Chapter 425 – Rebuilding Xiangyang County (Nine)
Jiang Pengji furrowed her brow as she stared at the sheepskin map in her hands.
Meng Hunyun, seeing her so focused, didn’t dare to interrupt.
After a while, she traced a route on the map with her finger.
“We’ll go this way.”
Meng Hunyun glanced at the map, his eyes showing some confusion, not understanding how she was so confident.
Jiang Pengji took a deep breath, gulping down half of the water pouch, then tossed it back onto Big White’s saddle.
“He didn’t specify where he was going while alive, but the marks on him spoke volumes.”
Wiping her face with her palm, her hand was slick with warm sweat.
“In the past few days, the fever has been high with no rain. His clothes were stained in large patches, almost unrecognizable, but the pant legs from his feet to his knees were cleaner than other areas, and the grass sandals had bits of water plants stuck to them, indicating he had waded through water during his escape… According to the Kunyu Map, there are rivers and water plants between the two segments… the only place matching these conditions is right here. I think the troops must be retreating while fighting, hiding out here… I’m not a hundred percent sure, but we have to take a gamble.”
Meng Hunyun carefully examined the place Jiang Pengji indicated, his expression serious.
“If that’s true, they might still be alive…”
According to the map, the area Jiang Pengji pointed out had a twisted topography, making it an ideal hiding spot.
“Let’s hope so.” Her expression remained calm, unaffected by outside disturbances. “The weather is hot, and the mountains are prone to fire. If the Green Garment Army gets impatient and decides to burn the mountains, we’ll be in big trouble. Let’s keep moving.”
Time was tight, and she naturally didn’t want to waste any.
Maybe they were just a little short on time, right?
As the clouds drifted away, the orange glow of dusk spilled over the land, making the air thick and stifling, nearly suffocating.
Gradually, night fell.
At the foot of a mountain, a burly middle-aged strong man sat on a makeshift stool, his fierce gaze fixed ahead as if it had been poisoned.
He spat onto the ground, his face filled with displeasure.
“Pah! Not a single one of these guys is getting away today!”
Not far off, shadows flitted.
“Move faster! Today we burn them alive on the mountain, as a tribute to our fallen brothers!”
“Hurry up, what are you slacking off for?”
“If you keep slacking, the General will whip you to death…”
“Get moving, hands faster, work, work…”
Sounds of shuffling echoed at the mountain’s foot, with thousands of figures moving about, each carrying something.
More than half an hour later.
A middle-aged man in rough cloth bent down, grinning at the sturdy middle-aged strong man seated with a big golden knife. “General, everything’s almost ready. This time, they won’t have a chance to escape. Not even three or five thousand broken remnants; even if three or five thousand Celestial beings showed up, they’d end up roasted and tender, not a chance to run!”
The weather was dry now, and it hadn’t rained for days; if they set the mountain on fire, it would be impossible to put out.
Despite saying this, the middle-aged man’s heart felt a bit uneasy.
Previously, to vent their anger, the Green Garment Army had launched a night raid on the so-called wounded camp.
But nobody expected these people to react so quickly; instead of completely annihilating them, they ended up detected by the enemy.
How foolish these men were; they didn’t even leave behind their burdens while fleeing.
Now they had been forced into a desperate escape, suffering countless casualties, and had shamefully retreated to the mountains, hoping to shake them off amid the complex terrain. Truly absurd; why not just burn them down instead of searching through the deep mountains?
Little did they know, behind a massive rock in the mountains hid a figure holding a crossbow.
After a while, this person returned from the mountain, face heavy.
Breathless, he reported, “Those brutes down below are really planning to set the mountain on fire… the foot of the mountain is filled with dry firewood…”
Set the mountain on fire?
What should he do?
Upon hearing this, many people panicked.
Most of these individuals were wounded, their faces pale, dark circles around their eyes, with a look of exhaustion.
There were elderly people, young children, and several young men and women; faced with impending death, they could only gather together and weep.
They had thought these people could protect them safely, bringing them to safety, but now they found themselves in dire straits.
The shadow of death loomed overhead; under such pressure, someone finally couldn’t hold back and yelled.
“All of you are disaster stars; if it weren’t for you—”
Puh—
Before he could finish, an arrow shot through his knee, blood gushing forth.
Seeing that man in pain, rolling on the ground, many screamed, and chaos nearly ensued.
Crash!
The archer pulled out the arrow, unfazed by the blood, and shoved it back into his quiver.
“I hope you all understand, if it weren’t to save you, I and my brothers wouldn’t be stuck in this hellhole!”
“My brothers who’ve followed me for three or four years died trying to save you useless folks. I haven’t complained; what right do you have to speak up!”
“Shut up! Anyone who dares to make a sound, this will be your fate!”
At that moment, someone sneered in agreement, “Exactly… if it weren’t for our lord’s kindness, who’d bother to pull you out of the ruins? Now that the Green Garment Army is at your door, you’re starting to shed your burdens. Should’ve known that bringing back a bunch of ingrates would lead to this; should’ve just left you behind to see how the Green Garment Army treats you. Men get beheaded, women turned into prostitutes, and not a child spared… I’m a bandit by trade; I wouldn’t mind going back to my old job and starting with you lot!”
“Enough, you’re just getting more ridiculous.”
The speaker was a Brown-clothed Young Man, sitting on a rock, a silver spear beside him.
With sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his handsome face was still captivating, even with dried blood on it.
A nearly three-inch cut marred his left arm; even though it was wrapped tightly with ragged cloth, blood still seeped through.
He seemed to feel no agony from the injury; his expression remained ordinary.
If it weren’t for the earlier remarks crossing the line, he wouldn’t even have furrowed his brow.
“Brother Li, this time we’ve dragged you down with us.”
Despite being reprimanded, the troops showed no anger, even offering the young man a sheepish smile.
If it weren’t for this Brown-clothed Young Man’s chivalrous assistance, leading them on a frantic escape and using his knowledge of the terrain to get close to Xiangyang County, constantly causing trouble for the Green Garment Army, they probably wouldn’t have made it this far and might have reported to the King of Hell earlier.
The young man named Li gently shook his head, his voice deep. “It’s fine.”
“What should we do next… are we just going to sit here and wait for death…?”
Someone murmured softly, and the crowd fell silent.
From the original two thousand troops, now there were less than a thousand left; the remaining brothers had been killed by the Green Garment Army while covering their escape or protecting the common folk, each dying a tragic death. Thinking of those scenes, some couldn’t help but cover their eyes and weep.
Facing the crowd’s low morale, someone couldn’t help but say, “Staying on the mountain means death; rushing down means death too. Comparing the two, might as well take a few with us before we die; this life wouldn’t be wasted, after eighteen years, you’d still be a real man!”
