Chapter 6

The wrists of the ten young boys were tied with thin ropes, forming a chain, with about ten feet between each of them. They walked back along the old path, and even Fangfang did not receive any special treatment. She walked at the back, sobbing softly, with Xiaoqiu in front of her.

It wasn't just her who was crying; under the influence of Touzi, more than half of the young boys had tears on their faces. They never imagined that a single escape would cause such a big trouble.

The Xuanfu Army was even more terrifying than the legends. They were adults, towering on their horses, each equipped with long swords and shields. The occasional clashing sounds made the young boys tremble with fear.

The only Xuanfu Army officer who had spoken was clearly the leader, as he was the only one with a red silk sash around his waist and a similarly colored sash slung over his right shoulder.

The Xuanfu Army leaders were not selected based on height, as this person was the shortest among the eleven soldiers. However, this did not affect his cruelty. It was under his orders that the young boys' wrists were tied with thin ropes, and they walked like prisoners between the two groups of soldiers.

The return journey was listless, especially for Ershuan, who had suggested taking the shortcut. They were caught in less than a day, and he deeply regretted it. If he had another chance, he would have forced his companions to travel through the night instead of stopping to eat and rest, or he would have taken Xiaqiu and Fangfang back to Ye Lin Town. Looking at the Xuanfu Army soldiers in black, Ershuan preferred the latter option, but unfortunately, he couldn't choose again.

"My father will save me. He was the one who reported us, right?" Ershuan said softly, trying to boost his confidence and comfort his companions behind him.

"Is this not a serious crime?" Lengzi, walking behind Ershuan, asked with a sob, "We can say... that it was Xiaqiu who forced us to enter the forest."

"There's no need. As long as I can persuade my father... I can do it, you don't have to worry." Although Ershuan regretted helping Xiaqiu, he didn't think about betraying him.

Lengzi nodded dejectedly, "My parents will beat me to death..."

The dejected mood quickly spread throughout the group. Touzi's shoulders shook as he cried, and he struggled to keep up with the others, "I don't want to go to jail, I... I need to urinate."

"Silence," the Xuanfu Army officer said again. He was clearly a very strict person, stopping his horse by the roadside and watching the young prisoners pass by. Under his orders, the boys even breathed cautiously.

When Xiaqiu walked past, he glanced up. His panic had subsided, and he had regained his observational skills. He suddenly had a feeling that the officer with the cold voice wasn't very tall.

The officer's face was hidden behind his helmet. Noticing that Xiaqiu dared to look up, he threateningly raised his whip.

Xiaqiu became even more certain that the officer wasn't an adult. He was surprised that a child could command ten fully armed Xuanfu Army soldiers. Then, he began to think about an escape plan.

The chestnut horse was still there, obediently following at the back. If he could untie the rope, take Fangfang on the horse, and ride away, he might be able to escape the soldiers. Xiaqiu's plans were always simple, and he still didn't intend to seek help from anyone.

The opportunity to untie the rope came soon.

After two hours of travel, the group returned to the main road. The young boys were surprised to find that they hadn't actually entered the forest very far the previous day.

The officer decided to stop and rest.

A soldier removed his helmet, revealing a weathered and resolute face, "Sir, we should continue on our way. We must return to Xia'er Fort before dark."

The officer said nothing and did not remove his helmet, stubbornly staring at the soldier who dared to suggest otherwise, as if he had been greatly offended.

The old soldier's face turned slightly red, but he still insisted, "The Talisman Master warned us that this place is not safe and we shouldn't stay long. The Taoist we met yesterday also said..."

"Ah, I know, and I know even more. Don't worry, the demonic seeds won't dare to show themselves in broad daylight. Even if they do, can our mighty Xuanfu Army of Xijie Kingdom not defeat them?"

The young boys found it amusing when the old soldier said the place was "unsafe." The biggest "demon" in Ye Lin Town was their group of children, who were as obedient as chicks in the hands of the Xuanfu Army. Where was the danger?

The old soldier submitted, nodding to the other soldiers to indicate that they could rest.

The soldiers were happy and dismounted, lifting their helmets to eat the dry rations and drink water they carried, taking turns to relieve themselves behind the forest. They spoke to each other in hushed tones, as if they were very wary of the short officer, trying to show their seriousness in front of him.

The officer did not dismount, watching the prisoners he had caught, as if they were heinous criminals.

Touzi was trembling, and Xiaqiu, gathering his courage, looked up and loudly said to the officer, "I need to urinate."

"Me too," Touzi had been holding it for a long time, and even the fear of going to jail couldn't stop this feeling. The prisoners started to speak up, and Erlang even wanted a piece of dry rations, as watching others eat was a torment for him.

"Silence," the officer said sternly.

The young boys didn't dare to be unruly, but Xiaqiu still stared at the officer, "Prisoners need to use the toilet too, we can't hold it much longer."

The officer was silent for a moment, "Others can go in turns, but you cannot."

"Why?" Xiaqiu asked in surprise, as he had planned to use this opportunity to escape.

"Because your crime is serious."

Xiaqiu was angry. The Xuanfu Army soldiers didn't seem as tall and imposing as they initially appeared. He had already regained his stubbornness, "Fangfang didn't want to marry into the Shen family, is that a crime? Are you adults forcing a little girl?"

The officer snorted, "The marriage of commoners is of no concern to Xijie Kingdom. You, however, released fourteen official horses and stole one, which is a serious crime."

Xiaqiu's mouth dropped open. The horses he herded belonged to the Shen family, and he didn't know that the Shen family was raising horses for the government.

The other young boys, however, were relieved to hear this. Lengzi immediately spoke his thoughts, "So it's about the official horses, it has nothing to do with us. The horses were all released by Xiaqiu."

"You are accomplices," the officer said bluntly, "and will also be punished."

The word "punishment" frightened the young boys. They were willing to accept "lessons" or "discipline," but they couldn't imagine how terrible "punishment" would be. Two soldiers, at the officer's signal, began to untie the ropes of the prisoners, but Xiaqiu remained tied, staying within the sight of the Xuanfu Army.

When it was Fangfang's turn, she shook her head, refusing to untie the rope, remaining connected to Xiaqiu.

Xiaqiu's first plan failed before it was even executed, and he had to think of another idea.

"What are demonic seeds? Why are you so afraid? We have all kinds of things in Ye Lin Town, but we've never heard of demonic seeds."

The officer snorted again, not expecting the prisoner to have the nerve to ask him. He refused to answer and instead ordered, "Tie him tighter." A soldier approached and pulled the rope on Xiaqiu's right wrist tighter until it cut into his flesh. "And her," the officer pointed at Fangfang with his whip.

"What does she have to do with it?" Xiaqiu stood in front of Fangfang.

"Because you are not obedient," the officer enjoyed his authority, his voice revealing a hint of satisfaction, "This is just a little punishment."

The soldier pushed Xiaqiu aside and tied Fangfang's wrists even tighter. The soldier's strength was too much, and Fangfang let out a soft cry. Xiaqiu glared at the officer but didn't dare to speak again.

The young boys who had gone to the forest to relieve themselves gradually returned. The officer silently counted, "One is missing."

Lengzi, in fear, pointed to the forest, "Touzi, he... he is defecating."

The officer turned his head in disdain, finding the crude language of the Ye Lin Town boys particularly grating. However, after waiting for a while, the last prisoner still hadn't returned, and he became impatient, "Call him out, we must depart immediately."

"Touzi," Lengzi called out.

"Touzi!" Ershuan raised his voice.

It was around noon, the branches hung low, and even the insects were too lazy to make a sound. The forest was eerily quiet.

The officer was angry, "Bring the prisoner here and give him five lashes."

"Touzi, come out quickly," the young boys called out together, hoping he could still avoid the whipping.

A soldier strode into the forest, unhappy with this task. Even without the officer's order, he intended to harshly discipline the young boy.

The soldier entered the forest, and the branches quickly stopped moving, but no sound came from inside.

The young boys looked at each other, surprised by Touzi's boldness.

The Xuanfu Army, however, had a different reaction. Nine soldiers almost simultaneously drew their long swords and took their shields from their horses, standing shoulder to shoulder, facing the forest.

The officer, who seemed to be seeing this formation for the first time, was slightly nervous, pulling on the reins and making his horse turn in place, "Send two more."

Two soldiers obeyed, moving cautiously, about seven or eight steps apart. They had only taken a few steps when they stopped. A small face appeared between the trees, the very prisoner who had refused to come out.

Touzi looked at everyone with a smile, not saying a word, just nodding frequently, as if inviting his friends to come and see something interesting. His nonchalant attitude showed that he didn't take the Xuanfu Army soldiers seriously.

This wasn't the Touzi the young boys remembered.

The officer, seeing the person, lost his panic and became furious, "Bold prisoner, do you want to die?"

The old soldier turned his head and said to the officer, "Something's not right, be careful..."

The two soldiers continued to approach the forest, holding their shields in their left hands and raising their swords in their right, as if facing a great enemy.

Touzi still smiled, nodding more frequently, encouraging the soldiers to come closer.

The two soldiers disappeared suddenly, as if pulled by something, spreading their arms and falling into the forest, their swords and shields dropping to the ground.

"Beast demon!" a soldier shouted, and without waiting for the officer's order, the soldiers immediately sprang into action, striking their shields with their swords and marching in unison toward the forest. Their target was not the smiling Touzi but a spot about ten steps away from him.

Behind them, the officer reined his horse back, regaining his composure after a few steps. He also drew his sword and raised his large oval shield but didn't dare to advance.

The young boys from Ye Lin Town didn't understand the meaning of "beast demon." That was clearly Touzi, and they had just been in the forest. Where did the "demon" come from?

Xiaqiu, however, was shaken. He suddenly remembered the warning from the Taoist by the bridge—stay away from demons and spirits.

Just as the young boys were unprepared, the demon really appeared. A huge snake head emerged from the forest, clearly aware that its presence had been exposed. It abandoned its tricks and prepared to confront the Xuanfu Army soldiers directly.

The snake head hung high in the air, its yellow eyes looking down at the humans, and the two large fangs in its mouth were almost as long and sharp as the Xuanfu Army's swords.

In that moment, Xiaqiu thought he saw a flash of green light in the snake's eyes.

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