Chapter 27: Looking for Water (1)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Su Qing ignored his suspicious gaze and pa.s.sed the clothes to him with a cold face. As long as Ji Shui Sheng did not implicate Xiao Ying, she was too lazy to care or explain anything else.
Ji Shui Sheng put on his wet clothes and immediately felt much cooler. His furrowed brows relaxed when he smelled the soap.
“Everyone, hurry up and leave. The bandits won’t be able to catch up once we leave Guo City,” Ji Shui Sheng shouted at the team behind him.
His deep voice seemed to have a penetrating power. The birds in the mountain were so shocked that they flew up and circled in the air to look at the team that was like a long dragon on the ground.
The journey took the entire morning. No one complained that they were tired even though they were in a hurry. The children were put on the carriages, which greatly sped up the journey.
At noon, the sun shone down like fire. The lips of the villagers of Peach Blossom Cove were so dry that they were bleeding, and there was not much water left in the bamboo tubes. If they could not find a water source, they would have no water.
Ji Shui Sheng swallowed a mouthful of saliva to moisten his dry throat, then turned around and said to Qiu Yongkang, “Yongkang, I’ll go ahead and see if there’s a water source. Keep an eye on them and don’t let them fall behind.”
Compared to Li Daniu and Jiang Laoqi, Ji Shui Sheng was more a.s.sured by the calm and steady Qiu Yongkang.
“Alright, you can go!”
Qiu Yongkang wiped the sweat off his face. After three days of escape, he was no longer as handsome as he used to be. His face was tanned and sweat was dripping down his face, and even his hair was a mess.
“Yes.”
Ji Shui Sheng nodded and walked forward with vigorous strides. They had not walked out of this mountain range yet, and the mountain peaks were endless. If they wanted to find a water source, they would have to find a place with dense shade. Only with sufficient water could the trees grow luxuriantly.
In addition, he could also find water sources according to the animal footprints. In the jungle, the animals were the masters. They knew best where there was water and food.
Ji Shui Sheng grew up in the mountains and was very good at identifying animal footprints. He followed the animal footprints all the way to find a water source.
Not long after Ji Shui Sheng left, there was the sound of hurried horse hooves from behind. The people of Peach Blossom Cove were all shocked. Could it be that the bandits had caught up?
The men hurriedly went to the car to find knives. They could only fight the bandits with weapons.
However, what shocked them was that all the weapons they had seized from the bandits were gone. Not a single one was left. It was as if they had disappeared into thin air.
“Take a fork, a hoe, and a shovel,” Su Qing ordered loudly and began to observe the situation around her. She instructed Li Daniu and Jiang Laoqi to go to a higher place.
“Li Daniu, seventh brother Jiang, you guys go to the mountains on both sides and throw rocks down. Everyone, don’t panic and move forward quickly. Clear this path.”
Everyone subconsciously obeyed Su Qing’s orders. She arranged everything in an orderly manner and was calm, which made everyone feel less afraid. They were just as at ease as when Ji shuisheng was around.
As soon as Su Qing finished making the arrangements, the group of horses caught up. This was a well-trained army, and they were all dressed in the uniform of the Imperial court. They were holding bows, crossbows, and spears as they slashed at blades.
“Stop, don’t go. Stop, or I’ll kill you without mercy.”
These people’s faces were filled with killing intent. The knives and long spears in their hands were aimed at the villagers of Peach Blossom Cove as they loudly gave orders.
When had the common people of Peach Blossom Cove ever seen such a formation? The officers and soldiers surrounding them were all fierce, their eyes full of killing intent. They held bright knives in their hands, as if they were going to cut off their necks at any time.
“Sir, what’s going on?”
With the help of Qiu Yongkang, Old Master Qiu went over to negotiate with the leading officer. Qiu Yongkang quickly took out the travel pa.s.s and the household register and handed them to the leading officer.
“Sir, you see, we are all good people. It’s just that our families suffered from a disaster and we can’t survive, so we came out to escape.”
The officer looked at the travel pa.s.s and household register, then looked at Qiu Yongkang with a sharp gaze.
“Is everyone here? Where did you guys spend the night last night? Did anyone enter the city?”
“They’re all here. We spent the night at the mountain G.o.d temple on the mountain North of Guo City. No one left,” Qiu Yongkang replied confidently, his tone calm and unhurried.
Su Qing looked at him deeply. This person could achieve great things in the future and was very calm. It was no wonder that Ji Shui Sheng trusted him.
The leader of the soldiers was wearing the uniform of the Chief of the Army. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle’s, and it was as if he could see through anyone. He stared at Qiu Yongkang for a long time, and Qiu Yongkang lowered his head respectfully. The others were all trembling in fear. It was obvious that he was an honest villager.
He waved his hand at the soldier and said, “Search,”
These soldiers didn’t care about the commoners’ things. They were very rough when they rummaged through their belongings. They threw the items on the ground and trampled on them. The villagers of Peach Blossom Cove were angry, but they didn’t dare to say anything. As long as they kept their lives, they could earn money to buy more things if they lost them.
The people did not fight with the rich, and the rich did not fight with the officials, especially officials with sabers.
After a round of searching, they couldn’t find any weapons. Looking at the hoes, forks, and shovels, the leader asked Qiu Yongkang,
“What are you doing with these things?”
“My Lord, some bandits on the escape road have brought these with them for self-defense. When we reach a new place, we still need to farm and live, so we will need these farming tools for wasteland reclamation,” Qiu Yongkang quickly cupped his fists and replied. He had a scholarly air about him and spoke in an orderly manner, which made him look like a respectful person.
The people of peach blossom Cove were trembling in fear. The children were crying and the women were holding their children, everyone looking nervously at the soldiers.
“Did you find anyone suspicious?”
The officer pulled on the reins and circled around Qiu Yongkang. Normally, people would be scared to death by this, so Qiu Yongkang pretended to be scared.
“Sir, we encountered a group of bandits on our way to Guo City. They killed everyone they saw and robbed everything they saw. Are they suspicious?” the man asked.
The leading officer’s eyes turned cold when he heard the word ‘bandit.’
He asked, “Bandits?”
“Yes, he killed quite a number of people. He’s very fierce,” Qiu Yongkang nodded.
Su Qing had been watching them. These soldiers were not bailiffs from the county, nor were they ordinary Garrison troops. They looked more like well-trained guards.
Thinking back to what the guard had said when they were about to enter Guocheng, that an Imperial envoy had come to Guocheng, these people must be the armed guards from the Imperial City.
They had come out to capture people. Had something happened to the Imperial envoy?
Just as Su Qing was studying these people, the officer in the lead pulled the reins and turned his horse around.
He ordered his soldiers, “Let’s go.”
These people whistled away. When they came and went, a gust of wind blew, dust sent flying by the horses’ hooves.
Old Master Qiu asked his son in a trembling voice, “What happened?”
“I don’t know, but it must be something big.”
Qiu Yongkang shook his head and waited until he could no longer see the officials. He then urged, “Hurry up and leave this place of trouble.”
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