Chapter 118 Chapter 7 The Attack on the Pine Forest

Snow powder is still falling from the sky. In the dark snowy field, all the envoys mobilized, silently tore down the tents, and prepared to pack. Xiang Shaolong, Teng Yi, Jing Jun, Xiao Yuetan, Li Si and twelve Wu family disciples leaned on the edge of the bank, observing the movement on the other side. In the dark forest, there was a dead silence, if Deng Jia hadn't been caught, and he had learned the enemy's arrangement from his mouth, it would be hard to believe that there were as many as 3,000 enemies who harbored no hatred and were watching. Xiao Yuetan snorted coldly: "In order to understand the siege of the Zhao people, the Yan people are really unscrupulous." Xiang Shaolong sighed in his heart, in this Warring States era, who in power did not do such a thing?

At this time, Lu Xiong came to report: "Teacher! Everything is over and we can start our journey." Xiang Shaolong gave the order to set off. The one thousand Qin army was then divided into two groups, each with 500 people, leading horse-drawn carts, and drove up and down the river. The lanterns flickered like countless fireflies. Ji Yanran's daughters and three hundred generals from the Lu family quietly retreated into the red pine forest in the dark. In the dark night, the neighing of cars and horses can't stop ringing, disturbing and disturbing, destroying the sacred and inviolable tranquility of the snowy night.

Staring at the dark forest on the other side, Teng Yi said with a smile, "If I were Xu Yiluan, I would definitely have a very headache right now." Xiao Yuetan said in a deep voice, "Will he fall for it?" Jing Jun whispered: "We will know soon!" Because it was difficult to recognize the way in the dark night, the march was slow, and it was not until a full hour later that the two teams left separately. According to the plan, after 20 days, they will meet at Yangchang Mountain next to Qinshui in Zhaohanjian. If they still don't see each other after three days, they will go to Henglongling, another big mountain in Qizhaojian.

The Qin army is well-trained, everyone is good at riding and shooting, and the number is greatly reduced. It should be easy to get rid of chasing horses in this wilderness. Teng Yi whispered: "There is movement!" There was only a strange sound coming from a mountain on the other side, the sound of footsteps and the sound of hooves, and then hundreds of torches were lit, and the two fire dragons chased upstream and downstream along the river.Xu Yiluan knew that his behavior had been exposed, so he had no scruples anymore. After the fire dragon had left, Xiang Shaolong said: "Xiao Jun, cross the river to check the situation. If the enemy is really gone, we will cross the river immediately tomorrow morning."

As soon as Xiaojun accepted the order, he led the twelve Wujia personal guards, pushed the two rafts that had been placed on the bank into the water, and propped them to the opposite bank. Li Si and Xiao Yuetan also followed. Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi walked towards the red pine forest with ease.The sudden and unexpected ambush of the Yan people really made them flustered for a while, but now the matter has finally been resolved. Xiang Shaolong was about to speak, but suddenly stared in front of him dumbfounded, Teng Yi said in shock, "Not good!" Suddenly, the red pine forest was lit up all over the sky, thousands of torches were approaching rapidly from the edge of the forest like a fan, and the sound of killing was approaching from far away.

At the same time, the two of them thought of the person sent by Lord Yangchun to deal with them. They were shocked and drew their swords and ran towards the red pine forest half a mile away. ◇◇◇◇◇◇ The intruders had at least 5,000 troops, and they sneaked over from the dense forest without making a sound, and only after encountering the sentries posted by the generals of the Lu family, did they attack boldly.From the very beginning, the dense forest and the upstream and downstream were completely sealed off. Even if they wanted to escape, they would be blocked by the big river and had no escape route.

When it's so cold, if jumping into the river, isn't it another dead end? It can be seen that the other party has long had a vicious mentality of not leaving behind, and they have deliberately planned to wait until this is the best time to kill them. The sound of killing shook the sky, and the men and horses hissed miserably. Ji Yanran commanded the generals to protect Wu Tingfang, Zhao Qian, the four maidservants of Chunying and the two Meng brothers and fled towards Dahe in a hurry. If it wasn't for the obstruction of the trees, the undulating terrain, and the depth of the night, making it difficult for the enemy to shoot arrows, otherwise they would not be able to escape further.

But when they were forced to the river by the enemy, it was also the moment when they lost their lives. There are countless enemies coming from all directions. Although all the generals of the Lu family are highly skilled in martial arts, they are desperate and desperate when they are dying, but they still fall to the ground under the outnumbered enemies. Not long after leaving the forest, Chunying let out a scream, and the long arrow pierced through her back, and fell dead in the grass.Wu Tingfang and all the girls cried out in unison. Ji Yanran was the most calm, pulled Zhao Qian, and shouted: "Follow me!" Through the sparse forest in the fringe area, she ran up a small hill, and on the other side was the highland beside the river.

At this time, there were only more than a hundred generals left beside them, half of them turned their heads to block the enemy, and the other 60 people protected them and fought and retreated. The rear is full of light from torches, illuminating the mountains and fields blood-red. More than a dozen enemies in hunter's attire rushed forward, Ji Yanran's eyes were red, she stabbed straight with a spear in her hand, killed several people in a row, and broke through a gap. At this time, a person came in and slashed at Zhao Qian, who was following Ji Yanran, and never showed mercy just because the other party was a woman.

At this moment, Ji Yanran's spear pierced another enemy's chest, seeing that it was too late to save her, Meng Tian, ​​who was guarding her left wing, rushed forward, with a flash of his long sword, the man's head was already decapitated. Seeing that they were approaching the top of the hill, a rain of arrows came, and more than ten people in the family were shot and fell to the ground.The enemy chased after him closely, and made up for those who were hit by the arrow. Qiuying stumbled and fell to the ground.Xia Ying and Dong Ying were like sisters to her, and hurriedly turned their heads to help her up. After a moment of hesitation, a group of wolves and tigers broke through their defense and rushed forward. , the three maidservants died tragically at the same time, which is unbearable to witness.

Wu Tingfang and the others almost fainted when they saw it, they reached the top of the hill thanks to the support of Meng Wu and Meng Tian. The remaining 30 masters will barely block the enemy with their condescending posture, but they won't last long. At this time, Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi had just arrived, and they couldn't see the girls of Chunying, so it was known what had happened.Xiang Shaolong shouted: "Go to Dahe quickly, Jing Jun is there!" Wu Tingfang cried out sadly: "Xiang Lang!" Meng Wu staggered away. Ji Yanran screamed: "Don't love to fight!" and led the four of them to rush downhill toward the river. Teng Yizao rushed to the top of the hill, opened and closed his epee wide, invincible to those who stood in his way. Xiang Shaolong intercepted more than a dozen enemies who were going after Ji Yanran, and started killing them. The battle was extremely tragic. Hundreds of enemies rushed up the hill like a tide, only someone shouted: "Xiang Shaolong is here!" Just as Xiang Shaolong knocked down two enemies, he glanced around and saw the enemies coming from behind one after another. Apart from Teng Yi, none of his own people were left. The master reported to the office, shouted loudly, unfurled his sword, rushed to Teng Yi's side, and shouted: "Let's go!" At this time, both of them were suffering from multiple sword wounds, Teng Yi understood, and with a sweep of the horizontal sword, two enemies fell down with blood spattered, while the others backed away in shock. The two fought and retreated, but they were tightly entangled by the enemy, and they couldn't escape. Seeing the enemy rushing up the hill from the red pine forest, Xiang Shaolong shouted: "Get off!" Pulling the wings, the two of them turned upside down, turned down the slope from the edge of the hill, and rolled down. Fortunately, it had snowed heavily for several days, and the snow-covered slope was slippery and soft. In an instant, the two of them rolled to the snow at the bottom of the hill. The enemy frantically chased down from the hill. The two just got up when Teng Yi staggered and was hit by an arrow in his left shoulder. More than a dozen enemies were killed on each side. Xiang Shaolong pulled out the flying needle and threw it in succession. Before those people knew what was going on, six or seven people had been hit by the needle and fell to the ground, and the others scattered away in shock. Suddenly the flames dimmed. It turned out that the snowy slope was extremely slippery, and many torch holders could not stand firmly and rolled down the slope, and the torches went out immediately. Teng Yi stretched his hand back, grabbed the long arrow, pulled out the arrow bloody and fleshy, and threw it horizontally, and inserted it into the throat of an enemy on the left rear. Because of the armor protecting the body, the sharp arrow can only penetrate an inch of the flesh, not the internal organs, otherwise the arrow will make him unable to go. Taking advantage of the dimness of vision, the two dispersed a group of enemies blocking the way, and finally escaped from the encirclement and ran towards the big river. The light spots of countless torches were surrounded by the three sides behind, and the shouts of killing could be heard endlessly. In an instant, the two arrived at the high ground beside the bank, Jing Jun rushed over, and said happily, "Let's go!" He led the two of them and ran down to the river. At this time, the raft carrying Ji Yanran and others had just left the shore, and another raft was waiting for them. The three jumped onto the raft and immediately rowed to the opposite bank. When the two rafts reached the middle of the river, the enemy chased to the bank, and everyone bowed their bows and mounted arrows to shoot at them. Twelve Wujia disciples built a human wall and swung their swords to block the arrows.There was a series of screams, and one of them was shot by an arrow and fell on Xiang Shaolong. Xiang Teng let out a mournful cry and shouted, "Squat down!" Three more people on the two rafts were hit by arrows. The raft finally left the range of the enemy's arrows and reached the other shore. Although the enemy yelled and cursed, they were helpless. It was unexpected that in such a one-sided situation, they would still escape. Just as Xiang Shaolong jumped ashore, Wu Tingfang rushed into his blood-stained arms. Jing Jun suddenly screamed: "Third Princess!" Xiang Shaolong looked over in shock, and saw Zhao Qian lying in Ji Yanran's arms, with arrows protruding from her chest, and the fragrance of jade had disappeared. ◇◇◇◇◇◇ Although the wound was well bandaged, Xiang Shaolong's heart was still bleeding.Just when he thought he was capable enough to protect his beloved women, the enemy killed them right in front of his eyes. In this deplorable age, the vast majority of women depend on men to survive. If their men encounter disasters, they will either be accepted by other stronger men, or they will encounter various more miserable fates. The untimely death of the three daughters Su Nu, Shu Er, and Zhao Ni, or the death of Ting Fang's illness, Xiang Shaolong knew after the fact. Although it was grief, it was far from being seen as it is now when Zhao Qian and the five daughters Chunying were killed alive. of killing.Thinking of their laughter when they were alive, I couldn't help feeling a strong sense of guilt.If he hadn't brought them with him, this human tragedy would not have become the cruel reality before him. Destiny has always been on his side, from the first arrival in Handan to the struggle with Lianjin, the envoy to Daliang to steal the secret records of Duke Lu, the help of the Wu family and Zhu Ji Xiaopan to escape to Xianyang, and even the capture of Zhao Mu alive, luck has always been there. On his part, he has the illusion that he can handle any danger smoothly.The death of the five daughters shattered his dream.What they lost this time was not strategy, but fate. Looking at the uplifted new tomb, he thought of the four Chunying daughters who had no bones left, the four Wu family children who shielded him from sharp arrows with their bodies when crossing the river, and the three hundred heroes from the Lu Mansion. Unprecedented intense hatred!He will never let Mr. Yangquan off, let alone the people of Yan. Only blood can wash away this unresolved hatred! Wu Tingfang cried to death in Ji Yanran's arms with tears in her eyes, and it made everyone feel sad. Xiao Yuetan came to the side of the silent Xiang Shaolong, and said in a low voice: "Teacher Xiang must express his condolences, return to Beijing someday, and I will make the decision to recover this blood debt." At this time, Jing Jun hurried through the forest to the hidden cemetery in the forest, and said anxiously: "There are enemies appearing in the southeast, besides Lord Yangquan's men, there are also Korean soldiers and horses, the number of them is about 500. And with the hounds, we must go quickly." Xiang Shaolong's heart was filled with grief, and he asked blankly, "Where are we going?" Teng Yi said: "Yangchang Mountain is full of plains and rivers. We don't have horses, so we won't be able to escape the enemy's hunt. The only way is to climb the mountain to Jingjia Village, where Jing Jun originally lived. There, we can not only get horses and dry food, but also recruit With some skilled hunters, strengthen our strength, Jing Jun and I are familiar with the road, so we should be able to avoid the enemy." Xiang Shaolong tried his best to cheer up, turned his eyes to Ji Yanran and Wu Tingfang's two beloved wives, as well as the Meng family brothers, Xiao Yuetan, Li Si, Jing Jun, Teng Yi and the remaining eight Wu family soldiers, and said decisively: "Good! Let's go, as long as I, Xiang Shaolong, have my fate, Lord Yangquan and their comrades will never have a good day." ◇◇◇◇◇◇ After traveling day and night, after twenty-five days, after going through untold hardships and suffering from hunger and hunger, they finally arrived at Jingjia Village. It is indeed very difficult to hunt in the snow, but luckily Teng Yi and Jing Jun are both capable, so they will not starve to death in the deserted mountains. On the way, he was almost overtaken by pursuers a few times, but because Teng Jing knew all the mountains and forests like the palm of his hand, he finally escaped. When they arrived at Jingjia Village, even strong people like Xiang Shaolong and Teng Yi couldn't bear it, let alone such delicate girls as Xiao Yuetan, Li Si and Wu Tingfang. Fortunately, at this time, everyone is practicing martial arts and fencing, and their bodies are strong, and they can still hold on, but they all end up in a human shape, which makes people feel sad. Jingjia Village is composed of more than a dozen large and small villages scattered in valleys. Teng Yi has always been the hunter most respected by the villagers. All the young men here have learned sword riding and archery from him. They were very happy to see him come back, and they did their best to greet them. He went out to check for them to see if there were any pursuers. After resting for three days, everyone seemed to be reborn in spirit, with renewed fighting spirit and vitality. Time can indeed dilute anything, at least it can suppress sadness deep in the heart. That day, when everyone was having lunch in the village chief's big house, Teng Yi came to call Xiang Shaolong out of the open space outside the house. Thirty-eight young hunters were excitedly talking to Jing Jun. Seeing the two of them come out, Immediately saluted in awe, as if waiting for selection and inspection. Xiang Shaolong said in a low voice: "Second Brother, can you give me an idea?" Teng Yi replied: "Wouldn't it be better for them to feel that you, a great hero, picked them out?" Then he sighed and said: "They are not originally surnamed Jing. The people in the entire Jingjia Village are from a nomadic people who have lived in the northern barbarian land for generations. The country did not expand to the north, and the Huns ravaged the north, so they moved to the south and settled here for more than a hundred years, but they were squeezed out by the Koreans and forced to change their surnames, so they have a deep hatred for Zhao and Han." Everyone in this group of young hunters showed indignation. Jing Jun said: "Everyone here practices martial arts, not only to deal with the looting of Han soldiers, but also to fight against horse thieves and people from other villages." Teng Yi said: "This group of people was selected by nearly a thousand hunters in the village. If they are trained again, they will not be inferior to our Wu family's elite troops." Xiang Shaolong asked: "Are you willing to follow me, Xiang Shaolong?" The hunters suddenly agreed. Xiang Shaolong said: "From today on, we will share weal and woe, and we will never break our promise." Everyone cheered and encouraged. When returning to the house, Teng Yi said: "We will set off for Henglong Ridge tomorrow, but our documents and treasures are all lost in the red pine forest, so it seems a bit inappropriate to go on an envoy like this." Xiang Shaolong said dejectedly: "Those are the second." The tragic and heartbreaking scenes of that night, as well as the strong images and sounds, once again appeared in their deep memories. ◇◇◇◇◇◇ Wu Tingfang woke up screaming, tears streaming down her face. Xiang Shaolong hurriedly hugged her tightly, comforting her in every possible way.Ji Yanran on the other side woke up, and opened the window a little, allowing the cool air to flow into the room to a limited extent. After Wu Tingfang went back to sleep, Xiang Shaolong's sleepiness disappeared completely, his chest seemed to be blocked by a big stone, and he suggested: "The moonlight is good tonight, why not go outside for a walk!" Ji Yanran said sadly: "Fang'er has no one to accompany her, you go by yourself!" Xiang Shaolong casually put on a fur coat, pushed the door open, and when he stepped into the garden among the courtyards, he saw Xiao Yuetan looking up at the night sky with his hands behind his back under a bright moon, with a solemn expression. Xiang Shaolong was very surprised, he stepped forward and said: "Brother Xiao, can't you sleep?" Xiao Yuetan looked at the night sky blankly as if he knew he would come out, and sighed: "I like to think wildly, especially at night, so I usually like to sleep with a beautiful woman in my arms, so as not to think about things I shouldn't think about. , tonight the old problem reappeared!" Xiang Shaolong was in a bad mood at this moment, and asked casually, "What are you thinking, Brother Xiao?" Xiao Yuetan shook his head and smiled wryly, "I'm thinking about Lord Lu. Since he became Prime Minister You, he has changed a lot, making it difficult for me to connect the old him with the present him." Xiang Shaolong smiled wryly: "It's ever-changing. In fact, it's not the original nature. It's just that in different environments, in order to achieve a certain goal, some parts of the nature have been suppressed. The repressed nature will show up, and it will be out of control. This situation is most obvious in the person who suddenly assumes power, and it is completely irrepressible, because no one dares to control him or frustrate him anymore. " Xiao Yuetan looked at him startled, and said in surprise: "Judging from Shaolong's tone, he doesn't seem to have much affection for Master Lu!" Knowing that Xiang Shaolong had slipped his mouth, he hurriedly said, "I just expressed my feelings, not against Lu Xiang." Xiao Yuetan pondered for a while, then said in a low voice: "You don't need to lie to me, Shaolong. You and Master Lu are two completely different types of people. I can trust you completely, but Master Lu? Although Master Tu and I are considered his confidantes, we are right But when you look at him, you have to be trembling, lest you offend him." After a pause, he continued: "And he expanded too fast. When he first arrived in Xianyang, there were only more than 700 diners and disciples, but now the number has exceeded 5,000. Why can't he be tabooed by the Qin people? Today, our pine forest was attacked. , which is why." Xiang Shaolong thought of the sacrificed person and was momentarily speechless. Xiao Yuetan knew what was on his mind, and sighed again: "We can say that we lived and died together, so we should say what we shouldn't say. With Shaolong's character of emphasizing love and affection, he will not be able to bear many Master Lu in the future." What you did, you understand what I mean!" Xiang Shaolong nodded silently. For the sake of Xiao Pan, he is destined to become Lu Buwei's sworn enemy, maybe this is fate! The tragic death of Zhao Qian and others strengthened his determination to help Xiao Pan unify the six countries. Only force can stop force. Although there is still a long way to go to achieve a society ruled by law for more than 2,000 years, there must always be a beginning. The mouth responded: "It's night! We have to go early tomorrow morning, why don't we go back and rest!" Xiao Yuetan said: "Go back first! I want to stand here for a while." Xiang Shaolong smiled and said: "Why don't we take this good night and talk until dawn, I also really want to know more about the situation in Xianyang." Xiao Yuetan said happily: "Of course Xiao is willing to accompany you!" The night passed. At dawn, more than fifty people set off on horseback and galloped towards Henglongling.