Aoyama

Chapter 471 Never Again
As dawn approached, a thin mist rose from the mountains.

A carriage adorned with double banners and scepters burst forth from the thin mist, the crimson bamboo joints reflecting the moonlight, and the thick yak tails swaying back and forth.

The driver seemed to be asleep, his head nodding slightly.

The rustling sounds coming from both sides of the mountain road were the sounds of grass being trampled, a bit like a bear, and a bit like a wolf.

Gradually, the rustling sounds became more frequent and intense. Dark figures moved side by side with the vehicle on both sides of the forest, leaping and bounding through the woods.

But the forest was dark, and it was impossible to see what was following the carriage.

Until a teeth-grinding creaking sound rang out, the sound of the horn bow being strained under the weight of the ox-tendon bowstring.

next moment.

A clear, melodious bird song pierced the thin mist in the mountains and forests, and all the dark figures simultaneously released their bowstrings.

Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Countless times the bowstring rang out, vibrating in the moonlight and sending out a cloud of silvery-white dust.

The iron-tipped arrow flew from the bow and headed straight for the carriage at the foot of the mountain.

The first arrow pierced the neck of the sleeping driver and landed diagonally on the side of the vehicle.

The second arrow struck the hub of the carriage, shattering the wooden wheel into pieces. The entire carriage veered to the side, leaving only one wheel wobbling as it moved.

The third arrow struck the horse in the neck, and with a neigh, the horse tilted and the entire carriage collapsed.

Then came dozens of arrows.

With a sharp whooshing sound, the iron-tipped arrow shot out from the gaps in the trees, instantly shattering the carriage into dust until its original outline was no longer discernible.

Amidst the swirling dust, the mountains and forests fell silent once more.

The assassins on the mountain held their breath, secretly peering at the carriage through the gaps in the trees.

Two more birdsongs rang out, and then a dozen or so people rushed out of the woods and stood quietly beside the carriage, blocking all the routes.

The assassins, clad in black leather armor and their faces concealed in the shadows of their voyeuristic gazes, were all hunters from Baidadan City.

One of the centurions, wearing a long pheasant tail, cautiously approached and picked up the corpse lying on the ground.

When he saw the corpse clearly, he whispered, "Jiang Xiansheng?"

He threw Jiang Xiansheng on the ground like a tattered sack, drew his waist knife, and with a flash of bright light, slashed at the already collapsed vehicle, sending planks flying.

But there wasn't a soul in sight beneath the ruins of the carriage.

The centurion said coldly, "We lost them."

He looked back at the mountain path they had come from: "They took the mountain path, so they had to abandon the carriage. Two of them were ordinary people, and there were only three suitable mountain paths for them to take: Baimiaotan, Xiaoertai, and Laozhanggou Forest."

One of the hunters said, "It's not Baimiao Beach. I saw it when I came here. The poplar catkins on the ground were flat, and it didn't look like anyone had walked on it."

Another officer added, "It's not Xiao Ertai either. There's a fast-flowing river to the south of Xiao Ertai, and they can't cross it with Princess Liyang."

Only the old Zhanggou forest remains.

The centurion gave a low shout: "Chase!"

The thirty-six hunters once again disappeared into the thin mist of the mountain forest, heading straight towards Laozhanggou Forest.

……

……

Laozhanggou Forest.

Zhang Xia walked along the rugged mountain road, his steps uneven: "From Baidadan City to Chongli Pass, the official road is 240 li. However, although it is called an official road, neither the Jing Dynasty nor the current dynasty has properly maintained it. It is rugged and difficult to travel. If it is a horse-drawn carriage, it can only travel 30 li at most before the wheels break down. When officials and nobles travel far, their servants must know how to fix wheels... I do know how to fix them, but in this desolate wilderness, there is not even a suitable tool."

Princess Liyang, panting from the journey, still couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Even Miss Zhang Er knows this, impressive! I heard of Lord Zhang Zhuo's reputation when I was in the capital. He's said to have a photographic memory and is one of the most promising candidates for the cabinet in recent years. I never expected to meet Miss Zhang Er here, nor did I expect her to be such a remarkable woman."

Xiaoman opened her mouth, turned to look at the little monk, and said helplessly, "These are usually my lines!"

The young monk said sincerely, "Your praise isn't as good as hers."

Xiaoman gathered all her strength and pinched the little monk's waist.

The little monk gritted his teeth and gasped for breath.

Zhang Xia led the way, clearing away branches as he continued, “When we came, we led a mule caravan, covering a maximum of fifteen li a day. But on the way back, if we march faster, covering seventy li a day, we can reach Chongli Pass in three or four days… But the hardest part is these three or four days; Your Highness and the little monk will have to endure some hardship.”

Princess Liyang removed her Jinghong bun headdress and let her hair fall loose.

She neatly tied her hair with a hairpin and said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, survival depends on your skills, and survival depends on fate. It would be too foolish to complain about hardship and fatigue on the way to save your own life."

Xiaoman glanced at her: "Aren't you thinking about running away anymore?"

Princess Liyang smiled and said, "Why run away? I am now an envoy sent to the Southern Dynasty alone. If I can travel all the way to the Southern Dynasty, carry out my mission without losing my imperial credentials, and bring Yuancheng back to the Jing Dynasty alive, I will have the same merit as Lu Jin assassinating the Minister of Revenue. From then on, who can do anything to me? Who will dare to force me to marry into a political alliance?"

Zhang Xia turned to look at Princess Liyang and asked curiously, "I've heard that you are the most beloved princess of the Jing Dynasty emperor. Why were you sent here for a political marriage?"

Under the moonlight, Princess Liyang's expression gradually turned cold: "In the affairs of the imperial family, who is the most favored? My mother is the younger sister of Yuan Zhen, the Grand Commander of the Tian Ce Army and the Military Governor of Longyou Road. In the early years, everyone knew that my father relied on Yuan Zhen, and I was rumored to be the most favored princess. But three years ago, they forced me to marry Lu Jin, so I kept several male concubines to tarnish my reputation and became a laughing stock of the imperial family."

Princess Liyang looked up at Zhang Xia: "Now that my uncle Yuan Zhen has just passed away, my mother has immediately been neglected, and I am about to be exiled to Ning Dynasty for a political marriage. My uncle served my father for decades, and he has only been gone for half a year, yet he has already been forgotten... So, what use is the emperor's favor?"

Chen Ji was taken aback. He had no idea that Princess Liyang was Yuan Zhen's niece. No wonder Princess Liyang was so powerful in the capital, and no wonder the elite troops of Longyou were willing to risk their lives to save her. They must all be former subordinates of Yuan Zhen.

Chen Ji said calmly, "Does Your Highness wish to avenge your uncle?"

Princess Liyang smiled and said, "Lord Chen, hatred doesn't make people stronger; it only keeps them in the past. I can't do that. I have to move forward and look ahead, otherwise what will happen to my brother? My mother often talks to me about avenging my uncle, but what happens after the revenge? She hasn't thought about it."

Xiaoman muttered, "But he's your uncle, you're related by blood."

Princess Liyang shook her head: "Born into an imperial family, I have never believed in blood ties since I was a child."

Xiaoman asked in confusion, "Then what do you believe in?"

Princess Liyang smiled under the moonlight and said, "The strong will prevail, the weak will perish."

Just then, the neighing of warhorses came from afar.

Chen Ji suddenly turned his head to look in the direction of the voice: "The Capture General has caught up."

……

……

Zhang Xia led the way, seemingly having memorized the map beforehand. Despite never having been here before, he could name all the places and even knew which battles had taken place here.

The group of four trekked through mountains and rivers, climbing over hillsides and wading through shallow rivers.

After walking for more than ten miles, Princess Liyang's embroidered shoes were worn out, and her feet were bleeding profusely, yet she didn't utter a single complaint. This ambitious woman seemed to be able to separate her will from her body.

After they crossed a small river, Chen Ji looked back and heard the sound of birds flapping their wings from the other side of the river. Someone was catching up with them.

Zhang Xia whispered, "Judging from the sound, it's still two miles away."

After a moment of silence, Chen Ji called everyone back into the river: "The river will erase our tracks. Let's go downstream for a while and then come ashore to see if we can shake them off."

The four waded downstream for a while before getting back ashore. But after walking only five miles, they heard the sound of birds flapping their wings behind them again.

“They’re catching up again,” Zhang Xia said to Chen Ji. “The hunters are all skilled at tracking and hunting. If this drags on, we might get surrounded and killed.”

After a moment's thought, Chen Ji instructed Xiao Man, "You go first. Use the Taotie to carry the little monk, and you and Zhang Xia take turns carrying Princess Li Yang. I'll be there soon."

He looked at Zhang Xia and said, "You don't need to wait for me. Go directly to Liutiaogou. There will be someone there to meet you."

As Chen Ji was speaking, he suddenly noticed that Zhang Xia was staring at him with a half-smile.

He asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Xia asked with a smile, "Trying to cover the rear alone again?"

Chen Ji said seriously, "You should know in your heart that it is most convenient for me to draw away the pursuers by myself, and this is the most correct choice."

Zhang Xia whispered, "The best choice..."

She looked up and gazed into Chen Ji's eyes: "Back in Longwangtun, we were in the ironworks. When you went out alone to find medicine and food, I thought it was the right choice, so I waited for you to come back without any qualms. At the Longmen Inn, I also thought staying on the roof was the right choice, so I waited for you to fight with others in the inn with the others without any qualms. After all, we couldn't help much, and going down would only cause trouble, so it was better to harden our hearts and not care about anything."

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief: "Don't worry about that, I'll lure the hunters away and then head over there..."

But Zhang Xia changed the subject: "But I didn't feel that way later. I didn't want to hide in the iron smelting workshop, nor did I want to hide on the roof of the Dragon Gate Inn... That's why I had to become a Xing Guan. Now you are a Xiantian, and I am also a Xiantian, so there's no need to hide anymore."

Chen Ji interrupted, "But you've never actually fought anyone. There are plenty of officials in this world who, despite their high level of skill, don't know how to fight..."

Zhang Xia interrupted him, saying firmly, "I can learn, I learn very quickly."

Chen Ji remained silent.

Zhang Xia turned to Xiaoman and said, "Let's go."

Xiaoman pulled a pair of silver scissors from her sleeve, squatted down, and cut off her own shadow. The shadow twisted and struggled, transforming into a gluttonous beast with the body of a sheep and the face of a human.

Xiaoman glared at the little monk: "What are you still standing there for? I've been telling you to chant scriptures all day long, but you still don't understand them! Is the method your master taught you wrong? How come you haven't made any progress at all?"

The young monk clumsily climbed onto the Taotie: "This humble monk will definitely chant scriptures diligently when I return this time..."

Xiaoman glanced at Princess Liyang, bent down reluctantly, and said, "Come on up."

Princess Liyang didn't stand on ceremony and immediately climbed onto Xiaoman's back: "Yes, Lady Xiaoman."

Xiaoman muttered, "This is the first time someone has called me 'sir.' Princess Jingchao really knows how to handle things."

As dawn broke, Zhang Xia stopped looking and turned to walk in another direction.

After walking a few dozen steps, she raised her hand and flicked the sword energy from her fingertips into the tree canopy.

The sword energy severed a branch as thick as an arm, startling birds into circling in the air.

Chen Ji followed behind her and asked, "What are you doing?"

Zhang Xia said without turning his head, "I learned to use flocks of birds to lure away the pursuers. Also, don't always think about taking on everything by yourself anymore. I won't hide away as comfortably as Longwangtun did."

Never again.

(End of this chapter)