A stable life never lasts long, and the clarion call of war breaks the tranquility of the mountains. The war between the Yue and the Eastern Wu came unexpectedly.

In fact, not long ago, I heard that the Wu army was sweeping the Yue inhabited areas on a large scale, and finally the disaster of war still affected Liu Sicheng's tribe.

In the early morning of this day, after Xiaoxue received the report from the spies, she immediately convened a meeting of the elders of the clan, and Liu Sicheng was also invited to attend.

The meeting place was set up in a bamboo building in the middle of the village, which was much larger than the ordinary dwellings, and could accommodate 20 people to be seated. The roof of the bamboo building is covered with thatch, and the bamboo walls around it have large gaps, which are both ventilated and transparent; Straw mats are laid out in the house for people to sit on the floor. At this time, Xiaoxue was kneeling on the straw mat in the center, and the room was full of famous people in the vicinity on both sides. Liu Sicheng was the least senior among the participants, so he knelt at the end of the seat on the right.

The people kneeling on the right side of the room were the three elders of the clan, all of whom were not very old, about thirty years old.

Because Liu Sicheng really couldn't write down their awkward real names, he called them the Great Elder, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder according to their status in the clan.

In addition to the elders of the clan, some "commissioners" from other tribes were also invited to attend the meeting, but these "commissioners" were all women, which shows that there are indeed many men and girls in the Yue nationality in the Luling area. Because they were guests, they were all placed on the left side of the room.

Their names are also difficult to remember, and in order to facilitate their name, they are temporarily referred to as special one, special two, special three, and special four.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Xiaoxue first bowed to everyone, and then said with a straight face:

"The situation is more dire than ever. In the past, most of the Wu army's sweeps adopted the method of focusing on offensives, and the number of people generally did not exceed 1,000. This time, the Wu army changed its normal mode and adopted an all-out offensive method, sending a total of 5,000 people to attack five tribes at the same time. As a result, the number of troops that the tribes can support each other is reduced by half. In addition, this time, the Wu army learned the lessons of the past, besieged us but did not attack, and cut off our way out. As a result, the trap and ambush tactics we relied on in the past will not work, and there is a greater risk of being trapped and killed.

"If we choose to take the initiative, our lack of troops will be exposed. There are only more than 100 soldiers in this tribe, but there are 1,000 Wu troops on the periphery, and the ratio of numbers is 1 to 10. Therefore, I would like to invite you to come and discuss the countermeasures together. ”

After listening to Xiaoxue's analysis, everyone knows that the current situation is indeed extremely critical.

The "special four" on the side took the initiative to propose:

"Is it feasible to ask other tribes to come for reinforcements, and to flank the Wu army inside and outside?"

Xiaoxue lightly supported her chin and analyzed:

"I've thought about it. However, at present, the Wu army has built a strong camp in a dangerous place, showing a posture of long-term siege, and the nearby tribes are all besieged by the Wu army, and it may be difficult to divide the troops, so they have to ask for help from the distant tribes. In addition, the other tribes also had to be prepared, so there would not be too many troops to support. In this way, even if it can be attacked inside and outside, it will be difficult to capture the Wu army camp with superior numbers. ”

After everyone listened, there was a dead silence at the meeting, and no one proposed a good plan to break the enemy.

Are we going to have to sit back and wait? No, it must not be so passive! Liu Sicheng thought to himself.

If there is a way to reduce the strength of the Wu army, it may be able to turn the tide of the war.

There are three ways to reduce the strength of Wu's army:

First, rely on the Yue soldiers to fight the Wu army and reduce the strength of the Wu army. This method is clearly not feasible.

Second, the Wu army had a decrease in the number of soldiers due to its own factors, such as epidemics or internal strife. This method is also not feasible.

Third, rely on the power of nature to reduce the strength of the Wu army, such as fire or water attack. You can give it a try.

When it comes to fire, the land where the Yue people live is densely wooded and the weather is hot, and the external conditions are indeed met.

"Why don't we break the enemy with fire?" Liu Sicheng was the first to break the silence and said, "First send a villager to pretend to surrender, and then volunteer to act as a guide for the Wu army to show the way into the village for the Wu army. The Wu army is confident that it will send a large number of troops to attack us, in a vain attempt to annihilate us in one fell swoop. We can then lure the enemy deeper and lure the Wu army into the village. Because the village is surrounded by mountains, it is only necessary to light a fire around it to trap the Wu army that has invaded the village in a sea of fire. With the help of raging fire, annihilate the enemy army in one fell swoop. ”

As soon as Liu Sicheng's words fell, the Great Elder asked:

"But where should the people of the village go?"

"Villagers can be moved to caves in the back mountains." Liu Sicheng raised his hand and pointed in the direction of the mountain behind him, and explained to everyone, "That cave is tall and spacious, enough to accommodate all the villagers. Moreover, the cave is located on the back hill away from the village side. In this way, the smoke from the fire attack will not drift into the cave, and the villagers can rest assured that they will take refuge here. ”

"Who should the villager choose?" This time, it was changed to a "special three" question.

It is indeed extremely dangerous to go to the enemy's camp to surrender in person, and this person must be quick and determined to die. Liu Siwei wanted to recommend himself, but was robbed by Xiaoxue:

"Let me surrender! When it comes to improvisation, I'm the best fit! ”

Liu Sicheng's heart sank when he heard this, and he immediately reminded:

"But how inconvenient it is for you to wear a mask, will it make Wu Jun suspicious?"

Xiaoxue winked at Liu Sicheng, and then smiled.

"I have my own solution, please think about it."

The Council of Elders of the Viet ethnic group adopts a voting system by show of hands. After a show of hands, everyone unanimously decided to adopt Liu Sicheng's strategy, and also agreed to send Xiaoxue to the enemy camp to surrender, and the Great Elder temporarily took the position of Xiaoxue's patriarch.

The decision has been made, and Xiaoxue immediately divided the labor of everyone in detail. Some of them were responsible for preparing firewood, grass, grease and other items for fire attack, while others transferred the stored grain and daily necessities to the caves in the back mountains. And they received their orders, and they got busy. This battle is a matter of life and death for the whole village, and no one dares to slack off.

Liu Sicheng was relieved that Xiaoxue was not safe, and took the initiative to find Xiaoxue while the meeting was over.

Xiaoxue saw Liu Sicheng's anxious look, and she had already guessed his intention in her heart.

I saw Xiaoxue smiling at Liu Sicheng, and in order to completely dispel his doubts, he pretended to be relaxed:

"Sicheng, you don't have to worry too much, I've already thought of a countermeasure. Do you remember the trick I mentioned when I explained to you the 'Easy Technique'? ”

Liu Sicheng made a point of understanding and blurted out:

"Do you mean 'psychic suggestion'?"

"Exactly." Xiao Xue replied.

"Do you want to ...... through your appearance" Liu Sicheng's head turned quickly, and he had already understood eight or nine points at this time.

"Well, that's right." Xiaoxue continued, "'Psychic suggestion' can artificially add the user's consciousness to the other person's mind, but the premise of using this trick is to make the other person unconscious or unconscious, so that it can work. I was able to instantly charm the leader of the Wu army with my beauty, so that I could make him believe what I said and do what I told him through 'psychic suggestion', thus ensuring the success of the plan." ”

Although what Xiaoxue said was true, in Liu Sicheng's heart, Xiaoxue's safety was higher than everything else, and he really couldn't bear Xiaoxue to go into danger alone, so he was concerned:

"But even so, there is still no guarantee that everything will be foolproof......"

Bing Xue's smart Xiaoxue couldn't know Liu Sicheng's careful thoughts, she resolutely said:

"Sicheng, for the safety of the clansmen, as the patriarch, I am willing to take risks! However, you should also believe that I will turn evil into good fortune and return safely! ”

Seeing that Xiaoxue was so resolute, Liu Sicheng had no choice but to stop insisting, and he replied with a bow:

"Well, I believe it!"

※※※※※※※※※

After a whole day of hard work and busyness of the whole village, all the preparations were ready.

Stones and logs have been prepared at the entrance of the village, and when the Wu army enters the village, their retreat will be blocked. The roofs of every house in the village were sprinkled with fire oil to allow the fire to spread. Even the water in the paddy fields is drained, and there are piles of firewood and grass in them. On the hillsides around the village, the rocketeers were ambushed in advance, preparing to ignite the fires around the village while rolling stones and rolling wood to block the retreat of the Wu army. All the food reserves in the village have been transferred to the cave in the back mountain, and the villagers have carried their daily necessities such as clothing with them.

Xiaoxue had already discussed with everyone before setting off on a plan to get out. When the fire attack began, Xiaoxue relied on her speed advantage to get rid of the trailing Wu army, and everyone left her an escape path to the back mountain, and then sealed it with fire after she passed.

Seeing all the preparations, Xiaoxue decided to set off alone early tomorrow morning to rush to the Wu military camp.

That night, Liu Sicheng wandered in the wooden house for a long time, thinking about whether there was anything missing. After all, after tonight, this place will turn into a sea of fire, and Liu Sicheng is extremely reluctant to leave any items, because these things were once used by Xiaoxue, and Liu Sicheng regards them as treasures. It wasn't until Xiaoxue urged him several times that he reluctantly went to bed.

Early the next morning, Liu Sicheng personally went to the entrance of the village to see off Xiaoxue. Looking at the background of Xiaoxue gradually disappearing, Liu Sicheng was stunned in place, unwilling to leave for a long time, until Xiaoxue completely disappeared from sight.

At noon, the spies came to report that the Wu army had been dispatched, and it seemed that everything was going well.

About an hour later, the Wu army of the brigade had already swarmed to the entrance of the village. Liu Sicheng stood on the top of the mountain and witnessed everything, he saw a shadow at the forefront of the team from a distance, who else could there be if it wasn't Xiaoxue?

Fortunately, Xiaoxue is fine! Liu Sicheng secretly rejoiced.

With a cup of tea, Wu Jun had all entered the village, and there were about 800 people, and it seemed that the other party was pouring out. Suddenly, a series of loud noises were heard, and countless stones and logs rolled down from the mountain, blocking the entrance of the village in an instant.

The plan of fire attack began. Liu Sicheng didn't think about it, and ran to the forest road in the direction of Xiaoxue's escape as fast as possible, because the time to welcome Xiaoxue's return had come, and he didn't want to stay for a minute.

When he came to the predetermined location, Liu Sicheng was surprised to find that the firewood and grass under the mountain had not yet been ignited. Could it be that Xiaoxue still hasn't gotten out?

Liu Sicheng trembled unconsciously, and hurriedly asked the archers who were ambushed by the roadside. Under Liu Sicheng's urging, they told the truth.

"Actually, the patriarch has just come to the bottom of the mountain, but a strong wind suddenly blew in the mountain, causing the rockets we fired to deviate from the target, so the firewood and grass failed to ignite." An archer said helplessly, "Later, the patriarch heard the shouting of killing behind him, so in order not to let Wu Jun find this gap, he did not hesitate to turn back to the village. ”

Oh my God, why is this happening? Liu Sicheng held his head in his hands, and couldn't believe his ears.

It's a matter of Xiaoxue's life and death, and he must come up with a countermeasure immediately. He stretched out his right hand and commanded the archer:

"Bring a rocket!"

When the archer beside him heard this, he hurriedly handed Liu Sicheng a rocket.

Liu Sicheng rushed down the mountain with a rocket in three steps and two steps, standing next to the unlit firewood and grass. At this time, the village was surrounded by fires, thick smoke billowing in, and the noise was incessant.

Liu Sicheng, who was standing next to the firewood and grass, was in a dilemma, not knowing whether to light it immediately, or silently wait for Xiaoxue to return.

If the firewood and grass are not lit again, Wu Jun may find this gap at any time. Once the Wu army escapes through the gap, the consequences will be unimaginable.

But if the firewood and grass are lit at this moment, the fire will be completely sealed, and the light snow trapped in the fire will be more auspicious.

In a dilemma, Liu Sicheng made an astonishing move.

He resolutely stepped over the pile of firewood and grass, then turned around and prepared to light the firewood and grass behind him. At that moment, Liu Sicheng had already made up his mind to live and die with Xiaoxue.

At the moment when he stepped over the pile of firewood and grass, Liu Sicheng clearly felt that the water level of the "river of love" in his heart was soaring, and soon it was over his chest, nostrils, and the top of his head, and his whole person was already submerged in the "river of love".

Just as Liu Sicheng raised his hand to throw the rocket, a shout came from the mountain road.

"Stop!" It turned out that the second elder led seven or eight Yue warriors to rush over.

"I already know about the patriarch, go and save her." The second elder rushed to Liu Sicheng and said loudly, "Give me the rocket, and I will stick to it until you return safely." Remember, you have to be fast! I will never use this rocket unless I have to! ”

I didn't expect the second elder to be so righteous. Liu Sicheng was moved, so he handed her the rocket and solemnly thanked her.

After that, Liu Sicheng gritted his teeth and rushed into the village without hesitation.

Xiaoxue, you must wait for me to save you! Liu Sicheng said silently in his heart.

Everywhere you go, there are burning houses and Wu soldiers running wildly trying to find a way out, and the end is coming.

Through the guidance of "spiritual power", Liu Sicheng soon found Xiaoxue's traces.

When Liu Sicheng rushed to the vicinity of Xiaoxue, he found that she was surrounded by more than 20 Wu soldiers. However, the siege of the Wu army not only could not hurt Xiaoxue in the slightest, but was defeated by Xiaoxue.

Seeing this, Liu Sicheng immediately joined the battle. Under the internal and external attack of the two, this group of Wu troops was defeated in an instant.

"Sicheng, thank you for coming to save me!" Xiaoxue's eyes were full of gratitude, and she said excitedly.

"The situation is critical, come with me!" Liu Sicheng couldn't help but say, and grabbed Xiaoxue's slender jade hand and ran to the only escape route.

As long as Xiaoxue is by his side, Liu Sicheng seems to have the whole world. He believes that no difficulty can stop him from saving the people he loves most. The two of them held hands like this, and returned the same way as if no one was around, because the Wu army was busy fleeing for their lives, where did anyone come forward to stop it?

Hurried all the way, but when the two of them rushed to the exit, they were stunned by the scene in front of them.

The road leading to the mountain had long since been blocked by fire, and more than a dozen corpses of both sides lay on the ground.

Among them was the Second Elder herself, whose body was pierced by a spear and had long since lost her breath.

It seems that they did hold on until the last minute. Liu Sicheng couldn't help but feel sad when he saw this.

Seeing that the fire had been sealed, Liu Sicheng knew that he and Xiaoxue were really in a catastrophe.

At that moment, both of them were silent and involuntarily hugged each other tightly, as if they were about to usher in the final chapter of their lives.

Holding Xiao Xuerou's boneless body in his arms, Liu Sicheng felt a lot of emotion in his heart. He thought to himself that if he could die with Xiaoxue, this life would be enough. The smoke became more and more intense, choking Liu Sicheng and unable to breathe. At this moment, Xiaoxue's call came from his ears.

"Come with me, Sicheng!"

This time, it was Xiaoxue's turn, and she couldn't help but say, pulling Liu Sicheng's big hand and running all the way.

Led by Xiaoxue, the two of them came to the large water tank used to store water in the village. The tank was made of stone, one foot high and nine feet wide. Xiaoxue pointed to the water tank and said anxiously:

"Let's jump into the tank, maybe we can dodge the fire."

Liu Sicheng's eyes lit up when he saw this, and then he praised:

"That's a good idea!"

"What does Adel mean?" Xiaoxue wondered.

"Oh, that's my native dialect. Meaning idea. Liu Sicheng replied casually.

The billowing smoke hit, where did Xiaoxue still have the heart to chat with Liu Sicheng here, so she hurriedly urged:

"It's critical, let's get into the water tank."

After that, I saw Xiaoxue jump up, and instantly jumped onto the water tank one foot high, then lifted the heavy lid, jumped into the water tank, and then there was a sound of falling water. Liu Sicheng also did the same, jumping on top of the water tank, and then before jumping into the water tank, he closed the lid firmly.

There was still some clear water left in the tank, about five feet deep, but fortunately both were tall and were not affected by the depth.

Due to the lid, it was pitch black inside the tank. Liu Sicheng touched the wall of the cylinder with his hand, and the cold stone wall was extremely thick. Liu Sicheng thought to himself that this water tank might really save his life. Because the tank is covered with a lid, the smoke does not drift in; And because the water tank is made of stone and there is clean water in the tank, it should be able to isolate some of the high temperatures.

Liu Sichang breathed a sigh of relief, and his mood suddenly relaxed a lot, and he had a sense of joy for the rest of his life.

Although she was in the dark, Liu Sicheng could still sense Xiaoxue's presence through her "spiritual power", and she was standing in a corner less than two feet away from her, and the air was full of Xiaoxue's fragrance.

Thinking of the panicked appearance when looking for Xiaoxue just now, Liu Sicheng couldn't help but laugh dumbly. But fortunately, Xiaoxue is safe and sound, which can be regarded as a blessing in misfortune.

Liu Sicheng tried to open his eyes wide in the direction of Xiaoxue, trying to see her appearance clearly, but it was pitch black all around, and he couldn't see anything at all.

Although the water level in reality is only less than Liu Sicheng's chest, the "love" in his heart has long since passed above his head. After experiencing life and death tribulations with Xiaoxue, Liu Sicheng felt an urge to kiss Xiaoxue in his heart.

With his mind already decided, Liu Sicheng took a small step in the direction where Xiaoxue was, and then reached out to take off the mask on Xiaoxue's face. Xiaoxue had already sensed Liu Sicheng's actions through her "spiritual power", she just leaned back slightly, but she didn't stop it. Liu Sicheng took off the iron mask very smoothly, and then his fingertips touched Xiaoxue's pretty face for the first time, smooth as silk, and a little hot.

Although it was dark in front of him, Liu Sicheng thought to himself that Xiaoxue at this time must be red-faced.

Liu Sicheng slowly leaned his face up, and at the moment when he was about to touch Xiaoxue, a burst of laughter suddenly sounded in Liu Sicheng's ears, which seemed to come from afar.

Then, his eyes suddenly lit up, and when he looked closely, he found himself in a white and flawless room. Directly in front of it was a tall white wall, on which hung a large portrait of two people standing side by side, but it was vague and indecent. There were two women sitting side by side in the room, one of whom turned sideways, and it was Xiaoxue. At this time, she was chatting with another woman, and from time to time there were bursts of pleasant laughter.

Where is this place? Why are you here? Liu Sicheng's heart was full of doubts.

And who exactly is this woman? Could it be Xiaoxue's sister?

Liu Sicheng tried to walk towards Xiaoxue, but he couldn't move his body; I wanted to make a sound, but I couldn't open my mouth. Although it was close at hand, Xiaoxue couldn't seem to see herself.

Liu Sicheng could only silently gaze at everything in front of him, and an inexplicable pleasure surged in his heart.

Then the vision changed, and Liu Sicheng suddenly found himself in the middle of a forest road, surrounded by a brilliant starry sky and silent woods. In the distance, the two of them walked towards him. Liu Sicheng fixed his eyes and saw that the people who came were himself and Xiaoxue.

How can I possibly see myself? Liu Sicheng was shocked.

At this time, Xiaoxue suddenly opened her mouth and said to "Liu Sicheng" beside her:

"Sicheng, we've been together for months, and I want to confess a secret to you. A secret that even the rest of the people did not know. ”

Isn't that what Xiaoxue said to herself when she traveled day and night? Where are you?

Liu Sicheng felt an inexplicable pleasure in his heart again.

Then, two different scenes were intertwined with each other, and they kept flashing in front of Liu Sicheng's eyes, and an inexplicable sorrow surged up in his heart.

A voice surrounded his ears, it was Xiaoxue's voice.

"Should Sicheng and I remain friends, or should we go further......

"But the Heavenly Kingdom does not allow its people to associate with men on earth, because men are the big bad guys......

"But I know in my heart that Sicheng is not a bad person, he is very kind and compassionate......

"I don't know how to describe my relationship with him, there is an unbridled pleasure in being with him, just like I feel when I am with you......

"But he's a man after all, and I can't let go of that......

"Maybe that's why my relationship with him has never been as close as yours.

"I gradually realized that he was in love with me, but at the moment I could not accept his love......

"Sister, what should I do......

"No matter what, I hope my friendship with him continues."

It turned out that everything Liu Sicheng saw turned out to be an image in Xiaoxue's mind.

Why can I see these images? Is it because of his extraordinary sensing ability? Liu Sicheng's heart was surprised.

He recalled an article he had read before, which said that when people are in a special situation, strong brain waves will be released due to strong psychological reactions such as panic, fear, worry, and happiness. These brain waves remain in the scene, and people with particularly sensitive sensing abilities can receive these brain waves and see other people's mental images.

Perhaps it was because of her induction ability that was different from ordinary people, and Xiaoxue's heart was so entangled that she released strong brain waves, so she was able to get a glimpse of Xiaoxue's heart. The emotions that inexplicably surged up in my heart just now should be the Xiaoxue mood I received. Liu Sicheng judged.

At that moment, Liu Sicheng finally understood the reason why Xiaoxue's heart was extremely entangled. It turned out that the huge cultural differences made Xiaoxue reluctant to accept Liu Sicheng's show of love, but she was kind and didn't want it to affect the friendship between the two. This dilemma was bothering her and leaving her at a loss.

In an instant, Liu Sicheng's mood plummeted to the bottom. He didn't expect that there was such a wide gap between himself and Xiaoxue, and it was even impossible to cross. What should I do? Is it to restrain the love in your heart and continue to be friends with Xiaoxue? Or do you pursue her hard, trying to impress her heart?

A series of question marks in my heart.

If Liu Sicheng didn't know anything about Xiaoxue's thoughts at this moment, he would definitely choose the latter. However, now that he knew Xiaoxue's true thoughts, Liu Sicheng couldn't bear to continue to force Xiaoxue to make a choice.

Thinking of this, Liu Sicheng's movements stopped, and he never approached Xiaoxue's cherry mouth again. He gave up the opportunity to kiss Fangze.

The air also seemed to freeze at that moment, and the two of them stood in place without saying a word.

The silence between the two was broken by the sound of a tick-tock, the sound of raindrops hitting the lid.

Is it raining outside? Liu Sicheng pondered.

The two of them climbed out of the water tank when they heard the sound, and sure enough, it rained heavily in the sky, extinguishing all the flames around them.

However, at this time, there was no living person in the village, and more than 800 Wu soldiers were all killed in the fire.

The victory brought Liu Sicheng not joy, but sadness. The horrific scene in the village is deeply imprinted in his mind, and I am afraid that it will be difficult to forget in this life.

In the black village, countless corpses lay and burned as black as charcoal. These are corpses, but you can't tell if it's male or female; These are corpses, but you can't tell if they're human arms or lower limbs, or charred pieces of wood. There was a strong smell of burnt paste in the wind......

Although Liu Sicheng knew that he was only fighting for survival, this did not ease the guilt in his heart in the slightest. His own strategy killed hundreds of people, and these people also had families, wives and children. Perhaps their wives and children are still at home, but now no one can return to their hometown......

His own guilt mixed with the pain of being rejected by Xiaoxue hit his heart together, and under this double blow, Liu Sicheng even lost his strength to keep standing.

Liu Sicheng cried, tears and raindrops flowing down his face, converging into a trickle. Xiaoxue stood silently beside him and cried with him. In a trance, Liu Sicheng seemed to hear Xiaoxue say in a choked voice:

Si Cheng ...... You are really kind......"

Can we only be friends? Liu Sicheng lamented in his heart.

The rain fell heavily, hitting Liu Sicheng's body, and also dripping into his heart, submerging his whole body in it, unable to extricate himself.

Later, the Wu army chose to withdraw on its own initiative due to the heavy casualties in this battle, and the Yue people here also escaped. Liu Sicheng became famous among the Yue people because of this battle, and the Yue people in Luling County jointly elected him as the chief military division.

Liu Siwei wanted to refuse, but he had no choice but to agree.

He silently prayed in his heart that the war would not come, because he could not bear the guilt of killing.

But this is just a beautiful fantasy in Liu Sicheng's heart, and the demon of war will not leave the human side for a moment.

After experiencing the baptism of war, Liu Sicheng cherished the hard-won peace even more. In the following days, Liu Sicheng actively helped the villagers rebuild their homes, and even deliberately took time to learn to cook with Xiaoxue. Although life was hard, he did not have the slightest complaint in his heart.

As for his relationship with Xiaoxue, Liu Sicheng no longer deliberately forced, he completely handed over the decision to Xiaoxue.

If you love someone, you want her to be happy. Liu Sicheng was unwilling to force Xiaoxue to make a decision, let alone let her be in trouble. So Liu Sicheng decided to give up the pursuit of Xiaoxue.

However, no matter whether the two can come together in the future, Xiaoxue will always be Liu Sicheng's "oasis", and this will never change.