Under the sky

Chapter 220

Sun Sandao's knife hit Zhang Han's thigh, causing Zhang Han to scream in pain.One on two, Wu Mansong slashed with his sword. Zhang Han tried to dodge, but suffered severe pain in his thigh and fell to the ground.Lao Tang Cake had rushed out of the tent early. Seeing that Zhang Han was fighting one against two, the situation was critical. He took over Wu Mansong's sword with his horizontal sword. Zhang Han's pressure suddenly decreased and he managed to hold on.Xu Dongjia stabbed with his sword, and he was the exact opponent of Lao Mianbing.

Lu Jiao, who was lying on the ground, jumped up and crashed into Wu Mansong. The men and horses on both sides were fighting each other four to four under the firelight. There were loud curses and shouts of killing. The horses' hooves trampled and the horses neighed continuously, creating an indistinguishable noise in the howling wind. .

The open space was only about ten feet in diameter, and there were eight people and eight horses in a mess.Zhang Han's thighs were bleeding, and he tried to block but was defeated.Suddenly, a horse broke free from its restraints and circled around in the open space, kicking over the bonfire. Everyone hurriedly dodged.Unexpectedly, Kong Congchun's arm was caught by the reins and he was dragged to the ground. Chen Hei'er seized the opportunity and inserted a knife into Kong Congchun's abdomen. Kong Congchun grunted and grabbed Chen Hei'er's arm.

The horse was grabbed and frightened even more. He ran towards the place where Qingcheng's luggage was stacked regardless of head or tail. He made a mistake and fell into the valley together with the two of them and most of Qingcheng's luggage. The screams gradually faded away.

Xu Dongjia shouted: "Hurry up and get on your horse! Retreat!" He then waved his sword three times to force Lao Tang Cake.Sun Sandao and Wu Mansong got on their horses and cut off the ropes. It was dark and the road was dangerous. Neither of them dared to be reckless and slowly retreated towards the road they came from. Xu Dongjia gritted his teeth and guarded the intersection to protect his companions.

Zhang Han endured the pain in his legs and tried to stop him, but Lao Tang Cake shouted: "Don't move!"

Xu Dongjia saw Lao Tang Cake and Lu Jiao on guard with knives and did not dare to pursue them. He faced the crowd and slowly moved forward, took the remaining luggage, and then slowly retreated, paying attention to his feet from time to time, and his figures gradually disappeared into the dark night.

Old Tang Cake was on guard, neither stepping forward nor retreating. When Xu Dong's family retreated, he took a breath, turned around and asked Lu Jiao, "What happened?"

Lu Jiao said: "He... they suddenly rushed out and slashed me with their knives. I..."

"Who the hell are you lying to!" Old Tang Cake shouted, "What happened?!"

Lu Jiao said: "A Huang Biao rushed out and bumped into Kong Congchun's tent, frightening the horses. I was so frightened that I fell down. People from Qingcheng came to help me. Kong Congchun got out of the tent, thinking he was going to If you want to kill me, just chop him with a knife. The two of them were fighting. People in Qingcheng thought Kong Congchun was going to kill him, so Zhang... Zhang Han also came to help, so..."

"Snapped"!A loud slap fell on Lu Jiao's face.

"You almost killed our whole family, did you know?!"

"I shouted to stop, but it was too chaotic and noisy... Someone was slashing at me, so I could only fight back. If I asked to stop, who would care about me?"

Another slap in the face, another slap in the face, and another slap in the face...

Lu Jiao's face was red and swollen.

Zhang Han covered the wound and gritted his teeth as he looked at it, not daring to speak.A piece of meat was cut off from his thigh, and Old Tang Cake came over to examine the wound.

"I...I'm okay." Zhang Han gritted his teeth.

Lao Tang Cake was noncommittal and tore off a piece of cloth to bandage him: "You guys sleep, I'll keep watch tonight."

Zhang Han was in so much pain that he couldn't sleep. He bit his collar tightly to prevent him from moaning. The pain in his thigh wound became more and more severe.At daybreak, he pretended that nothing happened and managed to get on his horse, but he almost fell over from the other side.He felt that his mouth was dry and he kept drinking water. At noon, he felt a little dizzy. He wrapped the reins around his hands twice more. As a result, he lost his mind and almost fell into the valley with him and his horse.

He had to hold back and not become a drag...

Old Tang Cake saw that his face was pale, so he found a place for him to rest, took off the bandage, looked at the wound, and frowned.

Old Tang Cake said: "The wound is ulcerated and we didn't bring any medicine." When they left Hanzhong, there was nothing there.

Zhang Han groaned: "I'm fine...I can do it..."

Lao Tang Cake didn't say much, looked around and said, "Walk a little further."

Zhang Han needed Lu Jiao's support to mount his horse, and he was still swaying.Old Tang Cake said he would walk for a while, but he only walked a short distance. The three of them walked through a narrow road, and Lao Tang Cake said: "Dismount."

Zhang Han was still in a daze, and Lao Tangbian grabbed him and made him lean against the rock wall.Zhang Han was drowsy and felt that Lao Tangbing had stuffed something into his arms. It felt familiar to him. It was his saber.

"Their luggage fell down the mountain and they have no food. We have food. They are behind and we are in front. They have three more people and we have two and a half left. If you don't walk fast and they catch up, we will die."

Lao Tang Cake grabbed Zhang Han's hand and held the knife tightly: "Find a way to take one away, for your family."

Zhang Han was so startled that his soul flew away, and he said in a trembling voice: "Old soup cake...don't...don't leave me..."

Lao Tang Cake took Lu Jiao and left without looking back.

He was abandoned, and Lao Tang Cake didn't even leave him a morsel of food. Zhang Han leaned against the rock wall and groaned.He doesn't need to pretend anymore, who else can he pretend to?

It's all the fault of those bastards in Qingcheng, they shouldn't be allowed to camp next to it!Lu Jiao...why can he live, why can he leave?It was obviously him who caused this stupid thing. What's the fuss about a mountain tiger? Why were Kong Congchun and himself the ones who died? !
Take... take away one... Zhang Han gritted his teeth, his whole body couldn't help but tremble, and he could hardly stand up.There was no one around. The wind was noisy and crazy, but it was also very quiet. It was as quiet as the only sound left in the world.

He kept rubbing the jade pendant on his chest, and finally understood the reason why Lao Tang Cake placed him here.This is a narrow road, and the stone wall he leans on can hide his figure. When the opponent passes by, he pounces on him. No matter whether he hits the person or scares the horse, at least one of them will be killed.

Take one away...I will die too, no matter what...

Take one away, take one away... He thought he could kill many, many Qingcheng disciples and avenge his comrades and brothers...

Take one away... He waited for a long time, holding the knife tightly, blood still oozing from his thigh.He kept rubbing the jade pendant, which was his greatest achievement.

It's getting colder and fainter, why haven't you come yet?Aren’t those Qingcheng bastards planning to deliver the letter?When will they come?

The sky is getting darker, it's dusk, it's getting colder, it's November now.

The faint sound of horse hooves gradually approached.

coming!Zhang Han's blood surged and he stood up suddenly. He was about to pounce on him with his lame feet. Then his foot slipped and he saw the blue sky above and below his head.

"Fuck you Huashan bastard!" He heard someone yelling and saw the mustachioed man slashing at him with a knife, and then his vision went dark.

■

The sound of the wind...the sound of voices?Thinly, gradually clear.

When Zhang Han opened his eyes, everything was dark and he was dizzy.

Am I not dead?He was surprised.I sat up. Although the wound on my thigh hurt, it felt a little cool. I stretched out my hand to touch it and found that it had been treated with medicine.

He opened the tent, and Xu Dongjia and Sun Sandao were chatting around the campfire.Seeing him appear, Xu Dongjia waved: "Can you move? Come here and have something to eat."

His stomach growled and he had no choice. He dragged his legs to the bonfire, and Xu Dongjia handed him a bowl of broth.

"Eat meat to make up for it." Xu Dongjia said with a smile.

Broth, golden medicine, and indeed a lot of things were taken away from Hanzhong.Zhang Han was filled with hatred, glanced at Mr. Xu, drank the bowl of soup, and ate two pancakes.

"Do you still have food?" Zhang Han asked, "Didn't most of it fall into the valley?"

"There wasn't much left, so I sent one person back. What was left was barely enough to finish the journey."

Zhang Han looked at it and found that there were only two tents and two people.

"Why don't you kill me?" Zhang Han asked.

"This is not a battlefield." Xu Dongjia picked at his mustache. "We are just two groups of messengers. We all just want to complete the mission. There is no need to fight to the death. Besides, if the letter is not with you, I can't get it even if I kill you." He pointed. Pointing to Zhang Han's chest, "You still have family."

A warm feeling surged into his heart, and Zhang Han immediately realized that something was wrong. These two people must have other plans!

"After eating, go to bed. We have to travel tomorrow." Xu Dongjia said.

"I also want a pancake." Zhang Han said shamelessly.

"Why does he eat more than me?" Sun Sandao said angrily, "This is our food!"

"He is injured and needs to eat more. He won't be treated like this tomorrow." Xu Dongjia said, "He will die from starvation without a piece of cake, so give it to him."

Sun Sandao glared at Zhang Han and handed out a pancake.

Because there weren't many tents, Zhang Han had to squeeze in a tent with Mr. Xu's family at night.Xu Dongjia's martial arts skills were much better than his, but his weapons were taken away and he was injured, so Xu Dongjia didn't have too much vigilance against him.

Zhang Han slept deeply that night until he was awakened by the sound of quarrel.

"Why are you taking him away? Let him go!" was Sun Sandao's voice.He stuck his head out and saw that Xu Dongjia was discussing with Sun Sandao.

"Horses have to carry luggage, so we can't give them to him." Xu Dongjia said, "He doesn't have horses. It won't take ten days and a half to walk back to Huashan from here? Where can we get food for him?"

"If there's no food, he'll have to figure it out on his own! Besides, the food is only for two people, so how can there be enough left for him!"

"That's Huashan's food, you stole it!" Zhang Han cursed, "I can walk back by myself without your charity!"

Xu Dongjia turned to Zhang Han and said, "Why are you interrupting? You're just trying to be brave. It's not your turn to speak!" He then said to Sun Sandao, picking at his mustache, "Two people have enough food to eat, but three people will never die of hunger." He patted Sun Sandao. "I spent all my money yesterday feeding him bacon and pancakes. Isn't it in vain to let him die on the road today?"

Sun Sandao snorted, and when Xu Dongjia saw that he had no objection, he said to Zhang Han: "You come with us, and when you get out of the intersection, you can find your companions."

Where does this inexplicable kindness come from?Not even for a passerby.Zhang Han was even more certain that the other party had ulterior motives.

Could it be that he wanted to recruit himself to steal the Third Young Master's letter?That won't work. Once the letter is lost, everyone will be executed.

Sun Sandao said again: "We only have two horses."

"He can just ride with me."

"If you carry one more person, you will go slower."

"We can't go fast. There are Huashan disciples in front of us. It's better to stay away and walk slowly, so as not to bump into them and kill them again." Xu Dongjia stopped laughing and said, "I don't want you to get hurt too."

Sun Sandao remained silent and turned around to pack his luggage.Zhang Han felt this man's hostility toward him.

"Actually, Taoist Sun Sandao is a good person and can be dealt with, but he has been a little more irritable recently." Xu Dongjia patted Zhang Han on the shoulder, "Don't take it personally."

■

"I remember there is an open space in front where I can take a rest." Xu Dongjia said.

"Have you passed by?" Zhang Han asked.

"Yes." Xu Dongjia nodded, "We came with Mr. Wei's team."

"How many days have you been walking on this road?" Zhang Han asked.

"About nine or ten days."

Zhang Han was surprised: "So fast? How many of you are there?"

"Why are you asking about this, to inquire about the military situation?" Xu Dongjia said with a smile, "In fact, as long as the military orders are strict and the dispatch is proper, you can get twice the result with half the effort. Of course, you also have to be familiar with the methods."

His words seemed quite proud, and Zhang Han thought to himself: "You are also traveling over mountains and ridges to kill people!"

Sun Sandao suddenly asked: "Have you ever killed any Qingcheng disciple?"

Zhang Han was startled and held the jade pendant in his arms.The horse's hooves were brisk, as if the problem was not heavy.

"There is just one, a team leader, in Hanzhong." Zhang Han rubbed the jade pendant, "This jade pendant was picked up from that person."

"Oh?" Xu Dongjia frowned.

"My family is in Hanzhong!" Zhang Han seemed to be defending, "My family is also in Hanzhong!"

Xu Dongjia said: "My family is in Tongzhou, and Sun Sandao's family are all in Nanchong."

Zhang Han was stunned, was it Nanchong who was defeated by the second young master?

He glanced at Sun Sandao, but there was no clue on the latter's face.

■

After that day, the rations Zhang Han received could only be described as barely enough to satisfy his hunger, but Zhang Han did not complain because the rations received by Xu Dongjia and Sun Sandao were as thin.Even if they only have this little food, they are not afraid to share it.

At night, they baked pancakes in front of the campfire together.

"It wasn't that we wanted to attack you that day. Old Tang Cake didn't want to think about the conflict. We all just wanted to deliver the letter to the second master safely. We issued a military order and guaranteed it with the lives of our whole family. A Huang Biao came..." Zhang Han looked at it On the top of the tent, he told what happened that day, "I didn't expect that a beast killed two people, injured me, and even caused you to lose your luggage."

Xu Dongjia was silent for a while and said: "Our brother who died was called Chen Hei'er. He was 29 this year and his wife was divorced for stealing. The two boys were seven and five years old, and they were taken care of by their grandfather. There is a settlement allowance for this expedition. He plans to find a wife to take care of his son after returning to Tongzhou."

"That beast not only killed two lives, but also harmed two families." Xu Dongjia said.

Zhang Han asked Sun San: "You don't have enough food, so you want one person to go back first. How did you choose? Are you staying voluntarily and want to go back to Tongzhou?"

"Ask the boss." Sun Sandao winked, and Zhang Han looked at Xu Dong's family.

"Wu Mansong, who cut you, is 38 years old. Both his parents are dead. He has two brothers. The eldest daughter is seventeen and the younger son is fifteen, so I let him return to the battlefield. Brother Sun has no siblings. His father is seventy and there is another He has been thinking about his six-year-old daughter, who is still alive and dead in Nanchong, so I asked him to follow me back to Qingcheng first."

Zhang Han was surprised and asked: "Do you know so much about each brother's family?" "For any brother who has been with the boss, the boss will know who is in the family, how old he is, and whether his life is good or not. What if... anything happens? , the boss goes to people’s homes every year to offer incense and bring some gifts along the way.”

"It's not troublesome. After all, he is my brother. I have been a team leader for 15 years. There are only 27 brothers who followed me, and only nine of them left."

Xu Dongjia looked at the fire, his always smiling face no longer smiling: "The first brother to leave was 13 years ago. Even now, when I go to his house to offer incense, his father still cries and scolds him for being unfilial."

Zhang Han was silent, he missed home.

■

It's raining. This is the fifth day. According to Lao Tang Cake's calculation, it's almost time to go out on the trail in these two days.

The rain suddenly intensified, and a heavy downpour drenched their heads. Xu Dong's family stopped and found a place to camp just after noon. Although it was windy, they still chose a side near the valley.

"With this kind of heavy rain, rocks can easily collapse on the mountain, so you have to stay away. It's too dangerous to move forward in the rain."

"How long will we stay here?" Zhang Han asked.

"We won't leave until the rain stops." Xu Dongjia replied and handed Zhang Han a pancake.

Zhang Han huddled in his tent and chewed pancakes, looking up at the mountain wall opposite. The violent wind and rain really had the momentum to cleanse the world.

Xu Dongjia took off his soaked cotton-padded jacket, took out a square paper seal from inside his coat and pressed it under his body. Zhang Han glanced at it and his heart skipped a beat.He was illiterate and didn't know what was written on the envelope, but seeing that Xu Dongjia kept it so precious and important, he was afraid of getting wet and taking it out to dry...

Is it the letter from Qingcheng?
His heart was beating so violently that the violent storm outside seemed like a moment of tranquility and had nothing to do with him.

The old soup cake will be out of the path tomorrow at the latest, and according to Xu Dongjia's estimation, they should be a day late.They didn't care, the most important thing was to keep the letter. As long as they walked to Tongzhou, the Tongzhou sect would rush the eight hundred miles to deliver the letter for them, but Lao Tang Cake and the others had to go to Nanchong or Guangyuan.

With this letter, he will definitely receive a heavy reward, a very heavy reward, Zhang Han thought.

The rain didn't stop until it got dark. After the rain, the sky was clear and the moon was bright in the sky. They stayed all afternoon, just chatting. Zhang Han kept paying attention to Xu Dong's family.After the heavy rain, Xu Dongjia stuffed the letter into his coat clip while Zhang Han was not paying attention - he thought he was not paying attention.

This is war, Qingcheng has killed many of your brothers and comrades-in-arms, Zhang Han thought while sleeping.He couldn't sleep and hesitated for a long time. "I can't steal it anyway." He finally thought.

Xu Dongjia turned slightly sideways to face Zhang Han, and his slight snoring told Zhang Han that he was sleeping soundly.Zhang Han climbed up calmly, opened the tent, and let the moonlight shine into the tent.

Damn it, he vaguely saw a little bit of white exposed in Xu Dongjia's coat, like a small mole on the girl's lip. It was a little smaller, but he kept his gaze tightly and stretched out his hand tremblingly.

This is wrong... His hands couldn't help but tremble even more.

This is war!His breathing became rapid, and he pinched the corner of the envelope with his fingertips.

No, this is not a battlefield... He stopped and stopped moving.

Not allowing him to hesitate, Xu Dongjia turned over. He hurriedly withdrew his hand and took the letter in his hand. Even he himself did not believe that it was so smooth, as if it was destined by heaven.In the moonlight outside the window, he could see and touch the red lacquer mark on the envelope.His feet no longer hurt so much. He put the letter in his arms, stood up silently, and covered the tent. Sun Sandao in the other tent didn't notice, and he came to the horse.

Why don't you take the remaining food with you and starve them for two days, and you will have food...

He didn't do this after all. Not only that, he also unloaded the luggage on the horse and returned it to Xu Dong's family.

This is how you run fast, he explained to himself.Their luggage weighed them down, and they had only one horse.

He didn't dare to get on the horse, so he led the horse and walked along the rugged mountain road bit by bit, step by step, under the moonlight. He walked for a long time, and he didn't dare to get on the horse until dawn.

We're almost at the exit, and the road is a little wider.Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?If he can leave the trail and hand this letter to the Second Young Master, he will definitely receive a heavy reward, and he may be promoted to a leader...

He rubbed the jade pendant on his chest and led the army to kill the enemy?

What nonsense is this! ... He gritted his teeth.

What should Dong Xu and the others do?Will I be punished?They won't be exterminated, at most they will be beheaded.

He suddenly shivered and shivered involuntarily.It rained yesterday and it was much colder in the morning.

No, he comforted himself. They were Qingcheng disciples. If they returned to their own sect and dictated the message, Qingcheng would still believe them. At most, they would only ask more questions and delay more time. Maybe there would be a reward?
But do they know what is written in the letter?He may not know, he himself doesn't know what is written in the letter he wants to give to the second young master.Important military information can never be leaked to the person who delivers the letter. Otherwise, why send the letter and why bother with the gold paint and red seal?Just oral instructions are enough.

Is that letter from Qingcheng important?

He felt a little tight in his chest and a little heavy in his steps.

This is war - this is not a battlefield - no, no, this is a battlefield!Anywhere, as long as there is a Huashan disciple and a Qingcheng disciple standing together, there is a battlefield!

There was a fallen rock as big as two heads lying in the middle of the road, with a lot of earth and rocks scattered around, and a body lying next to it.Zhang Han said "Hey" and slowed down his horse's hooves to approach slowly. When he saw it clearly, he couldn't help but scream in surprise.

It's Lu Jiao's body.

Zhang Han panicked and looked up at the mountain wall and then at the ground.

Hold!It's a rockfall!
Where's the old soup cake?Is the old soup cake okay?He turned his horse's head and walked around the boulder, inadvertently glancing down the valley.

A horse corpse lay on a pile of rocks at the bottom of a deep ravine, with a man pressed under the horse corpse.

Old soup cake?
"Ah!!!!" Zhang Han shouted, feeling dizzy for a while, his stomach contracted rapidly, he could hardly turn around in one breath, and his heart seemed to explode.

The old soup cake is dead... where is the letter?Where is the letter?He jumped off the horse and looked around regardless of the pain. He didn't see Lu Jiao's mount and groped for Lu Jiao's body again.He knew it was a futile effort and the letter must be with Old Tang Cake.

He limped to the edge of the valley and looked down. He was about ten feet tall.He stretched out his legs and tried to climb down the valley. His thighs felt a sharp pain, and the edge of the rock suddenly peeled off. He slipped and fell to the ground. He clung to the ground and just missed falling into the abyss.

Zhang Han almost went crazy because he couldn't get down...

That letter is on Old Tang Cake... It's over... It's over...

"Ah!!!! Ah!!!!" He yelled loudly, pounding the ground with both hands, grabbing his hair and clothes and roaring wildly.

It’s over, it’s all over…dead, all of them are going to die…Everyone in the family will be executed, and his whole family will die!Lao Tangbing, Lu Jiao, and Kong Congchun, the four families are all dead, all the families are dead!
how so?How could a veteran like Lao Tang Cake slip and fall to his death?It doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense, it doesn't make sense!Is this the result of repaying kindness with hatred?
He beat his hands until their hands were covered with blood, and his throat became hoarse.

■

"Fuck! Damn you! That wolf-hearted bastard! I have told you before that there is no good guy in Huashan, they are all bastards who are the sons of bitches!" Sun San couldn't help cursing.

Xu Dongjia, who was sitting behind him, had a livid face and said nothing.

"You don't know how to kill a horse even if you want to escape, you are bad and stupid!" Sun Sandao cursed, and when he rounded the corner, he saw Zhang Hanruan sitting on the ground, leaning against a fallen rock, with a corpse next to him.

Seeing him, Sun Sandao got off his horse and rushed forward, grabbing Zhang Han by the collar with one hand: "You ungrateful, bastard of a dog!" He cursed and dropped his fist.

Zhang Han seemed unconscious, and those fists did not cause him any pain.

Sun Sandao pulled him up and shouted: "Where is Xin? Where is Xin?"

"You can take it from me." Zhang Han's eyes were vacant.

Xu Dongjia looked at the corpse on the ground and asked, "What's going on?"

"They're all dead... Lu Jiao, Lao Tang Cake..." Zhang Han looked towards the valley.Xu Dongjia walked to the edge of the cliff and took a look. It seemed that in order to avoid falling rocks, the road was slippery due to the rain, and his horse stumbled and fell down the hillside.

"The four of us and our four families are going to die..." Zhang Han's eyes were bloodshot and he clutched his chest tightly with both hands.

"Why are you staying here?" Xu Dongjia asked.

"Return the letter to you." Zhang Han took out the letter from his arms, "Then, I will go down and wait to be reunited with my family." He grinned strangely.

"Why don't you tear up the letter?" Xu Dongjia asked.

"Why? One of the two letters must be delivered." Zhang Han said, "You are right, this is not a battlefield. The battlefield is in the hands of the leader and the sect. They open their mouths and we will kill wherever they want us to. Wherever we go, that is their battlefield, and we are just pawns.”

"Do you know what is written in that letter? You can send a message back orally." Xu Dongjia said.

Zhang Han shook his head: "I can't read, so I don't know what's written in the letter." He handed the letter to Xu Dongjia, but Xu Dongjia didn't take it.

"I'll go down and help you pick up the letter." Xu Dongjia said.

Zhang Han couldn't believe his ears, and Sun Sandao was also shocked: "Boss!"

Xu Dongjia said: "It's okay, I will be careful. If I fail, Lao Sun will deliver the letter to Tongzhou for me."

Zhang Han said nonchalantly: "You... why did you help me? You..." He couldn't understand that even if he wasn't an enemy or a battlefield, he shouldn't take such risks for others.

"When I saw you last time, I wanted to kill you to avenge Black Er, but I even raised the knife. I decided to save you after looking at your jade pendant."

"Do you know the owner of this jade pendant?" Zhang Han asked.

Xu Dongjia shook his head: "Because of that jade pendant, I thought that you also have a family. There are four words engraved on the jade pendant in seal script——"

"I hope you are safe."

I hope you are safe... It turns out that the jade pendant is not a carving, but four words. The Qingcheng squad leader also has someone in his family who is looking forward to his return...

Zhang Han covered his face and couldn't help crying.

Xu Dongjia tied three pieces of clothing into a long rope, and asked Sun Sandao and Zhang Han to pull it carefully and lower it slowly. When they reached a stable place, Xu Dongjia let go and climbed carefully along the mountain wall.

Zhang Han almost didn't dare to look directly, but he couldn't help but look. His heart couldn't help but follow Xu Dongjia's actions.

After a long time, Xu Dongjia finally came to the bottom of the valley and groped around Lao Tang Cake. Zhang Han held his breath and looked at it. The letter should still be on Lao Tang Cake, right?Will it be lost when the old soup cake is dropped?So what should we do?
Xu Dongjia fumbled for a long time, then suddenly raised a letter and shouted loudly, but Zhang Han couldn't hear what he shouted.His tears couldn't stop falling again. He stood up and shouted loudly with a joyful voice: "Thank you! Thank you!"

There is help, there is finally help!The lives of their family, no, four families, were saved!

Xu Dongjia slowly climbed up the mountain wall and reached the long rope. He put the letter in his arms and held onto the long rope with both hands.When Xu Dongjia climbed up to the edge of the cliff with his hands, Zhang Han and Sun Sandao hurriedly stepped forward to pull him up. All three of them were panting.

Xu Dongjia smiled and said: "It's not easy." He exchanged letters with Zhang Han.Zhang Han confirmed that the gold lacquer and red seal on it was correct, raised his head and was about to say thanks: "Brother Xu..."

Sun Sandao seemed to suddenly disappear out of thin air, Zhang Han was stunned, and Xu Dongjia also fell down without warning.Zhang Han rushed forward, grabbed Xu Dongjia's hand, and heard Sun Sandao's screams.

There was a landslide at the edge of the valley. Before falling down, Sun Sandao instinctively reached out and grabbed Xu Dongjia's ankle and pulled him off.

Zhang Han grabbed Xu Dongjia's hand, but the pain in his thigh was severe and he couldn't hold it on.The two just looked at each other, and Xu Dongjia let go of his hand and fell down, leaving only the letter he left behind on the edge of the cliff.

Zhang Han was lying on the side of the valley, staring blankly at the three corpses in the valley.He still doesn't understand what happened at that moment...

■

"Thank you for your hard work, what reward do you want?" Yan Zhaochou looked at the handwritten letter from his third brother with a livid face.He paid little attention to the lame man who had gone through so much trouble to deliver the letter.

"Lao Tangbing, Lu Jiao, and Kong Congchun died on the road while delivering letters. I hope the young master can provide them with compensation."

We must withdraw our troops as soon as possible, before Qingcheng is surrounded, and before the Bazhong defenders receive support, we must first defeat the blocking troops and horses on Micang Road, Yan Zhaochou thought.

"Each household receives a pension of 50 taels. What is your name?"

"Zhang Han."

"From now on, you will be promoted to squad leader and rewarded with 50 taels of silver."

"My subordinates are already disabled, and I'm afraid they won't be able to bear the heavy responsibility."

Yan Zhaochou nodded: "I will reward you with a hundred taels of silver and give you a white body. Go down and recuperate."

Zhang Han bowed and saluted, limped out of the tent, looked up at the sky, the sun was shining brightly.

He burst into tears again.

■

On the other side, as early as two days before the Hanzhong message arrived, urgent documents from Tongzhou [-] Miles were delivered to Shen Yuqing, and he confirmed that it was Xie Gubai's handwriting.

"It's an urgent report from Hanzhong." Ni Yan said, "But it's strange that this urgent report was not sent by the messenger disciple, but by a businessman. He said that someone asked him to deliver it to the local sect. Because it has a red lacquer and gold seal, eight Express delivery to Qingcheng within a hundred miles."

"Businessman?" Shen Yuqing was confused.

What puzzled him even more was that the octagonal jade pendant that came with the letter was made of relatively cheap white jade, with one corner broken and a shallow scratch on it. There were four words engraved on it in official script - —

"I hope you are safe."

(End of this chapter)