novelraw Chapter 352: Why Haven’t I Seen You Before
Chapter 352: Why Haven’t I Seen You Before
Pei Shu’er walked out of the tent, and just as she reached the entrance of the military camp, she was stopped.
Only then did she realize that Tang Qingrou’s authority was also limited, and there were some places in the camp she couldn’t go. Wanting to leave the camp was even more impossible.
She had no choice but to return. She saw commotion in the distance and noticed that the place where the provisions were stored had already burst into flames, making her somewhat stunned.
Pei Shu’er smiled, thinking Tang Zan had discovered her in the Tazi Camp and had come to rescue her, right?
Burning the provisions wasn’t something Tang Zan was doing for the first time.
Her heart suddenly felt a bit settled.
Pei Shu’er wandered inside the tent but couldn’t find any trace of Tang Zan.
She had actually been practicing Qinggong recently, but her skills weren’t great, at most allowing her to perform something akin to parkour.
But it was enough.
Thinking of this, just as Pei Shu’er was about to gather her strength to jump up, she suddenly felt a severe pain in her heart.
Then her heart began to contract fiercely, and just as she felt she couldn’t breathe, the pain abruptly vanished.
It was as if some binding thread on her had snapped.
She felt much lighter.
Thinking of something, a spark of hope lit up in Pei Shu’er’s eyes.
The abbot at the Su County temple had mentioned before that if she wanted to survive this ordeal, someone needed to exchange their life for hers. Was it actually true?
Now that Tang Qingrou’s life had been exchanged for hers, right?
Survival of the fittest, if the person inside wasn’t Tang Qingrou, it would be her.
And Tang Qingrou, it was merely her comeuppance.
More importantly, Tang Qingrou was destined to die anyway.
Pei Shu’er, thinking that she had finally passed the death threshold, felt the weight lifted from her heart.
After all, Tang Qingrou wanted her dead, she didn’t really have to care about the means used.
Regarding what Tang Qingrou said about her own descent to relying on men, wasn’t that her own choice?
Even if she was a camp prostitute in the Gulan Military Camp, or in the Tazi Camp, wasn’t it all her own decision?
Who could she blame?
She didn’t have to be responsible for others’ choices.
It was only then that Pei Shu’er saw a figure ahead, and even though his movements were swift, Pei Shu’er immediately recognized it as Tang Zan.
Pei Shu’er whispered, "Tang Zan."
Tang Zan, hearing Pei Shu’er’s voice, immediately turned his head.
Seeing it was Tang Qingrou, Tang Zan rushed toward her and pressed a dagger against her neck.
He lowered his voice, exuding an icy aura.
"Tang Qingrou, where have you taken Pei Shu’er?"
His blood-shot eyes made him look like a madman.
Pei Shu’er, taken aback, quickly grabbed his hand, smiling warmly.
"Tang Zan, it’s me."
The words left even Tang Zan stunned.
Tang Zan reached out to touch Pei Shu’er’s face and caught a whiff of floral fragrance.
Pei Shu’er said, "I’ve swapped identities with Tang Qingrou."
Tang Zan breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Pei Shu’er into his arms, holding her so tightly it seemed as if he wanted to merge her into himself.
"You always worry me. If there’s a next time, then you can forget about leaving."
He pinched Pei Shu’er’s waist while feigning a fierce look that was undermined by his red eyes and looked entirely unconvincing.
Bark is louder than bite.
Pei Shu’er smiled gently, her voice soft as she comforted Tang Zan.
"Tang Zan, I won’t leave you again."
After all, her deathly ordeal was over, and nothing could separate them now.
Just then, a sudden bolt of lightning split the clear sky.
Pei Shu’er’s face turned pale, and she looked at Tang Zan with reluctance.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but before she could, a wail erupted from the camp.
Tuoba Jun’s anguished voice was heard, and Pei Shu’er saw him emerging from the tent, cradling Tang Qingrou like a broken rag doll.
Tang Qingrou’s human skin mask had been removed, revealing her true face, but now she hung limply, lifelessly.
Pei Shu’er watched the strong man cry, filled with hatred.
"Pei Shu’er, I will dismember you, making you unable to live or die."
"Find Pei Shu’er, dressed like Qing Rou, and bring her here, dead or alive!"
Pei Shu’er looked at her outfit, then at Tang Zan, and immediately pulled him into a tent.
The people inside looked terrified at the sight of them, but before they could speak, Tang Zan silenced them with a swift attack.
Pei Shu’er quickly stripped the dead person of their clothes, changed rapidly, washed off her makeup, and disguised her face like a Dazi.
However, there was one glaring flaw.
Pei Shu’er’s diminutive stature made her conspicuous among the bear-like stature of the Dazi, arousing suspicion.
While there were young soldiers or short-statured adults in the Dazi ranks, such people were rare.
Seeing Tang Zan’s disguise was flawless, Pei Shu’er spoke up.
"Let’s go."
The duo exited the tent.
Upon leaving, they encountered a patrol of Dazi whose gazes swept over Pei Shu’er’s face.
Pei Shu’er remained calm, her face expressionless.
One of the Dazi said, "Halt."
Finishing his words, he stood next to Pei Shu’er.
"I haven’t seen you before."
This was a disguise Pei Shu’er adopted, imitating a young Dazi’s appearance and voice.
"I’ve always been in the camp; maybe, sir, you’ve seen too many people daily and can’t remember my face. Others can vouch for me."
She spoke fluent Dazi.
With her words, half of the Dazi’s doubts dissipated.
How could a Dayan person speak Dazi so fluently, even with the correct intonations?
The soldier glanced around, and one person nodded.
"He is indeed from our camp."
The soldiers moved on, but the leader suddenly halted.
They remembered Commander Tuoba’s warning about Pei Shu’er’s mastery of disguise and turned back to verify, only to find them gone.
For caution, they decided to pursue.
The camp was crawling with Dazi, and Pei Shu’er’s petite form was at constant risk of exposure, urging them to quicken their pace.
Fortunately, the camp was chaotic with the search for Pei Shu’er, compounded by the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s disruptions, further intensifying the chaos.
Meanwhile, Tao Mingxuan noticed Pei Shu’er was missing. He had gone to find her for a meal and was met with a filthy sight in the tent arranged for her.
For a moment, he felt a pang of sympathy, despite his dislike for Pei Shu’er. Recently, their interactions had been unexpectedly pleasant, making him realize she wasn’t as annoying as he thought.
Moreover, for his illness, he still relied on her.
His expression darkened, ready to vent his anger when he learned the whole story. Upon discovering Pei Shu’er had escaped, he felt a sense of relief but still sent people to chase after her.