dresses. Chen Jing felt a lump in his throat; he wanted to ask if the "promise they made back then" still counted.

"Chen Jing!" Zhang Yue barked sharply, his eyes filled with a warning. They had heard rumors from the Filipino maid, but nothing was confirmed; they couldn't just speak recklessly.

Li Hanyan, however, seemed oblivious to their friction. He stood straight with their support, and though his face was pale, his tone was uncharacteristically firm. "That’s not true." He shook his head, his voice trembling, "She must be being forced by that madman Si Yan! Yu'er isn't that kind of person, I believe in her."

*As if she isn't being forced—she's being forced every single day!*

"Fine, believe what you want, but let's get out of here first!" Chen Jing sighed helplessly. By now, Zhang Yue had unlocked the leg chains. He grabbed Li Hanyan’s left hand, and together with Zhang Yue, they hoisted him up and began to drag him out of the dungeon.

"Are we... really not taking Yu'er with us?" Li Hanyan’s face grew even paler, his steps faltering, his voice filled with anxiety. He thought of Su Yu every single moment. Leaving her here was no different than throwing her into a wolf's den!

"We can't save her!" Chen Jing’s voice deepened with impatience. "Su Yu is about to become Si Yan’s wife. You need to worry about yourself first!"

With that, he gave Li Hanyan no chance to hesitate and hauled him out of the dungeon. But as the door swung open, they were met by the glare of blinding lights and dozens of cold, black gun barrels pointed directly at them.

Huang Yu stood at the front of the crowd, a cat-and-mouse smile curling his lips, his gaze mocking. "Mr. Li Hanyan, you haven't even had a drop of my master’s wedding wine yet. Where are you planning to go?"

Li Hanyan and Chen Jing were frozen by the sight, their faces turning deathly white. Only Zhang Yue remained relatively calm, his hand stealthily reaching for the gun on his back, his eyes scanning the crowd with vigilance.

"Wedding wine?" Li Hanyan’s voice trembled; he couldn't believe his ears.

"Su Yu was our Li Hanyan’s fiancée! Your master kidnapped her, and now he wants to hold a wedding and force Hanyan to watch her marry someone else!" Chen Jing shielded Li Hanyan behind him, his arms tight around his waist, eyes locked on Huang Yu. "Where is Si Yan? Tell him to come out!" Even as reckless as Chen Jing was, he realized now that Si Yan, that devil, had known they were coming all along and had laid a trap, just waiting for them to walk right into it.

"My master has taken his lady out to try on wedding dresses," Huang Yu said, smiling with growing triumph. His gaze swept over the three of them before he added slowly, "In one month, it will be the big day for my master and Miss Su. Since you’re already here, why don't you stay and have a drink?"

As he spoke, his eyes flickered and he flicked his wrist. The mercenaries behind him understood at once. With swift, practiced movements, they surged forward. Before Zhang Yue and the others could react, they were disarmed, their own rifles turned around to be pointed firmly at their chests.