Chapter 1569 – Attack on Nie Liang, Assault on Yang Tao, Sword Aimed at the World (107)
In the end, those willing to stay were less than half of the original number.
This was still under the condition that some were concerned, fearing Yan Lin’s words were a test of their loyalty, fearing that anyone who expressed a desire to leave would be silenced. If there weren’t such worries, having even a third of the original stay would be quite good. Seeing this, Yan Lin said nothing and took off his valuable items, handing them to the Centurion among them, instructing him to pawn them for silver as a form of military rations for those remaining.
The Centurion trembled as he took the jade pendant, jade flute, and some gold pieces handed over by Yan Lin, tears streaming down his face.
They bowed deeply to Yan Lin, choked with emotion as they offered their blessings.
Yan Lin sighed deeply and dispatched someone to push the prepared bamboo raft into the water. Night had fallen, making it the perfect time to flee.
However, the escape route was anything but smooth. The first problem they encountered was Yan Lin falling ill. His festering, inflamed wound smelled foul, and he had a high fever that wouldn’t subside. To ensure a successful escape, Yan Lin hadn’t rested for several days, neglecting his own health. Just the evening prior, he had a bit of a fever, and delaying to this point had made his wound worse. The soldiers could only watch helplessly, anxious but powerless.
The wound was too extensive, there were no appropriate medicines, and the humid, stuffy environment of the mountains after days of fleeing without rest… all the conditions were extremely unfavorable, so it was hardly surprising that he fell ill. The night air on the river was cool, and the contrasting temperatures only worsened his condition.
A soldier on the same bamboo raft reached up to wipe Yan Lin’s forehead; upon contact, he was shocked by the heat.
“It’s fine,” Yan Lin, somewhat disoriented, still forced a smile and said, “Follow the plan, do not delay the time.”
He had dismissed the soldiers reluctant to follow. These soldiers would undoubtedly be caught by Fu Wang’s troops after descending the mountain, and a little questioning would reveal Yan Lin and company’s whereabouts. The speed of a bamboo raft couldn’t compare to that of a warship. If they didn’t hurry, there would be no escape.
In fact, Yan Lin could have eliminated this risk by doing as the soldiers feared, killing those attempting to leave to silence them.
He hesitated not out of a soft heart but rather because it simply wasn’t necessary.
The remaining soldiers had already lost most of their morale; further violent killings would only incite chaos among the hundreds left.
“Military Adviser, your forehead is very hot. At this rate…”
The Deputy General quietly swallowed his unfinished words.
If this was ignored, Yan Lin would either become a fool from fever or die.
Of course, it was also possible he could develop pneumonia, but that term didn’t even exist in this era.
The Deputy General’s words received no response because Yan Lin truly could not withstand the protests of his body and the foggy state of his mind as he slipped into unconsciousness.
Even in his stupor, he felt at times as if he were thrown into a furnace, and at other times cast into an icehouse, trembling all over, or that he was being heavily tossed into the depths of the sea, sinking endlessly, with the surroundings growing darker… His consciousness was becoming more hazy, the Deputy General’s calls felt like whispers from a distant sky, no matter how much he concentrated, he couldn’t hear them clearly.
On the other side, seeing Yan Lin’s condition worsen, the Deputy General gritted his teeth and made a decision.
He instructed the remaining soldiers to continue on the bamboo raft to the planned location. If luck was on their side, they might still be saved.
A soldier hesitated, saying, “What if we run into enemies…”
The Deputy General clenched his teeth, “Then we’ll surrender; I don’t think the Lord and Military Adviser would blame you for that.”
They had already done their utmost; it was just that fate wouldn’t yield to them.
These injured soldiers would still have a way out if they surrendered; resisting would only ensure the loss of over a hundred lives!
Another soldier asked, “But what about the General now…”
The Deputy General replied, “The Military Adviser’s injuries are severe, he’s burning with fever, and we need to get to shore and find a doctor quickly.”
The soldiers felt uneasy; they finally had a chance to escape, yet staying behind to find a doctor could potentially expose their identities.
The Deputy General understood this reasoning but knew even better that if Yan Lin died, they would face the wrath of the Lord upon returning. Besides, a person of the Military Adviser’s caliber dying here would be a tremendous waste. If Heaven had eyes, surely they would turn peril into safety.
The Deputy General planned to take a gamble.
Could things get any worse than Yan Lin’s death and their own demise in battle?
“Let’s give it a try; there’s still hope!”
The Deputy General steered the bamboo raft away from the main forces with Yan Lin, their future uncertain, only the remaining determination in their hearts propelling them forward.
They paddled for what felt like ages until the Deputy General finally brought the raft ashore, revealing a small fishing village ahead.
Quietly, he prayed, “I hope there’s a doctor; even a barefoot quack will do!”
Despite knowing the odds were low, he believed that Heaven must have eyes!
The fishing village wasn’t large, with only about thirty households and nearly a hundred fishermen.
Due to a lack of entertainment and expensive lamp oil, most common people worked at sunrise and rested at sunset.
At this hour, it was still early morning, and the village was shrouded in darkness.
To prevent exposure of their identities, the Deputy General hid the raft and the two of them’s armor in a patch of reeds and carried Yan Lin into the village.
“Is anyone there? Is there a doctor in the village?”
He knocked on the doors of several homes; either there was no one at home, or they were met with harsh scoldings; the timid ones pretended to be dead.
“There is…”
After trying door after door, they arrived at the seventh house near the village edge, where the homeowner finally opened the door.
The night was dark, but he could vaguely make out that the homeowner was a petite young woman.
She glanced at them and said irritably, “Come in, stop knocking. Be careful; the villagers might get mad and take you two out.”
The Deputy General stood at the door, hesitating to enter.
The young woman turned around and lit an oil lamp, asking, “Why aren’t you coming in?”
The Deputy General blinked and secretly gripped the short knife hidden in his sleeve.
“Isn’t the person on your back sick?” the young woman said, “I’m a doctor.”
The Deputy General looked surprised; how did this young woman know he was here to find a doctor?
She added angrily, “Are you an idiot? You’ve been banging on doors and wailing for someone to help; I’m not deaf!”
With a bang, the Deputy General’s face flushed red, grateful for his darker skin; otherwise, he would have been humiliated.
“Th-thank you, Doctor!”
He hurriedly carried Yan Lin inside, laying him flat on an old bamboo mat.
Without wasting time, the young woman lit several more oil lamps to provide light, allowing her to see the extent of the patient’s condition.
Yan Lin hadn’t looked after himself throughout these busy days, his hair was disheveled, and his face smeared with dirt, making it hard to recognize his previous appearance.
However, the young woman still noticed that his contours were strikingly handsome; if cleaned up, he’d definitely be a good-looking man.
“This boy has quite the look; what a pity he’s a soldier.”
The Deputy General said, “What’s wrong with being a soldier?”
She raised her hand and began to remove Yan Lin’s outer garment, pointing at his wound, “A profession where you have your head hanging from your waistband; what do you expect?”
The Deputy General: “…”
Why was she stripping the Military Adviser’s clothes without any warning?
Was this lady really a proper woman?
