Chapter 57: Plunder

The Beiya Imperial Guards’ garrison was not far from the Changhua King’s Tomb.

Daimao rode his horse straight into the camp, and the Beiya guards immediately came to block him.

She clung to the horse's neck tightly and screamed in panic, "Something happened to the Lingling County Princess. I want to see you, Ling Sijie!"

The Northern Court's Imperial Guards naturally knew that Ling Tianshui, a commander of the Shen Ce Army, was one of the candidates for the Lingling County Lady's husband. Upon hearing her say this, they exchanged glances and stopped trying to pull her off her horse.

The people in the nearby training ground were also alarmed. A horseman came galloping over, holding a bow, looking intimidating. It was Ling Tianshui.

Looking at the disheveled Daimao lying on the horse's back, he asked in a deep voice, "What happened to the county lady?"

"The county lady encountered bandits in the mountain mausoleum. The guards and soldiers guarding the mausoleum were unable to stop them. She...she was kidnapped!"

"The mausoleum?" Ling Tianshui glanced in the direction of the Changhua King's Mausoleum, pondered for a moment, and then ordered the soldiers around him, "Liu San, lead your men along the west side of the Yu River. Feng Er, go to the Dali Temple and inform Cui Shaoqing that the county lady has been robbed by bandits."

After saying this, he signaled the stable behind him to open, urged the horse under his crotch, and galloped out of the camp like an arrow.

The guards behind him mounted their horses one after another, and followed him, leading the herds of horses that had been released from the stables, galloping towards the mountains ahead.

Qiandeng was jolted so hard on horseback that he couldn't open his eyes. The roar of the wind filled his ears. The sharp pain in his waist and abdomen hadn't subsided yet, and the suffocation in his chest was even more unbearable.

She subconsciously struggled, trying to break free from the bandits' restraints.

But the other party was an expert horseman, and it was obvious that he had grown up on horseback since childhood. He was no match for a lady like her. He held the reins with one hand and tore off her shawl with the other, then held down her waving hands, wrapped them around them a few times, and tied a tight knot.

"Let me go!" Qian Deng struggled unwillingly, but was pushed back onto the horse's back by him with a palm. He was tossed around dizzily on the galloping horse, his eyes were blurry and his consciousness was dim.

After running for an unknown amount of time, their horses were exhausted and they finally slowed down and rested for a while in the mountains.

Qiandeng covered his chest and huddled in the grass, looking nauseous and confused, unable to even get up.

"Lady Chang'an, you look spoiled, what should we do?" Seeing her like this, the group of people gathered together to discuss.

"What should we do? We've got her, so of course we have to drag her back." The masked man in the lead jumped off his horse and squatted in front of Qiandeng. He looked at her vacant eyes and said in a muffled voice, pinching his nose. "The most beautiful girl in Chang'an, it wasn't easy for me to snatch her away!"

Hearing his strange voice, the bandits nearby burst into laughter: "Yes, drag her back and make her our wife!"

Although they were all masked, their accents were strange and naturally different from those of the locals. However, since the unrest, with the rampant bandits and the mixing of local accents, it was not surprising.

Qian Deng stared weakly at the man in front of him, opened his dry mouth, but could not utter a word because of exhaustion.

The man took out the water bottle beside him, pinched Qiandeng's mouth open, and gave her two sips of water.

His actions were quite rude and after she finished drinking the water, he pinched her pointed chin and chuckled twice, his smugness difficult to conceal.

Qiandeng turned her head away to break free from his grasp, biting her lower lip angrily.

He was not willing to give up, so he forced her face back and examined her pale and weak face. Thinking that she was finally in his hands, he became more and more proud. He moved his thumb up and stroked the corner of her lips, then bent down to kiss her.

When he lowered his head, he remembered that he was still wearing a black cloth mask on his face.

Just as I was considering whether to lift the mask and insist on kissing her, a strong wind blew from the wilderness behind me, accompanied by the sound of horse hooves.

He immediately stood up and looked back.

In the vast wasteland at dusk, there was a faint wisp of smoke rising from the sky.

He couldn't believe it, staring at the person coming from the opposite side with wide eyes. Almost in an instant, the figure of the man and the horse appeared with a roar -

It was a group of lightly-armed soldiers from the Tang Dynasty, galloping towards them on horseback.

The person leading the group was at a distance and his face was not clearly visible in the twilight, but his ferocious and powerful aura that was visible to the naked eye frightened him and he recognized his identity.

"No way, so soon?"

He grabbed Qiandeng and hurriedly pushed her onto the horse.

Qian Deng naturally refused to give in. He struggled on the horse and turned to look at the person who came to rescue him.

Ling Tianshui.

Although he blamed her and was dissatisfied with her actions, he still came to save her in the end.

After charging to this point, the horse's horsepower was exhausted and the speed of the horse under Ling Tianshui's crotch had slowed down.

He raised his hand and whistled, letting the other horse behind him rush to his side. Then he pressed his hand on the horse's back, jumped high and landed on the horse that was rushing over. In a quick and swift movement, he had changed to a new horse.

The new horse had been accumulating strength for a long time, and as it rushed forward, it brought with it billowing smoke and dust, and rushed forward like an arrow in the dark purple twilight.

Seeing his power, the bandits were frightened and fled in panic on their horses.

Qiandeng struggled to slow down the other party's movements, but unfortunately her hands were tied and her feet could not reach the horse, so she was completely powerless and could only let the other party carry her forward.

As the sky darkened, the night owls in the forest cried shrilly. The robber took her and ran forward without knowing the purpose or direction, just running forward.

Unfortunately, no matter how skilled the riding skills of this group of people were, their horses were already tired, and Ling Tianshui behind them was too strong. The distance, which was already within the range of an arrow, was now getting closer and closer.

Seeing that it was only a matter of time before they were caught, the leading bandit gritted his teeth and cursed, then blew a whistle, and the fleeing bandits immediately scattered.

Dozens of riders scattered across the dark wilderness and merged into the vast mountains and rivers. It was obviously extremely difficult to find the rider who robbed Qiandeng.

Unfortunately, just when the bandits thought they had succeeded and the other side was helpless, they saw a spark suddenly ignite in the darkness ahead, illuminating the winding Qie River.

Soldiers had already been waiting by the river that ran east-west.

The bandits were like goats chased by wolves. They were trapped in a pre-set encirclement and could not cross the river. Instead, they were divided and attacked, and immediately scattered.

Blocked in front and pursued from behind, the bandits dared not fight back in a moment. In panic, they could only run along the river and flee for their lives in the messy bushes.

Qiandeng fell on the horse. This time she was not only dizzy from the shake, but also branches and leaves scratched her cheeks and sides, causing her cheeks to hurt severely.

She had to bury her face in the horse and scream with all her might: "Let me go, then they will let you go!"

"Don't even think about it!" He clearly heard it, but he just gritted his teeth and snorted coldly, raising his hand and pushing her back heavily onto the horse.

The force was so great that it almost broke her back. It was obvious that he hated her very much.

Behind them, the sound of galloping hooves filled the air; Ling Tianshui was already closing in on them. But just three or five horse lengths away, he turned and saw his piercing gaze, more terrifying than the gleam of a knife in his hand in the wilderness night.

A feeling of suffocation enveloped him, his forehead felt cold, and he felt that he was doomed.

Suddenly, a horse neighed sadly from the side. It turned out that his men were reckless and galloped straight towards Ling Tianshui.

If a galloping horse is suddenly obstructed and hit, its legs will be broken, and both horses will be killed.

Seeing that the opponent was fighting so desperately, and the momentum of the horse under his crotch was too strong for him to stop, Ling Tianshui jumped up in a flash, and when the horse from the side hit him, he kicked the rider on the opposite side hard.

The man screamed and fell off his horse. The encounter was too swift, and he was still holding the reins, which inevitably pulled the horse's head backward.

Due to this split second of deviation, although the two horses collided and fell to the ground, the force and speed were reduced, and no fatal injuries were suffered.

Seeing that the other party was still struggling to get up, Ling Tianshui stabbed his shoulder blade. Amidst the cries of pain, the other party finally pulled out the reins and had no strength to get up.

A moment's delay meant that even if Ling Tianshui ran faster, by the time he pulled up his horse and mounted it again, the target he was chasing had already disappeared from the bushes ahead.