However, before Zheng Quchi could answer, the sound of horses' hooves came from the narrow mountain path ahead.
Like iron bones clashing, the sound was deafening. Clatter, clatter, clatter... The sound of hooves grew louder as the horses approached, and the crisp, metallic clanging of the armor on their backs echoed continuously through the cliffs and deep ravines.
One horse after another came from afar, gradually appearing amidst the thick smoke and fog of the night.
Zheng Quchi stared intently ahead, the firelight casting a yellowish glow on the rugged mountainside. Only when she saw a familiar yet cold and aloof figure leading an army did she quietly exhale a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, she made the right bet.
It's Wang Zebang and the Xuanjia Army!
When the army, whose roar shook the valley like thunder and lightning or the might of tigers and leopards, arrived, the bandits were terrified at the sight of its towering silhouette piercing straight into the mountain path.
They glanced again at Xing'an, who had been kidnapped by Xiao Zheng, and were caught in a dilemma. By the time they could no longer withstand the immense pressure and tried to run away, it was obviously too late.
No, it wasn't that it was too late now; it was already too late the moment they heard the sound of horses' hooves.
Wang Zebang galloped on horseback and saw a patch of fire burning ahead. Two mountain peaks stood tall and imposing, and he could vaguely make out a group of people gathered together, holding sharp weapons. Around them, the ground was littered with corpses and broken pieces of wood.
There was no doubt that a fierce battle had taken place here.
When they were a few hundred meters away from them, they planned to escape from the other side of the mountain. Wang Zebang immediately realized that there was something wrong with these people.
He immediately shouted a warning: "I am Wang Zebang, the adjutant of General Yuwen. I am here with troops to suppress bandits. If you dare to run away, you will all be treated as bandits and killed on the spot without mercy!"
These words terrified the bandits even more. Their instinct was to run, but how could two legs outrun four? Moreover, the enemy was numerous, and consisted entirely of well-equipped and well-trained troops. What could they possibly do against them?
But if I don't escape and they catch me, won't I also be doomed?
Some people gritted their teeth and decided to continue their risky escape, but as soon as they moved, a sharp arrow whistled and struck them in the back. Before they could even utter a sound, they fell to the ground.
The remaining bandits were stiff and their pupils dilated, clearly terrified and no longer had the courage to take another step.
"If you want to die, then keep running!"
Wang Zebang's usually calm and even voice sounded particularly bloodthirsty and cruel at this moment.
"Kneel down, all of you!"
This imposing shout was like a thunderclap overhead, and the bandits' knees buckled, and they knelt down with a thud.
"My lord, have mercy on me, my lord, have mercy on me!"
Xiao San and Xiao Qi clenched their fists tightly. They knew they were doing a "business" that put their lives on the line, but when the day actually came, they found that they couldn't bear it at all.
They don't want to die. They're so young. They've only just escaped and haven't even had a chance to enjoy the freedom outside. Are they really going to die?
The clattering of hooves and the neighing of horses pierced the sharp air until all the oppressive sounds gradually transformed into a thick atmosphere of tension, stopping ahead, and a heavy, gloomy light enveloped the bandits and their companions.
"Sir, spare my life..."
"Shut up."
With a snort, Wang Zebang coolly reined in his horse and rode forward. As he approached, his gaze swept over the people, and he suddenly caught sight of two people standing to the side.
He immediately swept his gaze across the other person with a cold and sharp look, but the next second, when he saw the other person's face clearly, his pupils froze.
She also looked up, meeting his gaze on horseback.
The heaviness and oppression in the air seemed to have suddenly lessened considerably.
Xiao San and Xiao Qi were both puzzled by the sudden silence. They looked up blankly and nervously, but almost fainted from shock.
Everyone was trembling with fear, kneeling and begging for mercy to save their lives. But among this orderly line, there were two outcasts who stood there straight and unyielding.
Little Zheng was actually holding their Xing'an brother hostage, standing there dumbfounded!
This officer clearly said that anyone who doesn't kneel will die. Is she courting death?!
"Lieutenant Wang."
Zheng Quchi stood among the bandits and called out to him in a very familiar tone.
This sound jolted everyone back to their senses.
The bandits were bewildered and confused, not understanding what was happening, until they saw—the imposing Deputy Commander Wang and his men all dismounted in unison, and then, with fluid and synchronized movements, knelt before Xiao Zheng.
"Wang Zebang (of the Xuanjia Army) greets the General's wife!"
The bandits' eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "..."
What was it again?
Whose wife was it again?
They had considered that this "Little Zheng" might be an undercover agent sent by the government, or a female slave kept by some powerful family who had escaped. In short, they had made many guesses, but they never thought that she had already married and was still the mistress they had planned to frame!
The mistress and the seventh sister were both stunned and dumbfounded, their minds completely blank.
Is Xiao Zheng... the general's wife?
Wasn't she a carpenter? How did she suddenly become a general's wife?
No wonder she recognized the chief eunuch and that Lord Liu, and knew so much; it turns out her background was so terrifying.
How could a general's wife be chased by soldiers as a bandit? They would never believe that the government was so short-handed that it needed a general's wife as bait.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
