No matter Sima Ray’s words were true or not, Leng Changxi protected Qin Yunuan behind him subconsciously. Of course, Leng Changxi wouldn’t come all by himself. 3,000 solders of the Leng Army were waiting at the foot of the hill. The reason why Leng Changxi dared to remove so many troops at one time was that he had taken advantage of Sima Ray’s suspicion as well as the secret letter from the palace to keep Sima Ray from taking any action tomorrow so that he could get enough time to return.
“Don’t you believe me?” Sima Ray showed a sly smile, “Listen.”
The sound of fighting came from the thick forest at the foot of the hill. Unprepared, 3,000 soldiers of the Leng Army were attacked by the troops that popped up. According to intelligence, Sima Ray would only station his army here temporarily. Therefore, the number of soldiers guarding here was less than 1,000. However, judging from the situation that the enemies attacked as if they were dark clouds covering the Leng Army, there were at least 5,000 enemies.
Leng Changxi frowned deeply. A smile appeared to Sima Ray’s lips. He enjoyed this moment. It was really rare for him to see Leng Changxi frown.
Sima Ray drew his eyes on Qin Yunuan and said ironically, “Have you said just now that I know nothing of leading armies? That I don’t know how to think for my heelers? See, although Leng Changxi shares weal and woe with those who follow him, there are still some traitors in the end.”
Leng Changxi didn’t speak. His eyes reflected the raging flames, making his eyes red and scary.
Unexpectedly, a person rushed out from the back of the house imprisoning Qin Yunuan with loose hair and haggard appearance. He was waving a huge ax and coming to hack, “You son of a bitch! Chunxiu, my Chunxiu! You’ve already killed her.”
This person was nobody else but Shang Xianhua, who fought with Leng Changxi side by side on the wall. Leng Changxi’s pupils enlarged at the moment. He had never thought that the traitor would be this old general who treated friendship the same as his own life. He even sent Shang Xianhua to investigate the spy in his army.
The master-hands in black beside Sima Ray stepped forward immediately. Leng Changxi retreated a few steps to hold Qin Yunuan tightly.
Qin Yunuan called softly in Leng Changxi’s arms, “Changxi.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Leng Changxi’s tone was extremely gentle. He covered Qin Yunuan’s eyes with his palms. The next moment there was the sound of the blade cutting into the flesh. Qin Yunuan could even imagine that Shang Xianhua fought with many soldiers at the same time, and blood and flesh flew everywhere. Shang Xianhua cursed in a low, hard voice, “Sima Ray, you already knew that Chunxiu was severely injured and lost all her martial arts. You used the chance to take her away and let your jackals abuse her. What’s more, you use her to threaten me to betray the general. With what you’ve done, you will certainly go to hell after death.”
Qin Yunuan’s heart trembled. After all, Shang Chunxiu got hurt in order to save her. However, followed were Sima Ray’s teasing words, “We’ll talk about it after death. Also, how will I know that your daughter is staunch with moral integrity? Just several sexes, and she wouldn’t accept it, killing herself by biting her tongue.”
“Bastard! You bastard!” Just when Shang Xianhua shouted aloud, a sharp broadsword had already stabbed into his heart. The blade could be seen from his back. The man in black holding the hilt seemed to think it not enough, twisting it a few times. It grounded Shang Xianhua’s internal organs into a paste.
Shang Xianhua’s eyes opened wide as if he had died with everlasting regret. He suddenly kneeled down to Leng Changxi’s direction. Opening his mouth, he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t. At that time, the man in black added one hit. Sima Ray said coldly, “People of the Leng Family had beheaded my heeler’s head. You, chop off his head.”
The man in black closest to Shang Xianhua was about to do it. However, when he just raised the broadsword above his head, a cobblestone shot out suddenly and hit the man’s wrist. Leng Changxi’s hadn’t retreated his hand throwing the cobblestone. He moved forward, eyes firm and cold.
“General Leng, how affectionate and faithful you are,” Sima Ray mocked, “This man is a traitor. Is keeping his head worthy of the 3,000 sacrificed soldiers of yours?”
Leng Changxi raised his head coldly, “Sima Ray, I’m different from you. You don’t take humanity into concern when doing things. The Shang girl has once saved my wife. Keeping her brother’s head is my way to pay a debt of gratitude to the Shang Family for Nuan.”
Sima Ray raised up the sword himself and walked to Shang Xianhua’s body, “What a pity! You won’t be able to keep it.”
At that time, hinted by Sima Ray’s eyes, several men in black had besieged Qin Yunuan and Leng Changxi from their back.
Sima Ray smiled complacently, “If you want to protect Shang Xianhua’s head, you can’t care for Qin Yunuan. If you choose to protect her, I’ll keep the head for you.”
Just before Sima Ray could take action, a smoke bomb exploded on the empty ground suddenly, spreading quickly with the updraft formed by the burning fire. Before long, the whole courtyard was all white. One could barely see anything.
Sima Ray originally wanted to give orders, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the choking smog directly entered it with a fishy smell. It was hard to know what it was.
In the smog, Qin Yunuan felt that someone behind her was dragging her. Out of her instinct, she tried to hide in Leng Changxi’s arms in order to guard herself. However, she heard the person said, “It’s me.”
What a familiar voice!
After about the time to burn out an incense, the thick white smog finally clears. Sima Ray waved away the last white mist and opened his eyes, finding that the place where Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan stood was empty as expected, and Shang Xianhua’s body had disappeared.
“Search! Search for them all over the hill!” Sima Ray wouldn’t take it. He had gone to such great lengths to put his deadly foe on the road to ruin. Was he going to give up like that?
The wind was howling in her ears. Having been in the dark, cold environment for a long time, when Qin Yunuan came out just now, her eyes felt pain because of the fire and the smoke. She had been silent and lay on Leng Changxi’s back obediently, letting Leng Changxi show his light skills. In a moment, they went from Sima Ray’s base to the foot of the hill. As they chose a footpath, they could see the killing and fights below from afar.
5,000 people versus 3,000 people, adding that it was a sudden attack in the midnight on the familiar landscapes, it should be quite easy according to logic. Now at the foot of the hill, however, casualties on both sides were equal. Seeing a soldier of the Leng Army closest to Leng Changxi fell down, his footsteps stopped a bit. Feeling his hesitation and trembling, Qin Yunuan called softly, “Changxi?”
At that moment, Qin Yunuan’s eyes had already been useless. In order to make the fire burn quickly, she poured coal oil everywhere in the house. She used to be scared of the fire because it would remind her of the last scene before her rebirth, in which she was burned to death in the marriage sedan. This time, however, she got the courage coming from nowhere. She didn’t leave until she witnessed the fire grew from a small one into licking flame, and then into a fire lighting up the sky.
“I’m fire,” Leng Changxi’s tone was a little grieved. The 3,000 people below were all soldiers going through fire and water with him. But for the greater good, he could not expose himself and Qin Yunuan. More importantly, he could not expose the warrior who came to aid them.
The troops leading the way in the front was the mysterious men who popped up to save them this time. They dressed as minorities. In the moonlight, it could be seen that they wore waistcoats made of animal skins, which was the unique costume of North Di. They were very likely to be people of North Di.
Among them, a person from North Di of great stature was carrying Shang Xianhua’s body. Even though the blood was flowing on his back and arms, he didn’t mind it at all.
The one closest to Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan was holding the machete of North Di and escorting the two people. Seeing that Leng Changxi moved so fast with a person on his back as if there were winds under his feet, he sighed with emotion, “General of Qi, what excellent light skills you have! Shall we have a competition the other day?”
Leng Changxi said in a low voice, “We shall discuss it after we get out of here.”
“How easy it is,” the man thought it a piece of cake. When Leng Changxi shot him a sidelong glance, the man in the most front made a signal backward suddenly. The man laughed, “Here it is.”
They hadn’t arrived at the mountain pass yet. Where were they now?
Leng Changxi thought carefully. Now that the group of people dared to rescue him from great danger, they wouldn’t murder him easily. What’s more, there was no hatred between him and North Di. He needn’t be afraid.
Following them, he found that the “Here it is” by the man implied reaching a secret entrance.
They seemed to believe firmly that Leng Changxi would be suspicious of them more or less, so the leader took two steps forward to ensure no abnormality inside before he waved to Qin Yunuan and Leng Changxi, “General of Qi and his wife, come in quickly. After we all come in, the entrance should be sealed so that it won’t be found by the mad prince.”
Leng Changxi frowned. He heard Qin Yunuan on his back said in a low voice, “Believe them. They should belong to Wanyan Su.”
The secret tunnel was moist and dark. Although Qin Yunuan’s eyes were useless now, her nose was sensitive. This sense was pushed to an extreme in the dark surrounding.
“Wanyan Su is indeed capable,” Qin Yunuan praised in a low voice, “The soil is new. The roots haven’t dehydrated yet. The secret tunnel must be dug up in eight hours.”
Suddenly it was bright before them. The light with heat informed Qin Yunuan that they had arrived at the exit, and there were many torches.
As expected, before long they heard Wanyan Su’s familiar and happy voice, “My good friend! I’ve waited for you for a long time.” The words “good friend” were about Qin Yunuan.
Seeing Leng Changxi, Wanyan Su curtseyed with great respect, “General Leng of Qi, we haven’t seen each other for a long time.”
Leng Changxi didn’t speak. What he was the most worried were Qin Yunuan’s eyes, which had been red and swollen by now, bulging like a peach pit. It hurt to look at them.
Wanyan Su also found Qin Yunuan’s difference, “My good friend, what’s wrong with your eyes? Don’t worry. There is a folk prescription in North Di. Find some mare’s milk or human milk and put it upon your eyes. Before long, you will recover.”
Leng Changxi sneered suddenly, pulling out the dagger hidden in his boots to push against Wanyan Su’s exposed Adam’s apple, “Why should I believe you? You popped up, dug such a secret tunnel, and saved our lives suddenly. If you hadn’t planned all these in the first place, how will you explain?”
Seeing their prince being threatened, those men were all staring at them with hostility. Qin Yunuan squinted and pulled Leng Changxi, “Changxi, calm down. Prince Wanyan is the helper I called.”
