He Yan had been in the dungeon for two days.
In these two days, other than Shen Han who came once, no one else came. Even if Shen Han came, he didn't mention anything about the situation outside. She assumed that nothing had happened for the time being. The more this was the case, the more He Yan felt that something was wrong. Unfortunately, the dungeon of the Liang Province Guards was as solid as a rock. It was hard for her to think of a way to escape. Song Taotao and Cheng Lisu were probably under surveillance. She hadn't seen them in these two days.
To He Yan, eating and sleeping coarsely wasn't unbearable. As time passed, the most frightening thing was that the unseen danger was gradually approaching.
Unfortunately, no one had noticed it yet.
It began to snow in the middle of the night.
The snowflakes were as big as goose feathers. They danced in the air and landed on people's bodies. Even their cotton clothes couldn't withstand the bone-piercing cold. Two sentries stood on the balcony. They couldn't help but rub their hands together and blow air into their palms. Suddenly, a white mist fell in front of them and quickly dissipated.
The Liang Province Guards were in a state of silence. The Guard Station in winter wasn't as lively as it was in summer. There were no new recruits who went to Wulu River to take a shower at night. There were also no noisy cicadas. There was only the cold of the snow melting on the ground.
"I'm going to the latrine." One of the sentries stomped his feet. "I can't hold it in anymore."
His companion urged him, "Go quickly and come back quickly."
The man put down the drumstick, picked up a knife, and turned to go to the latrine. The snow was heavy. In just a moment, a thick layer of snow had accumulated. When he stepped on it, his shoes were submerged. The cold air climbed from his feet to his head. The sentries shivered from the cold and hurriedly ran to the latrine at the back.
There were torches outside the latrine. A few days ago, a new recruit had woken up in the middle of the night to relieve himself. He didn't see the road clearly and slipped on the icy ground, injuring his leg. After that, Shen Han had people set up a fire here to illuminate the road.
When the sentries entered, there was another person inside. He glanced at the person under the dim light and smiled. "Oh, you're up too?"
The other person smiled and replied, "I just got here."
"It's too cold. If it wasn't for the fact that I couldn't hold it in, I wouldn't have made this trip," the sentinel complained.
After he was done, he pulled up his pants and was about to walk out. That person was also done and followed him out, one in front of the other.
The torches at the door reflected a person's shadow in the snow, swaying back and forth. The sentry casually glanced and saw that the shadow behind him had unknowingly opened his arms. He was startled and was about to shout …
With one hand covering his nose and mouth, the person behind him pulled out the knife at his waist and slashed it across the sentry's neck.
Blood splattered all over the ground. The young man's body silently fell to the ground, no longer breathing.
Without any hesitation, the black shadow bent down and dragged the sentry's corpse away. The snow was getting heavier and heavier. In just a moment, the bloodstains were covered. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the sentinel walked out again.
He grabbed a handful of snow, wiped the blood off the knife, and put it back on his waist. He then tidied up the felt hat on his head and walked up the stairs.
On the balcony, his companion was waiting impatiently when he suddenly heard movement. Seeing the sentry who had just gone to the toilet come back, he let out a sigh of relief and scolded, "Why were you gone for so long? Did you go to slack off? "
The sentry shook his head, lowered his head and breathed into his mouth, as if he was too cold to speak. Seeing this, his companion couldn't help but rub his hands, "Mother, this is too cold."
The sentry pulled his felt hat down very low. Seeing this, his companion scolded, "Do you think you won't be cold if you pull your hat down? If you pull it up, you won't even be able to see. How are you going to keep watch like this! "He reached out his hand to lift the sentry's hat, but the moment he got close, he suddenly froze.
The sentry's clothes were different from the pure red and black of the recruits. At the collar, there was a layer of white border. Now, at the white border of the other party's collar, there were two red dots.
These were not old ink stains. The color was bright and it was slowly becoming denser. A moment ago, when the other party went to the toilet, there wasn't any.
His companion looked at the sentry who had not said a word since he came back. He was about to pull out his knife, but his movements were too slow.
The other party actually had two knives.
One knife, which belonged to the dead sentry, stabbed into his chest. The other knife, with a curved tip, slit open his throat.
He couldn't yell out and staggered to the ground. The murderer had already turned and walked down the platform. The sentry crawled on the ground with difficulty, trying to pick up the drumstick that had fallen to the ground.
As long as he could grab the drumstick and strike the whistle drum, all of the Liang Province Guards would wake up.
This was the last thing he could do.
Blood trailed down his body, a ghastly sight. He used all of his strength to crawl to the drumstick. Holding the drumstick, he wanted to raise his body to strike the drum.
He had only raised half his body when suddenly, a wave of intense pain came. Blood splattered onto the drum, and the hand holding the drumstick also fell to the ground.
His right hand had been chopped off.
The murderer returned and stood in front of him, saying in a low voice, "I almost forgot."
Not far away, the commotion here seemed to have startled the patrolling soldiers on the other side. Someone yelled, "Hello? Are you guys alright? "
This person pressed down on his felt hat and waved his hand in the distance. "I'm fine! I just fell down. "
Blood was everywhere on the ground. The sentry who had been on the verge of death just now had his eyes wide open. He was completely dead.
The night was like an abyss, closing in on all of the Liang Province Guards.
The next morning, at dawn, the new soldiers got up to eat and went for a morning run at the practice field.
Hong Shan and Xiao Mai sat together to eat. Not long after, Wang Ba, Huang Xiong, and Jiang Jiao also arrived. Huang Xiong asked, "He Yan hasn't been released yet?"
Hong Shan shook his head.
"This can't go on," Jiang Jiao said. "It's been unusually cold these days. I heard from Young Master Cheng that there's nothing in the dungeon. Even if he doesn't freeze to death, he'll get sick." In the end, they were comrades who had fought for the flag together. Even though they had complained about He Yan because of the "green hat" incident, when it really came to this point, they weren't completely without worry.
"Do you guys think He Yan will be released after the commander-in-chief returns?" Wang Ba asked.
"It's hard to say," Shi Tou answered.
"Why?" Wang Ba was curious.
"Right now, all of the Liang Province Guards know that He Yan killed people, but no one can find evidence that he didn't kill anyone." Hong Shan sighed.
"What evidence does he need? He's not an idiot. He killed people but didn't bury them. Why would he purposely leave the corpses for others to use? This is the evidence! "
Xiao Mai whispered, "This is too far-fetched."
Wang Ba glared. "How is it far-fetched? Tell me, how is it far-fetched? "
As they spoke, a commotion suddenly came from outside, mixed with someone's cry of alarm. "Someone died! Someone died! Quick, go find the instructor! "
"What, what?" Everyone went out to take a look. They saw a short, quick-witted recruit anxiously saying, "The practice field, the brothers on sentry duty at the practice field are all dead!"
They were all dead!
Everyone's expression changed. They all got up and rushed to the practice field.
Inside the practice field, blood flowed like a river.
No one knew when the snow had stopped. Some of the blood was buried by the snow, while some had frozen and landed on the practice field. The brutal acts of last night could be vaguely seen.
There were dozens of sentries on the platform and around the practice field. Not a single one was left alive. The corpses were placed in the center of the practice field. They were piled up haphazardly, as if they were piling up food for pigs and sheep. The dead soldiers were all killed with a single slash. Their throats were slit. It was extremely tragic. One of the soldiers piled at the top had his right arm cut off neatly at the elbow. This person was wearing a sentinel's uniform. His right arm had been cut off when he wanted to beat the drum.
They were all companions who spent day and night with each other. Their lives were taken just a wall away. For a moment, the eyes of everyone in the practice field turned red. Someone said hatefully, "Who did it? If I find out, I'll … I'll … "
Someone's voice sounded. It had a hint of oppressive arrogance, "What will you do?"
No one knew when, but from behind the practice field, from the horse path connected to White Moon Mountain, a group of cavalry had arrived. There were about a few hundred people, and at most a thousand people. The leader was a long-haired man. He was riding on a horse. He wore dark armor and held a scimitar that was half a person's height. His figure was extremely burly and muscular. His shoulders and back were very wide. His nose was very high, and his eyes were a deep blue like lake water. His appearance was different from the people of the Central Plains. When he smiled, he was like a vulture grinding its teeth. It had a sinister bloody aura that made people's hearts palpitate.
"Who are you?" The recruits asked.
The long-haired man ignored them. He only approached the recruit who had just spoken. "If you find out, what will you do?"
His smile had a hint of cruelty and tyranny. The recruit could not help but tremble when he faced this person. He gathered his courage and said, "I, I will definitely seek justice for my dead comrades!"
"Is that so?" The long-haired man laughed. "How will you seek justice?" Without waiting for the recruit to answer, he raised the scimitar in his hand and chopped down.
"Dong!" A figure swept past and blocked his scimitar. However, the figure was knocked back a few steps by this attack. When he steadied himself, he looked at the long-haired man. "Your Excellency is very bold. You killed people in the Liangzhou Guard!"
It was Shen Han.
"Shen Jiaotou, Chief Instructor Shen is here!" The recruits shouted excitedly. They suddenly had a backbone.
"Chief Instructor?" The long-haired man looked at Shen Han. "You are the Chief Instructor of the Liangzhou Guard?"
"Who are you?" Shen Han's face was as calm as water.
"My name is Rida Muzi. I heard that the general of the Da Wei Family of Generals, General Fengyun, Xiao Huaijin, fought peacefully and was undefeated in hundreds of battles. I specially came to ask for advice. What's wrong? Xiao Huaijin doesn't dare to fight? "
"What nonsense are you talking about!" A recruit couldn't help but retort. "You clearly know that the Commander-In-Chief isn't here. That's why you dare …"
"Shut up!" Du Mao shouted to stop him, but it was too late.
"Not here?" Rida Muzi's eyes narrowed. "That's really unfortunate."
The instructors looked at each other. Their hearts gradually sank. The so-called asking for advice from Xiao Jue was nothing more than an excuse. This person probably already knew that Xiao Jue wasn't in the Liangzhou Guard, so he brought people here to provoke them. However … there were only a thousand people at most. Facing tens of thousands of Liangzhou soldiers, even if they were recruits who had never been on the battlefield, wasn't this a bit too arrogant? Or … was there another conspiracy?
The sentries were all killed in one night. If it was an enemy, it was impossible for them to do this. Unless there really was a traitor and they died at the hands of their own people.
Ma Damei said in a low voice, "He Yan is telling the truth."
He Yan was telling the truth. They had been watching Hu Yuanzhong these days, but Hu Yuanzhong had been well-behaved and hadn't made any strange movements. If he still had accomplices hiding among the recruits, everything made sense.
"Get into formation," Shen Han ordered.
The tens of thousands of elite soldiers behind him all drew their weapons.
Since the other party had come with ill intentions, the men of Da Wei had no reason to retreat.
Rida Muzi saw this and laughed loudly. He said, "Hey, Head Instructor, I didn't come here to fight with you."
"You seem to be from the Qiang tribe." Shen Han sneered. "Many years ago, General Feihong and the Qiang tribe fought. I thought that the Qiang tribe no longer had any intentions of betrayal. Now that you've come to the Liangzhou Guard and killed dozens of my men, you can't be here to ask for peace, right? "
At the mention of General Feihong, Rida Muzi's expression changed slightly. After a while, he stared at Shen Han and said with a sinister smile, "Head Instructor, don't slander me. I only wanted to learn from Xiao Huaijin. Who knew that when I passed by this place last night, the sentries here were too unfriendly and got into an argument with my brothers. I had no choice but to kill them all." He said casually, "I thought that Xiao Huaijin's soldiers were more or less capable. I didn't expect them to be so weak. When they died, they didn't even make a sound …"
"You!" The recruits were filled with righteous indignation.
"Head Instructor, please don't be angry. I'm really only here to learn from each other." He looked at the recruits behind Shen Han with great interest. "If Xiao Huaijin doesn't want to fight, then let his soldiers fight. If that doesn't work, then you instructors are fine too."
Liang Ping took a step forward. "You think too highly of yourself. Why are you so sure that we will fight?"
"You don't want to?" Rida Muzi clapped his hands calmly. A few people walked over from afar. One of them struggled and said, "Let me go …"
Shen Han's expression suddenly changed.
A few foreign soldiers carried two people like chickens. One of them was Cheng Lisu, and the other was Song Taotao. Both of their hands and feet were tied behind their backs. They were in a sorry state and were struggling endlessly.
"Shen Jiaotou!" When Cheng Lisu saw Shen Han, it was as if she saw her savior. She shouted, "Who are they? Why did they tie us up?"
Who were they? Shen Han felt bitter. He had already sent many people to guard Cheng Lisu and Song Taotao's door to protect them secretly. However, they were still captured. The other party's strength was not to be underestimated. They knew how to capture Cheng Lisu and Song Taotao to restrict the Liang Province Guards. It was obvious that they were very familiar with the Liang Province Guards.
"Now," Rida Muzi looked at Shen Han's expression with satisfaction. "Head Instructor, are you still willing to learn from us?"
Song Taotao shouted, "How can we learn from each other? Why would they be so kind? There must be a trap! "
Shen Han said, "Okay."
"Straightforward!" Rida Muzi sat up straight. "The weather is too cold. I'm too lazy to fight too much. Three matches. You can pick three people. "He said to the people behind him," Brothers, who is willing to go up? Go! "
Someone behind him said, "Commander, Wa La is willing to fight!"
This was a very well-built man. The Qiang people had always been physically strong. When compared to the people of the Central Plains, they looked especially thin and weak. He was not old, only in his early twenties. However, he was nine feet tall, like an ancient giant. He also had a ferocious look. His eyes were slightly protruding like a bull's. He held a curved sword in his hand. At first glance, it was obvious that he was not someone to be trifled with.
"Good!" Rida Muzi shouted. "Wa La is so brave. As expected of the Qiang people!" He then looked at Shen Han. "What about you?"
The tiles were so strange and huge that anyone who looked at them would want to retreat. Moreover, the corpses on the training ground clearly showed how cruel the Qiang people were. For a moment, no one in the Liang Province Guard responded.
"If no one is willing to fight, then your Head Instructor will do it." Rida Muzi smiled. "This kind of battlefield is a good time to teach the recruits."
On the side, Liang Ping gritted his teeth. Just as he was about to fight, a voice rang out. "Let me do it."
This was a young recruit from the Vanguard. His name was Wei Huan. Shen Han still remembered this person because his knife skills were outstanding. He was one of the best in the Vanguard. However, his personality was very gentle and shy. He was not as outstanding as Lei Hou. Therefore, although he and Lei Hou were outstanding, they were far less eye-catching than Lei Hou.
Right, speaking of Lei Hou, Shen Han was startled. Where was Lei Hou?
"You?" Rida Muzi glanced at Wei Huan and said with a fake smile, "Your courage is commendable."
Wei Huan slowly walked forward until he was in front of Wa La. "I am willing to spar with you."
Wa La smiled. He looked around and saw the high platform of the training field. "Let's do it there. The height is good. If I chop off your neck, the people below will be able to see it clearly. Isn't that good?"
Wei Huan's expression did not change. Wa La laughed loudly and leaped onto the high platform. "Let's fight!"
In the past few days, there had been countless people on the high platform of the training field. However, they were all recruits of the Liang Province Guards. They sparred with each other. The recruits below the platform were in a relaxed mood. As they watched, they gave pointers. They could see the flaws and the brilliance of each battle. Every battle had something to gain.
Because they also knew that there were many more such battles.
None of them were as depressing as today. Rida Muzi suddenly thought of something. She looked at Shen Han and said in a voice that everyone could hear, "Head Instructor, I forgot to tell you. The rules of the Qiang Tribe are that on the Life and Death Arena, life and death do not matter. Only when one side dies can victory be determined."
"What?" Liang Ping said angrily.
"Warriors must be prepared to die in battle at any time. This is the highest honor," Rida Muzi said coldly. "There are no exceptions."
On the platform, Wei Huan slowly unsheathed the knife at his waist and nodded at Wa La.
The dungeon was as dark and damp as ever.
The guards at the door had disappeared at some point. The dungeon was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. The sound of human footsteps was especially ear-piercing.
The black shadow walked down the stairs step by step. The shadow of the torch at the door swayed slightly. In the innermost cell, someone was curled up into a ball, sleeping against the wall. She seemed to have caught a cold and was shivering, her lips pale.
The black shadow stopped in front of He Yan's cell.
There was an empty bowl on the ground. It was unclear whether it had been filled with water or rice. It had been licked clean and the bowl was shining. The thin blanket was very short and could not even cover her entire body. She was curled up into a ball and her feet were exposed. Her body was trembling slightly, and her face was abnormally pale. The black shadow looked at her for a moment, then reached out and inserted the key into the keyhole. With a click, the lock opened.
The person in the cell was still unaware.
He walked in.
The young man's former high-spirited appearance was completely gone. This appearance was no different from any other prisoner. He seemed to be somewhat regretful, but also somewhat vigilant. He stood in place without moving, staring at the young man's face.
The youth did not move.
After a while, the black shadow slowly covered her.
At this moment, the youth suddenly raised her head, revealing a pair of clear black and white eyes. There was not a hint of sleepiness, and she was very awake.
"You —" He only had time to say one word. Before the knife in his hand could fall, he felt a pain in his lower body. He had been kicked right in the heart. The pain caused him to kneel on the ground. The next moment, white silk was wrapped around his neck. He Yan's voice came from behind him.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Lei Hou."
Lei Hou's eyes rolled back in his head, but He Yan's strength was great. His legs were pressed down on Lei Hou's legs, making him unable to move. Seeing that Lei Hou was about to be strangled to death by He Yan, He Yan suddenly let go. Lei Hou suddenly had space to breathe. He clutched his neck and gasped for air. He saw He Yan walk in two or three steps in front of him. Like prying open a duck's mouth, He Yan poured something in his mouth.
Lei Hou was panting with his mouth open. How could he defend himself against this? He immediately drank the thing without leaving a drop behind. He wanted to say something, but he could not muster the strength in his body. He only felt his whole body go numb. In just a moment, he fainted and did not move anymore.
He Yan kicked Lei Hou's face twice. After confirming that this person did not move, he tore the white silk into two and tied up Lei Hou's hands and feet.
That day, she had asked Song Taotao if she had any weapons on her. But Song Taotao was a girl. How could she carry a knife or a sword with her? She searched her entire body and only had a bottle of knockout drug. She had stolen it from Shen Muxue's table. She thought that if she met a bad person, she could use it. He Yan was desperate and took it.
This was not enough. She also borrowed Song Taotao's belt. Song Taotao's belt was bought in Liangzhou by Chi Wu after she returned to the guard station. The material was special. It was extremely sturdy and durable. It was comparable to rope.
When necessary, the belt could also strangle someone to death.
He Yan thought that since the other party deliberately framed her for murder and sent her to the Liangzhou Guard's dungeon, it seemed that they were afraid of her. When she entered the dungeon, the other party would definitely not give up and would come to silence her. She had to carry a weapon on her at all times so that she could counterattack at any time.
But all her weapons had been confiscated. She only had the bottle of knockout drug and Song Taotao's belt.
This morning, no one came to deliver breakfast. This was very strange. Usually, breakfast would be delivered at this time. Because of Song Taotao and Cheng Li Su's pleas, although Shen Han did not allow Song Taotao and the others to visit her, he did not treat He Yan harshly.
The guard station was usually very punctual. If no one came at this time, something must have happened.
He Yan's heart was itching, but he could not go out. He did not know what was happening outside. Later, he gradually calmed down. Since something had happened, the other party might take advantage of the chaos to come here and kill him.
Before Song Taotao left, she did not know what she could do to help, so she gave He Yan everything she had, including a box of cosmetic powder. He Yan smeared some on his face, then smeared some on his lips. He curled up into a ball, like a seriously ill prisoner who couldn't get up.
Just as she was guessing what had happened outside, she heard footsteps, which led to the scene in front of her.
He Yan dragged Lei Hou to a corner and lay down with his face facing the wall. The knockout drug would take effect for 16 hours. During this time, Lei Hou would not wake up.
She left the cell, turned around, and locked the door.
Lei Hou was now a prisoner.
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