The Bodyguard King’s CEO Wife Chapter 1720: Escape Route

Outside the stronghold, in the woods, a team of soldiers is patrolling along the route.

"Linxian City has been quite unsettled lately."

"Yes, I’ve heard tens of thousands of soldiers are searching for us."

"We’re deep in the forests here; finding us is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"But if they do find us, isn’t that certain death?"

"What are you afraid of? We’ve gone through life and death so many times, and now you get cold feet?"

"What are you all arguing about? Keep quiet," shouted the leading officer as he turned around.

"Yes."

"Yes."

The soldiers behind him immediately fell silent. They were all part of Ye Shikai’s personal guards, having accompanied him on countless battlefields, each a seasoned warrior, naturally fearless.

"The lord has ordered that our patrols be especially meticulous. Although there’s nobody nearby, hunters from a dozen miles away might come here to hunt. There are countless traps in these woods, so be cautious," the officer instructed.

"Yes, Captain."

"By the way, why are there only nineteen of us? Where’s Hao?" The leading officer counted the numbers and found one person missing from the squad.

"Well... I saw him just now, how did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"

"Let’s search carefully."

"Captain, I’m here." At this moment, a soldier hurriedly ran out of the woods beside them.

"Where did you run off to, boy?"

"Well... my stomach felt uncomfortable, so I went to the woods there for relief."

"Hmph, get back to the team quickly. Once the patrol is over, we can go back to sleep."

"Yes."

The following day.

"Old Ye, I didn’t expect there to be a cave behind this waterfall."

"That’s right, from the outside, it’s completely undetectable," Ye Shikai murmured. Early in the morning, he and Shangguan Jian led a few Hidden Guards into the cave behind the waterfall. They lit torches; the space inside was much larger than he had imagined.

"How did you discover it?"

"Uh... it was a chance discovery," Ye Shikai bitterly smiled. The cave was detected using the Divine Sense by Blade Soul; he couldn’t possibly tell the truth.

"Let’s go; we’ll explore further inside." Ye Shikai led everyone deeper into the cave, and unexpectedly, it was like another world inside, full of many branching paths, similar to the cave he encountered near Baimu Village in Shu. He wondered if there were any surprises inside.

"Blade Soul, which way should we go next?" Ye Shikai asked.

"Go left."

"Then go right."

"Take the third branch at the crossroad ahead, then continue straight."

Following Blade Soul’s directions, Ye Shikai led the group deeper and deeper until they reached a "dead end."

"Old Ye, it seems like a dead end ahead, we can’t get through," Shangguan Jian drew his sword and inserted it into the dirt wall in front, testing its depth. The paths inside the cave were intricate; if not man-made, then certainly the result of nature’s great craftsmanship.

"Blade Soul, is this a dead end?"

"Forcefully dig open this dirt wall," Blade Soul didn’t explain, just instructed Ye Shikai to dig the wall.

"Alright."

Ye Shikai directed the soldiers to use shovels to dig through the dirt wall in front. After digging about one or two meters, the soil began to loosen, with a lot of dirt rolling down from above.

"Everyone, step back," Ye Shikai instructed, and he walked forward alone, placing his hands on the wall, channeling his Inner Strength, and pushing forcefully outward. Gradually, more dirt fell, and the wall seemed to loosen further. Ye Shikai shouted, released his Inner Strength, and pushed hard with both arms. Finally, the dirt wall was pushed down, allowing a sliver of sunlight to penetrate, bringing a touch of life to the dark cave.

"Look, there’s light."

"Yes, there’s really light."

"This cave leads to the outside world, brothers, hurry and dig it open!" Ye Shikai shouted. The soldiers were also excited, rushing forward to dig through the dirt wall.

"Old Ye, outside...is the other side of the mountain." As the group walked out of the cave, the scene before them left them astonished. In the distance, there was even a river, and further beyond, a wide, open plain.

It appears this cave traverses the entire mountain range, serving as an escape route if necessary. Since the last time Ye Shikai escaped using the tunnel left by Xu Jia, he always emphasized the necessity of a "backup route." As the saying goes, a cunning rabbit has three burrows; leaving a backup route can sometimes save everyone’s lives.

"This is our escape route," Ye Shikai murmured, feeling immensely excited inside.

"Blade Soul, I have to thank you this time. This place is amazing." The cave entrance was hidden behind the waterfall, invisible from the outside, maintaining excellent concealment, exactly what Ye Shikai needed.

"Alright, the escape route is for emergencies. Don’t use it unless absolutely necessary because if it’s used, it means a life-or-death situation."

"I understand," Ye Shikai nodded in agreement. Ultimately, hope this route never needs to be used.

...........................

At dawn.

"Ling’er, why aren’t you asleep yet?" Ye Shikai woke from his sleep, turned to the side, and found He Linghan still with eyes open, seemingly suffering from insomnia.

"Husband, I don’t know why, but I’ve been restless lately, tossing and turning, unable to sleep," He Linghan leaned on his shoulder, showing a troubled expression. Ye Shikai remembered He Linghan as generally optimistic; even if the sky were falling, she wouldn’t panic, unless it concerned Ye Shikai himself. In the serene and leisurely days in the mountains, He Linghan surprisingly suffered from insomnia.

"Is it the change in lifestyle that’s causing you some discomfort?" Ye Shikai gently tapped her nose, smiling faintly.

"Husband, I’m serious."

"Alright, let me help you." Ye Shikai placed his hands on her back, channeling a stream of Inner Strength into her body.

"How do you feel? Isn’t it much better?"

"Indeed, my body feels...warm, seems much more comfortable." Inner Strength can help ordinary people open acupoints, having a similar effect to massage but better. Restlessness typically comes from two causes; one is physical discomfort due to illness or injury, which He Linghan naturally didn’t have, even if she did, Ye Shikai could heal her. The second cause is having something on the mind...

"Alright, you’d better get to sleep."

Meanwhile.

A group of black-clad men slowly approached the woods, their number ample, reaching hundreds. Their movements were quiet, looking from afar like not causing any commotion, personnel began permeating the depths of the woods from all directions.

"The lord has said, there are many traps in these woods, be cautious of your steps. If we trigger them, our presence will be entirely exposed," said the leading black-clad man.

"Yes."

"Yes."