Chapter 6: The Veteran's Reminder

Xiao Qiu opened his mouth wide; the horses he herded all belonged to the Shen family, yet he was unaware that the Shen family was raising horses for the government

"Baldy," the fool exclaimed

Baldy! Raise your voice, Ershuan.

Ten boys had thin ropes tied around their right wrists, linked together in a chain, spaced about ten feet apart, as they walked back along the old road. Even Fangfang did not receive any special treatment; she walked at the back, quietly sobbing, with Xiaoqiu in front of her

Xiao Qiu was furious. The Xuanshu army around him was not as imposing as it initially appeared. He had already regained his stubborn temper. "Is it a crime for Fangfang not to want to marry into the Shen family? You adults, must you force a young girl?"

The youths of Yelin Town did not quite understand the meaning of beastly demons; after all, it was clearly a familiar bald man to everyone, and they had just spent time in the jungle, so where did this "demon" come from

The veteran's face flushed slightly, yet he remained steadfast in his opinion, as it was indeed his duty. Lowering his voice a bit and bowing his head slightly, he said, "The talisman master has warned that this place is not safe and is not suitable for prolonged stay. The Taoist we encountered yesterday also mentioned..."

Lengzi nodded dejectedly, "My parents will definitely beat me to death..."

The officer seemed to be witnessing such a situation for the first time, appearing somewhat tense. He pulled on the reins and turned the horse in place, saying, "Send two more people."

The chestnut horse is still there, quietly following at the back. As long as the ropes can be untied, taking Fangfang to ride the horse might just allow them to escape the soldiers' pursuit. Xiao Qiu's plans have always been simple, and he still does not intend to seek help from anyone

When it was Fangfang's turn, she shook her head, refusing to let go of the rope, remaining connected to Xiaoqiu.

The boys who went into the jungle to relieve themselves returned one after another, and the officer silently counted, "One more is still missing"

The Xuanfu Army clearly does not select its leaders based on height, as this individual is the shortest among the eleven soldiers. However, this does not diminish his ruthlessness. The youths are under his command, their wrists bound with thin ropes, walking like prisoners between two groups of soldiers.

"You are accomplices." The officer was not at all polite, "You will also be punished."

"My father will save me; after all, he is the one who reported this to the authorities, right?" Ershuan said softly, giving himself a bit of confidence and also comforting his companions behind him

Xiao Qiu became more certain that the officer was not an adult; he felt surprised that a child could command ten fully armed Xuanfu soldiers. Subsequently, he began to contemplate an escape plan

Two hours after setting off, the group returned to the official road. The young men were astonished to discover that although they had walked for most of the day yesterday, they had not actually ventured very far into the forest.

I want it too. The bald man endured for a long time, and even the fear of imprisonment could not suppress this feeling. A group of prisoners clamored for the same request, and Erliang even wanted a piece of dry food; watching others eat was a torment for him

A soldier removed his helmet, revealing a weathered and resolute face. "My lord, it is best that we continue on our journey. We must return to Little Ear Fort before nightfall, no matter what."

The soldier pushed aside Xiao Qiu and tightened the ropes around Fang Fang's wrist even more. The man's strength was somewhat excessive, causing Fang Fang to let out a soft cry. Xiao Qiu glared at the officer but dared not speak again

The officer saw the person, and his panic immediately dissipated, replaced by a surge of anger. "You audacious criminal, do you not wish to live any longer?"

The officer snorted again, not expecting that this prisoner would have the audacity to speak to him. He refused to answer and instead ordered, "Bind him tighter." A soldier approached and pulled the rope on Xiao Qiu's right wrist tighter until it began to cut into the flesh. "And her," the officer said, pointing at Fang Fang with his riding whip.

She was not the only one crying out loud; under the influence of the bald man, many young faces were streaked with tears. They could never have imagined that a single escape would lead to such great trouble

The other youths breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. The dullard immediately expressed his thoughts, "So it was for the official horse; that has nothing to do with us. The horse was released by Xiao Qiu."

Two soldiers disappeared quite suddenly, as if something had violently pulled them, causing them to spread their arms and plunge into the jungle, leaving their swords and shields on the ground

Because your crimes are serious

The bald man still wore a broad smile, nodding even more frequently as he encouraged the soldiers to approach

The soldiers were quite pleased, dismounting one after another to lift their helmets and consume the rations and water they carried. They took turns relieving themselves behind the jungle, not uttering a word to each other, seemingly very wary of the short officer, making every effort to display the seriousness of the soldiers in his presence

The fool pointed at the jungle in fear, "Baldy, he... he is defecating."

The bald man was trembling with urgency, and Xiao Qiu mustered up her courage to look up and say loudly to the officer: "I need to urinate"

Ah, I know, and I know even more than that. Rest assured, the demon seed does not dare to show itself in broad daylight. Even if it really does come out, do you think our esteemed Xijie Kingdom's Xuanfu Army would be unable to defeat it?

The two soldiers in front continued to advance towards the jungle, holding shields in their left hands and raising long swords high in their right hands, as if facing a formidable enemy

"Beast demon!" a soldier shouted. Without waiting for the officer's command, the soldiers immediately sprang into action, striking their shields with their swords and marching in unison towards the jungle. Their target was not the grinning bald man, but rather a spot several paces away from him.

The young boys did not dare to act recklessly, but only Xiao Qiu continued to stare at the officer, "Even prisoners need to use the restroom, we can hardly hold it any longer"

There is no need; as long as I can persuade my father... I can do it, you don't need to worry. Although Ershuan regretted helping Xiaoqiu, at this moment he had not yet considered betraying him.

The Xuanfu Army is even more terrifying than the legends suggest. They are adults, and when mounted on their horses, they appear even taller. Each is equipped with a long sword and a shield, and the occasional clash of their weapons sends shivers down the spines of the young boys.

The soldiers entered the jungle, and the swaying of the branches quickly ceased, yet no sound emerged from within.

The officer's face was hidden behind the helmet, and upon discovering that Xiao Qiu dared to look up, he threateningly raised his whip

"Why?" Xiao Qiu asked in surprise, as he still wanted to take this opportunity to break free from the ropes and execute his escape plan

Two soldiers received their orders and set off cautiously, maintaining a distance of seven or eight steps apart. After taking a few steps, they stopped again. A small face appeared from the gap in the jungle, revealing the prisoner who refused to come out.

The bald man smiled broadly at the crowd, remaining silent while continuously nodding, as if beckoning his companions to come and watch something amusing. His nonchalant demeanor suggested that he did not regard the soldiers of the Xuanfu army at all.

The veteran yielded, nodding to the other soldiers to indicate that they could rest

"No loud talking allowed," the officer said sternly

The officer remained silent, not removing his helmet, stubbornly staring at the soldier who dared to voice a differing opinion, as if greatly offended

The officer decided to stop and rest

The young boys found it amusing when the old soldier said that this place was "unsafe". The biggest "demon" in Wildwood Town was this group of children, who were as obedient as little chicks in the hands of the Xuanfu Army. Where could the danger possibly come from

The officer scoffed disdainfully, "The marriages of common women are of no concern to the Western Kingdom. You, it is you who let fourteen official horses go and even stole one; this is a serious crime"

What is a demon seed? Why are you all so afraid? In our Wild Forest Town, we have all kinds of species, but we have never heard of a demon seed

The officer did not dismount, lowering his head to watch the criminals he had captured, as if they were heinous traitors.

"And the bookish fool, come out quickly!" the boys shouted in unison, hoping he would still have time to escape the flogging

The only member of the Xuánfú army who had ever made a sound was clearly the leader, as he was the only one wearing a red silk sash around his waist and draped a similarly colored ribbon diagonally from his right shoulder.

Xiao Qiu's first plan failed before it could be executed, leaving him no choice but to come up with another idea

"Do not make a sound." The officer of the Xuanfu Army spoke again; he was evidently a very stern individual. He halted his horse by the roadside, watching the young offenders pass by one by one. Under his command, the boys became cautious even in their breathing.

This is not the bald man remembered by the youths

The officer was enraged, "Bring the prisoner here and give him five lashes."

"Because your mouth is not honest." The officer relished his authority, a hint of pride evident in his voice, "This is merely a small punishment."

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Qiu felt as if she saw a green light flash in the snake's eyes

The veteran turned his head and said to the officer: "Something is not right, be careful..."

Suddenly, without any preparation, the demons truly appeared. A gigantic serpent's head emerged from the jungle, clearly aware that its movements had been exposed. Consequently, it abandoned its tricks and prepared to confront the soldiers of the Xuanfu army directly.

The officer was silent for a moment, "Others can take turns, but you cannot."

"What does it have to do with her?" Xiao Qiu stood in front of Fang Fang.

The officer disdainfully turned his head; the crude language of the young man from the border town sounded particularly jarring to him. However, after waiting for a while, the last prisoner still had not come out, and he grew somewhat impatient. "Call him out, we will set off immediately"

The feeling of frustration immediately spread throughout the entire team, the bald man cried with his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, stumbling as he struggled to keep up with the people in front, "I don't want to go to jail, I... I want to urinate"

"This shouldn't be considered a serious crime, right?" The fool walked behind Ershuan, asking with a sobbing tone, "Let's just say... let's just say it was Xiaoqiu who forced us into the forest."

The term "punishment," rarely heard, frightened the youths; they would rather accept "lessons" or "discipline" than imagine how terrifying "punishment" could be. At the officer's signal, two soldiers began to untie the ropes of the prisoners, but only Xiao Qiu remained bound, staying within the line of sight of the Xuanzhu Army

The Xuanfu Army, however, had other intentions. Nine soldiers simultaneously drew their long swords and took down their shields from their horses, standing side by side, facing the jungle

Behind them, the officer reined in his horse and took a few steps back before regaining his composure. He drew his longsword and raised his oval shield, yet did not dare to advance

Xiao Qiu felt a jolt in her heart, suddenly recalling the reminder from the Taoist by the bridge—stay away from demons and monsters

On the return journey, he felt listless, especially Er Shuan, who had suggested taking the shortcut. As a result, they were caught in less than a day, and he regretted it immensely. If given another chance, he believed he should have forced his companions to travel through the night instead of stopping to eat and rest, or simply taken Xiao Qiu and Fang Fang back to Ye Lin Town. Looking at the completely black-clad Xuanfu army, Er Shuan leaned more towards the latter choice, but unfortunately, he had no way to make a different decision.

The opportunity to untie the rope will soon arise

A soldier marched purposefully toward the jungle, feeling quite displeased with this mission. Even without the officer's orders, he intended to teach the young man a harsh lesson.

The young men exchanged glances, astonished by the boldness of the bald man, which was truly beyond their expectations

The snake's head hung high in the air, its yellow eyes gazing down at humanity, and the two massive fangs in its jaw were nearly as long and sharp as the swords of the Xuanfu army

When Xiao Qiu walked over and glanced up, the panic in his heart had dissipated, and his observational abilities were restored. Suddenly, he had a feeling that this cold-voiced officer seemed rather insignificant.

It was just around noon, the branches drooped low, and even the small insects were too weary to make a sound, while the forest was utterly silent.