Free Web NovelChapter 1809: Chapter 1809: A Minor Interlude
Dawn was yet to break.
A stroke of golden light flashed across the eastern horizon, the radiance of the Three-legged Golden Crow spreading its wings, but even though this light traversed thousands of mountains and rivers, it only left a streak of dawn at the horizon.
The morning in the Barbaric Wilderness was still shrouded in a light mist, while the trusted aides guarding the camp patrolled back and forth; and just at this moment.
The sound of hoofbeats, da-da, da-da, came from afar.
This sound was not concealed, and the patrolling aides inclined their ears to listen; "Seems like someone is approaching."
A aide nearby nodded: "A lone rider coming towards us."
"Go notify the Colonel."
Immediately, one person turned around and headed straight for the camp, only to see Lei Ba’s mountain-like figure upon entering.
"Colonel, someone is approaching."
"I heard it."
Lei Ba stretched his muscles and bones: "Recall the patrolling aides, I want to see who’s coming."
This is the Barbaric Wilderness, hardly anyone moves here, so those catching up now are likely pursuing forces.
Only these pursuing forces seem rather brazen, not even trying to conceal their tracks, just charging openly forward.
"Be careful."
At this moment, Shadow’s figure emerged, reminding Lei Ba: "I’ll go have a look first." With that, Shadow stepped into the darkness and vanished.
Meanwhile, ten or so miles away from the ruins camp, the troops of the Ten Demon Hall, already poised for an attack, stealthily moved just as they heard the sound of hoofbeats.
Ye Longting heard the commotion and immediately ordered the troops to hold their positions.
"Only one rider."
"What’s going on at First Line Pass?" Ye Longting was a bit confounded, is this reinforcement? Whose reinforcement consists of only one person?
Moreover, appearing so recklessly, aren’t they afraid of alerting the enemy?
Or have they already mastered our whereabouts, planning a direct assault: "Everyone pause action, Ye Yu, scout the situation."
"Yes, General."
Ye Yu controlled the night crow to take flight and find out.
Ouyang Qiuhan didn’t realize she had brushed past the people of the Ten Demon Hall; upon seeing the ruins of a settlement ahead, she finally caught up, having spent the night in anxiousness and raced without rest throughout.
"Li Feng, Sikong Yu."
"I’m here."
Ouyang Qiuhan hadn’t reached the exterior of the ruins before she couldn’t help loudly calling out, then charged directly into the ruins’ street.
Lei Ba had been lurking in the ruins with his men, planning to capture whoever came; hearing Ouyang Qiuhan’s loud calls, he looked closely and instantly relaxed: "Alright, everyone withdraw."
How did she catch up?
Lei Ba was a bit puzzled, but decided this headache should be passed on to the Camp Master to deal with.
No one stopped Ouyang Qiuhan as she rushed to last night’s campsite; Li Feng’s aides mostly recognized this prominent lady of the Ouyang Family, whose beauty, though maybe not quite as legendary as the Vermilion Bird, still rivaled that of the moon hiding flowers or fish sinking geese.
In the only intact small courtyard in the ruins, Li Feng and Sikong Yu hadn’t had a restful sleep, sharing a room, Sikong Yu hadn’t gone sleepless, but nearly so; hearing the shouting outside, Sikong Yu got up, tidied up slightly, and appeared in the courtyard.
"Qiuhan, why did you follow?"
Ouyang Qiuhan giggled, throwing herself into Sikong Yu’s arms: "Hmm, my father wanted to take me back to Ancestor Dragon City, but how could that be, having come this far, there’s no way I’d return fruitlessly. I’m coming with you to find the Vermilion Bird too."
"You’re being reckless, if Uncle Ouyang finds out, won’t he drag you back?"
Sikong Yu, looking towards Ouyang Qiuhan, showed an exasperated expression.
"Relax, I left my father a note, even if he discovers I’m not there, it won’t be until morning, maybe later; by then, we’ll be thousands of miles away, and he’ll surely miss us since we’d have taken a detour."
"Besides, my father has military affairs, he can’t spend too long searching for me. If he doesn’t find me within two or three days, he’ll surely go back."
Ouyang Qiuhan said.
Sikong Yu rolled her eyes: "This journey poses many dangers; if something happened to you, how can I face Uncle?"
"Yu sister, aren’t you afraid I’d encounter danger going back alone?"
Sikong Yu was rendered speechless: "You should know, I’m not in charge of this journey; it’s Li Feng calling the shots."
"Hmph, can he even say no?"
Ouyang Qiuhan snorted softly: "Li Feng, Li Feng..." calling as she saw Li Feng emerge from the room behind, his clothes somewhat disheveled.
Ouyang Qiuhan glanced at Li Feng, then turned back to Sikong Yu: "Did you two sleep together last night?"
"Ahem." Sikong Yu nearly choked: "Don’t say nonsense, who slept with him, just in the same room."
"Isn’t that the same?"
"How can that be the same?" Sikong Yu’s face flushed, arguing stubbornly.
Ouyang Qiuhan snorted twice: "We’ll talk about this later." With that, Ouyang turned to look at Li Feng: "Li Feng, I want to go with you to find the Vermilion Bird, any objections?"
Li Feng already heard Ouyang Qiuhan’s shouting inside: "If I said no, would you obediently go back?"
"Hmph, dreaming huh, there’s no way I’d go back."
Ouyang Qiuhan said.
"Then it’s settled." Li Feng didn’t hold any hope of sending Ouyang Qiuhan back, had she listened to advice she wouldn’t have run away.
"Li Feng."
Sikong Yu glanced at Li Feng obliquely, and Li Feng shrugged: "Don’t look at me like that, you’re her close friend, aren’t you aware of her temperament, besides she’s already here, do we tie her up to send her back?"
"If not, do you think she’ll listen to persuasion?"
"Even if she did listen, but later defied us and followed behind, would you control her or let her be, this is the Barbaric Wilderness, if something happens, how do you explain?" fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"Hmm, didn’t expect you’d be so clear-headed." Sikong Yu squinted at Li Feng: "I’m exhausted and hungry, quickly prepare breakfast for me, once eaten we must depart, we can’t be caught by my father, or I’ll suffer and you’ll too."
With the smoke rising.
Daylight had brightened.
"General, the chaser is a woman, and I had the night crow scout the perimeter, there’s no sign of a large force."
Ye Yu lowered his voice to report to Ye Longting.
Ye Longting heard this, gazing at the curling smoke in the distance, his arrow already on the string, ready to release: "Action."
Though this small episode changed the assault to a forced attack, the outcome won’t differ much.
With Ye Longting’s orders, over a hundred of the Ten Demon Hall’s elites swiftly encircled the ruins, isolating surrounding outposts which almost hadn’t detected the target before being wiped out.
