NOVEL WEB Chapter 158 - : Severe Injury
Chapter 158: Severe Injury
The archer seemed to only have discovered Su Jiu at this moment. He immediately took a step back and looked at her cautiously. He asked, “Who are you?”
That was not Dapao’s voice.
Su Jiu frowned, feeling disappointed. She then hastily asked, “Why are you in the mountains? Do you know Hu Dapao?”
The black figure kept silent for a moment, before asking Su Jiu nervously, “Who the hell are you? How do you know our general?”
At that moment, Su Jiu’s heart almost jumped out, and she suddenly stepped forward. “You are a Daliang soldier! Where is Dapao at?”
The man retreated immediately. He pointed his bow and arrow at Su Jiu, bellowing coldly, “Back off!”
It seemed that this person was indeed under Hu Dapao. They had been in the mountains for many days, and they were extremely vigilant. As the Naye soldiers were loitering under the mountains, they could not easily trust anyone.
Su Jiu was just about to explain about their search, when she heard Chang Huan and Ah Shu scrambling behind and shouting, “Boss! What happened?”
Su Jiu replied hastily, “There is news on Dapao!”
“What?” They were astounded. Ah Shu asked anxiously, “Where is Dapao?”
Su Jiu looked towards the dark figure.
The man still did not put down his bow and arrow. He watched cautiously at the group of people who had appeared out of nowhere.
Su Jiu said, “We are Dapao’s friends, and we came to rescue him! Do you know where Dapao is?”
The soldier still did not let his guard down. “I cannot take you to see the general before I verify your identities!”
“Damn you!” Ah Shu scolded. He stepped forward and shouted, “We are Hu Dapao’s brothers! Why can’t we see him? If you continue this nonsense, I will kill you with a punch!”
The soldier directed his bow and arrow at Ah Shu. “A few days ago, there were Naye soldiers who came up the mountains pretending to be Daliang people. We were almost fooled, so I’m sorry, but I don’t trust you!”
Seeing this person so resolute and composed, Su Jiu realized that he was not an ordinary soldier. She grabbed Ah Shu, who wanted to charge forward, and expressed in a deep voice, “We are indeed Dapao’s friends. My name is Su Jiu. Just go and tell Dapao that his brothers from the Dragon Conqueror Gang are here! He will come out to see us!”
The person was startled. “Dragon Conqueror Gang? You are the people of the Dragon Conqueror Gang!”
“Yeah!” Ah Shu shouted angrily.
The soldier had apparently heard Hu Dapao mention about the Dragon Conqueror Gang before. He immediately lowered his bow and arrow and said respectfully, “If you all are friends of the general, I’m sorry if I have offended you. Please forgive me!”
Su Jiu replied, “It’s okay! Where is Dapao? Take us to him now!”
“Okay, everyone! Follow me!” The man waved his hand and dashed towards the depths of the mountain gap.
Su Ji and the rest immediately followed.
As they got closer, they saw that the soldier was tall and thin. He had a composed face and a sturdy build. He nimbly jumped across the thistles and rocks, his body as light as a swallow.
Su Jiu asked, “Is Dapao okay?”
The soldier hesitated before saying, “…Not very good. The general was seriously injured. His wound is worsening, but there are no medicines or bandages in the mountain. Fortunately, you guys are here!”
Everyone’s heart sank. They quickened their pace, hoping to see Hu Dapao soon.
They ran through the darkness for a while before the soldier stopped, looked around, and led Su Jiu and the rest through a crack in the stone. There was a cave in front, and a fire was lit at the entrance. The place was full of people.
Su Jiu ran up immediately and rushed directly into the cave. The sudden light from the flame blurred her vision as her eyes had adjusted to the darkness. However, she noticed a person lying on the ground at a glance and shouted, “Dapao!”
Hu Dapao sat up and gawked at Su Jiu incredulously. With a trembling voice, he said, “Chief!”
Almost at the same time, both Ah Shu and Chang Huan darted into the cave, and the moment they saw Hu Dapao, their heavy hearts were finally lifted.
Under the firelight, Hu Dapao looked pale as he tried to stand up by supporting himself against the stone wall. He suddenly grimaced in pain, clenched his shoulders, and sat back down again.
Su Jiu, Chang Huan, and Ah Shu came forward, and although they got a lot of things to say, they were speechless at this moment. Their eyes reddened as they examined Hu Dapao, agitated but excited at the same time.
Thank goodness they were not late!
Although Hu Dapao was unkempt and utterly embarrassed, he still stayed alive as he waited for them!
That was enough!
“Chief, Ah Shu, Chang Huan!” Hu Dapao said their names in a deep and hoarse voice.
He knew about the situations on top and below the mountain. A thousand soldiers that had accompanied him were down to three now. His wound was worsening, and he thought that he would be trapped and die in the mountains. However, his friends were here now.
They came from Shengjing City, which was thousands of miles away, to Northern Xinjiang, to the Camelback Ridge, and finally to him!
They would not give up on him even if it would cost them their lives.
The nine-foot-tall man’s tears rolled down his cheeks for the first time. His heart overwhelmed, surging with a myriad of emotions.
When he was besieged by the enemy forces in the thousands, he did not flinch. When he was critically injured, he did not fear. And when he faced death, his heart did not panic. But at this moment, he was overwhelmed with emotions, and the tears that he had been holding in contempt finally fell.
The tears he would only shed for his loved ones.
The remaining three soldiers who were still with Hu Dapao, along with Wei Tan and Zhao Xiong who had arrived, looked at the four of them who were finally reunited. They could not help but feel elated for them.
“How is your injury?” Su Jiu asked, frowning as she glanced at the blood-stained military robe on Hu Dapao’s chest.
Hu Dapao wanted to say that he was alright, but because of his big movements he made when he tried to stand up, a sharp and sudden pain engulfed him. His forehead was cold and sweaty, and he could not say anything at this point.
The soldier who brought Su Jiu and the rest came forward and said worriedly, “The general has been wounded for ten days, and his wound is festering as there are no medicines here. I’m afraid the general’s life will be in danger after a day or two!”
Hu Dapao gritted his teeth and masked his pain with a smile. “It’s not so serious! Don’t scare the Chief!”
Su Jiu reached out to undress Hu Dapao’s clothes. “Let me see the wound!”
Hu Dapao wanted to raise his hand to stop her, but could not lift it at all. He could only grimace and lean weakly against the stone wall.
After undressing, the expressions of Su Jiu, Ah Shu, and Chang Huan instantly changed.
The soldier was not exaggerating at all. Hu Dapao’s shoulder injury was more serious than what Su Jiu thought.
It was originally an arrow wound. The arrowhead had been pulled out, but the wound did not heal at all. It had rotted to the bone, and the surrounding blood had turned black, with thick liquid oozing out of the wound. It was shocking and appalling.
If it was not for Hu Dapao’s extraordinary physique, he would have died of suppuration.
It was just like what the soldier had said. Hu Dapao’s life would be in danger if they had waited for two more days!
“Those bastard Naye soldiers! When I go down the mountain later, I will slash them all to death!” Ah Shu gnashed his teeth and punched his fist on the mountain wall.
Hu Dapao leaned weakly against the mountain wall, the pain on his shoulder reverberating through every nerve in his body. He raised his hand to put on his clothes and managed a chuckle. “It’s okay, I will not die! I have already survived so many days. Now that you guys are here, I will not die anymore!”
Chang Huan frowned. “We must go down the mountain as soon as possible! Treating Dapao’s injury must not be delayed any longer!”
Zhao Xiong, who was standing behind them, also observed Hu Dapao’s wound and hastily said, “I have some first aid supplies here. We can temporarily use it to bandage General Hu!”
Su Jiu looked up and asked, “You have first aid supplies?”
Zhao Xiong laughed. “Yes! We mountain bandits often get injured, so we carry all kinds of life-saving things!”
He said that as he took out a porcelain bottle from his clothes. “This medicine was given to us by an old doctor in the mountains. It is very effective for knife and arrow wounds. Hurry up and apply it on General Hu!”
Su Jiu grabbed the bottle from his hand. Without thanking him yet, she immediately opened the lid and was about to pour the medicine on Hu Dapao’s wound.
“Young Mistress, please wait!” Wei Tan, who had been standing behind, shouted abruptly.
“What’s the matter?” Su Jiu asked.
Wei Tan explained, “I think General Hu’s wound has rotted, so the medicine will not have much effect. You need to use a knife to scrape off the rotten flesh on the wound and bones for the medicine to be effective!”
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone’s faces dropped, their mouths agape.
Everyone knew what Wei Tan said were correct, but the pain of scraping the bone was going to be excruciating. Could Hu Dapao’s body be able to withstand the pain?
Su Jiu grasped the bottle tightly in her palm and looked at Hu Dapao.
Hu Dapao bobbed his head and said, “Chief, I can bear it! Do it!”
After picking up a piece of broken wood at his side and biting it in his mouth, Su Jiu noticed that there were many bite marks on the broken wood. Hu Dapao had likely bitten it when his wound hurt in the middle of the night to tolerate the pain.
“Okay!” Su Jiu nodded and held out her hand. “Bring me the knife!”
Ah Shu, who carried a dagger on his body, swiftly took it out and handed it to Su Jiu.
Su Jiu roasted the blade on the fire, looked at Hu Dapao’s savage wound, and said in a clear voice, “In a moment, I will remove the rotten flesh as soon as possible, and I will not stop until it is done! So please, hang in there!”
“Yes!” Hu Dapao’s voice was raspy.
The people behind Su Jiu were tense, and their eyes were foreboding. They seemed to be even more nervous than Su Jiu.
Shaving bones and picking flesh; one did not need to experience it to know how painful it was going to be. Even Zhao Xiong, who was used to seeing blood, could not help but frown.
Chang Huan and Ah Shu pressed down hard on Hu Dapao’s legs, to prevent him from struggling involuntarily under severe pain. Their breaths were getting quicker and quicker, and their chests were thumping as if their hearts were going to jump out.
Su Jiu gripped the dagger tightly and pulled down Hu Dapao’s clothes a bit. She took a deep breath and used the tip of the knife to cut the wound.
“Ah!” Hu Dapao grunted as he bit on the wooden stick. Cold sweat rolled down from his forehead incessantly.
Everyone could not help but feel worried for him.
In the silent mountain top, where the wind was roaring and the faint glimmer of light in the cave cast several silhouettes, the sound of Su Jiu shaving the bones with a knife, coupled with the Hu Dapao’s repressive bawls, caused people to quake with trepidation.
Hu Dapao’s rotten flesh and blood stuck together and emanated a strong, rancid smell. If it was not removed, it would only fester and get worse. Even if he managed to survive, he would probably lose his arm!
Hu Dapao gritted his teeth tightly. His face was as pale as ghost, and the sweat on his forehead was pouring down like rain. His body shook uncontrollably as the knife scraped on his bones.
Ah Shu and Chang Huan held Hu Dapao tightly. They were ghastly pale as they stared nervously at Su Jiu.
Su Jiu’s hand shivered, and she glanced at Hu Dapao. She whispered, “Think of Nangong Bi!”
That name seemed to have a strangely calming effect. Hu Dapao calmed down and closed his eyes tightly.
At that moment, time seemed to pass extremely slowly, and everyone’s breath involuntarily slowed down. Hu Dapao had tussled with death a few times. Upon hearing the crisp clanking sound, he realized that Su Jiu had already put the dagger down. She swiftly hit the pressure points on Hu Dapao’s body to stop the bleeding, and then sprinkled the medicine on the wound.
Bright red blood flowed out, and everyone heaved a deep sigh of relief.
Chang Huan immediately handed the torn shirt to Su Jiu to bandage Hu Dapao.
The wooden stick in Hu Dapao’s mouth fell out, and his head tilted back. His sweat had drenched his clothes as he gasped for air.
“Done!” Su Jiu exclaimed in relief and sat back down on the ground. She looked up at Hu Dapao’s soldiers and asked, “Is there any water nearby? Go and get some water!”
“Yes!” The soldier’s face was also tense and pale. As soon as he heard Su Jiu’s request, he immediately picked up a clay jar and exited the cave.
Both Ah Shu and Chang Huan were breaking out in cold sweat. They let go of Hu Dapao’s legs, sat on the ground, and heaved deep breaths.
Zhao Xiong said, “Rest assured, Master Su Jiu! This medicine is very good for treating such injuries. General Hu will surely get better!”
“Thank you!” Su Jiu wiped the sweat off her forehead and nodded with a grin.
“You are welcome, Master Su Jiu!” Zhao Xiong smiled back.
Su Jiu turned her head and said, “Ah Shu and Chang Huan, go and bring Wang Wengong and the rest over. This cave is big enough for us to seek shelter from the wind. Also, go and recover the wild boar we had just killed!”
“Yes!” Ah Shu and Chang Huan stood up.
“I will go with them too!” Zhao Xiong said, looking at Wei Tan. “Chief Wei can help guard General Hu and Master Su Jiu here!”
Wei Tan nodded. “Okay, go ahead!”
After they left, the soldier who had gone to fetch water returned and placed the jug on the fire to heat it.
Su Jiu ripped off the corner of her robe, wetted it with water, and wiped Hu Dapao’s face. At that point, Hu Dapao had already passed out.
Wei Tan and two other soldiers stood guard at the entrance of the cave, paying close attention to any surrounding movements.
The name of the soldier who fetched water was Pan Gang, who gave a brief account of the situation on the mountain to Su Jiu.
They were going to patrol the surrounding cities and towns when they met a large number of Naye soldiers near Mount Hala. They suddenly encountered foreign enemies in their territory, and the shock at that time was unimaginable.
Hu Dapao had only brought a thousand soldiers, and they were besieged by Naye thirty thousand soldiers and horses. Although the battle’s situation was extremely hopeless, Hu Dapao still desperately fought his way out and got one of his guards to ride out and deliver a message to Youzhou.
At that time, there were about a hundred people alongside Hu Dapao. They had no choice but to climb to the Camelback Ridge and were trapped on the mountain ever since.
Over the past ten days, the Naye soldiers had come up to encircle the mountain from time to time, unleashing fire attacks, arrow attacks, and carrying out large-scale search operations.
Hu Dapao himself was also hit by an arrow, but he still engaged in guerrilla warfare with the Naye soldiers. Although his people decreased in numbers, he had managed to kill thousands of his enemies.
However, there was no food or medicine in the mountain. In the extreme cold, the wounded soldiers could not be treated, and they died one after another as a result. In the end, only four of them were left.
They had not eaten for two days and had eaten everything that could be eaten in the mountain. That wild boar was only discovered after Pan Gang had camped for one night. It was then that he unexpectedly encountered Su Jiu and the rest.
Pan Gang merely skimped through many places. However, Su Jiu was cognizant of the dangers of the area, and she was really glad that they had come.
Su Jiu touched Hu Dapao’s forehead and was relieved that he did not have a fever.
Fortunately, Hu Dapao’s strong will to live had kept him alive until now.
After the water had boiled, Su Jiu poured some for Hu Dapao to drink. She drank a little as well.
She had not eaten anything or drunk a sip of water since two nights ago.
Picking up the dagger on the ground, Su Jiu wiped off the blood on it and kept it in her leggings.
Soon, Ah Shu and Chang Huan returned with the rest, and the people behind looked up at the wild boar killed by Su Jiu and Pan Gang.
As soon as everyone entered, the cave became crowded, but when they heard that General Hu had been found, everyone was bursting with happiness.
Wang Wengong was physically the weakest among them. After climbing the mountain for a day and walking a long distance to the cave there, he was exhausted. He sat on the ground and panted heavily.
The wild boar was thrown onto the ground. Su Jiu glanced at it and wanted to laugh. How was this a boar? It was a ‘stone pig’.
As the weather on the top of the mountain was extremely cold, the animals here had to adapt to the environment, and thus they had their ways to keep out the cold. This wild boar would rub its body against a pine tree that could secrete sap. Afterward, it would roll on the ground after rubbing the sap all over its body, covering itself with sand and stones. After accumulating layers of sand and stone over a long period, the wild boar was covered with a layer of hard stone, which could not only keep itself warm but also defend itself from enemies.
It was only today that the wild boar met Su Jiu and Pan Gang. It was only killed after its head was smashed by a rod, and an arrow shot through his ‘armor’.
About a dozen people dragged the wild boar out of the cave and used a lot of strength and effort to peel off the layer of stone and crack open the belly.
The mountain was desolate. After stripping away the stone-covered skin from the wild boar, they discovered it was quite skinny. In their situation, however, it was good enough to have food in such a godforsaken place.
The wild boar was grilled on the fire, and a radiant oil began to emerge. Everyone sat around the fire and swallowed their saliva in hunger.
The rich and fragrant smell of the meat permeated through their noses, causing Su Jiu to realize that she was starving.
After the pork was cooked, Wei Tan cut out the best piece for Su Jiu first.
Su Jiu did not refuse. Everyone divided the meat and munched on it hungrily.
Without salt or any seasoning, the twenty people gobbled up the meat, their lips smudged with oil.
Su Jiu left a tender part of the meat for Hu Dapao, leaving the bones behind. The rest filled up everyone else’s stomachs.
Thoroughly exhausted and fatigued, everyone planned to have a good night’s sleep after their meals to rush down the mountain the next day.
After eating the meat, several people picked up some dried wood and planned the guard duties, while others rested against the stone wall.
At that moment, it was about three in the morning, a couple of hours before dawn. The cave gradually quieted down as Zhao Xiong and the others eventually closed their eyes and snored.
Chang Huan patted his shoulder and said to Su Jiu, “Boss, you can lean on me to sleep for a while!”
Su Jiu leaned her head against the mountain wall and whispered, “No need. Go and sleep!”
As dawn was breaking, the wind howled, and the mountain was freezing. With the chilly air blowing mercilessly, they could not win over the cold despite having two campfires.
Chang Huan scooted closer to Su Jiu and lied sideways to shield her from the cold wind. Gazing at the woman’s delicate white face under the firelight, he smiled with a half-squinted expression. He thought that this cold mountain peak was not so unbearable after all.
When the sun was about to light up the sky, Hu Dapao frowned and slowly woke up. As soon as his eyes opened, Su Jiu, who was lying beside him, immediately woke up and got up swiftly.
“Dapao!”
Hu Dapao opened his eyes and was perplexed for a moment when he saw Su Jiu. When he fully came to his senses, he muttered in a hoarse voice, “I thought I was dreaming! So you did come, Chief!”
Su Jiu touched his forehead, her chapped lips curling into a smile. “What a fool!”
Hu Dapao’s mouth grinned even wider as he looked at Su Jiu sheepishly.
Chang Huan also woke up. He came over and asked, “Dapao, how do you feel?”
Hu Dapao nodded gently. “Much better. I’m okay!”
“Are you hungry? Wait for a while!” Su Jiu said. She got up and walked to the fire that was about to be extinguished, and added firewood to reignite the fire. She then found a half-broken pot, poured water in it, and boiled it over the fire. After that, she took out two biscuits, broke them into bits, and added them into the pot. Using the dagger, she cut the meat that she had left for Hu Dapao into pieces and put them in the soup.
Chang Huan stared at the biscuits that Su Jiu had brought out, a tinge of sadness manifesting in his eyes. His nose soured and slightly turned his head away.
The bone soup boiled, and the fragrance wafted out. Hu Dapao swallowed his saliva as he watched on.
After taking off the clay pot and letting it cool down for a while, Su Jiu brought it over, lifted Hu Dapao, and placed the clay pot beside his mouth.
“Chief, you eat first!” Hu Dapao looked at Su Jiu, keeping his mouth closed.
“We have all eaten already!” Su Jiu raised an eyebrow as she signaled at the bones that had been gnawed on and left on the ground.
Hu Dapao then opened his mouth and began to feast on the broth ravenously, without chewing on the meat.
“Slow down! Don’t hurry!” Chang Huan chortled.
He almost finished the broth in one gulp. Hu Dapao’s initially cold body began to warm up. He could feel his strength returning to his body and laughed. “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten since I was trapped in the mountain!”
Ah Shu also woke up, and the four of them sat together and chucked.
Su Jiu looked at Hu Dapao’s wound and applied a new layer of medicine on it.
“Is Master An okay?” Hu Dapao looked at his friends. His wound did not seem to hurt anymore.
“He is alright. Master An wanted to come along, but we made him stay!” Su Jiu said.
Hu Dapao nodded and suddenly remembered something. He asked quickly, “Chief, how did you all come up the mountain?”
At the foot of the mountain, there were a lot of Naye soldiers. When he had many men, they had tried to penetrate through the barrier a few times but were unsuccessful. The place was heavily guarded by tens of thousands of Naye soldiers, such that even birds could not fly in.
Yesterday, he got so excited seeing Su Jiu and the rest, but the pain caused by the wound was so excruciating that he had forgotten to ask that question.
Su Jiu recounted the stories of them reaching Northern Xinjiang, how they were robbed by Zhao Xiong’s mountain bandits, how they met Wei Tan, and how coincidentally lived in Madame Wang’s house. After that, she told him how they went to intercept the Naye soldiers at River Gugu, and how Wang Wengong led them through the hidden paths of perilous cliffs and precipices and got up the mountain.
As Hu Dapao listened, he became astonished. He laughed and remarked, “To think that there are such coincidences in this world!”
Su Jiu sat on the ground cross-legged and smiled with raised eyebrows. “Yes, I did not expect it! Otherwise, it would probably take a lot of effort to climb up the mountain!”
“Chief, should we go down the mountain tomorrow?” Ah Shu asked.
Su Jiu rubbed the stones on the ground, pondered for a moment, and slowly shook her head. “No, Dapao’s wound has just recovered, and he’s still unable to get up. Let him recuperate for one more day, then we will go down using the same path we came from!”
“Alright!” Ah Shu nodded.
As they were chatting, it was already dawn, and the others woke up one after another. Wei Tan came over and asked, “General Hu, are you feeling better?”
Hu Dapao nodded and smiled. “I’m much better now! Thank you all for escorting our Chief all the way!”
“You’re welcome! It was nothing!” Wei Tan grinned.
Zhao Xiong and the rest also got up and came over to greet Hu Dapao.
Hu Dapao had spent half a year in Northern Xinjiang before and had stayed for a few months after coming again. Even if they did not see him, these people had heard of Hu Dapao before. They all looked at him with much admiration and respect.
In the morning, Su Jiu boiled a large pot of soup with the leftover bones from the previous day to share with everyone.
After the meal, the sun had risen. The mountain mist gradually dispersed, and the contour of the Camelback Ridge could be seen.
Zhao Xiong took a few people to go hunting, and investigate the movements of Naye soldiers at the same time.
Soon, Zhao Xiong came back, and his face looked anxious. “Master Su Jiu, Master Wei, bad news! I just spotted a large number of Naye soldiers coming up the mountain!”
“They are coming again!” Pan Gang got up in an agitated manner.
Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat. Suddenly, sounds of footsteps could be heard coming from outside the cave. Zhao Xiong ran in quickly and warned them while breathing heavily. “Not good! The Naye soldiers are coming to surround the cave!”
Hu Dapao frowned. The Naye soldiers were already up in the mountain at this time, indicating that they had already set off since last night and came directly to the cave. How did they know where they were hiding?
Su Jiu got up suddenly. They could no longer wait for a day to go down the mountain according to the previous plan.
“Ah Shu, Chang Huan, carry Dapao! We will immediately go down the mountain!” Su Jiu commanded sternly.
“Yes!”
Ah Shu and Chang Huan carried Hu Dapao’s body, and under the cover of Zhao Xiong, Wei Tan, and the others, they darted towards the path to go down the mountain.
Not long after leaving the cave, heavy and menacing footsteps could be heard behind them. A large number of forces were deployed up the mountain.
It seemed that the Naye soldiers had exhausted all their resources. This time, the whole army was dispatched, determined to capture Hu Dapao.
It was the first time Wang Wengong witnessed such a scene. All color drained from his face, and he collapsed to the ground as his legs wobbled.
Without saying another word, Zhao Xiong and Wei Tan grabbed each of Wang Wengong’s arms and continued to run forward.
However, the soldiers seemed to pick up their tracks, and the deafening footsteps were getting closer and closer to them!
Hu Dapao frowned slightly, his face ghastly pale. He suddenly said, “Something’s wrong!”
“What’s wrong?” Ah Shu asked.
“The Naye soldiers knew about our whereabouts. Something’s not right! It was the wild boar yesterday!” Hu Dapao suddenly said.
Su Jiu, who was behind Hu Dapao, heard what he said and raised her head. She instantly understood what Hu Dapao meant.
The Naye soldiers had stayed under the mountain for many days and had tried to attack many times. They used various methods, but they never managed to capture Hu Dapao, so they devised a devious trick.
Hu Dapao stayed in the mountain for more than ten days and had already exhausted all the food. The Naye soldiers must have thought of that, and deliberately caught a wild boar and released it in the mountain to bait Hu Dapao’s forces into catching it.
The Naye soldiers must have therefore followed the wild boar. After discovering the whereabouts of Hu Dapao and the rest, they went down the mountain to report. As a result, the whole army got up the mountain to conduct a siege.
Even if they figured it out now, it no longer mattered. All they could do now was to escape.
After a distance, the soldiers behind them were getting even closer, and Su Jiu abruptly stopped.
“Young Mistress?” Wei Tan whipped his head back, his face riddled with a puzzled look.
Su Jiu had a determined look, and her black hair flew fiercely in the wind. She said solemnly, “I shall trouble Master Wei and Brother Zhao to escort Dapao and Wang Wengong down the mountain!”
Hu Dapao suddenly turned his head. “Chief, where are you going?”
Wei Tan was taken aback as he widened his eyes. He vaguely understood what Su Jiu insinuated.
Su Jiu said, “The Naye soldiers have already caught up. If they find us on the way down the mountain, none of us will survive. I will lead them away! All of you take Dapao down the mountain!”
“I will follow the Young Mistress!” Wei Tan said immediately.
“I will also follow Master Su Jiu!” Zhao Xiong immediately followed up. “I will arrange for two guards to send Brother Wang and General Hu down the mountain. All the others will go with Master Su Jiu!”
Hu Dapao suddenly pushed away Ah Shu and Chang Huan and stood by himself. He looked at Su Jiu with tenacious eyes. “Chief, do you remember what we had said before? The Dragon Conqueror Gang will stick together through thick and thin. If one of us goes down, we will also die together! I will never want to live alone!”
“Dapao!” Su Jiu exclaimed.
“Do not say anything anymore. If you leave me alone, I will jump down the mountain and die now!” Hu Dapao said as he laughed grimly.
The enemy’s footsteps were thunderous, and it seemed that they would appear the next moment. Su Jiu gritted her teeth, looked at everyone’s red and determined eyes, and commanded, “Alright, since everyone pledged their lives to follow, I will not stop you all. Brother Zhao, please arrange for two guards to escort Wang Wengong down the mountain! The others will charge down the mountain with me!”
Zhao Xiong nodded immediately, turned around, and selected two guards. He ordered them, “Make sure to send Brother Wang home safely!”
“Chief, we want to follow you!” The two of them said hurriedly.
“Stop your nonsense, you will do as I say! Hurry up!”
The two selected men knew that the situation was urgent. Having no other choice, they frowned and cupped their hands to shout, “Chief, please take care!”
After that, they carried Wang Wengong and rushed away to the path they used to come up the mountain.
The rest of the people stared at Su Jiu, waiting for her orders.
Su Jiu said, “First, let’s lead the soldiers away, and then we will look for a way down the mountain and break out!”
“Yes!” Everyone chimed in unison.
When the people who were escorting Wang Wengong could no longer be seen, they ran off towards their left.
Ah Shu jumped on a big stone and saw the beast-like dark figures of the Naye soldiers. They were charging forward with overwhelming bloodthirst. Their hands were armed with long swords, glowing under the reflections of the forest.
He shouted, “You imbecile Naye soldiers! Come at me! Master Shu is here! I will make sure you all will be nothing but the past!”
The leader of the Naye soldiers seemed to have heard Ah Shu, as he made a gesture to the team behind him, and they quickly chased in the direction of Ah Shu.
Su Jiu glanced eastward, and could no longer see the silhouettes of Wang Wengong and the rest.
She had promised the woman that she would send her younger brother back safely, so she would make sure that she kept her words.
The mountain was full of rocks. Su Jiu and the rest moved nimbly between the stone gaps, gradually extending the distance between them and the enemies.
Ah Shu carried Hu Dapao on his back, his tall and lofty body moving swiftly along the rocks as if he was traveling on flat ground.
They came to a fork. Hu Dapao looked around and said, “Go to the right!”
They turned towards the mountain road on the right, evading the Naye soldiers while looking for a way down the mountain.
Having lost sight of Hu Dapao and the rest, the general of the Naye army immediately ordered his army to split and chase them down.
The Naye army of ten thousand men was divided into ten teams, each with one thousand soldiers. They searched through the entire higher ridges of the mountains. Just then, Su Jiu felt that the sounds of the swords and arrows were coming from all directions.
The winter was cold, and half of the Camelback Ridge was covered with snow, so there were no trees for them to hide in. Su Jiu and the rest could only rely on the rocks to take cover, before running in the direction Hu Dapao pointed out.
The intelligence received by the general of the Naye army was from someone who had secretly gone up the mountain to track Hu Dapao. Even though there were only about twenty people in total, he took ten thousand soldiers to surround the mountain. Since he already knew the location of Hu Dapao, he was assured of success. However, they had roamed around the mountain for almost an hour and began to get frustrated as they could not even catch their shadows.
He split his soldiers again to five hundred people each and commanded, “Go over there and search all the roads down the mountain! Be sure to kill Hu Dapao!”
The previous night, He Da took twenty thousand soldiers to attack Yanyun Pass. Until now, there was no news from them. Something seemed to be very wrong!
Whether it was a victory or a defeat, there should be someone who would return to report, but so far, no one returned.
Unless He Da’s army was annihilated!
He understood what kind of person He Da was; he would retreat if things were bad. There was no way that his army would be annihilated.
Feeling uneasy, he wanted to lead his troops to Yanyun Pass, but after besieging the Camelback Ridge for so many days, he became unwilling to give up.
Hu Dapao and the Qiang Clan had clashed against one another before, and they were extremely afraid of Hu Dapao. They told He Da that he must kill Hu Dapao, otherwise, he would be a huge obstacle to hinder them from attacking Daliang Country!
Coincidentally, there was news that Hu Dapao was on the mountain top early this morning. This time he committed himself irrevocably and brought all his soldiers up the mountain, vowing to capture Hu Dapao!
The five hundred soldiers dispatched by him searched along the mountain rocks. Suddenly, one of the soldiers picked up a boot and immediately returned with excitement. “This is the soldier’s boot of Daliang Country. They are now panicking as they try to escape, and even left their boot behind!”
Leading the five hundred people was a captain in the Naye army. He glanced at the boot, and his face brightened up. If he caught Hu Dapao and the others, he would have accomplished a great feat, and getting promoted to General would be imminent!
“Since there is already a clue, what are you delaying for? Hurry up and chase them!” The captain’s eyes twinkled with excitement. It was as if he was not chasing after the general of Daliang Country with the whole army anymore, but rather a piece of fat meat that was about to enter his mouth.
The five hundred soldiers quickly gathered themselves and chased in the direction of the dropped boot.
The captain led his men, thinking about the military merits that he could achieve. He could not wait to capture Hu Dapao and the rest. They unknowingly entered a narrow rock fissure.
On both sides were towering cliffs, and the gap in the middle was about one foot wide. Five hundred people entered, nearly bumping into one another.
The captain looked up at the grey sky above, and he had a bad feeling about this. He ordered, “Hurry up, move along!”
Suddenly, there were sounds of falling rocks. His face changed as he suddenly looked up, and saw that gigantic rocks were rolling down above them.
Boom! The mountain rocks rolled down one after another, and the horrifying sounds they made caused all the soldiers to stop, look up, and scream horrifyingly at the top of their lungs as they tried to rush out of the fissure.
Boom! Boom!
The mountain rocks hit against the cliff and crashed down, directly smashing the panicked soldiers.
Flesh and blood splattered, and their shrieks were carried away by the wind as they wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves. The mountain walls on both sides were dyed in dark red, and the pungent bloody smell diffused in the mountain breeze, which would make people sick.
With just a moment of effort, the bodies of five hundred people piled up, with zero survivors.
When there were no more screams, the stale bloody scent of death in the air could send shivers down one’s spine.
The figures at the top of the mountain flashed and disappeared quickly.
The general of the Naye army heard the screams from a distance, and his face changed. He quickly led the remaining five hundred people and rushed towards the direction of the sound.
However, in just a short moment, the screams were no longer audible, and the air was reeking of blood.
When he walked to the mountain fissure, he saw the soldiers who were crushed ruthlessly inside, and the general was at the brink of insanity.
They had ten thousand people, but they could not even catch a few people. Not only did he fail to find them, but also got his people ambushed instead!
That was akin to giving him a tight slap!
Strong feelings of anger, humiliation, and irreconciliation all welled up within him. The general succumbed to his emotions, and issued an order that if they could not find Hu Dapao, the whole army would be heavily punished!
The soldiers received the order and stepped up in their searching efforts.
After Su Jiu and the others ambushed the five hundred soldiers, they rapidly changed their course and ran towards another path.