(twenty three)
There are many differences between lakes in mountains and forests and large rivers that can be seen in general. One of the most significant features is that although lakes in mountains and forests are hidden and rarely populated, they are still a very good place. A place to live.
For hermits and homeless bandits, such a place is an excellent hiding place. Rugged and steep hillsides provide shelter, and endless springs of sweet water are available for drinking.
What follows is a complete ecological world. People can live next to maple trees here, exchange all kinds of delicious fruits with nature and hunt wild animals to satisfy their hunger by relying on their own strength, so they don't have to worry about wealth or status.
You can step on the bushes, walk to a high place that is open on all sides, breathe in the fresh air flowing around your nose, watch the birds build nests with branches in their sharp beaks, and sit on the nests made entirely of wood or stones. Rest and meditate on your seat.
Under normal circumstances, reclusive people can better appreciate the emotional pleasure of sitting alone in a quiet tent. The refugee thieves are just the opposite. They will only stay temporarily in precious places until they find a good opportunity: a good opportunity to return to the civilized world and a good opportunity to regain a high status in society. They will attack together from all directions like a pack of wolves attacking prey.
Now, what Bai Feng and others are about to face is a pack of hungry wolves.
While He Zhong shouted for Murong Yan to retreat quickly, he desperately pushed away the weeds and shrubs in front of him, trying to get his body and voice as close to the camp as possible.
Unfortunately, his thin body, less than five feet tall, greatly limited his plans. He ran away all the way until he suddenly fell in the bushes next to the camp, with several sword wounds on his body. He was still holding a few dry firewood in his hands, as if he had been blessed by the gods, and he still had the strength to run back to the camp despite being seriously injured.
Murong Yan kept looking at the direction where the sound came from. Before anyone else heard the cry for help, she had already noticed that things had changed, so she called Bai Feng back to her side as soon as possible to be on guard.
But when she saw He Zhong lying not far in front of her, she rushed forward without hesitation and took him back to a safe place.
Naturally, the young swordsman followed Murong Yan on guard all the way, his eyes always staring at the back of the jungle, fearing that there would be a sudden attack by a cold arrow. They called to Tao Wuyong, who was still sleeping soundly, and told the old man to stand up quickly and give his place to the injured.
This carriage was not designed to transport people, so the space it could accommodate was limited.
But Tao Wuyong replied reluctantly: "Even if the sky falls, you can't disturb the old man's sleep!"
Murong Yan instantly recalled the time when the old man in front of her refused to treat Bai Feng's injury. Even though the old man in front of her had never said a word to exclude her, he had never concealed his contempt and arrogance.
"Lord Saint, you recruited so many patients for me last night, have you ever considered that my physical strength is no longer what it used to be?" Tao Wuyong closed his eyes, looked up to the sky and said with a smile: "I treat the townspeople, but Not a penny will be confiscated! But in the face of you people who have to hoe the strong and help the weak every day, I, the old man, can't help but advise you not to continue to be stupid. If you are cured today, you will risk your life tomorrow. Does that really make sense?”
"Whether you call me pedantic or ignorant, in short, the price is five thousand taels of silver to buy my position. If not, everyone will just stay here and wait to die." After saying this, Tao Wuyong said without any scruples. The big cloak that covered Murong Yan's body continued to wrap her body tightly, and she closed her eyes to rest peacefully.
"Senior Tao, how could you..." Murong Yan felt extremely angry and sad. Although this was not the first time she had been rejected in front of Tao Wuyong, she always had a hard time understanding this kind of behavior that added insult to injury.
Before he finished speaking, He Zhong, the young man who was supporting Murong Yan, suddenly interrupted and said: "Ms. Saint, you'd better leave first! Those who are chasing are Taiping Taoists who were driven out from Hongye Town. They only If they want to catch you, they won’t do anything to us as long as the Holy Lady escapes.”
"Yan'er, they are coming!" Bai Feng took out his dagger from his arms, handed it to Murong Yan, and said, "Protect yourself." After that, the young swordsman once again blocked the saintess alone. In front of adults.
I saw seven Taiping Taoists wearing torn Taoist robes gradually peeking out from the deep forest. When they saw He Zhong on the verge of death, instead of showing any sympathy, they burst out laughing.
"No wonder this boy from the He family ran away when he saw us. It turned out to be because he followed the Holy Lady!"
"Hahaha, it's true that I waited outside for a long time, but I didn't expect that the fish would take the bait so soon!"
"Brothers, be careful of this swordsman named Bai. We should delay as much as possible and wait for reinforcements from behind."
Murong Yan saw this, thought for a moment, and immediately chose to tear off the clothes on her arms, revealing a slender white arm, and then cut her palm, letting the blood soak into the torn clothes.
"I don't want to run away, and I won't run away." The Xianbei witch whispered to herself, while He Zhong bandaged her wound, and said, "I once thought about escaping from the world, until I saw with my own eyes the people who had endured the war and persecution of evil ways. Only then did I understand the tragic fate of the people. Sooner or later, the day of losing everything will come to you and me..."
"My Lady Saint..." He Zhong leaned near the wheels of the carriage, with tears in his eyes. These were eyes that had seen something truly beautiful.
When the seven Taiping Taoists saw that the boy from the He family could actually enjoy the blood of the Saint before themselves, they immediately became furious and cursed He Zhong as a "untouchable" in unison, denouncing him as unworthy of the Saint's mercy.
At this moment, Bai Feng took the opportunity to raise his sword and launch an offensive to break the confrontation. He saw his horizontal sword raised up and cutting off the nose of one of them from the middle.
"Ah, my nose!" The Taoist covered his nose and knelt on the ground, exclaiming: "When did this guy come up? Brothers and sisters, surround him. As long as the saint is captured alive and handed over to Master Wugou, everyone will be held accountable. All mistakes will be wiped out!"
Bai Feng's moves changed according to the situation, trying not to turn his back to Murong Yan. He just wanted to ensure that no one could go and snatch her away. But those Taiping Taoists were all thinking about Murong Yan. Seeing the blood pouring from the holy girl's hands, their minds gradually drifted away from one place.
After another confrontation there, the Taoist whose nose had been cut off took the lead and sneaked up behind Murong Yan. I saw him suddenly hugging Murong Yan, holding the hand that was still bleeding, and trembling lips in a coquettish manner: "Holy Lady, Holy Lady is mine!"
When Bai Feng discovered this clue, she didn't immediately show her anxiety. She kept watching the other party hold Murong Yan in his arms and prepare to lead the horse away, and then suddenly shouted loudly: "Look, Master Broken Nose is going to collect the reward himself! "
After hearing this, the remaining six Taiping Taoists who were preparing to surround Bai Feng all turned away. They saw the Taoist with Broken Nose grabbing Murong Yan, who was struggling, onto his horse. Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, such a struggle seemed extremely weak. .
Tao Wuyong, who lied on the carriage that he wanted to rest, couldn't stand it anymore. He covered the man with a cloak from behind and tried to stop him. However, he was too weak to fight, so he was turned around and hit with a counterattack. Flip on the ground. But the Taoist with a broken arm just looked back at his brothers, snickered, and immediately mounted his horse and fled out of Hongye Valley.
"Asshole, don't run!" The six brothers scolded in unison and followed him one after another.
The young swordsman seized the opportunity and first pierced the throat with his sword from behind, killing the Taoist who was running the slowest. The Taoist didn't even have time to scream; then he stepped out in two or three steps and bullied his body. With a leap, he barely stretched out his sword to reach the ankle of a Taoist, blocking his movement.
In this way, the remaining four Taoists finally discovered that Bai Feng had not given up resistance, but was always ready to fight to the death.
In order not to be killed by others, the easiest way is of course to kill others first.
The four Taoists no longer thought about wasting time, such as waiting for reinforcements. The farther away the Taoist with the broken nose walked, the more anxious they became. In the end, without exception, they all chose to rush to Bai Feng—— The person at the front points his sword at his neck, the person following him points his sword at his chest, the next person points his sword at his wrist, and the last person points his sword at his knee.
They attacked in a long formation, and it seemed that they were about to succeed. They would easily strangle the young swordsman under the sword, and then they could chase the bastard senior brother who wanted to take credit alone!
Unexpectedly, the young swordsman easily dodged the first man's attack, and then took advantage of the other man's recklessness to block him and stumble him with a kick. When the second man saw this, he would naturally restrain his sharpness and be a little more cautious. , so Bai Feng chose to take the move and release his strength, disrupting his balance, and then swung his left hand violently, causing the scabbard to knock down the opponent.
Only a "clang" sound was heard, and the attack of the third person was also restrained by the sword grid of the Longming Sword. Bai Feng spun around and threw himself to the side. He took advantage of the situation and raised the sword diagonally, and embedded it deeply into the blue and white Taoist robe. There was a trace of blood.
The last person was about to be stabbed, but the young swordsman rolled to avoid the fatal blow.
Bai Feng stood up quickly on the ground, his face covered with dust and blood, but he still looked straight at the other person, as if he was a predator looking for the weakness of his prey every moment.
"Haha, come on!" He gasped loudly, as if he was about to faint at any moment.
The man's eyes were filled with astonishment, he slowly dropped the blade and fled into the bushes.
Bai Feng looked at the only official road leading in and out of Hongye Valley, thinking that the Taoist with a broken nose had only one way to go. Then he got on his horse and was about to ride the horse to chase Murong Yan back.
Something unexpected happened. The sound of horses suddenly sounded on the road ahead. Looking from a distance, a young man in green clothes was walking towards here holding a fainting girl.
Bai Feng asked the other party for details and found out that it was Su Qing who took advantage of his free time and wandered into the deep forest based on the information given by the townspeople, knocking down all the remaining Taiping Taoists and stripping them naked.
