Chapter 00131: The Protracted Battle in the Darkness
# The Protracted Battle in the Darkness
Chapter 131
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 131: The Protracted Battle in the Darkness
Of course, Lu Yao knew that He Lingchuan and the others were trying to slow down the pursuers.
He didn’t really think that a small stretch of icy road could stop the fierce bandits.
Once everyone had crossed the frozen path, Lu Yao waved his hand and shouted, “Chase them!”
But then, a timid bandit raised his hand and said, “General, the horses… the horses didn’t make it up!”
With only two legs, how could they catch up to those with four?
Lu Yao glared at him. “Then what are you waiting for? Bring them up!”
The bandits had no choice but to turn back and fetch the horses.
But here’s the problem:
Humans could climb up the icy holes, but horses couldn’t.
The ice was slippery, and only a few small holes provided any grip.
Horses weren’t humans, and they hadn’t been trained for this.
Their steps were far from nimble.
The horses’ long, thin legs slipped and slid on the ice.
Sometimes they found a hole to step on, and sometimes they didn’t—it was all up to luck.
The bandits grew anxious and whipped the horses harder.
Two of the horses couldn’t bear the pain and started kicking wildly.
But they missed their footing and slipped.
With a loud *whoosh*, they slid down, dragging the bandits behind them over the cliff.
The screams of men and the neighing of horses echoed as they fell to their deaths.
The remaining bandits were terrified and looked to Lu Yao for guidance.
If the horses couldn’t make it, how could they chase anyone? Lu Yao roared in frustration, then bellowed, “What are you all standing around for? Dig the ice! Dig a path for the horses!”
They needed to dig a path that the horses could walk on!
Fortunately, the village had shovels and hoes.
For breaking ice, these farming tools were far more effective than swords or axes.
By the time they had chiseled through the three layers of impossibly thick ice and the horses could finally clamber up, nearly an hour had passed since He Lingchuan and the others had fled!
It had taken almost as long as breaking through the three-layered carriage formation! Lu Yao was shaking with rage, and more than once, a thought crossed his mind:
Had that little dog He planned this all along?
Dying so easily was too good for him!
The bandits, panting and exhausted, threw down their tools.
Ignoring their aching limbs, they mounted their horses under Lu Yao’s urging and began the chase.
By now, the sun was almost directly overhead.
Some of the bandits’ stomachs growled.
They hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since dinner the previous night.
They were starving.
They regretted not grabbing a few flatbreads from the village.
But seeing the grim look on General Lu’s face, no one dared to speak up.
Just as they passed a small grove, Lu Yao suddenly shouted, “Who’s there?”
Before his voice faded, an axe flew through the air.
With a *crack*, a branch broke, and someone fell from the tree, breaking a leg.
Lu Yao walked over and sneered, “Aren’t you one of Old Pei’s scouts?”
The man whimpered, “General Lu, spare me!”
“Where’s Old Pei?”
The man stammered, too afraid to answer.
Lu Yao chopped off his head with a single stroke, then ordered his men to search the body.
They found nothing useful.
But just then, there was a rustling in the woods, and something flew over, hitting the dead man.
The bandits looked closely—it was a mechanical wooden bird.
Lu Yao, however, was familiar with this bird.
He opened its belly, pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper, and read it.
Then he sneered, “Old Pei wants him to keep an eye on my movements, huh?”
￥￥￥￥￥
*Splash!* Something stirred in the water, sending ripples everywhere.
Then, He Lingchuan heard someone coughing.
The coughing sounded like someone choking on water—urgent, gasping, and with a hoarse edge.
Over the past two months, He Lingchuan had been injured many times and had seen plenty of others get hurt.
Just by the sound, he could tell that this person had at least a lung injury.
Then, he caught the scent of blood.
And beneath that, there was a strange sound, like someone panting:
*Hah… hah…*
He Lingchuan held his breath, waiting to see what would happen.
The coughing suddenly stopped.
For a full forty or fifty breaths, there was silence.
He Lingchuan thought the person had left, but then the water splashed again.
Something hit the rocks with a loud *crack*, sounding like it had a lot of force behind it.
Soon, the coughing returned.
This time, it was even more violent, as if the person had just emerged from the water.
And then, with great difficulty, the person uttered two words:
“You beast!”
The voice sounded vaguely familiar.
He Lingchuan felt like he’d heard it recently.
Very recently.
Was it just a few days ago, or a few hours ago?
A flash of recognition hit him, and He Lingchuan whispered, “Wu Shaoyi?”
His voice wasn’t loud, and it should have been drowned out by the water.
But the person below heard him clearly and suddenly shouted, “Who’s there? Help me, quickly!”
When He Lingchuan called out the name, he already had some idea of who it was.
Hearing the plea for help, he guessed that the person posed no threat to him.
So he tore off a strip of cloth, lit it with a fire starter, and tossed it down.
The flame floated down, landing on the water, flickered twice, and then went out.
But in that brief moment of light, He Lingchuan caught a glimpse of what was below—
He didn’t see Wu Shaoyi himself, but he saw a suit of dark, scaly armor!
The armor was covered in three rows of sharp hooks, glistening from the water.
The flame seemed to have landed near the creature’s head, startling it.
It thrashed, sending water splashing everywhere.
He Lingchuan thought he saw a pair of glowing green eyes.
“Hiss—” He sucked in a breath.
It was indeed that massive creature—
The Crocodile King.
Earlier, Wu Shaoyi had been ambushed by the giant crocodile at the lake, and both had disappeared.
Everyone thought the Crocodile King had taken him somewhere to feast.
Who would have thought it had brought Wu Shaoyi here?
“General Wu?” He Lingchuan called out tentatively. “Where are you?”
His voice echoed, suggesting that the cave was a large, hollow space.
“In… in the crocodile’s mouth!” Wu Shaoyi replied immediately. “I’ve got my spear propping its jaws open. You… you come down and help…”
Before he could finish, his voice was cut off.
He Lingchuan guessed that the giant crocodile had dragged him back underwater.
This man below was the leader of the rebels.
Should he help him or not?
If he didn’t help, could he escape on his own?
He’d ask him next time.
Soon, “next time” arrived.
Wu Shaoyi surfaced again with the crocodile’s jaws.
He Lingchuan seized the moment to ask, “Where’s the exit? How do I get out?”
“You can’t get out. There are more… other crocodiles outside!” Wu Shaoyi choked on some water. “Help me, and I’ll find a way! Trust me!”
He Lingchuan was skeptical. “Do you even know who I am?”
“Anyone will do, even that dog Lu Yao!” Wu Shaoyi shouted. “This is the crocodile’s nest. There’s no other way out. If you don’t help me, we’ll both die here!”
He Lingchuan thought for a moment, then tossed down two more flaming strips of cloth, sacrificing a large piece of his sleeve.
The giant crocodile turned sideways into the water, and by the light of the flames, He Lingchuan finally saw Wu Shaoyi.
The man was indeed half-lying in the crocodile’s mouth, his spear firmly propping open the beast’s jaws.
He was gripping the spear tightly to avoid being thrown off by the violent shaking.
(End of Chapter)