"Brother Bau, you have suffered alone these days. Well, this time, our brothers are together again. I promise that from now on, whether you beat me or scold me, I will never fight back. After listening to Bau's account of his experience during this time, Shi Tianji said with emotion.

"Lao Shi, we can't just be grateful to Bau alone. Thanks to Hop Hop too. If it hadn't been for the prophet of our arrival, and dragged Bau to come, I'm afraid we would never see Bau again! Shi Lang said.

"Yes, yes, Brother Bau, you don't know how dangerous it was in the woods just now! I'm not afraid of your jokes, I never knew the word afraid, but this time it scared me a little bit! If you hadn't arrived in time with Hopper, I'm afraid I'd have thrown this old bone here! Shi Tianji deeply agreed with Shi Lang's words.

Bau's resurrection from the dead really made the team members happy, everyone laughed and laughed all the way, and before they knew it, they had climbed a mountain.

The footprints left by the Wa people did not point to the valley area under the mountain, but extended southwest along the "S"-shaped dragon's back.

"Abbot, how long will it take to walk this dragon's back?" Luo Shangzhi looked at the winding dragon's spine in front of him and asked for recuperation.

"It will take about an hour." The abbot replied.

"What terrain is at the end of the dragon's spine?" Luo Shiyin asked.

"We walked along the dragon's spine to the end, and there was a hillside below. Beneath the hillside is a freshwater lake. Hunnen replied.

"From the point of view of time, it is estimated that we will be able to reach the lake when it is dark, should we find a shelter by the lake, take a short rest, and let the team members replenish some fresh water? You see they've been busy all day, and it's time to take a break. Luo Shiyin said in an inquiring tone to Luo Shangzhi and Abbot Xiuneng.

"I think so." Luo Shangzhi said.

"Otherwise, I'll send a few disciples to the front to inquire about the enemy's situation, after all, we don't know much about the number and combat power of this group of Japanese people." Abbot Hunneng suggested.

"Okay, then Abbot Lao will bother." Luo Shiyin felt that the suggestion of recuperation was not unreasonable, so he agreed.

"My lord, I don't think there is any need to trouble the abbot in this matter, just leave it to Jumping to complete it. My brother is much faster, and when he encounters an enemy, he doesn't easily arouse their suspicion. Bau, who was following behind Luo Shiyin, interjected at this time.

"Look, how I forgot about Hop Hop. Okay, let your brother run. Luo Shiyin had already seen the ability to jump, and he was already convinced of the incredible special abilities that this monkey possessed, so Luo Shiyin agreed to Bau's suggestion almost without thinking.

"Well, it looks like there's this dead monkey...... No, no...... It's my brother here, but it saves a lot of trouble. Shi Tianji said.

"Brother, go, go and come back quickly, pay attention to safety!" Seeing that the commander agreed to his suggestion, Bau hurriedly said to the jumping beside him.

Hopping seemed to be very happy to carry out this kind of reconnaissance mission, and as soon as it heard Bau's command, it immediately jumped to the front of the group, and deftly stepped on the narrow snow road trodden by the Japanese on the dragon's back, and sprang forward.

The jumping figure soon disappeared into the vast snow.

Luo Shiyin and Luo Shangzhi ordered the troops to move along the dragon's spine at full speed to the southwest.

"Captain Bau, how did you get this monkey? It's a treasure! Luo Shangzhi asked as he walked.

"It's a long story. Before joining Jinyiwei, I once went into the mountains to play alone, and I encountered a poisonous snake. It was Hop Hop that saved my life. Since then, we have been inseparable brothers. Bau made a long story short.

This is fate, and the so-called beings in the world have their own causes. Captain Bau met the right jump at the right time and place, and the brotherhood between the two was formed by karma and harmony. Good, good, good! Hunnen said with emotion.

"Then why can't I meet such a monkey brother?" Shi Tianji interjected.

"It's not fate. Besides, even if you meet it, you will be scared away. Don't you see, every time Hopping meets you, it looks like a great enemy? Xie Yuan said.

"I actually like to jump very much, but I'm not good at expressing my true feelings." Shi Tianji said whimsily.

"Brother Shi, this is called loving you, it's hard to open your heart." Ye Ruliu also joined in the joke.

"Yes, yes, that's what I mean. It seems that my eldest sister still understands me. Shi Tianji changed his unhappy expression and said happily.

"How do I feel that Lao Shi has suddenly become sentimental." Shi Lang said.

"He's so sentimental. He is called self-inflicted. Xie Yuan began to joke with Shi Tianji.

"You water snake waist! What am I doing? Self-inflicted affection is also called love, and it can also move each other. No, Hopping has already agreed to be my brother. Shi Tianji retorted.

"It's because of Bau's face, I'm embarrassed to refuse you." Xie Yuan still didn't give up.

"A brother is a brother. How can you have so many twists and turns. Anyway, now I'm one of the only two brothers in Hoppy, and I don't have your share of the water snake. Hey, hey, hey! Shi Tianji looked complacent.

"Oh, what a piano to a cow!" Xie Yuan saw that Shi Tianji had an expression that a dead pig was not afraid of boiling water, but felt that he was talking about himself.

"Hop Hop is back!" Ye Ruliu found that a jumping figure faintly appeared on the ridge in the distance, so he reminded everyone.

In the blink of an eye, Hopping has come to everyone.

"Brother, did you find the enemy situation earlier?" Bau asked impatiently. A must-read book

Jumping shook his head vigorously and raised one of his front paws at the same time to signal that everyone could move forward with confidence.

"My lord, there is no enemy situation in front of you." Bau reported to Luo Shiyin.

"Okay, then let's speed up the march and try to get to the lake in front of us to rest earlier!" Luo Shiyin said loudly.

"Good!" Hearing Luo Shiyin's shout, everyone suddenly came to the end.

After a day of rapid marching and fierce fighting in the dense forest, everyone was a little tired, and their greatest wish was to find a sheltered place to sit down and eat something, and then snuggle up in their tents and sleep soundly.

On the winding dragon's spine, everyone lined up, striding towards the end of the dragon's spine by the last remaining light at dusk.

By the time they reached the steep slope at the end of the dragon's back, it was completely dark.

Led by Jump, everyone slowly descended from the steep slope to the bottom of the slope.

Not far to the east of the steep slope is a fault zone of the mountain, and under the steep cliff, there is a leeward flat area. The cold northeasterly wind is completely sheltered by the tall cliffs.

"Let's go camping here tonight!" Luo Shangzhi loudly motioned for everyone to rush to the flat ground under the cliff.

It's a great place to camp, as the flat ground is at the bottom of the cliff, but it's more than a dozen meters above the lake, and as long as the snow on the surface is cleared, there is no problem with the rocky ground below.

Luo Shangzhi first arranged a mobile sentry, and then sent people to dig open the ice on the surface of the lake and let everyone take turns to fetch water.

After everyone filled the leather bags they carried with them to hold water, Luo Shangzhi ordered the cooks to bury the pot and make rice.

With the assistance of Ye Ruliu and Jin Yingzi, the cooking soldiers quickly prepared the meal.

After a hungry day, everyone gobbled up the food they had distributed to them, and then helped each other set up tents in twos and threes.

Ye Ruliu and Jin Yingzi shared a marching tent. Their tents were set up at the innermost end of the cliff.

After the subordinate soldiers entered their respective tents to rest, Luo Shiyin, Luo Shangzhi and Abbot Xiu Neng gathered next to a rock to discuss their next move.

After consultation, the three unanimously decided: let everyone rest for an hour, and then immediately get up and set off to chase the enemy overnight. The reason why the three of them made such a decision was mainly based on the following considerations:

First, after the battle between humans and beasts in the jungle, two Japanese ninjas escaped by chance, and the troops of Konishi Yukinaga in front must have known that there were pursuers coming behind, and they would inevitably speed up their march. If the Ming army wants to catch up with them, they must hurry up in time to save them;

Second, marching at night, although it is more difficult than during the day, also has its advantages, that is, once the enemy is approaching, the enemy will not easily find himself;

Third, with the joining of Hop Hop, the Ming army can make full use of its keen senses, discover unknown dangers in time, take timely measures, and respond flexibly. The danger that the Ming army will encounter next also confirms this.

The snowy nights in the mountains are cold and lonely.

A group of snow wolves foraging for food in the dark stood at the top of the cliff, looking down at the huge team below the cliff, and let out a helpless wail.

An hour later, Luo Shangzhi woke everyone up from their sleep and gave the order to march.

Everyone was drowsy, and suddenly they were woken up, and they were told to immediately move after the enemy, and there was some resentment in their hearts. But the military order was like a mountain, and everyone quickly arranged the tents and stood in formation.

"Honestly, brothers, I, like all of you, want to have a good night's rest. However, do not forget about our tasks. During the day, we were blocked by the Japanese and our journey was delayed.

"Therefore, we must march all night and try to catch up with the enemy as quickly as possible and destroy him. Now, I command you all to go now! Luo Shangzhi stood in front of the team energetically and ordered loudly.

"Yes, General." Everyone responded in unison and began to march towards the lake.

Judging from the messy footprints on the lake, Konishi's troops had crossed the lake and fled south.

On the icy lake, the team pursuing the Japanese enemy marched forward in a neat formation.

"Be careful, everyone, don't slip." Luo Shangzhi kept reminding everyone while moving forward with the team.

When the team reached the middle of the lake, Jump, who had been running in front of the team to lead the way, suddenly stopped.

Luo Shiyin suddenly stopped when he saw the jump, and immediately signaled everyone to stop advancing.

Hop lowered his head and kept sniffing around the lake, and after sniffing around the whole group, his mood became manic.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Bau asked, Jump.

It didn't stop, it circled the team again, sniffing its nose close to the surface of the lake, and as it ran, it jumped up from time to time, and then, with its two front paws, hit the ice hard, as if to remind everyone that there was something under the ice.