Chapter 487: 494: This Kind of Courage
Chapter 487: Chapter 494: This Kind of Courage
Having confirmed once again that he hadn’t misheard, Han Yu felt as if his mind had exploded. He couldn’t think of anything else, and his mind was filled with a blinding white light. He had never imagined that such a day would come. He had made meticulous arrangements and had specially moved his wife to a safe place, yet disaster had still struck. It was all his fault, bringing trouble to his wife. Without him, those people wouldn’t have targeted her.
“When did it happen?” Han Yu asked in his hoarse voice, holding the letter his wife had written in his hand. It had just been delivered to him. As it wasn’t about any urgent matter, it had been sent through normal channels and hadn’t been rushed, which is why it had only now reached him. This was the first time his wife had written him such a long letter, filled with a myriad of details about herself, their child, and her travels. It felt as though they were right beside him as he read, unaware that before he could even finish, such terrible news would reach him.
As the secret guard informed him of the time, Han Yu suddenly remembered the unexplained sharp pain that had gripped him that afternoon, as if something had tried to rip out his heart. Afterwards, he had consulted a military doctor and found nothing amiss with his health—still, he couldn’t help but feel it was somehow connected, no matter how absurd and illogical that might seem.
“Where is she now?” Han Yu asked softly as if afraid of knowing the answer.
“The cliff is too high, we haven’t been able to locate Madam immediately. Captain Qi is leading a team to search at the bottom of the cliff. We will undoubtedly find Madam.”
A wave of silence swept over Han Yu as he heard the report. His wife had been coddled since she was a child; she was delicate and had many minor complaints. She was so tender that she would need considerable coaxing to even drink her medicine—a truly pampered creature whom he willingly indulged.
Yet it was this delicate creature who had somehow found the courage to lead those men away alone to protect their child, and without a moment’s hesitation, sacrificed her chance at life by leaping from the cliff. The cliff was so high, she must have been terrified, right? Was it all to prevent the enemy from leveraging her against him?
How could she be so foolish? He would rather lose everything, even his life, than see her come to harm. Why couldn’t this foolish girl understand, acting so rashly with such a cruel decision? Without her, what meaning was there in all his endeavors? His intense striving was all for the sake of providing her and their child with strong protection and support, to let them bask in the glory he offered.
Seeing Han Yu silent and brooding with a dark expression, the secret guard worried and tried to offer some comfort, “General, please, restrain your grief. Madam did all this for you, to protect you from the vile tricks of those despicable people. She died so chaste and virtuous—it’s admirable. I believe Madam would not want to see you…”
“Be quiet!” Han Yu cut the secret guard off mid-sentence, his voice carrying a deadly urgency, even a hint of murderous intent. If he hadn’t recognized that the guard was indeed well-meaning and trying to offer comfort, he might have succumbed to the urge to kill.
“Madam isn’t dead. From now on, no one is allowed to say that word again!”
“But Madam leaped from such high cliffs, even those skilled in Kung Fu couldn’t escape unscathed, let alone Madam, whose constitution has always been fragile,” the secret guard insisted, braving the palpable and almost substantial chill in the air, thinking Han Yu was in denial.
The enemy must be aware of Madam’s situation by now and given the critical nature of the moment, there’s a chance they might exploit the General’s grief over his wife to advance. Han Yu certainly didn’t appear rational, likely a result of the blow from the news about his wife.
“She hasn’t been found yet; I say she’s not dead, then she’s not dead. My wife is blessed; even in the face of great danger, she can turn misfortune into safety. This time will be no different! I’ll spare you this time, but next time, there will be no mercy!” Han Yu said fiercely. As long as that news wasn’t confirmed, he refused to believe his wife was dead, that she’d really left him. She had promised to be with him for a lifetime; she couldn’t just leave him alone. Besides, his wife adored their children, treasuring them as her utmost precious; even if she could part with him, she would never leave them—those babies needed care.
The secret guard had originally intended to offer some advice, but seeing Han Yu in such a state, he knew it wasn’t likely to be heeded. Moreover, Han Yu was a man of his word, and having issued such a command, the guard wasn’t tired of living, so he kept his head down and remained silent.
“How are the Young Master and Miss, have they safely reached the Feng family?” It was only now that Han Yu found the chance to inquire about the children’s safety.
“Please be assured, my Lord, the Young Master and Miss are safe and have arrived at the Feng family. They are under the care of Master Su and Madam Su. However, having learned of Madam’s situation, both the Young Master and Miss are grieving,” the secret guard replied, hoping to redirect some of Han Yu’s focus onto his children.
Han Yu nodded, reassured that the children were safe and he didn’t ask further. Other than finding his wife, he could spare no other thought. In part, he did harbor some resentment, even though he knew it wasn’t fair to blame the children. His wife wouldn’t have been pushed to such peril if not for the sake of their children. If only she hadn’t held them with such high regard, valuing them above her own life. Not only Qi Shen but also Qi Luo had been assigned to protect them, and even the other bodyguards sent along were now unaccounted for, having left his wife alone to face the danger.
The thought filled Han Yu with a suffocating and chilling aura. The news provided only a rough account of events, lacking details. He had to clarify what had happened and find his wife. Perhaps, at this moment, she was injured and waiting for his rescue somewhere beneath the cliff.
“Have them prepare immediately; I’m going to see My Lord now, and once I return, we will leave the city at once,” said Han Yu, before heading off to Liu Xiu’s place.
The secret guard hadn’t anticipated Han Yu would make such a decision. Leaving the city at this time meant he was undoubtedly going to search for his wife, but as a subordinate, the guard had no place to question these matters. The only thing to do was to follow the master’s orders; so as soon as Han Yu left, the secret guard promptly began to make arrangements.
The guard knew that Liu Xiu would surely try to persuade the master, but once the master had decided on something, it would not be changed, especially when it concerned his wife—for that, no one could stop the master.
Meanwhile, Su Hengxuan received the message, filled with heart-wrenching pain when he learned that his beloved younger sister had been driven by those vile and shameless people to jump off a cliff, and that her body had not yet been recovered. Before he could recover from the shock, he heard news that his brother-in-law was leaving the city.