Falling off a cliff
Zhong Yujing only heard the sound of Benlei's chirping, and her whole body fell backwards on Shangguan Yichen. Benlei raised its front hooves, and Shangguan Yichen tightened the reins, exerted force on his waist, straightened his upper body, supported Zhong Yujing's body, and both she and the horse landed steadily on the ground.
When Ben Lei's legs landed on the ground, Shangguan Yichen tied them up and moved them to the right. Zhong Yujing looked down and couldn't help but gasp. To the left side of Ben Lei's body, under their feet, was a bottomless abyss of darkness and fear.
Ben Lei paced anxiously at the edge of the cliff, breathing heavily. Shangguan Yichen gently stroked his fur to soothe him, then turned his horse and stared intently at the direction where the two groups of pursuers were roaring. He seemed to be talking to Ben Lei, and also seemed to be talking to Zhong Yujing, but also seemed to be muttering to himself: "Don't be afraid. This is not the first time we have encountered such a situation. We always returned victorious. Aren't you and I still standing here today, Ben Lei! Is it true or not?"
Ben Lei opened his mouth and yelled a few times, then calmed down a lot. In this situation, he was afraid that he had no choice but to fight hard. But Zhong Yujing knew very well that she didn't know martial arts, and she might be a burden to Shangguan Yichen. With his agility, it was no problem for him to fight against a hundred people alone, but with her by his side now, the situation became much more complicated.
"General, I have something I would like to ask for your approval." Zhong Yujing said solemnly on the horse without looking back at him.
"No!" he ordered. She wanted to ask him to sacrifice his troops to save his king, but he saw through her easily. His tone was full of majesty. Zhong Yujing was surprised and looked back at him. He was looking at her angrily, "You are afraid before the fight even starts. You admit defeat before the battle even begins. You have traveled thousands of miles and braved danger to come here, just to fall in front of the battle?" He was intimidating without being angry. Zhong Yujing felt guilty and lowered her head ashamed, not daring to look at him again.
"We have gone deep into the tiger's blood and dragon's den this time. Now we know the location of the enemy's military food and supplies. This is not in vain. As long as we can destroy their lifeline, our army will surely win a great victory. Therefore, today, you and I must return safely and bring this important news back to the army. Do you understand?" Shangguan Yichen said sternly.
Zhong Yujing lowered his eyes and nodded, "I am ashamed and unworthy to fight alongside the general."
Shangguan Yichen's voice was stern again: "If you are not worthy, no one in the world is."
But he saw the huge mouth of the black monster in the forest was approaching him. The soldiers charging into battle were all Yi Fei and Wang Qiang's men. The two of them were guarding the rear and had not yet caught up. The leader of the front row said, "Traitors, where can you run to? You even stole your horses. Why don't you dismount and surrender!"
The people who spoke were obviously Wang Qiang's group. It seemed that these two soldiers were indeed unknown in the army. Few people knew them and only thought Shangguan Yichen and Zhong Yujing were the two soldiers who had changed their clothes.
Shangguan Yichen looked on coldly without saying a word, and Zhong Yujing also remained silent.
Seeing that the two men showed no sign of confessing, the man who had shouted earlier said, "It's futile to resist any further. Behind you is a cliff thousands of feet high. There's no way to escape. Follow me back to camp and confess your crimes. You might still have a chance of survival. Stubborn resistance will only lead to death!"
Shangguan Yichen sneered, his sword-like eyebrows and dark eyes still staring at the man.
The man shouted angrily, "You are so stubborn! You deserted the barracks and set fire to military supplies, attempting to steal them for yourselves. Each of these crimes warrants death! If you refuse to confess today, I will execute you on the spot as a mark of respect!"
Another person shouted loudly: "What are you talking about! You are ruining my war. You should be executed on the spot. What are you waiting for?" It was obviously someone from Yifei's gang.
Shangguan Yichen suddenly laughed, fiddling with the reins in his hand, and said lightly, "You traitors, if you confess your sins and repent now, I will report this to the emperor, and perhaps I can leave you with an intact body."
The two people who spoke just now spoke almost at the same time.
"presumptuous!"
“Bold!”
Wang Qiang's men said, "You ignorant brat! It seems you don't want to live anymore. Today, I will make you bleed to death!"
Yi Fei's men shouted, "Come on, execute them on the spot, leave no one alive!"
The dark crowd pressed forward, weapons brandished, and the monster's massive black mouth finally spit them out...
Countless swords flashed before his eyes, like icy spikes striking his face, constantly changing shape. The swords moved so fast that it was impossible to discern their path or direction, but Shangguan Yichen, standing behind him, was able to block them all and slash them back. Zhong Yujing huddled against the horse, curling up as close to him as possible. This wasn't out of fear or cowardice, but to protect herself from being stabbed and hurt, to alleviate his concerns.
Zhong Yujing heard the sound of someone being stabbed, and then fell from her horse. The sword began to smear with blood, and the blood-stained blade became even more cold. As she swung it, flashes of blood frequently flashed across her face, and everything she saw was stained red. She wanted to close her eyes, but they were kept wide open, just like her mind at the moment, tense and ready to break, but she couldn't relax even a little. She had to be vigilant, she had to be careful, she had to live, live with Shangguan Yichen, and return safely together.
Her parents' eager eyes were filled with anticipation; they were still waiting for her to return home. Her uncle still had much to teach her about governing a country. When Emperor Hong entrusted her with the important task of raising her up, he told her to help General Shang Gong break through the impasse and win the battle. All of this was calling her, and she couldn't give up.
Shangguan Yichen's heavy breathing formed a huge barrier behind her. He wrapped his left hand around her to tighten the reins, and held the sword in his right arm to resist and kill the enemy. He had been a soldier all his life, and the world on horseback was his. At this moment, he also built a small world for her, so safe. Zhong Yujing didn't know if he was injured, but she was unharmed.
They were two men on one horse, yet they were not at a disadvantage. Instead, they inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy. Finally, someone noticed something was amiss and, trying to speak over the sound of swords and fighting, asked them, "Who are you? What is your relationship with the deserting soldiers?"
Zhong Yujing heard Shangguan Yichen's voice and said sternly, "He is the man sent by the emperor to eliminate you treacherous lunatics!"
The other party had no time to react. He only let out a scream, "Ah!" and if he didn't die, he fainted.
"Deputy General! What's wrong with you, Deputy General?"
Zhong Yujing heard someone shout from the enemy group. It looked like the man who had just fallen was their leader. If they captured the leader, their morale would be shattered, and their fighting spirit would be greatly weakened. Sure enough, one group halted their attack. Some gathered around their lieutenant, checking on his injuries, while others, with bruises on their faces and bodies, were likely seriously wounded, propping themselves up on their swords, unable to move. Only then did Zhong Yujing see clearly: a large group of people had fallen before them, and it was unclear whether they were still breathing. Looking around, it looked like a field of corpses.
The other group saw that this group's arrogance had been extinguished and their fighting spirit had been weakened by about 70% and 80%, so they also stopped fighting.
Shangguan Yichen's sharp sword was still blocking in front of Zhong Yujing, with blood flowing from it and dripping on Benlei's hooves. Zhong Yujing looked down and saw that both she and Shangguan Yichen were covered with bloodstains. Zhong Yujing knew that those were not hers, so she was very worried that Shangguan Yichen was injured. She turned around and asked worriedly, "Is the general injured?" But she saw the shocking bloodstains on Shangguan Yichen's face, and her heart tightened, "General, you..." Shangguan Yichen smiled, his brows still cold and murderous, but his voice was slightly low and he said to her, "It's the blood of the rebels." Zhong Yujing's heart finally relaxed, and she smiled bitterly, thinking that her face must be the same.
Suddenly, Shangguan Yichen said in a deep voice, "Do you want to fight again?" He already carried the dignity of an emperor, and his solemn voice seemed to shake the mountains and rivers and sway the armies. Both opposing groups shuddered, their wounded bodies dragging their weapons as they retreated.
However, at this moment, a gust of cold wind suddenly shot out from the dark and endless woods in front of them, heading straight for Benlei. Shangguan Yichen was quick-witted and quickly tightened the reins to pull him aside. Benlei still couldn't dodge in time, and the long arrow pierced Benlei's horse hoof. Benlei let out a mournful cry, and his front hooves bent, and he fell heavily to the ground. Shangguan Yichen put away the sword in his hand, picked up Zhong Yujing with one hand, and flew up from the horse's back. Zhong Yujing only felt the cold wind surrounding her cheeks and ears. Her clothes fluttered in a circle, and her feet landed steadily on the ground. Shangguan Yichen was beside her, hugging her around the waist with his arms very tightly.
Shangguan Yichen and Zhong Yujing looked at Ben Lei at the same time. Although the horse was injured, it still struggled to stand up. It was not seriously injured, but it could no longer subdue people and was not as flexible as before. They breathed a sigh of relief.
"What a skillful soldier!" someone in the forest exclaimed. Shangguan Yichen and Zhong Yujing both recognized Yifei's voice, but he was hidden in the forest. They could only hear his voice but not see him. They could only identify his direction by his voice. Zhong Yujing said angrily, "A sneak attack and hiding one's head and tail are not the behavior of a gentleman!"
Upon hearing this, Yifei slowly rode out of the forest. There was no blazing light like the lakeside, and the night was like a tent, blurring everyone's vision. Zhong Yujing and Shangguan Yichen could only make out Yifei's position and figure, but couldn't see his face. The same was true for Yifei, unable to see who they were. Yifei raised the corner of his lips, grinning sinisterly. He turned to his attendant and whispered, "That short guy doesn't know martial arts, attack him." The attendant smiled sinisterly, "Yes."
Another cold sword shot out from the woods, this time whizzing towards the middle of Zhong Yujing and Shangguan Yichen. Shangguan Yichen had originally held Zhong Yujing tightly in his arms and stood close to her, but because the hidden arrow came too fast and too suddenly, he was afraid that he would not be able to dodge and hurt Zhong Yujing, so he pushed Zhong Yujing away from his body with all his might. The cold arrow flew past Zhong Yujing's cheek and hit the cliff behind him, falling into the abyss and disappearing without a trace.
Just as Zhong Yujing's body had just left Shangguan Yichen, a dark shadow appeared in front of Zhong Yujing and strangled her.
Zhong Yujing only felt that her arms were clamped behind her back and she could not move. A dazzling silver light appeared in front of her eyes, and a cold sword was pressed against her neck. She was being held hostage.
Shangguan Yichen was greatly surprised and frowned, "Let him go!"
Zhong Yujing held his breath and listened to the person behind him say, "Your Excellency is a martial arts master. Even if we join forces, we can't do anything to you. Naturally, we admit defeat. However, no one is impenetrable. Everyone has weaknesses. You're so nervous about this kid. Is he your younger brother?"
Shangguan Yichen pointed his sword at him and said, "If you dare to hurt even a hair on his head, I will tear your entire family into pieces!"
The person behind him said with a twisted face: "I'm scared, but your little brother is in my hand. If my sword is tilted... he will be dead first." He waved the sword in front of Zhong Yujing. The sword was sharp and blood would come out with a slight touch. It cut her neck with bright red blood, and drops of blood flowed out. Zhong Yujing didn't feel any pain, but just glared at the person behind her.
When Shangguan Yichen saw the blood coming out of her neck, the sword in his hand trembled, his brows furrowed, and the hand holding the sword almost broke it.
"What? Are you anxious?" The person behind Zhong Yujing grinned, "As long as you make your own decision, I will give your younger brother a chance to live. It's up to you whether you live or he lives." After saying that, he looked at Shangguan Yichen with a sneer.
Zhong Yujing calmed down, glared at the person behind him and said, "You idiot, do you know why he protected me?"
The person behind him asked coldly: "Why?"
Zhong Yujing sneered, "That's because I know where General Wang Qiang keeps his food and supplies."
The person behind him was obviously stunned. Zhong Yujing saw Yifei's figure pause in the dim light. The person behind him then asked, "Aren't you his younger brother?" Zhong Yujing snorted, "Of course not. I don't know him. I was kidnapped by him on the way because I overheard where Wang Qiang hid the supplies."
The person behind him looked at Shangguan Yichen and then at Zhong Yujing.
Shangguan Yichen watched quietly without moving.
The person behind him asked cautiously, "How can I believe that what you said is true?"
Zhong Yujing sneered again, "Just listen to me and you'll know if it's reliable or not." After saying that, he glanced at the person behind him meaningfully, "I want to live too."
Yifei's voice came from not far away, "Leave him alive!"
The person behind him loosened his grip on Zhong Yujing a little, "Hurry up and tell me!"
Zhong Yujing smiled again, "Your cold sword cut my neck, it hurts so much, just move the sword away, I have no time to run away anyway."
The person behind him really threw away the sword. One hand was still holding Zhong Yujing, and the other hand was around her neck, as if he would strangle her if she dared to make any moves.
Zhong Yujing said slowly: "The supplies are right here..." The person behind her tilted his head to listen, and his hands were not prepared. Zhong Yujing suddenly lowered her head and bit the person's arm hard. She used all her strength in this bite, as if she had bitten the person's bone, which made her teeth hurt.
The thief behind her retracted his arm in pain, and the other hand that was holding Zhong Yujing loosened. Zhong Yujing took the opportunity to break free, shook off the man's arm, and ran forward. When she reached the edge of the cliff, she turned around and showed Shangguan Yichen her most beautiful smile, saying solemnly: "General, you must bring back this news!" Tears welled up in her eyes, and the corners of her smiling mouth trembled. "I must stay alive and return home safely!"
After saying that, he jumped deep into the abyss.
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