Chapter 00125: He Didn’t Want to Be That Kind of Person
# He Didn’t Want to Be That Kind of Person
Chapter 125
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 125: He Didn’t Want to Be That Kind of Person
Many in the group had never drawn a bad lot, but He Lingchuan knew that tonight, they were doomed to die.
Should they also know when to retreat in the face of danger?
He Lingchuan let out a long breath and called out to Zeng Feixiong as he passed by again, “You focus on leading the way. I’ll cover the rear.”
Zeng Feixiong, drenched in sweat, was stunned. “Young Master? Are you sure?” They had survived the desert together, but covering the rear was a specialized task.
Shouldn’t it be left to someone more experienced? Of course, in the heat of the moment, he couldn’t think of anyone else who could take on such a responsibility.
“Don’t worry,” He Lingchuan said.
He knew he could still hide in the middle of the group, pretending to be a noble while others did the hard work.
But then he remembered the fleeing civilians in the Panlong Dream and the guilty look in Liu Sanjiu’s eyes as he ran for his life.
Who didn’t have family? Who didn’t understand the stakes? Who didn’t have to think about the future?
Liu Sanjiu wasn’t wrong, but He Lingchuan no longer wanted to be that kind of person.
So he smiled at Zeng Feixiong and said, “I have experience!”
He was a capable fighter, and it would be a waste not to use his skills.
But Zeng Feixiong wasn’t entirely convinced, especially since the young master claimed to have “experience.” Where did that come from? He had never been on a battlefield.
Did he gain it in his dreams?
At that moment, He Chunhua’s voice came from the front, “It’s fine. Let him do it!”
He had been keeping an eye on the situation.
With the leader’s approval, Zeng Feixiong immediately assigned two men to He Lingchuan: Zhao Qinghe, sent by He Chunhua, and Mao Tao.
“Protect the young master!” Zeng Feixiong whispered, giving them meaningful looks, implying that they could act independently and didn’t have to follow the young master’s orders.
Both men nodded vigorously.
Mao Tao was still worried. “Young Master, are you really staying behind? But those two bad lots…” He had been there when the lots were drawn.
“They’re meaningless,” He Lingchuan cut him off and turned to Zeng Feixiong. “Protect my family!”
“It’s my duty!” Zeng Feixiong hurried back to the front and soon disappeared from sight.
The group consisted of over four hundred guards and more than two hundred villagers, totaling nearly seven hundred people, all rushing along the mountain path.
Suddenly, a heart-wrenching scream echoed from above.
He Lingchuan looked down and saw an unlucky man who had missed his step and fallen.
The sight of blood made everyone more cautious, and the pushing and shoving stopped.
The scream also woke Zhu Shi, who had been unconscious in the carriage.
She opened her eyes, stunned for a moment, then covered her face and burst into tears.
Madam Ying patted her back. “Cry, cry. It’s alright!” Zhu Shi’s child had been thrown off at this very spot.
“Misfortune never comes alone. Though you’ve lost your child, if we escape, you’ll soon be reunited with your loved ones. That’s a great comfort.”
After much comforting, Zhu Shi’s sobs gradually subsided into quiet sniffles.
Her eyes were swollen like walnuts, but her gaze was firm. “Your family has given me a second life. When we return to the capital, the Zhu family will repay you generously!”
“Saving a life is a virtue. Don’t talk about repayment; it’s too vulgar,” Madam Ying said, pouring her a cup of water.
She wasn’t being polite.
In her view, Zhu Xiyan, the Minister of the Imperial Stables, was still in office, doing a good job and trusted by the emperor.
But this grandmother and granddaughter hadn’t seen each other in seven years, and their bond had weakened.
Most importantly, Zhu Xiyan had more than one granddaughter.
So whether the Zhu family would repay them generously or just a little, Madam Ying didn’t hold much hope.
Of course, all this depended on them successfully escaping the rebel pursuit.
Madam Ying sighed and looked out the carriage window.
The carriages were hugging the inner side of the road, while the outer half was crowded with people.
A few feet beyond was a cliff, extremely dangerous.
She had heard every word of the conversation between her eldest son and Zeng Feixiong and felt a pang of emotion.
That rascal seemed to have grown up a little.
The mountain path was rugged, and everyone carried torches for light.
This made it easy for the two groups of bandits in the village to spot the dense cluster of torches on the western path, indicating where the crowd was gathering.
He Lingchuan and his two deputies drew their swords, leading thirty men and a dozen horses to cover the rear.
The thirty or so soldiers looked uneasy.
Some regretted not building better relationships with their superiors, as they were now being sent to the front lines as cannon fodder.
Who would want to stay behind and cover the rear, except for a fool like He Lingchuan who volunteered? Staying with the main group offered a chance to survive, but staying behind likely meant staying forever.
He Lingchuan would have liked to bring more men, but the narrow mountain path made it difficult to maneuver with a large group.
Of course, this single-path terrain was unfriendly to those fleeing, but it also hindered the pursuers.
The scattered bandits chasing them were either driven back or cut down.
At first, it wasn’t too difficult, but as the chaos in the village spread, more bandits rushed toward the western path.
After all, Lu Yao’s men were outnumbered five to one, making the task too challenging.
After more than twenty bandits were killed, Lu Yao’s forces quickly collapsed, with at least half instinctively fleeing west.
With so many people on this path, as long as they outpaced most, they would be safe.
In contrast, the east was where Wu Shaoyi’s forces were charging from, and the village entrance was a battlefield.
Anyone heading there risked being shot by stray arrows.
Thus, the pressure on He Lingchuan and his men increased dramatically.
At this point, the soldiers and villagers hadn’t fully retreated to the western path.
Too many people, too many carts, and the path was too narrow!
If bandits mixed into the crowd, it would spell disaster.
He Lingchuan made a quick decision, pointing to six or seven large carts that hadn’t moved yet. “We can’t take these. Abandon them and unhitch the oxen and horses!”
Qian Ma, standing nearby, was shocked. “Young Master, these belong to Madam!”
He Lingchuan breathed a sigh of relief. “Good!”
Qian Ma: “…”
“Just take the most valuable jewelry. It should fit in a small box,” He Lingchuan said quickly. “Leave the rest here. I have a use for it!” What’s the point of guarding possessions when lives are at stake?
Qian Ma had no choice but to find the jewelry box and leave, heading to the front to report to Madam Ying.
Madam Ying frowned as she listened, then asked, “Is the young master injured?”
“Ah…” Qian Ma thought carefully. “No, the young master looked quite imposing.”
Madam Ying leaned out the window and glanced back, her feelings mixed.
Meanwhile, Madam Ying’s luggage cart had been unhitched and left blocking the mountain path.
Of course, He Lingchuan left a gap for his men to pass through.
The soldiers were eager to close the gap, urging the villagers, “Hurry up, don’t dawdle!”
A panting villager ran over, wearing a thick leather hat.
Without looking up, he ducked his head and squeezed through the gap in the cart line.
(End of Chapter)