The Zabu River is one of the few open-air water sources along the way.

Especially since this area is a Gobi Desert, there is such a river with lush vegetation along its banks. It not only attracts various wild animals to drink, but is also a paradise for water birds and a hunting ground for wolves and leopards within a radius of hundreds of miles.

Every winter and spring, the mountains are frozen over, the rivers dry up, and large areas of silted riverbeds are exposed, making it difficult for people and animals to walk.

Fortunately, Song Erlang and his men paved a path with pebbles, so there are no obstacles to passage now. They just need to find the shallows and wade across the river.

Zhao Tingduo had traveled between Hecheng and Mida River Valley many times and knew the terrain of the area very well.

Knowing there was a riverbank ahead, and that it would take some more time to cross, it would be safer to stay away from the water source.

Each rest stop was strategically located, covering a day's journey by carriage.

At their current pace, they need to hurry on their way.

When Wei Er and his group returned and found no one spying, the group set off again.

Old Master Yu sat in the carriage, surrounded by guards looking around.

Song Liyun and Zhao Tingduo rode ahead on horseback, with Wu Dan following closely behind.

Jian Fangtong also received news that the merchant had already gone to the Zabu River.

At the front of the convoy, Song Liyun and Zhao Tingduo walked side by side.

The two exchanged a few words from time to time, their horses trotting casually, appearing to outsiders as a couple riding freely.

Song Liyun quietly handed the binoculars to Zhao Tingduo and whispered, "There are two people hiding in the grass about ten feet to our right."

Zhao Tingduo remained calm and took the binoculars, pretending to look around. After checking the several ambush sites, she felt relieved.

Most of these bandits came from elsewhere, lacked experience, and were unfamiliar with the terrain.

Not only were no personnel deployed to the most vulnerable spot along the river, but even those who were already stationed were too far away.

As long as I disrupt their rhythm, the bandits' encirclement will be broken.

Beside him, Wu Dan's face was tense. He hadn't heard what the young master and young mistress were saying, but he could tell from their actions that they had discovered bandits nearby!

After observing the surroundings, Zhao Tingduo returned the binoculars to Song Liyun and told her to keep them safe.

He dared not keep such a precious item by his side; if it were bumped or damaged, he would regret it for the rest of his life.

“Wu Dan, tell Old Yu that we need to rush forward for a while, and tell him to sit firmly and hold on tight. A Yun, you stay with Old Yu too.”

He had located the bandits and quickly prepared for battle.

The number of bandits was greater than he had imagined, and he had already figured out their intentions.

The plan was to ambush from both sides, intending to launch an attack from the rear and flanks when the carriage was crossing the river.

This meant the carriage couldn't stay in the river and could only move forward.

Being in the water, the guards could not run forward or backward; they had to stay behind to cover the rear.

The real ambush must be on the opposite bank of the river.

Once the carriage, now without its guards, reaches the riverbank, it will inevitably face the bandits' blades.

Apart from the cobblestone path underfoot, the surrounding area was all mud and silt, so even running was a slow and slow process.

This is how sheepdogs herd sheep every day.

Song Linyun was also taken aback when she saw Zhao Tingduo suddenly speeding up.

She didn't understand military affairs, but she could clearly sense that the other side had set a trap, just waiting for her and her group to walk into it.

Now that Zhao Tingduo is advancing instead of retreating, does he have another plan?

Considering that Zhao Tingduo had fought countless battles, big and small, in the past two years, he wouldn't make such a basic mistake. Song Liyun trusted him completely and silently took out her military dagger, which she hadn't used in a long time.

Upon receiving the news, Elder Yu and the others immediately spurred their horses to gallop.

The wheels rolled on, kicking up a trail of dust in the sandy soil.

The guards shielded the carriage in the middle and rushed towards the Zabu River without hesitation.

Almost at that moment, all the bandits in the bushes stood up, looking completely bewildered: "Why did they suddenly start running?"

"They wanted to escape, so they surrounded them, surrounded them, and captured them alive."

"Quick, chase after them! Don't let them get away!"

Whistles rose and fell, and the horses that had been pushed down into the low-lying areas stood up.

The bandits emerged from their hiding place and chased after the carriage toward the riverbank.

The sound of horses' hooves, shouts, and the chase of dozens of horses instantly turned the tranquil riverbank into a bustling scene.

On the wide mudflats of the Zabu River, five horse-drawn carriages raced through the guards, hurried yet orderly.

Two hundred meters ahead of the carriage, a black horse charged forward like the sharp point of a javelin.

Zhao Tingduo stood on the stirrups, her body low to the ground, blending seamlessly with the galloping steed, her flowing cloak trailing straight behind her.

Behind him, Song Liyun clung tightly to the neck of the galloping horse to keep herself from falling off.

Wu Dan, standing nearby, looked at her anxiously and called out, "Young Madam, the young master wants you to get into the carriage!"

After more than a year of training, Song Liyun's horsemanship was better than average, but she was still just average and couldn't compare to people like Zhao Tingduo and Wudan who were born to ride horses.

Just now, Zhao Tingduo wanted Song Liyun, who was the worst rider among everyone, to ride in the carriage with Old Yu.

However, Song Liyun did not take her advice. She felt that although her riding skills were not as good as others, she was agile on horseback and could adapt to any unexpected situations.

Behind the three, as the bandits approached, the five carriages were about to step into the river when they suddenly made a sharp turn and headed downstream along the sandy bank.

Meanwhile, the guards on the side also turned their horses around in unison, and the galloping horses, with their skillful horsemanship, turned around on the spot.

This sudden change of direction caught the pursuing bandits off guard, and the distance between the two sides closed instantly.

Because someone needed to drive the carriage, the escort team consisted of only ten people at this time.

Facing thirty bandits wielding curved knives, the ten-man squad simultaneously performed one action: they retrieved dark-colored crossbows from under the felt beside their saddles.

The crossbow was small and exquisite, entirely black, and even the arrows were black and shiny.

The guards moved in perfect unison, cleanly and efficiently. By the time the bandits reacted, the two sides were already very close, almost about to collide.

"These guys have arrows! Brothers, be careful! Shoot them with your arrows!"

Some of the bandits shouted and began frantically pulling out their arrows.

They had been lying in ambush in the grass without any intention of attacking. When the carriage suddenly accelerated without warning, creating distance, they had no chance to shoot arrows.

Even now that they're closer, there's still no chance. Before the bandits could even draw their bows, they heard a chorus of "snap, snap" sounds.

The bandits on horseback fell to the ground one after another, like cut wheat.

In the blink of an eye, the two groups were locked in a fierce battle.

Facing two opponents alone, the Zhenbei Army guard held a knife in one hand and an iron crossbow in the other.

With skillful archery and horsemanship, the bandits were utterly helpless against him and fell from their horses one after another.

Several bandits were shot through the head with an arrow and were already dead.

At this moment, the bandits also clearly saw the crossbows in the hands of the guards.

A swift wind can break even the strongest grass; this is a special iron crossbow, whose arrows are forged from steel and can pierce through armor.

The remaining bandits exclaimed in surprise, "That's the Swift Wind Battalion of the Northern Garrison!"