Chapter 007: The Secret Passage and the Spark of Fire

The girl was knocked to the ground by her, and the oil was also knocked over, spilling everywhere. When a spark ignited it, it caught fire on the ground. An Liu was startled, and Tang Renxiao and Wen Yanhai hurriedly tried to stomp it out. After two attempts, they failed to extinguish it, and the oil on their feet caused even their straw sandals to catch fire. Zhang Mai shouted, "Use sand to smother it!"

Guo Bian and several young boys shouted, "Uncle Zhang, I want to go with you too!"

But... sister, it's so dark

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and said, "You all go ahead, I will return to Suye." After saying this, even he was somewhat surprised by his own determination at that moment

Guo Fen said, "We have arrived outside the city"

An Liu Meng felt a light shining behind him, startled, he jumped over and slapped the girl, shouting: "What are you doing! Don't the Hu people know our location?"

Not necessarily! Zhang Mai pointed at Tang Renxiao and said: "You take three brothers and come back with me." He then said to Wen Yanhai: "You take the other brothers and escort Uncle An and these children to Xinghuo Fort."

The more generous the heroes and heroines of the Tang Dynasty appear, the more they highlight their own cowardice

Although the military strength of the Huíhé people was superior, they were unable to completely besiege the city

She took an oil lamp from the bag, placed it in her sister's hand, and lit it, becoming a small beacon of light on the dark mountain path. Nearby, several children imitated her, also pulling out oil lamps to ignite.

An Liu m.hetushu .com .com said: "Special Envoy Zhang, do not act recklessly, this is the order of Lord Guo!"

Several times, Zhang Mai wanted to turn back, but he could never muster the final courage.

Tang Renxiao, upon hearing that he could return to Suiye, stood up excitedly and responded, "Yes!" He then signaled Ding Hanshan and Murong Yang to follow him.

Zhang Mai only felt his hand slip away, and suddenly his heart felt a tightness.

Guo Bian and Yang Zhuo called out: "Brother Mai, you must come back! We will be waiting for you at Xinghuo Fort!"

The road ahead seems to be the only path to survival

Guo Fendao said, "Alright, I will take you all to this point." He said to Tang Renxiao and Wen Yanhai, who were escorting Zhang Mai, "I entrust this to you."

Why do I feel so uneasy inside, why? Why!

Following behind him, Zhang Mai could not help but look back repeatedly. Guo Fen's figure had long since vanished, leaving only a pitch-black void behind.

The person walked like a soulless being alongside An Liu, yet their heart was tumultuous like crashing waves

An Liu, Tang Renxiao, and others were even more taken aback, not understanding why he suddenly changed his mind

Zhang Mai suddenly recalled whether, during the time when the four towns of Anxi fell one after another, there were similar scenes of young people being left behind, embers of hope being preserved, and the poignant separations of life and death, yet still enduring and moving forward

Guo Fen raised his head: "I want to be with my father and brothers! If Suiye holds, I will come to inform everyone. If Suiye does not hold... the men of the Great Tang would rather die than submit, and the women of the Great Tang cannot bring shame to their fathers and brothers!" Saying this, he disregarded everything and left.

A slightly older girl beside her said: "Xin'er, don't cry, don't be afraid. I am here, and so are Brother Renxiao and the others. The ghosts won't dare to come."

"Special Envoy Zhang, do not act impulsively; it is best for you to come with us quickly. If Suye cannot be defended, then you... even if you return to Suye, it will be of no use. It will only lead to a pointless death." An Liu persuaded, though his intentions were good, his words were harsh.

A little girl began to sob, crying out: "Sister, I am scared. It is so dark, will there be ghosts?"

Moreover, hiding away does not necessarily guarantee survival, and returning does not necessarily mean death

The night is very dark, and the road is also difficult to traverse

I cannot just leave like this, otherwise, even if I survive this time, I will eventually look down on myself in the future

I am the envoy, the imperial commissioner, and I do not need to heed his commands!" He patted Tang Renxiao on the shoulder and said, "Follow me!"

The old man An Liu suddenly shouted, "Sit down, all of you!" His roar caused the group of young people to stop in their tracks. An Liu continued, "Why is it you who follow me, and not anyone else? Don't you understand? I, too, wanted to die alongside Sui Ye, but I must survive for your sake." He pointed at the women and said, "They came out to take care of you! Yet you want to rush back to show off your heroism and seek death. Hey, you may think you are heroes, but what do you consider the adults?"

Several youths shouted together: "I will go back too!" "I will go back too!" "I want to be with my brother!" "I will go back to find my mother!"

Just now, he surprisingly lacked the courage to ask to stay; he felt that he was behaving like a deserter in front of these people

The old man's face, marked by deep grooves, appeared frightening, whether they were deep wrinkles or scars

Although Guo Shidao said that the end of Suoye has come, is there really no other way to go? Guo Shidao and the others, including Guo Fen, can they only wait to die in Suoye? No, as long as we think carefully, there should be a solution!

The mountain path once again plunged into darkness, yet that flicker of fire illuminated Zhang Mai's heart with a sudden brightness

These warriors of the Tang Dynasty are indeed willing to face death with joy rather than live in shame

Finally, An Liu said to Zhang Mai: "Young Master Zhang, let us be on our way. There is still quite a long distance to Xinghuo Fort."

He then said to Tang Renxiao, Wen Yanhai, and others: "Your responsibilities are even greater! You are the only adult men left here. Before these young ones grow up, they will rely on you for protection. Moreover, the techniques of using the broadsword and the saber must also be taught by you!"

Guo Fen said to the elder at the forefront, "Grandpa An, I have delivered Special Envoy Zhang." And *Tu* *Shu* then said to Zhang Mai, "This is Grandpa An Liu."

Descending the stairs, I entered more than two zhang into the underground. Heading northwest, the terrain gradually rose. After walking for about several dozen steps, I saw a bright light.

This new Suye City is located on the northern bank of the Suye River, which flows from the northwest to the southeast. The irrigated farmland on the southern side of the city has been trampled into ruin by the cavalry of the Huigu people, while the northwestern part of the city is adjacent to the mountains, a place that has yet to be threatened by the Huigu cavalry

From the moment he agreed to leave the city with Guo Shidao to just now when he saw Guo Fen and disregarded him, Zhang Mai felt uneasy in his heart

He stood up, and Zhang Mai then realized that he had only one leg. However, the old man, leaning on his cane, walked along the mountain path at night without needing anyone's support, and surprisingly, he walked faster than those young men.

Guo Bian suddenly shouted: "Sister, I will go back with you!"

Tang Renxiao, Wen Yanhai, and others clenched their fists, seemingly doing their utmost to endure

This secret passage has been excavated to this point, and beyond lies a natural ravine wide enough for horses to run. On both sides, there are earthen walls several people high that obscure the view, making it difficult for outsiders to discern the situation within the ravine

Zhang Maila asked her: "Are you going back?"

Zhang Mai suddenly turned around and shouted at Guo Bian fiercely, "What did you call me!" This startled Guo Bian, leaving him confused about what went wrong. However, Zhang Mai's fierce expression quickly transformed into a strange smile: "You should call me Brother Zhang, or Brother Mai is also fine. What do you mean by Uncle Zhang? Am I that old?" He patted Guo Bian's head and said, "Go with Grandpa An to Xinghuo Fort and wait for me at the library. I am not going back to die this time—I will definitely return, bringing your father, your brother, and your sister back with me." After saying this, he left with the three soldiers, Tang Renxiao and others, striding away.

Ah, by the way, Mother has prepared lamps for us

Guo Bian and several young boys hurriedly gathered the stones and sand around them to extinguish the fire. An Liu glanced at the surroundings and said, "I hope we haven't been discovered." Without caring that the little girl was still crying, he coldly commanded, "Let's go!"

The entrance to the "secret passage" mentioned by Guo Shidao is located in a dilapidated house at the northwest corner. Lifting the straw mat and wooden planks beside the stove reveals a large hole that is big enough for a horse to be led inside

After walking about four or five li, they arrived at a relatively open area, which was already among the hills and mountains. There were several hundred young boys and girls waiting there, including Guo Fen's younger brother Guo Bian and Yang Yi's younger brother Yang Zhuo. In addition to the many youths, there were also a few elderly men and over a hundred women, most of whom were holding infants. Aside from the ten guards escorting Zhang Mai, not a single able-bodied man could be seen.

An Liu remained there murmuring: "Nonsense, nonsense! These young people are truly ridiculous! What can the four of them accomplish when they return? What impact can they have?"

If the Shattered Leaf cannot be held, we will activate the mechanism to bring this house down before the city falls, thus sealing the entrance to the secret passage. In such a remote location, it will be very difficult for the Hu people to search for this place