Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 156 This place is not safe to stay.
Lin Zhiqing already had some doubts about whether the dog hole had been blocked.

So as soon as she came out of the dog hole, the first thing she did was to observe the desolate wasteland.

The tenant farmers on the farm toil in the soil and would never give up their land unless there were special circumstances.

Lin Zhiqing felt something was strange, but couldn't pinpoint what was so strange about it.

But based on her experience, she knew there was a risk of getting lost in such a large and spacious scene, so she tore the handkerchief open and made a mark.

Surprisingly, the strips of cloth torn from the handkerchief actually came in handy.

They were blinded by their own minds again.

“Zhiqing, but this time we didn’t hear any special sounds or see any strange images.” Lu Huai was still puzzled.

He didn't know when he fell into a hypnotic state.

"No." Lin Zhiqing shook her head: "Listen carefully again."

Upon hearing this, Lu Huai held his breath and listened intently.

Apart from the sound of the wind blowing through the weeds, there was indeed no other sound.

No, that's not right.

He frowned, and then he heard the sound of a flute coming from inside the Liu residence.

But they've already run away, so how can they still hear this sound?
"Why is there still the sound of a flute here?" Lu Huai opened his eyes and looked at Lin Zhiqing.

Lin Zhiqing walked forward and took the strip of cloth tied to the grass:

"The flute music may have stopped. The flute music you brought out is the flute music that exists in our minds."

"It was awakened once again by the sound of the wind."

"Moreover, the sound of the wind here is very likely the sound of the wind in the study that has come out of our memories."

In other words, the voices deep within their minds were awakened by the sounds emanating from the wasteland.

That's why they were hypnotized without any warning.

If Lin Zhiqing hadn't seen through the hypnosis array, they probably would have remained trapped in this wasteland forever.

"No wonder Liu Mang ignored that dog hole; it turns out the real killing move was outside the dog hole." Lu Huai felt a chill run down his spine.

Putting everything else aside, this series of schemes is intricately linked, and whether they are in the Liu family or outside of it, they will fall into the trap.

If Lin Zhiqing hadn't been there, he and Jiang Liuyun would have been discovered long ago.

“That’s right, he even planned out the wasteland outside the dog hole.” Lin Zhiqing took back the strip of cloth.

Lu Huai looked around: "But how do we get out of this wasteland now?"

"You must remember to stay close to me." Lin Zhiqing put away the strip of cloth in his hand.

"Wherever I go, you go."

Lu Huai nodded: "I've got it."

Lin Zhiqing discovered the secret of the wasteland not long after she entered, but Lu Huai fell into the trap.

This is the same state Lin Zhiqing was in when she was in the study at the beginning; she was in a semi-hypnotic state.

She was afraid that if she pointed it out rashly and forcibly woke Lu Huai up, it would cause damage to his mental state.

Therefore, she had to go through the whole process to put Lu Huai into a complete hypnotic state and make him realize that it was a trap in order to bring him out safely.

Lin Zhiqing hadn't taken more than a few steps when she deviated from her original route and headed towards a patch of grass that Lu Huai considered particularly lush.

But Lu Huai didn't even blink before following Lin Zhiqing inside.

Suddenly, a feeling of dizziness washed over him, and Lu Huai froze, unable to resist closing his eyes.

Just as his consciousness was becoming hazy, his hand was suddenly grasped.

Even without opening his eyes, Lu Huai could feel that the person holding his hand was Lin Zhiqing.

He paused slightly, then took Lin Zhiqing's hand.

When Lu Huai opened his eyes again, he still saw the dog hole.

They have returned to where they started.

Lin Zhiqing released Lu Huai's hand and took two steps to the left, as if she were observing.

Clearly, she absolutely could not walk into the wasteland:

"Liu Mang is so cunning and shrewd, I suspect that the farm, which appears to have nothing to do with him, might actually be his property in secret."

"Otherwise, the farm owner wouldn't have allowed such a large piece of land to be left to waste." Therefore, this wasteland is particularly unsafe.

If they continue deeper in, they will likely be trapped like turtles in a jar.

“In that case, we have to find another way.” Lu Huai looked towards the mountains behind the farm and pointed in that direction.
“If we go around that mountain, we can get back to the street we came from.”

“Okay!” Lin Zhiqing nodded: “Let’s go that way.”

As she nodded, she reached out and tied the strip of cloth she had retrieved to a stone.

This is the clue she left for Jiang Liuyun.

But before she could finish wrapping it, a series of footsteps suddenly came from afar.

Lin Zhiqing paused.

She and Lu Huai exchanged a glance.

Is someone chasing after us?!
"Hurry!" Lu Huai said softly, "If they catch up, I'll cover their retreat. You must get out of here!"

"Don't talk about these things." Lin Zhiqing pursed her lips.

As the footsteps drew closer, she pressed the strip of cloth under the stone and quickly turned left with Lu Huai, heading towards the mountain path.

Perhaps because they were being pursued, the two of them increased their speed even further.

In the blink of an eye, we arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Fortunately, it seems that they were cautious enough, and there was no sign of a large force catching up from behind.

Learning from the experience of the wasteland, Lin Zhiqing was not at ease with this mountain.

Throughout the journey, she kept observing her surroundings, looking for any psychological traps or pitfalls.

Lu Huai was also observing, but his observations were probably not related to psychology.

So the two of them quickly reached the mountainside.

Before they could take another step, a very fast footstep suddenly sounded from behind.

Lin Zhiqing and Lu Huai exchanged a glance, their hearts sinking simultaneously.

Why did the Liu family arrive so quickly?

To make matters worse, the mountain path wasn't particularly rugged, making it difficult for them to find shelter in a short time.

In a moment of desperation, Lu Huai pulled Lin Zhiqing down the side slope.

The footsteps stopped the instant they lay down.

Lin Zhiqing and Lu Huai held their breath, not daring to make a sound.

If it were that white-haired man who had come after them, both of them would have lost their lives here.

Just as the two were tense, a voice suddenly came from over.

"Strange, what about people?"

Upon hearing this voice, Lu Huai's eyes lit up; it was Jiang Liuyun's voice!
He stood up: "Brother Jiang, are you alright?"

Jiang Liuyun was startled when he heard his voice, then walked towards them.
"What are you doing hiding here? What could possibly happen to me? They are no match for me."

Lin Zhiqing patted the dust off his clothes and stood up as well.

While she breathed a sigh of relief, she also remembered that Jiang Liuyun must have injured his shoulder in the secret room:

"Jiang Liuyun, are you injured?"

"Qing'er, don't worry, how could I, the son of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, possibly get hurt..." Jiang Liuyun had just raised his arm when he gasped.

This doesn't look like he's uninjured at all... Lin Zhiqing immediately stepped forward to check Jiang Liuyun's injuries: "Are the injuries serious?"

"It's alright." But Jiang Liuyun took a step back and scratched his head:

"I've shaken off Liu Mang's men for now, but they might catch up again. Let's hurry up and leave."

“Brother Jiang is right,” Lu Huai echoed, “This place is not suitable for lingering.”

Seeing this, Lin Zhiqing knew that the two were right.

The most pressing issue is a matter of life and death.

Even if there are injuries, the only thing to do is escape and recover slowly.

"Let's go! Let's escape together!"