Tang Dynasty: A Guide to Avoiding Pitfalls for Li Er at the Start

Chapter 353 Rescue, We're in so much trouble!

"Where are those two scholars from before?"

Wen He's voice was as cold as ice, and her gaze was fixed on Xiao Lizheng.

He had overheard the conversation between Xiao Lizheng and the middle-aged man outside the village head's courtyard.

That phrase, "Lock up the one surnamed Meng along with the other two."

This confirms that Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng were not killed, but were simply imprisoned in secret.

Then, considering that Xiao Lizheng had deliberately led them to that bamboo forest.

The answer is self-evident.

Those two missing scholars must be hiding deep in the bamboo forest.

Xiao Lizheng lay on the ground, his face ashen, his fingers digging into the soil.

He knew that once he revealed the location of his detention, he would have no leverage left.

But seeing the growing chill in Wen He's eyes, he really didn't dare to resist.

It was like a blunt knife hanging over his head.

"What? Do I have to ask again?"

Wen He took a step forward.

Seeing him dawdling, Wen He frowned suddenly, her tone revealing a hint of impatience: "Gao Ming, you go out and wait first. It's better for children not to watch what happens next."

As he spoke, he took half a step back.

Although Li Chengqian was curious about what would happen next, he knew that Wen He was doing it for his own good, so he nodded, turned around and walked out of the room quickly, closing the door behind him.

The door creaked softly.

As the door closed, the atmosphere inside froze completely. Xiao Lizheng finally couldn't hold on any longer and shouted in a trembling voice, "I'll talk! I'll talk! Those two... those two are in the cave on the west side of the bamboo forest! The entrance is hidden behind bushes and blocked by vines. You can't find it at all if you don't look carefully! They're still alive. People bring them coarse food every day, but... they just won't let them out!"

"How many guards are there? How skilled are they?"

Wen He pressed on relentlessly, without letting up in the slightest.

He knew very well that this group of people were most likely outlaws of the martial arts world, or even private soldiers raised by aristocratic families.

"There are six! They're all tough guys sent from above!"

Xiao Lizheng swallowed hard and quickly added.

"The leader is called Black Tiger. I heard he used to be a bandit leader with dozens of lives on his hands. The other five are also skilled fighters, each carrying a long knife. They usually guard the cave entrance, and even the village dogs will be chased away if they get too close!"

Wen He nodded slowly and turned to look at Zhang Wenxiao standing to the side. Zhang Wenxiao immediately understood, stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and said loudly, "Young master, rest assured! The hundred cavalrymen who came with you this time are all old men who have followed you through thick and thin, and each of them is equipped with an improved Divine Arm Crossbow."

"It can penetrate three layers of iron armor within fifty paces, and the arrowheads are coated with anesthetic. Even a strong man would be instantly incapacitated if hit by an arrow. It's more than enough to deal with these six ruthless bandits!"

As he said this, his right hand unconsciously rested on the crossbow at his waist.

The crossbow was specially modified by Wen He, shortening the cocking time and adding a sight, making it lighter and more accurate than ordinary crossbow bolts.

Although only ten people came this time, they were all dressed in light soft armor, and in addition to crossbows, they were also equipped with short swords and ropes. Dealing with six guards was a sure thing.

"it is good."

Wen He nodded, his tone as steady as a rock.

"You will lead the team yourself. Be quick and try not to disturb the villagers. If there is resistance, don't hold back. Just keep one person alive for questioning. Prioritize keeping the leader called Black Tiger, as he probably knows the most. Also, leave two people to guard Xiao Lizheng and the unconscious middle-aged man. Tie them up tightly with ropes and gag them to prevent them from doing anything."

"Yes! I take my orders!"

Zhang Wenxiao bowed in agreement, turned and strode quickly to the door, calling out in a low voice, "Where are the Hundred Riders?"

Immediately, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside, and eight men dressed in coarse cloth but with upright postures filed in.

Although they were dressed as farmers, their waists were bulging with crossbows and short knives, and their faces were expressionless, their eyes sharp as eagles.

Upon entering the house, he bowed to Zhang Wenxiao, waiting for orders. His every move exuded the agility of someone who had practiced martial arts for many years, a stark contrast to the simple and honest appearance of an ordinary farmer.

"Objective: Rescue the two trapped scholars from the cave on the west side of the bamboo forest west of the village."

Zhang Wenxiao walked to the table and, by the light of the oil lamp, quickly drew a simple map on a rough piece of paper.

The map shows the entrance to the bamboo forest, the approximate location of the cave, and the detour route.

"Now we'll split into two teams. Team A, consisting of four men, will advance with me from the front and be responsible for taking down the guards at the cave entrance."

“Team B, consisting of four men led by Ge Bing, went around the north side of the bamboo forest to block the back of the cave and prevent anyone from escaping.”

"Remember, cock the crossbows in advance, aim the arrows at vital organs, and shoot any resisters except Black Tiger! If any soldiers are injured, they will be dealt with according to military law!"

"understand!"

The eight riders responded in unison, their voices low but carrying a chilling killing intent, without the slightest hesitation.

Zhang Wenxiao gave the short sword and crossbow bolts at his waist one last check, then nodded to the group: "Let's go!"

The group walked out of the village head's house silently, like shadows blending into the night.

It was late at night, and the villagers were all fast asleep. Only a few houses had faint lights shining from their windows, which were soon turned off.

Occasionally, a few barks could be heard, but they were carried away by the rustling of the bamboo forest and the whole Chenjia Village was immersed in silence. Only the bamboo forest in the west of the village was like a lurking beast, waiting for its prey to walk into its trap.

As we entered the bamboo grove, the light dimmed instantly. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground. The wind rustled through the bamboo leaves, making a soft "whoosh" sound that perfectly masked our footsteps.

Zhang Wenxiao walked at the front, his steps as light as a cat's, each step landing on the soft soil or fallen leaves without making a sound.

The crossbow in his hand was already strung, the arrow tip pointing towards the ground, ready to be fired at any moment.

The four members of Team A followed closely behind, spreading out in a fan shape, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily, not even escaping the sight of passing night birds.

On the other side, Ge Bing from Team B also led his men, advancing rapidly along the path on the north side of the bamboo forest.

The road was narrow and rugged, overgrown with thorns, yet the hundred riders traversed it as if it were flat ground. With a flick of their short swords, they severed the vines blocking their path, their movements so swift they were almost invisible.

After walking for about the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, the bamboo grove ahead suddenly became sparse. Zhang Wenxiao raised his hand to signal everyone to stop, while he crouched down and quietly peeked half his body forward.

Not far away, a cave entrance, partially obscured by waist-high shrubs, could be vaguely seen.

Behind the large trees on either side of the cave entrance stood two men, each holding a long knife, who would occasionally peek out and look around warily.

Sitting on a large blue stone in the center of the cave entrance was a burly man with a face full of scars, shirtless, revealing his solid muscles, holding a whetstone in his hand.

He was sharpening a long knife with a "whoosh" sound. The blade gleamed coldly in the moonlight. It was the Black Tiger, the leader that Xiao Lizheng had mentioned.

Beside Black Tiger was a gourd of wine. He sharpened his knife a few times, then picked up the gourd and took a sip of wine, humming a vulgar tune as he did so, looking quite relaxed.

But his eyes kept glancing at the cave entrance and the surrounding bamboo forest, clearly showing that he was not really slacking off.

To have survived from being a bandit leader to this day, his vigilance far surpasses that of ordinary people.

"There are two behind the tree on the left, two behind the tree on the right, one on the bluestone, and one inside the cave entrance. They must be guarding the scholar."

Zhang Wenxiao lowered his voice and quickly reported the guard positions to the four members of Team A behind him.

"Zhao Tong, Wang Si, you two are in charge of the two on the left."

"Lin Shen and Sun Liu, take charge of the two on the right."

"I'll deal with the black tiger on the bluestone and leave it alive."

"The one inside the cave entrance, you two take care of him after we make our move, without alerting the scholars inside."

"Yes!" the four members of Team A replied in a low voice, each finding cover.

Some hid behind big trees, while others lay prone in the grass, slowly raising their crossbows, aiming the arrows at their respective targets, their fingers on the triggers, waiting for the order.

Just then, Black Tiger seemed to sense something. He abruptly stopped sharpening his knife, raised his head, and his sharp gaze swept towards the direction where Zhang Wenxiao was hiding. He shouted sternly, "Who's there? Come out! Stop hiding! Since you dared to come here, then come out and face your death!"

His voice was rough and loud, carrying far through the quiet bamboo forest.

Zhang Wenxiao knew that hiding any longer was pointless, so he simply stood up from behind the tree, gripping a short knife in his hand, and said coldly, "You villains, if you know what's good for you, surrender obediently and release the scholars in the cave. If you dare to resist, kill them without mercy!"

Upon hearing this, Black Tiger was taken aback at first, then burst into laughter, his laughter full of disdain: "Where did you come from, you worthless cowards? You dare to come and rescue people with just a few of you? I think you're tired of living, daring to meddle in my business!"

As he spoke, he suddenly stood up, pointed his long knife at Zhang Wenxiao, and shouted to the five guards beside him, "Brothers, get them! Kill these arrogant brats and let them know whose territory Chenjia Village is!"

The five guards immediately drew their swords and charged towards Zhang Wenxiao and the four members of Team A.

They had been following Black Tiger for years, robbing and pillaging. They were ruthless, wielding their long knives with a whistling sound, clearly intending to finish off Zhang Wenxiao and his men quickly.

"Shoot!" Zhang Wenxiao shouted in a low voice, but it carried an unquestionable command.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The four crossbow bolts whistled through the air almost simultaneously, accurately striking the four guards charging at the front.

The crossbow was extremely powerful; the arrowhead pierced their chests, drawing out a trail of bright red blood.

The four guards didn't even see where the arrows came from before they fell straight to the ground, their long knives clattering to the floor. Blood quickly stained the soil and fallen leaves, emitting a pungent stench. The last remaining guard, the one hiding inside the cave entrance, had originally intended to ambush Zhang Wenxiao from the side, but seeing his four companions fall instantly, he turned pale with fright, turned to run back into the cave, and tried to shout to warn Black Tiger.

"Trying to run?" Zhang Wenxiao's eyes turned cold. He pushed off with his feet and rushed forward like an arrow.

He moved with incredible speed, kicking up fallen leaves beneath his feet. With a flash of cold light, the short knife in his hand pierced straight for the guard's back.

The guard was also a desperate man. Sensing the wind behind him, he suddenly turned around and swung his long sword at Zhang Wenxiao's head. The blade was filled with deadly intent, clearly indicating that he was desperately trying to save himself.

Zhang Wenxiao remained calm and composed, suddenly shifting his body to the left to narrowly avoid the long sword.

The knife grazed his shoulder and cleaved a small tree in half, demonstrating its immense force.

At the same time, Zhang Wenxiao flipped his wrist, changing the direction of the short knife and slicing it along the guard's arm.

With a "splat," a deep, bone-revealing wound was slashed across the guard's arm, and blood gushed out instantly. The long sword clattered to the ground.

He tried to cry for help, but Zhang Wenxiao stepped forward, slammed his knee into his chest, and pinned him to the ground. A short knife was held to his neck, and he said coldly, "If you dare make another sound, I'll kill you right now!"

The guard was struggling to breathe, the cold touch of the blade against his neck terrified him, and he trembled all over. He dared not speak, and could only nod repeatedly, his eyes filled with fear.

Upon seeing this, the black tiger sitting on the bluestone panicked completely.

He originally thought that with his and his five men's skills, dealing with a few weaklings would be a piece of cake.

Unexpectedly, the enemy had such powerful crossbows. Before he could react, four of his five men were killed, and the remaining one was subdued.

He knew he had met his match; these people were not ordinary "court officials," but well-trained elites.

Black Tiger gritted his teeth, with only one thought in his mind.

run!
As long as you can get to the county town and find Magistrate Lu, you can save your life.

He turned around abruptly, ignoring the wine gourd on the ground, and tried to run into the depths of the bamboo forest, not expecting that the hundred riders of Team B had already circled around to the rear.

"call out!"

A crisp crossbow bolt pierced the air, striking Black Tiger precisely in the left knee.

"Ah!" Black Tiger let out a shrill scream and fell to his knees with a thud. Blood from his left leg instantly soaked through his pants. He trembled all over in pain, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead like beads from a broken string.

Zhao Tong from Team B emerged from the north side of the bamboo forest, his crossbow still aimed at Black Tiger. He said coldly, "Don't move! Move again and I'll shoot through your other leg!"

Black Tiger winced in pain, but dared not move again.

He knew that the other party meant what they said, and if he resisted again, it was hard to say whether he could even save his life, let alone escape.

He could only lie on the ground, panting heavily, his eyes filled with resentment and fear.

"You think you're rotten fish and shrimp? You've got quite the big mouth!"

Two riders stepped forward and began punching and kicking him.

Black Tiger had now turned into a sick cat.

"So you're called Black Tiger, huh? I think you're a cat, a sick cat!" Zhang Wenxiao didn't hold back and kicked him in the head.

Black Tiger was kicked so hard he was dizzy and disoriented. He spat out a mouthful of blood and then passed out.

Seeing this, Zhang Wenxiao let him go, walked to the cave entrance, and shouted inside, "Listen up, Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng! We are the Hundred Riders sent by Young Master Wen He, here to rescue you! Village Chief Xiao has been taken into custody, and the guards outside have been dealt with. You can come out now!"

The cave was completely silent, with only faint breathing sounds coming from inside.

After a moment, a weak and wary voice came: "You...you really came to save us?"

“Yes, your classmate Meng Zhou is with us too, so you can come out with peace of mind,” Zhang Wenxiao said.

The cave was quiet for a moment, then a rustling sound came from inside, and then two blurry figures groped their way to the cave entrance.

By the moonlight, one could see that they were wearing rumpled scholar's robes, covered in mud and dust, their faces as pale as paper, with dark circles under their eyes, clearly having suffered a lot of fright and torment in the past few days.

The scholar walking in front was Zhao Lei. He was still clutching a tattered book tightly in his hand, which was probably the only thing he had with him when he was imprisoned.

"It really is...it really is our savior!"

Zhao Lei could see the scene outside clearly.

Four corpses lay on the ground. Black Tiger was being held captive, and there were several men dressed in coarse cloth but exuding an imposing aura. Their voices trembled with excitement, and tears were about to fall.

Zhao Lei couldn't help but step forward and kick Black Tiger hard: "You damned villain!"

Wu Sheng's eyes also reddened. He stepped forward and bowed deeply to Zhang Wenxiao: "Thank you so much for saving us! If it weren't for you, we would probably...we would probably be wandering ghosts in this bamboo forest by now!"

"Gentlemen, there's no need for such formalities."

Zhang Wenxiao quickly helped them up, his tone softening somewhat.

"We shouldn't stay here any longer. Come with us back to the village head's house. Young Master Wen is still waiting for you."

As he spoke, he gestured to his men to tie the wounded Black Tiger and the survivor tightly with ropes and gag them to prevent them from shouting on the road.

After checking the cave entrance again to make sure there were no other ambushes or traps, he led everyone back.

Under the moonlight, the hundred riders escorted the prisoners and protected Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng, quickly passing through the bamboo forest.

The bloodstains on the ground were covered by the night and fallen leaves, with only the occasional painful groans of the black tiger audible.

Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng walked in the middle, their steps still a little unsteady, but they followed closely behind the Hundred Riders, their eyes filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

They never imagined they would survive and leave this eerie bamboo forest.

When they returned to the village head's house, Wen He was standing at the gate waiting for news.

He told Li Chengqian to go to rest early and sleep in the room that was originally there.

He and two other centurions were on guard duty there.

Seeing Zhang Wenxiao return with his men, protecting two scholars and escorting two prisoners, Wen He immediately stepped forward and asked, "Were the people rescued? How are they? Were they injured?"

"Reporting to young master, we have successfully rescued Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng!"

Zhang Wenxiao bowed and replied, his tone carrying a hint of seeking credit.

"The two young men were just a little frightened and tired, but they are physically fine, just a bit weak. Apart from Black Tiger and this survivor, the other five guards have been shot dead by crossbow bolts. The villagers were not disturbed, and no brothers were injured!"

Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng quickly walked up to Wen He and bowed deeply to him. Zhao Lei said in a choked voice, "Thank you so much, young master! We will never forget your great kindness and will repay you if we have the chance!"

"You two don't need to be so polite," Wen He quickly helped them up, saying with a smile.

"Come inside and rest. I'll have someone prepare some hot porridge and flatbread for you to tide you over. You must be tired from your journey. We can talk about everything else tomorrow." He turned and called into the house, "Aunt Zhang, could you please cook some hot porridge and bring a few steamed buns? We have guests who need them."

The village head's wife, Aunt Zhang, had been frightened by the commotion and was hiding in the house. Upon hearing Wen He's voice, she quickly replied, "Yes! Coming right away!" Soon, the sound of a fire being lit and porridge being cooked came from inside the house.

Wen He then looked at Zhang Wenxiao and instructed, "Lock Black Tiger and the other man alive in the woodshed, assign two people to guard them, and keep a close watch on them to prevent them from committing suicide or escaping."

"Yes!"

Zhang Wenxiao agreed, turned around and led two hundred riders, escorting Black Tiger and the other prisoners toward the woodshed.

Black Tiger was shot in the knee and could not walk. He could only be dragged on the ground by two riders, making "woo-woo" sounds, but no one paid any attention to him.

The Hundred Riders never showed the slightest sympathy for these ruthless bandits whose hands were stained with blood.

The oil lamp inside the room lit up, illuminating the faces of Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng, who had survived the ordeal.

Aunt Zhang quickly brought over hot porridge and steamed buns. The two had been starving for several days and were already ravenous. They took the bowls and wolfed down the food, but tears kept falling into the porridge.

This bowl of hot porridge was the warmest thing they had eaten in days.

Only then did they feel like they had come back to life.

"Well?"

A moment later, a soft sob was heard.

Meng Zhou, who had just been drugged, got up from the bed, clutching his head.

"Why did so-and-so fall asleep?"

Still unaware of what had happened, he looked toward the light.

The next moment, he was stunned.

"Zizhong, Ziyan, what are you doing here?"

Meng Zhou was taken aback when he saw Zhao Lei and Wu Sheng.

The two people who were wolfing down their food just moments before burst into tears upon seeing him and rushed over to hug him.

"Brother Wenyan, we two are suffering so much!"