Her guards

Chapter 279 Are you scared?

Chapter 279 Are you scared?
Night covers the earth.

Wei Xu suddenly woke up and looked around in a slightly panicked manner.

"Has the Wuyang army caught up with us?" he couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

The campfire at the camp had gone out, and the night was pitch black. In the distance, there seemed to be shadowy figures swaying.

“No,” a guard whispered beside him. “They can’t catch up with us.”

Yes, the general has already led them away ahead of time.

They left without a sound.

The Wuyang Army knew nothing about it, and even the Gangu Army knew very little.

Moreover, they were going to the Northern Barbarians.

Wei Cui had already established a family business in the Northern Di.

When the Northern Barbarians arrived, the imperial army was helpless.

So this can be considered as escaping once again.

Wei Xu breathed a sigh of relief and looked around. Wei Cui's camp was tightly surrounded by soldiers, while the camps of the Wei clan members were scattered all around...

There are fewer people in the tribe than before.

Some were left behind in Gangu to fight against the Wuyang army alongside the Gangu army.

If Gangu City falls, these tribesmen will probably...

Wei Xu couldn't help but shiver.

Don't think about it anymore, anyway, it wasn't him who died.

He was one of the general's closest allies, and his father had already died fighting for the general.

He will surely survive alongside the general.

Wei Xu took a deep breath, preparing to close his eyes and sleep for a while again, but then he heard the sound of horses' hooves, and a patrol of soldiers returned.

By the light of the torches, one could see that their bodies were covered in blood, and they looked disheveled.

"Attacked?"

"Two died?"

Two, not many, not many, but...

This wasn't the first time, Wei Xu thought. In fact, from the very first day they left Gangu City, the scouts had been constantly being killed.

If the scouts alerted the imperial army, but no troops followed afterward.

If they had run into the imperial army's hidden sentries, there couldn't be sentries all the way...

This means that someone was following them all along.

Now, not only scouts going out, but also those patrolling near the camp are being killed.

Wei Xu jumped up, pointing at the soldiers: "They're attacking! They're attacking!"

The quiet campsite was disturbed.

After a thorough search by hundreds of soldiers, no trace of the imperial troops was found, and no one was attacked again.

After all that commotion, dawn broke, and the Wei clan members looked exhausted.

"...How exactly was the attack carried out?"

"...They said a wild fox pounced during the patrol, the fox was shot dead by an arrow, and the two guards who went to check on the fox were also shot dead by arrows. The fox did not reappear..."

"...This is clearly a vagrant hunting expedition..."

"...Wei Xu, you're seeing things from afar!"

"...You're such a coward!"

"...No, General. People have been killed along the way. There must be something wrong."

The main tent was noisy and chaotic.

Wei Cui waved his hand to stop everyone: "The imperial troops didn't come after us. They must be vagrants. These vagrants are uncivilized and act like wild beasts."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The vagrants weren't too worried; their army was overwhelming them, so they just needed to avoid getting separated from the group.

“It’s right that A-Xu is so vigilant.” Wei Cui looked at Wei Xu again. “Especially when we arrive in the Northern Di, the environment is different from our previous one, so we have to be even more careful in everything we do.”

After saying that, he took out a scroll.

"This is a compilation of details about the various tribes of the Northern Di, as well as some commonly used Northern Di languages. Ah Xu, study it carefully. Once we reach the Northern Di, the foundation of the Wei clan will depend on you."

Wei Xu's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.

That's right.

Wei Cui's two sons were both dead, and Wei Jiao, apart from falling into the hands of the emperor, was essentially already dead.

Wei Cui's legacy can only be left to him.

Wei Xu disregarded his anxiety and fear and happily accepted it with both hands.

"General," he said, then changed his form of address, "Uncle, rest assured! I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

The surrounding clansmen looked at Wei Xu with a mixture of envy and dissatisfaction, offering him compliments that were sometimes genuine and sometimes feigned.

"Since we've already started all this trouble, let's break camp," Wei Cui said. "Everyone, please bear with us and get to the Northern Barbarians as soon as possible."

No one objected and they went about their business.

The clansmen withdrew, and Wei Cui's kind face gradually darkened as he looked at the arrows still embedded in the wild fox lying on the ground.

The arrow pierced his neck, killing him instantly.

The same was true for the two patrolling guards.

This is certainly not a nomadic hunt.

Indeed, someone has caught up with us.

To be precise, it was a continuous pursuit, getting closer and closer with each chase.

……

The horses' hooves pounded, and the camp of hundreds of people slowly rose, heading north in the sunlight.

The waist-high weeds were trampled down wherever they went.

The wild grass rose and fell like rolling waves.

As the waves receded, a figure suddenly rose from the fallen weeds.

His body and head were covered in grass, making him look like a straw man at first glance.

Wei Jiao spat out the grass in his mouth, watched the men and horses disappear into the waves, chuckled, flipped his wrist and slung two crossbows behind his back, and took a step to chase after them, but then stopped, thinking of something and rummaging through his body, pulling out a small cloth bag.

The cloth bag was embroidered with the characters "Mo", "Zheng", "Sheng" in a crooked manner.

Mo Zheng had the black uncle examine him and said that he had too much poison in his body, which would cause him to lose his memory and hallucinate. He then prescribed him new medicine.

You need to take these medications on time.

"If you forget... I've written down all the names I've ever used, and you might find one that looks familiar."

Wei Jiao turned the bag over; on the other side was embroidered the character for "dog."

The embroidery on this piece is much better than the four over there.

He embroidered it.

Even if he forgot those four words, he would never forget the bastard.

Wei Jiao shook the cloth bag and poured out a pill; there was only one left.

That means it's been five days since I left that black guy.

That bastard must be furious, right?

Wei Jiao smiled broadly, tossed the pill into his mouth, clenched the empty cloth bag in his hand, but ultimately didn't throw it away. He stuffed it into his clothes and strode forward.

Just as he crossed a mountain ridge, he suddenly stopped, fell backward, and a crossbow bolt grazed past him.

At the same time, more crossbow bolts came flying through the air, burning with flames, and instantly ignited the autumn grass as they landed.

The hidden soldiers slowly emerged, gazing at the sea of fire.

A lone figure stands amidst billowing smoke and dust.

"Only one person!"

Wei Xu saw this and shouted with joy.

The other tribespeople around also breathed a sigh of relief.

As expected, it wasn't the imperial army that came chasing after them.

However, the general was still very meticulous and believed that the attacking vagrants should be taught a lesson, so what appeared to be breaking camp was actually setting up an ambush.

"Kill—" Wei Xu shouted excitedly.

Before the words had even faded, shouts also came from the distant sea of fire.

"Father—it's me—it's your Ajiao—"

Everyone was stunned when they heard the shout.

Wei Jiao?

Wei Cui, who was at the rear of the column and hadn't paid any attention to the ambush, was startled and looked up in their direction.

……

Although separated by smoke and fire, the Wei clan members recognized them by their voices and figures.

It is indeed Wei Jiao.

"Wei Jiao is still alive?"

"Wei Jiao actually came here?"

I originally thought it was still in the emperor's hands.

Moreover, they overcame numerous enemy troops and caught up with them.

How can this be?

"I'm not dead, of course I'm not dead—"

Wei Jiao's voice came from the sea of fire.

"His Majesty wants me to atone for my crimes—Father, you should surrender now—"

They've come to persuade us to surrender?
The tribesmen instinctively looked at Wei Cui.

Wei Cui had already come over, looking past the layers of guards into the sea of fire.

"Ah Jiao, don't say such foolish things," he shouted. "Now that you've come out alive, come with me. What can Deng Shan do to you!"

The figure in the sea of fire ran forward a few steps.

“Father, Deng Shan has promised me wealth and honor. My elder brother and the others who surrendered earlier have also been spared death. Everyone is waiting to persuade you to surrender so that you can get rich!”

Upon hearing this, the Wei clan members were once again taken aback.

Eldest brother? Those people from Longxi didn't die either?
Not to say……

Everyone's gaze couldn't help but turn to Wei Cui.

Wei Cui looked helpless: "How could A Jiao be deceived by Deng Shan's words?"

A voice could be heard from afar amidst the sea of fire.

“We who were deceived by Deng Shan are still alive, but your uncles who were deceived by you back then are all dead.”

Uncle and second uncle? This refers to Wei Cui's two elder brothers...

He served as an official in the capital alongside Wei Cui. Later, Wei Cui said that Zhao Tan suspected the Wei family of disloyalty and killed all three brothers, with only he managing to escape...

"Why were they killed by Zhao Tan? Father, it was because you saw that Zhao Tan's rule was unstable and that he had designs on the country. In order to escape from Zhao Tan's grasp, you informed him that the two were planning to rebel and raise an army. That's why Zhao Tan killed them, and you used the opportunity to get away..."

Wei Jiao's high-pitched and bright voice rang out, making the eardrums of everyone in the Wei clan present buzz.

real or fake?

Wei Cui's two elder brothers actually...

"...You can abandon your wife and children, you can abandon your own brother, so why are you all still following him, just to die for him?"

"...You're the ones who are really crazy if you call me crazy."

As each word was thrown at him, Wei Cui's kind smile vanished, and he waved his hand dismissively.

"My son is dead, killed by Deng Shan!" he roared. "Kill this bastard who served Deng Shan!"

At the command, the soldiers unleashed a volley of crossbow bolts.

Flames roared, and the figures on the other side were instantly engulfed.

……

Horses and men galloped wildly across the land.

After the ambush, Wei Cui did not send anyone to check whether Wei Jiao was completely dead.

"Even if he doesn't die, he will be seriously injured. We don't need to worry about him anymore. He can't do anything to us by himself."

"What we need to guard against is the imperial army in the rear."

"Enter the Northern Barbarians before they arrive."

They traveled at a rapid pace for two days, and it wasn't until the evening of the second day that they finally set up camp to rest.

Although exhausted, Wei Xu dared not sleep, as did the tribesmen around him, who could hear whispers in their ears from time to time.

"...Did the people of Longxi really not die?"

"...How can Wei Jiao's words be trusted!"

"...But Wei Jiao is still alive..."

Wei Xu couldn't help but jump up: "Don't listen to his nonsense! How can you believe the words of a madman!"

The people around him looked embarrassed.

"We didn't believe it."

"We were just saying it."

"Hurry up and rest, we have to keep going before dawn."

As they spoke, the group dispersed.

Wei Xu stood there, feeling uneasy despite the guards around him.

"I'm going to guard my uncle's tent," he muttered, picking up his weapon and heading towards Wei Cui's main camp.

It's always safer to stay outside Wei Cui's tent.

But as he approached, he saw a figure fall from the night sky, and the two guards in front of the tent fell to the ground instantly, blood splattering everywhere.

Wei Xu let out a scream as he looked at the people standing in front of the tent.

“Wei Jiao—” he shouted hoarsely.

This time, without the obstruction of flames or distance, he could clearly see the face of the person who had come.

His hair was like dry straw, his face was deathly pale, and he was stained with blood.

It was unclear whether it was his own blood or the blood of the two guards he had just killed.

His body was covered in blood, his clothes were torn, and two arrows were still lodged in his shoulder, only the fletchings of the arrows were broken off...

Hearing the shout, Wei Jiao turned around and smiled at him.

Is it a man or a ghost? Wei Xu gripped his weapon tightly, but before he could make a move, the sound of crossbow bolts rang in his ears. His vision blurred, and Wei Jiao crashed into the tent—

The tents were torn apart and spun around, the crossbow bolts were deflected, and the people took cover inside the tents.

At the same time, countless soldiers rushed in from all sides.

"I knew you'd come!"

Wei Cui's voice also came from behind.

Wei Xu was knocked aside by the soldiers, and took the opportunity to crawl out on his hands and feet. He looked up and saw Wei Cui walking from the direction of the camp in the distance.

It turns out Wei Cui wasn't here.

This was just a trap to lure the enemy.

"...Wei Jiao! You still won't give up? You're willing to kill your father for Deng Shan's sake!"

Wei Cui was heartbroken and looked into the tent surrounded by his guards.

"Don't you even consider that you, alone, could kill me?"

Wei Jiao's voice came from inside the tent.

As the distance drew closer, his voice became less shrill.

"How will you know if you don't try?"

"There is no one in this world who cannot be killed."

As he spoke, the entire tent was lifted up, and amidst the chaos of the surrounding soldiers, a crossbow bolt flew towards Wei Cui.

"Father, are you afraid?"

……

The arrow failed to penetrate the layers of protection, first grazing a soldier's shoulder, and then being knocked away by the shield.

Countless soldiers surged toward Wei Jiao, while Wei Xu desperately crawled away to avoid being swept into the bloody vortex.

A commotion could be heard in the distance, in the darkness of the night.

"General—Wuyang Army—"

"The Wuyang Army is here—"

The imperial army has arrived?

The camp was in chaos.

Wei Xu crawled on the ground and finally reached Wei Cui's side.

The incident happened suddenly, and most of the Wei clan members were unable to rush over in time.

By the time I realized it, it was too late.

Layer upon layer of guards protected Cui, preventing either imperial troops or close relatives from getting close.

"Uncle, Uncle."

Wei Xu shouted in a trembling voice.

Wei Cui quickly reached out to help him up: "A-Xu, don't be afraid."

As they spoke, they looked around the camp.

Wei Jiao's figure had disappeared; he must have been killed by the chaotic soldiers.

Looking further afield, the two armies were closing in and had already begun fighting.

“There aren’t many troops coming; they’re just making a show of force under the cover of night,” he said to Wei Xu with a smile. “Don’t worry, they can’t stop us.”

Wei Xu nodded repeatedly.

“Don’t be afraid, your uncle will take you away,” Wei Cui said, and then prepared to mount his horse, but as soon as he turned around, he felt a sharp pain in his chest.

what happened?

He looked down and saw the tip of a knife against his chest.

He slowly turned his head and saw Wei Xu's terrified and crazed eyes.

This stupid thing actually dared to kill him? Wei Cui couldn't believe it; he felt like he was dreaming.

How could I have such an absurd dream?

"Uncle, don't blame me. I... I did it for the sake of the Wei family. If I killed you, we could all live."

Wei Xu said, his voice trembling.

"I don't want to go to the Northern Barbarians. It's better for our Wei clan to live in Longxi."

I don't want to be used as a stepping stone or a shield for you.

Both of his uncles were killed by Wei Cui, and Wei Jiao and his mother were also abandoned and used by him. His father is also dead. Will he be the next one to be abandoned and killed by Wei Cui?
No, he was almost killed by Wei Cui just now.

They changed camps but didn't tell him. He even went to guard Wei Cui, and...
If he had been any faster, Wei Jiao would have killed him!
He doesn't want to die!

Wei Jiao said, "Kill Wei Cui, surrender, and you can live!"

"Uncle, you, you, go in peace."

"Wei Cui is dead—"

"I killed Wei Cui—"

"what--"

Wei Xu's frantic shouts gradually faded into the distance, and Wei Cui could no longer hear them clearly; he just found it amusing.

so funny.

How could Wei Cui have died like this?
He, Wei Cui, survived the clutches of the treacherous Zhao Tan.

He, Wei Cui, survived under the rule of the new emperor, Deng Shan.

The former dynasty's young prince plotted against him, surrounding him from both sides, yet he still survived.

In the end, he died at the hands of his own nephew.

One, stupid, useless, negligible, in the hands of his nephew.

Wei Cui's gaze gradually became upside down. Had his head been cut off?
My gaze shifted and rose again; was it because the spear had lifted me high into the air?

He looked down at the chaotic battlefield, saw the Wei clan members fleeing everywhere, and saw a group of people without military robes rushing towards him. Oh, those weren't the imperial army, so who were they? He couldn't see clearly because it seemed that many people were fighting over his head, and his head was knocked off.

His head rolled to the ground, and he saw a person crawling among the burning weeds, looking at him with eyes that gleamed in the firelight.

"Ah Jiao," Wei Cui called out in his heart.

Oh, Ah Jiao's eyes are exactly like his mother's.

So beautiful.

"Daddy."

The toddler, just learning to walk, blinked his big eyes and reached out his hand to him.

"I'm so scared, I'm so scared."

Fear……

afraid of what?
Abandoned?
Abandoned?
Afraid of death?

Wei Cui's vision was no longer that of a toddler, but of a bright, smiling face.

"Father, are you afraid?"

He was terrified, he was going to die, he was so scared, and then everything went dark.