Chapter 26 A frog in a ditch, how dare it covet the bright moon...
Dai Li has a lot of experience hiking, but this is the first time she has ever hiked in the middle of the night, especially in a wild mountain.
There were no stairs, no signs, no climbing equipment, and no cable car.
Everything was terrifyingly primitive.
Their group carried scattered torches, creating a faint orange-red trail of light that fell at their feet, illuminating withered leaves, vines, and nocturnal insects.
Mo Yanyun was in front of Dai Li, and Qin Shaozong was behind her. Several times, Dai Li missed her footing and slid down with a "whoosh," only to be caught by Qin Shaozong, who supported her waist and put her back down.
Halfway up the mountain road, Dai Li was really tired. She was about to strike up a conversation with Mo Yanyun ahead and ask him how much longer it would take to arrive when suddenly a voice came from ahead: "My Lord, we have reached the marker."
Dai Li couldn't figure out what they were up to until she saw a cave.
The cave was about half a person's height and looked like the cave of a wolf or other carnivorous animal. Vines hung straight down from the cave entrance, and if you didn't know beforehand, you would hardly notice it even in daylight, let alone when you were holding a torch.
"Leave only one torch inside the cave; extinguish the rest," Qin Shaozong ordered.
With two quick whooshes, the slender fire dragon rolled over in the forest and was swallowed by the night. The fire dragon vanished, leaving only a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of firelight before her; Dai Li's face paled slightly.
He even dared to put out a torch while hiking in the wild at night.
This era is not like the later world where human footprints are abundant. In the later world, most wild animals are captured and taken to zoos, but here...
He wandered all over the mountains and fields looking for food.
Thinking about how bears eat, Dai Li felt a chill run down her spine.
"Madam, please stand still." The man behind her said.
Dai Li didn't move, not entirely because she listened to him, but also partly because she was frightened by her own imagination.
There was a steep slope in front of the cave. Qin Shaozong took a long stride, stepped onto a spot, and easily climbed up one level. He turned to look at Dai Li, who was still below, and said, "Hand."
Dai Li hesitated for a moment before handing him her hand.
The man's rough, large hands enveloped her, and in the slightly chilly spring night, he was excessively warm, as if he had hidden the escaped fire dragon in his hands.
In just a moment of distraction, Dai Li had easily climbed the steep slope.
Mo Yanyun parted the vines covering the cave entrance, allowing Qin Shaozong and Dai Li to enter. As the heavy curtain of vegetation was raised and lowered, firelight poured in and then vanished in an instant.
Upon entering the cave, Dai Li discovered that it was shaped like a sideways funnel and was larger than she had imagined. However, judging from the faint smell inside and the dense grass on the ground, the cave had been abandoned for quite some time.
"Stay here and don't wander off. I'll be back in a bit." Qin Shaozong shoved a short dagger into Dai Li's arms.
Dai Li looked down at the dagger in her hand and whispered, "I don't know the way, where can I run?"
Qin Shaozong laughed in anger.
Listen to what she's saying! She doesn't know the way, so she can't run away. But if she knew the way, what would happen?
However, now is not the time to dwell on this. We can settle this score with her later, along with the previous ones.
Qin Shaozong selected one of his personal guards to stay behind, while the others left with him.
Dai Li didn't know what he wanted to do. He said he would be back later, so she could only wait. She found a corner, leaned against the wall, hugged her knees, and placed the short dagger beside her.
The only torch was placed at the corner of an "L" shape, from which the entrance to the cave was not visible, further weakening the flame.
As for the guards left behind, they sat behind the cave entrance covered with thick vines, their eyes gleaming as they peered through the narrow gaps to observe the outside world.
After settling Dai Li halfway up the mountain, Qin Shaozong led the rest of the group to speed up their ascent.
The reason for choosing to climb this mountain was not because they were being chased by Li Zan's army and had no choice but to go wherever they could, but because there was a bandit's den a little further up to the side.
A group of bandits recently arrived at Zhuyajin. These bandits, forced to move north, have only been there a short time and are not yet familiar with the surrounding terrain. They may not even have completely secured their hideout yet.
Such bandits are the easiest to wipe out.
After wiping out the bandit dens on the mountain, we can cross this mountain and reach Qishui. The bandits on the mountain hijacked a warship a few days ago, so they should keep at least one for themselves.
At that time, they could advance and use the terrain to block Li Zan's pursuers; or retreat and escape on a warship.
As for Li Zan's pursuers, Qin Shaozong was not worried that they would immediately stick to him like hyenas that smelled blood.
Recently, the people have been afraid of the bandits' brutality, so they have all avoided this area and few people enter or leave through the south gate. There are many forks in the road south of Taiping County, and he ordered his soldiers to ride their horses on the road every day to ensure that there are hoofprints on every road.
Just figuring out which road he took would be enough to give the pursuers a hard time, let alone on a dark and windy night when the light is dim.
After traversing a treacherous section, the soldiers lined up horizontally. Upon hearing Qin Shaozong whistle a bird call, everyone scrambled upwards with lightning speed.
...
"Brother, did you hear anything unusual just now?" Li Wu opened his eyes and looked around.
Li Si yawned lazily. "What kind of unusual noise is that in the middle of the night? It's probably just some hungry animals on the mountain eating right now. Don't worry, the boss has already checked. There are no big tigers or bears on this mountain, and wolves don't seem to be very common either. The sound you heard was at most a small lynx. What's there to panic about?"
Li Wu muttered, "Really? But for some reason I always feel uneasy, just like when the two of us almost lost our lives at Fog Cliff."
Li Si didn't care at all. Lord Deng of Taiping County was a piece of dough to be kneaded. They had been living quite comfortably these days, and night watch was hardly worth it. "Brother," he said, "you have so much energy to think about this and that. You should think about how to kidnap a few pretty women. This village won't be able to survive without women..."
Before he could finish speaking, blood suddenly burst from Li Si's throat, and upon closer inspection, it turned out that an arrow had pierced through his throat.
Li Si's eyes widened instantly, the whites of his eyes bloodshot, and he fell straight backward without uttering a sound.
"Big Brother!" Li Wu exclaimed, both shocked and furious.
Just as he was about to pick up the copper whistle at his waist, he caught a glimpse of a cold light flying towards him out of the corner of his eye. Alarm bells rang in Li Wu's mind. He didn't bother to pick up the copper whistle anymore and quickly drew his knife to block.
Clang—
The first clash of weapons was crisp and clear.
But soon, as the two sides intensified their struggle, a piercing "crunch" sound rang out, the mournful cry of the old knife in Li Wu's hand.
The opponent's knife was clearly superior to his.
Knowing he was doomed, Li Wu glanced at his brother, who lay motionless on the ground, a ruthless glint in his eyes. Suddenly, he stopped gripping the knife with both hands and instead reached for the copper whistle at his waist.
As the knife pierced flesh, a loud bang erupted from the bronze whistle.
Upon hearing the whistle, Qin Shaozong said impatiently, "You can't even handle such a small matter properly? Did my good meat and vegetables go to the ditch? Go back and give them extra training. Hurry up, or Li Zan's group will be coming by the sound."
*
Inside the village.
Meng Dahong, who was sleeping soundly, was woken up by his subordinates.
"Master, the stronghold is under attack!"
Meng Dahong shuddered, his drowsiness vanishing as anger surged within him. "I just sent Deng Tuo a generous gift a couple of days ago, and today he sends people to raid my place. That damned Deng Tuo!"
"Master, those men are agile and exceptionally brave; they don't look like those lazy soldiers from Taiping County. Our brothers' weapons are far inferior to theirs, and they'll suffer heavy casualties soon. This place is not safe to stay in. I hope you'll consider retreating," the subordinate said.
Meng Dahong was shocked. "The situation has become so dangerous? Let's retreat first. As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback! Let's retreat from the back of the mountain and take a boat."
*
Under the cover of night, the two riders rode side by side along the mountain road.
"This Qin Shaozong is truly cunning. He left hoofprints on every road, and now we don't even know where to start looking." The cavalryman holding the torch controlled his horse's speed to prevent the torch from being blown out by the wind.
Not only can the fire not be extinguished, but it also can't be too dim, otherwise it will be difficult to see certain traces on the mountain path. This slows things down, which is really annoying.
Suddenly, a man reined in his horse. "Did you hear anything? Like a copper whistle or something?"
Another person recalled something, "Mountain bandits usually use whistles as a signal, but they don't usually blow them unless there are special circumstances. Could it be that Qin Shaozong went into the mountains and encountered the bandits by chance?"
"Then we are very likely on the right track. Quick, let's go ahead and take a look."
"...Found them! Lots of horses! They abandoned their horses here and went into the mountains. We've finally found them. Quickly go back and report to the governor!"
*
Qin Shaozong flicked the ring-pommel sword in his hand, leaving a thick trail of blood on the ground with a "whoosh".
Mo Yanyun: "My lord, everything has been taken care of. A total of seventy-three bandits were killed, and there were five treasure chests in the stronghold, all of which contained gold and silver ornaments."
Qin Shaozong's gaze remained fixed ahead.
Before them lay mountains and lakes. Yes, lakes. The Qi River makes a bend here, forming a lake shaped like the Chinese character "口" (kou).
Surrounded by mountains on both sides, with a waterway running through the middle, and the waterway is wide enough, this place is truly an excellent harbor.
At this moment, blood meandered into a thin red stream in front of the harbor, and corpses lay scattered haphazardly on the ground. Some people fell with their arms outstretched and their eyes wide open, staring straight ahead.
He was just a little short, just a little short of boarding the ship in front of him.
"Beep—beep—"
Two long whistles suddenly came from the mountain.
Qin Shaozong's face turned cold, realizing that Li Zan's men had found this place and started climbing the mountain.
“My lord, I will go and bring Lady Dai up.” Mo Yanyun volunteered.
Qin Shaozong sheathed his ring-pommel sword, turned around and walked forward without looking back. "I'll go get her. You take four men and stay here to prepare for the retreat."
Only after the tall figure disappeared into the darkness did Mo Yanyun slowly exhale, feeling the invisible pressure surrounding him gradually dissipate.
It seems you're still holding back your anger. Better to let him vent his frustration on Li Zan's soldiers than let him die.
*
Dai Li dared not sleep. Ever since she entered the mountains, her nerves had been taut like a string, and any slight movement could cause them to hum.
When she heard the bronze whistle, it was no exaggeration to say that Dai Li felt it was the horn of death.
Who uses a copper whistle as a signal for a sneak attack?
They must have been discovered by the bandits.
Perhaps her inner screams of fear were real, for the guards behind the cave entrance turned around and said, "Madam Dai, these petty thieves are nothing to fear."
Dai Li pursed her lips and remained silent.
The guard said helplessly, "Years ago, bandits plagued the area around Mount Bolei and the Tianze Mountains. It was Lord Hou who personally led troops to suppress them. He was invincible and built several mounds of skulls. For the next ten years or so, there were no more bandit attacks in those two places. Now, the number of bandits in this small mountain valley is less than one-tenth of what it used to be. Why do you need to worry?"
Dai Li knew nothing about Qin Shaozong's past achievements. Now, seeing the guards making solemn vows and taking pride in him, she couldn't help but feel a little skeptical, but also a slight sense of reassurance.
I hope it's true.
If the entire enemy force is wiped out, or severely weakened and forced to abandon their pursuit to survive, then she and a guard will be left in the mountains, likely destined to be food for wild animals.
The sounds of fighting could be faintly heard, but they quickly fell silent again. It was unclear whether the fighting had stopped or the distance had increased so the sounds didn't carry over.
Time passed slowly, until she heard another voice—
The sound of horses' hooves.
A lone horse, however loud, can only make solitary noises. But hundreds or even thousands of horses can produce a rumbling sound, as if the earth itself is groaning.
The guard's eyes sharpened, and he quickly crawled out of the cave to investigate.
Perhaps it was the difficulty of traveling at night, or perhaps it was the sheer number of people that made him fearless, but Li Zan arrogantly raised his torch. A ferocious fire dragon circled below the mountain, brandishing its four claws triumphantly, seemingly searching for the best angle to charge upwards.
After two long whistles sounded outside, the guard returned and solemnly said, "Madam Dai, the pursuers are coming. Someone will be here to meet you soon. Please stay close to me."
Dai Li nodded heavily, her face pale. She took the torch stuck in the corner and rubbed it against the wall.
"Sizzle." The torch went out, and the cave was instantly plunged into darkness.
Time passed slowly, and Dai Li, who had moved to the cave entrance, observed nervously. She saw the fire dragon rising from the ground, the fire spreading upwards, and heard the sounds in the distance gradually becoming clearer.
They were conducting a large-scale search of the mountains, closing in step by step, but the person the guards had promised to meet them had not yet arrived.
"Whoosh—!"
The drooping vines were suddenly parted, and a tall, dark shadow appeared at the cave entrance, like some kind of unshakeable boulder, alone covering the cave entrance, which was almost half a person's height.
Dai Li's heart nearly leaped out of her chest. In a daze, she thought she saw a pair of eerie green wolf eyes.
Her icy hand was grasped, and the other person's hand, which felt scalding hot to her, made Dai Li realize, oh, it wasn't a giant wolf hunting for food, it was Qin Shaozong who had returned.
Dai Li heard him chuckle softly.
"Usually so audacious, doing all sorts of bad things while disguised as a rabbit, but now you're as scared as a rock." Qin Shaozong gave her a slight tug and pulled her out of the cave.
Dai Li opened her mouth, but the lingering fear in her throat prevented her from uttering a single word.
"Hu Bao, escort Madam up the mountain," Qin Shaozong ordered.
Hu Bao accepted the order, "Madam Dai, please come with me."
Dai Li followed him for a few steps before stopping. She turned her head slightly and saw the guards who had been with her in the cave earlier following behind her. Qin Shaozong was still standing at the cave entrance. He turned around and now faced the winding fire dragon below the mountain.
Dai Li lowered her eyes and followed Hu Bao without saying a word.
"Faster! Don't let Qin Shaozong escape. The Grand Marshal said that if we can get Qin Shaozong's head, he will not only be promoted to the rank of Commander-in-Chief, but will also be rewarded with ten mansions, hundreds of servants, and a thousand taels of gold!"
"Those two whistles just now came from the northeast. There must be someone there. Let's go that way quickly."
"The city guards said that Qin Shaozong took a woman with him when he left the city. As long as he is reluctant to part with that woman, taking her up the mountain would be a burden, and he will not be able to go far."
...
The fire dragon stretched out horizontally in a straight line, like a giant sieve covered with sharp teeth, slowly filtering the entire mountain.
"Whoosh—!"
A cold arrow, carried by the wind, flew from above and struck the soldier holding the torch with precision. The archer's strength was so great that the arrow not only pierced through the target but also pinned him to a tree trunk behind him.
The long arrow's fletching hummed, startling the soldiers searching the mountain.
"He's there!" someone shouted first.
Is it Qin Shaozong?
"Who else but him could possess such strength?"
"Qin Shaozong is here!"
Like a plague, the call spread swiftly, and several more arrows shot out from above with perfect accuracy, hitting their mark every time. Many people fell to the ground before they could even draw their arrows to retaliate.
The torches fell to the ground one after another.
Spring is the time when all things grow, and this place is near the Qi River, so the soil is moist and the vegetation has a very high water content. As a result, many fallen torches could not be rekindled.
The fire dragon seemed to have its claws bitten off by a dark behemoth, the claws were torn off and fell to the ground, and the firelight quickly disappeared.
The broken section of the fire dragon no longer looked coherent.
"Release the arrows!"
After some preparation, arrows rained down from behind, whistling into the darkness. But the jungle, which had seemed to conceal giant beasts just moments before, was now eerily silent, without any screams. In the eyes of Commander Feng Liang, all the "demons and monsters" had hidden themselves away.
If the opponent hides behind a tree trunk for cover, or secretly moves to a different position, even if you fire a volley of arrows or empty your quiver, you won't be able to harm them in the slightest.
Feng Liang gritted his teeth and said, "Send the order over there and tell them to put out all the torches!"
The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light; the situation is unfavorable. Now that we know Qin Shaozong's approximate location, there's no need to let the other side gain an advantage.
The military order was like the wind, stirring up a magnificent wave that extinguished the flames in the soldiers' hands.
When a person suddenly goes from light into darkness, their vision will be completely black for a second or two. Taking advantage of this brief gap, Qin Shaozong discarded his longbow, pulled out a forearm-length knife, and plunged into the crowd not far away.
He moved with the agility of a tiger, approaching the nearest soldier from the side. His blade flashed across the soldier's neck with lightning speed, the movement swift and decisive.
Blood splattered in a horrifying arc, and a man collapsed to the ground. A round object rolled gurgling down the steep slope from Qin Shaozong's feet.
"He's here! Come and help!"
At that moment, someone shouted from behind and swung a knife at him. Qin Shaozong swung the knife back to his shoulder blade and with a clang, the opponent's blade was firmly stopped.
With a swift sidestep and a turn, Qin Shaozong delivered a powerful kick to the man in front of him, striking him squarely in the abdomen. The kick was so forceful that it sent the man crashing into a tree trunk. The soldier coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with bits of blood, his eyes rolled back, and his fate was unknown.
The initial search line was long, and now it will naturally take some time to gather the forces in the dark.
After Qin Shaozong took five heads in a row, there was silence around him.
The man looked up at the big tree next to him, his narrow eyes slowly narrowing. He deftly sheathed his knife and jumped up from the spot, his long arms reaching the slightly higher branches. With a burst of strength from his strong arms, he easily did a pull-up as his muscles bulged.
In the blink of an eye, the man who was just under the tree had disappeared.
About two or three breaths later, several soldiers arrived. When they saw the several gruesome corpses on the ground, they all gasped.
"The blood hasn't flowed far yet; he must have only been gone a short while. Let's go and see what's ahead."
"Governor Feng said that Qin Shaozong even took a woman with him when he fled for his life. He really knows how to enjoy life."
"That woman must be a natural beauty. After we kill Qin Shaozong, we can take advantage of the chaos to enjoy the favored concubine of the lord. I guarantee I'll make sure she..."
A dark figure suddenly leaped down from the tree, landing precisely behind the two. As a white blade swiftly licked the neck of the person on the left like a venomous snake, a large, well-defined hand gripped the neck of the person on the right.
The veins on the dark back of his hand bulged, like a strong and dangerous tiger's claw, which twisted the man's neck bone with terrifying brute force alone.
In the blink of an eye, both of them were dead.
Qin Shaozong jumped down with his back against the tree, landing behind the group. When the others noticed something amiss and turned around, they saw a chilling white light reflected in their narrowed eyes.
"Splash..."
Blood splattered on the branches and leaves, then flowed down the veins, finally dripping down and landing precisely on an eyeball forever frozen in a state of astonishment.
Qin Shaozong sheathed his sword, casually picked up a man, stripped him of his military uniform and red turban, and neatly put it on himself.
As he was about to leave after tidying up, the man seemed to remember something. He glanced down at the two men he had initially killed, and kicked them into the ravine below as he passed by.
"Frogs and toads in the ditch, how dare they covet the bright moon?"
-----------------------
Author's Note: To explain the route Old Qin took up the mountain with the torch, the bandit's den wasn't directly above, but to the right of the "factory." Plus, he had sent people to scout the area beforehand, so the sentries above couldn't see him. [heart emoji]
Still asking for nutrient solution [shy], tomorrow's update will still be at 11 PM [cat paw]
Could someone please bookmark Dengdeng's author page? I'd love to have the author bookmark this page! [Let me see!]
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