Chapter 66
He Yan originally thought that if it was Xiao Jue who asked Ma Damei and the others to compete in equestrian archery with him, then after the competition, they would be able to see that his skills were out of the ordinary and would do something about it. But after more than ten days had passed, the days were still as usual. Other than the occasional recruits who came to compete with her, nothing else happened. She didn't even get an extra cup of military rations.
Maybe … it was just a coincidence? He Yan thought that maybe the instructors were bored in the Liang Province Guard and wanted to test their skills.
She put this matter to the back of her mind for the time being.
After a few rains, the summer heat seemed to have lessened a bit. Occasionally, when she woke up in the morning for a jog, there was no sun and a cool breeze. Before long, the summer of the Liang Province Guard would be over.
It was also because the weather was gradually cooling that the recruits were allowed to enter the mountain a few days ago.
Mount Baiyue was extremely large. It would take at least a day and a night to climb the mountain. Because of this, the recruits were strictly forbidden from climbing the mountain. At most, they could only go to the top. Every day, five people would go up the mountain to patrol.
Hong Shan didn't understand. "What are five people patrolling for? If there really is any danger, will five people be enough?"
He Yan thought, of course it won't be enough. You weren't supposed to be patrolling in the first place.
The new recruits of the Liangzhou Guard had been training here for an entire summer. Before long, it would be time for the "Battle for the Flag".
The flag battle was to plant more than ten flags at the top of the mountain. The recruits with better aptitudes and outstanding results would be divided into teams and they would go up the mountain to compete. There would be fights between the teams competing. When they finally went down the mountain, the team with the most flags would be the winner. The final winner would become the most promising recruit and would most likely enter the Vanguard Battalion.
He Yan's goal was no longer the Vanguard Battalion, but Nine Flags Battalion.
Now, he had the recruits walk around the mountain every day to familiarize them with the terrain of Mount Baiyue. He wanted them to remember the location so that they wouldn't be unfamiliar with the way during the flag battle. However, the recruits didn't know. As someone who had been in the military, He Yan knew.
The last time she fought for the flag in Mo County, Mo County was connected to the desert. When the wind blew in the desert, the landmarks disappeared and the sand dunes changed. When they were fighting for the flag, the situation was very dangerous. If it wasn't for a big brother in the team who found a small river, perhaps no one would have been able to walk out of the desert.
"Battle for the Flag" not only tested a recruit's individual skills, but also the team's teamwork. It wasn't enough to just focus on one aspect. The test for everyone was very high. Although the so-called Battle for the Flag was in the future, from a certain perspective, the competition had already begun. Smart people would be able to remember the way while patrolling, but those new recruits who did not have any awareness would just take it as a random walk and would not take it to heart. It would not be of any help in the future "battle for the flag".
"Who cares. A He Ge, today it's your turn to go up the mountain. Can you take a bow and arrow and hunt a few rabbits? We'll come back secretly and roast them. I haven't tasted meat for half a month." Xiao Mai licked her lips.
"I won't take a crossbow." He Yan smiled. "A crossbow is too heavy. I'll take a knife." Most importantly, a crossbow was not suitable for close combat. If there was a problem, it wouldn't be very useful. Moreover, in a team, there would always be someone who carried a crossbow. When the time came, they could just borrow it.
Seeing Xiao Mai's regretful expression, she comforted him. "It's okay. In a few days, we can go up the mountain together. At that time, we can hunt as many rabbits as we want."
Xiao Mai was skeptical.
He Yan couldn't tell him that during the flag battle, everyone would be on the mountain. The instructor wouldn't be there either. They might even have to spend the night on the mountain. Naturally, he could eat whatever he wanted.
She tied the belt on her clothes tightly. Then, she heard Hong Shan say, "Then go down the mountain early. Let's celebrate the festival together tonight."
"What festival?" He Yan was confused.
Xiao Mai said, "Qixi Festival!"
He Yan: "…"
He almost forgot that today was the seventh day of the seventh month, Daughter's Day. However, why would a group of men celebrate Qixi Festival? He Yan found it funny. "Shouldn't we celebrate it with the girls we like? Do you guys like any girls? "
Hong Shan immediately said, "Don't look down on others. There are many girls who like your Brother Shan. If Brother Shan wants to celebrate Qixi Festival, the girls will definitely be happy."
"I … I don't." Xiao Mai quickly said, "But my brother does! My brother likes Sister Xiao Lan, who works at Uncle Sun's noodle shop in the east of the city! "
Shi Tou: "…"
He Yan looked at Shi Tou. Shi Tou's ears were red. Xiao Mai asked again, "A He Ge, do you have any girls you like? What kind of girls do you like? "
He Yan casually made up a story. "Good looking, smart, good fighting skills, and rich. Oh right, gentle, considerate, lively, and interesting. It's best if she has some skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. It'd be best if she knows how to cook. "
After He Yan left, Xiao Mai was still thinking about He Yan's words. She muttered, "A He Ge's requirements for his sweetheart are really high …"
"Don't listen to his nonsense." Hong Shan nodded. "He wants to marry a princess. Xiao Mai, don't learn from him!"
Xiao Mai nodded seriously.
He Yan went to the weapon rack in the martial arts arena and took a Mandarin Duck Sword. Ever since she defeated Huang Xiong's golden broadsword with the Mandarin Duck Sword, there were people practicing with the Mandarin Duck Sword every day. However, they were not as agile as He Yan when it came to practicing the Mandarin Duck Sword. After practicing a few times, they felt that it was not suitable for them and gave up. In the end, He Yan was the only one who used the Mandarin Duck Sword in the martial arts arena.
Today, when she went up the mountain, the Mandarin Duck Sword was light and easy to use. If she wanted to start a fire and roast two fish, the Mandarin Duck Sword would be easy to kill.
She took the Mandarin Duck Sword and walked to the end of the horse path. The other four people were already ready.
He Yan did not know these four people. They were not Liang Jiaotou's subordinates. When they saw He Yan, one of them smiled and pointed to He Yan. "Go and pick a horse. We're leaving now."
He Yan nodded. She went to the stable and picked a horse. The five of them went up Mount Baiyue.
The mountain was covered with dense forests. It was much cooler and more comfortable to walk than at the foot of the mountain. From time to time, there were wild rabbits jumping by. Someone asked, "Why don't we hunt a few rabbits?"
"Okay, okay." The recruit who greeted He Yan immediately agreed. "Who brought a crossbow?"
Everyone looked at each other.
Probably because the crossbow was too heavy and they had to stay on the mountain for more than half a day, no one wanted to bring it. So no one brought it.
"Well, no one brought it." A recruit with slanted eyes shrugged. His tone was not very good, but his eyes were looking at He Yan. "Then we can only watch."
Everyone knew that He Yan's archery skills were outstanding. They probably thought that He Yan would bring it.
He Yan looked back indifferently with a calm expression.
You asked General Feihong to hunt rabbits for you. Did you bring your brain? You're really shameless. She thought.
Chapter 67
Rabbits were not to be hunted, foxes were also not to be hunted, and birds were still not to be hunted.
Since they could not hunt anything, they could only obediently patrol the mountain.
The mountain paths of Mount Baiyue were rugged, but the scenery was excellent. White mist rose from the mountain stream, and as far as the eye could see, it was surrounded by an emerald color. Spring light and clouds curled around the robes, and the peaks rose up majestically. It was like a fairyland.
Slanted Eyes was very smart. He carried a few pieces of yellow paper with him, and when he reached a place, he used charcoal to draw a few steps on the yellow paper. He was memorizing the path. Every once in a while, everyone would make a mark on the tree to prevent them from getting lost and not knowing how to get back down the mountain.
Because no one brought a bow, the journey was very quiet. They set off early in the morning and finally climbed to the top by noon.
Everyone tied their horses to the trees and rested for a while beside a small stream. After eating their dry rations and recovering their strength, they could go down the mountain and return to the garrison before sunset.
The recruit who greeted He Yan was not very physically strong. When he reached the top, he was so tired that he collapsed on the ground. He impatiently took out some dry rations to fill his stomach and muttered, "We've finally reached the top. I can't walk anymore."
He Yan washed his hands by the stream and sat down under the Shi Tou beside him. He also took out some dry rations.
The dry rations were the dry biscuits given out in the morning. They were dry and hard. The recruit came over and took out a small handful of pine nuts from his pocket. He handed it to He Yan and said, "Here."
He Yan was surprised. "Where did you get these?"
"My mother packed them for me before we came to the Liangzhou Garrison. She couldn't bear to eat them all in one go, so she saved them." He was reluctant to part with them, but still pretended to be generous. "Try it!"
He Yan picked up one from his palm, peeled it, and threw it into his mouth. "It's very fragrant."
"Right, right?" The child was somewhat happy. "My name is Shen Hong. I know you. He Yan, you were very powerful at the training field. No one could beat you."
"I was just lucky." He Yan smiled.
Shen Hong looked into the distance and said regretfully, "It's a pity that I didn't bring my crossbow. I didn't know that you were going with us. If I had known, I would have definitely brought one. Your archery skills are so good, just use the crossbow to shoot a few rabbits and we can eat roasted rabbits. "
Could it be that he and Mai Mai were biological brothers from different mothers? He Yan thought about it and asked casually, "What weapon did you bring?"
Shen Hong scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Me? I'm not good at archery, so it's useless to bring a crossbow. My swordsmanship is average, and my spear skills are also … I reckon that I won't be of much use, so I took a … "He took out a long staff from behind his back." And this. "
He Yan was speechless.
He actually brought a staff, and it was not an iron staff, but a long staff made from bamboo. Was there such a weapon on the weapon rack in the Martial Arts Practice Field? He Yan doubted that Shen Hong's staff was indeed useless. Oh, unless there was a jujube tree here, he could use this long staff to hit the jujubes.
As if seeing He Yan's speechlessness, Shen Hong quickly tried to remedy the situation. "Anyway, we won't fight."
He Yan nodded. "You're right."
She and Shen Hong sat on one side, while Slanted Eye and the other two sat on the other side a little further away from them. After eating, He Yan leaned against a tree and rested for a while. Shen Hong carefully asked him, "That, He Yan, can I borrow your knife?"
"What's wrong?"
"Do you see that?" Shen Hong pointed to a green patch by the stream. The leaves were long and thin, and it was impossible to tell what kind of grass it was. He said, "My family runs a pharmacy. This is called 'book belt grass'. It's shaped like 'rhombus', but it's not 'rhombus'. It can be eye-catching and soothe the nerves. I want to pick some back. We've been here all day, so it might be useful. But the 'book belt grass' is very tough, so it's not easy to pick. The weapons they're carrying are either long knives or spears. They're not as good as your small knife. "
She was using her knife as a sickle.
He Yan: "… Okay." She took out the mandarin duck knife from her waist and handed it to Shen Hong. "Be careful."
Shen Hong put down the staff in her hand and happily took the knife. She said to He Yan, "Thank you. I'll cut some more. When I'm done, I'll give you another one."
He Yan wanted to say that there was no need, but then he thought that perhaps Hong Shan could use it. Hong Shan said that he had been too hot recently and couldn't sleep well. Moreover, it was Shen Hong's kind intention, so he swallowed the words back into his stomach.
She leaned against the tree and watched Shen Hong busying herself.
As she watched, she suddenly heard movement behind her. She looked again and saw Slanted Eye and the other two people untying the horse ropes on the tree. He Yan was stunned and asked, "Are we leaving already? Aren't you going to rest for a while? "
In total, they had been here for less than an hour. It was still early, so there was more than enough time to go down the mountain.
Slanted Eye didn't seem to like He Yan and was impatient when talking to her. "We're not going down the mountain. Let's go to the front first."
He Yan looked ahead. They were already at the top of the mountain. If they wanted to go to the front, they would have to climb over the mountain. She frowned. "The instructor said that we can't climb over the mountain."
"It's just two more steps. We won't climb over," Slanted Eye said. "We didn't ask you to come with us. You just wait here. We'll be back soon."
"I think," He Yan stood up. "It's better to listen to the instructor. There might be some danger."
"Zheng Xuan, are you going or not?" The other person had already untied the horse rope and got on the horse.
Slanted Eye — Zheng Xuan — looked at He Yan and said, "If you're afraid of danger, then don't go. Besides, only you and I know. As long as you don't say anything, who will know? Don't worry for nothing. Go play with that fool cutting grass! We'll go first. "After saying that, he didn't care about He Yan and got on the horse himself. Together with the other two people, they went into the depths of the forest.
He Yan wanted to chase after them, but he couldn't leave Shen Hong alone. While he was thinking, the three people had already gone far away. She sighed and sat down under the tree again. Forget it. They didn't find anything wrong on the way up the mountain. There weren't many people in the mountain and there weren't any big beasts. At most, there were a few badgers and wild cats. When they saw people, they would run away.
After a while, Shen Hong came back from the stream. He was carrying a bundle of grass in each hand. The grass was really shaped like a book belt. It was long and soft. When he smelled it, he could smell its fragrance. Shen Hong found the longest straw and tied the two big bundles of book belt. He handed one bundle to He Yan. "This is it. Go back and dry it in the sun. Find a cloth bag and put it under your pillow. I guarantee you'll have a good sleep."
He Yan said, "Thank you."
"No problem." Shen Hong waved her hand. Only then did he realize that the other people had disappeared. He asked curiously, "Where are they?"
"They went for a walk." He Yan shrugged. "Let's wait here for them to come back."
Shen Hong didn't understand. Just as she was about to ask, she suddenly heard a scream from the depths of the forest. It was one of the new recruits who was with them.
He Yan was startled. He frowned. In the next moment, he untied the reins and got on the horse. He went straight to the source of the sound.
Chapter 68
The source of the sound was not far away. He Yan galloped on his horse, and Shen Hong followed behind him. She shouted as she ran, "Hey, wait for me!"
As they went further up the mountain, the forest became denser and more moist due to the shade. Almost no sunlight could pass through. In front of people, it felt like the night, gloomy and cold. He Yan stopped in front of a bush.
Zheng Xuan and the other two were right in front of him. Their horses were anxiously galloping in place, not daring to take a step forward. Zheng Xuan's face was pale, and the other two were on the verge of tears.
Around the three of them, four wolves were crouching and growling at them. He Yan and Shen Hong happened to come over, and the wolves looked at He Yan with murderous gazes.
How could there be wolves at this time of the year? He Yan felt a little strange.
He looked at Zheng Xuan and the others. They were all in a sorry state. He Yan also noticed that the saber at Zheng Xuan's waist was missing. A pack of wolves would attack a person who was alone, but they would not attack the three of them for no reason. He Yan asked, "What did you do?"
Zheng Xuan's face was pale and he did not speak. The recruit behind him said with a sobbing tone, "We, we walked to the front and saw a cave. There were howls coming from inside, so we went in to take a look. There was a litter of wolf pups inside …"
"Did you touch the wolf pups?" He Yan asked sternly.
Her harsh words scared the recruit. He quickly replied, "No, no, we just wanted to take them back and raise them. Not long after we left, we, we saw these wolves."
He Yan simply wanted to pry open these people's brains and see what exactly was inside. Seeing a wolf's den meant that a female wolf was nearby. Not only did they not leave quickly, they even took the wolf pups. Did they really think that the adult wolves would not follow the scent?
"Where are the wolf pups?" He Yan asked.
"… We were scared and quickly threw the wolf pups back to them, but …"
"But what?" He Yan's heart suddenly had a bad premonition.
"But one of them fell on a rock and seemed to be dead," the person said.
"You!" He Yan was furious. This pack of wolves would not leave.
"What are you yelling for!" Zheng Xuan was angry. "Isn't it just a few wolves? Just kill him! How could a person be forced to death by a few beasts? "
He Yan sneered, "Is that so? What about your saber? "
Zheng Xuan's expression turned even uglier. After he killed the wolf pup, he had drawn his saber to confront the pack of wolves. However, the pack of wolves was cunning. His saber skills were not bad, but in his nervousness, the wolves took advantage of him and nearly injured him. In a moment of desperation, he even dropped his saber. If it wasn't for that, they wouldn't be facing such a desperate situation now.
"Cut the crap. Now, we can either die together or think of a way." He forced the words out from between his teeth.
Just as they were talking, Shen Hong also rushed over on his horse. When he saw this scene, he jumped in fright and his voice immediately trembled. "So, so many wolves! Why are there so many wolves? "
The wolves lowered their bodies and bared their fangs. This was a sign that they were about to attack.
If they had a match, it would be fine. Wolves were afraid of fire. However, they had come out in broad daylight and had not brought any with them. Just as he thought of this, the four wolves pounced on the three people surrounding them.
The three people screamed in panic. One of their horse legs was bitten and almost fell off. Shen Hong was about to cry. "Help!"
What was the use of calling for help now? There was no one else here. He Yan steeled his heart and rushed in on his horse. With her charge, she had broken the encirclement of the wolves. When the wolves saw her, they rushed towards her.
He Yan urged, "Where are your spears? Take them out and use them! "
"Oh, oh." The two recruits seemed to have woken up from a dream. Only then did they remember their spears. They took them out and waved them around a few times, but they couldn't hold them steady. He Yan's heart suddenly turned cold.
It was impossible to count on these people. He Yan wanted to reach for his saber. Only then did he remember that his saber had been borrowed by Shen Hong. He only had a long stick made of bamboo on him. He shouted, "Shen Hong, throw my saber over!"
Shen Hong responded. She trembled as she pulled out her saber and threw it over. However, He Yan was probably too nervous. He didn't even have time to prepare his saber. The long saber fell from the air, leaving only a short saber in its scabbard. It was thrown in the air and He Yan put it away.
The wolves surrounded them again, waiting for an opportunity to attack. He Yan said, "When I tell you to run later, just turn around and run. Don't care about anything else. Run down the mountain until you reach the camp. Let the instructors come up, understand?"
Shen Hong asked, "What about you?"
"I have a way to shake them off!"
"He Yan, how can we run?" The recruit beside Zheng Xuan sobbed. "We are surrounded. They will bite the horse legs. If they bite off the horse legs, we won't be able to escape …"
"It's not like there's no way." After He Yan said this, the short saber in his hand suddenly flew out. The Yang saber was originally small. His movement was fast. In the blink of an eye, everyone only saw a flash of silver light. Suddenly, there was a miserable howl. The smell of blood immediately flowed out.
The largest wolf fell to the ground. Blood kept bubbling out of its throat. The saber had completely sunk into its throat. Only the handle of the saber was left outside. The wolf struggled a few times and stopped breathing.
"Run!" He Yan shouted.
Zheng Xuan and the others didn't dare to breathe loudly. They immediately shouted, "Jia!" and used all their strength to rush out of the forest. They thought that the remaining wolves would chase after them. They didn't dare to look back. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared.
The remaining wolves didn't chase after them. They panicked for a moment. When they looked at He Yan again, their gazes were extremely fierce.
He Yan killed the leader of the wolves.
Wolves were pack animals. Among these wolves, the largest one was their leader. They listened to the leader's command. He Yan killed them. They were a group of dragons without a leader. They were not as smart as before. But at the same time, as the price of killing the leader, she would face the revenge of these wolves.
A wolf bared its white teeth and pounced at her. Its sharp claws and teeth could tear a person's head apart. He Yan swept his staff horizontally in front of him, causing the wolf to roll forward, pouncing on empty air.
"Chi." It was a very soft sound. He Yan's ears were amazing. Once she heard it, her heart sank.
The bamboo stick had cracks. It might not be able to withstand a few blows before it broke.
"How unlucky!" She cursed in a low voice. It was just three wolves. She could deal with them alone. But now, she had no other weapons on her except for the stick that was about to break. This was really a case of a hero stumped by a penny. No, it was a case of blessings don't come in pairs and misfortunes don't come singly.
A person couldn't be forced to death by animals. She thought of Zheng Xuan's words and laughed softly.
On the battlefield, other than taking the initiative to attack, she was also good at running away.
"Run!"
The girl's voice resounded through the forest, startling countless birds. The long stick seemed to have infinite strength. It directly struck forward, forcibly opening a path.
She rode the horse with the long stick in her hand. It seemed that she was going to disappear into the vast forest.
Behind her, the pack of wolves chased after her. It was a close call.
Chapter 69
The wind blew past their ears. After running for a long time, the horse stopped.
Shen Hong hugged the horse's stomach. They ran as fast as they could. The mountain road was bumpy, so they didn't dare to stop. Only now did they feel nauseous.
They were already halfway up the mountain. When they looked back, they didn't see any wolves chasing after them.
A recruit said, "We, we're saved."
Shen Hong looked at his waist in a daze. When he came, he grabbed a bamboo stick. Now that the bamboo stick was given to He Yan, he thought of He Yan. His face turned pale and he asked in a trembling voice, "… Where is He Yan?"
There was only one bamboo stick. Shen Hong had lost one of his Mandarin Duck Knives. The other one was stuck in the wolf's throat. He Yan didn't have any weapons. The three wolves were charging at him menacingly. How could he escape alone?
"Should we go back and take a look?" He gathered his courage and asked.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Zheng Xuan looked at him coldly. "Those wolves are still there. It wasn't easy for us to escape. Are we going back to die?"
"But He Yan is behind us. He can't do it alone." Shen Hong thought of He Yan and his eyes turned red. He felt that He Yan was a good person. They were just eating pine nuts together.
"Didn't he ask us to go down the mountain to find the instructor?" The recruit beside Zheng Xuan said, "Let's go down the mountain and tell the instructor to save him."
"No."
Shen Hong looked at Zheng Xuan in disbelief. Zheng Xuan's expression didn't change. "If we tell the instructor, he will know that we went over the mountain."
"He just saved us. If it wasn't for He Yan, we would be dead!" Shen Hong said loudly.
"You know that the three of us almost died. If he went against the wolves alone, he would definitely die!" Zheng Xuan's voice was louder than Shen Hong's. "Going over the mountain is a violation of military orders. If it's light, you will be punished with a cane. If it's heavy, you will be beheaded. Do you want others to die for He Yan who is already dead? Shen Hong, do you want to do this? "
Shen Hong was stunned by the roar. He was naturally timid and afraid of trouble. If it weren't for his family's misfortune, he would have been the young master of a medicine shop for the rest of his life. He would have lived a normal life, without illness or disaster. Now that something had happened, he was already flustered. As soon as he heard that Xu Hui's head had fallen to the ground, he shuddered in fear.
He still had a mother to take care of at home. If he died, there would be no male in the family. How would the old and young live?
"I … I …" Shen Hong stammered, unable to speak.
"After we go down the mountain, pretend that nothing happened. When the sun sets, tell the instructor that He Yan didn't listen to anyone's advice. He climbed the mountain and couldn't find him," Zheng Xuan said emotionlessly.
This was not only to block He Yan's last way out, but also to frame He Yan with the crime of violating military orders. Shen Hong shook her head, but the other two were already worried that they would be punished, so they agreed. Zheng Xuan stared at Shen Hong and said, "If you want to complain, go ahead. Let's see if the instructor believes you or us."
After saying that, he no longer cared about Shen Hong's expression and urged his horse to gallop forward. Shen Hong had no other choice. The mountain was getting dark, so she could only follow.
The sky was getting dark, and there was almost no light in the forest.
The horse lost its way on Mount Baiyue. He Yan held the bamboo stick and looked back. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had finally shaken off the wolves.
This was the first time he had seen wolves so relentlessly chasing after him. He Yan curled his lips and thought of the wolves he had encountered in Mo County. At that time, there was a famine in Mo County. All the wolves within a hundred miles were caught and eaten. They were not as arrogant as the ones on Mount Baiyue. Thinking of this, he felt that Zheng Xuande was really brainless. Why would he think of catching wolves to raise? Wolves were animals that could not be domesticated. Those that could be domesticated were domestic dogs that would wag their tails at people, while wolves only knew how to bite people's throats.
The horse turned in a circle and did not go any further.
There were trees everywhere and they looked exactly the same. She had not been able to make a mark on the trees to avoid the wolves. She was afraid that they had already climbed over the mountain and did not know where she was. If Shen Hong and the others did not inform Liang Ping in time, they would not be able to leave the forest when it was dark. Without a fire starter, they were afraid of encountering wild animals. They could only spend the night on the mountain.
Thinking of this, she sighed and got off the horse. She planned to find a cave to shelter from the wind. Just as she got off the horse and stood up, she suddenly felt that something was wrong.
She did not know why, but if she had to, it was probably because of her intuition of danger from years of fighting on the battlefield. She subconsciously tilted her head and felt a black shadow pass over her head. Something scratched her neck and brought out a trace of blood.
The horse was startled and raised its front hooves. He Yan did not hold the reins tightly and the horse rushed forward without looking back. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the depths of the forest. She turned her head and saw the black shadow that had just pounced on her. It was crouching in the grass, revealing two green eyes.
It was the wolf just now.
He Yan looked at the wolf and then looked in the direction it came from. She suddenly realized. Among the few wolves just now, there was actually a smart one. It knew that it could not catch up with He Yan who was riding a horse, so it took a shortcut. Baiyue Mountain was not He Yan's territory, but it was the territory of the mountain beasts. It must have been lurking for a long time, waiting for He Yan to let down her guard and then pounce on her and bite her throat.
In fact, the wolf had almost succeeded.
He Yan touched her neck and felt a burning sensation. Her hand was stained with blood. Seeing that its attack had failed, the wolf bared its fangs and pounced on He Yan from behind.
He Yan rolled on the ground to avoid its claws. She was a little anxious. Now that the horse was gone, she could only fight with the wolf. But she only had this stick.
When Shen Hong went up the mountain, even if she only had a string of darts, she thought in her heart. She held the stick horizontally and pounced on the wolf's head.
The bamboo stick hit the wolf's head. With a "bang", it broke from the middle. The wolf's head was hit to the side, but it only bled a little. It looked at He Yan and howled furiously twice before pouncing on her again.
"What kind of broken stick is this!" He Yan cursed and dodged. The wolf was very cunning. It did not attack from the front. Instead, it pounced on her from behind, intending to bite her neck. He Yan dodged a few times, but she did not manage to dodge and was bitten by it. She bent her elbow and stabbed the wolf's stomach. The wolf was hit and cried out in pain, desperately pouncing on her.
One person and one wolf wrestled together. The leaves in the forest rustled. He Yan forcefully pulled the wolf's head to prevent its mouth from biting her. She thought in her heart, "Do I have to bite this wolf with my mouth?" Just as she thought of this, she suddenly felt that there was nothing under her feet. Before she had time to react, she felt her body fall. She heard a "bang" sound. The next moment, she and the wolf fell to the ground together.
The sky became round, and the tree branches seemed to be higher. Below her feet was bumpy soil, and there was a wolf that had just stood up.
She and the wolf fell into the trap together.
Chapter 70
The arena became even smaller. It was like an even smaller martial arts stage. The only difference was that her opponent had become a bloodthirsty wild beast. At this moment, He Yan didn't have any weapons in his hands. Even the bamboo stick that had been broken into two was gone.
The wolf's eyes burst with excitement. It was a smart and cruel animal. In this case, the human would definitely die.
He Yan's lips curled into a bitter smile. God was so kind to her. Why did he arrange such a difficult situation for her? She was not a miraculous strongman. How could she turn danger into safety every time?
This was probably a trap set up by hunters to catch rabbits or foxes. Perhaps it had been too long since the trap was set up, but it was completely covered by dead branches and leaves. Who knew that she would fall into the trap while fighting with the wolf? Now there was no way out.
The wolf slowly stood up. He Yan also wanted to stand up. She knew it was not good when she moved. When she fell, she hurt her left leg. Now when she moved her left leg, it was painful.
She had to stand up with the help of the stone wall.
The wolf lowered its body and made a low growl. He Yan looked down at it. Her back was against the stone wall. She did not move. It took a few steps and suddenly rushed towards He Yan.
With its bloody mouth open in front of his eyes, He Yan could almost smell the disgusting stench of blood. In front of his eyes, He Yan recalled the bones he saw on the roadside that were eaten by wolves. Their bodies were mutilated, their faces unrecognizable, and only a pile of rotten meat was left.
In the nick of time, she suddenly stretched out her left arm. The wolf rushed towards her neck, but she slapped it away. She used some strength in this slap, but it was no match for a wild beast. She only protected her neck, but in the next moment, her arm was bitten by the wolf.
She did not need to look to know that the bite was not light. She did not care at all. Instead, she moved forward, as if she wanted to put her arm deeper into the wolf's mouth. Before the wolf opened its mouth, He Yan's right hand suddenly chopped forward.
A blood-curdling scream erupted from the wolf's mouth. The cunning and persistent wolf struggled desperately in the pit. Its eyes were scratched by the sharp stones, and blood splattered everywhere.
He Yan let go of her hand. In her palm, there was a small piece of Shi Tou. The sharp end of the Shi Tou was still stained with blood.
She stabbed the wolf's eyes.
From the moment she fell into the trap, she looked around for something that could be used to defend herself. Unfortunately, there were only scattered stones in the pit. She simply found the one that could be used.
The wolf lost a pair of eyes. It could not see anything. Because of the pain, it could not care about anything else. It could only struggle in the pit. He Yan gritted her teeth... He Yan leaned against the stone wall. She used all her strength to press the wolf's head..............
Blood slowly oozed out. At first, it was warm, but gradually, it became cold.
.... and she slowly.... His left arm had been bitten by a wolf, and the blood had stuck to his sleeve. He could not lift his left leg, and his neck had been scraped. Needless to say, she was also in a sorry state. But when she looked at the dead wolf, a wave of sadness surged in her heart.
She was very similar to the wolf. After losing a pair of eyes, she could only be manipulated by others. Now that she saw the wolf die so miserably, although it was her doing, she thought of all the things that had happened. She felt exhausted. She did not have the strength to do anything else.
The sun set. The last of the sunlight disappeared. The forest became dark. She sat quietly with her head lowered. In an instant, it was as if she had stopped breathing. She died quietly.
No one in the Liang Province City Guard Office knew of the shocking scene on the mountain.
When Zheng Xuan arrived at the City Guard Office, he went with the other two to find the instructor. They purposely stayed at the foot of the mountain for a while before returning. The sun had already set. Only a remnant of the blood-red evening glow was left on the horizon. It spread out brilliantly by the water.
Shen Hong did not go with them. She returned to her room.
When she returned, the others had already finished eating dinner. Seeing Shen Hong sitting on the side in a daze, someone asked with a smile, "Hey, how did it feel to go up the mountain today?"
"Why does she look so dazed? She can't be so tired that she's stupid, right?"
"That's possible. Hahaha, she can't even do that. She's too weak."
Everyone teased her. Thinking that Shen Hong was tired, they did not take it to heart and went to do their own things. After a while, Wang Ba walked in. He was in the same room as Shen Hong. When Wang Ba came in, the recruits in the room all greeted him. Although Wang Ba lost to He Yan in the crossbow competition, everyone still respected him here.
Wang Ba also saw Shen Hong sitting on the bed in a daze. He asked casually, "What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know. It's her turn to go up the mountain today. When she came back, she was like this," someone replied.
Wang Ba glanced at Shen Hong. He felt that she was a bit strange. Although he often bullied this honest person, no matter how much he bullied her, he had never seen Shen Hong in such a daze. He walked in front of Shen Hong and gave her a shove. "What's wrong? Did you encounter a wild beast on the mountain and get scared out of your wits? "
It would have been better if he did not say it. Once he said the word "wild beast", Shen Hong's body trembled even more violently. His mouth opened and closed, but no one knew what he was saying. Wang Ba leaned closer to listen. He only heard her say, "I'm sorry."
"Sorry? Who are you sorry to? "Wang Ba frowned and asked.
Shen Hong was still talking to himself. Wang Ba was impatient. He lifted him up like a chicken and asked, "Brat, tell me everything you encountered on the mountain today. If you don't," he shook his fist threateningly, "I'll teach you a lesson!"
Shen Hong seemed to wake up from his thoughts when he was reminded. Wang Ba looked at him fiercely. He was already feeling guilty. With this provocation, he immediately blurted out, "He Yan … He Yan is still on the mountain!"
He Yan? Wang Ba's heart skipped a beat when he heard He Yan. This person really had a grudge against him. However, he still asked curiously, "What mountain? You guys went up the mountain together today? Why is he still on the mountain after you came down? What do you mean? "
"There were wolves … so many wolves! He Yan led the wolves away to save us. "Shen Hong cried out loud and said everything in one breath." Zheng Xuan didn't let us tell the instructor. He even said that He Yan climbed the mountain and went far away. No, no, they were the ones who climbed the mountain. He Yan saved them, but they wanted him to die and slandered He Yan! He Yan was alone on the mountain without a weapon. He will die. It's all our fault! "
He spoke incoherently and incoherently. However, Wang Ba understood the meaning of Shen Hong's words in the blink of an eye. He was stunned for a moment. Suddenly, he became angry and slammed his fist on the table, scaring Shen Hong.
"He saved you, but you left him alone on the mountain?"
Shen Hong cried, "I didn't want to … I had no choice …"
Wang Ba looked at him with disdain. "Coward!" He turned and left.