Chapter 8

In the pitch-black night, soldiers holding torches were patrolling not far away. The firelight faintly shone over, and the sound of footsteps was clear amidst the rising and falling snores. There were also watchers outside the camp whose peripheral vision was always locked on this area.

This person is too bold, daring to infiltrate the enemy camp alone?!

Su Ci dared not move, holding her breath for a moment, then moved her hands and feet slightly. Let go, big brother!

Yang Yanzong restrained her hands and feet, silently leaning over from behind and wrapping her tightly against his back. She was held so tightly that she couldn’t move at all. The body temperature behind her was apparent, and the breath was intense. Their chests were pressed tightly together, and the posture and distance were too close. The sense of oppression from this person was stronger than ever, making her uncomfortable and unaccustomed.

Yang Yanzong slightly loosened his grip but did not let go.

In fact, Su Ci’s reaction surprised him a bit. Yang Yanzong tightly restrained Su Ci’s hands and feet to prevent her from panicking and drawing the enemy’s attention. He held her body firmly, suppressing any possible screams or struggles. But to his surprise, apart from tensing up for a moment when he first touched her, she immediately calmed down, relaxed her body, and held her breath to avoid attracting the attention of the patrolling soldiers and watchers. The two of them tacitly maintained this posture without making a sound. After a while, the patrolling soldiers passed by.

Su Ci slowly turned her head and whispered, “What’s wrong? How did you get here?”

Under the faint starlight, at close range, her face was dirty, but her eyes were astonishingly bright. She looked at him with a sense of breathlessness but no sign of panic. Her eyes were clear and exceptionally agile.

Yang Yanzong lowered his gaze and stared at her. After a while without hearing an answer, Su Ci felt a bit guilty and quickly looked around. She whispered, “Many people are watching me.”

She pointed in the direction of Ji Chengtang and said, “My sister’s suitor.”

Forgive her, but she could only blame her sister for this.

Fortunately, with her parents around, Yang Yanzong, even as the head of the family, couldn’t interfere with her sister’s marriage. “It’s this person. It might be because of him that it was leaked.”

Feeling guilty, Su Ci explained in a low voice, “But fortunately, he has four guards who are his. Considering my sister, he protects me well. I’m fine for now. I’ll find another chance to escape later.”

“Yes, I understand,” Yang Yanzong replied.

The two sisters were exceptionally in sync. Su Yan had already taken the blame upon herself and sealed it tightly. Yang Yanzong had no time to pay attention to her. Su Yan was being scolded harshly by their parents, outwardly repentant but inwardly anxious.

Yang Yanzong’s late-night infiltration was not for this matter. Of course, he was extremely displeased, but the situation had changed, and the original plan had to be halted and immediately adjusted. He came personally because there was a crucial step involving Su Ci. He needed to inform her and have her cooperate.

“Are my parents and sister okay? Are they hurt?”

“No.”

Yang Yanzong answered her concisely. As for Su Rong, she was slightly injured, but he thought that was not her main concern.

Under the faint starlight, the shadows of the trees and bushes were pitch black. Occasionally, there was a hoarse insect chirp. The two were tightly pressed together.

Yang Yanzong’s hand remained motionless, maintaining the embrace. In a voice only the two could hear, he asked deeply, “Can you lure Liang Shen to the ambush point?”

His voice still carried a natural indifference. Shadows covered his eye sockets, and a dark color lay between his high-brow bones and the bridge of his nose. His eyes were not visible, but his gaze was intense and oppressive, as always. His brows did not move as he stared at her.

Su Ci almost instantly understood. She said, “I should be able to.”

She didn’t say anything unnecessary like “I’ll try.” She gave a straightforward and decisive answer.

“Very good,” Yang Yanzong said.

Very good, this was another unexpected answer.

He couldn’t help but lower his gaze, looking at the dirty yet exceptionally beautiful-eyed young girl in his arms. Soft, young, yet not flustered, not panicked, only a pair of agile big eyes. She was calm and unexpectedly clever. This trip had gone so smoothly that it was almost unbelievable.

“But, I don’t know where the Tiankeng Stone Forest is?” Su Ci propped herself up and whispered in Yang Yanzong’s ear. The keywords were so light they were almost just breath.

Su Ci often changed Yang Yanzong’s bandages and once heard about this place. She guessed it was the ambush point, and she was not wrong at all.

The warm breath hit his earlobe, carrying a girl’s unique, youthful scent. Yang Yanzong listened, then slightly turned his head, whispering in Su Ci’s ear, “No problem, northeast direction.”

“You just go. I will have someone correct your direction.”

I see, that’s good.

Her ears felt warm and itchy, and Su Ci resisted the urge to scratch them, quickly retreating. The situation earlier required their faces to be almost touching, and this nearly intimate posture made her senses unusually sharp, with the strange yet familiar warmth and breath intertwined.

Oh dear, she didn’t mean to take advantage of the male lead.

Pulling her head back, but their messy hair was still tangled together. Su Ci quickly used two fingers to untangle them. She stole a glance at him; Yang Yanzong was looking down at her. His indifferent eyes were like a deep, starless, cold night, and the bridge of his nose stood out sharply in the shadows. He was very handsome, but his indifference usually made people overlook his handsomeness.

Su Ci recalled that moment of guilt and quickly flashed him a flattering smile. Her big eyes curved slightly. Clear as midnight, they rolled into a cool stream of black mercury beads, obedient and bright.

Yang Yanzong snorted through his nose, unsure if it was a chuckle or displeasure. He glanced around, then patted her waist.

Su Ci understood, and the two exchanged a glance, slowly parting. The sound of dry grass brushing against each other was very faint, and they quietly released each other, returning to their original positions and postures with mutual understanding.

In the quiet night, the sound of snoring and the patrolling footsteps were both near and far.

Su Ci lay still for a while, carefully turned over, and quickly rubbed her itchy ears and wrists. After doing this, the unfamiliar tingling sensation finally eased. She stared at the shadows of the trees for a while. She wasn’t worried about Yang Yanzong beside her; if he could get in, he could get out. But how should she lure them?
…

After sleeping on the yellow mud ground for a night and bumping on horseback for half a day, her waist was sore, her back hurt, and her thighs ached. Before Su Ci could rub them a few times, Liang Shen’s personal soldier came over with a blank expression, “Miss Su, please.”

This attitude displeased Ji Chengtang. Su Ci gently stopped him, “Tang Lang, it’s okay.”

She felt guilty when she called out this goosebump-inducing name and quickly glanced around. Since Yang Yanzong found her, she has been more careful and attentive when interacting with Ji Chengtang. Leaning on his shoulder was absolutely out of the question! She was afraid that one careless move would expose her.

Su Ci was brought to the front by the personal soldier. She nodded nervously and timidly at Liang Shen, then began to observe the terrain and look for water sources under the escort of the guards and soldiers.

Su Ci always handled things well. Instead of looking for places with pampas grass like before, she looked for areas with mixed vegetation or where the terrain and water veins would extend to this side. She ensured that in the short term, the other side would not easily figure out the method of finding water.

Finding water three times, she succeeded about once, showing the results expected of a “beginner.”

In fact, she was pretty successful.

Liang Shen looked down on women, especially those like her with low status and no background, who at most read the Four Books for Women and learned embroidery and playing the qin. Occasionally, he would look at Su Ci with a disgusting gaze. This man, who had seen countless women, had sharp eyes and could see that Su Ci was a beautiful girl with a good figure. As the daughter of an enemy family who secretly communicated with men, he couldn’t respect her more. Of course, this gaze was still very subtle. After all, no matter how beautiful a woman was, she was just a woman. He would never offend Ji Chengtang for a woman.

Such scum should die at the hands of a woman sooner or later, she thought!

Su Ci pretended not to notice on the surface, but in her heart, she cursed this scum repeatedly. She would never stay in front of Liang Shen longer than necessary. It was too disgusting.

“Water’s coming up! Water’s coming up!!”

Cheers began to rise from behind as the day went relatively smoothly. Three of the four spots they had high hopes for quickly yielded water. The soldiers hurriedly carried large pots and buckets, and when they encountered Su Ci, they even nodded and greeted her.

Su Ci shyly smiled, her gaze sweeping over a young sergeant with a tanned face. When she looked at him, he silently pointed in a specific direction with his index finger while carrying the bucket.

Su Ci understood. After pondering for a moment, she estimated that they would reach their destination in three or four days at most.

…

Su Ci’s guidance was quite successful at first. But as they progressed, things started to go awry.

“Have you found any trace of Yang Yanzong?!”

Early in the morning, the scorching sun beat down on them. It was late August, and the sun was still blazing like fire, the weather dry and hot and getting worse.

After rolling around in the mountains for more than half a month, everyone was covered in sweat and dirt. Liang Shen rolled up his sleeves to his elbows and stood on the hillside, squinting, his face dark and gloomy.

After successfully abducting Su Ci, Yang Yanzong and his men seemed to have vanished overnight. The tail sentry was killed, and in the following days, he sent out dozens of teams, all to no avail.

In the stillness of the night, Liang Shen keenly sensed the danger in the air. Zhang Mou and his trusted subordinates guessed that Yang Yanzong might have already fled and advised Liang Shen to order a quicker pace. After all, the environment was becoming increasingly dry, and they couldn’t stay there forever. They should consider leaving if they couldn’t kill Yang Yanzong, as finding water was more difficult. Amid these similar voices, all believing that Yang Yanzong had chosen to flee after weighing his options, Liang Shen’s thinking was different—he knew Yang Yanzong too well!

They were the same kind of people, seeking wealth and honor in danger. How could one get the tiger’s cub without entering the tiger’s den? Yang Yanzong would never leave unless absolutely necessary!

Since that was the case, this unusual situation likely indicated a brewing crisis.

Liang Shen immediately decided: “Head east to Pingzhou, move slowly, and double the number of scouts. Make sure to find any trace of Yang Yanzong!”

He squinted his eyes. Let’s see who the hunter and the prey are in this contest!

Liang Shen’s narrow, eagle-like eyes flashed with a sinister glint.
…

On the other side.

Under the night sky, several dozen miles away, a group of seven or eight people silently stood on the ridge, dressed in black, with their faces covered by hats, blending almost completely with the night.

The mountain wind howled, and dust flew. Yang Yanzong stood on the rock, looking in the direction of the main army camp.

Yang Yanxin said, “Big brother, three more days.” He looked happy. In three days, Liang Shen would step into their ambush!

“I’ll go back and inform Uncle Su!”

“What’s the rush?”

Yang Yanzong said calmly, “Go tomorrow.”

“Tell A’Kang and Uncle Su that it will be at least five or six days before Liang Shen arrives. Let them take their time and set up carefully.”

Yang Yanxin was surprised, “Five or six days?”

Yang Yanzong glanced at him indifferently.

Yang Yanxin dared not ask further and quickly said, “Oh, oh, I’ll go tomorrow.”

Yang Yanzong lowered his eyes, then raised them again, squinting into the distance.

That was under smooth circumstances. Liang Shen was cunning and vigilant; he wouldn’t be easily caught. However, after considering Su Ci that day, Yang Yanzong finally decided that five or six days should be about right.

…

In fact, Yang Yanzong’s judgment was very sharp and accurate, not wrong at all. The days were not only delayed, but the process was also very tortuous and thrilling. The next day, Su Ci found that leading the way was becoming difficult. When she pointed out the more likely direction for water, which was northeast, Liang Shen suddenly spoke from behind, “Go that way!”

With a flick of his whip, he pointed southeast!

Ji Chengtang was furious and was about to speak, but Su Ci pulled his sleeve and shook her head. He held back his anger with difficulty.

At this critical moment, Liang Shen would no longer care about Ji Chengtang.

Angering him would have serious consequences. In such an environment, it was easy for someone to get lost or die. Su Ci lowered her head and raised her eyebrows. No, she had to change her strategy.

She began to choose the forks in the road cleverly. Each time she pointed the way, she no longer pointed to her actual destination but guessed Liang Shen’s possible choices and pointed in the opposite direction. This winding path was generally in the direction she wanted, just not very precise. However, it didn’t matter much. The drought was getting worse, and no matter how they walked, they couldn’t leave the area near the deep mountains. Beyond that, the vegetation was completely withered.

On the third day, Su Ci fell ill. A girl with limited knowledge and occasional luck, in such harsh conditions and psychological pressure, was bound to fall sick.

“Sick?” Liang Shen’s initial suspicion was directed at Su Ci, no matter how well she pretended, leading to conflicting directions.

It must be said that this person was very sharp. A person who had rolled on the battlefield and crawled out of piles of dead bodies had a keen instinct for life, death, and crisis.

Su Ci was genuinely exhausted from secretly contending with him. She hadn’t been lying down for long when the heavy footsteps of seven or eight military boots approached. Liang Shen’s voice commanded, “Go, check her pulse!”

The military doctor received the order and immediately stepped forward to check her pulse. First, he measured her forehead temperature with his hand, then observed her complexion, and finally took her pulse.

Two military doctors took turns examining her and reported, “Commander, Miss Su’s pulse is floating and slow, indicating heat invasion. She needs to take medicine and drink plenty of water as soon as possible, or her life may be in danger.”

In this weather and environment, falling ill could easily be fatal.

Su Ci felt two sharp gazes scrutinizing her. She slightly closed her eyes, showing discomfort, and breathed heavily.

The girl lying on the ground had a dirty face flushed with redness, sweat pouring down like rain, dry and chapped lips, and was in a semi-faint state.

Liang Shen ignored Ji Chengtang’s shouting, his gaze coldly shifting from Su Ci to Ji Chengtang, who immediately fell silent, his heart tightening.

Su Ci thought: What a useless guy, scared by just one look.

Then she heard Liang Shen say, “Use the medicine, immediately! She must be cured!”

His voice was stern and unquestionable. The military doctor hurriedly responded, “Yes!”

The sound of military boots leaving was replaced by the hurried footsteps of the military doctor turning to get the medicine. Su Ci was sent into a small tent, and soon, she smelled the scent of boiling medicine. A thin blanket was placed over her, blocking the hot air. Under the half-covered face, Su Ci’s lips curled up slightly.

Liang Shen’s suspicion and vigilance were growing stronger. Time was running out; she needed to reduce his suspicion and vigilance towards her. In this weather and environment, it was too easy to create the appearance of heat invasion, and she just happened to know some short-term tricks to adjust her appearance.

Hehe.
…

Due to Liang Shen’s autocratic behavior, the team hadn’t found enough water for three days, especially yesterday, when they couldn’t find any water at all.

In this weather, without water, people would die quickly. Even the horse’s blood was probably running low.

Liang Shen was also desperate. Today, they had to find enough water no matter what. The sick girl lay for a night, still looking weak, but she was already being helped onto the horseback. She lay on the horse’s back, struggling to determine the direction. But it wasn’t going well. The environment hadn’t improved much after traveling for more than an hour twice. Liang Shen became irritated and shouted angrily, scaring the girl off the horse. After being helped back onto the horse, she slumped over the saddle, and Liang Shen’s tone was threatening.

Perhaps the threatened girl performed exceptionally, or fortune finally smiled upon them after two failed attempts. This time, the direction showed more green at the base of the large trees, low shrubs, and scattered grass than before. The entire team breathed a sigh of relief.

Su Ci also showed a bit of joy and hoarsely said, “This area is close to the deep mountains. There might be water ahead!”

Having not drunk water all day yesterday, her voice was naturally hoarse. But under her messy bangs, her eyes didn’t look as weak as her appearance suggested. She hugged the horse’s neck, her eyes darting around nimbly, and she thought they should be close.

Sure enough, the further they went, the more greenery appeared. Even the drooping, grayish shrubs, and yellow grass began to look more lively, and she even saw a towering ancient tree with mostly green leaves.

The footsteps behind her quickened, and everyone started running. Su Ci exclaimed with joy, “There must be water ahead! Maybe even surface water!!!”

The last bit of sunset slowly disappeared behind the mountain peaks, and dusk fell, darkening the sky. However, Su Ci, familiar with various plants and environmental patterns, still noticed traces of recent watering.

Su Ci gave a thumbs up. It was perfect timing.

The large group behind her was running, and she even heard the sound of lips being licked. Even Liang Shen’s dusty face showed a hint of a smile. They ran wildly, and the greenery became more apparent. After running seven or eight miles, the view suddenly opened up!

A vast sinkhole, not deep, about seventy or eighty meters in diameter, with the bottom visible but very large, stretched out of sight. Countless small stone hills stood densely at the bottom, forming a natural stone forest. Though covered with yellowish hues and dust, this sinkhole stone forest was clearly more favored by water flow. Apart from the weathered cliffs at the edges, the bottom still retained a lot of greenery. The closer to the center, the greener it became, and from a distance, it even looked lush.

Su Ci’s eyes moved. This was indeed a natural ambush site!

If she wasn’t mistaken, they had already entered the ambush circle, right?

She glanced down at the weathered cliffs, and in the dusk, she vaguely sensed something. She quickly glanced at Liang Shen not far away without showing any emotion. She had to act fast!

Her task was beautifully completed, and it was time to escape.

Liang Shen’s eyes were very sharp, and she feared he would soon notice something amiss. She had to get away quickly!

“There’s definitely water down there!”

Su Ci’s mind raced, and she shouted with joy, letting go of the reins and pretending to be overjoyed as she took a step and ran out!

But before she could run a few steps, a sudden shout came from behind!

“Something’s wrong!!”

“Damn you, filthy woman!!!”

Su Ci: “!!!”

The sound of sharp objects cutting through the air came from behind. Oh no!

“Damn!”

Su Ci reacted quickly, immediately ducking her head and diving forward. She rolled down the weathered cliff and quickly slipped away!

At that moment, a loud “boom” echoed, and the ground trembled as the entire weathered cliff collapsed!

A large group of people above lost their balance and were pushed down, rolling and tumbling.