Chapter 00126: He Seemed Like a Different Person
# He Seemed Like a Different Person
Chapter 126
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 126: He Seemed Like a Different Person
Zhao Qinghe’s sharp eyes and quick hands caught the man before he could escape. “Trying to run?” he asked.
The man was drenched in sweat. “Officer, I’m in a hurry!”
“You’re the one who told your accomplice to throw the child down the mountain, aren’t you?” Zhao Qinghe’s gaze was piercing.
The man waved his hands frantically. “No, no, it wasn’t me!”
He Lingchuan tilted his head slightly, and by the light of the fire, he could clearly see the man’s face.
Realizing he couldn’t talk his way out, the man suddenly pulled a dagger from his waist and thrust it toward Zhao Qinghe’s ribs.
The move was lightning-fast.
Just as Zhao Qinghe was about to block, a cold glint flashed before his eyes, and then—
The bandit was sent flying sideways, tumbling off the cliff.
A long, agonized scream echoed through the air.
Zhao Qinghe froze for a moment, then touched his chest before turning to He Lingchuan. “Thank you, Young Master!”
The light armor on his ribs had been pierced, a testament to the force of the attack.
If He Lingchuan hadn’t acted swiftly and kicked the man off the path, Zhao Qinghe would have been seriously injured.
“No need for thanks. Let’s move!” He Lingchuan ordered, as he herded the last old man up the mountain.
He instructed the group to position the carriages to block the gap, then had them load the heavy boxes from Lady Ying’s belongings to secure the barricade.
The boxes were filled with miscellaneous items—things Lady Ying had held onto for over a decade since her marriage.
Before closing the lid, He Lingchuan spotted a peachwood mirror.
The wood was worn, and the silver inlay had lost its luster, but the mirror’s surface was polished to a shine.
Huh, this seemed to be one of Lady Ying’s dowry items from back in the day.
He Lingchuan casually picked it up and tucked it into his robe.
Mao Tao and the others understood his intentions and cooperated eagerly.
Despite the chaos of the bandit onslaught, the barricade was set up surprisingly quickly.
This path was even narrower than the riverbed He Lingchuan had defended in his dream.
Just two carriages placed side by side were enough to block it completely.
With his prior experience, He Lingchuan directed the operation with ease.
The carriages and their heavy contents became an effective barricade, each weighing no less than seven or eight hundred pounds.
Seeing that this method could delay the enemy and save their lives, the soldiers worked even harder.
He Lingchuan’s eyes gleamed with an idea. “Take the wheels off.”
The carriages here had wheel hubs that could be removed, allowing the wheels to be detached.
Everyone followed his instructions, and soon the carriages were firmly planted on the ground.
He Lingchuan then stacked a few more carriages on top and used thick ropes to bind them together, creating a tall, heavy barricade.
He tied the other end of the ropes to nearby trees, making it nearly impossible for the bandits to dismantle the obstacle.
Of course, the bandits didn’t just sit idly by.
However, the terrain was highly defensible, and despite several desperate attempts to break through, He Lingchuan and his men held their ground.
The soldiers were all injured to some degree, and one unfortunate man was even stabbed in the side by a spear while tying the carriages, his kidney pierced and blood gushing out.
As others worked to stop the bleeding, He Lingchuan quickly shoved a bit of stone powder into the man’s mouth. “Swallow it. It’ll help with the pain.”
The medicine Liu Baobao had given him before parting ways finally came in handy.
He Lingchuan then had a soldier help the injured man onto a horse to catch up with the main force, where a military doctor could tend to him.
“The enemy is just a disorganized mob!” He Lingchuan shouted. “Hold your ground! They won’t get through!”
By now, Wu Shaoyi’s bandit forces were closing in, chasing their opponents toward the barricade.
The bandits were frantic, clawing at the carriages but unable to get past.
A deadly tug-of-war ensued between the soldiers behind the barricade and the bandits in front.
The bandits tried to push the carriages aside, but He Lingchuan and his men refused to budge.
Through the gaps in the carriages, both sides could see the desperation in each other’s eyes.
“Hold the line!” He Lingchuan barked. “Don’t stick your heads out! Stay low!”
Zhao Qinghe and the others didn’t fully understand what “stay low” meant, but they certainly didn’t want to risk sticking their heads out.
The more agile bandits attempted to climb over the carriages, but with swords, spears, and axes waiting for them on the other side, the difficulty increased tenfold.
Two bandits were impaled by spears thrust through the carriages and fell screaming off the cliff.
Even those who managed to jump over were quickly dealt with by He Lingchuan and his men.
A few slashes of the blade, and it was over.
Anyone with half a brain realized this path was a dead end and quickly retreated to find another way.
The soldiers, having secured their first victory, cheered with renewed confidence.
Soon, Wu Shaoyi’s bandit forces arrived at the western mountain and began encircling Lu Yao’s men.
Though two rows of carriages separated them, the stray arrows from the bandit forces didn’t discriminate.
He Lingchuan’s forehead was grazed by an arrow, leaving a long bloody mark.
If the arrow had been half an inch to the side, it would have struck him right between the eyes.
Damn, that was close.
He didn’t want Shui Ling’s prophecy to come true tonight.
He Lingchuan grabbed a shield to protect himself, and the others followed suit.
Before long, the sounds of clashing weapons and screams from the other side of the barricade began to fade.
Wu Shaoyi’s forces were close to victory.
They also noticed the soldiers behind the barricade and had no intention of letting them go.
Originally, the enemies in Xianling Village were two groups: Lu Yao’s bandits and the soldiers.
The soldiers had slipped away without helping Lu Yao, but that didn’t mean Wu Shaoyi’s forces would show them any mercy.
Just then, a mournful whistle sounded from Xianling Village.
Hearing it, Wu Shaoyi’s bandits immediately disengaged and ran back toward the village.
Clearly, something was happening there that required their attention.
The front of the barricade quickly fell silent, with only a few bandits still poking their heads around.
Seven or eight bandit corpses lay on the ground.
Mao Tao and Zhao Qinghe were catching their breath, giving He Lingchuan a thumbs-up. “Young Master, your idea of turning trash into treasure was brilliant!”
The two had stayed behind to control the situation and protect He Lingchuan.
Their commander, Zeng Feixiong, hadn’t expected He Lingchuan to take the lead in this task.
Turning abandoned carriages into a barricade on such a narrow mountain path was a stroke of genius, perfectly suited to the terrain.
Zhao Qinghe had considered the idea earlier, but aside from the young master, who would dare to casually discard Lady Ying’s boxes and carriages?
Yet, for such a daunting rear-guard mission, the cost was only one serious injury and seven minor ones—something Zhao Qinghe had never dared to imagine.
“Do I really need your praise?” He Lingchuan shot them a sidelong glance. “Look at how out of breath you are. Your stamina is terrible!”
Back in the day, he had fought for two full hours on the riverbed, facing a far more perilous situation and enduring much longer.
But he also remembered that this was reality.
In dreams, you could die and come back to life, but in reality, you only had one life.
He couldn’t let the old turtle’s prophecy come true!
Mao Tao looked at him, feeling as though He Lingchuan had become a different person during the battle—fierce, calm, and commanding.
Though the two had faced danger together in the Panlong Illusion, back then, He Lingchuan had been more about seizing opportunities and avoiding direct confrontations.
He had never shown such responsibility and courage before.
Was this really the same spoiled young master he knew?
(End of Chapter)