Chapter 8: The Name is Unknown
After breakfast, the bandits went to the square to practice martial arts.
Xuanfeng and several of his confidants stayed in the main hall of the main building to report some things happening in the mountain stronghold to Xiao Mingyi.
Finally, one of his confidants complained, "There are too many traps in Hutou Mountain. Last night, while patrolling the back mountain, I almost fell into a trap."
The others laughed and didn't take it seriously.
"Fall in and climb out."
"With your skills, you're still afraid of a pit. Have you neglected your training recently?"
The man was slightly annoyed. "That pit is very deep, and it's covered with a layer of grass, so it's hard to find. If someone falls in, they'll either die or be crippled!"
Two months ago, the bandits from this village were robbing people on the road, and they wiped them out. After they occupied the village, they found that there were many wild animals in the mountains, and the previous group of bandits had set many traps to hunt them.
During patrols, one must be extremely vigilant, as a slight carelessness can lead to falls. If one is lucky, nothing will happen, but if one is unlucky, falling into a pit with animal traps and bamboo stakes can be fatal.
As they chatted away, the man sitting at the top was sharpening his arrows, showing no emotion.
Song Lingyi came back from making tea and happened to hear them discussing the trap in the back mountain. She didn't rush in, but leaned against the door and listened for a few more words.
Alerted that someone was eavesdropping at the door, Xiao Mingyi raised his eyes calmly, twirled the arrow on his fingertips, and stabbed it forward suddenly.
Clang——!
The sharp arrow pierced through the window lattice paper, passed half an inch in front of Song Lingyi's eyes, and went straight into the pillar.
She stiffened and swallowed unconsciously.
"If you dare to eavesdrop again, I'll cut off one of your ears." His tone was cold.
Everything happened in an instant.
The whole room was dead silent, and everyone's face was filled with shock.
Song Lingyi slowly came back to her senses, took a deep breath, pulled the arrowhead off the pillar with force, and walked into the main hall.
"Sir, you misunderstood. I wasn't eavesdropping." She held out the tray. "I made tea for you. I waited outside for a while, so I didn't want to disturb your conversation."
The girl blinked, her face full of innocence.
The atmosphere in the hall was stagnant.
Xuan Feng smiled and tried to smooth things over: "Miss A Li, you are so thoughtful. Just put the tea on the table."
"good."
Song Lingyi was best at giving way and placing the wooden tray on the table.
The man sitting at the top kept staring at her without saying a word.
The others had almost finished their reports and stood up to leave. Soon, they were the only two left in the main hall.
Being stared at with such a cold and icy gaze, Song Lingyi felt a little uncomfortable.
This bandit leader is really moody and difficult to deal with.
"Uncle, are you angry?" She tilted her head and asked, her eyes shining like stars.
Xiao Mingyi's eyes flickered.
His eyes swept coldly over the tea on the table, and he raised his chin: "This name is so ugly. My last name is Chen, I am the fifth child in the family, and my courtesy name is Wuhui. You call me -"
Before he could finish his words, the girl replied, "Then I'll call you 'Fifth Master'."
I think it sounds unpleasant and not what you like.
"..." Xiao Mingyi glanced at her, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he did not object.
The surname Xiao is the surname of the Dayuan country; and the surname Chen is the surname of his mother, and it will not reveal his identity if he says it out loud.
But whether she said it or not made no difference to the girl. She didn't even know the reign title of the current emperor, let alone the country's surname.
"Fifth Master, just call me 'A Li'." Song Lingyi said.
Ah Li, it sounds like a nickname or a randomly made-up name, but Xiao Mingyi doesn't care. After all, he has never told her real identity and name.
We met by chance and will eventually part ways, so there is no need to have a deep relationship.
…
Towards evening.
During the patrol shift in the back mountain, Song Lingyi took the lunch box and took the initiative to deliver food to Xuanfeng.
At first, she didn't understand why a mountain stronghold would be so heavily guarded as an army. Later, she thought about it, thinking about how Song's father had died fighting pirates in Danyang County. It was normal for this unfamiliar dynasty to be so unstable, so a tighter defense was normal.
In late spring, the forest is lush and dense, and the chirping of cicadas and birds is endless.
Xuanfeng and his companions only patrolled the outskirts of the stronghold and did not go deep into the back mountains. After patrolling twice, they were sitting on the observation deck and lazing around.
When they saw that the person who delivered the food was Song Lingyi, the five of them were a little surprised.
Xuan Feng put one hand on the railing and asked with a smile, "Why are you here to deliver the food?"
"Brother Chai burned his hand, so I came here to replace him." Song Lingyi answered naturally.
Brother Chai is the fireman who is responsible for preparing meals for everyone. Before joining the army, he worked as a chef in a restaurant for several years and has excellent skills.
The five of them were a little hungry, so they opened their lunch boxes and started eating.
No one noticed that Song Lingyi was standing at the edge of the observation tower, her eyes constantly darting around wherever she looked.
"Brother Xuanfeng, how many hours do you usually have to be on duty?" she asked casually.
Xuan Feng swallowed the food in his mouth and chatted, "One group needs to patrol for two hours, but there are many traps in the back mountain, and no one can bypass the front mountain for a surprise attack. The only thing we have to be wary of is the wild beasts in the mountains, which is easier than patrolling the front mountain."
Two hours, so the next shift change time is at 11:00.
Song Lingyi lowered her eyes, as if thinking about something.
As long as she stayed in the mountain stronghold, Xu Er would always be a hidden danger. This morning, she heard there was a trap in the back mountain. Perhaps she could use it to injure Xu Er and allow him to recuperate for ten days or half a month.
This way, he couldn't succeed in his plan against her.
"Brother Xuanfeng, isn't this trap in the back mountain set by the cottage?"
Xuanfeng paused in his swallowing, and several people looked up and exchanged glances. However, Song Lingyi, with her back to them, did not notice their expressions change.
"Why do you ask?"
Song Lingyi stroked her chin and said calmly, "Well... you don't seem to know the location of the trap."
From the man's tone this morning, it seemed he wasn't aware of the trap set in the back hill. As someone from the village, it made sense for him not to know where the trap was, for safety's sake.
Xuan Feng coughed lightly against his lips. "It was set up a long time ago and buried very secretly. It's normal that some people don't know about it."
Song Lingyi nodded gently. If that was the case, then Xu Er probably didn't know the exact location of the trap in the back mountain. He would find a chance to check nearby in the next few days.
"I see. Then you must be careful and don't fall into the trap." The girl turned around and asked with concern.
The sparse rays of sunlight passed through the gaps between the mountains and trees, and sprinkled on the hem of her lotus-colored skirt, like floating light and golden sparks.
Xuan Feng almost stared blankly, waved his hand, and said carelessly: "Don't worry, as long as you don't step over the red line set below, you won't fall into the trap."
Song Lingyi smiled faintly and didn't ask any more questions.
The more questions she asked, the greater the probability that if something happened to Xu Er in the future, it would be her fault.
The bandit leader was moody and difficult to deal with. If he knew what she was thinking, he would definitely punish her severely, and might even kill her.
Anyway, if you stick your head out, you'll get a knife. If you hide your head, you'll get a knife. Xu Er bullied her before, so he couldn't just kick her once and let it go.
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