“I got back to the village late, and the house was empty. I rushed to the educated youth compound but didn’t see you and Dai Xingyun.”
“We often come here to collect herbs. You are so familiar with the mountain, I thought you must have gone up the mountain, so I asked two other people to contact the commander. I came up the mountain to find you.”
"Are the villagers alright?" Shen Xiaoxiao asked anxiously, her hands unconsciously clenching the hem of her clothes, and a fine layer of sweat beading on her forehead.
"Don't worry, everything is fine in the village, nothing has happened."
Shen Xiaochuan comforted him, though a smile played on his face, his eyes revealing a hint of seriousness.
Hearing Shen Xiaochuan's words, Shen Xiaoxiao relaxed a little, but then became worried again: "Then let's leave here quickly! If those people come back later, we'll be in big trouble."
Before he could finish speaking, a slight noise came from not far away.
Shen Xiaochuan's heart tightened, and he quickly and cautiously glanced outside. Sure enough, he saw those figures slowly walking towards them.
His expression changed slightly, and he decisively said, "You two go first, I'll stay here and distract them."
"No! Absolutely not! If we're going to leave, we'll leave together. There are so many of them; it's too dangerous for you to stay behind alone."
Shen Xiaoxiao refused without hesitation, her beautiful eyes wide open, filled with stubbornness and worry.
Shen Xiaochuan took a deep breath, pressed down hard on Shen Xiaoxiao's shoulders, looked at her with a firm gaze, and said in a deep voice, "Xiaoxiao, now is not the time to be temperamental."
"If you insist on staying, you'll only distract me from taking care of you, and then no one will be able to escape. Listen to me, and obediently follow Xingyun! If you keep dawdling, it will really be too late."
"Keep walking east along this road. Once you're out of this mountain, you should be able to find Commander Xiao. Remember, be quick! I'll try to buy you time until you bring your men to rescue me," Shen Xiaochuan instructed rapidly.
Shen Xiaoxiao bit her lip, tears glistening in her eyes, as if she had a lot to say, but in the end she just nodded gently, because she knew that she could not delay any longer.
He could only nod through his tears: "Brother, you must be careful."
Dai Xingyun looked solemn, his resolute gaze fixed on Shen Xiaochuan, and said in a serious tone, "Don't worry, I assure you, no matter what difficulties we encounter, even if it costs me my life, I will definitely protect Xiaoxiao's safety!"
Shen Xiaochuan nodded slightly, then raised his hand and gently patted his broad, sturdy shoulder, saying sincerely, "Then I'll leave Xiaoxiao in your care."
Dai Xingyun held Shen Xiaoxiao's small hand tightly and carefully stepped onto the winding, narrow path hidden in the mountains and forests.
As night fell, all around was pitch black, with only faint moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves, barely illuminating the path ahead.
The mountain path was rugged and uneven, filled with stones of varying sizes and potholes, requiring extra caution with every step.
At this moment, Dai Xingyun and Shen Xiaoxiao couldn't care less about their physical exhaustion and soreness; they only had one thought in their minds—to find the main force as soon as possible.
"Xiaoxiao, just bear with it a little longer. As long as we can successfully climb over this mountain, we'll soon be able to see the main road."
Dai Xingyun turned around and looked at Shen Xiaoxiao behind him, who was panting but still trying her best to keep up, and gently comforted her.
Shen Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and nodded vigorously in response.
In fact, by this time, her feet had already developed several blisters of varying sizes, and every step she took felt like stepping on a knife's edge, causing excruciating pain.
But she endured the pain without uttering a single groan, silently following closely behind Dai Xingyun.
Just as we were about to reach the foot of the mountain, a sudden commotion arose from not far ahead.
Dai Xingyun's heart tightened, and he immediately grabbed Shen Xiaoxiao and quickly pulled her behind a huge rock to hide.
Because she was following behind and reacted a little slowly, she only realized what was wrong after being pulled into hiding. "What's wrong?"
Dai Xingyun peeked out and his expression immediately turned serious: "It's that group! They actually set up an ambush here!"
Shen Xiaoxiao's heart sank: "Then what do we do?"
Dai Xingyun frowned slightly, his deep eyes fixed on the distance. He remained silent as time ticked by, and the atmosphere around him grew increasingly heavy.
Dai Xingyun lowered his voice and said to Shen Xiaoxiao beside him, "Xiaoxiao, listen carefully to what I have to say. I'll go and lure them away in a bit. When you have the chance, quietly go around to the other side and then run forward. Don't look back."
Shen Xiaoxiao's face turned deathly pale instantly. She stared wide-eyed at Dai Xingyun in disbelief, her hands gripping his arm tightly like iron clamps, and cried out in a sob.
"No! Absolutely not! How can I abandon you and run away alone? We'll die together!"
Dai Xingyun smiled gently, her eyes filled with comfort and encouragement.
He gently pried open Chen Xiaoxiao's fingers and said firmly, "Xiaoxiao, listen to me, believe that I will be safe and sound. As long as you find the main force, lead everyone back to rescue me immediately. This is the only feasible way right now."
Shen Xiaoxiao bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes, her heart filled with conflict and reluctance.
Before Shen Xiaoxiao could speak again, Dai Xingyun resolutely got up and ran wildly in another direction, deliberately making a loud noise to attract the enemy's attention. She knew that she had no other choice at this moment.
Upon hearing the commotion, the group of men swarmed after Dai Xingyun like wolves drawn by the scent of blood.
Shen Xiaoxiao quickly hid behind a large rock, her body trembling.
Watching Dai Xingyun's departing figure, she could no longer suppress the surging emotions in her heart, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.
She knew that at this moment, all she could do was find the main force as soon as possible in order to save her beloved and her brother.
At the same moment, Shen Xiaochuan, far away on the mountain, was also engaged in a battle with that group of enemies.
He moved through the mountains and forests like a ghost, skillfully using his knowledge of the terrain to create chaos.
Suddenly, they darted out from the dense grass and threw out several stones to disrupt the enemy's formation;
Then it climbed up a high tree branch, using the leaves to conceal its figure, leaving the enemy puzzled.
However, despite Shen Xiaochuan's best efforts, he gradually began to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number and training of his enemies.
Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his clothes, and his breathing became increasingly rapid.
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