Yang Ning and Xiao Guang were squatting behind the platform. When they heard that someone had entered the ancestral hall, their first reaction was that their enemies had caught up with them, but they didn't know if they were those flying cicada secret ninjas.
Yang Ning took out the ice blade from his arms and held it in his hand. Xiao Guang took a look and saw the cold light of the ice blade. He could tell at a glance that this ice blade was a good thing that could only be found. He was a little surprised. He didn't expect it. Yang Ning looked like a beggar, but he had such a good weapon in his hand. Hearing that someone had entered the room, he touched a stone in his hand.
There were only chaotic footsteps, but there seemed to be a lot of people. A voice said respectfully: "Sir, this place seems to have been abandoned for many years, and there is no trace of people. It seems that no one will be chasing you."
The old voice from before said: "This is still the interface of Nanchu. If you can't cross the Huai River, you have to be careful. They will not give up easily, and they must be cautious in everything." He ordered: "Send two people out to guard. , but you can’t be caught up without being prepared.”
Immediately after hearing the division, two people went out.
"Sir, have a drink of water." Yang Ning and Yang Ning heard another voice behind the table: "We have been going around in circles to get rid of them, but there is not much dry food left."
"Everyone, hold on tighter." The old voice said: "Going all the way north, in three to five days at most, we should be able to reach Huai River. We should have diverted many of them away by setting up confusing formations along the way. Then he said: "Yes, let him out first and give him some water, but don't die here."
Yang Ning and Xiao Guang were both a little confused, but they didn't dare to look at it at this moment to avoid being discovered by the other party.
Soon, a rustling sound was heard, and someone said, "Sir, this kid has fainted."
"Tan Tan, are you still alive?" The old voice said urgently: "We can't just die like this, otherwise everything we have done will be in vain."
"Don't worry, sir, I'm still alive." Someone said, "I just kept it in a bag along the way. I may have fainted from suffocation. I'm not in danger of life."
The old voice said "hmm" and then said: "If you bring this back alive, it will be worth a thousand taels of gold, but if you die, it will be worthless."
"Sir, is this kid really that valuable?" One person asked a little doubtfully: "It seems like he is just a fool. Is a fool worth this effort?"
"Fool?" The old voice snorted coldly, "Even if you are a fool, it depends on his background. If he is an ordinary person, no matter how smart he is, he will be of no use to us, but this fool is more valuable than gold. If you are If you knew his origin, you wouldn't say that."
Yang Ning was even more surprised. Listening to the conversation between these people, it seemed that these guys had kidnapped a person and wanted to use this person in exchange for a huge reward. Moreover, the kidnapped person seemed to be a fool.
However, this group of people did not seem to be ordinary robbers and kidnappers. They called the person who made the old voice "sir" and kept saying that they wanted to cross the Huai River to the Northern Han Dynasty. It seemed that their identity was not simple.
He glanced at Xiao Guang and saw that Xiao Guang's eyebrows were furrowed and his expression was very cold.
"Sir, who is this kid?" Someone couldn't help but ask.
The old voice said solemnly: "Why, you have forgotten all the rules? Is this what you can ask?"
"I made a disgrace in my humble position, please forgive me!" the person who asked the question immediately said.
The old voice sighed and said: "It has been very hard for everyone in a foreign land these years. I know that you are homesick and miss your family. If you don't take the risk of doing this, I'm afraid there will be another one." We may not be able to return to our homeland in three to five years."
Everyone was silent for a while.
"Before taking action, I have told you that as long as this matter is successful, not only can we return to our hometown to be with our families, but the Marquis will never treat us badly." The old voice said softly: "Everyone present, do you want to be promoted? Jue, I can’t guarantee it, but glory, wealth and honor are absolutely indispensable.”
Yang Ning was very smart and obedient. He immediately thought, could these people be from the Northern Han Dynasty, but they have been hiding in Southern Chu
If this is the case, it is not a strange thing.
He knew that Chu and Han were in conflict between the north and the south. The two sides had just ended several years of war. In such an incompatible situation, it was only natural for each other to send spies to lurk in each other's territory.
These people should be the informants lurking in Nanchu, but they seemed to be tired of this kind of life away from home, so they thought of a way to return to Northern Han.
And their method seems to be to kidnap a fool.
"Sir, we have been with you all these years, and you have taken good care of us." Someone said gratefully: "Since we have agreed to do this, no matter whether we succeed or fail, we will stay with you."
Someone sighed: "It doesn't matter if I get promoted to a higher position. If I can really be with my family, I will be satisfied. I used to think that I would never go back in this life and never see my parents, wife and children at home."
The old voice laughed and said: "Don't think too much, everyone. In a few days, as long as we take this kid across the Huai River, we will have made a great achievement and we will meet in wealth and honor in the future." He also ordered: "In a few days, We have all worked hard on our journey, sharpening our knives and chopping firewood, so let’s take a good rest here first, and then we can continue our journey after dark.”
"yes!"
"Sir, there is some hay here, which is just right for laying on the ground to rest." Someone said: "Brothers, there is enough hay here, let's make a place for you first." As he said this, someone came over to the haystack.
Yang Ning clenched the knife tightly, and suddenly felt a tightening on her wrist. She turned around and looked over, but Xiao Guang had unknowingly grabbed her wrist. Seeing that his expression was quite nervous, Yang Ning smiled softly at Xiao Guang, But I couldn't laugh in my heart.
He originally thought that the group of flying cicada secret ninjas were following him. When he found out that they were not that group, he felt a little more relaxed. However, after hearing what he said, he knew that these guys were not good people either.
Since they were Northern Han spies lurking in Southern Chu, they were naturally not ordinary people, otherwise they would not be qualified to be sent to Southern Chu.
Now the kidnapped people want to leave Nanchu, but they have come to this remote place. Naturally, they have to cover their tracks along the way, fearing that they will be discovered.
In this case, once they find out that there are others in this ancestral hall, they will naturally kill and silence them in order to hide their whereabouts.
Yang Ning felt as if his luck was really at an extreme, as if he had a killing star. Everyone he met, whether intentionally or unintentionally, seemed to want to take his life.
At this moment, I suddenly heard a "Hey" sound, and someone said: "Sir, there is... a problem here!"
When Yang Ning heard the sound coming from the side, her heart trembled, knowing that it was probably this group of people who moved the hay and revealed the bonfire they had covered up.
Guo heard a "choking" sound, and as soon as the man said there was a problem, someone pulled the sword out of its sheath.
"This should be the bonfire that was lit last night." The man said: "It should have been extinguished two or three hours ago... Someone lived in this ancestral hall before." He added: "Sir, they should have left at dawn, maybe. It was windy and rainy last night, so I stayed here to avoid the wind and rain for the night.”
The old voice said solemnly: "This place is so remote. Who would spend the night here?" He said coldly: "You said they left at dawn, but I don't think so."
"My lord, what do you mean?"
"Search this ancestral hall for me inside and out." The old voice said sternly: "Whoever it is, kill it immediately!"
Yang Ning tightened his hand, and Xiao Guang also changed his color slightly. He heard the sound of footsteps. At this moment, he suddenly heard a frightened voice coming from outside the ancestral hall: "My lord, my lord, it's not good, someone... someone is catching up... !”
The people who had been preparing to search the ancestral hall rushed forward to meet him, and the old voice said in a deep voice: "Don't panic, everyone, Da Meng, put that kid away..."
Yang Ning knew that something had happened, and thought to himself that the pursuers had arrived in time. If it had been so late at night, he and Xiao Guang would have been discovered.
The footsteps sounded a little chaotic, and the old voice said: "Don't be afraid, everyone, the hostages are still in our hands, they don't dare to do whatever they want." He also ordered: "Don't act rashly without my order."
Yang Ning couldn't help but look over and saw a crowd of people gathered in front of the door. There were as many as seven or eight people. At this time, they all had weapons in hand, but the one standing at the back was a tall man. , half taller than the others, like a giant in an iron tower. At this time, he was holding a bulging hemp bag. Yang Ning knew that the hostage they captured must be inside.
Suddenly a scream was heard, and everyone gathered in front of the door screamed, dispersed, and hid behind the wall.
"These thieves will do whatever they say." Someone yelled, "Sir, what should we do?"
Yang Ning saw a man lying on the ground in front of the door, struggling. His companion who was hiding on the side was pulling the injured man over. He only saw an arrow standing on the man's chest. He was hit by an arrow first. .
The old voice also said angrily: "We were secretive along the way and laid out so many confusing formations. How did they catch up so quickly?"
Yang Ning saw that the person speaking was wearing a gray robe and a cloth hat. He was slightly chubby. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary rich man.
As soon as the fat man finished speaking, he heard the sound of "swish, swish, swish", and arrows shot in from the outside as densely as locusts. Another person heard "ouch", and he was obviously shot by random arrows. .
Yang Ning saw the many arrows and knew that there were many opponents chasing after him. He thought that these guys were really causing big trouble. He was involved in it for no reason, and he didn't know if he could still walk out of this ancestral hall.
"People outside, listen...!" The fat man in gray robe shouted at the top of his lungs: "The man you want is in our hands. Stop shooting arrows immediately, otherwise we will kill him immediately and everyone will die together."