Adams said that those who run into the forest at night are unlucky.
Xiao Chen was now a real unlucky guy. He was like a mouse, going wherever the terrain was complicated. His night vision ability was his only reliance at this time.
Arrogance always brings bitter fruit. Poor Adams never thought that he would die here. If they had been more careful at the time, perhaps everything would be different.
However, these regrets were just a flash of thought in Xiao Chen's mind. Now he had to use all his energy to deal with the rugged mountain road and dense branches. The two damn horse thieves recognized this piece of fat meat and dismounted to chase him into the forest.
There are pursuers behind and a difficult road ahead. And who knows if there are monsters spying in the forest
The mercenaries he brought with him were either dead or fled, and now only a young mercenary was still with him. This kid with freckles on his face, holding a mace, laboriously stepped forward in Xiao Chen's footsteps.
"Mathis, are the horse thieves catching up?" Xiao Chen asked as he hurried forward.
"It seems we have shaken them off." The little man looked back. Nothing could be seen in the dark forest. There was only the cry of night owls and the increasingly faint sound of chopping in the distance. "But they are definitely still following us. If I were to chase them, I would chase them. You look like a big fish. If we catch you, they will be safe. We can even exchange you for a ransom."
"Let's keep going and can't stop. Mathis, you should throw away the thing in your hand." Xiao Chen said unhappily when he saw how hard he was struggling.
"But this is valuable. Fatty promised that the hammer would belong to me if he died. This time he was split in half, and he can't die any more."
"Forget it. Let's go." Xiao Chen was too weak to argue with him.
"Well... But sir, they all say that you are a powerful magician. If that's the case, why did you run away? Shouldn't a magician be able to just point at anyone and that person will die?"
"Have you ever seen a magician?"
"No."
"Then shut up." Xiao Chen climbed up a small slope and could see a camp on another hillside in the distance, which was more than two kilometers away from here.
"I think we should go to the camp now. We won't be afraid if we meet up with the leaders." Mathis muttered softly.
Xiao Chen looked at the fire in the camp, and felt very upset when he thought about how he would face the others after returning. However, the forest was too dangerous in the dark, and he was lucky to escape here safely. He walked down the small slope and walked north without saying a word, preparing to bypass the way he came and walk towards the camp.
The two walked for a while, and Mathis asked, "Sir, can we take a break? No one should be catching up with us."
He kept an eye on the mace with both shoulders, but he was exhausted.
Xiao Chen was also tired. He had been running in the mountains for nearly an hour. Even though he was physically strong and powerful, he had reached his limit. He waved his hand, signaling to rest on the spot, and walked to the roots of a big tree and sat down.
Matisse sat on a stone, holding the mace in his hand, turning it over and over, looking as if he was looking at some treasure.
While resting, Xiao Chen recalled the previous scenes. The more he thought about it, the more angry he became. Suddenly, he saw Mathis's appearance and asked in confusion: "Mathis, your comrades in the mercenary group died or escaped. Aren't you sad at all?"
"My lord, this is the fate of mercenaries. There is nothing wrong with dying where you are supposed to die. They died because the time given to them by God has come to an end. We are not dead because God still needs us. To die is to fall into the arms of God, which is not a bad thing."
"Aren't you afraid of death? If you're really not afraid, then why are you running away?"
Mathis shuddered, as if he remembered the dangers he had encountered before. He whispered, "But I still have a sister. If I go to the Kingdom of God, I won't be able to support her. Besides, the priests also said that survival is the law of nature. Seeking death will be punished by God."
Xiao Chen didn't say anything. He suddenly felt that it was a happy thing for these people to believe that they would have a final resting place after death.
"Sir Adams and Fatty should be in God's 'Natural Garden' now, and they don't have to suffer from hunger and cold." Mathis tightened his collar and said, "Sir, they said that many magicians don't believe in God..."
Suddenly, Mathis stopped talking and looked at his chest in disbelief. A sharp sword was sticking out from his heart, and he showed an extremely painful expression. The knife stabbed again, and his face quickly turned gray, and his eyes lost their luster.
"Don't be envious, you can also enjoy the bliss in the Kingdom of God." A figure stood up from behind Mathis and pushed the lifeless little man to the ground. It was Ruth who blocked Adams' sword. Then, another big man came out of the woods. It was naturally the Blue Wolf Mais.
When they first appeared, Xiao Chen felt his feet go cold and his heart beat wildly, as if he was in a nightmare. But when he was surrounded by two horse thieves holding knives, he slowly calmed down: "I didn't expect you could catch up."
"Humph, I'm called Blue Wolf because I have a good nose." Mais walked up to Xiao Chen, pointed the knife at him and said, "Your stench can't be hidden from me no matter how far you go."
"Old Wolf, what should we do? Kill him? Damn the wizard, he destroyed our team." Bald Russ waved his scimitar, hoping to see Xiao Chen trembling and kneeling down to beg for mercy. But he was disappointed. Xiao Chen was still sitting by the tree, looking at them calmly.
"Tie him up and don't give him the chance to perform magic." said Mais.
Ruth took out a rope that he had prepared long ago from his waist, twisted Xiao Chen's hands behind his back, tied him up tightly, and then dragged another rope and held him in his hand.
"Let's go. Honorable Master Mage, you have to stay with us for a while." Mais said with a grim smile.
———————————
In the camp, all resistance had been broken, most of the bandits were killed, a small number escaped, and some were taken prisoner.
However, victory did not bring any joy to everyone. Chen Hansheng, Li Tianrui and Kalanda all stood with solemn expressions at the place where Adams was killed.
"Adams." Kalanda held his head with red eyes and placed it carefully next to his body.
Chen Hansheng didn't know how to comfort her, so he sighed and advised: "I heard that he died bravely. The enemy attacked him in a despicable way."
Kalanda shook his head and said, "There is no such thing as meanness on the battlefield. Adams paid the price for underestimating the enemy. However, now is not the time to mourn him. We must find Master Xiao as soon as possible. Several mercenaries who ran back said that Mais chased Master Xiao all the way..."
At this time, the giant Gameiro came over, carrying a woman like a chicken. Catalina, whose abdomen was bandaged, followed him. When she saw Adams on the ground, she burst into tears and fell on him sobbing. Gameiro also looked at him sadly, then threw the woman in front of Chen Hansheng and Karanda. The woman fell face down on the ground and groaned.
Kalanda squatted down and turned the woman over.
Although her face was covered in dirt and blood, Chen Hansheng still thought that this was a very beautiful woman. What surprised him even more was that this woman had a pair of long and pointed ears, just like the shooter Cole of the Blue Flame Mercenary Group. The woman was wearing a tight black dress and had a graceful figure, but this beauty was destroyed by the two bullet holes on her shoulder and thigh.
"You are Falcon Eyes Monica, right? You are a half-elf, no wonder you are so good at archery." Kalanda pinched her cheeks and twisted her face. "You know what I want to ask. Tell me, how did you arrange your retreat route? Where did Mais and Russ go?"
Monica tried her best to turn her head away, but Karanda's hand was like an iron clamp, forcing her to look at herself.
"Retreat route?" Chen Hansheng and Li Tianrui looked at each other, somewhat puzzled.
Kalanda explained: "Mais escaped safely this time, and Monica stayed behind to cover their retreat. They probably agreed on a meeting place in advance. These cunning guys always leave a way out before doing anything. If Lord Xiao was kidnapped, he must be there."
"That makes sense." Chen Hansheng agreed with Kalanda. "This is much better than sending people to look for it aimlessly."
He also squatted down beside Monica and said, "You'd better tell the truth, or you will suffer."
"Hmph, you are the guy who hurt me." Monica recognized Chen Hansheng at a glance.
"Yes. You know I don't show mercy to women."
"I never thought about going back alive after being caught by you." Monica sneered, "Kill me now if you dare."
Chen Hansheng advised again, "If you tell me, I can make the decision and spare your life."
Monica simply closed her eyes and didn't say another word.
"It's strange. How come this female horse thief is acting like a revolutionary martyr and acting steadfast and unyielding?" Li Tianrui asked Chen Hansheng in Chinese.
"Why she wants to be a martyr is none of our business." Chen Hansheng said to Kalanda, "Torture her. We don't have time to waste on her."
Kalanda pulled a dagger from his leg and stabbed it into the bullet hole in Monica's shoulder without hesitation.
Monica's face turned pale with pain, and she held her lips tightly to refuse to scream. Kalanda pressed the dagger down and turned it. Monica was about to jump up from the ground in pain, but Chen Hansheng stepped on her stomach.
"Mais...Mais..., I won't...betray him. Give up...." Monica's lips were bleeding from biting herself. She spat out a mouthful of blood and then uttered with difficulty.
"Brother Chen, this is not good. We also have regulations that prohibit the abuse of prisoners." Li Tianrui whispered, "Besides, she is still a woman..."
"You kids have never been to the battlefield, so you know nothing. There is no distinction between men and women on the battlefield, only friends and enemies. If you think like that, you will be captured by women sooner or later. Listen carefully, a hundred Monikas cannot compare to one Xiao Chen. Do you understand?"
Li Tianrui responded, frowning and saying, "Then I'll go look around first to see if there are any other clues."
Kalanda then slightly activated his fighting spirit, and white light began to condense on the dagger. Tiny rays of light burst out from the dagger and cut into Monica's wounds in all directions. She finally couldn't hold on any longer and uttered a few muffled groans.
But even in the face of such pain, she said word by word: "I... love... Max..."
At this time, Catalina, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, rushed over, pulled out the dagger from her waist, slashed Monica's face twice, and cut off half of her long ear with another knife, "I love Bastian, I love Edo, I love Adams, they are my brothers, but, but they all died in your hands! Let me see if you are still qualified to love others with this shattered face!"
"Ah~~" Monica really screamed heartbreakingly this time.