The three Chen brothers examined the small device tied to their wrists over and over. Xu Bai, along with Chen Yuyuan and the two guards, surveyed the surroundings and considered where to place the fishing net. The ropes, each over ten meters long, were all made by Xu Bai himself; they were thin and very resilient.

After the water washed away the ground near the river, some places were left with a layer of gravel. Xu Bai put the rope on the ground and covered it with gravel. He made several tripwires and hung the fishing nets on the trees. After a lot of work, the brothers squatted under a tree to eat.

The food was brought from home. A guard carried it in a food box. Xu Bai found some dried firewood nearby, lit it, and then caught a few fish in the river fork. After cleaning and gutting them, he skewered them with thin branches, roasted them over the fire, and sprinkled seasonings on them.

The seasonings were made by Xu Bai himself. Whether it was local products like Sichuan peppercorns and star anise from Daliang, or cumin and pepper from the Western Regions, Xu Bai had plenty of them. When the seasonings he made were sprinkled on the fish and roasted over a fire, the aroma could be carried for miles along with the wind.

Chen Yukang took a deep breath and said to Xu Bai, "Abai, go ask your uncle, the third-ranked scholar, if he needs any errand boys. Take me with you."

Xu Bai looked at Chen Yukang and said with great disdain, "Cousin Yukang, what can you do besides eat? If you come with us, besides eating, can you defend against enemies or cook? Besides, my uncle's men are all experts, and even the errand boy made a name for himself in the martial arts world back in the day."

Chen Yukang said unhappily, "Are you still my brother? Why are you putting me down like this?"

Xu Bai pulled Chen Yukang aside and said earnestly, "Cousin Yukang, I'm doing this for your own good. Think about it, you're still young, and there are many possibilities for your future. Didn't you say when you were little that you wanted to join the army and become a general? Ayuan and I followed Uncle so that we could see the technological development in some places. We will dedicate ourselves to improving technology in the future. If you stay with us, what will happen to your dream?"

When Chen Yukang heard about his dream, he couldn't help but recall his childhood when he and a few others talked about what they wanted to do in the future.

Chen Yukang sighed and said, "I do want to go, but my mother keeps telling me not to go. She's afraid I'll get into danger. I'm already a teenager, and she's still worried that I won't be able to take care of myself if I go out alone. Ah Bo, I want to go home and have a good talk with my mother. You're right, my future has many, many possibilities, but if I stay at home, my future will probably only have one possibility."

The Chen family is a family of doctors, but Chen Yukang never learned anything about medicine or herbs from his elders when he was young. He told his father when he was very young that he didn't want to learn and that he wanted to be a great general. The Chen family respected their child's wishes. Anyone who wanted to learn medicine could be taught by a teacher. Since the child had the idea, they hired a master to teach him kung fu and a tutor to teach him to read and write. Over the years, the Chen family's cousins ​​have lived like this.

Chen Yuqiao studied medicine from a young age, but he wasn't very talented. Later, Chen Zhaoci suggested that he specialize in surgery, so he became very proficient in treating some external injuries and also did a good job of researching some internal medicines for treating external injuries.

Chen Yuhan followed quietly to the side. He was the youngest child in the family, and at the age of thirteen or fourteen, he listened to his older brothers and Xu Bai's words, but he was thinking about his future.

Xu Bai happily took Chen Yukang's hand and said, "I knew my brother Yukang wouldn't let us down." As soon as he finished speaking, they heard a crisp sound of arrows piercing the air. The group had all been practicing martial arts with their master since childhood. They knew not only fist and foot techniques, but also archery and horsemanship. So, upon hearing the sound of arrows piercing the air, they reacted quickly and found a place to hide nearby.

Xu Bai looked at the long arrow shaft that was still trembling in the ground and said through gritted teeth, "It really didn't disappoint me, it's here now."

Chen Yukang sat with his back to a tree, closest to Xu Bai. He wanted to peek out to check on the approaching enemy, but was afraid of hurting himself. He asked Xu Bai, panting, "A-Bai, what should we do next?"

Xu Bai took out a mirror from his pocket and placed it facing himself, using the mercury mirror to observe the situation over there. Chen Yukang's eyes widened when he saw it. He really didn't expect that Xu Bai would arm himself to such an extent in his daily life.

Seeing nothing in the mirror, Xu Bai held his breath and listened intently to the sounds around him. His heart trembled, and he thought to himself, "This is bad." This person was trying to trap him. After all, he could tell that the other person was a martial artist, so why couldn't the other person see him?

Xu Bai and the Chen brothers were not very old, so it wasn't obvious from their appearance. However, the two guards accompanying them were both skilled in martial arts. Xu Bai gritted his teeth and shouted to Chen Yukang and the others, "We're probably surrounded. Everyone, don't do anything now. Find a safe place to stay."

Chen Yuyuan stood behind a tree, quietly observing his surroundings. He calculated the time in his mind and figured that the person he had sent out should have already entered the city and arrived at the Zheng family's place. As long as he persevered, he would eventually be able to earn a way out for himself.

Chen Yuyuan shook his head slightly at a certain spot, made a simple gesture with his right hand, and then took something out of the backpack he always carried on his back and held it tightly in his hand.

This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!