"Uh...uh...pfft—"
Blood gushed out, and a strong, rusty, bloody stench filled the surroundings.
The person who was arrogant and domineering just a second ago died a miserable death, with a hole running through his mouth and back of his head.
The nomadic barbarians who were surrounded turned pale upon seeing this scene, looking as if they hadn't even realized what was happening.
Everything happened too fast. From the moment the nomadic barbarian general made his move to being shot by the arrow and dying, the entire process took less than five seconds.
But those few seconds were a sliver of hope for Zheng Quchi, who sacrificed his good skin and suffered unbearable pain.
The roll she made when she was whipped away by the nomadic barbarian general was somewhat of a performance; her purpose was to retrieve the crossbow that had been thrown into the withered grass and secretly hide it in front of her chest.
They underestimated her after all.
She is like that clump of weeds, inconspicuous, insignificant and small, but once she has accumulated enough strength, she can still successfully wait for this moment of breakthrough.
With a few quick steps, she stepped into the stirrups, leaped up, and ripped off the already dead barbarian general. She flipped over and took his place, mounting the fine horse in his place.
Zheng Quchi was undeniably nervous, fearful, and worried; her hands and feet were trembling. But the more she felt this way, the more she had to keep her mind completely calm.
I don't know where I heard it from, but warhorses that are capable of going to war usually recognize their masters and will not be easily tamed and controlled by others on the battlefield.
Since she couldn't control this warhorse that she had stolen from someone else, she simply stopped trying to control it.
With a swift motion, Zheng Quchi drew a dagger from the saddle. Decisive and resolute, he turned and plunged the dagger into the horse's rump, leaving no room for himself or others to maneuver.
Although she didn't know how to ride, she had ridden a horse before.
When the horse was startled and galloped wildly, there was nothing more she could do but keep her body low to the ground, tightly gripping its neck with both hands, and let it break free of the encirclement in its madness.
Sure enough, when the men saw the general's warhorse out of control, running wildly with its hooves flying, they were all alarmed and quickly turned their horses around to avoid it, lest their own horses be startled and also lose control.
Their dodge created an opening, through which the horse sped past like a slap in the face, disappearing into the distance in the blink of an eye.
"We must not let her get away! Chase after her!"
Looking down from the top of the mountain, one can see a long, winding, open mountain road leading the way. A blood-red horse, its mane flying, is like a giant wave surging in a storm. Behind it, a group of nomadic barbarians are also chasing after it with their horses galloping.
The wind was so fierce and sharp that it made Zheng Quchi's face and neck ache.
But she dared not relax for a moment, gripping the reins tightly with all her might. Her withered hands were bony and the veins bulged.
She secretly vowed to herself that this time, either she would fall off the horse from exhaustion, or the horse would run away and die of exhaustion first.
High above, a group of four or five cavalrymen, kicking up clouds of dust, passed by. These were scouts from Fu County. Upon hearing the clatter of hooves, they sounded their horns.
"Waaaaah~"
"Quickly take a look, who are those people chasing us down below?"
"Are they nomadic barbarians?! What are they chasing?"
"A red horse—no, it should be a steppe horse. These are usually top-quality horses carefully bred by nomadic barbarians. Why is someone dressed in Central Plains clothing riding on it? And why are they chasing after her!"
"The enemy attack must be related to them. Quickly, quickly report this matter!"
——
...It won't work.
She was really exhausted.
Zheng Quchi didn't know the correct riding posture, and the horse was also agitated, shaking violently. In order to maintain her balance and avoid being thrown off, she had to exert even more force.
She was indeed not as staminad as the horse; it was still running tirelessly, but she could barely keep up with it.
The people behind them closed the distance slightly and began to launch an indiscriminate attack, throwing short and long spears, trying to kill her and the horse together.
Zheng Quchi was unable to retaliate or dodge, because if she made even the slightest movement, she could be thrown into the deep mountain cliffs.
Just hang in there... just hang in there a little longer...
She kept encouraging herself with these words.
Someone will come to save her...
She's held on for so long, someone must be coming...
She tried to lift her head again, but the wind was howling, and she had to squint as she tried to see how long and how far the road ahead was... and whether she could keep going.
But as she looked up, she saw a cloud of smoke rising in front of her, and the deafening sound of powerful iron hooves thundering.
The wind blowing from the deep valley and secluded ravine dispelled the mysterious veil of mist.
The leader was a man wearing a gilded mask, riding a horse and galloping across the majestic mountain path, displaying immense power.
The wind billowed his scarlet cloak, and wherever he went, a chilling and sinister aura enveloped him, causing everyone to tremble with fear.
Zheng Quchi's eyes widened, ignoring the stinging pain as the wind from the blades grazed his eyes, all to confirm that it wasn't a hallucination.
It was him...
That somewhat familiar mask made her feel as if she were seeing Liu Fengmian amidst the fireworks that night, but his conspicuous and domineering general's attire made it impossible for her to mistake him for someone else.
He is Yuwen Sheng!
My eyes welled up with tears without me even realizing it.
“I knew it…” Her voice was like fire burning as she spoke, as hoarse as a quack: “He will come.”
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