Chapter 15: Night

The next day, I packed my luggage in my room.In the afternoon, the well-behaved Yàn'er entered my room and squatted down silently to help me clean up.

These days she has heard a lot of stories and interesting stories from my journey, and she has become very familiar with me. She is naturally reluctant to leave me when she knows that I want to leave.

Uncle, are you really leaving?

Well, be good, uncle... I still have something to do at home, so I have to rush back to the south.I touched Yàn'er's little head with love, looked at her face that looked a bit like Han Jing, and replied sadly.

Yàn squatted down, handed me a piece of clothing I brought, and asked with his head tilted, "Uncle, are you going to take a boat on the sea for several months?"Yàn'er also wanted to go see the sea, but my aunt told Yàn'er that I couldn't go.

She paused, thought for a while and walked closer to me and whispered: I'll tell you a secret. Yesterday, Yàn saw her aunt crying while washing dishes in the kitchen.I know, actually my aunt also wants to go and see the sea with her uncle.Uncle, you are also very sad to leave.After hearing the child's childish words, I felt even more uncomfortable. I nodded and replied to her: Well, be good, when Yàn'er grows up, I will definitely have the opportunity to take a boat to the south to see the sea. Uncle will wait for Yàn'er at home in the south, and buy Yàn'er good jewelry as gifts.A longing smile appeared on the little girl's face, nodded, raised her hand and said to me: Then it's a matter of determination. Uncle is an adult, so you are not allowed to lie... And... Then... Yàn'er will also take her aunt to see the sea with her uncle's house. Is it OK?

Well... Of course, uncle is waiting for you... I reached out and pulled my hand with Yàn'er, nodded and agreed, feeling tears secretly emerged from both sides of my eyes.

……

After dark that night, a star in the sky was invisible, leaving only a broken blood moon hanging listlessly in the horizon, emitting a dark red light.

The village where the Han Mansion is located is silent, so quiet that it is even a bit terrible.

I lay on the bed in the guest room, with my eyes wide open, my heart was so irritating that I couldn't fall asleep.

I will set off early tomorrow morning, and this is the last night I spent at the Han family... Seeing that Han Jing is still cold to me these days, she will definitely not come to see me off like before... After leaving tomorrow, I, Huang Qian, will never have the chance to see her again or compensate her in my life... I thought sadly in my heart, and suddenly I wanted to see Han Jing again, even if I secretly looked at her again and recorded her sleeping look.

Thinking of this, I got up and quietly put on my clothes and left the guest room.

Ah……

I had just walked out of the room and arrived at the main hall when I suddenly heard a vague but extremely shrill scream from a distance from the village head outside the house.

However, the faint scream came to an abrupt end in a moment, and the deathly silence outside the house soon returned to the outside.

I have been on missions all year round, traveling north and south. I have also encountered robbers robbing at night during my journey, so I have always been particularly alert to such strange noises in the middle of the night.

I stood there, hesitated for a moment, and did not go to Han Jing's bedroom, but went back to the house to get my sword, then opened the door of the main hall and walked into the open-air yard.

It was a slightly stuffy late night. The night wind blew across the treetops of several poplar trees outside the courtyard wall, making a rustling sound, as if a huge beast was chewing on the prey it was captured.

The villagers in the village will have to get up early tomorrow to work, so most of them are already asleep.

Somehow, all the cicadas and birds in the village seemed to be holding their breath to avoid some natural enemies, and were strangely quiet.

The strange scream just now and the ominous color of the dark red crescent moon hanging in the air made me feel the strange aura floating in the air.

This strange feeling is so strong that I, who traveled all year round and often stayed in the wild overnight, was a little restless, and my right eyelids couldn't stop beating.

I pulled my sword out of the scabbard, and the metallic body emitted a crimson reflection under the dim and hazy moonlight.

The sword in my hand was obtained by the ancestors of the Huang family in the late Warring States Period when they followed the Chu army to pursue the remnants of Yue Kingdom. It is said that it was created by Ou Yezi, a sword-making master under King Goujian of Yue Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period.

The name of the sword is called Junlu. Although it is not considered Ou Yezi's work that has reached the pinnacle, it is also a sharp blade of magic weapons that cut iron like mud.Therefore, for so many years, it has been passed down in the Huang family from generation to generation.

I held the hilt of the sword in my right hand, stopped and stood in the middle of the yard, pricked up my ears and carefully identified every sound coming from the pitch black around me.

Soon, a messy sound of horse hooves and people's voices floated from the entrance of the village again with the night wind.

Assuming that the situation was different, I quietly opened the yard gate and looked out, but was shocked and tightened all over. The cold sweat behind me instantly fell.

At this moment, the dark night outside the yard was as dark as ink, and I couldn't see my five fingers.However, several balls of fire were lit in the entrance of the village to the east. From a distance, it looked as strange as a flashing and jumping ghost fire.

With the faint light they emitted, I saw a group of people riding horses wandering around the entrance of the village like ghosts.

And these firelights were emitted by several torches in their hands.

The family at the beginning of the village entrance has opened its doors, and it seems that they have been looted by these mysterious visitors.

At the same time, the group of people were trying to climb into the yard of a villager's house opposite the house.

They asked the horse to stand outside the courtyard wall of the villagers, and then stood up on the horse's back, and slid over the low courtyard wall of the house with a light kick.

When the man who had entered first opened the yard door from inside, the others waiting outside immediately rushed in.

The whole process was quiet and quick, and the cold and solemn murderous intent made these uninvited guests look completely different from ordinary robbers and horse thieves.

A few shrill screams came from the yard, and then there was no movement.

A moment later, I saw those people carrying looted iron and food, dragging the male and female hostess and children out of the yard.

The male owner was quickly killed in front of his wife and children. When the young child saw his father being killed, he cried loudly and was also ruthlessly killed by the person who caught him.

The mother might have been blocked by her mouth, but she struggled desperately and couldn't make a sound, and was finally taken away by a man on a horse.

The miserable scene, even in the dark night, still seemed extremely bloody.

The Huns' cavalry attacked at night!When I saw this, I finally confirmed the identity of this group of people. In shock, I felt a heart almost popping out of my chest.

More than ten years ago, after I sent Han Jing home for the first time, I continued to travel north to live on the Han-Hungary border of Youzhou for some time.There, I have seen some Xiongnu prisoners captured by the Han army.

I heard from the Han people in the border counties of Youzhou that the Huns have been making a living on horseback for many years and have excellent riding and shooting skills.

However, they did not farm. When they encountered horse fat in autumn, they would often go south to harass the prefectures and counties in the northern Han Dynasty and plunder people and property.

These Huns were rude and extremely savage and cruel, and were all desperate people who killed people without blinking.

Many of the Han people, especially women, fell into their hands, were used as a means of reproduction by the Huns, and took turns to be miserable and ended up in extremely miserable ways.

At this moment, the group of Hun cavalry in front of me were like the Huns I had seen in Youzhou, with disheveled hair and clothes made of animal skins. They looked tattered and dirty. In the dark night, they looked like a group of evil ghosts riding on horses.

It seems that this is a small group of Xiongnu Rangers, who can appear in the northern border of Jizhou, which is so deep into the mainland.It is estimated that Guangyang and Yuyang counties in Youzhou are in great danger.At this moment, I was the only man in the Han Mansion. If the Huns broke into this room and blocked it, the one who waited for me and the Han women would definitely be dead.

I thought to myself that seeing that the Huns were still some distance from the Han family, I quietly covered the courtyard gate and ran into the house.

Hanjia Village is surrounded by mountains and water, and the mountains behind the village are lush and lush, making it easy to hide.Before the Huns touched the Han family's yard, they had to take three women and children up the mountain to hide it. It would be safe to stay until dawn.After making up my mind, I quickly ran into the house.

I walked too fast and as soon as I entered the main hall, I couldn't help but run into someone.

I reached out and helped me, and when I looked closely, it was Han Jing who was hugging me.It seemed that she was not sleeping soundly, and was woken up by the sound of me opening the door, so she went out to check in the middle of the night.

At the critical moment, I didn't care much and said hurriedly to her: Hurry!There are Huns outside!I'll arrive at the door in a while.You quickly call your sister-in-law and Yàn'er, get some dry food, and we go to the back mountain to hide together.Move quickly, otherwise you won’t be able to leave!While speaking, the noise in the direction of the village entrance outside the house gradually became louder.

It seems that many families at the entrance of the village have been awakened.

For a moment, the shouts of men and women, the cry of children, and the terrifying whistles of the Huns mixed together and filled the originally dead night.

A moment later, Ji led Yàn'er to the yard with Han Jing.

Yàn'er is smart and sensible. Although she was very scared, she pursed her rosy lips tightly and didn't say a word.

I touched her head and signaled the three of them to follow me.

When I left the courtyard gate, I looked sideways and found that the two Huns had touched the wall of the neighbor opposite the Han family.

In the darkness, the two men in tattered animal skins looked as fierce and terrifying as ghosts.

At this moment, one of them stood immediately and looked into the yard, while the other was standing on the ground and looking at the wind, not paying attention to me at all.

I quietly touched it from behind and cut the throat of the Hun man behind with a sword from behind.

Junlu's blade was fast, and he had already been killed before he could send a call.

However, the torch in his hand fell to the ground, which still alarmed the Hun scout standing on the horse's back.

He turned around and saw his companion being killed. He jumped off the horse and screamed in surprise and attacked the four of us fiercely.

Dog bitch!I cursed in Dongye Yue's words, spit out a mouthful of saliva, and slashed at his head with a sword.

The Huns picked up the bronze sword in their hands to block it.

With a clang, with my full force, the thick bronze sword in his hand was cut off by Junlu in my hand.

Junlu's sword was tilted out and just slashed on his neck, cutting it in more than half an inch.

His body suddenly collapsed, and a large amount of red blood splattered out, covering the courtyard wall behind him.

Go quickly!I was afraid that the Huns' shouting attracted his accomplices nearby, so I took the Yàn in Ji's arms and hugged him tightly, and led Han Jing and Ji's sister-in-law to the small path behind the house leading to the back mountain.

At this time, a fire had already lit up several houses at the entrance of the village, making the night as day.I looked back and saw that the group of Hun cavalry were pouring into the families in the village from the entrance of the village.

More houses were penetrated by them, and countless villagers cried out in tragic roars one after another.

Many villagers just woke up and walked out of their homes and were killed by the Huns.

The corpse, head, and bright red blood were covered with a piece of blood on the village road, and the air was filled with the smell of blood.

The four of us ran along the path and finally arrived at a fork in the fork behind the village.

The path on the left in front of you leads to the path up the mountain behind the village, and the road on the right leads to the Yishui River in front of the village.

My tense thoughts relaxed a little, thinking that it would be no big problem to escape tonight, but at this moment I heard a sound of breaking through the air, and then an arrow flew low against the top of my head, nailing to a big tree not far ahead of me.

I looked back and was surprised to find that there were two Huns chasing them like ghosts not far behind.

One of them held a mace, the other with a copper helmet on his head and a bow and arrow in his hand, looking like a small leader.

The arrow on the tree just now was shot by this little leader. Fortunately, the sky was dark and it was difficult to aim. Otherwise, with his archery technique, the arrow just now would definitely shoot through my head.

The two of them thought they were in the village and I had already set their sights on us as soon as I went out.

They saw that I had only one man and a few beautiful women. With a bad attitude, they chose to follow us silently until the secluded intersection behind the village.

The mountain road in the village was narrow and difficult to walk. In order not to disturb us, we did not ride horses, so I did not discover their two tails until this time.

Through the solemn night wind, I could almost see the lustful desire in the eyes of the two vicious Huns, and my heart immediately became tight.

At this moment, Yàn in my arms finally couldn't help crying in fear.

Ji had just witnessed the bloody and miserable massacre scene in the village. This was the first time he had experienced such a thrilling scene. He was already full of horror and tears.

I asked Ji to take the Yàn'er in my arms and remind her and Han Jing: I will lead them away to the river and find an opportunity to get out. You two quickly take Yàn'er to the mountain and find a place to hide as soon as possible.Remember, no matter what happens, don't look back.Hide on the mountain for a few days and wait for the Huns to leave the village before coming down. Remember!

Before I finished speaking, I pushed the backs of the two women hard and signaled them to go up the mountain from the left path.

After listening to my instructions, the two women hugged Yàn'er and staggered towards the mountain with two steps and three turns.

I stood there, staring at Han Jing's back melancholy, wanting to engrave her appearance firmly into my mind.

I could hear Han Jing running away at this time was already crying.

While running, she twisted her head and looked at me from time to time, her eyes full of concern.

The original panic in my heart was inexplicably calmed down, replaced by a hint of relief: Jing'er, as long as you can escape safely tonight, you will no longer resent me in the future... I, Huang Qian, will die without regrets... The two women turned around the corner of a mountain road with their children in their arms and disappeared from my sight.

I turned around and looked at the two Huns who were approaching dozens of steps in front of me, and quickly ran away to the main road to the right.

I ran dozens of steps, but I didn't hear anyone behind me.

When I turned around, I saw that the two Huns did not come to chase me, but were turning to the path where Han Jing and the others fled.

Seeing this, I quickly stopped and turned around and shouted to the two Huns pursuers: I was the emperor of the Han Dynasty personally named the captain of Yueyi, the son-in-law of the Minyue Kingdom, and the captain of the Han Dynasty Huang Qian!You are waiting for the barbarians, if you want to take my head and ask for rewards, come to me. Why bother with the help of a few women!In recent years, the war between the Han Dynasty and the Huns has been escalating. Killing any Han army officer means a huge reward for a Hun.

Sure enough, the little boss seemed to understand what I said, and whispered with his companion for a while, then turned around and ran towards me.

Many years later, when I recalled the deathly running that night, I still suspected that I had received the protection of the heroic spirits of the Huang family of Chu and the ancestors of the Minyue Kingdom.

On the way to the Yishui shore, the Hun archer fired at least four arrows at me, and the violent running took away a lot of his energy.

Those arrows were either avoided by me fortunately or missed, but in short, none of them hit.

In this way, I ran to the row of willow trees where Han Jing had bid farewell to me before.Yishui flowed quietly in front of me, blocking my eyes like a natural barrier, and I had no way to escape.

The wind is whistling and the Yishui is cold. The hero will never return once he leaves... I, Huang Qian, will die here tonight?I looked at the vast and vast Yishui River under the night and smiled bitterly.

While running at high speed, I was almost exhausted at this time and could only breathe and rest on the trunk of a willow tree.

The two Huns who chased me were obviously exhausted.

puff

I was just about to call them to delay time when I suddenly felt a huge force hitting my chest. I suddenly lay back to the ground, and my chest was so painful that it was almost bleeding.

When I looked down, an arrow was inserted into my chest. The Hun archer fired another arrow. This time, he did not miss it. The arrow was extremely powerful at close range and hit the vital point of my chest.

When the two of them saw me falling to the ground with an arrow, they surrounded me in a semicircle, intending to cut off my head and seek credit.

I endured the severe pain and pretended to be dead. I kept waiting for the little Xiongnu leader to approach before I jumped up and clenched the Junlu sword in my hand and stabbed him in the chest.

He did not expect that I, the man who fell to the ground, had the strength to fight back. He watched my sword attack enter his chest in amazement, and it made him feel cold.

The hot blood splattered from his mouth, splashing onto my face and hands.

His hand holding the bow and arrow was slackenedly, and his whole body suddenly collapsed on the ground and lost its breath.

The remaining Huns saw their companions being killed, waved their maces in their hands and roared at me with the strange words of the Huns.

My sword was stuck in the body of the Hun Sagittarius on the ground. He couldn't pull it out for a while, so he could only use his body to take over his stick.

puff

His attack was so strong that the mace hit me hard in the chest. I leaned back again and was beaten to lean against the willow tree.

A sour smell poured into the mouth and nose, and a large mouthful of blood was spit out of the mouth.

Although the Hun was tall and strong, his movements were not slow at all.Before I could get angry, he had waved his mace in his hand and called me again.

I subconsciously bent down and he hit the willow tree behind me with a stick. The trunk was impacted and trembled violently. The silver catkins left on the tree suddenly fell down, and as the night wind blew, flying crystal clear like goose feathers and snow, fluttering one after another.

The Hun warrior seemed to have sucked in a flying catkin. He was stunned for a moment, and then sneeze violently.

In the flash of lightning, I took the opportunity to pull out the arrow from my chest and stabbed it hard into his eyes with my backhand.

The copper arrow of the bow and arrow was already a little deformed when it was pulled out from my chest, but under the desperate attack I used all my strength, it still penetrated deeply into the right eye of the Hun, almost piercing through his head.

He screamed, and a large piece of blood spurted out of his mouth and nose, then he fell to the ground with a bang and stopped moving again.

I was already seriously injured and exhausted after completing the last blow.

I sat down with my back against the trunk of the willow tree behind me, and a large mouthful of blood was sprinkled out of my mouth, all of which were scattered on the front of my clothes, dyeing a large piece of white catkins on my chest red, and my vision became blurred.

In a daze, I saw a graceful figure running in the distance, still looking around and looking at someone.

I took the last look and saw Han Jingzheng running over with an anxious look on his face.

Jing'er...I'm here... I feel that blood is filling my throat and want to shout at her, but what I say is just a few weak hoarse syllables.

Huang Qian!Han Jing, who was running closer, finally saw me.

She saw me sitting under the willow tree, covered in blood, and rushed towards me with a writhing cry, embracing my limp body into her soft and fragrant arms.

A pair of red phoenix eyes stared at me, and my jade hands tightly grasped my clothes. Tears fell down, falling one by one on my face.

Seeing her heartbroken expression, I knew she was worried about my safety, so I came to look for me specifically. A warm feeling arose in my heart. I couldn't help but stretch out my hand and wiped away the tears from my lover's face. I endured the severe pain and trembled and murmured to her: Jing'er, silly girl... Go to the mountain to hide quickly. If other Huns come in a while, it will be bad if other Huns come... After hearing what I said, she shook her head and suddenly sobbed: Wuwuwu... Huang Qian... Are you okay... Does it hurt? Ah... Wuwuwu... Don't scare me... Wuwu...

Countless catkins continued to fall from the willow trees above us, and several pieces fell on Han Jing's black hair.

More, it was mixed with her crystal tears and dripped on my face, very cold.

Jing'er... I don't hurt you... I'm sorry for you... I deserve your deep affection... I deserve it... I can protect you for peace today... Even if I die in your arms... I can still keep my eyes closed... Jing'er... I know that you may not believe me if I say this... But... the woman I love most... I really always want to marry you... Be my wife... I'm with you and grow old together with you... But Zuo and Huang Kun are innocent... They don't know anything about anything... I can't hurt them... Can you understand my difficulties... I blame me for making mistakes... I'm fine... I'm fine if you forgive me, a kind person... I really just ask you not to resent me and become cold in me like these days... I feel really uncomfortable... I'm really sorry... I poured my emotions deep in my heart in a low voice, feeling a sense of grievance in my heart.

There were strong pain in my chest and I coughed violently.

My eyes were darker and my vision became darker.

Han Jing nodded cryingly, hugged me tightly, opened his mouth and said something to me, but I could no longer hear it.

At the last moment before I lost consciousness, only the endless sea of ​​willow catkins in the dark night sky remained in front of me, and Han Jing's pretty face that was still fascinating under the crying.