Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 523 - 507 Break through the Encirclement

"She’s fine, waiting for us at home and looking after Yanyan."

"That’s good." Zhao Chun’s eyes immediately welled up, and Guan Kunling was deeply moved as well. Thinking of someone waiting for them back home, they both felt an urgent longing to return.

But the road was long and fraught with obstacles...

Guan Kunling had her back turned to the door when Zhao Chun’s eyes suddenly narrowed. He lowered his voice and said, "Be careful behind you."

The people behind didn’t have the same aura as the person he had seen earlier. They seemed more like small fry, likely the same ones he had spotted at the alley mouth before he lost consciousness.

Zhao Chun leaned lightly against Guan Kunling. He couldn’t let himself collapse. He tried to stand upright on his own, and it turned out he could, albeit barely. He suddenly realized Guan Kunling was just a weak woman, yet he was relying on her to save him. Now he was so frail he couldn’t even compare to her.

The sting on his cheeks from this awareness burned with the fiery heat of male pride and the adrenaline that danger brings.

Zhao Chun wasn’t a man without strength. He trained regularly. Though he couldn’t match soldiers or secret agents, compared to the average person, he was significantly more robust. His tall, lean frame hid well-defined muscles under his clothes, the kind more evident in private.

"Where’s the thing? Hand it over!"

"You’re not Tian Sangsang!"

"The thing is with me. You caught the wrong person," said Guan Kunling thoughtfully, her voice tinged with icy sarcasm that somehow carried arrogance. "If you manage to snatch it, it’ll be yours."

"But," she paused, "You won’t have the chance to take it."

"Damn girl!" The group was enraged, swinging their axes and charging forward. To them, she was just a cold and arrogant young woman—nothing to fear.

As they moved to strike, a sharp sound echoed, "Whip!" An iron chain flew forward, suspended in midair before crashing into their chests with full force, knocking them onto the ground with cries of pain. The clinking of falling axes punctuated the scene.

Guan Kunling moved as swiftly as a meteor, dragging Zhao Chun through the door and out into the open. Zhao Chun was dumbfounded. He took back his earlier thoughts—Kunling wasn’t a weak woman; she was a true expert. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on this realization. His stupor lasted only a moment before his mind regained focus.

Wait, someone was there.

Standing outside, Guan Kunling and Zhao Chun found themselves in a tense standoff.

"Come out!" Guan Kunling’s cold shout cut the air, accompanied by the clattering of her iron chain clashing against nearby objects. The surrounding brambles shattered into fragments, scattering everywhere.

What an adrenaline rush. Zhao Chun couldn’t help but mentally quip.

This scene was straight out of the wuxia films he wanted to make. It reminded him of "The Return of the Condor Heroes"—if Guan Kunling traded the iron chain for silk ribbons, she’d be the ethereal Little Dragon Girl.

He wondered if Kunling would ever consider acting in films...

A tall man with a masked face emerged from the side.

Zhao Chun’s eyes widened in shock, and he snapped out of his musings, his entire body tensed for combat. This was the man who had attacked him.

The masked man spoke again in a somewhat raspy voice, "Little girl, you say the thing is with you?"

A thought suddenly crossed Zhao Chun’s mind. This guy was masked—could he have seen him before? Known him? Recognized his identity? The idea sent chills down his spine, raising every hair on his body. Pain radiated from every inch of him.

Frozen, he stared at the man, his anxious eyes desperate to penetrate the black cloth concealing his face.

But the disguise was flawless, covering everything but the man’s eyes. Judging by physique alone, Zhao Chun couldn’t identify him.

"It’s just a map," Guan Kunling said indifferently. "What difference does it make whether you get your hands on it or not? I’ve memorized it already."

A sharp glint flickered in the man’s eyes. "In that case, we’ll have to crack open your brain to get it."

"Zhao Chun, leave now." Guan Kunling tightened her grip on the iron chain, her gaze locked on the man, yet her words were directed at Zhao Chun. "If you lose your way, follow the marks on the trees."

"What about you?" Zhao Chun asked, his face pale.

"Don’t worry about me. You staying here is just a burden," Guan Kunling replied bluntly.

Zhao Chun awkwardly rubbed his nose, thinking to himself that her words were... brutally honest.

Damn it! Without warning, he reached out and grabbed the wrist of a man swinging an axe toward him.

Meanwhile, the masked man had already launched his attack on Guan Kunling.

All of Zhao Chun’s focus was on the axe. He didn’t have the bandwidth to keep tabs on how Guan Kunling was faring in her fight.

He realized he truly shouldn’t worry about her—he had enough to worry about for himself. His knuckles turned white as veins bulged along his hand, inching up to the axe handle. The axe slowly descended, hovering dangerously near his head.

Zhao Chun felt his body overheating, as if steam billowed from within. Every sensation inside his chest—a visceral, intense tug-of-war of his organs—screamed.

His instincts roared for release. For an explosive burst.

"Damn it!" he shouted furiously. As his strength surged, his grip crushed the axe wielder’s bones, forcing him into overwhelming defeat.

The opponent momentarily panicked. Just as he raised his foot to kick Zhao Chun hard, an axe embedded itself into his foot instead.

A scream, shrill and pig-like, erupted as chaos broke out with others spilling forth from the building.

Zhao Chun pushed his body to its limits, clutching his chest as he panted heavily. Cold sweat streamed down his face. One person was already too much to handle—if more came, he wouldn’t survive. Would he really die here today?

Damn it, no. Not without seeing his daughter first.

"Stop dawdling; move it!" Guan Kunling yelled at him while fending off multiple attackers with her iron chain. As her chain lashed out, it struck the ground, where an item fell—a pouch carrying the distinct scent of loquat poison.

Staggering and wavering, Zhao Chun began retreating. Whether he stayed or left, he’d be a hindrance, so he chose to leave. Though he didn’t appear injured, every step felt like walking barefoot on knife edges, with needles stabbing him from the inside, sharp and relentless.

The mountain path was treacherous, and after an indeterminate stretch of time, he occasionally relied on the tree markings to avoid going astray. His face was already drenched in cold sweat, his lips severely dry and cracked. He trudged on like a severely dehydrated man, utterly isolated—no one would come to his aid. He had to rely on himself to make it back.

**

Tian Sangsang couldn’t bear staying in the house any longer. She kept listening to the noises from the other side through a bugging device—constant sounds of fighting. Worriedly pacing back and forth, she found herself unable to wait any longer. She closed up the shop and headed out seemingly unintentionally.

As she approached the roadside, she spotted someone walking toward her. Against the light, he looked like a zombie, pitifully ragged compared to his usual dashing demeanor.

"Zhao Chun!"

At the sound of her voice, Zhao Chun feebly attempted a smile. His eyes could no longer stay open, and he collapsed heavily onto the ground. Tian Sangsang ran over, crouching down beside him, hesitant to touch him, but heard his voice.

"Kunling..."

"...Kunling is still there..."