Chapter 374: Chapter 374. Capturing Strong Men
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Run! The Hu is attacking again.”
The commoners ran and shouted in horror. Women screamed, and children cried. The stall owners did not even bother to close their stalls. They wished they could have another leg.
The Hu people had attacked Jin City more than once. Once they entered the city, they would harm the people and scare them out of their wits.
The army ignored the people and rode through the streets. A child was about to die under the horses’ hooves, so Ji Shuisheng flew over and carried the child away. The officer on horseback disliked him for blocking the way and whipped him.
Ji Shuisheng carried the child and leapt a few times to dodge the whip. The officer looked at him gloomily. Ultimately, the military situation was urgent, and he did not care about Ji Shuisheng.
“Catch strong men to carry rolling wood and thunder stones.”
An officer rode his horse and ran towards the army. From a distance, he ordered the army to capture non-disabled men. The streets became even more chaotic. The men were afraid of being caught. Those who could climb over the walls climbed over the walls, those who could climb the roofs climbed the roofs, and the army captured those who were slow. Their wives and children cried and chased after them.
Ji Shuisheng carried the child and jumped onto the roof to avoid the soldiers trying to catch non-disabled men everywhere. The people were the most unlucky in the war. The people’s lives were plunged into misery, and their flesh and blood were separated. Ji Shuisheng witnessed the Wan Family Army’s brutality and the people’s suffering. He was even more determined to establish a new imperial court so the people could live and work peacefully and contentedly.
After the soldiers left, Ji Shuisheng jumped down from the roof. The soldiers captured the child’s father as an able-bodied man, and the child’s mother sat on the ground crying.
Ji Shuisheng returned the child to the poor woman. The woman hugged the child tightly and knelt before Ji Shuisheng as if clutching a life-saving straw.
“Thank you for saving her life, benefactor. Please save my man.”
“Sister-in-law, the soldiers only capture them to strengthen the city’s defence. There won’t be any danger. You’d better hurry up and remove the child from this dangerous place.”
Ji Shuisheng could not agree. He was no longer the boorish man who had just come out of Peach Blossom Cove. To fight an army of thousands of people with his hot blood?
Even if he could, how could he guarantee he would safely bring the woman’s husband back?
The woman’s eyes were despairing as she hugged the child and cried. Ji Shuisheng could not bear to watch. He was even more worried about Su Qing and Xiaoying outside the city. He had to leave Jin City as soon as possible to reunite with Su Qing.
There was no way out of the city gate. The city walls were also filled with patrolling soldiers. All the ways out had been blocked.
Su Qing and Xiaoying hid in the forest and waited for Ji Shuisheng. She had seen thousands of Hu people yelling to attack Jin City with her own eyes. The city gates were closed, and the city bridge was pulled up. She was very anxious. How was Shuisheng going to get out of the city?
“Sister Su Qing, will my brother be in danger?”
This was the first time Xiaoying had seen the Hu people, and she was so scared. They had feathers on their heads, and their faces were painted red and green. They were shouting and barking like wild beasts, leaping forward and charging at the city walls as if they were not afraid of death.
“Your brother will be fine.”
Su Qing stared at the battle outside the forest. Although Hu attacking the city looked fierce, Su Qing wasn’t worried. She was worried that the Wan Clan soldiers in the city would discover Shuisheng.
The Wan family Army was well-trained and remained calm in the face of the fierce Hu. They lined up on the walls and shot arrows down like rain. The front row immediately retreated after shooting, while the back row continued to attack, not giving Hu any chance to approach the walls.
Su Qing frowned when she saw the strength of the Wan Family Army. They would be a formidable opponent.
Observing the Wan Family Army’s combat methods was also a good opportunity. Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy would ensure victory.
Su Qing was observing the combat methods of the Wan Army outside the city. Ji Shuisheng had the same thoughts. To watch the Wan Army’s strategy of defending the city at a close distance, Ji Shuisheng deliberately let them catch him and transport the rolling wood and thunder stones to the city wall with the commoners.
The battle lasted from afternoon to night. The Hu had suffered heavy casualties, and their ferocity was aroused. They fired arrows at the city walls, using the dense fire arrows as cover. The Hu attacking the city slammed the city gates with rolling logs.
The Wan Family Army in the city also wanted to end the battle quickly. Other than a few people who stayed on the city walls to continue shooting arrows, the rest of the army rode their horses and waited at the city gate. Once the city gate opened, they would leave the city and kill the Hu. A great battle was imminent.
Ji Shuisheng followed the commoners to transport rolling wood to the city wall. Seeing that the city gate was about to open, he quietly went down the city wall and hid in the dark, waiting for the opportunity to leave.
The safest way to retreat was to change into the Wan Family Army uniform, ride a horse and follow behind the troops. Once the city gates opened, they would follow the army out.
After Ji Shuisheng decided, he had to find an opportunity to kill the Wan Family Army and change into his uniform.
“Hurry up, hurry up.”
A soldier of the Wan Family Army whipped the captured able-bodied men, urging them to move the rolling logs quickly.
Ji Shuisheng moved to his side. When the soldier raised his whip and was about to whip him, he rushed in front of him and broke his neck, killing him silently.
The man who was whipped trembled in fear and fell to the ground.
“Why aren’t you running?”
Ji Shuisheng ordered him in a low voice. The able-bodied man got up and ran as if he had been pardoned.
Ji Shuisheng dragged the corpse of the soldier to the city walls. It was at this time that the city gates were breached. The Wan army rushed out of the city and fought with the Hu. The battle was extremely intense.
Ji Shuisheng quickly changed into a soldier’s clothes and took his weapon. He led a warhorse tied to the city gate and followed the Wan family army out of the city gate.
When Ji Shuisheng saw the Hu people, he killed them. When these beasts entered the city, they burned, killed, robbed, and did nasty things. He killed a few more to prevent the people from suffering.
He had planned his retreat. As he killed, he approached the forest. The ferocious Wan Clan Army quickly routed the Hu army. Ji Shuisheng rode into the forest and left Jin City without anyone noticing.
“Xiaoying, go to the carriage.”
Su Qing heard the sound of horse hooves coming from the forest and asked Xiaoying to hide in the carriage. She drew her Luan saber and looked coldly at where the hooves came from. Judging from the sound, it was just a horse, so she was not worried.
“Su Qing, it’s me.”
Before Ji Shuisheng arrived, he spoke to Su Qing in a low voice. When Su Qing heard Ji Shuisheng’s voice, she quickly put away the Luan saber.
Ji Shuisheng rode his horse to the front of the carriage. He jumped off the horse and threw the reins to the side. He jumped into the carriage and asked Su Qing to get on quickly.
“We have to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible.”
“Why are you wearing the uniform of the Wan Family Army?”
Su Qing asked when she saw Ji Shuisheng’s Wan Family Army uniform.
“It’s convenient to sneak out of the city.”
Ji Shuisheng gave a simple explanation and pulled the carriage out. His military uniform was covered in Hu’s blood, and the smell of blood a.s.sailed his nostrils when the wind blew.
Su Qing did not enter the carriage but sat next to Ji Shuisheng in the front. She held the Luan saber in her hand. The Hu and Wan Clan armies were all outside the forest, which would be dangerous if either side discovered them.
As Su Qing had expected, they ran into the Wan Clan Army, pursuing the Hu as soon as the carriage left the forest. When they saw Ji Shuisheng, they immediately surrounded the carriage..