Horse Bandit Officer (11)
I have to admit that the Nachuan box that Chu Mo gave me before leaving really had everything you need. He did a good job on this.
In the blink of an eye, the sun was rising and Zheng Ju's guards were about to wake up from their sleep, but Ba Niang had been giving birth all night and had lost her strength early.
Mu You pressed his head against the wall, not daring to look back for a moment, and ended up in a cold sweat all night.
But Xiao Lin was unable to call him over, so he could only huddle in the corner with his hands clasped together, muttering "Buddha bless you".
At the same time, he couldn't help but calm down and think about how they should deal with the child. After all, once the child was born, he would be a moving target.
But before he could think of a solution, the clear cry of a baby behind him immediately caught his attention.
"It's a boy! It's a boy!" A woman's voice sounded, very low.
However, the baby only cried wildly once, and the next moment was blocked by the women with their bodies, for fear that the crying would attract the guards.
But how could such a commotion not attract attention?
When the baby first cried, people who were working early outside heard the sound and came over.
The sound of iron chains colliding came from the crack of the door again. The women who had been busy all night immediately split into two groups at lightning speed. One group used their bodies to block the exhausted Ba Niang and took the opportunity to pour out the blood, while the other group hid in the corner with the children.
At that time, Mu You was alone in the corner. Before he could come to his senses, the child with blood stains on his body was forced into his arms.
He panicked for a moment, his hair stood on end, and when the wooden door opened and closed, he subconsciously put his fingers into the child's mouth, which stopped the crying.
"What are you doing!" With the iron chain hanging in the air, a burly man pushed open the door and shouted inside.
I saw Liuniang and Sanniang standing in front, holding a bowl of water in their hands, facing the big man.
Xiao Lin and others hid behind her and wiped the sweat off Ba Niang without stopping.
Sanniang was the first to speak: "It's okay, it's okay! Ba Niang was feeling a little unwell and cried out a few times in her sleep."
The big man frowned, feeling doubtful, so he turned his body and looked at the ground at an angle.
Fortunately, Xiao Lin and others were quick and wiped the sweat off Ba Niang's face in just a few strokes. When the big man looked over, he saw Ba Niang leaning on another woman, her face pale and breathing heavily.
The big man couldn't help but look down again and saw that her belly was as big as a drum, but there was nothing abnormal about it. She looked like she was frightened in a dream.
Then, the big man took a quick look and retreated doubtfully, threatening them before leaving: "All of you, behave yourself! Don't try to play tricks on me!"
After being anxious for less than half a minute, Xiao Lin and his companions finally relaxed when the door closed again.
But Mu You was different. At this moment, the child in his arms was about to spit out his finger. He was so scared that he couldn't move, and only his hair stood on end.
Seeing this, the midwife hurriedly snatched the child from his hands and handed it to Ba Niang's arms. With quick hands and feet, she gave him milk at the last moment before the child cried again.
Everyone broke into a cold sweat at the same time.
It was covered up, but everyone knew that the fact that there was an extra child could not be concealed for long.
"Why are you so scared?" The woman teased Mu You, "You'll have a child sooner or later, so don't let the fear keep you from having the baby!"
Among the people present, only Xiao Lin understood the true meaning of these words. He laughed unconsciously at Mu You's stunned back.
Mu You frowned and made a silent accusation towards Xiao Lin.
As if to say: Are you still laughing? Are you still laughing?
However, Mu You was truly disheartened for a moment, but only for a moment.
He knew in his heart that Xiao Lin would not make things difficult for him, and he couldn't bear to be angry with her.
After all, he liked her very much.
The beauty of a newborn baby enveloped this dark little house. The women, rarely letting go of their previous grudges and self-deprecation, all showed loving care on their faces and came forward one by one to tease the tiny baby boy.
However, the most urgent task is not to indulge in maternal love. Ba Niang's childbirth suggests that the escape plan is urgent.
Xiao Lin took advantage of the opportunity and hurried over to Mu You, nudging him a few times and whispering, "Quickly take out the Nachuan box and see if there's anything useful we can use to escape."
After a long effort, Mu You finally came to his senses. Like a frightened puppy, he moved his butt to hold Xiao Lin's arm and said, "Yes... yes, I found a paintbrush when you took out the Nachuan box..."
"brush?"
"I've tried it. That paintbrush can make holes. If you draw a circle on the wall, it will disappear. If you draw another circle, the wall will return."
Fortunately, although he couldn't help with the delivery, he was not idle and actually came up with this thing.
As he spoke, Mu You reached into his earlobe and placed the Nachuan box on his fingertips. Now he had mastered the operation and found the paintbrush he mentioned in no time.
The pen is about seven inches long, and the pen holder is carved from thousand-year-old red sandalwood. It has a faint purple glow all over and feels as smooth as jade. The tip of the pen is extremely flexible, and there is a faint light flowing through it. Ancient runes are engraved on the pen holder, and each line seems to be flowing slowly.
This was the first time Xiao Lin had seen the magical artifact in the novel. His fingertips trembled slightly, for fear that it would break.
With this treasure, why would you worry about not being able to break free from the chains?
However, in addition to the woman imprisoned in this room, there was also a child in another room waiting for the two to rescue. To ensure that everything was safe, Xiao Lin decided to go and scout the enemy situation first.
As soon as the idea came out, Mu You stopped her and took the paintbrush from her hand: "I'll go, I'll go, you stay here and cover for me."
Yes, even though he looks like a woman now, he is still a man at heart. Besides, after this experience, it would be good to let him go out and get some fresh air.
So she let go: "Be careful, go quickly and come back soon."
According to the plan, Xiao Lin and Mu You should meet with Tong Huan today. Once they release the abducted people, Tong Huan will immediately lead his troops to eliminate the bandits.
The stronghold was located deep in the valley, with dangerous terrain. Even this dilapidated house was built on a slope. Mu You bent his body, holding onto the tree trunk with his hands and digging into the ground with his toes.
The journey is quite dangerous as you have to climb the slope and keep an eye out for thieves.
The summer sunshine always comes earlier. Just now, when I looked through the door, the sky was still dim, but now it is bright.
Mu You crawled on the ground, alternately pulling at the branches with his hands, and carefully explored step by step. Finally, he saw another house tied with iron chains and locks.
He licked the corner of his lip, walked slowly, and crouched down to move closer.
As soon as Mu You left, Xiao Lin looked at the empty and closed wall, and his heart was filled with fear.
In order not to attract attention, she did not go forward to surround Ba Niang, but sat in the corner with her knees hugged, thinking about what to do next.
As the sun rose higher, the heat seeped into the dilapidated house through the gaps in the thatched roof, and Xiao Lin's back began to sweat unconsciously.
The days of anxiety were much longer than usual. Xiao Lin counted on his fingers and waited for an unknown amount of time before he finally heard Mu You's voice.
"Found it, found it!" Mu You said in a low voice, "There weren't many children in the room. They covered each other and were able to run."
"What about County Magistrate Tong?" Xiao Lin asked the point. After all, the first priority should be to contact Tong Huan and ensure that the troops have been deployed before they can lead their people away.
But Mu You shook his head and said, "I took the opportunity to look around, but I didn't see anyone or any signal smoke."
Maybe it’s too early and Tong Huan and the others haven’t had time to go up the mountain yet?
Xiao Lin felt an ominous feeling in his heart, but he had to swallow the thought back.
"Then... let's wait a little longer... they must have been delayed by something." Xiao Lin's eyes wandered.
Mu You saw her look away, so he sat down on the ground swiftly, holding Xiao Lin's palm with one hand, and said sincerely to reassure her: "Don't worry, we will succeed. Didn't Chu Mo give us the Nachuan Box? There are so many treasures in it, which will come in handy."
Xiao Lin's eyes sparkled as he pursed his lips and smiled, "Yeah."
However, the moment their eyes met, Xiao Lin noticed something different in Mu You's eyes.
She suddenly looked away, her cheeks flushed.
Tong Huan, who was in the county government office, did not have time to toast the elders and villagers present one by one. After carefully counting the number of people, he hurriedly changed into casual clothes, skillfully hung his saber on his waist belt, and with a wave of his arm, led everyone up the mountain.
The situation was urgent. Just to avoid Zheng Ju's guards, they had to go around the top of the mountain and climb from the farther foot of the mountain.
This bandit suppression campaign was a test both physically and mentally.
And how could Xiao Lin and Mu You, inside the house, not be tormented? Seeing the thieves deliver food, and seeing Ba Niang finally regain her strength, Mu You even took the risk of sneaking out a few more times, but still no sign of Tong Huan.
Wouldn't it be delayed until tomorrow? Tomorrow he'd be exposed!
As Mu You thought about it, he couldn't help but tremble with fear, and a chill rose from his fingertips to the back of his hand.
If it can be done, it will definitely be done. Xiao Lin silently calmed his flustered heart.
"No! I need to go out and take a look!" Mu You couldn't help it. He brushed away Xiao Lin's hand and raised his paintbrush without permission. "I don't believe you really want to wait until tomorrow!"
However, at this time, the thieves woke up one by one from their lunch break, and the orange and yellow of the setting sun were beginning to appear.
Although it would be easier for Tong Huan and his companions to succeed under the cover of darkness, if they waited until late at night to escape, the mountain roads would be steep and dangerous, and the risk would be extremely high.
County Magistrate Tong, County Magistrate Tong, why haven’t you come yet!
Hiding behind many houses, Mu You clung to the corner of the wall, bent his legs and moved step by step in the other direction.
Suddenly, just when his expression was tense, a sharp pain on the back of his neck made him turn his head subconsciously.
He looked around and found nothing unusual, so he raised his head and looked carefully at the distant woods, his face full of joy.
Tong Huan, along with dozens of county residents, finally arrived at the stronghold before sunset. By this time, they had disguised themselves and blended into the bushes. Their plan was complete, and they only needed Xiao Lin and Mu You to rescue the trapped women and children so that they could "go on a killing spree."
Mu You suddenly became excited. After exchanging glances with Tong Huan, he decisively retreated back to the dilapidated house.
Seeing Mu You return, Xiao Lin was about to help him, but was met with joy: "Here they come! They're coming! Let's go!"
As soon as the words fell, Xiao Lin was also infected by her joy, and immediately lowered his voice to call out to the many sisters behind him: "Sisters! It's time!"
However, the initially cheerful atmosphere suddenly became bleak. Everyone looked at her one after another, but no one moved.
Xiao Lin was stunned, not understanding what he meant.
Fortunately, Ba Niang stood up first, holding the sleeping child in her arms. Her steps were weak, but she still tried her best to walk towards Xiao Lin: "If everyone else doesn't leave, then I'll go first."
Then, Sanniang and Liuniang smiled at each other, patted the dust off their dresses, and held their heads high to follow Ba Niang's pace.
Then came the Second Mother, the Ninth Mother, the Fourth Mother... Gradually, even the Fifth Mother, who had previously argued with Xiao Lin, stood up and volunteered to be the last person to leave.
Everyone finally had the desire to survive, and Xiao Lin couldn't help but feel a pang of bitterness in his throat.
Time waits for no one. Seeing that everyone had formed a team, she hurried out of the cave and stepped onto the grass she had not seen for a long time.
In addition to the women in the room, there were also three or four children.
Mu You first carefully patched up the hole, then ran to the back of the room where the child was imprisoned, waved his pen, and slipped in.
"Hurry, hurry! Take one by one! Hurry!" Mu You counted the number of children and handed them to the woman one by one.
Including the children, there were less than twenty people in total, but it was just these scattered dozen people. Even if the sky was getting dark, it would be extremely difficult to act together.
Mu You led the way, Wu Niang brought up the rear, and Ba Niang was protected in the middle with her child in her arms. The team was like a long snake, making rustling sounds in the steep mountain forests.
According to the evacuation route given by Tong Huan, Xiao Lin and Mu You had to lead them to the river valley first. There happened to be a waterfall there with a deafening sound of water that could provide cover for everyone.
Fortunately, you can return to the county town after passing the waterfall. The bad thing is that the road to the waterfall is long and the mountain road is dangerous, so you need to be extremely careful.
As the team climbed higher and higher, the possibility of attracting the attention of Zheng Ju and his gang became greater, and Xiao Lin couldn't help but take a breath.
Everyone held their breath, fearing that any noise would expose their companions.
At this time, Tong Huan and his group who were scattered in the mountains also held the handles of their knives and hoes tightly, lowered their bodies lower and lower, and stared at Xiao Lin and others who were moving in the distance.
As long as they could get through this hill safely, they would immediately rush down the mountain and fight to the death with Zheng Ju and his ilk.
Step, step, step.
Xiao Lin and Mu You took over, and walked in front with their bodies bent over. They stretched their legs carefully to explore the mountain road in front of them, and held on to the bushes tightly with both hands, just to avoid stepping on the soil and rocks.
There were dancing torches and spilled wine under his feet, and the boundless sky above his head. Xiao Lin had never felt that the road ahead was so dark and boundless.
But she never stopped. If she walked a little further, she would be able to help everyone behind her escape from purgatory.
If it was Gao Qing, she shouldn't be as indecisive and full of thoughts as she is, right?
If she were still alive, she would escort the women and children home even if she had to jump off the hillside or fight against a thousand people alone.
It doesn’t matter. Now, it is her, Xiao Lin, who has realized this vision.
Seeing that Xiao Lin and his group were about to cross the mountain, Tong Huan pulled out the saber from his waist half an inch.
Just a little bit more, just a little bit more.
In an instant, perhaps because the child was scratched by branches or leaves, or because he was hungry after sleeping for too long, the child who was originally sleeping obediently in Ba Niang's arms suddenly made a faint whimpering sound.
The crying sounded weak at first, like a thread going through the wind, trembling.
The sound gradually spread from all around to the end of the team. Ba Niang widened her eyes and watched the child begin to shake his head, and then struggled to stretch out his arms.
“Hmm… Hmm… Wow—!”
A baby's cry is more thrilling than any other sound. It is like a clear spring breaking through the ice, breaking the silence.
It's over! I'm about to escape from this sea of suffering, but now all my efforts are going to be wasted?
Xiao Lin's panic instantly reached its peak.
Sanniang and Liuniang, who were standing on both sides of Ba Niang, hurriedly reached out and patted the baby's back in an attempt to comfort it, but after trying several times, it was of no avail.
Seeing this, Ba Niang also squatted down and lifted up her clothes - but the child was not hungry and refused to drink milk.
What on earth is going on!
Everyone was suddenly extremely panicked, and their hearts were beating rapidly with the child's crying.
Don’t… don’t cry! Xiao Lin’s tears welled up in his eyes.
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