The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Faced with the sudden attack of the woodcutter's knife, the Jin soldier instinctively raised his hand and used his curved sword to parry.

By the time he had chopped the wood with his axe, Wang Zhenhuan was less than two zhang away from the riverbank.

The moment Wang Zhenhuan threw his wood-chopping knife, he did a forward roll and disappeared into the reeds in front of him. The dry reeds, like sharp daggers, slashed his bare upper body, leaving cuts.

The intense pain from the wound on his back hitting the ground caused him to stagger, almost unable to stand. He then heard the sound of metal clashing behind him.

He knew his plan was halfway to success; as long as the golden man was distracted by the woodcutter's knife, it would buy him time to escape. Now, Wang Zhenhuan had only one thought in his mind.

Lin Qingyan is still waiting for him!! He can't die here!!

A powerful will to survive seemed to revive Wang Zhenhuan, giving him a sudden burst of energy. Like a frog, he leaped from a half-crouching position towards the riverbank!

He was incredibly clever to come up with this plan in such a short time. But as the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. Although he had considered everything as thoroughly as possible.

But to his surprise, the golden man's face turned ferocious the moment he saw him leap out of the reeds. He forcefully thrust his scimitar into the ground, the sharp blade piercing straight through the earth.

Immediately afterward, the golden man reached behind him and pulled out a short bow slung across his back. For nomadic peoples, horses and bows were indispensable. Although he was merely a scout, he hardly ever needed a bow and arrows.

However, they were still equipped with a short bow of about two feet. For the Jurchens, this bow and arrows were more useful for hunting than for fighting. It had a range of only about ten feet.

This range is practically useless on the battlefield. But in this situation, it's more than enough. He skillfully drew his bow and aimed at Wang Huanzhen, who was leaping through the air a few feet away.

An arrow is fired!

Wang Zhenhuan watched the river draw ever closer, yet his heart remained calm. He had done everything he could think of; the rest was up to fate.

Although he has been in this world for almost a month, he still cannot accept that he, a man about to turn thirty, has suddenly become a little orphan in the Song Dynasty.

This sudden transformation from an adult to a child gave him a strong sense of unreality. It was as if the whole world was a dream. But this dream showed no sign of ending…

whoosh-

With a loud whooshing sound, Wang Huanzhen was struck hard on the right shoulder mid-air. The arrow pierced his body with a whooshing sound, pulling his right shoulder forward and causing him to lose his balance. He went from standing to lying down and fell into the river.

puff-

The calm river surface was shattered, and the splashing water sent the reeds on the bank swaying wildly. The golden man looked at the river, stained red with the blood that kept floating up, spat lightly, and turned to leave.

After being shot by the arrow, Wang Zhenhuan did not immediately lose consciousness, but his severe injury and significant blood loss rendered him unable to move. His leap from the reeds had exhausted his last bit of strength.

At this moment, he could only close his eyes and let himself fall heavily into the river. The intense exhaustion made him feel dizzy and lightheaded, and the water in his ears blocked out all sound.

Suddenly, the whole world fell silent. He closed his eyes and let himself fall. The pain from his wounds ceased.

Instead, the last bit of life force in his body was constantly draining away through the wound. Perhaps if this continued, the dream would end, and he would return to the past; he was truly exhausted.

But has he forgotten something? What exactly has he forgotten?

Wang Zhenhuan, underwater, suddenly frowned, seemingly deep in thought. The icy river water jolted him awake!

Lin Qingyan!! Lin Qingyan is still waiting for him in the forest; he can't die here!!

In that instant, he suddenly remembered that bright yellow figure. His previous calm demeanor vanished, and he began to struggle violently underwater. A sharp feeling of suffocation jolted him back to reality!

Wang Huanzhen opened his eyes and vigorously swung his arms towards the river. Within a few breaths, he saw the surface. He surged forward, bursting through the water, gasping for breath.

The cool, early autumn air, carrying a faint smell of blood, instantly invigorated him. He looked around and swam towards a gap in the shore. Because of the arrow wound in his right shoulder, every swing of his right arm brought excruciating pain.

The river water was icy cold, and he had lost a lot of blood. After swimming a few strokes, he felt like he was about to faint, his mind went blank, but he didn't stop.

He knew that in his current state, if he couldn't get ashore quickly, he might never have another chance. So he lowered his head and pressed on relentlessly forward.

Fortunately, the current wasn't strong, and after a few breaths, he successfully reached the water plants on the bank. Grabbing onto the plants, he struggled to climb onto the bank and rolled over with difficulty. Looking at the already dark sky, he gasped for breath.

This relentless pursuit gave him a suffocating sense of urgency. Let alone the fact that he was just a teenager, even for a normal adult, surviving against well-trained Jurchen scouts wouldn't be an easy task.

But he survived!! It feels so good to be alive!

Wang Zhen took a deep breath, enjoying the cool early autumn breeze. The feeling of surviving a disaster made him unusually sensitive. He reached out his left hand and lowered his head to touch his right shoulder.

Between his shoulder and collarbone, a four- or five-inch-long feathered arrow was stuck. He held the shaft with his left hand, shook it gently a few times, and discovered something that surprised him.

This arrow has no arrowhead!

Although the arrow shaft caused a sharp pain, it didn't feel like a metal arrowhead, firmly embedded in the flesh. Despite its deep penetration, it was surprisingly a blunt arrow.

Blunt arrowheads are generally used for hunting to prevent damage to the prey's fur. These arrows have strong penetrating power and can even pass through the body of small prey such as rabbits.

Upon discovering this, Wang Zhen broke off a reed and bit it in his mouth. Then, gripping the arrow shaft with his left hand, he took a deep breath and suddenly pulled the arrow out!

Blood trickled down the arrow shaft and flowed from his body. He hurriedly pressed the remaining reed fluff onto the wound. After doing all this, he lay on the ground, drenched in sweat, panting heavily.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar!