The group continued walking tirelessly deeper into the forest. Perhaps it was because they all possessed a menacing aura, but they didn't encounter any ferocious beasts along the way.
It wasn't until darkness fell that the group finally lay on the ground, panting.
"Lie down for a bit, then get up quickly, find some dry firewood and start a fire, lest wild animals come after dark."
"San'er is right. We've gone too far. They probably won't be able to catch up with us tonight."
"Yes, boss!"
"Hehe, how could those adults possibly wrong themselves like this? Big brother, have some water."
Because of the bond forged during their escape, Butcher Zheng now treats the scoundrel with great affection.
The scoundrel seized the opportunity to deepen their bond. There were now seven of them, with Butcher Zheng being the strongest fighter.
Butcher Zheng took the water bag and took a big gulp; he hadn't been this disheveled in a long time.
"Brother, we'll leave the forest first thing tomorrow morning and meet up with the other brothers. We can't stay in Daze Prefecture any longer."
When he first mentioned wanting to escape, Bie San had told everyone that he wanted to lead them to become outlaws, an idea that had gained their support.
These people have all seen blood and are capable fighters; there's nothing wrong with them being mountain bandits.
They can find a dangerous mountain to stay on, making it difficult for the court to catch them, and then they can continue to live their carefree lives.
While the two were talking, the others had already set up a fire.
"Brothers, you've worked hard. Once we escape, we'll make sure you live the high life!"
"Hehe! Thanks, big brother!"
The others smiled when they heard Zheng the Butcher's promise. All this hard work and the loss of so many brothers, wasn't it all for the sake of a better life?
Exhausted, Butcher Zheng chatted with the others for a few more minutes before going to sleep on empty stomachs.
They were fleeing for their lives, so they didn't have time to carry food; all they had were gold and silver.
At night, Ouyang Cheng led his men through the forest, taking the lead and searching with all his might.
These runaways are the most important; if we don't bring them back, who knows what kind of trouble they'll cause next time.
If he can't even catch these people, how can he have the face to go out?
"Remember this: take them alive. If they resist stubbornly, kill them on the spot and bring their heads back!"
"Yes, General!"
In the stillness of the night, the only sounds in the dense forest were the chirping of insects and birds.
Neither Butcher Zheng nor the beggar dared to fall into a deep sleep. They were still in danger, and whether they could keep their heads depended on escaping the forest.
As the night deepened, a sudden howl rang out, startling the group into a cold sweat.
"Big brother!"
The others quickly put out the fire.
"Hurry! The government officials are coming. It looks like other people have been caught. Let's run!"
Zheng the butcher took the lead, rushing out with his head covered, and the others didn't dare to say anything, following behind.
They fled all the way, with no time to cover their tracks. Ouyang Cheng and his men followed the trail to find their way here.
Two quarters of an hour after Zheng the Butcher and his men fled, Ouyang Cheng and his group finally arrived at their resting place.
"General, the fire has been out for more than a quarter of an hour and a half, and they've probably run far away again."
Ouyang Cheng, clad in armor, frowned deeply. Searching at night was indeed quite difficult; the dense forest was vast, making their search arduous.
This group of people seemed to have planned this in advance and were very familiar with the surrounding terrain.
"How many people are still missing?"
"The leader, Butcher Zheng, is still at large. According to the confessions of the people we captured earlier, they will meet up somewhere after they escape and prepare to become bandits."
"We won't continue searching tonight. Let's see which direction they fled in, rest here, and continue at dawn."
"yes!"
Zheng the butcher and his companions ran until they were drenched in sweat, and by chance, they also encountered other people along the way.
Those who heard the howling knew that the soldiers were coming, so they ran as far away as possible.
"What do we do? San'er, which way do we go?"
"Let's go to Ning'an Prefecture! Once we leave this forest, we'll head towards Ning'an Prefecture."
"They weren't talking about Ning'an Prefecture before. What about the others? Should we just leave them behind?"
Butcher Zheng hesitated; there were only a dozen or so of them.
"Brother! We have to listen to this scoundrel. Those screams up ahead mean some of our brothers have been arrested, and they might have even given us away with our destination."
We can't wait, and we can't go back to the place we agreed on earlier. The other brothers certainly won't be that foolish.
This man was the one who had previously worked as a farmhand; his name was Fa Cai, a name bestowed upon him by his master.
He was overjoyed to have met Butcher Zheng; with him and Butcher Zheng together, their bandit business was sure to succeed.
Butcher Zheng wanted to wait for his other brothers, so he couldn't let him go to his death like that and quickly tried to persuade him.
Don't blame him for being ruthless in his pursuit of wealth; at this time, every life counts, and he has to be one of them.
"Alright, we'll do as San'er says! Let's hurry and run towards Ning'an Prefecture. Hopefully, we'll run into the other brothers along the way."
Li Qingyao, Li Qingduan, and Li Qingyi are leading Bai Sha on their way to Shao County.
The rebellion in Qingshui County was slow because the rebels were far from the county seat and, after the floods, had taken refuge in high places.
By the time they found out, the rebels had already headed towards Fenghe County.
What bad luck, they're also passing through Fenghe County.
A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall, for he fears encountering rebels and is eager to return home as soon as possible.
With both floods and rebel forces, I wonder how much more worried my family must be.
The four of them finally decided to take a mountain path, with Baisha leading the way, so that the journey home would be shorter.
Relying on their martial arts skills, the group didn't hesitate at all, packed their provisions, and headed up the mountain.
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