Ma Chao and others came down the back mountain and were overjoyed. They grabbed Ma Le and asked anxiously: "How many soldiers and horses are coming?"
Ma Leyan said: "Fifty people!"
"Fifty?!" Everyone was stunned. How could such a person escape?
Ma Le ignored the explanation and asked everyone to change into Cao Jun's uniforms. Ma Dai said: "With just this outfit, I'm afraid they'll be found out in the morning, and I'm afraid they won't be able to go far."
They were still on the cliff, and Cao's army was patrolling in the distance. They could barely get through at night, but they would definitely be recognized during the day.
Ma Leyan said: "We have grabbed the mountain patrol token. Let's go down to Motian Ridge first. There will be someone there to help."
Everyone was dressed neatly and followed Ma Le down the mountain from the path. They passed by several groups of patrolling Cao soldiers without arousing any suspicion.
Cao Jun and Han Sui's soldiers and horses had been guarding here for nearly two months. They were already tired and numb. They went about their daily routine, and at night they were even more perfunctory and sleepy. Who would have thought that the people on the mountain would suddenly disguise themselves and escape?
They were fighting one after another. Although some people were injured, they had a glimmer of hope. They all cheered up and traveled across mountains and rivers without feeling tired.
Along the way, Ma Le briefly introduced the matter of asking for help. Ma Chao was mixed with joy and sorrow after hearing this. He was happy that Liu Qi sent his confidants to come to the rescue and there must be a plan. But he was worried that there were too few troops and he didn't know whether he could escape the encirclement and interception of Cao Jun.
At dawn, we finally came to a pass. In the dense forest, a group of people dressed as hunters were looking at the rescue. Ma Le gave a secret signal and entered the forest.
Seeing Xu Shu's extraordinary demeanor and knowing that all the fifty people traveling with him had special skills, Ma Chao felt at ease. After thanking him repeatedly, he asked about a way to escape.
Xu Shu said: "Liangzhou is where Cao's army is stationed. The road from Jincheng to Tianshui is blocked. The only way is to cross the Gaolan Mountain, from Didao to Panhan, and return to Hanzhong from Wudu. Han Sui did not expect that the general would retreat south, so he You can catch them by surprise, attack them unprepared, and retreat intact."
Ma Chao's eyes suddenly lit up, like the dawn in the east, and he said with great joy: "Sir's words suddenly enlightened me. The Qiang and Di barbarians have a good relationship with me. As long as they can cross the Tao River, they can seek help."
Trapped in Jincheng, Ma Chao only thought about escaping back to Hexi and revolting for revenge. He never considered other escape routes. After Xu Shu reminded him, he suddenly became enlightened.
Ma Dai sighed: "This is really a mystery to the authorities. The troops here are weak and there are very few patrols. I don't think Han Sui and the others would have thought that we would go south."
Xu Shu said: "We are traveling lightly and exploring the road again. We have very little dry food and baggage left. There is a Shicheng Pass in front of us, which is garrisoned by the Qiang people. We must win this pass and seize the horses and baggage to evacuate." , before Cao Jun could react in time, quickly retreated to Hanzhong."
Ma Chao clenched his fist and said: "The ones blocking the road must be the Xiang Qiang people of the Huangzhong Party. Don't worry, sir, leave it all to me!"
Ma Dai gritted his teeth and said: "Since the Dangxiang tribe has betrayed us, followed the old traitor Han Sui, and wants to drive us all out, it's time to issue a warning!"
Pang De roared: "Kill, no one will be spared!"
"Kill!" Several followers nearby also roared in low voices. For them, they simply did not dare to look back in the past two months.
Allies are betrayed, companions die in battle, and they are almost at a dead end. At this time, they are saved from despair. There is a flame of revenge burning in everyone's heart.
Xu Shu appeased everyone and said: "According to the scouts' investigation, the pass here is very simple. Camps are set up at the pass and troops are stationed on the mountain. It can be seen that the Qiang people are not good at arranging troops. Please rest in peace and take advantage of the moonlight after dark."
Then he ordered the dry food to be distributed, and they ate, drank, and rested in the forest to recharge their batteries. Shi A took several agile companions to monitor the movement first.
During this dispatch, Xu Shu brought twenty elites from the Yanfeng Battalion to accompany him. After arriving in Hanzhong, Wei Yan selected thirty green forest masters from the Red Flame Army. Although there were not many in number, they all had the ability to compete with ten.
In the evening, suddenly there was thick smoke billowing and crowds of people on the top of Wuquan Mountain. The defenders must have discovered that Ma Chao and others had escaped and began to hunt them down.
Ma Chao stood on a cliff, looking at the territory like a lone wolf, his eyes reflecting the flames on the top of the mountain. The hatred of Wuquan Mountain must be paid with Han Sui's blood.
At dusk, everyone had eaten all the dry food, packed up their equipment and prepared for the attack. The searching enemy troops had arrived at the foot of the mountain, and the situation was imminent.
The bright moon rises over Dongshan, the sky and the earth are hazy, and the mountain wind covers up the sound of footsteps. Under the leadership of Shi A, everyone arrives outside Shicheng Pass.
I saw tents set up on the mountain and down the mountain, and there was a simple camp on the road. The road intersection was made of tree branches. The Qiang people were not good at construction. This pass was not as strong as a bandit's village in the Central Plains.
Sure enough, as Xu Shu expected, no one expected Ma Chao to go south. The North Road to Hexi must have been heavily fortified at this time, and the Qiang people here had already gone to bed.
The night wind suddenly tightened, and everyone hid behind the rocks. Xu Shu said: "Cao's army has searched to the foot of the mountain. If they attack rashly, the defenders on the top of the mountain will set fire to warn them. They must first climb from the back mountain to the top of the mountain and deal with the sentries on the mountain. Who dares Going?"
Ma Dai clasped his fists and said, "Leave it to me."
"Shi A and General Ma choose ten people to go!" Xu Shu pointed to the lighted lantern halfway up the mountain and ordered the two of them: "After you succeed, sound the fire horn. When you see the lantern fall, you will kill them from the mountain. , and deal with the mountainside defenders together."
The two of them were ordered to select someone, and Xu Shu added: "In addition, we also need someone who is brave and good at fighting and has good riding skills. Who else is there besides General Ma?"
Ma Chao patted Pang De on the shoulder: "Ling Ming is highly skilled in martial arts and is best at charging into battle. Just give me your orders, sir."
Xu Shu ordered: "Guard Pang led twenty people to ambush in the forest on the left. There was a Qiang horse stable. But when he saw a fire in the camp, he took advantage of the chaos to seize the horses, rushed through the enemy camp, and guarded the valley entrance in front. No one could be let go. .”
Pang De said in a deep voice: "Sir, don't worry, not a single one of these ungrateful people can escape."
Everyone went to do their own thing, Xu Shu asked Ma Chao: "I wonder how Meng Qi's archery skills are?"
Ma Chao smiled proudly and said, "It's not my fault. I can shoot down wild geese in the sky even if my horse is galloping."
Xu Shu pointed to the lantern again: "When I saw the signal on the mountain later, I shot down the lantern and rushed into the camp without letting a single Qiang person go."
"What's so difficult about this?" Ma Chao touched the iron tire skill in his hand. This was a weapon passed down from his ancestors. It is said that it was the bow used by his ancestor Ma Yuan.
Xu Shu also selected five people who were strong and good at sneaking. They sneaked into the enemy camp with firewood that had been prepared on their backs and hid at the foot of the mountain. When they saw the lanterns falling on the mountainside, they set fire to the camp.
After everything was arranged, everyone went their separate ways. Ma Chao held the steel gun tightly and saw that Xu Shu was confident, organized and thorough in his work. He couldn't help but admire him secretly. No wonder Liu Qi could win such a talent.
The moon was sparse, and the camp was completely silent. Only the howling mountain wind could be heard. Even the patrolling soldiers hid in tents to rest. They were just doing routine things here, and they were not aware of the impending crisis.
Guessing that it was almost time, Xu Shu signaled Ma Chao to get up and led the rest of the people towards the entrance of the valley.
Ma Chao said hurriedly: "Sir, please stay here to watch the battle. Leave the matter of killing the enemy to us."
Xu Shu pressed his sword and smiled: "General, do you really think that I am just a weak scholar? I asked for orders to come here this time, but I am also a bit hungry. I want to use my sword to eliminate evil and express my gratitude."
