“Duan… Yelin?” Xu Hang was in a mysterious tone.
“Yes! Yes! How are you feeling?”
Xu Hang tried hard to open his eyes: “I’m lucky…” He glanced at the group of people behind Duan Yelin, grabbed his collar, and made him put his ear close to him: “Hurry… go… Cong Lin is behind us. If we don’t leave now… I’m afraid we won’t be able to leave…”
Duan Yelin was indeed surprised when he heard the name, but he didn’t have time to think about it. He picked up Xu Hang horizontally, quickly jumped on the horse, and hurried down the mountain with the group of people.
The wind is blowing fiercely.
Perhaps relieved, Xu Hang fell into a coma, Duan Yelin held him while swinging the whip faster. His anxiety at this moment was far more than the burning feeling, and he almost felt like his soul was leaving his body.
There was a mixture of anger and guilt, and he wanted to rush into the Military Control Commissioner’s mansion with a gun and shoot Yuan Sen in the head so much!
When had the person he held in his palms and loved like a canary ever been bullied like this in four years?
Who dares? Who dares to do this?
The horse galloped on the rugged mountain road, getting closer and closer to the exit of the mountain. A suspension bridge appeared in front of them. After crossing the suspension bridge, they would be out of the mountain and could enter the city in another two hours’ ride.
This suspension bridge is about half a meter long, and there is a turbulent river under the bridge. Because it is made of wooden planks, it is impossible to ride a horse on it. After putting Xu Hang steadily on the horse’s back, Duan Yelin and the others dismounted. When he stepped onto the suspension bridge, the old wooden planks made an unpleasant creaking sound.
The suspension bridge rocked from side to side, forcing everyone to inch forward cautiously while gripping the rope for support.
At this time, Duan Yelin’s horse stamped its hooves hard, panted heavily, shook its head uneasily, and even retreated in a rebellious manner.
Duan Yelin’s ears perked up and his brows furrowed. He abruptly turned his head and shouted to the others, “Turn back! Hurry!”
The crowd had no time to react, they just obeyed the order and pulled their horses back. In a flash, when Duan Yelin’s feet just left the suspension bridge, the swaying suspension bridge rope suddenly broke, and the whole bridge fell apart!
The wooden planks burst free like long-imprisoned captives suddenly unleashed, scattering wildly and shattering in an instant. The last two soldiers, unable to escape in time, could only let out a scream before plunging into the river, vanishing without a trace.
“That-that was close!” A soldier patted his chest, still in shock.
“What happened? It was still very solid when we came here just now!” Another soldier was also terrified.
Duan Yelin watched the suspension bridge collapse, then squatted down to look at the bridge piles stuck on the edge of the cliff. The remaining ropes on them had obvious signs of being cut, but the cuts were not deep, and it looked more like a delay device.
This explained why Duan Yelin and his team hadn’t sensed anything unusual on their way in—the problem only surfaced now. Clearly, the trap had been carefully planned, with even this seemingly unremarkable path set up in advance. “They want me to arrive alive, but return dead.” Duan Yelin sneered.
The soldier asked, “Commander, what should we do now?”
Thinking about the terrain of Hezhou, without this suspension bridge, it would take half a day longer to take a detour. It would be impossible to go back within the time agreed with Qiao Song anyway, and a head-on battle with the bandits was inevitable.
At this point, the Military Control Commissioner’s goal was achieved.
Duan Yelin ordered, “Let’s find a place to rest nearby and take a break.”
Since they are going to fight, they should take care of their health first.
————
The early morning in Jiuhuang Mountain does not seem as terrifying as the late night. The chirping of sparrows perched on the branches drives away the cruelty of the entire night.
When Xu Hang woke up, he didn’t feel so much pain. All the wounds, big and small, had been treated. He was wrapped in a military coat and lying in a small cave.
This was Duan Yelin’s coat, he recognized the military rank on it.
As he walked out with the clothes on, he saw a dozen soldiers washing themselves by the river. Duan Yelin was shirtless, wiping himself without fear of the cold, and even joking with the soldiers. It didn’t seem like they were preparing for a battle but more like they were having a picnic.
He turned around and saw Xu Hang. He walked towards him, holding a bottle of spring water in his hand.
“You are awake? Come and drink some.”
Xu Hang was indeed thirsty, so he drank the water and asked, “Why not go down the mountain?”
Duan Yelin sat on a rock, waiting for the water on his body to dry: “The suspension bridge has been destroyed. I have been away from Hezhou City for more than a day already. Even if I take a detour down the mountain, I am afraid Qiao Song has already received the permission to dispatch troops.”
Once the order to send troops is issued, they have to go up the mountain to suppress the bandits; otherwise, it will be a major military accident.
Xu Hang couldn’t help but think of Cong Lin’s previous words, which were not finished yet. Now he realized that this chess game was indeed difficult to play. First it was the horseshoe, then the suspension bridge. Cong Lin was very “thoughtful”.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it[mfn]To pursue a narrow gain while neglecting a greater danger.[/mfn]. The situation was one thing after another, and he was defeated again.
He nodded: “They were trying to delay time on purpose. Although I didn’t fall into their hands, they still achieved their goal.”
“No, it’s different.” Duan Yelin stared into Xu Hang’s eyes. “If you are not in their hands, I will have no worries and can fight with confidence.”
Although he was still in danger, Xu Hang felt that the coat on his body was very warm, like a timely help.
There was a bonfire in the cave that was about to burn out. Duan Yelin took a stick and poked in the ashes, pulling out a large black ball, then smashed it with his fist, and a hint of meaty aroma wafted out. Duan Yelin disassembled it skillfully, and it turned out to be a pigeon wrapped in lotus leaves and covered with yellow mud and roasted.
Xu Hang stared at him in a daze. Soldiers should be good at surviving in the wild, but he had never seen Duan Yelin like this. Duan Yelin tore the meat into pieces bit by bit, put it on clean bamboo leaves, and removed all the bones. He was originally a soldier, but he looked so tender besides being heroic. No wonder all the rich families wanted to marry their daughters to Commander Duan.
He held the bamboo leaves and placed them in front of Xu Hang: “Eat some?”
After a whole day and night of bumps and changes, Xu Hang was naturally sleepy and hungry. He picked up a little with his fingers and put it into his mouth, nodding: “Very good.”
“This is my exclusive secret recipe. Even Zhanzhou haven’t tried it yet. You are the only one.” Duan Yelin smiled and stuffed the whole thing into his hand: “You can eat it all.”
Xu Hang wasn’t sure if Duan Yelin had eaten yet and he worried that asking would only earn a dismissive “not hungry.” So instead, he simply picked up a piece and brought it to Duan Yelin’s lips.
The gesture clearly caught Duan Yelin off guard. He froze for a moment, stunned into silence, then slowly parted his lips and accepted the food, chewing deliberately, as if quietly savoring each bite. After swallowing it, he said, “The mountain animals are quite good, but with the enemy at the doorstep, you will surely find it tasteless. Once this is over, I will hunt some wild pigeons and bring them back for you to eat.”
“You are the only one who still wants wild animals when facing a powerful enemy.”
After sitting for a long time, Duan Yelin’s body had dried up, and he wanted to put on his clothes. He happened to turn sideways, and Xu Hang caught a glimpse of a faint mark on the back of his shoulder.
The mark resembled a waxing moon, with four small segments aligned along a curved arc. Unlike the usual centipede-like scars, it appeared more refined and was slightly grayer than the surrounding skin.
It’s like… teeth marks.
The mark was very shallow. Although Xu Hang and Duan Yelin had already had many sincere interactions, but Xu Hang had never indulged in them and naturally would not look at Duan Yelin’s body closely.
If it wasn’t for the bright sunlight in the early morning and Duan Yelin standing so close, the tiny mark would have been difficult to detect.
For some unknown reason, Xu Hang reached out and touched it: “This scar… has been there for many years.” He is a physician and is as familiar with identifying scars as he is with his family.
Duan Yelin turned his head away, unable to see it from his angle. The soldiers’ wounds were like medals—some large, some small, too many to count.
After hearing Xu Hang’s question, he thought for a while and said, “Well, it’s been many years. Let me think… I was still a military commander at that time, it’s about ten years ago.”
“It’s not easy to leave teeth marks on you.”
Duan Yelin smiled in agreement and recalled his childhood. “Those were turbulent years. I remember when there was a big riot in the city, I got hurt a lot while saving people. Well… I forgot which kid bit me.”
“Kid?”
“He was probably frightened at the time,” Duan Yelin didn’t remember the details very clearly but had a vague impression of it. “I remember all the major injuries on my body, but I forgot most of the minor ones. Only this one I remember a little more clearly, because that little guy’s teeth were really vicious.”
That’s right. After so many years, the bite was still as stubborn as those gunshot and knife wounds on Duan Yelin’s body. One can imagine how stubborn the person must be.
Xu Hang looked at it for a while and then lowered his head. He took off his coat and gave it back to Duan Yelin, saying, “Give me two horses later. I will ride as fast as I can and take a detour back to Hezhou City. By the time I get down the mountain, Qiao Song will have already gone up the mountain from the main entrance.”
Duan Yelin nodded: “I thought so too. I will send another person to escort you.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Xu Hang’s eyes suddenly became sharp. “You stay here and wait for Qiao Song’s reinforcements. I’m going back to the city to solve the problem for you.”
This was a dangerous message. Duan Yelin threw his coat aside, pressed Xu Hang’s shoulders, and sternly said, “Don’t even think about it. I’m the commander, and I know more about leading troops in battle than you do. If I tell you to go back to the city, you should find a place to hide and don’t let Yuan Sen find you! You finally escaped, don’t cause trouble again, do you hear me?”
“Do you want me to shrink like a turtle?”
“I’ll handle it!”
“Duan Yelin,” Xu Hang looked at him coldly and said to him without letting him refuse, “I’m not a woman.”
Duan Yelin was choked for a moment. Although he was in a desperate situation to protect Xu Hang, his overly macho demeanor still hurt Xu Hang’s self-esteem.
How could he forget that this is what Xu Hang hated the most?
On one hand, there is the torment of worry, and on the other hand, there is Xu Hang’s self-esteem, neither of which can be underestimated. After thinking for a while, Duan Yelin tactfully advised, “But you are also the citizens that I have to protect. You can naturally hide in the city, without hearing gunshots or seeing bloodshed, and let me protect you.”
“Without hearing gunshots? Without seeing blood?” Xu Hang shook his head meaningfully, his mouth full of disbelief, “You must have forgotten—it was your blood and your guns that carved the path for me into Xiaotong Guan.”
“It’s different…”
Xu Hang didn’t let him finish before cutting in sharply, “Those hiding in the city are not real fighters; they’re cowards. The true warriors are the ordinary people who will take up arms and leave the city to fight when danger comes.”
“That’s only after the city falls, when we’ve burned our bridges. Shaotang, I’m defending Hezhou’s peace and security for a selfish reason—I want to ensure you never end up in a situation where you have to raise a gun to save yourself again!”
The two people each held a different view, and their necks were stiff from arguing.
No one was willing to give in, so both of them turned their heads away. The atmosphere was a little stiff, and the wind blowing between them seemed awkward.
Xu Hang fumbled with the sleeves of his military coat, which were a little torn and had frayed edges. He remembered that Chan Yi had reminded Duan Yelin to mend it several months ago, but he always forgot about it when he was busy, and it had been dragging on for so long.
This guy… was probably born to be a soldier.
Without looking back, Xu Hang’s low voice softened a lot—
“The only ones who can ‘protect’ the people of Hezhou are the gods in the temple. And you, Duan Yelin, you are just a human being.”
People are made of flesh and blood. No matter how strong or capable they are, they cannot resist the threat of bullets piercing their bodies. Duan Yelin is too used to it. He is used to being a guard, fighting on the battlefield, and leading the troops. So he never thought that he was just an ordinary person.
He had never imagined that Xu Hang, who was usually quiet, could speak so bluntly and with such truth in every word, which left him speechless.
Seeing Duan Yelin’s hesitation, Xu Hang made a decision for him: “Either you keep me here to fight the bandits with you, or you let me go back. You can’t control what I do after I go back. Yuan Sen will definitely cut off your retreat. If you die in Jiuhuang Mountain, I will be the next one he kills. Duan Yelin, you should know that it is right for me to take this risk.”
He paused, then added, “Not for you, but for myself.”
Clearly, Duan Yelin wasn’t unaware. In the art of war, weighing the pros and cons, prioritizing, and taking calculated risks—he understood it all too well.
In the final analysis, it’s nothing more than a reluctance to let go, but unfortunately he can’t hold on to both, so he can only harden his heart.
Holding Xu Hang’s hand tightly, he said, “…I understand. Then go ahead. But remember, if anything happens, just run away by yourself. The farther, the better.”
Xu Hang looked at the hand whose joints were so tense that they turned white. His chest felt stuffy. He wanted to say something, but the words disappeared when they reached his lips. So he slowly pulled his hand back: “If that time comes, of course I will take care of myself. You should just take care of yourself.”
Having said this, he felt that the more he spoke, the heavier the burden became. Duan Yelin simply did not delay and led two horses to him. Xu Hang climbed on a horse and whipped the horse decisively. Then, in a cloud of dust, he disappeared at the end of the mountain road.
It was only after the figures had vanished from sight that Duan Yelin finally averted his gaze.
Under the green mountains, the people living in the city were at ease and comfortable. Who would have imagined that the general they regarded as the god of war was going through a life-and-death crisis?
