"That's enough!"
Brother Li suddenly shouted, interrupting the businessman.
His face showed a look of pain and helplessness, and his eyes revealed deep exhaustion.
Everyone was startled by his shout and looked at him, only to see him closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, as if trying to calm down his emotions.
“Those goods are gone if they are gone. Life is the most important thing. If we go back now, we can at least save one life. If we go back again, we may even lose our lives.”
Brother Li's voice was low and hoarse, and every word revealed deep helplessness and pain.
Everyone fell silent after hearing this.
They knew that Brother Li was telling the truth, but the unwillingness and pain in their hearts could not be calmed down.
Those goods were raised with so much hard work and were all their belongings and hopes.
Now that it is gone, how can they not feel heartbroken?
However, they also knew that Brother Li's decision was correct. In this troubled world, life is the most important thing.
Without life, everything will be empty talk.
Without life, everything will be empty talk. Although they understand this truth, it is not easy to truly accept it. After all, those goods are not just piles of items, but the basis of their lives, the fruits of their hard work, sweat and tears day and night.
"Brother Li, do we really give up like this?"
A young businessman finally broke the silence, his voice trembling and unwilling.
Brother Li slowly opened his eyes, his gaze swept over everyone's faces one by one, and finally stopped on the young businessman's face.
He sighed softly, and then said: "Brother, I know you are not willing to give in, so why am I not? However, we have to recognize the situation clearly. Forget it, let's take a look!"
Brother Li’s words stunned everyone. They thought that Brother Li would stick to his original decision and return immediately, no longer caring about the lost goods.
However, Brother Li seemed to understand the unwillingness and desire in everyone's eyes. He knew that those goods were not only material wealth for everyone, but also their hard work and hope. In this troubled world, life is difficult enough, and every bit of hope is extremely precious.
“But,” Brother Li changed the topic and looked at everyone seriously, “we must agree on three chapters. First, we just take a look and return immediately after confirming the situation. We must not be reluctant to fight. Second, No matter what you see, you must not act impulsively and must obey my command. Third, we must prepare for the worst and retreat immediately if there is danger."
After hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement. They knew that Brother Li was protecting them and also giving them a chance to confirm the fate of the goods with their own eyes, thereby making a final settlement in their hearts.
So, under the leadership of Brother Li, everyone walked cautiously in the original direction.
Their emotions were complicated and heavy. They hoped to see that the goods were still intact, but they were also afraid of seeing a scene they did not want to face.
However, when they finally arrived at their destination, the sight in front of them completely shocked them.
I saw that all the thieves who robbed them were dead, lying on the ground in a mess, and the surroundings were in a mess.
Their cargo, which they thought had been lost, was neatly stacked aside, seemingly unscathed.
Everyone stood there stunned, unable to believe their eyes for a moment. Is this true? Are they really so lucky?
Brother Li was the first to come to his senses. He walked forward quickly and inspected the goods carefully.
Then, he turned around and shouted excitedly to everyone: "Brothers, our goods are still there! And it doesn't seem like there was much damage!"
When everyone heard this, they immediately cheered. They all ran forward and looked around the goods carefully.
Everyone's face was filled with joy and excitement, as if they had regained their lost hope.
"Brother Li, you are really our lucky star!" A businessman said excitedly, "If you hadn't insisted on taking a look, we might have really given up on these goods."
< br>"Yes, Brother Li, thank you!" Others also echoed.
Brother Li shook his head with a smile and said: "This is all thanks to everyone. If not for everyone's concerted efforts, we would not be able to recover these goods. Now, let's pack up quickly and leave here as soon as possible. . After all, it’s no longer safe here.”
After hearing this, everyone immediately started to get busy.
They quickly packed up their goods and hurriedly left this dangerous place under the leadership of Brother Li.
Although they still felt a little heavy and uneasy, the joy and hope of recovering the goods made them cheer up again.
At the same time, on the hills in the distance, Fang Yue looked at the caravan that was back on the road.
After taking one last look, he immediately headed towards Xiahe County.
Not long after Fang Yue left, there was a sound of horse hoofbeats, and he arrived at the place where the caravan and the bandits fought.
"Huh? These people were killed almost instantly. The person who did it was a master, an absolute master!" One of the knights jumped off the horse, carefully checked the traces on the scene, and came to this conclusion: in conclusion.
"Is it that person?" Another knight frowned and said, "Didn't we investigate before? There are no masters here."
"No, this Impossible." The previous knight shook his head, "The person who can do this is by no means an ordinary person. It seems that the person we are looking for was here before!"
The two knights said to each other. Looking at each other, they could see deep shock and fear in each other's eyes. They all knew that being able to kill these thieves so quickly was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
“We must catch up immediately, maybe we can still find it.” One of the knights said.
Immediately, the seven people carefully checked the traces here, quickly determined the direction, and pursued them towards Xiahe County.
~~~~~~~
Shanyang Prefecture, Xiahe County.
Xiahe County is located in the westernmost part of Shanyang Prefecture. It was originally a relatively prosperous county.
The county town is surrounded by towering city walls. There are arrow towers and observation towers on the city walls, which look strong and majestic.
But after King Wu Cheng led the Xuelongtai rebellion, this place bore the brunt and became the focus of the rebels' attack.
The rebels burned, killed and looted all the way, committing all kinds of evil. The prosperity of Xiahe County has been reduced to nothing.
The city wall became riddled with holes under the fierce attack of the rebels, and the arrow tower and observation tower were also blown beyond recognition.
The streets in the city are full of ruins and rubble, the shops are closed, the people are displaced, and mourning is everywhere.
Now, although the rebels have occupied the city, they are trying to restore order.
But Xiahe County is still in chaos and depression, and people live in fear and despair.
They are always worried about the atrocities and plunder of the rebels and dare not go out easily. They can only hide at home and pray that this disaster will end soon. The rebel soldiers on the city wall were also panic-stricken. They knew that their actions had aroused the anger of the people in the world, and they were worried that once the imperial army came, they would die without a burial place.
However, they did not dare to disobey King Wu Cheng's order, so they could only bite the bullet and stick to the city wall.
"I didn't expect that in just a few years, this place would become like this! It's really sad and lamentable." Fang Yue looked at the Xiahe County in front of him, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness in his heart.
He remembered living here a few years ago. Although Xiahe County was not prosperous at that time, it was still peaceful and contented, and the people lived peacefully and happily.
However, when I came here again now, I only saw dilapidation and depression.
Fang Yue's eyes swept across the city wall. The soldiers who were supposed to stick to their posts were sitting or lying down at the moment, looking listless.
Just as Fang Yue was sighing, a sudden burst of rapid horse hoofbeats broke the tranquility around him, and a group of cavalry quickly approached Xiahe County.
Fang Yue immediately hid vigilantly and observed the team secretly.
They wore the uniforms of the imperial army, with bright armor and high morale, which obviously formed a sharp contrast with the rebel soldiers on the city wall.
This is the elite cavalry under King Wucheng. They are galloping all the way to Xiahe County.
The dust kicked up by the horse's hooves flies into the air with a rainbow-like momentum, which is intimidating.
The rebel soldiers on the city wall suddenly panicked when they saw this.
Everyone hurriedly formed an array at the urging of their respective superiors. Their array looked disorganized and had no combat effectiveness at all.
"Hmph, Li Zhongqi, look at what your soldiers look like!"
Among this group of elite cavalry, a middle-aged general wearing a gorgeous armor walked out. He was obviously a senior member of the rebels. Commander, he glanced coldly at the taxis on the city wall Soldiers, with a tone full of dissatisfaction and contempt, "Once the imperial army attacks the city, can an array like yours withstand it?"
Li Zhongqi, the rebel general responsible for the defense of this section of the city wall, at this moment His face was pale and sweat was dripping from his forehead.
He knew very well that his soldiers were in poor condition and could not compete with the elite soldiers of the imperial court. However, he did not dare to openly contradict his superior generals, so he could only bite the bullet and said: "Sir, please give me some time. I will definitely let them sort out the array.”
Hmph!
The visitor snorted coldly, then ignored him and immediately led his cavalry into the city.
The middle-aged general in gorgeous armor glanced at Li Zhongqi coldly and was not satisfied with his answer.
But he did not stay here longer because he had more pressing tasks to deal with.
So, he led his elite cavalry and quickly passed through the city gate and entered Xiahe County.
A quarter of an hour after these cavalry entered the city, the city gate recovered again.
Only then did ordinary people with sallow faces and skinny muscles begin to line up to enter the city again.
He mixed in with the people and entered Xiahe County in a low-key manner.
His dress is simple and unobtrusive, but his eyes reveal a hint of sharpness and alertness.
The scene inside the city is even more miserable than outside the city walls. The streets were littered with rubble and debris, houses were burned and shops were looted. The people looked haggard, their clothes were ragged, and their steps were staggering.
Their eyes were dull, as if they had lost hope in life.
Fang Yue took a deep breath and tried his best to suppress the sadness and anger in his heart.
He knew that now was not the time to be emotional, he had to stay calm and sober in order to complete his mission.
He followed the people's team forward and secretly observed the surrounding situation.
Although the scene in the city is still miserable, some shops on both sides of the street have begun to reopen, and some people have also built temporary residences on the ruins and begun to rebuild their homes.
After arriving in the inner city, the situation became much better.
Although it still looks depressed, the buildings here are basically intact and there are a lot more pedestrians.
Fang Yue found an inn that looked relatively clean and stayed in a low-key place.
He knew that he could not stay here for long and must find the mission target as soon as possible and then leave.
In the inn, he tried to keep a low profile and not communicate with many people, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble.
But he was not idle either, taking advantage of every opportunity to inquire about information.
He asked the inn owner and waiters some questions about the situation in the city, such as whether any suspicious characters had appeared recently or whether there was any special news.
Although he did not get any useful information, Fang Yue did not lose heart. He knew that seeking information required patience and care, and he could not rush for results.
Fang Yue stayed in Xiahe County for several days. In addition to the necessary inquiries every day, he spent more time observing the changes in the city.
On this day, Fang Yue was wandering on the street as usual. Suddenly, he caught a familiar figure in the corner of his eye.
It was a man wearing a black cloak. Although he could not see his face clearly, Fang Yue felt a familiar aura from that man.
His heart moved and he immediately followed.
The man didn't seem to notice Fang Yue following him. After walking through several streets, he came to a remote courtyard.
Fang Yue saw from a distance that the man walked in after talking to the people in the courtyard for a few words.
Fang Yue was more doubtful. He knew that this courtyard was not an ordinary residence.
He had heard before when he was inquiring about information that this was the location of a secret rebel stronghold.
Could it be that the man in the black cloak was an important figure in the rebels?
But why does this person know Si Tianjian’s special contact secret?
He thought secretly in his heart and decided to sneak into the courtyard to find out.
He went around to the back of the courtyard, found a more private place, and used Qinggong to climb over the wall.
Fang Yue landed quietly in the courtyard. He quickly looked around and found that this was indeed a secret stronghold of the rebels.
The courtyard is dotted with sentries and soldiers patrol vigilantly, obviously taking good safety precautions.
Fang Yue carefully avoided the patrolling soldiers while searching the courtyard for the man wearing a black cloak with keen eyes.
He had a strong intuition in his heart that this person must be closely related to the task he wanted to complete. (End of this chapter)