Under the starry night sky, the silhouette of the knight ran across the dark ridge.
Passing through the woods, bypassing the lake, running over the bumpy muddy ground, when there was a patrol light in front of him, he would go deeper into the darkness to avoid the sentry post. The knight did not stop all the way.
There were crows flying in the forest at midnight, but in the blink of an eye, they were left far behind. The knight urged his horse to run down the hill, the gravel splashing under the horse's hooves. Halfway through the run, the horse's hooves suddenly gave way, and the body of the galloping horse rolled down the hill with the knight.
The moon was like an eyebrow, the silhouette of the horse, the silhouette of the man, rolled down the hill. The view of the ravine at midnight became quiet, only the distant village seemed to have a little light, and crows flapped their wings in the treetops.
This went on for a long time.
The figure of a man swayed up from the ravine. He turned around to check on the horse that had fallen into the darkness. Then, he wiped the blood off his head and sat down on a nearby rock to search for something on his body.
He checked a few items, then did a simple hemostasis and bandage for himself. He had no horse. In the darkness, the silhouette of the man ran into the distance.
In the night sky, only the crescent moon was like an eyebrow, quietly moving west. The silhouette of the man ran all the way east, through the woods, bypassing the lake, running over the bumpy muddy ground, and when there was a patrol light in front of him, he went deeper into the darkness. Sometimes he would fall down in the fields, and then he would get up again, stumbling, but still running eastward.
Time passed, the color of the sky, in the beginning, was almost unchanged, but gradually, even the stars and the moon became a little dim. At the darkest moment of the night, the eastern horizon was suffused with a strange white light. The people who were running fell to the ground, but they still got up and staggered forward. A small village had already appeared in front of them.
The village was desolate, and there were no chickens or dogs — even if there were, they had been eaten in the past days — he took advantage of the last darkness to enter the village, found the courtyard of the third mud house, climbed over the mud wall with difficulty, and then gently knocked on the door.
Someone inside took a look. Then, the man inside opened the door and supported the person who was staggering. The man helped him into the room, sat him down on a chair, and poured him some tea. His face was covered in bruises, and his body was in a mess. His arms and lips were trembling. As he trembled, he took out a small piece of paper from his belt and said something.
The man who opened the door placed the glass of water by his mouth. He reached out and caught it. The man took the paper and quickly opened it, comparing the words on it with the seal.
"I have to go to the city," the man who opened the door said and walked into the house. "I'll get you some medicine first."
He quickly took out some medicine. The messenger was sitting on a chair, holding a cup with both hands. He seemed to be very tired and did not move. The man leaned over and shook him lightly. The teacup fell to the floor and shattered.
He was slightly stunned. Then, he helped the messenger into the inner room, placed him on the bed, and covered him with a blanket. Then, he reached out to wipe the messenger's eyes. After that, he changed into a scholar's robe and quickly left.
The sky was just beginning to brighten. The middle-aged scholar ran along the small path and soon reached the official road. In front of him was a small county. The city gate had not yet opened, but the guards on the gate tower had already arrived. He waited at the gate for a while, and when the gate opened, he wanted to go in. The guards saw that he came in a hurry and deliberately made things difficult for him. He spent a few copper coins to enter the city.
The small county had just suffered a war last year. The market in the west of the city was in a mess. The scholar went to the innermost alley of the market and knocked on a door. The man who opened the door had a scar on his face and a fierce gaze. He was not a kind person, but when he saw the scholar, he still let him in. The scholar and Knife Scar exchanged a few words at the door, then went out and knocked on another door in the middle of the market.
It was a butcher's shop. The one who opened the door was a slightly plump butcher. The three of them gathered together. The scholar took out the message that he had received, "… The son and daughter have been found … The Golden Dog is on the way …"
"… What are you waiting for after the loyal and virtuous …"
"I have someone here …"
"Remember to find someone reliable …"
"… Then, let's split up …"
The scholar, the scar-faced man, and the butcher discussed and went out separately. Not long after, the scholar found the location of a mansion in the city. After reporting the news, he quickly rushed to the carriage and prepared to leave the city. The butcher brought a few Jianghu people and a group of escorts. A group of more than thirty people escorted a group of young men and women on the horse carriage towards the outskirts of the county. Although the guards at the city gate wanted to question and obstruct them, the butcher and the escort were influential in the area, so they did not question them too much and let them go.
At noon, a small group of Jin soldiers entered the county and began to seal the city. It was only in the afternoon that they were confirmed. The son and daughter of the great scholar Dai Mengwei had originally been secretly hidden in this county. This morning, they had already been escorted away.
The arrest warrant and troops were immediately sent out. At the same time, the scholar, the butcher, and the head of the escorts were escorting the two people quickly north.
After the war in the southwest took a turn, the great scholar Dai Mengwei and the general Wang Zainan secretly made way for the Hua Xia army in the past three months, allowing more than three thousand Hua Xia army commanders to march straight to the foot of Fan City. After the matter was exposed, the whole world knew about it.
Dai Mengwei and Wang Zainan had previously surrendered to the Female Zhenren. Some of their relatives had also fallen into the Female Zhenren's control, just like Si Zhongxian who guarded the Sword Garret and Yu Gusheng who had surrendered to the Female Zhenren. In times of war, there was no way to satisfy both sides. Dai Mengwei and Wang Zainan chose to feign civility. In fact, they also chose to let their families and relatives die. However, because they had held back from the beginning, some of their relatives were secretly sent to other places before they surrendered. In the end, some of their flesh and blood could be preserved.
The young people being escorted away were the son and daughter that Dai Mengwei had secretly protected. The scholar, the butcher, and the head of the escorts escorted them all the way north. However, in reality, there weren't many places they could go for the time being.
After Dai Mengwei and Wang Zainan's betrayal was exposed, Wanyan Xiyin sent his disciple Wanyan Yuchi to attack West City. At the same time, the surrounding troops had already surrounded Wang Zainan. The vanguard of the Mountain Slaughtering Guards wasn't something that Dai Mengwei and Wang Zainan could contend against. Although the marketplace, the Lulin, and even some of the Han army and villagers were encouraged by the deeds of Dai Mengwei and Wang Zainan, there weren't many truly safe places at the moment.
Near evening, Scar Face and his men caught up from behind. He also brought with him six strange people with different appearances. There was even an old lady and a little girl among them. These people all had blood on their hands. They had killed several pursuers along the way. One of the scar-faced man's subordinates had also died.
It was said in Jianghu that the monks, Taoists, women, and children of the Lulin were mostly difficult to deal with. This was because such people often had their own unique skills that were impossible to guard against. Some of the people in the crowd recognized the scar-faced man. After a few words, they understood that the scar-faced man was the biggest 'debt collector' in the nearby towns. Most of his subordinates were killers who took lives for money.
The world had been in chaos for more than ten years. Everyone was fighting for their own lives, especially those who took lives for money. They were famous for not recognizing their own kin. Unexpectedly, they had joined the ranks this time.
The group of over forty people headed north. It wasn't until evening that they stopped at a nearby mountain and gathered together to discuss where they should go. At this moment, most places were not peaceful. Although West City was still in Dai Mengwei's hands, it would fall sooner or later. If they went there now, it was highly likely that they would be surrounded by Female Zhenrens. The main force of the Hua Xia army was thousands of miles away. If they wanted to send the children over, they would have to pass through a large area controlled by the Jin soldiers. As for sending the children east or south to Liu Guangshi, it was difficult to determine what General Liu would do to them.
After a round of discussion, someone mentioned that someone in the north had heard news about Senior Fu Lu. Only then did they decide to head north to meet up with Senior Fu Lu and discuss further.
At this time, the sun was setting. The group of people were resting in the mountains. The children of the Dai family had already alighted from the horse carriage. They thanked the crowd for their support. Among them, Dai Mengwei's daughter had a delicate appearance. When she saw that there was an old lady and a little girl among the people accompanying them, she looked a little sad. She went over to ask, only to find that the little girl turned out to be a dwarf. The old lady was a mute who was good at repelling insects and using poison. She held a poisonous snake in her hand and smiled at her sinisterly.
She was a daughter of a noble family and had never seen such a scene. She was so frightened that she took a few steps back and did not dare to get close to these seemingly ordinary killers.
The surroundings were relatively peaceful that night. The next day, everyone continued their journey. On this night, the attack suddenly came. It was a wave of people from the Lulin Forest who also worked for money and were eager for rewards. As the rain of fire came, these people suddenly rushed out from the camp. There were about a dozen of them and they suddenly fought with the people in the camp.
Some people fought while others protected the horse carriage. In the forest, a mad bull with a lit torch rushed out under the drive of the attackers. It crashed into the crowd and startled the horse carriage. Amidst the long neigh of the horse, the carriage rolled down the slope beside the road. For a moment, the guards and pursuers rushed down the slope frantically, brandishing their swords and fighting.
The Dai siblings climbed out of the carriage in a sorry state. They were dizzy in the darkness and could not figure out the direction for a moment. The Dai family's young master staggered around. The scar-faced man, who was the most skilled in martial arts, rushed over with a saber. In the blink of an eye, he killed one person and forced another to retreat. He protected the young master behind him. The Dai girl cried for help and was carried by someone to the side of the forest.
"Old woman! Girl! Bai Ye! "The scar-faced man shouted loudly, summoning the few men closest to him." Save her! "
When some of the pursuers saw that they had snatched the Dai family's girl, they immediately followed into the forest. Several of the guards also rushed in, including the old granny, the little girl, and a young assassin with a short knife in his hand. They quickly followed.
After a chase and killing in the forest, a few people died in a short while. The old woman and the dwarf girl each had their own unique killing methods. However, they were limited by their bodies and could not chase for long. The young killer called "Bai Ye" had excellent eyesight. It was precisely because he could see at night that he got this nickname. He ran in the forest and killed two people along the way. Seeing that his companions were getting fewer and fewer, he hid in the darkness and in the blink of an eye, his footsteps also disappeared.
The men who had kidnapped the Dai family's young lady killed and fled. After an unknown period of time, a slope suddenly appeared in front of the forest. The man who was carrying the woman couldn't stop in time and rolled down the slope with the woman. The other three rushed up and carried the girl. Then they ran along the slope in another direction.
At this time, the pursuers had gone quite far. The three ran for a while and estimated that there were no pursuers behind them. Then they stopped in the forest and rested for a while. The young lady of the Dai family had been thrown down twice and had bruises on her body. She had even fainted because of her shouting on the way, but now she had woken up. After being placed on the ground, she secretly wanted to escape. One of the kidnappers found her and rushed over to give her a slap in the face.
"This bitch, how dare she run away!"
"We have to teach her a lesson!"
Amidst their conversation, another slap landed. The young lady of the Dai family cried out. At this moment, a figure suddenly pounced out from the darkness. A short knife stabbed into the back of a man from the side. A blood-curdling scream rang out in the forest, followed by the sound of weapons clashing and sparks.
"Kill —"
"I know someone —"
"Kill him —"
"Kill the chick —"
The shouts were as urgent as thunder. The Dai family's young lady's eyes were intertwined with each other. Fresh blood splattered on her face. Someone fell down. A figure stood in front of her and seemed to say, "Go." Because the tone was not high, she was still doubting whether it was an illusion. Then the voice sounded again, "It's' Byakuya '!"
"You all take money to eat! Why do you risk your life — "
"How much money did Eighth Brother give you! This head is worth a thousand taels — "
"Half the money, you can have fun with the woman first —"
"F * ck you —"
The blood splashed in the night. Some belonged to the kidnappers, and some belonged to the killer. There was another low voice in front, "Go!" The Dai girl came to her senses. She got up from the ground and ran into the darkness. When she looked back, she saw a figure lying on the ground and the other three figures were still fighting.
She ran toward the forest for a while and turned back after a while. The forest was filled with the smell of blood. The four figures all fell on the ground and the ground was full of blood. The Dai girl cried. As soon as the sound came out, a figure on the ground suddenly moved, "I told you to run. Why did you come back?"
The Dai girl cried and ran over, "I don't know the way. What's wrong with you …"
The killer was stabbed several times. He took out a small package from his arms and said weakly, "Medicine …" The Dai girl hurriedly applied medicine for him.
Perhaps it was because he had been fighting on the edge of a knife for a long time, but most of the wounds on the killer's body had avoided the vital parts. Miss Dai applied medicine to his wounds and used a knife to cut the clothes of the deceased nearby to use as a bandage. Clumsily wrapping up the wounds, the killer leaned against a nearby tree and did not die for a long time. He even stood up with the help of Miss Dai. Both of them staggered as they walked further away.
This was a strange night. The moonlight shone through the gaps between the trees. For the first time in her life, the young lady of the Dai family was supporting a man. The man beside her had lost a lot of blood. It was not surprising that he could die at any time, or collapse at any time. But he didn't die, nor did he fall. The two of them just staggered along the way, and continued to walk, and continued to walk. At some point, they found a hidden cave and stopped in front of it. The killer leaned against the cave wall and quietly closed his eyes to rest.
If there were pursuers, there was nothing they could do. For the rest of the day, Miss Dai was still worried about the killer in front of her at all times. He leaned there and could die at any time, so she sat on the other side and stared at him quietly. His chest rose and fell slightly due to his breathing, and her heart calmed down a little. At noon that day, the other party woke up once and took out a piece of dried meat from his waist and handed it to her. Miss Dai went to a nearby stream and used leaves to bring some water back for the other party to drink.
Most of the time, the assassin continued to sit quietly as if he was dead, while Miss Dai stared at his breathing. Another night passed like this, and the assassin did not die. He moved a little more, and Miss Dai finally relaxed. The two of them rested in the cave for a day and night. The Dai girl went out to get water and changed the medicine for his wounds.
It was early morning again. She quietly left the cave and went to the nearby stream. After she was completely relieved, she could finally take care of herself. She washed her face with the stream water and tidied her hair. She took off her shoes and socks and washed her feet by the stream. During the escape the night before, the embroidered shoe on her right foot was long gone. She was wearing a pair of socks and walked the mountain road for the whole night.
The sun shone golden from the eastern sky into the woods. Miss Dai sat on a rock quietly waiting for the water to dry up on her feet. After a while, she pulled up her skirt and stood up. When she turned her head, she found that not far away, the killer who saved her was walking in this direction. He had already seen her without her shoes and socks.
The killer was holding on to a tree and moving forward. Under the sunlight, the two of them looked at each other. The Dai girl held her skirt and didn't move for a moment. The killer lowered his head. Then he raised it again and looked over. Only then did he turn around and walk to the other side of the stream.
Not long after the Dai girl returned to the cave, the killer also came back. He was holding a large handful of cattail grass. The Dai girl sat on the wall and softly said, "I'm Dai Yueyao. What's your name?"
The killer didn't answer. After a moment, he said, "We'll leave in the afternoon."
He fiddled with the cattail grass and added a few strips of cloth. After some time, he made an ugly straw shoe and put it in front of her for her to wear.
In the afternoon, they set off.
The killer didn't let her help him anymore. The two of them walked slowly, one in front of the other. The next day, they found a nearby village. He stole two sets of clothes for each of them to change into. The next day, they rested in a small town nearby. He bought her new shoes. Dai Yueyao kept the ugly straw shoe and took it with her.
She didn't know why she kept the straw shoe. They didn't talk much along the way. She didn't even know his name. It seemed that someone called his name on the night they were chased. But she was too scared to remember it. She could only tell herself that it was a way to repay his kindness.
They traveled for a few more days. The killer's injuries were healed. He even stole some money and got a carriage. They headed north. Several days later, they passed through a seemingly deserted valley. On the other side of the valley, they found a large group of hundreds of people. She found her brother, and the killer found the scar-faced man. The leader of these hundreds of people was the legendary Senior Fu Lu. Even a girl from a noble family like Dai Yueyao had heard of the name of this Senior Fu Lu.
The scar-faced man led them to the white-haired old man. He introduced him to them, "This is Miss Dai." "This is Bai Ye." Dai Yueyao thought that this was the name she had heard that night.
They didn't talk anymore because her brother had already led her to the old man. They stayed in the mountain for a night. That night, two more groups of people came one after another. Dai Yueyao could feel the joy of the people in the mountain. But at the moment, she didn't care about the deeds of these men.
The next morning, she had a good rest. After breakfast, she decided to find the killer and formally thank him. Along the way, she went to the big pergola on the mountainside where the leaders gathered. She saw the killer standing behind the scar-faced man. There were a lot of people. Someone cupped his hands and greeted her. She stood aside and didn't want to go over.
On the other side of the pergola, someone was talking to them.
"… Today's situation is both good and bad … Although Zong Han's army was defeated in the southwest, Zong Han's army has retreated from the Sword Garret and joined the Mountain Slaughter Guards. The Sword Garret is still in the hands of the Female Immortal. Everyone knows that the Sword Garret is in the southwest. When the Female Immortal retreated, she lit a fire and destroyed the mountain road. Although the Huaxia army in the southwest defeated Zong Han, it's not optimistic in terms of manpower. If they want to take the Sword Garret by force, I'm afraid that many Huaxia soldiers will be sacrificed …"
"… That is to say, General Qin's 20,000 soldiers have to fight against Zong Han and Xi Yin's nearly 100,000 soldiers, plus the help of the puppet army's accomplices …"
"… However, it's not that we don't have any progress. Dai Mengwei, Duke Dai, Wang Zhai, and General Wang Nan have inspired many people. In less than half a month, four or five troops, including General Chen Wei, General Xu Daji, Li Lincheng, and Duke Li, have responded. Anyway, some of them have joined Duke Dai and the others, and some are still on their way to the north! Heroes, we will be heading over soon. I believe that there are still hot-blooded people in the world and there won't be just these few. There will be more and more of us until we defeat the golden dogs and return our mountains and rivers … "
The words above were sonorous and powerful. Dai Yueyao looked at the killer called Bai Ye behind the scar-faced man. She didn't pay much attention to the words. At this moment, chaotic noises suddenly came from outside.
"Got him …"
"Damn it, bastard …"
"You can't judge a book by its cover!"
"It's a trap …"
Dai Yueyao looked outside and didn't know what happened. After a while, she saw a group of people rushing here. In the middle of the crowd, her brother Dai Jincheng was being taken away. He was beaten so badly that his mouth and nose were bleeding. Someone saw Dai Yueyao and said, "Don't let the other one run away!"
Dai Yueyao leaned back when some fierce people came over. The people in the pergola didn't know what happened. Someone came out and said, "What's wrong? Can't we talk it out? Can't this little girl run away? "
Dai Yueyao saw a figure come over silently and stood in front of her. It was him. He put his hand on the dagger.
Dai Jincheng was pushed to the center of the hall. Someone walked forward and showed something to Fu Lu and the person who spoke just now. Someone said, "This little bastard, he's releasing information outside!"
"I'm afraid this isn't the first time they've leaked information. Our gathering here has been exposed!"
The crowd was in an uproar. They stared at Dai Jincheng who was surrounded in the middle with fierce eyes. No one expected that Dai Mengwei's son would be the first to betray her after she raised the flag of anti-Jin. Furthermore, Dai Jincheng's betrayal wasn't the most terrifying thing. If Dai Mengwei was the one behind this, then what would happen to the Han army that had been summoned to join up with Dai Mengwei?
Some people pulled out their sabers, and some people came to surround Dai Yueyao. Fu Lu was stunned for a while. The next moment, he appeared in front of Dai Jincheng and said in a low voice, "Speak! What's going on?! "
He was already old, and his martial arts had reached perfection. This shout was enough to steal one's soul. Dai Jincheng was already terrified, so when he heard this shout, he suddenly bent his body and took two steps back. In his fear, he actually let out a crazed laugh.
"Hahahaha … Hahahaha … You're just a motley crew. How can you be a match for the Goddess of Valley? Betraying the Jin Kingdom, attacking Xiangfan, raising the flag of righteousness. Do you think you're the only ones who think like this? She dug a pit for you last year and everyone jumped in … What's going on?! I don't want to die with you, okay?! "
Dai Yueyao's face suddenly turned pale. Scarface shouted, "Baiye, get out of the way!"
The person in front said, "It's none of her business."
"Who knows!"
"Damn it, the traitor's son and daughter …"
Dai Jincheng's face twisted as he retreated. "Hahaha … That's right. I spread the news. You idiots! General Wanyan Yuchi is coming this way. You can't run away! Only I can help you! You! As long as you help me, the Goddess of Valley will take advantage of us. You can all live … I know you all want to live. As long as you kill Fu Lu, the Goddess of Valley will only want his head … "
He retreated to the side of the crowd. Someone pushed him forward. Fu Lu looked at him. "Are you a traitor or is your whole family a traitor?"
"You're the traitors! Black Flag is the traitor! " Dai Jincheng pointed at Fu Lu and the others, spitting out saliva from his mouth. "The first emperor of the Wu dynasty was killed by that devil surnamed Ning. You guys can't do anything! When Qin Husband said he wanted to conquer the southwest, you guys were holding him back! Are you still people of the Wu dynasty? If the Goddess of Valley and the southwest suffer losses, our Wu dynasty will have a chance to rise again. Or if the Goddess of Valley defeats Black Flag, they will have to go back after the long journey. Our Wu dynasty will have a few more years to breathe and plan slowly. It's not impossible for us to rise again … "
"You guys are the real traitors! Stupid donkeys! You brainless boorish people! Let me tell you, since ancient times, befriend distant enemies and attack nearby enemies. You have to deal with distant forces! Rope them in! You have to attack close enemies or they will attack you! What's the worst thing for our Wu dynasty? Black Flag defeated the Goddess of Valley, you stupid pigs! Do you know that if Black Flag grows, our Wu dynasty will really be gone … "
Blood mixed with saliva from his mouth and nose. "My father reads the books of the sages! He knows what it means to endure humiliation! Endure hardships to gain courage! I read the books of the sages! I know what it means to have family, country, and world! Black Flag hasn't been destroyed, so the Goddess of Valley can't be defeated. Otherwise, who will fight against Black Flag? Will you go? You stupid donkeys … I'm doing this for the Wu dynasty … "
Amidst the hysterical roars and shouts, a warning sound came from the distant mountains. Someone quickly ran over and discovered the cavalry led by Wanyan Yuchi in the distance. An oppressive atmosphere enveloped the hall. Fu Lu looked around and his deep voice spread out. "There's still a chance! Since this little dog's plot was discovered by us in advance, it means that the golden dog's plan hasn't completely succeeded. Today, we will fight with all our strength and must head north as fast as possible to warn the righteous and righteous people of this plot. How many of these righteous heroes can we save! How many can we save! "
Dai Jincheng also shouted, "You've been surrounded! There's no way out! Follow me, it's the only way to survive! "
As soon as he said this, Fu Lu's gaze locked onto him. His palm struck out like lightning, and Dai Jincheng fell to the ground with a boom. Every bone in his body was broken from head to toe.
On Dai Yueyao's side, people with knives and spears pressed forward. The killer in front of her said, "Maybe it has nothing to do with her!"
The scar-faced man also walked over with a knife in hand. "As long as she's alive, there'll be people hoping for a fluke." The killer was startled.
A knife stabbed at him from behind. He held Dai Yueyao behind him, and the knife stabbed into his arm. The scar-faced man approached, and Bai Ye suddenly swung his knife. The scar-faced man's gaze turned sharp. "Traitor." A knife stabbed into his chest.
Bai Ye's knife stopped in midair. The woman behind him grabbed his clothes and said in a low voice, "So your name is Bai Ye." A long knife had already stabbed into her back.
Blood flowed out. They snuggled together and quietly died.
Not long after, Wanyan Yuchi's army stepped into the mountains. What welcomed him was a mountain full of unyielding knife light.
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