The Military Camp
Since early in the morning, seven thousands soldiers had lined up nicely in front of the camp. Su Ling’s face was pitch-black. He was a bit stupefied when he heard Su Ren’s report about Gu Yun leading the troop at dawn to enter the rainforest. Yesterday, she also insisted in going to the Crow’s Valley. How could she, after a night, give up? This was really out of her character.
For a long time, Su Ling didn’t say anything. Yu Shi Jun stepped forward and reported, “General, we are ready to set out.”
Su Ling focused back his mind and nodded, “Set out.” Forget about it! It was still better that she stayed.
“Yes, sir!” Facing the entire army, Yu Shi Jun ordered, “Set Out!”
The soldiers in formation set out to the Crow’s Valley. Very quickly, there were only Su Ren and red-clothed Mu Yi left in the field.
Su Ren curiously asked,”You aren’t going?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Mu Yi looked bored and replied, “I’ve seen too much killing and fighting. It no longer interests me. “
“Then, do you want to go and see Qing Mo’s training?”
Frowning, Mu Yi replied, “It’s dirty, not interesting.”
Not going to observe battlefield and also not going to see the training. Su Ren laughed,
“Please don’t say that you woke up this early just to chit chat with me?”
“Yes.” Mu Yi shortly replied, surprising Su Ren. It couldn’t be, right?
Looking at Su Ren, Mu Yi (in a rare moment) asked seriously, “I want to know something. Regardless of Qing Mo’s status, who is she, and what is her objective in coming to Su family, as long as Bing Lian choses her, she will be indeed the Su family’s eldest daughter-in-law. Am I right?”
Su Ren looked at him for a while before nodding, “Yes.”
Mu Yi lightly raised his eyebrow. Su Ren felt something wasn’t right and asked, “Have you got any news regarding Qing Mo’s background?”
“Not yet.”
Returning to his usual self, Mu Yi shrugged and replied, “There is nothing to do so early in the morning. I just talked nonsense. You don’t need to be that anxious.”
Leaving the anxious Su Ren, Mu Yi smiled. Once he turned his back, the smile on his face disappeared. In his heart, he worried about Ling. Although nothing could be decided about Qing Mo’s background, according to his analysis, this woman had a problem.
Daytime in rainforest was much shorter than the outside. For most people who walked in, they would have felt the inside was really dark. Gu Yun, this time, didn’t joke around. Later, she would still need to go to the Crow’s Valley, so she answered to the point, “People cannot live without water. Although we don’t know the exact location of the lair, it will surely be near a water source. Therefore, drawing the water points inside the rainforest will give you an estimation of where the lair is located. It is useless to talk more. Today’s training program is to draw the water lines in the rainforest. I’ve said a lot about how to survive in the rainforest, so you better remember it. Now, make ten groups! Your responsibilities are to draw the places surrounding a water point.”
Gu Yun looked at the team captain, who was also the person who swallowed the worm yesterday, Luo Yan. She said, “You will be responsible for the grouping.”
“Yes.” Luo Yan had been in Tiger troop for five years; both his combat and organisational skills were strong. Within less than half an hour the grouping was done.
10 bags, which were filled with plant ashes, were given to Leng Xiao. Gu Yun said, “Leng Xiao, give them the items.”
“Yes.”
Leng Xiao was handing each team leader a bag while Gu Yun was explaining, “Inside, there are paper and charcoal. Use them to draw. However, every time you finish your drawings, put them inside the ash bags to keep them dry all the time. Or else you are only wasting your time. Understood?”
“Understood!” Hearing they would formally enter the forest, everyone’s spirit was quite elevated.
Although Gu Yun’s facial expression was clearly not as good as yesterday, but facing vibrant faces in front of her, she said, “Before you go, I have three demands/requirements for you. After you enter the forest, you must obey them. If you disobey them, it means you disobey the military order and you will be discharged immediately without the right to appeal.”
Immediate discharge without appeal?! Leng Xiao puzzledly looked at Gu Yun. Boss has never given this kind of deathly order. What kind of demands were they?
“First, your task is to draw the water points. You must only go alongside of the waterflow. At most, you can closely observe the surroundings. You cannot selfishly or randomly walk. The second demand, if you encounter rebels, you must not chase after them. You just need to take note of where they appeared or disappeared. The third one …” Gu Yun paused for a while and loudly said, “Open your eyes a bit wider. Increase your alertness. Inside the forest, there more than just rebels after your lives. I don’t want to see a single one of you lose your lives there.”
Gu Yun’s stern and serious tone revealed her care for them, and so their hearts were warmed by her words. They loudly replied, “Yes.”
“At Xu hour, I will be here, waiting for you! Now, go!”
Five thousand soldiers rapidly lined up by groups. Each group went towards their own direction. Watching their figures disappear, Gu Yun’s heart was high on her expectation of them. Four days. There were only four days left. She was forced to employ such a method to let them observe what was the real rainforest. Hopefully, they could remember what she had taught them yesterday and would be able to exit the rainforest.
The Crow’s Valley
The sunlight was very dim in the valley. Black clouds and gales rapidly enveloped the Crow’s Valley layer by layer, making it appear extremely dangerous. At both sides of the canyon, the two forces were standing face-to-face. On one side, there was the Su army wearing armour while the plain-clothed rebels were standing on the other side.
From the outside, there appeared to be only several hundred people standing on the other side. However, their hearts were clear that this was just a camouflage.
Su Ling squinted his eyes to see further. It seemed like there were two men leading the opposition’s troop. One wore a bright blue attire. His braided hair reached his knee while his hand held a long silver whip. He emitted an arrogant aura. The other one was plain-clothed. With hands held behind his back, it could not be seen what kind of weapon he had.
Those two appeared to have an imposing aura but neither looked like a leader. It was clear they were playing to be one.
“You are Su Ling?”
Su Ling was observing them. Yan Ge also fixed his eyes on the man who looked majestic and powerful, studying Su Ling for a while. A dark red war uniform coupled with a tan complexion made him look extraordinarily valiant. Satin black hair was tied behind. His eyebrows were sharp and straight. His face was stone-like, making him appear domineering and unhibited. Coupled with those pair of cold eagle eyes, it made Yan Ge slightly frightened.
Su Ling didn’t reply and just asked, “Where is he?”
Although the person (Su Ren) that Yan Ge met last time was not him (Su Ling), it was undeniable that this person was Su Ling. His body emitted a murderous aura which could only be possessed by those who had managed thousands of soldiers and experienced bloody battles.
Wu Ji lightly tilted his head. Dozens of people on the right side separated into two sides. Behind them, there was a large stone. A body full of blood and bruises appeared in front of everyone’s eyes. His hair was messy and his face was covered with blood, making his countenance unclear. He was tied by two thick chains over his shoulder to the rock, unable to move.
Yu Shi Jun couldn’t help but shout, “Vanguard!”
That person stirred, looking up with difficulty. He looked at the opposite side of canyon. Immediately he regained his full consciousness and shouted, “General!”
Su Ling’s heart tightened. They had tied Han Shu like that to a stone! Even if the soldiers were able to move there, it would be hard to rescue him. He had to find a solution immediately.
Su Ling slightly raised his head and asked, “What do you want?”
That person immediately called him general. He was definitely Su Ling. Yan Ge replied, “My leader wants to meet with you alone. Come along with us and I will release him. If you don’t agree, just help us to collect his corpse.”
Once Han Shu heard it, he immediately said, “General, please don’t take that risk! They have definitely laid an ambush!” Even though he had drifted off a couple of times, he had still been able to feel that there were quite a number of people in the cave.
Yan Ge strongly whipped the wound on Han Shu’s chest. This kind of pain almost made Han Shu faint. Harshly slapping Han Shu’s face, Yan Ge loudly said, “I don’t have much patience. You better be quick.”
Su Ling’s straight eyebrows wrinkled. The blue-clothed man, who was clamouring, wasn’t easy to deal with. Meanwhile, the grey-clothed man who was silently observing was most likely even harder to deal with. Han Shu was tied onto the big rock. Even if the soldiers were able to cross there, they might provoke the rebels. If they did, not only would they be unable to rescue him, but they would also cause his death.
Su Ling was reticent. Yan Ge’s black eyes were wandering around. Unable to find the person he was looking for, Yan Ge’s eyes flashed and loudly he said, “Su Ling, where is your little madam? Why don’t you bring her along? I really long to see her again.”
Su Ling’s eagle eyes became colder. He was still about to reply when a clear elegant female’s slightly ridiculing voice was heard, “Do you really miss me that much?”
Everyone looked at the treetop, where the voice had originated. They were only able to see a hand which gradually pushed aside the thick foliage, revealing a pair of slender legs. Su Ling was secretly annoyed; this woman had unexpectedly hidden in the tree. He didn’t even feel her presence, damn it!
The dark shadow jumped down from the tree and stood at the canyon side. Gu Yun smilingly looked at the arrogant Yan Ge and said, “Do you think that losing the battle last time was still not bad enough?”
Yan Ge’s facial expression changed and he shouted, “You better not fall into my hands! Or else…”
Not waiting for him to finish his sentence, Gu Yun smilingly replied, “Or else, you will be out of luck! The new whip is not bad, however, I don’t think you have enough whips that you can afford to let me break it!”
Upon hearing about his golden whip, Yan Ge was frustrated because he couldn’t vent his anger. He pointed at Gu Yun and loudly swore, “Disgusting married woman! You are really arrogant!”
“Enough!” Su Ling impatiently interrupted and said, “I will go with you, so release him now.”
Yan Ge was still too hot headed. How could he willing to give up?! He said, “That woman also needs to come over!”
Wu Ji wrinkled his brows. The less trouble the better it was for them. Just when he about to protest, Yan Ge continued, “You cannot bring that evil sword over.”
It looked like Yan Ge’s was still thinking about his broken golden whip. Never mind, without the sword, this girl wouldn’t create any trouble. Furthermore, she might be useful later as a hostage to stop Su Ling later on. These kinds of thoughts ended Wu Ji’s attempts at another protest.
Gu Yun lowered her head and thought for a while. Then, she put Bing Lian on the ground and said, “There is no bridge or ladder here. How do you think we are going to cross over there.”
Yan Ge icily smiled, “If Su Ling cannot even cross over to here, then you are not worthy of meeting our leader. You just collect the corpse and return.” Moreover, it was said that Su Ling didn’t only have high intelligence, but also possessed unfathomable martial arts. If he really couldn’t cross over, then it would show that this person was not Su Ling. Or was it only a false rumor? If that was the case, then did they really need to probe the actual situation?!
Then, Yan Ge took out a dagger that was stored on his waist side. He really wanted to slit Han Shu’s throat.
“Stop.” Su Ling roared. “We’ll go with you!”
After saying this, Su Ling walked to the canyon’s side, near the rock wall where there was a tree. He raised his right hand and forcefully hit the trunk. The trunk creaked once and then the tree fell off towards the other side of the canyon. Because it was palm strength, a part of the bark was still connected to the tree. The gap between two sides was too wide, and the length of the tree could only cover half of it. However, Su Ling possessed qinggong, hence, this kind of thing was nothing for him.
Gu Yun was stunned. He … was too strong. Next time when fighting with him, she must remember to bring Bing Lian along!
The rebels on the opposite side were also stunned. What strong power! With just one palm-hit, a tree could be chopped down. Then, to him, chopping people would be as easy as turning his hand.
Wu Ji was secretly frightened. It was no wonder that he could dominate the world for so many years. It was unknown how many people had been scared by it.
Gu Yun walked toward Su Ling and whispered, “Later, when I distract them, use your Chi Xue to break the chain.”
Earlier while still on the tree, she had noticed there were people behind the rock, waiting to ambush. The wind in the canyon side was not weak. Even though the tree trunks were completely still, it could be seen that there were people above them. Also, the amount of people was not few. If the soldiers went over, they would face very a dangerous situation. They definitely couldn’t stay long. The chain on Han Shu’s body must be broken immediately. It must be Chi Xue or Bing Lian, those kinds of weapons! She originally didn’t want to make an appearance, but if Su Ling went there alone, she was afraid that he would entangle with the rebels and be unable to rescue Han Shu.
Su Ling was startled. It turned out that she was provoking the blue-clothed man on purpose. She wanted to come along with him to rescue Han Shu. Grasping her waist, those two people jumped onto the trunk. Su Ling whispered back, “You rescue the person! I will deal with them.”
She rescue? She grew somber. Look at the thickness of the chain! Without Bing Lian, how could she rescue Han Shu! This was ridiculous! As she only focused on rescuing the person, she didn’t pay attention to the physical distance between them. Su Ling’s heart was beating hard. How could she be so skinny? To the point where if he used a little bit more force, her waist could be broken up. This kind of delicate body, how could it endure the battle. He seemed to forget that they had had a battle before.
When he saw Gu Yun’s ferocious sight, he regained his focus. He lightly coughed. Su Ling whispered in her ear, “If Bing Lian has really recognised you as its owner, as long as you call it, it will be back to your side.”
So magical?! Gu Yun’s elegant eyebrows raised. Both of them had stood on the trunk for a while, looking like they were flirting with each other. Yan Ge impatiently yelled, “Both of you, what are you dawdling for?! Quickly come!”
“Hold tightly.” Su Ling once again tightened his grip, pulling Gu Yun onto his chest. He stepped on the trunk, and with several light jumps, he reached the end of the trunk (what used to be the tree’s top). Gu Yun could feel Su Ling’s breath. With no effort, he jumped over the wide gap. Finally, both persons arrived at the other side.
Although Gu Yun believed in Su Ling’s capabilities, her heart couldn’t help but feel perturbed.
At last, Yan Ge could clearly see the woman who could forcefully oppress him. She was actually a very young woman! Not only that, she was also ugly! He had lost to her once. As he thought about it, he was getting angrier. He glared at Gu Yun and cursed, “It turns out it is a little silly girl.”
Arriving at the other side, Gu Yun was no longer provoking him. Her clear eyes narrowed, secretly analysing the people and surroundings around Han Shu. She ignored him. Yan Ge lost his interest.
After Su Ling set his feet on the canyon side, Wu Ji’s eyes never left Su Ling. He had a gut feeling that this man was not so easy to deal with.
Standing opposite to Su Ling, Wu Ji lowered his voice and said, “General Su, please come with me.”
Su Ling secretly observed the man in front of him, who looked calm and indifferent. This person was self-possessed; it wouldn’t be easy to guess his intention. It was a pity that he became a rebel. Smiling to himself, Su Ling didn’t move at all and said, “If I was able to be suppressed by you, your leader won’t want to meet me.”
That arrogant aura made Wu Ji secretly surprised. From the beginning Yan Ge’s temper was not that great, so he smiled and said, “You don’t want his life anymore?!” If Su Ling really didn’t care about his subordinates, then he wouldn’t come at all. Now that he came, he still played at an upper hand!
Yan Ge faced the rebel beside Han Shu and winked. The rebel pulled out a big dagger and held it to Han Shu’s neck. The dagger left a trace of blood on the neck.
Su Ling icily looked and replied, “It is given that I want his life back. You all will also stay alive.”
After talking, Su Ling took out a blood-red sword from his military cloth. An ear-piercing dragon humming was heard in the canyon. The blood-thirsty sword was emitting a red light. Yan Ge immediately took out his lash. The whip and the sword intersected, creating fire every time they met.
The moment the sword was out from its sheath, Wu Ji had already felt a heat wave. He quickly told the men behind, “Kill him!” Today even if they couldn’t bring Su Ling home, they absolutely could not let him rescue Han Shu.
Almost at the same time, Gu Yun charged towards Han Shu while shouting, “Bing Lian!”
The echo of her voice hadn’t finished before a bright white light was already seen. Bing Lian had already been unrestrained and flew to the other side of the canyon, falling onto Gu Yun’s hands.
Yan Ge was shocked. The sword was actually magical! This would be really messy. Her sword was the everlasting cold breeze sword (Bing Lian) while Su Ling’s was hot as lava (Chi Xue). If they let these two rescue the hostage, how would they face the rest of the tribesmen?!
Yan Ge told people on both sides of the forest, “Shoot the arrows!”
The woods were collectively moving. This side of the canyon was actually full of rebels. Every one of them had a long bow in their hands and two quivers of arrows on their back. It could be seen that they had plenty of weapons.
At the other side, the soldiers had their bows ready to shoot anytime. Just as Su Ling pulled out his sword, Yu Shi Jun quickly ordered, “Shield the arrows! Tiger troop, attack!”
“Yes, sir!” Lines of soldiers were armed with bows.
As the opposition ordered ‘Shoot the arrow!’, Yu Shi Jun also yelled, “Shoot the arrows!”
At this time, both sides of the valley simultaneously shot arrows. Gu Yun needed to avoid the arrows as well as rescue Han Shu at the same time. It was a difficult task. Su Ling had thought to go and help her but he was obstructed by the heavy short arrow attacks (from Wu Ji, I assumed). Su Ling calmly avoided them. Coincidently, his eyes met with those indifferent eyes from the treetop. As expected, this person was really hard to deal with.
Most of the rebels hid on top of the trees. On the rebels’ side, the arrow attack’s impact was very little. At the same time, the tiger troop who had gotten ready, had thrown their hooks over.
Instantaneously, there were ten ropes connecting the two sides of the valley. Wu Ji looked over and pointed the ropes, saying, “Shoot the arrows!”
The people on the trees who were holding the bows didn’t really understand what was going on. There was nothing on the ropes, why they needed to shoot? Just as they were still doubting, one by one, figures were speeding over from the other side. The speed was very fast. It was so fast that as they positioned the arrows to their bows, 10 people had crossed over. In addition, the soldiers constantly flew across like eagles. By the time they shot the arrows, they failed to even hit a few of the soldiers.
The rebels were distracted. Some of them went to fight with the tiger troop. Gu Yun finally got a chance and charged to the big rock side. She swung her sword and immediately the thick chains crashed down. Due to losing the chain as his support, Han Shu fell. Gu Yun didn’t go to help him and immediately went after the rebels who were coming. Gu Yun yelled, “Han Shu, are you able to stand up?!”
“Yes!” Tightly gripping onto the rock as a support, he slowly stood up. Even though his eyes were still blurry, because General and Madam risked their lives to save him, he must not drag them down!
The trick was indeed good! Su Ling was worthy of his name (Su means long-standing while Ling means rise high)! Wu Ji calmly said, “Capture them!”
Obeying his order, the rebels’ part of the canyon started to shake. Gu Yun eyes widened. We were doomed! Their camouflaging skills were good. More importantly, their organisation skills were comparable to the army troops. They had hidden there for so long. Without orders, they didn’t even move.
The green-clothed rebels crept out from the ground, as far as the eye could see; they came from everywhere!
The first batch of soldiers had arrived at Gu Yun’s side. Gu Yun didn’t say too much and pushed Han Shu to their side. She urged, “Take him and go!” The rebels at this side were plenty. Even if they brought all the 7000 soldiers here, they would all die. It was better to retreat now.
“Yes.”
Boom!
The ropes were cut off. Gu Yun looked over. They wanted to cut all the ropes. Su Ling also looked at the situation in front of him and ordered, “Retreat!”
“Yes.” Getting the order, the soldiers who had been escorting Han Shu had arrived on the canyon side. The soldiers on the opposite side began to pull the ropes on the soldiers’ body, pulling them back again. At last, Han Shu was successfully evacuated to the other side.
Gu Yun used Bing Lian to defend herself from the rebels. Bing Lian was very sharp and its icy breeze also compelled people, however, she was heavily outnumbered. She was becoming more and more tired, but the number of rebels coming kept on increasing. If they didn’t leave, they wouldn’t be able to get away. Moreover, her arm was still injured. Su Ling slayed the rebels beside Gu Yun and shouted, “Go first!”
“Okay.” Gu Yun took the opportunity and quickly turned to the nearest rope. Without her, it would be easier for Su Ling to get out.
Her movement was rapid; she had already climbed the rope. It looked like she didn’t have any intention to stay at Su Ling’s side. Were they even a husband and wife?! Wu Ji was astounded. In his heart, he had decided he would stop her from escaping.
Gu Yun had put the hook on the rope. Wu Ji used the short bow in his hand, aiming for her sleeveless arm. When he was about to shoot, he looked at Yan Ge who was cornered by Su Ling to the canyon side. He was indeed courageous! Yan Ge’s whip had been burnt down to half. Wu Ji’s eyes flashed, he changed his target to the rope above Gu Yun’s head and shot.
The short arrow was shot across the air, and without any mistake, it pierced the rope. The rope violently moved as it was cut off.
The Military Camp
Since early in the morning, seven thousands soldiers had lined up nicely in front of the camp. Su Ling’s face was pitch-black. He was a bit stupefied when he heard Su Ren’s report about Gu Yun leading the troop at dawn to enter the rainforest. Yesterday, she also insisted in going to the Crow’s Valley. How could she, after a night, give up? This was really out of her character.
For a long time, Su Ling didn’t say anything. Yu Shi Jun stepped forward and reported, “General, we are ready to set out.”
Su Ling focused back his mind and nodded, “Set out.” Forget about it! It was still better that she stayed.
“Yes, sir!” Facing the entire army, Yu Shi Jun ordered, “Set Out!”
The soldiers in formation set out to the Crow’s Valley. Very quickly, there were only Su Ren and red-clothed Mu Yi left in the field.
Su Ren curiously asked,”You aren’t going?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Mu Yi looked bored and replied, “I’ve seen too much killing and fighting. It no longer interests me. “
“Then, do you want to go and see Qing Mo’s training?”
Frowning, Mu Yi replied, “It’s dirty, not interesting.”
Not going to observe battlefield and also not going to see the training. Su Ren laughed,
“Please don’t say that you woke up this early just to chit chat with me?”
“Yes.” Mu Yi shortly replied, surprising Su Ren. It couldn’t be, right?
Looking at Su Ren, Mu Yi (in a rare moment) asked seriously, “I want to know something. Regardless of Qing Mo’s status, who is she, and what is her objective in coming to Su family, as long as Bing Lian choses her, she will be indeed the Su family’s eldest daughter-in-law. Am I right?”
Su Ren looked at him for a while before nodding, “Yes.”
Mu Yi lightly raised his eyebrow. Su Ren felt something wasn’t right and asked, “Have you got any news regarding Qing Mo’s background?”
“Not yet.”
Returning to his usual self, Mu Yi shrugged and replied, “There is nothing to do so early in the morning. I just talked nonsense. You don’t need to be that anxious.”
Leaving the anxious Su Ren, Mu Yi smiled. Once he turned his back, the smile on his face disappeared. In his heart, he worried about Ling. Although nothing could be decided about Qing Mo’s background, according to his analysis, this woman had a problem.
Daytime in rainforest was much shorter than the outside. For most people who walked in, they would have felt the inside was really dark. Gu Yun, this time, didn’t joke around. Later, she would still need to go to the Crow’s Valley, so she answered to the point, “People cannot live without water. Although we don’t know the exact location of the lair, it will surely be near a water source. Therefore, drawing the water points inside the rainforest will give you an estimation of where the lair is located. It is useless to talk more. Today’s training program is to draw the water lines in the rainforest. I’ve said a lot about how to survive in the rainforest, so you better remember it. Now, make ten groups! Your responsibilities are to draw the places surrounding a water point.”
Gu Yun looked at the team captain, who was also the person who swallowed the worm yesterday, Luo Yan. She said, “You will be responsible for the grouping.”
“Yes.” Luo Yan had been in Tiger troop for five years; both his combat and organisational skills were strong. Within less than half an hour the grouping was done.
10 bags, which were filled with plant ashes, were given to Leng Xiao. Gu Yun said, “Leng Xiao, give them the items.”
“Yes.”
Leng Xiao was handing each team leader a bag while Gu Yun was explaining, “Inside, there are paper and charcoal. Use them to draw. However, every time you finish your drawings, put them inside the ash bags to keep them dry all the time. Or else you are only wasting your time. Understood?”
“Understood!” Hearing they would formally enter the forest, everyone’s spirit was quite elevated.
Although Gu Yun’s facial expression was clearly not as good as yesterday, but facing vibrant faces in front of her, she said, “Before you go, I have three demands/requirements for you. After you enter the forest, you must obey them. If you disobey them, it means you disobey the military order and you will be discharged immediately without the right to appeal.”
Immediate discharge without appeal?! Leng Xiao puzzledly looked at Gu Yun. Boss has never given this kind of deathly order. What kind of demands were they?
“First, your task is to draw the water points. You must only go alongside of the waterflow. At most, you can closely observe the surroundings. You cannot selfishly or randomly walk. The second demand, if you encounter rebels, you must not chase after them. You just need to take note of where they appeared or disappeared. The third one …” Gu Yun paused for a while and loudly said, “Open your eyes a bit wider. Increase your alertness. Inside the forest, there more than just rebels after your lives. I don’t want to see a single one of you lose your lives there.”
Gu Yun’s stern and serious tone revealed her care for them, and so their hearts were warmed by her words. They loudly replied, “Yes.”
“At Xu hour, I will be here, waiting for you! Now, go!”
Five thousand soldiers rapidly lined up by groups. Each group went towards their own direction. Watching their figures disappear, Gu Yun’s heart was high on her expectation of them. Four days. There were only four days left. She was forced to employ such a method to let them observe what was the real rainforest. Hopefully, they could remember what she had taught them yesterday and would be able to exit the rainforest.
The Crow’s Valley
The sunlight was very dim in the valley. Black clouds and gales rapidly enveloped the Crow’s Valley layer by layer, making it appear extremely dangerous. At both sides of the canyon, the two forces were standing face-to-face. On one side, there was the Su army wearing armour while the plain-clothed rebels were standing on the other side.
From the outside, there appeared to be only several hundred people standing on the other side. However, their hearts were clear that this was just a camouflage.
Su Ling squinted his eyes to see further. It seemed like there were two men leading the opposition’s troop. One wore a bright blue attire. His braided hair reached his knee while his hand held a long silver whip. He emitted an arrogant aura. The other one was plain-clothed. With hands held behind his back, it could not be seen what kind of weapon he had.
Those two appeared to have an imposing aura but neither looked like a leader. It was clear they were playing to be one.
“You are Su Ling?”
Su Ling was observing them. Yan Ge also fixed his eyes on the man who looked majestic and powerful, studying Su Ling for a while. A dark red war uniform coupled with a tan complexion made him look extraordinarily valiant. Satin black hair was tied behind. His eyebrows were sharp and straight. His face was stone-like, making him appear domineering and unhibited. Coupled with those pair of cold eagle eyes, it made Yan Ge slightly frightened.
Su Ling didn’t reply and just asked, “Where is he?”
Although the person (Su Ren) that Yan Ge met last time was not him (Su Ling), it was undeniable that this person was Su Ling. His body emitted a murderous aura which could only be possessed by those who had managed thousands of soldiers and experienced bloody battles.
Wu Ji lightly tilted his head. Dozens of people on the right side separated into two sides. Behind them, there was a large stone. A body full of blood and bruises appeared in front of everyone’s eyes. His hair was messy and his face was covered with blood, making his countenance unclear. He was tied by two thick chains over his shoulder to the rock, unable to move.
Yu Shi Jun couldn’t help but shout, “Vanguard!”
That person stirred, looking up with difficulty. He looked at the opposite side of canyon. Immediately he regained his full consciousness and shouted, “General!”
Su Ling’s heart tightened. They had tied Han Shu like that to a stone! Even if the soldiers were able to move there, it would be hard to rescue him. He had to find a solution immediately.
Su Ling slightly raised his head and asked, “What do you want?”
That person immediately called him general. He was definitely Su Ling. Yan Ge replied, “My leader wants to meet with you alone. Come along with us and I will release him. If you don’t agree, just help us to collect his corpse.”
Once Han Shu heard it, he immediately said, “General, please don’t take that risk! They have definitely laid an ambush!” Even though he had drifted off a couple of times, he had still been able to feel that there were quite a number of people in the cave.
Yan Ge strongly whipped the wound on Han Shu’s chest. This kind of pain almost made Han Shu faint. Harshly slapping Han Shu’s face, Yan Ge loudly said, “I don’t have much patience. You better be quick.”
Su Ling’s straight eyebrows wrinkled. The blue-clothed man, who was clamouring, wasn’t easy to deal with. Meanwhile, the grey-clothed man who was silently observing was most likely even harder to deal with. Han Shu was tied onto the big rock. Even if the soldiers were able to cross there, they might provoke the rebels. If they did, not only would they be unable to rescue him, but they would also cause his death.
Su Ling was reticent. Yan Ge’s black eyes were wandering around. Unable to find the person he was looking for, Yan Ge’s eyes flashed and loudly he said, “Su Ling, where is your little madam? Why don’t you bring her along? I really long to see her again.”
Su Ling’s eagle eyes became colder. He was still about to reply when a clear elegant female’s slightly ridiculing voice was heard, “Do you really miss me that much?”
Everyone looked at the treetop, where the voice had originated. They were only able to see a hand which gradually pushed aside the thick foliage, revealing a pair of slender legs. Su Ling was secretly annoyed; this woman had unexpectedly hidden in the tree. He didn’t even feel her presence, damn it!
The dark shadow jumped down from the tree and stood at the canyon side. Gu Yun smilingly looked at the arrogant Yan Ge and said, “Do you think that losing the battle last time was still not bad enough?”
Yan Ge’s facial expression changed and he shouted, “You better not fall into my hands! Or else…”
Not waiting for him to finish his sentence, Gu Yun smilingly replied, “Or else, you will be out of luck! The new whip is not bad, however, I don’t think you have enough whips that you can afford to let me break it!”
Upon hearing about his golden whip, Yan Ge was frustrated because he couldn’t vent his anger. He pointed at Gu Yun and loudly swore, “Disgusting married woman! You are really arrogant!”
“Enough!” Su Ling impatiently interrupted and said, “I will go with you, so release him now.”
Yan Ge was still too hot headed. How could he willing to give up?! He said, “That woman also needs to come over!”
Wu Ji wrinkled his brows. The less trouble the better it was for them. Just when he about to protest, Yan Ge continued, “You cannot bring that evil sword over.”
It looked like Yan Ge’s was still thinking about his broken golden whip. Never mind, without the sword, this girl wouldn’t create any trouble. Furthermore, she might be useful later as a hostage to stop Su Ling later on. These kinds of thoughts ended Wu Ji’s attempts at another protest.
Gu Yun lowered her head and thought for a while. Then, she put Bing Lian on the ground and said, “There is no bridge or ladder here. How do you think we are going to cross over there.”
Yan Ge icily smiled, “If Su Ling cannot even cross over to here, then you are not worthy of meeting our leader. You just collect the corpse and return.” Moreover, it was said that Su Ling didn’t only have high intelligence, but also possessed unfathomable martial arts. If he really couldn’t cross over, then it would show that this person was not Su Ling. Or was it only a false rumor? If that was the case, then did they really need to probe the actual situation?!
Then, Yan Ge took out a dagger that was stored on his waist side. He really wanted to slit Han Shu’s throat.
“Stop.” Su Ling roared. “We’ll go with you!”
After saying this, Su Ling walked to the canyon’s side, near the rock wall where there was a tree. He raised his right hand and forcefully hit the trunk. The trunk creaked once and then the tree fell off towards the other side of the canyon. Because it was palm strength, a part of the bark was still connected to the tree. The gap between two sides was too wide, and the length of the tree could only cover half of it. However, Su Ling possessed qinggong, hence, this kind of thing was nothing for him.
Gu Yun was stunned. He … was too strong. Next time when fighting with him, she must remember to bring Bing Lian along!
The rebels on the opposite side were also stunned. What strong power! With just one palm-hit, a tree could be chopped down. Then, to him, chopping people would be as easy as turning his hand.
Wu Ji was secretly frightened. It was no wonder that he could dominate the world for so many years. It was unknown how many people had been scared by it.
Gu Yun walked toward Su Ling and whispered, “Later, when I distract them, use your Chi Xue to break the chain.”
Earlier while still on the tree, she had noticed there were people behind the rock, waiting to ambush. The wind in the canyon side was not weak. Even though the tree trunks were completely still, it could be seen that there were people above them. Also, the amount of people was not few. If the soldiers went over, they would face very a dangerous situation. They definitely couldn’t stay long. The chain on Han Shu’s body must be broken immediately. It must be Chi Xue or Bing Lian, those kinds of weapons! She originally didn’t want to make an appearance, but if Su Ling went there alone, she was afraid that he would entangle with the rebels and be unable to rescue Han Shu.
Su Ling was startled. It turned out that she was provoking the blue-clothed man on purpose. She wanted to come along with him to rescue Han Shu. Grasping her waist, those two people jumped onto the trunk. Su Ling whispered back, “You rescue the person! I will deal with them.”
She rescue? She grew somber. Look at the thickness of the chain! Without Bing Lian, how could she rescue Han Shu! This was ridiculous! As she only focused on rescuing the person, she didn’t pay attention to the physical distance between them. Su Ling’s heart was beating hard. How could she be so skinny? To the point where if he used a little bit more force, her waist could be broken up. This kind of delicate body, how could it endure the battle. He seemed to forget that they had had a battle before.
When he saw Gu Yun’s ferocious sight, he regained his focus. He lightly coughed. Su Ling whispered in her ear, “If Bing Lian has really recognised you as its owner, as long as you call it, it will be back to your side.”
So magical?! Gu Yun’s elegant eyebrows raised. Both of them had stood on the trunk for a while, looking like they were flirting with each other. Yan Ge impatiently yelled, “Both of you, what are you dawdling for?! Quickly come!”
“Hold tightly.” Su Ling once again tightened his grip, pulling Gu Yun onto his chest. He stepped on the trunk, and with several light jumps, he reached the end of the trunk (what used to be the tree’s top). Gu Yun could feel Su Ling’s breath. With no effort, he jumped over the wide gap. Finally, both persons arrived at the other side.
Although Gu Yun believed in Su Ling’s capabilities, her heart couldn’t help but feel perturbed.
At last, Yan Ge could clearly see the woman who could forcefully oppress him. She was actually a very young woman! Not only that, she was also ugly! He had lost to her once. As he thought about it, he was getting angrier. He glared at Gu Yun and cursed, “It turns out it is a little silly girl.”
Arriving at the other side, Gu Yun was no longer provoking him. Her clear eyes narrowed, secretly analysing the people and surroundings around Han Shu. She ignored him. Yan Ge lost his interest.
After Su Ling set his feet on the canyon side, Wu Ji’s eyes never left Su Ling. He had a gut feeling that this man was not so easy to deal with.
Standing opposite to Su Ling, Wu Ji lowered his voice and said, “General Su, please come with me.”
Su Ling secretly observed the man in front of him, who looked calm and indifferent. This person was self-possessed; it wouldn’t be easy to guess his intention. It was a pity that he became a rebel. Smiling to himself, Su Ling didn’t move at all and said, “If I was able to be suppressed by you, your leader won’t want to meet me.”
That arrogant aura made Wu Ji secretly surprised. From the beginning Yan Ge’s temper was not that great, so he smiled and said, “You don’t want his life anymore?!” If Su Ling really didn’t care about his subordinates, then he wouldn’t come at all. Now that he came, he still played at an upper hand!
Yan Ge faced the rebel beside Han Shu and winked. The rebel pulled out a big dagger and held it to Han Shu’s neck. The dagger left a trace of blood on the neck.
Su Ling icily looked and replied, “It is given that I want his life back. You all will also stay alive.”
After talking, Su Ling took out a blood-red sword from his military cloth. An ear-piercing dragon humming was heard in the canyon. The blood-thirsty sword was emitting a red light. Yan Ge immediately took out his lash. The whip and the sword intersected, creating fire every time they met.
The moment the sword was out from its sheath, Wu Ji had already felt a heat wave. He quickly told the men behind, “Kill him!” Today even if they couldn’t bring Su Ling home, they absolutely could not let him rescue Han Shu.
Almost at the same time, Gu Yun charged towards Han Shu while shouting, “Bing Lian!”
The echo of her voice hadn’t finished before a bright white light was already seen. Bing Lian had already been unrestrained and flew to the other side of the canyon, falling onto Gu Yun’s hands.
Yan Ge was shocked. The sword was actually magical! This would be really messy. Her sword was the everlasting cold breeze sword (Bing Lian) while Su Ling’s was hot as lava (Chi Xue). If they let these two rescue the hostage, how would they face the rest of the tribesmen?!
Yan Ge told people on both sides of the forest, “Shoot the arrows!”
The woods were collectively moving. This side of the canyon was actually full of rebels. Every one of them had a long bow in their hands and two quivers of arrows on their back. It could be seen that they had plenty of weapons.
At the other side, the soldiers had their bows ready to shoot anytime. Just as Su Ling pulled out his sword, Yu Shi Jun quickly ordered, “Shield the arrows! Tiger troop, attack!”
“Yes, sir!” Lines of soldiers were armed with bows.
As the opposition ordered ‘Shoot the arrow!’, Yu Shi Jun also yelled, “Shoot the arrows!”
At this time, both sides of the valley simultaneously shot arrows. Gu Yun needed to avoid the arrows as well as rescue Han Shu at the same time. It was a difficult task. Su Ling had thought to go and help her but he was obstructed by the heavy short arrow attacks (from Wu Ji, I assumed). Su Ling calmly avoided them. Coincidently, his eyes met with those indifferent eyes from the treetop. As expected, this person was really hard to deal with.
Most of the rebels hid on top of the trees. On the rebels’ side, the arrow attack’s impact was very little. At the same time, the tiger troop who had gotten ready, had thrown their hooks over.
Instantaneously, there were ten ropes connecting the two sides of the valley. Wu Ji looked over and pointed the ropes, saying, “Shoot the arrows!”
The people on the trees who were holding the bows didn’t really understand what was going on. There was nothing on the ropes, why they needed to shoot? Just as they were still doubting, one by one, figures were speeding over from the other side. The speed was very fast. It was so fast that as they positioned the arrows to their bows, 10 people had crossed over. In addition, the soldiers constantly flew across like eagles. By the time they shot the arrows, they failed to even hit a few of the soldiers.
The rebels were distracted. Some of them went to fight with the tiger troop. Gu Yun finally got a chance and charged to the big rock side. She swung her sword and immediately the thick chains crashed down. Due to losing the chain as his support, Han Shu fell. Gu Yun didn’t go to help him and immediately went after the rebels who were coming. Gu Yun yelled, “Han Shu, are you able to stand up?!”
“Yes!” Tightly gripping onto the rock as a support, he slowly stood up. Even though his eyes were still blurry, because General and Madam risked their lives to save him, he must not drag them down!
The trick was indeed good! Su Ling was worthy of his name (Su means long-standing while Ling means rise high)! Wu Ji calmly said, “Capture them!”
Obeying his order, the rebels’ part of the canyon started to shake. Gu Yun eyes widened. We were doomed! Their camouflaging skills were good. More importantly, their organisation skills were comparable to the army troops. They had hidden there for so long. Without orders, they didn’t even move.
The green-clothed rebels crept out from the ground, as far as the eye could see; they came from everywhere!
The first batch of soldiers had arrived at Gu Yun’s side. Gu Yun didn’t say too much and pushed Han Shu to their side. She urged, “Take him and go!” The rebels at this side were plenty. Even if they brought all the 7000 soldiers here, they would all die. It was better to retreat now.
“Yes.”
Boom!
The ropes were cut off. Gu Yun looked over. They wanted to cut all the ropes. Su Ling also looked at the situation in front of him and ordered, “Retreat!”
“Yes.” Getting the order, the soldiers who had been escorting Han Shu had arrived on the canyon side. The soldiers on the opposite side began to pull the ropes on the soldiers’ body, pulling them back again. At last, Han Shu was successfully evacuated to the other side.
Gu Yun used Bing Lian to defend herself from the rebels. Bing Lian was very sharp and its icy breeze also compelled people, however, she was heavily outnumbered. She was becoming more and more tired, but the number of rebels coming kept on increasing. If they didn’t leave, they wouldn’t be able to get away. Moreover, her arm was still injured. Su Ling slayed the rebels beside Gu Yun and shouted, “Go first!”
“Okay.” Gu Yun took the opportunity and quickly turned to the nearest rope. Without her, it would be easier for Su Ling to get out.
Her movement was rapid; she had already climbed the rope. It looked like she didn’t have any intention to stay at Su Ling’s side. Were they even a husband and wife?! Wu Ji was astounded. In his heart, he had decided he would stop her from escaping.
Gu Yun had put the hook on the rope. Wu Ji used the short bow in his hand, aiming for her sleeveless arm. When he was about to shoot, he looked at Yan Ge who was cornered by Su Ling to the canyon side. He was indeed courageous! Yan Ge’s whip had been burnt down to half. Wu Ji’s eyes flashed, he changed his target to the rope above Gu Yun’s head and shot.
The short arrow was shot across the air, and without any mistake, it pierced the rope. The rope violently moved as it was cut off.
