Chapter 2, Progress and Retreat

Yang Jin exclaimed, "Can you really take on two Beidou by yourself?"

Which side is this woman really on, and why is she so fickle

At this moment, the refugees locked in the cave panicked and crowded into the cave. The Northern Dynasty guards formed a wall of swords and spears outside the iron bars. One of them stepped forward, unfurled a long scroll, and began to read the names registered on the list. If anyone failed to respond immediately, the guards who had previously entered would whip the crowd with barbed whips. As a result, even if someone hesitated at first and did not dare to speak up, they would be pushed out by their companions who were frantically trying to escape.

After a moment, a shadow was seen flashing at the end of the path, revealing that someone was patrolling back and forth.

Wu Chuchu noticed that several of her companions were on the verge of infighting, so she quickly interjected, "But at least it indicates that this child has seen their parents take stones from the cliff along the way, right? If the child is imitating them, wouldn't it suggest that the adults who placed the stones were also standing on tiptoe at that time?"

Although Li Sheng possesses the talents of a general, it is indeed difficult for a skilled woman to cook without rice. Looking at the two or three individuals before him, he truly felt at a loss, unable to speak.

Zhou Fei cast a glance at her, while Yang Jin shot a sidelong glance at the top of Zhou Fei's head, revealing a disdainful smile

"Of course I cannot win," Zhou Fei said calmly, "but I am a junior. In front of so many Northern troops, as long as I initially present myself as somewhat weak, those two may not necessarily abandon their pride and attack me together"

Still not here, "Zhou Fei frowned and said, 'Could it be that the little brat has even forgotten the location?'"

Li Sheng was inexplicably defamed, staring at her with a head full of lawsuits

Walking from sunset until deep into the night, the dew had already fallen, as if the seemingly unchanging forest path had finally turned a corner, and the view unexpectedly opened up. Li Yan, feeling both surprised and delighted, was about to call out when Zhou Fei covered her mouth with a hand. Li Sheng waved his hand, and several people hid in the shadows by the roadside, while the child remained very well-behaved, wide-eyed and silent.

If they had such skills, how could they be easily killed by others on the roadside

Understood, Li Sheng sighed, "Playing tricks and relying on you to perform—get lost, no way, it's too dangerous.

Only Wu Chuchu gently replied: "The supplies are very limited, and I fear we will not stay here for long"

Wu Chuchu's child struggled desperately once again, but this time Wu Chuchu was wise enough to hold on tightly and not let go. In a moment of panic, the child emitted a whimper like a small beast from his throat and lowered his head to bite her hand. However, before he could take a bite, a hand seized his chin.

Li Yan still thought she hadn't heard, calling out "A Fei" repeatedly several times, but Zhou Fei did not respond to her at all. In an instant, Li Yan seemed to understand something; she stared blankly at Zhou Fei, then glanced at Li Cheng, the light reflected in her big eyes gradually dimming like a small fire doused with cold water, in shock.

At this moment, after a long silence, Wu Chuchu glanced at the valley again, held back for a while, and finally could not help but say: "It seems that there are no women behind that iron fence..."

Zhou Fei suddenly said to Li Yan: "When I first came down the mountain, I was even younger than you are now, and my skills were not that strong. I was surrounded by two Beidou, crying while swearing that I would definitely escort Chu Chu back to Shu... At that time, she was still a young lady, unable to run at all. Now she is under the tutelage of the big boss, so at least you don't have to escort her anymore"

Chen Junfu said: "You do not need a knife; what you are saying is the talk of a craftsman. If Ah Fei hears this, he will surely laugh at you"

A long time ago, Li Sheng was filled with the ambition of "making a name for himself". He was so frustrated with himself that he left the team without permission. He sincerely believed that Young Master Li was unparalleled in the world and thought that one day he would be able to pierce a hole in the sky, refusing to admit that Zhou Fei was better than him in martial arts. Now, he has learned how to manage the defenses of the stronghold in an orderly manner, how to be truly versatile in front of outsiders, and how to conceal his talents and bide his time, realizing that "unparalleled in the world" is not necessarily a compliment. He would even flee from the battlefield due to a few suggestive hints from Madam Nizhang.

"This is a signpost," Li Sheng said. "This valley is likely man-made, and the secret passages for entry and exit must have been left by those who came before... Could this be a forbidden area of the Qi Gate? But if it is a forbidden area, how could so many outsiders be allowed to approach?"

Zhou Fei suddenly fell from the tree, and the guards only felt a shadow flash by, unable to discern whether it was a person. They immediately pursued as if facing a great enemy, and sharp whistles sounded all around. The entrance to the valley was thrown into chaos for a moment. Taking advantage of Zhou Fei drawing the guards away, Li Cheng and the others quickly ran past the darker areas of the rocky mountain. Fortunately, the trees on the mountain had not been completely cut down; only the entrance had been cleared. They managed to evade that short stretch of road, ensuring there were places to hide inside. Taking advantage of Zhou Fei drawing the guards away, Li Cheng and the others quickly ran past the darker areas of the rocky mountain. Fortunately, the trees on the mountain had not been completely cut down; only the entrance had been cleared. They managed to evade that short stretch of road, ensuring there were places to hide inside

Once the Northern Army has familiarized itself with the terrain, it can tear off the facade. By this point, these refugees have long lost the ability and courage they initially possessed, and are essentially left to be slaughtered at will. At this time, whether it is to kill them to silence them or to force them into hard labor, they can be manipulated in any way.

The Qi Gate has always been mysterious and unfathomable, and the "forbidden area" is even more of a legend. That black judge has been mingling in the Qi Gate for so many years, yet he has not even touched the edge of the forbidden area. Could there be a group of common folk raising pigs and sheep inside?

The child trembled in fright at her voice, warily turning to the side, with their back pressed tightly against the mountain rock, resembling a startled little animal

"What kind of bird is this?" The little leader scratched his head in confusion, "Alright, disperse, everyone return to your posts... Is this a crow or something? Why is it so big? This is really bizarre!"

Li Yan let out a difficult sob and instinctively called out: "A Fei ... ... "

Zhou Fei lowered her head and caressed the handle of the broken dagger

However, it is a pity that no matter how uniform a crowd may appear, there will always be exceptions—those few who managed to escape with their children are such examples. They may not possess great wisdom or courage; perhaps it was merely a matter of chance or some compelling reason that forced them to flee, and they inadvertently succeeded in doing so

Yang Jin looked down and found herself covered in goosebumps from Li Sheng's few words—these people from the Central Plains kill without knives

Yang Jin is a person who is inherently unrelated to the phrase "method". When he suddenly uttered such a statement, everyone turned to him in a daze.

The little leader responded with a shout, not noticing that the faint glimmer of cold light behind him slowly receded.

Zhou Fei: "So what do you suggest we do?"

Suddenly, Li Yan spoke up: "Is it possible..."

Lu Run's life, both in literary and martial accomplishments, truly deserves the eight-character phrase 'capable of managing the heavens and the earth, astonishingly talented.' However, throughout his life, he was not in control of his own fate. He felt he had let down his country above, his friends below, and himself in the middle. Centuries after his death, the sect's medicinal valley still faced destruction because of him, leading to its disintegration at the hands of Cao Zhongkun. Chen Junfu remarked, 'Lu Run was constrained by heaven, by others, and by fate, unable to break free from the overwhelming canopy above him. He could only choose to ignore, remain silent, and ask no questions. Thus, the demon sword 'Shattered Veil' he created, aggressive and filled with indignation, had never been unsheathed before A Fei, yet it already bore the ominous aura capable of severing the universe.'

"What are you looking at?" Li Sheng snapped irritably, "Just go your own way!"

Xie Yun slightly furrowed her brows

Yang Jin then said: "In our place, we believe that everything has a spirit. During festivals or significant events, we always invite a shaman to divine the right and wrong, the auspicious and the inauspicious. I do not quite understand their mysterious practices, but the reasoning is generally similar; it is all about listening to the heavens. Now, let us draw lots; each person will draw one. If someone draws the special one, we will leave. If no one draws it, let it remain in my hand, and we will discuss what to do next. Is that alright?"

It was only then that I realized the iron fence was not backed against the foot of the mountain, but rather enclosed a cave. The depth of the cave was indiscernible, filled with people of all ages, both young and old, all dressed in tattered clothing with vacant expressions. A cursory glance revealed that there were at least several hundred individuals. These people were trapped behind the iron bars like livestock, and atop the pointed end of the fence rested a decayed human skull, already reduced to white bones

Everyone looked at her together

Li Sheng held this pale excuse in his mouth for a while, finding it tasteless no matter how he tried it. He then glared angrily at the others and vented his frustration, saying: "Why is no one saying anything? Are you all mute?"

Li Sheng was unable to speak up in time to stop it, but at this moment, he could no longer bear to watch and said: "Brother Yang, even if the people in that valley really used moving stones as signposts, those would be signposts made by adults. Why would an adult specifically choose such short stones? You... you..."

When Zhou Yitang handed the broken veil to Zhou Fei in Shu, she once told her a story... It was about a person's life, a sword's existence, and a season of grass and trees... A cold smile from fate

The Northern Dynasty's army gathered here, and it was no longer a matter of the affairs of the rivers and lakes that these commoners could manage

A circle of guards sitting beside the iron fence stood up upon seeing the approaching person. Zhou Fei and the others were too far away to know what was exchanged between the two parties. In any case, moments later, the messenger turned and left, while the guards outside the iron fence began to light torches one after another. The iron fence was originally built in a dark area, and previously, they could only see that it seemed to contain some people. Li Cheng and the others initially thought it was just a small corner for refuge, likely holding a few unfortunate refugees, no more than a dozen or twenty.

"Are you done yet?" Li Sheng interrupted her, "Ah Fei has clashed with Tong Kaiyang more than once, and she was already aware of the situation before drawing her sword. During that incident at Liu Family Village, everyone had originally agreed to encircle Yin Pei. Do you know what 'encircle' means? If it weren't for the fact that the various sects have been disunited over the years, Yin Pei would not have been able to survive until now—just take a look at this place!"

Li Yan then said to Li Sheng: "And you, weren't you boasting on the way, claiming that you led a group of people at Liu Family Village to drive back the Iron-faced Demon Yin Pei, you..."

Zhou Fei held the broken veil in her hand and patted Li Yan on the shoulder: "Let's go, I will take you two out."

Li Sheng said: "Who will create a bit of chaos at the entrance in a while? You two take the opportunity to leave."

Zhou Fei asked: "What are you doing?"

Li Sheng could not act like Li Yan did towards Wu Chuchu. He slightly lowered his eyes and explained softly: "The urgent matter is that we must quickly inform Uncle and General Wen about this situation. Otherwise, our army will be caught in a pincer attack, and the consequences will be severe. Even if we perish together with the valley and explode into the sky, it would still be of no use."

The Broken Goose Knife deepened the original crevice in the stone by more than half an inch with brute force, yet the stone that the child had pointed out remained steadfastly in place.

Li Yan bent down to look at the child and asked, "Hey? Why isn't he speaking? I see he runs quite nimbly and seems to understand what others are saying, so he shouldn't be unable to talk."

The guard at the entrance, named Zhou Fei, had taken a leisurely stroll. Finally, a group of armed men cautiously approached the pile of wood, following the sound. The leader signaled several times to his subordinates, then suddenly stepped forward, shouting loudly, and thrust his spear into a pile of leaves. A scream was heard from among the branches, startling the guards into drawing their swords. However, the small leader withdrew his spear, revealing that he had impaled a large bird on the tip, which was still alive, flapping its wings in a desperate struggle.

Zhou Fei was somewhat surprised, her fingers suddenly tensed, and a network of veins appeared on the back of her hand. She exerted eighty percent of her strength, and the sand and soil were stirred by her internal energy, cascading downwards, yet the stone remained completely unmoved. Earlier, when she saw the child confidently reaching out to dig, she thought it was merely a loose stone wedged inside, but she did not expect it to be an integral part of the mountain rock behind it.

Li Yan suddenly felt like crying, regretting her earlier childish anger and righteousness. However, Zhou Fei did not give her the time to wipe her tears. She was particularly adept at navigating through the various hidden paths in the forest, and in the blink of an eye, she led Wu Chuchu and Li Yan to a nearby exit, a place devoid of tree cover.

Zhou Fei forcibly pried open his mouth, lifted the child's small face, and cast a cold glance at him. With a flick of her finger, she brushed over his sleep point, causing the child's eyes to redden instantly, yet he could not resist. Reluctantly, he closed his eyes, and tears were forced out of his eyes, streaming down his face.

Several individuals were skilled martial artists, possessing excellent night vision. Following the direction of her finger, they saw a heavily guarded area in the corner of the valley, surrounded by iron bars, where a tattered figure could be faintly seen.

Zhou Fei mentally reviewed the tasks she needed to accomplish from the beginning; she had to find the entrance to the Qi Gate, seek a solution for the Toukugreen, and return to the Forty-Eight Villages

Zhou Fei pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps the people in the valley indeed use some moving stones as landmarks, but this little creature may not remember which one it is. It would be better for us to search nearby."

Zhou Fei stretched out her arm, slightly raised her toes, and felt around the upper layer of the mountain rocks. She sensed that each stone was firmly rooted in place, and she did not find any that had been tampered with.

After speaking, Zhou Fei searched her entire body and pulled out an iron wrist guard from her bag, which was fastened around her wrist. It was of a slender size suitable for a young girl, very exquisite and ornate, resembling a unique wide-brimmed bracelet: "This is a small mechanism made by that master, which conceals hidden weapons inside. In case of danger, it can save your life. Within a distance of ten feet, as long as you remain calm and aim properly, someone of your brother's skill level cannot evade it."

The extracted grass stems were bare underneath. Yang Jin spread his hand open, and the one with the grass roots lay quietly in his dark palm, with tiny root hairs still clinging to soil debris. The two young men fell silent for a moment, then simultaneously tossed the small grass aside. Li Sheng, having shifted from his earlier frenzy of catching whoever he could, calmed down in an instant and said: "We can't all stay here; let Ayan and Miss Wu take this child and leave first—Li Yan, do you know where the recent hidden stake is?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent for a moment, and the five individuals, with their ten eyes, occasionally glanced thoughtfully at the child. The child seemed even more uneasy, curling himself into a small ball and burying his face in Wu Chuchu's embrace. Clearly, it was unlikely that anything could be extracted from his mouth, especially since such a young child might not be able to articulate the things he had witnessed.

In the last sentence, he spoke with a lack of confidence, looking up at Zhou Fei as if seeking help.

Zhou Fei's footsteps paused for a moment, yet she remained silent

Among the refugees coming from the north to the south, there are naturally people of all ages and genders. These refugees have traveled a long distance to settle and farm in the valley, so it is impossible for only men to remain here. If the women are not here, then where have they gone

That sword, known as 'Shan', is the blade of a prosperous era, Chen Junfu said. I have never seen the original, it is all described by that little girl. She is a straightforward person, very lively, and speaks as if pouring beans. The swords and blades she described are held by the heroes she admires. I do not boast; when those swords and blades are forged, they are both gentle and solemn, containing the sentiment of fine wine shared with a confidant, thus they are good swords and good blades. For example... the demon sword 'Suizhe'. For example... the demon sword 'Suizhe'.

The blade struck against the mountain rock, producing a sound that made one’s teeth ache, a sharp "clang" echoed through the mountains, lingering endlessly. The tip of the knife precisely penetrated into a tiny crevice almost covered by dust. The entire rock face trembled incessantly from this earth-shattering blow. However, it was of no use.

A messenger suddenly ran out from the large tent in the middle, stood in the open space, and raised his hand high

The entire valley was as bright as day. Near the entrance of the valley, broken branches and wooden stakes were piled together, all freshly cut trees, their leaves still very vibrant. It is uncertain whether this is due to someone having heightened their defenses after escaping through the dense forest in the mountains.

"I am too." The man with the surname Yang spoke bluntly, "Hey, Zhou Fei, you are not foolish either, so just be straightforward and stop pretending."

Li Yan was surprised to receive it, only to find that the paper package contained a fine needle

Yang Jin snorted softly, carefully placing the broken cover aside, and drew out his Duanyan knife. He was an unusual figure among the people of the southern frontier, tall and imposing, with arms that spanned several feet. When he held the large ring knife resembling a goose's wing, he naturally exuded an air of authority. He took half a step back, his shoulders slightly lowered, and let out a low shout

Li Sheng's mouth twitched slightly: "... ... Brother Yang, what does this mean?"

Yang Jin wore a look of indecision, her features almost tangled into a knot

Zhou Fei thought: It is best to take advantage of the darkness, to figure out how to enter and how to exit

Zhou Fei revealed a hint of a stingy smile, then turned to Li Yan and said: "If we are not very lucky, you... you can go to Nanguo Zijian for me, find that old Master Lin, and just tell him a word."

Bring it to me to see. Li Sheng hurriedly took it over and saw that on the small stone tablet was actually engraved a diagram of the Eight Trigrams, with densely packed annotations beside it, all in tiny script. If one was not careful, they would easily misread the lines, and the content was quite profound. Not to mention someone like Yang Jin, even Zhou Fei might not be able to recognize all the characters.

Yang Jin said: "You all turned your backs."

Li Sheng is returning to the Forty-Eight Stronghold, where a multitude of trivial matters and chores await him. Li Jinrong cannot indefinitely shelter this small boat, which is swaying in the storm, and she is gradually shifting the burden onto the shoulders of the younger generation. Zhou Fei still needs to go to the forbidden area of Qimen to seek that faint glimmer of hope. In recent years, she has always felt an inexplicable sense of urgency, as if she must hurry, or else Xie Yun will not be able to wait any longer

Zhou Fei added: "Those refugees need to be quite clever, they must hit the target precisely—I'm afraid that might be quite difficult."

With a sharp sound, amidst the cries and wails, a sharp instrument pierced through the iron bars

Suddenly, a stone the size of a palm fell from the sky. Zhou Fei, quick-witted and agile, caught it in one hand and leaped down from the rock face. A hollow appeared on the rock, revealing a small spring inside. Once the stone was struck, the spring would automatically jump, propelling the stone out. However, due to the passage of time, the spring had become slightly rusted. Fortunately, Zhou Fei, being cautious, struck it several more times; otherwise, she might have inadvertently missed it.

Zhou Fei turned her head to look at the expansive valley, where she saw numerous shabby houses, some of which had been flattened and turned into camps. In the center stood a massive military tent, which was particularly conspicuous under the flickering firelight, with supplies piled high and warhorses lined up in an orderly fashion. This was far from what she had imagined as the 'Qimen Forbidden Land,' especially those houses that had not yet been demolished, which were clearly weathered and had been there for some time. From her elevated vantage point, she could still see several broken bricks and tiles, as well as a half-collapsed livestock pen.

"That should not be the case," Wu Chuchu said softly, "Up ahead is the fork in the road. Look, even Ah Yan, who has never been here before, knows to mark the spot under the tree pit. If the people in the valley really left a mark, it would certainly be near every fork in the road."

Li Yan took a deep breath, steadied her stance, and spoke with conviction: "But being so tall is useless; we don't aspire to be foolish giants! What I mean is... why don't you look up?"

Li Yan widened her eyes in disbelief: "Brother?"

"What are you daydreaming about?" Zhou Fei nimbly climbed onto the rock and said, "Hand me the knife."

Li Sheng frowned and said: "I don't think those two will take action; the most likely scenario is that they will have someone shoot you to death with a rain of arrows. What kind of terrible idea did that dead girl come up with?"

Li Sheng finally found someone who could understand him, and he sighed with relief. Wu Chuchu pointed again and asked, "What is going on over there?"

Li Sheng said again: "It is best to leave by the same route and not wait until dawn, as there may be scouts from the Beidou patrolling nearby. Those scouts are very cunning and are likely to disguise themselves. You two should cover your faces and hurry on horseback, pretending to be passersby. Display your weapons openly and do not stop for anyone who calls out. If you encounter someone blocking your way, just cut through. If you truly face something you cannot handle, set off the fireworks in the camp early. In case you run into our people or friends on the road, it could save your life."

Yang Jin and Li Yan stared at each other in confusion, completely at a loss, and no one paid them any attention

At that moment, a sudden light sound came from behind, as someone tapped a stone with the handle of a knife. Yang Jin was startled and turned around abruptly, only to see that the person was Zhou Fei, which made her finally put down the broken goose knife. Zhou Fei said somewhat impatiently: "Let's hurry up, there are only a few of us, and we are still carrying a little one. If we are discovered, it won't be a joke—brother, I will go find Qi Men myself later. You should quickly head back to find my father, don't delay the important matters."

Wu Chuchu immediately understood his meaning and suddenly realized: "So they want to stabilize these refugees first"

Li Sheng forcefully withdrew his gaze, hesitated for a moment, and gritted his teeth, saying: "The martial world has its own rules, we do not provoke the court's affairs, and each matter is settled distinctly. Let us go."

For some reason, Li Sheng thought of Xie Yun

The soldiers, full of vigor and vitality, are spread across the mountains and fields; this matter need not be explicitly stated

At the brink of life and death, several of them were hiding on the hillside, playing with grass roots. What kind of situation is this! Li Sheng could not help but feel a surge of sadness; spending every day with this group of fools, what future could there possibly be?

Li Yan exclaimed, "Heavens... how can there be so many people!"

The sound of the whip was particularly clear in the night, and Wu Chuchu realized that she had spoken out of turn. She pursed her lips and lowered her head, saying: "Don't mind me, I am just..."

Zhou Fei had a strong rapport with him; upon hearing this bird-like language, she immediately understood his meaning. Holding a handful of horse feed beans, she tossed them into the air. The black beans, propelled with force, struck against the rocky mountain, creating a cacophony of sounds. The guards were instantly alerted, hastily drawing their swords and searching in all directions.

Brother Li, stop beating around the bush. All this talk of yours is just a way of expressing your reluctance to stay and your unease about leaving

A few people fell into a brief silence. Li Yan, who had previously been oblivious to the gravity of the situation, finally realized that there were many things she had not considered. Unable to help herself, she murmured softly, "So, we still..."

Li Yan opened her mouth, about to say something, but Zhou Fei cast a deep glance at her, transforming into a fleeting shadow in the dark night, and suddenly darted away.

Li Sheng always had a cold demeanor towards her, yet rarely spoke harshly. Li Yan was startled by her brother's sudden outburst

A long time ago, Zhou Fei was also a fearless newcomer, wielding a half-baked broken snow knife. While engaging in a cold war with Xie Yun, she recklessly confronted the Azure Dragon Lord, Zheng Luosheng, and felt quite justified in her actions. She believed that "in chaotic times, there is no law of kings; if righteousness also falls silent, then what hope is there for those who merely survive in such circumstances"

Li Yan just followed him to sweep through the hidden stakes from west to east and immediately replied: "Understood"

Xie Yundao: "I once saw the works left behind by Master Lu when I was a child at the Emperor's place"

By now, her unpredictable blade has taken shape, capable of prompting Mu Xiao Qiao to utter the words, "Li Zheng may not necessarily defeat you." Yet, her hands and feet seem to be "bound." She will feign compliance when encountering Tong Kai Yang on a narrow path, and will also hide in the shadows, remaining unseen when the heroes surround Yin Pei. There are even times when she recalls the fog-laden past, and an endless sense of doubt and confusion arises within her.

Why does he want to associate with these annoying people from the Central Plains

Li Sheng glanced around and noticed that the person who carved the stone seemed to be afraid that people would not understand. In the midst of a pile of complex annotations, a small space was cleared, and a simple and straightforward arrow was carved, with one side inscribed with "Exit" and the other side with "Entry"

However, as one torch after another was lit, several people were left in a daze

He suddenly turned around and pointed down to the valley: "How many people is that? And what about this? There are a total of five of us, along with a burdensome little brat—plus someone like you who cannot be relied upon. I will tell you the truth, Li Yan, today, even if it were me and you, or even if our great-aunt brought all the elders from our village here, she would not dare to recklessly confront tens of thousands of soldiers from the Northern Dynasty."

Yang Jin seized every opportunity to mock her, saying: "Isn't it you who is incapable?"

If it were daytime at this moment, Li Sheng's face would probably be flushed red

Xie Yun asked, "How?"

Silly big guy Yang Jin

Xie Yundao: "I have indeed had the fortune to see this."

Li Sheng pondered for a moment and hesitantly said: "I still have a few fireworks for communication in our village. When they are launched, they will produce sparks, and if we set them off, they might think we are planning to set fire to their camp, which could divert their troops... No, this plan is too rough. The more I think about it, the less reliable it seems—first, we must be as swift as the wind and lightning, and we need to be lucky enough for the Northern Army's assembly and response speed to be slow. Their generals must all be incompetent, and... at least one of Gu Tianxuan and Lu Yaoguang must have some sense of shame; otherwise, A Fei won't be able to escape. No, this plan is too rough. The more I think about it, the less reliable it seems—first, we must be as swift as the wind and lightning, and we need to be lucky enough for the Northern Army's assembly and response speed to be slow. Their generals must all be incompetent, and... at least one of Gu Tianxuan and Lu Yaoguang must have some sense of shame; otherwise, A Fei won't be able to escape. What kind of luck would that require? It would take a deity as a father to make it work.

Li Sheng asked: "What mysteries lie within the stone?"

Although the position of the stone is quite low, for a child, it still requires him to stand on tiptoe. His little thin arms are roughly as thick as two fingers, and he has hardly any strength. After clinging to the rock for a while, the stone remains completely unmoved.

Zhou Fei had nothing to say to Yang, who was provoking her for no reason, so she simply took a step back and said, "If you are capable, then come and try."

A cluster of small blue veins sprang up at the temples of Yang Jin. However, before he could clumsily retort, Zhou Fei suddenly reached out and pulled a blade of grass from his drooping, rootless little plant. Upon opening her hand to look, she saw that the root had been pinched off, and she said, "This one of mine is not."

Yin Pei is not dead yet, and the old lady Wang's revenge has not been avenged, while "The Sea and Sky Are One Color" remains a hidden worry that is always ready to stir up trouble... However, she picks and chooses, feeling that none of these matters can be brought up, for even if there are reasons in her heart that are as heavy as Mount Tai, once spoken, they would seem despicable

Will this thing come from the hands of the refugees seeking shelter in the valley

Zhou Fei let out a scoff and replied, "Are you foolish?"

Wait a moment. Wu Chuchu suddenly said, "You all quickly look, what are they going to do?"

The "Thirteen Knives of the Broken Wild Goose" in his hands was by no means merely a display. Yang Jin suddenly stepped forward, the large blade seemingly poised to cleave Mount Tai in two as it came crashing down. The blade's wind was split in two by the sharp edge, and with a short, sharp cry of "wooo," Li Yan, standing three steps away, felt a sharp pain in her arm from the force of the wind. She cursed, "Barbarian," and hurriedly picked up the curled-up child, retreating to the side.

Li Sheng said: "I am coming"

Zhou Fei did not have the habit of using hidden weapons in her daily life. She awkwardly demonstrated to Li Yan and Wu Chuchu how to use this item. When she opened the iron wrist guard, she found that the mechanism was well-made, but it was completely empty inside, with nothing at all. Just as she felt embarrassed, Yang Jin suddenly handed her a small paper bag, asking, "Can this fit inside?"

After a while, she hesitantly spoke up: "What about them...?"

Li Yan shrank her neck and said, "Well... I just casually mentioned it, um, sister... could it be that you... are not tall enough?"

The turbulent winds and rains of the rivers and lakes may not necessarily turn the bloodline of heroes into that of cowardly individuals who fear for their lives. However, it can always teach a person to "avoid trouble"

Zhou Fei thought for a moment, then turned and walked behind a few large trees in the dense forest. After a moment, she emerged holding a piece of silver-white soft armor that resembled silk. With a flick of her finger, a row of shells adorning the edges of the armor fell neatly into her palm. She carefully collected the shells and tossed the armor to Wu Chuchu, saying: "This soft armor, 'Cai Xia', was crafted by a master, just like the 'Mu Yun Sha' of Lady Yin from years ago. It is impervious to swords and fire... Of course, this armor cannot withstand collisions; if you encounter a master who can strike from afar, you will still need to flee. You two take it and decide among yourselves who will wear it."

"I still have this," Yang Jin said, pulling out two round objects from his bosom. "These were made by some quack herbalists. It is said that if you smash them on the ground, they can release a large amount of medicinal powder, making it hard for people to open their eyes. They might have absorbed some moisture, so I don't know if they are still usable. We can throw this into the pile of guards at the iron fence. While they are in chaos, we can rescue the person. That would be our best effort. Whether we can escape depends entirely on their luck, and there is no need to escort the Buddha all the way to the West."

The Northern Army is on the verge of being fully assembled, and at this critical juncture, any leak would surely lead to failure. Li Sheng can easily imagine how furious Gu Tianxuan and others would be, which is why they are willing to send out several groups to hunt down a few village women and farmers, determined to eliminate them completely. At the same time, since keeping these refugees has become worthless, it is justifiable to eliminate them all to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future

She had become quite adept at lurking in the dead of night, moving seamlessly through the darkness. After a few ascents and descents, she approached the entrance of the valley. Zhou Fei peeked out and was surprised to see that there were actually more than ten guards stationed there, more formidable than an ordinary city gate. Each guard was clad in armor and wielding weapons, yet they all faced towards the valley—clearly, these individuals were not concerned about outsiders breaching their defenses, but rather were guarding against those within the valley attempting to escape.

Zhou Fei, feeling helpless, could only casually hang the broken weapon behind Yang Jin's back, step forward, grip the stone, and attempt to pry it down... She was unable to pry it loose

Some are snake venom, some are hallucinogenic drugs, I can't tell them apart, so I just put them together, whatever you encounter is what it is. Yang Jin rubbed his nose and added, They are all concocted by those herbalists.

It was merely a false alarm. The entrance to the valley quickly returned to tranquility, with only the small leader feeling that the sudden appearance of a frighteningly large crow in the dead of night was ominous. He decided to take the big bird to the fire, intending to burn it alive. He hummed a tune from who knows where, with his long spear suspended over the fire, unaware that a glimmer of cold light was slowly emerging behind him, aimed directly at his back.

Li Sheng nodded slightly to Zhou Fei—he had found the right place

Then he despondently chose one of the two blades of grass and slowly pulled it out of Yang Jin's palm. The delicate little blade of grass had never imagined, since the day it sprouted, that it would one day bear such a heavy responsibility. It trembled slightly in the night breeze, as if it might break at any moment, while five people with ten eyes were all fixated on that little blade of grass

Li Sheng had never thought of such a "unique" solution. He immediately cleared his throat awkwardly and said tactfully: "Ahem, well, Brother Yang..."

The child made himself even smaller

Zhou Fei avoided her gaze, neither agreeing with Li Sheng nor defending her, but awkwardly interjected with a question: "Are we still going out the same way?"

Zhou Fei was at a loss for words. Li Cheng felt that he had just been bewitched, actually hoping that these few people could say something constructive. He let out a heavy sigh, choosing not to look at Yang Jin and the others, dismissing the entire valley from his mind, and took the lead in retracing his steps. He was merely a minor junior of the Forty-Eighth Village, neither a Sword of Mountains and Rivers, nor the old village chief, and certainly not a martial arts leader or a royal relative. It was likely that he would live a life destined to be obscure and mediocre, so why should he foolishly bear the burdens and anxieties of a hero?

Impossible

"But that is also a fine knife, an unparalleled fine knife," Chen Junfu said. "Both knives are made of rare and exceptional iron, the craftsmanship is excellent, the blades are very sharp, and the backs of the knives are sturdy. 'In adverse winds, they do not encounter resistance; in favorable winds, they do not become frivolous' is the most basic requirement. Both are very solid and durable—yet the two are worlds apart. So, do you understand now?"

Yang Jin : " ... ... "

Zhou Fei lifted her veil and suddenly spun around, on this night when the moon was dark and the stars dim, she soared to the treetops without disturbing a single leaf, like a vigilant bird, and in the blink of an eye, she vanished without a trace

With threats coupled with temptations, dealing with a flock of sheep that has lost its leader is always effective. Most refugees are timid, spending their lives in pursuit of merely a corner to shelter themselves. Unless it becomes impossible to survive, they will not rashly flee or resist. As long as they have food and drink and are not beaten, they can be made to stay here obediently, and perhaps even a few of the weak-minded can be bribed to help the northern army investigate other secret passages.

Wu Chuchu immediately took the third one: "No."

Wu Chuchu nodded at her and said, "You can rest assured"

Li Sheng turned a deaf ear, gently pushed her shoulder forward, urging her to hurry along, while extending his hand to Wu Chuchu: "I will carry this child, you all go ahead."

Li Yan quietly wiped away a tear

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Zhou Fei lightly tap her toes on the ground, and in an instant, she sprang up among the rocks, her footsteps as light as a feather, not even a grain of sand rolled down from the cliff that had been ravaged by the Broken Goose Blade. Li Cheng had always known that Zhou Fei was not particularly skilled in lightness techniques, yet today, her lightness, akin to a gentle breeze, suddenly made the words "No Trace" emerge in his mind.

Chen Junfu patted Xie Yun's shoulder and said, "A knife of prosperity, a knife of destruction, what kind of knife do you wish to wield?"

As Wu Chuchu spoke a single sentence, everyone fell silent

At that moment, Zhou Fei heard a familiar bird call. She looked up and saw something flash at her from the mountain; it turned out that Li Sheng and the others had climbed to a higher place

The child was afraid of Zhou Fei, but he was relatively fine with Wu Chuchu. He lowered his head and remained silent, his fingers absentmindedly picking at the crevice in the stone behind him. He stole a glance at Zhou Fei and then quickly nodded. Zhou Fei furrowed her brow; although she had indeed focused on the Breaking Snow Blade in recent years, it did not mean that her other skills were lacking. At a certain level, martial arts are interconnected—if she could not pry open that stone, how could those ordinary farmers do it?

Li Sheng, the more troubled he felt inside, the more he spoke with confidence. He would desperately find a multitude of reasons for himself and insist on deceiving himself by voicing them, wishing he could frame the words "I am right" and stick it on his forehead. Yang Jin was not good with words, and Zhou Fei was relatively reserved; neither of them took up Li Sheng's line of conversation, but both knew he was talking nonsense—because the matter of reporting news was not an excuse at all. If it were solely to inform the army, couldn't they just let Li Yan and Wu Chuchu leave first? Jiangling was not far from Shuzhong, and Li Yan, at the very least, was someone who had received a prestigious title in Xiushan Hall. With the steady Wu Chuchu looking after her, could it be that the two of them couldn't find a hidden contact at home to send a letter?

Li Yan felt extremely wronged: "But in Jinan Prefecture, didn't A Fei save that uncle from Tong Kaiyang's hands?"

Everyone was momentarily speechless, and even Li Yan rolled her eyes.

Li Sheng came to his senses and hurriedly threw the broken cover to her. Zhou Fei then used the handle of the knife to strike the stones back and forth. Suddenly, Li Yan shouted: "Be careful!"

At this moment, by the calm shores of the East China Sea, Xie Yun was repeatedly examining a knife: "Master Chen, what exactly is your standard for a 'good knife'? Could you provide a clearer explanation?"

Li Sheng : `` ... ... ''

The refugees waiting for slaughter seemed to understand something, and the crowd became panicked and chaotic. It was unclear how many people were crammed into the dim cave, as their screams, shoves, pleas for mercy, and curses rose to a deafening crescendo, echoing from the wide valley all the way up, incessantly drilling into the ears of several young heroes.

Zhou Fei said: "What do you want to do?"

Wu Chuchu knew that her abilities were limited, and being able to stabilize someone else's hind leg was already an extraordinary performance. Even if she felt a great deal of injustice in her heart, she would never dare to be generous at the expense of others. Therefore, she could only silently listen to the quarrel between the Li siblings.

I, Zhou Fei, have a duty to fulfill. I will make an appearance and issue a challenge to those two northern dogs. Lu Yaoguang and Gu Tianxuan are not proper generals; I have heard that when someone issues a challenge, they will certainly show up according to the rules of the martial world. This is the perfect time for A Yan and Chu Chu to leave, and you two should take this opportunity to rescue the person.

Zhou Fei wiped away the tears on her fingertips and said softly: "Li Sheng"

A few individuals thought that they must first take a look no matter what, and thus they dealt with the turtledove scout on the spot. They made their way along the route, and at each fork in the road, they searched for stone markers in this manner. Li Sheng also made rubbings of the complex diagrams of the Eight Trigrams formations on each marker. Being young, they moved quickly; however, despite this, they still wandered around for more than two hours in this area. The surrounding mountains, stones, and trees were almost indistinguishable from one another. If it were not for the different annotations on the stone markers, they would have almost doubted whether they were still going in circles in the same place.

Yang Jin exclaimed, "Are they refugees? Why not kill them or release them? What is the purpose of locking them all up? Are we keeping them alive?"

It seems to have drawn a direction. "Wait a moment, what is this again?" Zhou Fei said

He has grown up

Li Sheng pondered for a moment and said, "None of the four of us pulled out that root of grass, and I believe this is fate. Since it is fate... there should always be a bit of luck, shouldn't there?"

In the valley, outside the iron fence, a group of soldiers uniformly fastened their armor and raised their gleaming sabers—Zhou Fei and the others were unaware of how they had coincidentally stumbled upon this scene of "silencing".

Yang Jin let out a furious roar, his face turning red from his forehead down to his collarbone, and he immediately drew his sword to continue the fight

Li Sheng, accompanied by Wu Chuchu and a child, did not dare to be too reckless. He cautiously explored the periphery of the valley, using the rocks and trees for cover. The more he looked, the more alarmed he became. He whispered, "Look, the supplies and armory are abundant. There isn't a single old, weak, or disabled soldier in the entire valley; they are all strong men... The scout was mistaken; there are at least nearly 40,000 of them, primarily cavalry and archers."

In a moment of panic, Li Yan turned back to look, and inadvertently was pushed off balance by Li Sheng.

Li Sheng said coldly: "Do you want to die?"

Yang Jin held out the last two pieces of grass in front of Li Sheng and asked, "Will you smoke?"

The voice of the person calling names was loud and resonant, echoing powerfully; even Zhou Fei and others on the mountain wall could faintly hear a few sounds—indeed, as Li Sheng had anticipated, they registered all the refugees meticulously, ensuring that not a single one slipped through the cracks.

Li Yan couldn't help but exclaim: "Li Sheng, are you blind? They are going to kill! They are going to kill defenseless people who have fled for their lives... So many of them, all in one cave, Ah Fei! You should say something too!"

Chen Junfu said: "Many years ago, there was a generous young girl who came to Penglai asking me to forge a pair of swords, claiming that she wanted to present them to a friend. The inscription on the dagger read 'Mountain', and the inscription on the sword read 'Snow'"

Wu Chuchu crouched down carefully, gazing into the child's eyes, and asked: "Why do you want to pick at that stone? Is there something there? Or did you see an adult at home take it down before?"

"It would be quite easy for a rain of arrows to kill me, but with the soldiers under his command, it is impossible for them to capture me alive," Zhou Fei said. "If I make them feel suspicious, Gu Tianxuan and Lu Yaoguang will not be sure whether there are others behind me, and they will definitely take action themselves"

Yang Jin waved his hand and said, "Hurry up, stop wasting time."

Zhou Fei straightforwardly completed his half-sentence: "Are you sick?"

Xie Yun shamelessly said: "Every profession has its own expertise, just casually laughing—Master Uncle, please say something that is not 'craftsman' for us to hear."

No matter how many people die, aren't they all just passersby? What does it have to do with him

Chen Junfu smiled

At critical moments, Li Yan always followed Zhou Fei, and she learned to smoke a cigarette like her, saying: "Mine isn't either"

Just let it be

First, the materials must be good; second, the craftsmanship must be excellent. The blade should be sharp yet not brittle, the spine should be sturdy yet flexible, it should not be hindered by headwinds, and it should not be frivolous in tailwinds... Of course, it must also be durable—this is a good knife. Xie Yundun paused and added, "If the owner of the knife possesses great skill, causing the knife to gain a renowned reputation, it will become a legendary knife passed down through generations."

As several people turned their gazes away as instructed, Yang Jin bent down to pick up a few slender grass stems from the ground. He shaped four of them into similar lengths and forms, while leaving one with a long tail of grass root. After finishing, he clenched these five blades of grass in his palm and presented them to the crowd.

The sound of armored individuals moving back and forth, carried by the wind, is indeed formidable, confirming the presence of a large army stationed there

As soon as he turned around, Yang Jin said, "I do have a solution."

I suspect that when Beidou and Jumen first arrived in this place, they must have noticed that the concealment of this valley is man-made. They were unable to ascertain the situation and were uncertain whether there were other secret passages in this valley. Li Sheng said softly, "There are so many refugees here. If we rashly resort to violence, and if the refugees know of other secret exits, a few might escape our grasp, and then their play would come to an end."

Indeed, for instance, at the beginning, these Northern troops could employ both benevolence and severity. On one hand, they could declare that the refugees crossing south are traitors, deserving of the punishment of exterminating their nine clans. They could then capture a leader among them, executing him as a warning to others. After the execution, they could conveniently shift the blame onto the deceased, and then apply a soft approach to the panicked refugees, announcing that they were misled by treacherous individuals, and if they sincerely repent, they could be absolved of their crimes. Li Sheng pondered for a moment and continued, "If it were me, I would pretend to send people to re-register them for household registration, informing them that the population in the North has sharply decreased, and the court intends to re-measure and allocate the abandoned lands. Those holding this registration would be able to receive first-class land upon their return. In this way, the refugees would be stabilized, the population counted, and it would prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation."

Zhou Fei could not help but feel disappointed, letting out a sigh to herself, realizing that the entire day and night had been in vain. In fact, upon reflection, she understood that it was not so easy to stumble into the forbidden area of the Qi gate. If she had that kind of fate and luck, could she have been running around for more than three years without any gains? Zhou Fei, feeling disinterested, retracted her fragmented cover and glanced at the unaware little leader of the Northern Army who had narrowly escaped death, quietly slipping away along the edge of the mountain wall.

At that moment, a sudden sound of footsteps approached, and the patrol team in the valley came over, greeting him from a distance: "What are you roasting? It's fine to snack, but don't let it interfere with your duties!"

Chen Junfu was not wearing any cooling ointment; he was drenched in sweat from the scorching furnace. He took off his shirt to wipe the sweat from his chin, yet his tone remained neither warm nor cold: "What do you think?"

No one is truly alone, even if one can genuinely achieve the state of "lightening life and death," there still follows the phrase "valuing emotions and righteousness." How could one dare to act as such a reckless and futile hero

Yang Jin suddenly said: "Brother Li, stop beating around the bush. After all this roundabout talk, isn't it just that you are hesitant to stay and uneasy to leave?"

Li Sheng took a deep breath, lowering his voice slightly: "Even if your magical powers are boundless, capable of moving mountains and overturning seas, and you can subdue these tens of thousands of troops, then what? Look at those people; the majority can hardly stand. How do you plan to save them, huh? Li Yan, you are not a child anymore; when will you start thinking before you speak?"