In that instant, Feng Zhiwei saw underneath the clothing and sundry covering the basket fall away, revealing numerous black balls.
Bombs!
The basket rolled towards Feng Zhiwei and Ning Yi, and Feng Zhiwei cried out: “Stop…” as a guard lifted his foot to kick it away.
But her cry came too late.
The basket exploded and smoke filled the protective circle.
Blood and flesh splattered!
Yells and weeping filled the air!
Feng Zhiwei instantly turned and hugged Ning Yi as the smoke exploded, and she felt Ning Yi grabbing her back as someone else jumped over and grabbed both of them. The blast was so strong that all three of them fell to the ground, holding each other as they rolled away. Miserable cries and shouting threw everything into chaos as the thousands of commoners scattered to the winds. The vicinity of the bomb was filled with black smoke, and figures ran around, bumping into each other. Scattered bombs were unwittingly stepped on and set off, rocking them with explosion after explosion and more and more smoke. People ran and screamed and cried, and the peaceful dock became hell on earth.
Feng Zhiwei did not know how long or how far she rolled as blood covered figures fell on top of her and feet trampled her. She had no time to think and no opportunity to clamber to her feet; all she could do was hug Ning Yi has tightly as she could. Ning Yi hugged her back, covering her body with his own; when they had fallen, she had been protecting him, but now he was protecting her.
There were too many people in the docks and the explosion had caused enormous damage. Doomsday chaos reigned and everyone was terrified and confused like beasts trapped in cages. They ran and yelled, unable to care that people were being trampled underfoot. No one could stand straight, and no one could protect anyone else. Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei felt feet run over them, and the third person above them kept trying to help them up and was repeatedly foiled by blasts and panicked runners. In the end, the person with them covered them with his body, trying his best to find a way out of the running legs and stinging smoke as he protected Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei, limping and rolling and stumbling forward.
Through the darkness and chaos, Feng Zhiwei could hear Gu Nanyi cry out: “Wei!”
This was how Feng Zhiwei had asked Gu Nanyi to call for her: Feng Zhiwei’s Wei[1] and Wei Zhi’s Wei[2] were both pronounced the same, so no matter the circumstance this call would not arouse suspicion.
Feng Zhiwei spirits lifted! Young Master Gu was safe! She howled into the air: “I am here!” But everyone else was shouting and yelling as well. A thousand miserable cries rose like a mad tide and drowned her voice, and Feng Zhiwei did not have a thick, powerful True Qi like Gu Nanyi. There was no way she could make herself heard.
Trembling, they fell into a low-lying ditch and stopped rolling. There were fewer people in this area, and they finally managed to stand. Feng Zhiwei looked around, spotting a slop used to drag boats ashore; they were by the docks repair-yard, no longer in the docks proper.
She finally felt the soreness and pain running throughout her body, and she looked over to Ning Yi and saw him equally miserable. A large purple swelling filled his hand and bruises marred his face, but he sat calmly as he reached out for her, trying to make sure she was safe. Feng Zhiwei sighed in relief and said: “Thankfully Ning Cheng protected us. We need to find the others as soon as possible. We need to make sure that they’re safe…”
Ning Yi shook his head. “It wasn’t Ning Cheng.”
Feng Zhiwei jerked as a feeble voice whispered below her: “Vice President, it’s me…”
Feng Zhiwei looked down and grunted. It was the number one Young Master, Yao Ying’s spoiled son Yao Yangyu.
“Sorry, sorry.” Feng Zhiwei called out as she helped him up; Yao Yangyu was more miserable than either of them, covered in blood and footprints.
When the bomb had exploded, he had been right next to Feng Zhiwei. The young lad had fast reactions and instantly used his body to protect her and the Prince, staying by them and valiantly defending them all the way here.
Just as Feng Zhiwei was wondering about Ning Cheng’s absence, Ning Yi calmly explained: “I pushed him over to the students when the bomb went off.”
Feng Zhiwei understood. The bomb had exploded amidst the guards and the students were right beside the troops. Besides the soldiers, the students were in the most danger, so Ning Yi had sent Ning Cheng to save them.
Feng Zhiwei’s heart shook as she thought about the matter; she had lead the students to South Sea; only she was responsible for their safety; Ning Yi was not involved in anyway. The only reason the Prince would neglect his own safety and send away his most powerful bodyguard to save the students was because of his care for her.
And for Ning Yi’s bodyguard to willingly go and abandon his main charge could only be because Ning Cheng understood why saving the students was important to Ning Yi.
The thoughts flashed through her mind, but she showed nothing on her face; instead, she looked away and climbed up the slope. The explosions had stopped and the smoke mostly scattered; countless bodies lay strewn on the ground, with severed limbs haphazardly thrown all around. Injured commoners lay groaning into their blood, their life a mixed blessing. A moment from hell had come onto earth.
Feng Zhiwei paused in stunned disbelief, her eyes growing wet as she murmured: “How many deaths…”
Then her eyes narrowed; a figure dashed towards them through the smoke, clearly searching the chaos. Ning Yi cried out behind her: “Name yourself!”
She immediately turned and pushed Ning Yi aside, and as she moved she felt Ning Yi push her as well. They fell to either side as a bloody sword light flew between them, cutting forward.
Feng Zhiwei heard a faint cry of pain as she pulled her sword from her waist; Ning Yi signed the assassin’s location and she cut forward. She felt her sword hit and heard a muffled sound, and then the killer stumbled and rolled before jumping to their feet and fleeing.
Ning Yi and Feng Zhiwei could not chase and could only watch as the attacker escaped. Feng Zhiwei angrily bit her lips and cursed: “Ruthless! Bombing five thousand commoners just to kill us! All those innocents! And still coming even now!”
She looked back and saw Yao Yangyu clutching his arm, pressing down on a deep wound. Feng Zhiwei immediately rushed over to dress his wound, shame filling her — when the assassin had come, she had only thought of saving Ning Yi, completely neglecting this poor savior of hers.
[1] 微 Wei 1
[2] 魏 Wei 4
