Qingqiu Youyong couldn't run with shackles, so he could only be dragged back to the boat by his cousin.

Akamatsu Yue pushed the oars to open the boat and hurriedly hoisted the sails. "Xiahou Yu, you and I will row together. ”

The cousin nodded yes. This time the boat was moving faster than before, and the current, the direction of the wind, and the neat rowing all helped them. The shackled Qingqiu Youyong had nothing to do, so he tried his best to look upstream. The pointed end of the sail appeared in view, and when the Red Creek River looped, across a forest, it looked like it was moving north on the field, while they were moving south, but it was only an illusion. He put his hand on the canopy, "It's aqua blue." ”。

Akamatsutsuki's big mouth squirmed silently, like a ruminant cow, "Quick, sir." ”

The inn soon disappeared after the rear, and the pointed end of the sail was gone, but that didn't mean anything. Once the trackers cross the loop, the sails will reappear. "It seems that we can only hope that the noble Murong family will stop and bury the dead daughter. "Qingqiu Youyong couldn't imagine the prospect of being sent back to prison. If my younger brother Qingqiu is sick, there must be many good schemes, and my only thought is to fight them.

For most of the next half of the hour, they spent most of the day uneasily visiting their trackers, as they stalked between the constant bends and the small sandbar overgrown with trees. Just when he thought he might have escaped the pursuit, the sail in the distance finally appeared. Xiahou Yu stopped paddling, and the only thing he could do was pray to the heavens, "Buddha take them!" he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.

"Quick!" Akamatsu urged.

"The pursuer is a river ship. Qingqiu Youyong observed carefully and announced that the incoming ship became bigger and bigger with each oar. "Nine oars on each side – eighteen people. If there are soldiers on deck, it is even more troublesome. Its sails are also bigger than ours, and it's only a matter of time before it catches up. ”

Xiahou Yu froze. "Eighteen?"

"Yes, one person has to cook six. Actually, eight is not a problem for me, as long as it doesn't get in the way of these iron things. Qingqiu raised his wrist bravely. "Would the kind-hearted Miss Akamatsutsuki want to let me go?"

She ignored him and devoted all her energy to rowing.

"We set out early for half the night," said Ayoka, "and they didn't start until dawn." Even if you save your energy by retracting the oars halfway, you should be exhausted after paddling for such a long time, just watching our sails bring power, and it won't last long. We can take out a lot of people. ”

Xiahou Yu opened his mouth and stammered, "Can ...... But there were eighteen of them. ”

"No, I guess there were twenty or even twenty-five. ”

The cousin groaned, "We have no hope......"

"Did I say there was hope? I mean, the best outcome is to die on the battlefield with a sword in hand. "That's right, Qingqiu Youyong, who is the king butcher, has never been afraid of death.

Akamatsu Moon stops rowing. Sweat curled her flaxen hair into strands and pressed it on her forehead, making her even more ugly. "You're under my protection," she said, her thick voice full of rage, almost growling.

He laughed at her stubbornness. "Protect me, girl, or let me go and let myself defend myself. ”

The warship sped downstream, like a giant wooden dragonfly. Under the frantic blow of the wooden paddle, the surrounding water turned white. The scene of the incoming ship became clear, and the deck was crowded with people with the reflection of metal in their hands, and Qingqiu Youyong also found the traces of archers. He hated archers.

At the bow of the rampaging ship stood a stocky, balding man with thick gray eyebrows and strong arms. He wore an old white burqa over his armor, embroidered with a pale green weeping willow, but the cloak was tied with the Murong family's Blue Sea Fierce Shark heraldic buckle. Gan Xingba was the captain of the guards of Wanghai City, and he was known for his toughness when he was young, but his time had passed—he was the same age as Murong Bo, but he looked older than his master.

When the two boats were less than fifty yards apart, Qingqiu Youyong put his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Come to see me off, Lord Gan Xingba?"

"I'm here to send you back, King Slayer," Lord Gan Xingba yelled, "where's your hair?"

"I hope that I have more magic weapons and influence the enemy with the brilliant light on my head. Voila, this worked for you. ”

Gan Xingba was not amused. The distance between the dinghy and the large ship was reduced to forty yards. "Throw the paddle and weapon into the water, I won't hurt anyone. ”

Xiahou Yu writhed. "Cousin, tell him that it was Mrs. Murong Ke who let us go...... Exchange of prisoners, it is legal ......"

Qingqiu Youyong explained all the situation truthfully. "Murong Ke is not the ruler of Wanghai City," Gan Xingba yelled back. Four archers crowded next to him, two stood, two knelt and "threw the sword into the river." ”

"I don't have a sword," he replied, "and if I had, I'd stab you in the stomach and cut off the eggs of the four cowards." ”

He was met with a rain of arrows. One of them slammed into the mast, the other two pierced the sails, and the fourth was a foot away from the green hills.

Another big turn in the Hongxi River was just around the corner, and Chi Songyue turned the dinghy in the direction of the bend. When turning, the deck shook violently and the full sail crackled. A large sandbar stands in the middle of the river, with the main channel to the right, and only a narrow path between it and the cliffs on the north bank.

Akamatsu Moon took the helm and sailed to the left, and the canvas was rippling. Qingqiu has the courage to look into her eyes. Such beautiful eyes, he thought, full of composure. He knows how to read a man's eyes and how to spot the fear in them. And she was full of determination, not the slightest despair.

There were only thirty yards left, and the big ship also entered the corner. "Xiahou Yu, helm," Niu'er ordered, "King Slayer, oars, help us hold up the rocks." ”

"Willing to serve the young lady. "Although the wooden oar is not as good as an iron sword, it can smash the enemy's face and block the attack.

Xiahou Yu stuffed the oar into Qingqiu Youyong's hand and crawled towards the house. They crossed the tip of the sandbar and swerved violently towards the trail, and as the boat tilted, the column of water struck the cliff face. The sandbar is densely wooded, with flocks of willows, oaks, and tall pines casting long shadows in the rapids, hiding the reef and submerged tree trunks. The cliff on the left is steep and bumpy, with gravel and chips falling from the rock face, leaving the river at the bottom tumbling with white foam.

They entered the darkness from the bright sun, and between the green walls of trees and the gray-brown rocks, the ships could not find them. It was just a small respite in the rain of arrows, and Aiogaoka Youyong thought as he pushed the boat away from the half-submerged boulder.

The dinghy shook suddenly. He heard the soft splashing of water, and glanced back to see that the red pine moon was gone. After a while, he found that she was trying to float up from the water below the cliff, wading through a shallow pool, climbing over the rocks, and beginning to climb. Xiahou Yu was dumbfounded. Idiot, James thought to himself. "Leave that girl alone," he shouted to his cousin, "take the helm." ”

They saw the sail behind the bushes, and the river boat sailed all the way to the entrance of the path, twenty-five yards from them. The bow of the other man's ship struggled and swayed, and half a dozen arrows came out, each far from each one. The shaking of the two boats made it difficult for the archers to aim, but Aooka knew they would soon regain their balance. Akamatsutsuki climbed to the middle of the rock wall, trying to find a foothold and try to reach the top. Gan Xingba will find her, and once he finds her, she will be taken down by the archers.

Qingqiu Youyong hoped that the old man's reserve would blind him, and in any case, he and this girl were in the same boat now. "Lord Gan," he cried, "I have something to say. ”

Gan Xingba raised a hand, and the archers lowered their longbows, "Say quickly, King Slayer, I don't have time to waste time." ”

When Qingqiu Youyong shouted, the boat touched a large litter of gravel and shook violently. "I propose a more constructive solution – a one-on-one duel, just you and me. ”

"Do you think I'm a newborn child, Lord Qingqiu Youyong, do you look like me?"

"No, I thought you were a whining old ghost. Qingqiu Youyong raised his arm to let others see his handcuffs, "I can fight you in shackles, what are you afraid of?"

"I'm not afraid of you!, King Slayer, if I had a choice, this would be the best way, but the order given to me is to capture you alive as much as possible. Archer!" he signaled, "Rack the arrow, draw the bow, release—"

Less than twenty yards away. The archers don't miss, but when they pull their bows, a waterfall of pebbles falls around. Small boulders smashed on the deck and rudder and bounced into the water. The wise man who knew how to look up noticed a boulder the size of a cow falling from the top of a cliff. Gan Xingba shouted in panic. The rock crashed into the air, crashed into the rock wall, split in half, and slammed down. The larger one broke the mast and tore the sails, throwing two archers into the water and crushing the thighs of the oarsmen who had put away their oars. The warship quickly flooded, and it seemed that the small one had penetrated the hull. The rock wall screamed against the oarsmen, and the archers frantically struck in the current. Judging by the posture, none of them can swim. Qingqiu Youyong smiled.

They crossed the trail, and the ship sank into the water, spinning and resting on the reef. Qingqiu Youyong secretly thanked the gods for their blessing. Lord Gan Xingba and the damned archers had to walk wet for a long time back to Riverrun, and he got rid of that ugly fat girl at the same time. Wonderful. Wait for these iron things to be loosened......

Xiahou Yu let out a shout, and Qingqiu Youyong looked up and saw Chi Songyue standing on the cliff in the distance ahead. As the boat crossed the bend into the river, she also walked on the rocks that protruded from the edge and jumped off the rock wall, and the somersault was really graceful. At this time, it is really bad to hope that her head hits the reef. Xiahou Yu rowed the boat over. Thankfully, I still have the paddle on and wait for her to swim over, and when she strikes on the head, she will be free of the constraints forever.

He found himself holding his oar out of the water. Akamatsu Yue clung to her, and Aooka Yuyong pulled her up and helped her climb into the dinghy, and the water ran down her hair and wet clothes, forming a small pool on the deck. She's even uglier when she's soaking wet. Who would have guessed that I would do this?" "Damn stupid," he told her, "we can go by ourselves." You think I'll be grateful to you?"

"I don't think so, King Slayer. I believe only in the sacred vow to bring you peacefully to the City of Light. ”

"Really?" Qingqiu Youyong gave her the brightest smile, "What a strange person." ”

Qingqiu Youyong was the first to discover the inn. The main building sits on the south bank of the bend, with long, low wings jutting out of the river, as if to embrace passing passengers. The ground floor of the inn is made of limestone, the upper floor is made of lime stucco wood, and the roof is paved with stone slabs. It has stables and a pavilion covered in vines. "There's no smoke in the chimney," he reminded as he approached, "and there's no light in the windows." ”

"When I passed by last time, the inn was still open," Xiahou Yu said, "This place is very good, maybe we can go to the cellar to find it." ”

"No, I'm afraid there's someone inside," Akamatsutsuki said, "either hide or die." ”

"A few corpses are scaring you, girl?" Qingqiu said bravely.

She glared at him. "My name is—"

—Akamatsu Tsuki. Well, you don't want to sleep all night, Akamatsutsuki? Anyway, it's safer than staying on the open river, right? In my opinion, let's see what is going on first, and then it's not too late to make plans. ”

She didn't reply, but after a while, she turned the rudder and headed for the old wooden dock. Xiahou Yu hurriedly put away the sails, and when the boat gently leaned on the pier, he climbed out to tie the rope again. Qingqiu Youyong followed him, and his movements were clumsy due to the iron shackles.

At the far end of the pier, a fragile sign dangled from an iron pillar, and a faint depiction of a kneeling king with his hands folded in submission. Qingqiu Youyong glanced at it and couldn't help laughing, "Wonderful, this inn is wonderful." ”

"What's so special?" asked Niu'er, confused.

Xiahou Yu replied: "Miss, this is the 'Stack of Bendts', built where the last king of the north bowed his knees to the conqueror Moyi family. I think the sign should be him. ”

"When the Conqueror Moyi led his army south, the King of Riverbend and the city of Qingqiu were defeated in the Battle of the Burning Plains," said Aooka Courageous, "and he saw the terrifying power and army of the Dark Family, so he made the wise choice to bend his frozen knees. ”

Suddenly, there was the neighing of a horse. "Hey, there's a horse in the stable, it's not easy. "One horse is enough to get me away. "Haha, let's see whose home this is?" Without waiting for an answer, Qingqiu Youyong dragged the clanging shackles and rushed down the dock, leaned his shoulder against the inn door, and pushed hard......

...... Facing a crossbow with good ammunition, a short, fat boy of about fifteen was holding it. "Fox, shark, or wolf?" the boy crossed.

"I want a gelding. "The companions walked to Qingqiu and had a brave queen. "I say, the crossbow is a coward's weapon. ”

"Don't move, or I'll kill you!"

"Come on, if you can't pretend to be a second shot, you'll have to be stabbed in the heart by my cousin. ”

"Be careful, don't scare the kids. Xiahou Yu hurriedly shouted.

"We won't hurt you," said Niu'er, "and we'll pay for what you eat and drink." She pulled a silver coin out of her pocket.

The boy looked at the coin suspiciously, and then at the shackles of Aioka. "Why is he taking the iron guy with him?"

"Do you still need to ask, slaughtered a few cold arrows," Qingqiu said bravely, "Is there a vain dry?"

"Yes. The boy lowered the crossbow an inch to the bottom. "Untie the straps of your swords and let them fall off on their own, and maybe get you something to eat. He cautiously circled around and peered in front of the thick diamond-shaped glass window, presumably to check what was going on outside. "The sails belong to the Murong family. ”

"We're from Wanghai City. Akamatsutsuki loosened the buckle of the sword belt, and with a "bang", it fell to the ground. Xiahou Yu also did the same.

A man described as haggard and pockmarked walked out of the cellar, holding a large butcher's knife. "There are only three of you? Three are okay, the horses are enough, the old horse is stubborn, and it is still fresh. ”

"Are there any cows?" asked Akamatsutsuki.

"There were hard cows and stale pies.

Qingqiu Youyong grinned and said, "It's rare to meet an honest shopkeeper today." You see, everywhere they are served some deterioration and stiffness, but they have never heard them admit it in person. ”

"I'm not a shopkeeper. I buried him in the back of the house, with his woman attached. ”

"So, they were both killed by you?"

"Damn, will I admit it if I kill him?" the man spat out. "Forget it, what's the difference between the wolf boy and the fox doing it? Anyway, my wife and I found two corpses, and this place is naturally ours. ”

"Where's your wife?" asked Xiahou Yu.

The man looked at him suspiciously, "Why do you ask so clearly? She's not here...... You shouldn't be here, unless the taste of money is pleasing to me. ”

Akamatsu Yue tossed the coin over. He reached out to catch it, bit it, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"She's still there," the little boy with the crossbow announced.

"She has it there. Kid, go, go down there and get some onions. ”

The boy put the crossbow on his shoulder, looked at them angrily, and then ran to the cellar.

"Your son?" asked Xiahou Yu.

"My wife and I picked up the kid. We had two, one killed by a fox and the other died of smallpox. This kid was arrested by the blood drama troupe, and now that he is in his age, he has to be taken care of when he sleeps to feel at ease. He wielded his machete and pointed at the table. "Sit down. ”

The fireplace was cold, and Qingqiu Youyong chose the seat closest to the ashes and sat down, stretching out his long legs, and every movement was accompanied by the sound of iron shackles. It's annoying. When it's done, I'm going to put this bunch down Niu's throat and see if she'll like it.

The man who was not the shopkeeper roasted three pieces of beef, Qingqiu Youyong and his cousin drank baigan, and Chi Songyue asked for a glass of fruit wine. The little boy sat on the wine barrel and kept his distance from them, his crossbow resting on his knees. His adoptive father came over with a large glass of ale. "What's the news over there in Wanghai City?" he asked Xiahou Yu - it was obvious that he had his cousin as his head.

Xiahou Yu glanced at Chi Songyue before replying. "The old lord of the Murong family is dying, but his son is sticking to the crossing of the Hongxi River against the Qingqiu family. The two armies fought several times. ”

"Hey, there's fighting everywhere. Where are you going, sir?"

"Go to the City of Light. Xiahou Yu said as he wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth.

Their masters scoffed. "You are all fools. Last time I heard that King Huangfuyun had already arrived in the city, with an army of 100,000 and a magic sword in hand. ”

Qingqiu Youyong clenched the handcuffs and twisted them secretly, hoping to break them. Damn, let me try Huang Fuyun's magic sword trick.

"If I were you, I would avoid the pipes," the man continued, "I heard that the road was terrible, and there were not only herds of wolves and foxes, but also countless 'cripples' who would rob anyone. ”

"It's just a parasite," Xiahou Yu declared contemptuously, "not daring to disturb the fully armed decent people." ”

"I beg your pardon, my lord, but I have seen only you as a decent man with arms, two fists against four hands, and you have to take care of women and prisoners in chains. ”

Akamatsu looked at each other gloomily. Niu'er was afraid of being reminded that it was a girl, Qingqiu Youyong thought to himself, and twisted the handcuffs again. The iron ring was cold and hard, unwavering, but it wore out the skin of his wrist.