Transmigrated as the Emperor, but Slacking Off - Chapter 10

Ning Wujie rose alertly, shielding Wen Xing with his body.

The carriage window was pushed open from the outside, and Xinghe’s head popped in. “Master! We’re surrounded. Hide and don’t come out!” Then, he vanished again.

The carriage frame rattled with the muffled, dense sounds of arrows thudding into the wood—thwack, thwack! It felt as if the projectiles might burst through the cabin walls at any second.

Wen Xing was startled, a cold sweat breaking out over his body. This was the first assassination attempt he had encountered since transmigrating. His previous trips outside the palace had always been peaceful; who was trying to kill him today?

Feeling the very real threat of death, an intense fear surged within him. This terror dragged his consciousness back to the memories of his dying moments in his previous life, and that sharp, agonizing pain in his chest struck once again.

“I’m going to help,” Ning Wujie said, grabbing his blade to head out, but Wen Xing’s hoarse voice stopped him: “Don’t go.”

Ning Wujie turned back to see Wen Xing’s pale face and tightly pursed lips.

At that moment, an arrow shattered the window and flew inside. Ning Wujie reacted with lightning speed, throwing himself over Wen Xing to protect him. The arrow grazed past the back of his ear and buried itself deep into the cabin wall with a heavy thud.

The horses let out a terrified neigh and began to bolt, dragging the carriage wildly. The cabin became violently turbulent.

Ning Wujie was alarmed. The horses had been spooked into a stampede!

He tried to stand, but the person in his arms clutched his robes tightly, refusing to let go. He looked down and saw that Wen Xing’s forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat; his brow was knitted in pain, and his lashes trembled.

Looking at that ghostly pale face, Ning Wujie’s heart gave an inexplicable twinge. “Where is the medicine?”

Wen Xing was almost unable to speak, his trembling fingers fumbling toward a wooden box by the couch. Ning Wujie flipped the box open, dumped everything out, and scrambled to find the right vial. He remembered the imperial physician’s warning: if an attack lasted too long, his life would be in danger.

He didn’t even notice that he had stopped breathing out of pure nerves. Fortunately, he found it quickly and placed a pill under Wen Xing’s tongue. His fingertip brushed against the soft tip of the tongue, sending a spark of sensation straight to his heart.

But he had no time for such strange feelings; he could only stare intently at Wen Xing’s face. It wasn’t until the medicine took effect and Wen Xing’s eyes regained their clarity that Ning Wujie remembered to breathe.

“Are you better?”

Wen Xing’s grip on his fingers loosened slightly. “Yes, better.”

Ning Wujie let out a breath of relief. Steeling himself, he said, “The horses are spooked. Please wait here, Your Majesty.”

He made to leave, but the hands clutching him didn’t let go. Wen Xing looked at him with gem-like eyes, opened his mouth, and said: “Don’t die.”

Please, don’t die. If you die, I’ll be the sinner of the ages.

Thump-thump—

The spark that had touched his heart earlier felt like an electric current, suddenly striking an unknown depth. Ning Wujie’s gaze darkened. He lowered his eyes and said, “I obey your decree.”

With that, he turned and dove out of the carriage.

The two-horse carriage was flying. The scenery whirled past; they had already reached the outskirts of the city. Ning Wujie stood on the outer ledge, barely able to keep his balance.

On either side, about a dozen guards, including Xinghe, were riding alongside them. They were desperately trying to catch the carriage while parrying arrows coming from behind. Guards were constantly being hit and falling from their mounts.

Ning Wujie focused his gaze on the lead horse and leapt, landing lightly on its back. The moment he landed, he clamped his knees against the horse’s flanks to steady himself. The spooked animal reared and neighed, nearly bucking him off.

In the distance, he saw a massive tree. At this speed, they would crash into it within seconds, and the consequences would be unthinkable.

He heard a guard shout from the side: “Turn!”

His gaze sharpened. He decisively grabbed the reins and yanked them with all his might. The stallions were forced to turn their heads, their high-pitched neighing echoing through the woods. The carriage narrowly missed the tree.

The turn was sharp and perilous, and since the speed didn’t decrease, the following guards had to stop abruptly. By the time they could turn to follow, the carriage was already several yards away.

The guards tried to chase, but Xinghe’s voice rang out: “Hold off the pursuers first!”

The arrows had stopped, but the enemy riders were now at their heels. The guards turned their horses to form a human wall against the enemy, drawing their blades.

Ning Wujie struggled with the reins, trying to slow the horses down, but the path ahead suddenly opened up to a sheer cliff.

“Whoa—!”

Ning Wujie’s pupils contracted. The moment he saw the cliff, his arms yanked the reins back with such force that the leather bit into the horse’s back, nearly snapping. The lead horse reared up, screaming in pain, and bucked Ning Wujie off its back.

Ning Wujie reacted instantly. As he fell, he extended his arm and gripped the carriage shaft, hanging suspended outside the vehicle.

However, the lead horse’s hooves hit empty air during the struggle. It was going over the cliff.

In the nick of time, Ning Wujie fired a sleeve-arrow, severing the harness connecting the horses to the carriage. The two horses fell one after the other, their long neighs eventually vanishing into the bottomless abyss.

The front wheels of the carriage stopped right at the edge, with half a wheel hanging over the void. Crushed rocks rolled down into the darkness.

Ning Wujie looked down. Beneath him was a thousand-foot drop, the mountain winds whipping his robes into a frenzy.

“Your Majesty!” he shouted. “Get out of the carriage!”

Wen Xing was still in shock, clutching the edge of the couch to keep from falling out. Hearing Ning Wujie’s voice, he slowly crawled out, and the sight made his heart seize.

Ning Wujie was hanging in mid-air, held up only by one arm on the shaft.

Seeing him appear, Ning Wujie’s expression turned grim. He whispered a warning: “Your Majesty, move slowly.”

With half the carriage hanging over the cliff, it was in a delicate balance. Every step Wen Xing took forward could cause the entire thing to lose balance and plunge into the abyss.

Wen Xing’s face was white with terror. “Ning Wujie, how are you?”

“I’m fine,” Ning Wujie reassured him. “Come down slowly. Be careful.”

He could have used the carriage for leverage to leap back onto solid ground, but if he did, the wobbling carriage would likely lose its balance under the force. The Emperor was still inside; he couldn’t take the risk.

Wen Xing held his breath and slowly walked to the edge of the cabin. But as he took the step to get down, the carriage began to shake violently. He lost his balance but reacted quickly, dropping to a crawl to distribute his weight.

The shaking stopped, but he didn’t dare take another step. He sensed the front of the carriage had dipped lower.

Fortunately, Ning Wujie was right there. He reached out his hand. “Ning Wujie, I’ll pull you up.” In his urgency, he forgot to use his royal “We.”

Ning Wujie reached up and grasped his hand. Wen Xing pulled with everything he had.

So heavy.

Wen Xing grumbled in his head: What is this kid eating to grow so heavy?! He couldn’t move him at all despite his best efforts. He didn’t realize that pulling the full weight of an adult male with just his arms, while having no leverage, was impossible for him.

Sensing the danger, Ning Wujie said decisively, “Your Majesty, forget about me. Jump!”

“No!” Wen Xing snapped before the other could even finish. “You cannot die.”

I can die, but this kid can’t!

Hearing that flat-out refusal, Ning Wujie’s eyes flickered. Why is he so obsessed with saving me?

He closed his eyes to steady himself, then urged again: “Your Majesty, this won’t work. The carriage will fall soon. Just jump; I can make it up.”

“Don’t you dare lie to me.” Wen Xing was still pulling, but his palms were getting slick with sweat. He was losing his grip. “If I jump, you’ll go down with the carriage.”

If you die, what will I do? Do you expect me to actually rule the country? What will happen to the Great Zhou? Five hundred years of history, gone just like that? Absolutely not!

Seeing Wen Xing risking his life to save him, Ning Wujie’s steady heartbeat suddenly became chaotic. Why would you risk your life for me? You are the precious Emperor!

He closed his eyes to suppress his racing heart. When he opened them again, his gaze was incredibly determined.

“Your Majesty, do you trust me?”

Wen Xing looked at him warily. “What are you going to do?”

“Your Majesty, trust me. Let go.”

Ning Wujie’s eyes were like a deep pool under the moonlight, reflecting the starlight in the darkness. Wen Xing met that gaze, and his frantic mind inexplicably calmed down. He let go of his grip as if possessed.

At that exact moment, Ning Wujie’s arm jerked down, pulling the shaft with a massive force. The carriage lost its last bit of balance and plummeted instantly.

Wen Xing lost his footing. As he felt himself falling toward the abyss, the wind roared in his ears, and the sensation of weightlessness made his heart race.

Yet, in that split second, a lightning-fast figure came toward him, arms wrapping around him. Even at that speed, he could see Ning Wujie’s face, silver-gray under the moonlight like a descending god.

Using the counterforce from dragging the carriage down, Ning Wujie had vaulted upward. While holding Wen Xing, his toes kicked against the cliff wall as he leapt back onto the ledge.

The series of movements was as smooth as flowing water, completed in the blink of an eye.

Wen Xing felt a wave of dizziness. Before he could react, he was on solid ground. The arms holding him were firm and warm. He steadied his heartbeat and looked up to find Ning Wujie watching him, his expression unchanged.

“Your Majesty, how are you?”

“I’m fine.”

But in that moment, he truly thought he was going to die. Perhaps because the medicine was still in his system, he didn’t have another attack.

Sensing the arms around him were a bit tight, Wen Xing shifted slightly. Ning Wujie realized he was still holding the Emperor and quickly let go.

Wen Xing looked back at the cliff edge. It was empty now, with only the wheel ruts serving as a reminder of the narrow escape. He felt a lingering fear; if Ning Wujie had missed a single step during that leap, they both would have been gone. This stubborn brat could have gotten up himself, but he insisted on dragging the Emperor along for the ride.

“Don’t ever risk your life like that again,” Wen Xing commanded.

Ning Wujie was about to reply when his gaze suddenly sharpened. His gentle look vanished, replaced by something incredibly piercing. He turned and stood in front of Wen Xing, drawing his blade from his waist.

Shing! The silver edge emerged from the scabbard.

In his eyes, which were as cold as a mountain pool, he saw the reflections of many figures deep within the woods.

Wen Xing saw Ning Wujie turn his head slightly. The moonlight traced a brilliant silver edge along his handsome profile.

“Your Majesty, I will count to three. Run behind me and don’t look back.”

Without giving him room to argue, Ning Wujie turned back to face the woods. “Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

“Run!”