Chapter 20: Encounters

When was it discovered, Jiaoyue no longer knows, she can only run desperately in the direction pointed by Yuan Zhao, although she is tired and almost dead, but she also knows that only by constantly running will there be a glimmer of hope. Stop, stop is a dead end.

Almost all her efforts were in vain, she had fallen many times, but the sound of horses' hooves behind her was still clearly approaching, and from time to time she could hear someone mocking her with unskilled sweaty words.

The last time she fell, she really couldn't get up. Not to mention escaping, even the non-stop panting made her feel very laborious. He struggled to stand up, clutching a small dagger tightly in his hand.

I don't know how many times the dress has been torn, and the blood marks exposed are clearly visible. The injured hand was still aching. Yuan Zhao is gone, and now she can only rely on herself.

A big man with a silver face and his accomplices came to her with a wild laugh, a knife, still hanging on a horse. No one saw the silver knife in her hand, which was just over an inch long, as an obstacle to their prey, not even herself. In their eyes, a princess who has lost her guard is like a docile sheep. Even the horses not far away knew that this woman was no threat to them, and snorted leisurely.

Jiaoyue smiled, there was a hint of joy in her heart, seeing Bo Yan again, they would never be separated. He jerked up the cold dagger and thrust it into his chest.

Who is it, uttering a low exclamation?

The wasteland, which had long been integrated with the darkness, spat out several sharp arrows glowing with cold light, piercing straight into the hearts of several robbers who had not yet reacted. The robbers, who were caught off guard, fell for a while. A black steed rushed out, the wind rushing by, and picked up Kyaukyue by the waist, still holding her wrist tightly with his left hand.

The big man who had just reacted shouted violently, stepped on the horse in a few steps, and rushed towards him with his sword. The black knight gave him a disdainful look and turned around with an arrow. A sharp arrow pierced through the eye. The big man at the head let out a terrible scream and immediately planted his horse. Before the others could react, the knight rushed out of the encirclement, and some people were ready to follow the pursuit, but they were pierced through the chest by several sharp arrows. Seeing his companions struggling and screaming on the ground, the pale robbers no longer had the courage to chase, and watched the black war horses melt into the darkness like ghosts, and could only hear the faint sound of horses' hooves fading away.

In that man's arms, the tired and hungry Kyaukyue fell asleep.

By the time the moon woke up, it was already dawn. The man who rescued her last night was washing something by the creek not far away. He helped his groggy head, and was about to speak, when his stomach growled very facelessly. The man smiled back, showing his white teeth: "You're awake." ”

Jiaoyue nodded a little embarrassedly, and asked out loud, "What kind of place is this?" ”

"This is the territory of the Great Zhou, we have passed the Yumen Pass, and they will not chase after it again." The man had been busy.

Hearing the Jade Gate Pass, Jiaoyue remembered the home that gave herself as a gift, and her face couldn't help but darken. Da Zhou, this place that was originally her home, has long become so strange that she dare not recognize it. When she came back after hardships and dangers, she didn't expect her only relatives to abandon her. She doesn't have a home anymore.

Thinking about it in a trance, he casually threw the dry wood in his hand into the fire. Dry wood crackled in the fire, and tongues of fire licked pheasants that kept dripping water.

"What is this?" Awakened by the hissing sound that came her way, Kyaukyue looked curiously at what was roasting on the fire.

"Of course it's roast chicken, haven't you eaten it?" The man looked at the embarrassed girl in front of him with some disbelief, no matter how she looked like a country girl, how could ordinary people from the Han family not even see this?

Kyaukyue's eyes widened, and her finger pointed at the thing that had been smoked black in a few moments, and she couldn't react for a while, "Can this be eaten?" ”

Looking at the man opposite and nodding seriously, she looked frustrated and asked in a low voice, "You just eat this?" The man was a little strange, "Aren't you hungry?" I just heard..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the hungry sound of his stomach 'growling'. Jiaoyue blushed, and whispered with a hint of fantasy, "Is there anything else to eat?" ”

The man looked helpless, and took out a deflated bag of dry food from his arms, "I finished eating early, and I walked a full seven-day journey from Tubo to here, and I didn't stop all the way, and I relied on dry food to survive." ”

Jiaoyue asked puzzledly: "What have you come all the way from Tibet to do here?" ”

A trace of worry flashed on the man's calm face: "My sister's whereabouts are unknown now, and I am here to find her." Yesterday I mistook you for her. Alas, I don't know if she's okay. ”

Jiaoyue sighed faintly: "I really envy your sister, if only I had such a brother." It's a pity..." Bright Moon's face suddenly darkened, and the man looked at her strangely: "What's wrong?" ”

Jiaoyue, who was thinking about her thoughts, was stunned as if she had been awakened suddenly, and shook her head with a forced smile, "Well, it's nothing. By the way, what's your name? ”

"Ashina Cloud"

"What about you?"

"Bright Moon."

"Why are those people chasing you?"

"I don't know."

"Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."

"Hmm."

Time passes slowly in a simple Q&A.

Knowing his name, knowing that he now has a younger brother and sister in his family, knowing that his country is now suffering from hunger. Knowing that his sister has been helping him, and his brother has always had a bad relationship with him...

It wasn't until Ashina Yun snatched the roast chicken from the fire that the two woke up at the same time. Half of the roast chicken is already charred black. Glancing at each other, the faces of the two instantly turned red, and then they laughed out loud. Kyaukyue unexpectedly found that she actually smiled, which had never been shown on her face since remembering Bo Yan.

Ashina Yun handed her the intact half, picked up the other half and took a big bite on it. While putting it to his mouth and gobbling it up, he said vaguely: "Although it is a little burnt, it still tastes very good." ”

Jiaoyue frowned and took a small bite lightly, chewing carefully. The roast chicken without seasoning has an unpleasant fishy smell, and the burnt smell almost covers the original aroma of the barbecue, so I close my eyes and swallow a few bites, and I can't eat it anymore.

Looking at Ash Nayun swallowing heavily, Jiaoyue really couldn't believe that such a rough and hard-to-swallow thing was so delicious.

"Why didn't you eat it?" Ashina's wonton chewing speed slowed down. Jiaoyue looked at the black thing in her hand helplessly: "I... I can't eat it." Ash Nayun shook her head helplessly, she didn't expect that this girl who looked like a farmer was quite picky.

Probably after a few mouthfuls of strength to recover, Kyaukyue walked to the river to wash her greasy hands. Looking at his dirty face, he burst out laughing. When I was on the run last night, I didn't know how many times I rolled on the ground, my face was full of dust, and I didn't recognize it at once.

Swallowing the leftover roast chicken of Kyaukyue into his stomach like a whirlwind, Ashinayun, who was about to raise his head and say something, was suddenly stunned, and looked at the oncoming woman with a stupid gaze.

There were still a few crystal droplets of water hanging on his face, and Jiaoyue walked up to him and looked at him a little strangely: "What are you looking at?" ”

"No, nothing." Ashinayun came back to his senses, his swarthy face flushed slightly. Throwing away the chicken bones in his hand, he wiped his mouth casually, "I have to hurry today, it's about to rain, I have to find a place to take shelter." ”

The rolling black clouds covered the entire sky in a short time, and the clear sky instantly darkened. What used to be hot weather is now much colder.

The curled up moon suddenly shuddered in Ashinayun's arms.

"Is it cold?" On the galloping horse, Ashinayun's voice was very small, as if it came from far away. The warmth from the thick and warm chest behind her dispelled a little cold, Jiaoyue shook her head, and was about to say something, when Ashinayun behind her threw away the reins of the horse, and before she could react, she took off a long shirt on her body, covered her body, and said loudly in her ear: "It's going to rain hard, you have to hurry up and hide somewhere." ”

The dull thunder between the words smashed down with the raindrops the size of beans on their heads and faces, and within a moment, the clothes of the two were already soaked. Ashinayun, whose vision was blurred by the rain, shook off the rain on his face and looked around at a place where he could shelter from the rain.

A bolt of lightning pierced the dreary sky, and thunder exploded overhead. Jiaoyue screamed, closed her eyes tightly, and hid in Ashinayun's arms in fear. Since she was a child, she has been afraid of thunder, and every time the thunder is loud, she will always plug the door of the warm pavilion to the ground, and then cover her head with a quilt, hide at the foot of the bed, and no one will open the door.

Taking advantage of the flash of lightning, he suddenly noticed a lonely hut in the col not far away. The half-collapsed stables and dilapidated old windows silently tell of the desolation of the present. Bolting the horse to the manger, pushing open the creaking door, a stream of moldy dust rushed towards him, choking Jiaoyue coughing again and again, Ashinayun gently blocked Jiaoyue behind him, and waited for the dust to clear before entering the house.

The house was deserted for a short time, and the traces of the owner's careful cleaning when he left could be vaguely seen. A few bundles of dry firewood were piled up in the corner, and next to the rust-stained iron pot was a cooking rack.

I cleared the dust from the ground and took a few bundles of straw and spread them on the ground. Ashinayun took out the flint in his arms and lit a fire. The thunder rang out, and the trembling Bright Moon suddenly threw herself into his arms, never leaving half a step.

Ash Nayun was stunned, and slowly hugged the Han woman in his arms. He smiled bitterly and found that things were getting more and more complicated. Even he didn't understand why he was so gentle with this woman he didn't know. In the eyes of everyone, he has never been close to women, and he can no longer push the beautiful woman in his arms away as before, as for why this happened, I'm afraid even he can't tell, he only remembers that the frightened eyes of the woman in his arms are so similar to the sister who married back then.

The thunder became louder, and he hugged the person in his arms tighter, as if to keep the regret of the past. The bright moon had already fallen asleep in his arms. An indescribable feeling quietly crept into the heart of the Tubo general.