Chapter 172

Chapter 172

By the time the battlefield was cleaned up, it was already afternoon. Everyone decided to rest for the night at Yuziji Pass before departing.

The bodies of the defending soldiers had all been moved out, to be burned that night. Xiao Zhen inspected the grain and grass inside the pass, finding that there was enough to sustain a thousand soldiers for another month, similar to what was left at Eagle Claw Pass. This meant that for at least half a month, no grain delivery troops from the **imperial court** would appear on this mountain road.

"Second Master, this is all the money found on them. It's similar to Eagle Claw Pass, over four thousand taels."

This was the military pay that Yang Rui and other soldiers had received over the past three months. The Long Xing Path was too crucial, so the **imperial court** didn’t dare to withhold the pay of the soldiers stationed here. With nowhere to spend their money, even when they gambled, the silver only changed hands within the pass.

Xiao Zhen: "As per usual, pick a room to store it in first. We'll split it evenly into 832 shares once we've cleared the entire Long Xing Path."

Given the four days of arduous climbing, everyone had ascended the same "dead end" path. The private gains from this operation, as well as the reward money for military merits, should be evenly distributed among everyone.

Xiao Zhen, Tong Sui, Tong Gui, and Qi Yun focused more on the overall victory. The eight hundred or so soldiers were willing to risk their lives for such commanders.

Xiao Zhen toured the pass once more before returning to the couple's barracks.

Tong Sui had already prepared warm water and medicinal herbs.

Xiao Zhen sat by the window, his posture dictated by Tong Sui's instructions to lean back in the chair.

With everything in place, Xiao Zhen's phoenix eyes firmly locked onto the girl beside him.

Tong Sui, seeing this, lightly scolded, "Close your eyes too."

Xiao Zhen: "I've seen you before."

Tong Sui: "If you don't listen, I'll leave and let you handle it yourself."

Only then did Xiao Zhen cooperate.

Tong Sui first wiped away the dirt on him, then had him tilt his head to the side as she gently rinsed the sand from his wounds. Blood mixed with the dirty water trickled down his gaunt face. Tong Sui felt the pain, but Xiao Zhen didn't even flinch, only secretly opening his eyes to catch a pair of tears falling from hers.

Xiao Zhen: "Do you feel sorry for me?"

Tong Sui glanced at him but didn't respond.

Xiao Zhen: "I heard from Fourth Younger Brother that after every battle, you go to the wounded soldiers' camp. I thought you'd gotten used to it by now."

Compared to the wounded soldiers who had to be moved to the camp, his injuries were nothing.

Tong Sui: "No matter how many times I see it, it's still hard."

The tens of thousands of dead were no longer in pain, but the wounded soldiers would cry and hurt until they shed tears. Tong Sui would never forget those eyes.

Xiao Zhen kept his head still and placed a hand on her waist, his voice hoarse, "Give me tonight, and I won't feel the pain."

Her helpless appearance had captivated the defending general and him.

Tong Sui looked at his left cheek, now smeared with dark medicinal herbs, and said expressionlessly, "Disfigured. I don't want to give it to you."

Xiao Zhen: "..."

He wanted to look in the mirror, but there wasn't one in the room. Looking down into the water basin, his left cheek was indeed a dark mess.

During dinner that evening, whenever Xiao Zhen passed by, the soldiers would stare at his face for a moment.

Tong Gui, making a joke, said, "Second Master is just too handsome. If he were a bit uglier, he wouldn't need that cut on his face to look like a hunter."

Qi Yun: "Being handsome has its advantages. It fits the narrative of eloping better."

Tong Gui, recalling that Song Zhishi had once seriously planned to elope with his sister, bit hard into the pancake in his hand. Fortunately, his sister wasn't foolish and wasn't tempted by Song Zhishi's looks.

——

It had been too late when they took Eagle Claw Pass the previous night, so Tong Sui and Xiao Zhen had only washed their faces briefly before sleeping. Today, with ample time, as night fell, Tong Sui washed inside the room while Xiao Zhen pretended to think outside, waiting until she finished to rinse himself with cold water.

After extinguishing the light, Xiao Zhen pressed Tong Sui against the wall.

The bedding had all been used by others; the couple could manage in their undergarments, but without them, they preferred to stand.

"Am I ugly now?" Xiao Zhen deliberately asked near her ear.

How could Tong Sui see?

The wind in the canyon outside howled like ghosts crying, and the room still smelled of the previous general's sweat. In this unfamiliar, crude barrack, Xiao Zhen was the only familiar thing to her.

"Xiaoman."

"Hmm?"

"Actually, I'm not as righteous as you think."

In her daze, Tong Sui murmured, "Hmm?"

Xiao Zhen, holding her tightly, said, "If, two years ago, we had met you instead, I might have done something like Third Brother."

Tong Sui's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't have time to follow his words. Xiao Zhen seemed like he was about to swallow her whole, like he had become a different person.

After they both wore their undergarments and lay back on the kang, as Xiao Zhen spooned her again, Tong Sui remembered and pinched his arm. "If you ever dare to do that, I'll kill you."

Xiao Zhen: "You can't beat me."

Tong Sui: "If I can't beat you, I can run."

Xiao Zhen: "If you run, I'll chase you. Even if you run into the mountains, I'll chase you until you can't run anymore."

Tong Sui: "..."

Xiao Zhen: "But at most, I would force you to agree to marry me, and we would consummate the marriage after the wedding ceremony at home."

Tong Sui: "...If Third Master thought like you, Third Younger Sister-in-law wouldn't have been in a slump for so long."

Xiao Zhen: "That's why I am me, and he is he, and you like me for who I am."

Tong Sui: "When others get injured on their face, they lose some flesh, but when you get hit, your face just gets thicker."

Xiao Zhen: "Thick or not, I'm still your man."

Tong Sui, unable to take it anymore, said: "Let's sleep. We don't know what the next challenge will be like."

Xiao Zhen agreed verbally but started fidgeting with his hands again.

---

The next challenge was called Hu Xu Pass.

To the left of Hu Xu Pass was an insurmountable cliff, and to the right was a precipice. Hu Xu Pass was built in the middle of this narrow path on a mound-like hill. Both the northern and southern sides were steep slopes. To enter the pass, one had to climb a narrow path that was several dozen feet high, and to leave from the other gate, one had to descend a similarly steep slope.

Tong Sui and Xiao Zhen hid behind the underbrush below the mound, their expressions solemn as they observed the terrain.

Tong Sui: "The danger of Long Xing Path is indeed well-deserved. Any pass here is a treasure trove for defense. Fortunately, although the slopes here are steep, they are covered with shrubs and wild trees, making them not impossible to climb."

Xiao Zhen: "The walls aren't very high either; we can use grappling hooks to climb up."

Like at Yu Ji Pass the previous day, there was only one way out through the gate. The couple had to put themselves in danger, gambling on the character of the defending general. If they were lucky and guessed right, everything would go smoothly without alarm. But if they were unlucky and encountered a strict disciplinarian, they would be met with a hail of arrows regardless of gender, rendering all their acting useless.

Therefore, even though climbing the steep slopes of Hu Xu Pass at night was dangerous, the couple still chose this path.

The group found a hidden spot at the foot of the mountain to rest and regain strength, and at the second watch, Tong Sui and Xiao Zhen, armed with bows, grappling hooks, and daggers, set off quietly.

Tong Sui and Xiao Zhen would be the first to climb the walls, killing the sentries so that Qi Yun and Tong Gui could lead seven hundred men directly up the main road. If everyone tried to climb the slopes, there would be both the risk of falling casualties and the likelihood of being discovered by the sentries on the walls.

At the foot of the slope, Tong Sui looked at Xiao Zhen, who was standing at a distance of one person away from her.

Xiao Zhen smiled, "Want to have a race?"

Tong Sui also smiled, grabbed a clump of shrubs above her, and climbed up.

They had to be careful not to slip and fall and also pay attention to the pressure under their feet to avoid dislodging large rocks and causing noise.

At the foot of the slope, Tong Gui watched the two figures gradually disappearing into the night and sighed, "Who would have thought that the skills Aman developed for hunting would come in handy here."

Qi Yun laughed, "We all practiced martial arts to perform better at lion dancing, never thinking it would be used for climbing ladders."

If the world had been peaceful, he would have lived his life as an old lion dance master.

Tong Gui: "Second Master is different. His family had been a thousand-household officer for generations, and his descendants learned martial arts to protect their country and achieve great deeds."

Qi Yun: "So we haven't followed the wrong person."

On the steep slope, both Tong Sui and Xiao Zhen were cautious and steady. They only moved when they were sure their hands and feet were secure. Tong Sui also kept an eye on the sentries on the walls. Whenever a sentry approached, the couple would lie on the ground, not moving a muscle.

Finally reaching the foot of the wall, Tong Sui kept watch as Xiao Zhen successfully threw up two grappling hooks. When the sentry went into the watchtower, they exchanged glances and quickly climbed up the ropes.

The strong early winter mountain wind blew, causing the ropes to sway left and right, and the grappling hooks could fall at any moment.

Both were fast enough to climb over the wall almost simultaneously.

The two sentries here were very diligent, one watching the mountain path and the other watching the steep slope. Only because the mountain wind was so strong did they come out at intervals.

The couple each held a bow, hiding around the corner. Tong Sui crouched, and Xiao Zhen stood behind her.

When the two sentries reappeared, and one of them was close enough, Tong Sui decisively shot an arrow, hitting the target in the neck.

The sentry fell backward with a dull thud.

The sound wasn't enough to alert the sleeping garrison inside the pass, but it attracted the other sentry on the same side, who was also struck by Xiao Zhen's arrow as soon as he appeared.

Xiao Zhen went to ambush the two sentries in the opposite watchtower, while Tong Sui, standing on the watchtower, shot an arrow toward the position where their people were hiding.

The arrow landed steadily in front of Tong Gui.

Seven hundred people rushed toward the mountain path like ghosts.

Tong Sui continued to be vigilant for any soldiers who might emerge, while Xiao Zhen went to open the gate. Once the seven hundred entered the pass, the rest was straightforward: guarding the gate, kicking down doors, and slaughtering.

---

On the morning of the eleventh day of the tenth month, Tong Sui and Xiao Zhen, along with six hundred and fifty men, continued their journey to Lu Jiao Pass.

The narrow path leading to Lu Jiao Pass was located halfway up the mountain, with a cliff to the left and an abyss to the right. Everyone walked almost pressed against the cliff.

At the turn, Xiao Zhen stepped forward, and Tong Sui stood behind him. Seeing Xiao Zhen smile, she wondered whether it was a smile of relief or a bitter laugh of insurmountable difficulty.

After receiving Xiao Zhen's signal, Tong Sui carefully moved forward and peeked. She also smiled.

Good, as expected of Lu Jiao, with a fortress on either side of the cliffs and a suspended long bridge in between.

There was no path above, no path below, only a narrow path that allowed one person to walk alone. As long as the garrison placed a sentry on each fortress, they could spot anyone trying to approach during the day or night.

Over six hundred people clung to the mountain like a rope, making it difficult even to gather and discuss tactics.

Xiao Zhen looked at Tong Sui, and Tong Sui looked at him. For the first time, the couple remained silent for so long.

Retreat was not an option; they could only observe the situation for now.

As night fell, lanterns were hung on the two mountain strongholds, and two sentinels were stationed on each of the strongholds' watchtowers. This was to prevent the sentinels from secretly sleeping if only one was on duty.

To get close, one must first kill the sentinels.

A close attack was out of the question; they could only be shot from a distance.

The lights on the strongholds made aiming easier, but the problem was how to get closer.

Xiao Zhen observed for a full hour and discovered a fifteen-minute gap during a patrol that could be exploited. The couple grabbed their bows and arrows and set off.

When Xiao Zhen stopped, Tong Sui shot an arrow at a sentry who had exposed himself on the opposite side. The sentry fell, and another who came out was also shot by Tong Sui.

Xiao Zhen was responsible for the watchtower on the same side. He shot the first sentry dead, but the second one did not come out for a long time.

Had they been discovered, or was it something else?

If they withdrew now, the garrison would definitely tighten their defenses once they found the bodies of the three sentinels. It would be better to rush forward and take a gamble that the fourth sentry might not have noticed them yet.

Without even looking back at Tong Sui, Xiao Zhen made up his mind in an instant and moved forward. Tong Sui followed closely behind.

When they were only twenty steps away from the stronghold, Tong Sui heard a faint sound of water. Looking ahead, she finally saw a sentry standing in the lee position, his posture and the position of his hands clearly indicating he was urinating.

Tong Sui: “……”

Xiao Zhen shot an arrow straight away.

The sentry slumped softly against the nearby wall, and the sound of water stopped.

The couple skillfully climbed up the stronghold. After Xiao Zhen crossed the bridge, Qi Yun and others quickly sneaked over. This time, more than six hundred people divided into two groups launched a simultaneous surprise attack, successfully taking another pass while the garrison was unprepared.

Before going to sleep, Xiao Zhen asked Tong Sui in her ear, "Did you see that sentry's companion?"

Tong Sui elbowed him.

——

The next day, only twenty men were left at Luk Horn Pass. Tong Sui and the others set off again. An hour later, they successfully reached the last pass on the southern side of Dragon Trail Path — Lion Mouth Pass. As long as they got past this point, they would have completely left the rugged mountains of Jin Province and would be on a flat road all the way to the Yellow River.

Lion Mouth Pass was built between two less treacherous ridges, and the mountain road here was quite wide and flat. This made Lion Mouth Pass more magnificent than the previous passes. As it was the southern gateway out of Jin Province, it was guarded by three thousand troops, just like the northern Golden Tail Pass.

With six hundred against three thousand, even with a night attack, they wouldn’t be able to block all the barrack doors at once, and some of the garrison would definitely come running out. A frontal fight would ensue.

The group sat in a hidden spot and began discussing tactics.

Xiao Zhen used a stone to represent Lion Mouth Pass and pointed to the north and south sides of the pass. "Station twenty archers on each side to prevent anyone from escaping and spreading the news."

Forty people immediately raised their hands.

Xiao Zhen pointed to the top of the stone. "Hide twenty archers on the rooftops to support those below."

This time, Tong Sui also raised her hand.

Xiao Zhen: "Three thousand troops, estimated to be in about one hundred and fifty barracks. Each barrack houses twenty men. We can only assign three to four men per barrack. Can you handle it?"

The group replied softly, "Yes!"

Xiao Zhen smiled. "Then let's wish us a smooth operation tonight."

On the twelfth of October, under a nearly full moon, Tong Sui, Xiao Zhen, Qi Yun, and Tong Gui each led a group of soldiers. They first climbed the ridges on both sides of the pass and then silently made their way down the ridges in the dark. After skillfully killing the sentinels, they silently descended layer by layer.

Tong Sui crouched on a rooftop, the moonlight like water, and the mountain wind carrying the chill of early winter made her hand cold.

A whistle sounded, and Xiao Zhen kicked open a door.

Of the three thousand enemy soldiers, some who reacted slowly were killed on their kang beds, while others who reacted quickly jumped down, some grabbing weapons, others using chairs to defend themselves.

Anyone who ran out only in their undergarments was shot dead by the archers on the rooftops.

Twenty archers each covered one side, with only Tong Sui able to respond flexibly.

In some rooms, their own men eventually came out, while in others, enemy soldiers rushed out only to be killed. Some rooms remained eerily silent.

A soldier from the Right Route Army, covered in blood after finishing off the barrack he was assigned to, moved toward the next room. Suddenly, an arrow shot past him and hit the window.

The soldier looked up at the roof in confusion.

Tong Sui gestured to him, and the soldier cautiously backed away to support his comrades in other rooms.

Tong Sui continued to watch that room and occasionally shot arrows at escaping enemy soldiers.

Suddenly, just as she completed a kill, an arrow shot through the window of that barrack toward her.

Tong Sui suppressed her instinct to dodge to the right and threw herself to the left side of the roof, quickly rolling back a few circles.

At that moment, Xiao Zhen, who had just stepped out of a room with a blood-stained knife, caught sight of the arrow flying toward Tong Sui and her falling figure.

His blood seemed to congeal, then rushed to every part of his body faster than ever.

Xiao Zhen grabbed a nearby crooked door panel, yanked it forcefully, and used it as a shield to rush toward the barrack.

On the rooftop, Tong Sui breathed heavily. After months of following the army, this was the first time she had felt such a close brush with death.

There was an expert inside that barrack, someone who could kill four of their own men even after being ambushed.

If left alone, the enemy would continue to shoot at the archers on the rooftops and the infantry below.

Tong Sui flipped over and crawled forward on the ground. After stopping, she removed her quiver to cover her forehead and peeked down cautiously.

Not yet certain of the enemy's position to shoot from, Tong Sui first recognized the back of Xiao Zhen as he lifted a door panel and stepped inside.

Tong Sui almost cried out but forcefully held back, fearing that the enemy might take advantage of the moment if he turned his head.

In the blink of an eye, Xiao Zhen completely disappeared into the dark areas of the barracks.

The sounds of weapon clashes were everywhere, and Tong Sui could not distinguish the movements inside that particular barrack.

In the end, she could only nock an arrow and lie in wait on the roof. If it wasn’t Xiao Zhen who came out, she was determined to take the other person's life.

Suddenly, a figure clad only in a blood-stained undergarment appeared at the door. The person, one hand supporting the door frame, looked up toward the roof.

Before Tong Sui's vision blurred, she released the arrow.

The sharp arrow hit the person's chest, but the figure fell outward, revealing a dagger embedded in the back of their neck.

At that moment, Xiao Zhen stepped out holding his blade. Under the moonlight, his face was grim and fierce, like a vengeful spirit.

Tong Sui smiled, wiped her eyes, and continued to search for other enemy soldiers.

The "vengeful spirit" stood still for a moment before shifting his gaze away from the female archer under the moonlight, and rushed towards the next battlefield with his blade.