Jump off the cliff
The two walked along a secluded path, neither daring to get too close to the other, like a young couple on a clandestine date, afraid of being seen.
She lowered her head shyly, staring at the bumpy path, surrounded by the quiet trees and rustling leaves. Her heart was pounding, while Peng Feizhe looked around as if Wei Mo wasn't there.
It's been almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and he still hasn't said anything to me? Is he too shy?
She glanced up at the person next to her; he was deep in thought, and she assumed he was considering what to say to her.
"Yi..." She was about to speak to break the silence when she was interrupted.
"Miss Wei, what will you and the people of the village do if the village is suddenly attacked one day?"
"?" She was stunned for a moment, then smiled at him.
"Of course we'll go together! We'll run as far as we can."
"How do we get there?" he pressed.
She was momentarily stunned. What kind of decent person would ask such a question on a date? But it really happened.
But she still patiently explained to him, "Of course we'll take the secret passage, Brother Yilin, don't you know that?"
"Know what?"
“Most people in the village know this, and Li Xingxiao always takes newcomers to learn it. Didn’t he take you?” She tilted her head toward him, looking a little dazed.
His brows were furrowed tightly.
“It’s alright, I’ll take you there. It’s in the military property area of Houzhai, turn right at the northwest intersection, it’s not too hidden.” She happily took Peng Feizhe’s hand, but it was quickly pulled back.
“Miss Wei, there is a difference between men and women, and besides, we have only known each other for a short time,” he quickly said.
She then realized what was happening and took the other person's hand, but the other person refused.
She lowered her head sadly, like a child admitting her mistake: "I'm sorry, Brother Yilin, I just wanted to take you there quickly. Then we could... have lots of time to play. I'm sorry, we were both too impatient."
“It’s alright, Miss Wei was probably just in a hurry. I’ll trouble you to show me around the village.” His voice was gentle, and his smile was tender: “This must be tiring for you. I should be the one apologizing. I’m here…”
She quickly stopped him from apologizing, smiling slightly, "No need, no need, it's just a pleasure to help others!"
"As expected, Miss Wei is as gentle and lovely as the rumors say." This was a phrase Li Xingxiao taught him, afraid that he wouldn't know how to say nice things and would leave the girl speechless.
On the other side, the sunlight shone into the chief's courtyard, where a table of fine wine and food was laid out under a large tree with lush green leaves.
Four men sat on a stool, chatting and laughing happily. Among them was a small, thin man.
"You little rascal, what tricks did you use?" Wei Jinhe, slightly drunk, pointed at Li Xingxiao. He took another sip of the wine on the table, wiped his mouth with great satisfaction, and said, "I actually got my girl up early to get ready. It's rare for her to look so beautiful, hahaha." He laughed heartily.
Another man in brown said, "Brother, how dare you underestimate this kid? Although he's short and not particularly handsome, he's full of schemes and clever tricks. What a talent! Hahaha!"
She smiled modestly and said, "Not at all, it's just that this girl has finally come to her senses." She took a sip of wine and joined in their merriment. "Come on, Chief, Second Chief, Uncle Li, Brother He. We must drink to our hearts' content today. Who knows when a war might break out and I might not be able to see such fine wine and such righteous brothers again."
"Alright, alright. You're the best talker, kid." The head of the gang looked at her kindly.
Bang!
Five crisp porcelain bowls clinked together, spilling a little wine, which was carried away by a gentle breeze.
Everyone else is drinking and having fun, but she alone is filled with sorrow.
Time flies by unnoticed. The sun no longer hangs high in the sky; its golden-orange hue paints the forest and tints the clouds.
All four of them got thoroughly drunk, except for her.
It wasn't that she had a high alcohol tolerance; rather, she deliberately replaced her drink with water when they were enjoying themselves. She learned quite a bit from this gathering.
She got up and left, instructing the others to send all the drunkards away.
On her way back, she happened to run into Peng Feizhe and Wei Mo, who had just finished their date.
Wei Mo was beaming with joy, clearly very happy. But joy also brings its own set of worries; Peng Feizhe feigned reluctance, though in reality he wanted to leave this person as soon as possible.
She clenched her fist and pressed it to her lips, coughing lightly a few times. "Ahem, are you two having a good time?"
Wei Mo was like a cheerful little ray of sunshine, while Peng Feizhe looked at Li Xingxiao with a face full of resentment, as if possessed by a vengeful ghost. Their story was bound to be intertwined on this journey, and whether it would be good or bad could be seen from their interactions.
One is happy, the other is annoyed.
She completely ignored Li Xingxiao, and happily said goodbye to her beloved: "Brother Yilin, you can leave here. I should go now." Then she skipped happily back to her room.
After the others left, she sensed a dangerous atmosphere spreading through the air.
"You! Get out of here!" His deep phoenix eyes were filled with resentment.
She could only force a smile. Why did nothing good happen every time they met? Last time it was a beheading, the time before that it was an interrogation, and the time before that it was murder.
After entering the room, the boy leaned back in a chair, exhausted.
"Come here and give me a shoulder massage!" The tone was impatient, as if he had been holding back for a long time before finally letting out his anger.
She smiled brightly and replied, "General, you must have had a long day."
"Why did you lie to me?" He closed his eyes, wanting to take a short nap.
She spoke in a submissive tone, "General, how could I dare to lie to you?"
He rubbed his nose, his head aching, and said angrily, "You know perfectly well where that secret passage is, why are you telling me you don't know! You have no idea how much trouble that girl causes."
"Oh dear, General, how can you say you know the position if I can't remember it? The position is a complete mess. Besides, I was tortured by the chief boss all night doing the accounts. I'm only twenty-five years old, but I'm living like a fifty-two. My memory is bad, so I can't remember!"
She chuckled as she massaged his shoulders: "Look at Wei Mo, she knows way more than I do. She even took you to see her herself, how prestigious! Besides, young people are lively and active, it's normal for them to get into mischief. I wonder what the General and Miss Wei did?"
"What does this have to do with you?" He didn't want to say.
It's okay if you don't tell me; I'll just ask that girl tomorrow.
"General, I was drinking with my brothers today. I overheard some things they said. They said there was a spy in the stronghold, and I wonder if they found you."
"What else did they say?" He turned to look at her.
"It roughly describes the escape route, the counterattack, and the burning of the grain depots..."
His eyes were half-closed, then he got up and walked to the wooden table.
"Come and grind the ink," he commanded.
"Yes, sir." She was treated like a lowly servant, being ordered around at will.
She first lit the candle wick on the table to illuminate the room, and then began grinding ink.
The boy's slender, well-defined fingers picked up a pen and wrote a few beautiful characters on the paper.
The situation is clear; block the road. Kill those who resist, spare those who surrender. Proceed eight li east…
Upon seeing this, she roughly understood what he was writing. He had a fairly good grasp of the terrain, the strategy of blocking escape routes, killing the resisters and sparing the surrenderers, and the rest was just a general description of the directions.
He finished writing and gently folded the paper. The candlelight flickered in his phoenix eyes; he seemed to be deep in thought. The candlelight illuminated the profile of the young man's face, making him somewhat alluring.
His thin lips reflected the orange-red glow of the candlelight as he said coldly, "Come in."
Suddenly, a young man dressed in plain clothes entered the room. He walked up to him with a serious expression, knelt down on one knee, and said, "This subordinate greets Master. What does Master need me for?"
He picked up the letter he had folded into a small piece and handed it to He Chang, telling him to arrange for someone to receive it.
The young man took the letter with both hands, said "Yes," and left cautiously.
"General, how many people in this stronghold are your men?" She recognized the young man who had just called Peng Feizhe "Master." She vaguely remembered borrowing something from him in the stronghold.
"Not many," he said, unwilling to answer.
"Alright then." She didn't ask any more questions.
"General, don't you plan to survey the surrounding environment of the stockade? If we look at the stockade from a higher vantage point, we might have a better way to break it down. This location is on a higher hillside."
"Where can I see it?" He looked up at her.
"A few miles to the north, there is a high mountain from which you can get a good view. I've been there before. If I remember correctly, the view is better from the top. There are a few relatively flat paths that you can take, which will be less strenuous and time-consuming, although there are some traps."
After she finished speaking, his eyes flickered as if he were considering something: "Take me to see it tomorrow."
The next day, the two of them each took a wooden staff and climbed the mountain.
Li Xingxiao was physically weak; she felt like she was about to die after only a short time climbing. It wasn't too tiring for Peng Feizhe, but dragging Li Xingxiao, who was practically dead, was indeed quite exhausting.
How did they get up there? Of course, it was Peng Feizhe who carried them up. The two of them had tied ropes around their waists because Li Xingxiao couldn't climb any further. Peng Feizhe had no choice but to tie the ropes around his waist and climb step by step. The mountain path was steep, and Li Xingxiao almost fell several times, but she was saved by the ropes around her waist each time.
Li Xingxiao, leaning on a wooden cane, walked slowly and weakly up the slope. Peng Feizhe was also a little tired. After searching for a while, he found a suitable place to observe.
She was panting, and she felt remorseful.
I shouldn't have said that from a high vantage point, otherwise I could have slept a little longer.
The two distanced themselves from each other. Peng Feizhe found her a bit troublesome, but he didn't want to abandon her.
The clouds obscured the blazing sun, white birds soared in the azure sky, the wind rustled through the trees, and green leaves drifted down – a beautiful scene unfolded before their eyes. The two walked along a narrow path, partially hidden by the greenery, until finally they saw everything.
The village has three roads, each connecting to one of three different places.
Looking down, the village is so small that you can vaguely see people moving around inside, like ants.
She gripped the wooden staff tightly with both hands, bending over and panting. The staff was now her only support, and her legs began to feel weak for no reason: "General,...this...is...the place I was talking about."
"Not bad." He nodded in satisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the terrain. He then took out a piece of paper and a pen from his clothes and began to draw.
"General...I..."
"General?" A familiar voice interrupted, bringing Peng Feizhe, who was diligently drawing, back to his senses. He looked behind him warily.
Li Xingxiao couldn't recognize the voice. Wasn't this her boss? She strained to look.
More than twenty people emerged from the tall bushes. Li Xingxiao had a bad feeling. What did this mean?
Peng Feizhe frowned, quickly hid the drawing paper, and tried to relax his expression.
Li Xingxiao slowly straightened his back, his body trembling slightly, his hand never leaving his staff, and said with a forced smile, "Boss, what are you doing here?"
He approached the two men step by step, clasped his hands behind his back, and said with a serious expression and displeasure: "Xiao Zi, I'd like to ask you the same thing. What does the general mean?"
Her lips twitched, and she lied guiltily, "Uh... Master, you must have misheard me. I didn't say anything about a general."
Most of the men behind him were carrying knives. Seeing this, Li Xingxiao became even more worried and smiled bitterly: "Haha... Boss, so many brothers are carrying knives... What are you doing?"
"Eliminate the traitor." He uttered those three words solemnly.
"?" How could she not understand? Wasn't eliminating the mole referring to them?
"Honey, is there some misunderstanding between us? This is..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly turned to the right by a hand and bumped into someone's arms.
Then an arrow flew past the spot where she had just been. She was terrified, her eyes wide, and she gasped for breath, staring in disbelief at the person in charge she had been working with for some time.
"Why waste words with him when you're about to die?" he said to Li Xingxiao in his arms.
His attention shifted away from Li Xingxiao and he looked at Peng Feizhe: "Heh, I never expected you to be a general, Yilin."
"Wei Jinhe, what nonsense are you spouting?" He hadn't fully anticipated that they would be here today, and hadn't brought any suitable weapons, not to mention that there were so many of them. In addition, they had been climbing the mountain with Li Xingxiao, and their physical strength was already almost exhausted, with a cliff behind them.
He calmly met the other person's eyes. "When did you notice me?"
“Yesterday, someone informed me that Li Xingxiao in the stronghold has close ties with important officials of the imperial court, and also told me how to break into the stronghold.”
"Who?" he asked, frowning slightly.
He saw the unease on Peng Feizhe's face, and he smiled broadly, "Haha, if the general wants to know, he should go to the underworld and ask clearly."
“General, there’s a river down there,” she whispered into Peng Feizhe’s ear.
He scoffed lightly, somewhat disdainfully: "I'm afraid I won't be able to ask. You might be a little disappointed." He quickly drew a dagger from his waist and threw it swiftly and accurately at Wei Jinhe.
Blood splattered, landing on the leaves. The dagger was embedded in Wei Jinhe's right eye, causing him excruciating pain; he hadn't expected this guy to have a dagger.
He clutched his bleeding eye in agony, screaming, "What are you all standing there for! Kill!"
Upon hearing the command, everyone immediately swarmed forward.
Seeing this, Peng Feizhe turned and jumped off the cliff with Li Xingxiao. Li Xingxiao, who was afraid of heights, screamed in terror. She clung tightly to Peng Feizhe's waist, afraid that he would kick her away.
"Let go!" he roared.
"Ah—" Li Xingxiao's high-pitched screams echoed through the sky.
The two plummeted rapidly, disappearing quickly into the forest. The crucial point was that their chances of survival were extremely slim. Relieved, everyone turned to look at Wei Jinhe.
"Master, they jumped down."
"Honey, are you alright?"
Someone tore off a piece of clothing to bandage him, but Wei Jinhe still closed his eyes in pain.
Gritting his teeth, he roared furiously, "Get down the mountain now! I want them dead!"
"But they jumped down; they'll definitely die from that height."
Others echoed this sentiment.
"He can't be a god, can he? Last time, someone from the village came here to collect herbs and fell down. When they were found, he was already rotting."
He retorted angrily, "How can that be the same? Even if you die, you'd all go down and finish them off!"
Left with no other choice, some of the group went down the mountain to finish off the leader, while others escorted him back.
On the other side, Li Xingxiao was heavily pinned down by Peng Feizhe, beneath her was a small river. The water wasn't deep, only soaking most of her side.
They were both still alive, thanks to Peng Feizhe grabbing onto a rough tree branch as he fell, which cushioned his descent. He grabbed twice in total; the first time he caught the treetop, which provided initial cushioning. She clung tightly to his waist, her heart pounding with fear as they fell.
Then the treetop broke under their weight, and she grabbed the other branch, only to find it broke too easily. Near the second point of impact, Peng Feizhe mustered all his strength to grab a thicker branch.
Finally, due to arm pain and exhaustion, he let go, and Li Xingxiao ended up being the one to cushion his fall, so he didn't suffer too many injuries. Li Xingxiao, on the other hand, suffered quite a bit, being pinned down and her back was soaking wet and incredibly uncomfortable.
She pushed away the person pressing down on her, patted her aching chest in discomfort, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth. She turned to look at Peng Feizhe, who had been pushed away. He wasn't wet to begin with, but because she had pushed him into the stream, most of his body was now soaked.
She coughed, "General... General..." She shook him, but there was no response, so she used her hand to check his breath.
He's still breathing; it seems he won't die.
She got up in pain and, with great effort, helped Peng Feizhe ashore. The area around the stream was covered with tender grass and flat ground.
She noticed some blood seeping from his trouser leg. When she lifted it up, she saw a long, gaping wound on his calf.
Her pupils contracted, a startling shock in her eyes.
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