Chapter 690
: Undercurrents surge, a game within a game is played near Jin Temple
The atmosphere in the tent was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, ready to explode at any moment.
Xie Yuer was already feeling uneasy about the situation, and when she saw Zhu Gang's reaction, she became even more flustered.
She subconsciously clenched the silver bracelet in her hand, and her knuckles turned white.
However, at the moment when Zhu Gang's pupils shrank due to Gong Shuqi's actions, Xie Yuer seemed to be hit by some invisible force.
She loosened her grip and the silver bracelet in her hand fell to the ground with a clang. The crisp sound was particularly abrupt in the silent tent.
Xie Yuer followed Zhu Gang's gaze and saw that the reflection of her husband's eyes suddenly turned to the southwest corner.
That was the valley where Chang Mao's troops stationed their "Sky-shaking Bombs".
Under the cold moonlight, the valley was silent, but Xie Yuer seemed to be able to feel that a terrible storm was brewing there.
Zhu Gang's eyes were extremely focused, staring at the valley in the telescope, as if he wanted to see through every detail there.
Zhu Gang held the telescope tightly in his palm. The cloud-thunder pattern on the tube was deeply embedded in his skin, leaving red marks.
These red marks are particularly eye-catching in the dim candlelight.
Like some kind of prophecy that is about to come true, it foreshadows the impending arrival of an inevitable crisis.
Xie Yuer stood there blankly, looking at Zhu Gang, then at the silver bracelet on the ground, her heart filled with fear and worry.
She had never seen such a tense situation and had no idea what would happen next.
But Xie Yuer understood that her husband had a heavy responsibility at the moment.
However, all she could do was pray silently, hoping that everything would go smoothly.
Zhu Gang's eyes were fixed on the valley in the southwest corner of the telescope where Chang Mao's troops stationed the "Sky-shaking Bombs". His heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible giant hand.
As he was watching, there seemed to be some unusual movement in the valley.
That subtle change might be difficult for others to detect, but it was like a thunderclap exploding in Zhu Gang's heart.
Zhu Gang suddenly clenched the telescope tightly, as if he wanted to embed the cold metal object into his palm.
His knuckles turned white from the exertion, like branches covered with frost and snow in winter, highlighting his extreme tension and vigilance.
The whitened knuckles contrasted with the cloud-thunder patterns on the telescope tube.
Under the dim light of the tent, a strange and tense atmosphere was formed.
Zhu Gang's eyes seemed to be burning with two flames as he stared at the image in the telescope, not missing any details.
At this moment, his thoughts were racing like lightning, quickly analyzing the situation in the valley.
Gongshu Qi's "Stop the War" and Chang Mao's "Thunderbolt", the actions of these two forces seemed to have some fatal connection at this moment.
Zhu Gang knew that the situation had reached a critical moment and any carelessness would lead to an unpredictable disaster.
His breathing became rapid and heavy, his chest heaving violently, and every breath seemed like a silent battle with the impending crisis.
Zhu Gang understood that he had to make quick judgments and come up with countermeasures in this rapidly changing situation.
Otherwise, once the crisis in the valley breaks out, the consequences will be disastrous.
Not only will everything you have worked hard for be destroyed, but many innocent people may also be implicated.
As a key figure in this complex situation, he cannot just watch the tragedy happen.
"Go tell Chang Mao: If he dares to touch the lightning pattern on the fuse tonight, I will take him to the Holy Mother Hall of Jin Temple tomorrow to see the punishment tripod that was cast when Shu Yu was enfeoffed as Tang."
At this extremely tense moment, Zhu Gang suddenly shifted his gaze from the dangerous valley in the telescope and turned to look at Xie Yuer.
His expression, which had been as tense as steel because of the tense situation just now, changed quietly the moment he looked at her.
The eagle-like sharpness in Zhu Gang's eyes gradually disappeared, replaced by a rare tenderness and concern.
"Yu'er." Zhu Gang called softly, and his tone suddenly became gentle.
It was like a spring breeze, gently blowing through the depressing atmosphere in the tent.
This gentle tone formed a sharp contrast with his cold expression as he was concentrating on observing the situation.
"The situation is complicated right now. Find a safe place to hide and don't run around."
Although Zhu Gang's voice was soft, his words were filled with unquestionable firmness.
He knew very well that what might happen next was full of danger, and Xie Yuer's safety was what he was most concerned about at the moment.
Seeing the hidden worry and fear in Xie Yuer's eyes, Zhu Gang couldn't help but feel distressed.
He raised his hand and wanted to touch Xie Yuer's cheek to give her some comfort.
But when he stretched it out halfway, he stopped again.
At this moment, Zhu Gang was still holding the telescope in his hand, carrying the cold atmosphere of the tense situation outside.
He was afraid that his cold hands would make Xie Yuer even more scared.
"My dear, I...I am not afraid. I want to stay with you."
Xie Yuer bit her lips slightly, tears glistening in her eyes, and she tried to make her voice sound firmer.
However, Zhu Gang still heard the trembling in Xie Yuer's words, which was the instinctive fear of unknown danger.
Zhu Gang shook his head gently, his eyes full of pity.
"Yuer, be obedient.
Your safety is my greatest support, I cannot let you take risks."
After saying this, he turned his head and looked outside the tent again. His eyes became firm again, as if he was gathering strength for the upcoming challenge.
At this moment, protecting Xie Yuer's safety has become a powerful motivation for Zhu Gang to persevere.
While Zhu Gang was comforting Xie Yuer softly, his fingertips subconsciously ran across the twined branch pattern on the rim of the celadon bowl in front of him.
The celadon bowl has a delicate texture and feels warm to the touch.
The lines of the twined branches on the edge of the bowl are graceful and smooth, as if silently telling the exquisiteness of time.
Zhu Gang's fingers moved slowly along the veins of the twined branches. His movements were gentle but seemed to carry some unconscious thoughts.
Although his eyes were still filled with concern for Xie Yuer, his thoughts quietly wandered between the situation and the delicate lines.
The twined branches are continuous and intertwined, just like the complex situation Zhu Gang is facing at the moment.
The forces of all parties are intertwined and one move can affect the entire body.
He felt the delicate touch from his fingertips, and the ups and downs of the lines seemed to reflect the ups and downs of the situation.
Every slide of the fingertips seems to be searching for clues to break the deadlock.
Zhu Gang knew very well that he had to remain calm at this moment, just like this celadon bowl that looked calm but actually held a secret, and find a way to deal with the situation in the midst of the calm.
In this moment of tension and tenderness, Zhu Gang's fingertips still slowly moved along the winding branches, but his mind was rapidly weighing the pros and cons.
He was thinking about how to defuse the impending crisis and protect everything he cherished.
This unintentional movement of drawing across the twined branches seems to have become Zhu Gang's brief contemplation and sedimentation in the complex situation.
"Ask the kitchen to make some walnut curd tomorrow. Ji Xi loves it."
Xie Yuer bent down to pick up the silver bracelet and found that a shallow scratch had appeared on the inside of the bracelet at some point, as if it had been scratched by a gear in a mechanism.
(End of this chapter)