Chapter 277 Escape

It was dawn when Gu Xixi drove out of the village.

He Jinglan looked back at the curling smoke rising from the village, holding her small bag, looking a little melancholy.

"Why……"

She sighed, "I hope that after we leave, those bastards will stop targeting your house and Huachidu Village."

According to the He family's secret guards, the defense inside and outside the village is more intensive than before, like an iron barrel.

It can be seen that Mu Nanzhao left more people in the dark before he left last time.

Plus, the black-clad killers have already killed too many people.

It would be almost impossible for those powerful people behind the scenes who wanted to kidnap Gu Xixi and He Jinglan to send people into the village.

So, the kerosene might have been picked up by Xiaohua at the edge of the village.

It is a warning and also a threat.

The threat was that if they continued to resist like this, the whole village would be burned down.

Last night, Gu Xixi and He Jinglan thought of this key point, which is why they said that the kerosene was accidentally dropped by a passerby.

The purpose was to reassure the other family members and also to make it easier for them to find an excuse to leave home this morning.

Gu Xixi said, "Now they are throwing a small tube of kerosene to test it, aren't they trying to force you and me to leave this shelter?"

"Then let's come out openly and let them see where we go."

Gu Xixi did this for the safety of her family, to prevent the property she had worked hard to build from being burned, and to avoid implicating innocent people in the village.

But she and He Jinglan did not have such noble ideas as "being willing to die for others".

When under duress, it would be foolish to do nothing but sacrifice yourself and give yourself up.

The He family's secret guards accompanied He Jinglan on her trip and were now following in the dark.

Having learned from past experience, first of all, the person behind the scenes would never attack them along the way.

Some of the He family's secret guards will arrive at the farm secretly one step ahead.

Once Gu Xixi and He Jinglan move into the farm, there will be an opportunity to make defenses.

At that time, we will compare who is faster and who has the better move.

If you really can't defend yourself, the best strategy is to run away.

The farm is close to the county town and adjacent to the official road. It is well connected and there are many people around, so it is more convenient to escape and hide your tracks than in Huachidu Village.

Gu Xixi paused and sighed, "It's just hard for you. I swore to protect you and never let you take risks with me again."

He Jinglan waved her hand nonchalantly and said, "I was also involved in this matter."

"Who gave me the surname He? My brother is He Jinghui. We are sisters, so let's not distinguish who has the bigger blame."

She leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "But intentional arson is a serious crime."

"What do you think? If we insist on not leaving the village, will they really pour kerosene and set the village on fire?"

Gu Xixi sneered, "When a cornered dog jumps over the wall, is there anything he can't do? But..."

She looked at the road ahead, her eyes burning, "The more anxious these people's reactions are, the more advantages the Northwest Army and your brother in the capital are having."

He Jinglan chuckled, her eyes like a hunter seeing his prey, "So they are afraid."

"I can't think of any other way to stop the army's advance, so I can only target you and me."

"What a bunch of rubbish."

Gu Xixi said in a gloomy tone, "So, we can't get caught."

He Jinglan nodded, "We can't hold them back!"

Gu Xixi pulled the reins and turned her head slightly to look behind her. "I mean... the more confident the Northwest Army is of victory, the greater the conditions for exchanging hostages will be, even to the point where no fool would accept them."

He Jinglan thought about it and said firmly, "I still believe that my brother and Mu Nanzhao will not ignore our lives."

Gu Xixi sighed silently, "I'm not doubting their character."

"Think about it again. So many soldiers of the Northwest Army followed the general through thick and thin. And the He family also has many allies in the court of the capital. At that time, whether to rescue the hostages or not will not be decided by your brother, your childhood friend, and General Huo. These three people will have the final say."

He Jinglan felt a chill in her heart, as if a basin of cold water was poured over her head.

She murmured, "Yes, the commander's decision lost the support of the people, and the soldiers used military remonstrances to force him to do so. This has been the case since ancient times."

"But this cannot be blamed on anyone. If the bowstring is fully drawn and the arrow is on the string, hesitating and retreating at this time will only hurt others and yourself."

"Even if the Queen Mother and her party surrender, everyone knows that no one can guarantee that they will not be completely wiped out afterwards."

The two men fell into silence again, and only the sound of the mule running could be heard.

Gu Xixi drove the car directly into the farm, closed the threshold, and bolted the door.

He Jinglan helped unload the truck and said, "I feel more at ease after entering here."

Gu Xixi said, "Don't be too anxious to feel at ease. There is still a lot to do. Get all your people out."

Lai Fu was eating wild grass in the open space in front, and the bedding and luggage on the cart were still there.

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan walked across the large field and came to the two small houses.

Gu Xixi took out the key and opened the room on the left that was full of miscellaneous items.

At a time like this, you don't have to sort out the clutter and clean the house first, right?

He Jinglan was puzzled.

Gu Xixi pulled aside a piece of felt cloth leaning against the wall.

No one had been here for a long time, and thick dust was raised, covering the two people's heads and bodies.

He Jinglan started coughing because of choking.

She heard the sound and opened her eyes, only to see Gu Xixi bending over and dragging out things one by one with a grunt.

A spiked plate made entirely of iron, a meteor hammer with a thick iron chain, a bronze pot for which I don't know what it was used for...

He Jinglan opened her eyes wide in surprise and immediately understood that Gu Xixi wanted to use these things to set a trap.

She squatted down and worked together with Gu Xixi to drag things out from the pile of debris.

While saying to the outside, "You guys, come in and move the things!"

There are a total of twelve He family secret guards and one coachman, and they are all here.

When He Jinglan left the capital, he did not expect the journey to be so long, so he only brought seven secret guards and a coachman who was skilled in martial arts.

Until the war broke out in the northwest, He Jinghui made preparations in advance and sent five additional top-level secret guards to He Jinglan's side.

These five men are all top-notch martial artists, each with his own strengths, and are comparable to the top guards in the imperial palace.

Now they only obey the orders of He Jinglan.

Seeing that He Jinglan was covered in dirt and using all her strength, her pretty little face turned red.

A secret guard leader said, "Miss, leave this to us. You should go out and have a rest."

He Jinglan refused without even looking up, "No, we are already short-handed."

"You guys should move the things out. You know how to set traps, right? Take a look at what you can use and take care of it first. Then listen to Boss Gu's instructions later!"

The secret guards had no choice but to obey the order, "Yes!"

He Jinglan thought about the weapons at home and decided not to sit and wait for death. She couldn't help laughing and said, "Xixi! You are amazing. Did you fall in love with the sundries in this house the day you bought the manor?"

Gu Xixi said as she worked, "When I was checking the house that day, I accidentally walked over here and touched something under the felt. While Boss Liao was opening the window, I lifted a corner and took a peek. The housekeeper who sold the farm may not know that these things were stored in the house."