Chapter 2

Zhang Xuan picked up several earth spears and ran swiftly to the east. After running about a hundred steps, he reached a cliff at the foot of a hill. He crouched behind a large rock and looked down.

Below was a secluded path. In the distance, a man was galloping on a horse, constantly looking back with a look of terror on his face, desperately whipping his horse.

About a hundred steps behind him, a dozen Sui army cavalrymen were chasing him closely. They were clad in bright armor, holding long spears and gleaming sabers, with quivers of arrows on their backs. Their horses galloped like the wind, chasing the fleeing man.

The path was narrow, with a deep valley on one side and continuous hills on the other, covered by dense forests.

"Save me!"

The man desperately whipped his horse, seeing the Sui cavalrymen getting closer. In despair, he shouted loudly.

To save or not to save?

Zhang Xuan's hesitation lasted only a moment before he made his decision.

At this moment, the dozen Sui cavalrymen controlled their horses with their legs and simultaneously drew their bows, firing arrows at the fleeing man. Several arrows hit the horse, which could no longer bear the pain. It let out a mournful cry and fell heavily into the bushes by the side of the path. The man was thrown several yards away but seemed uninjured, rolling and crawling up the hill.

A dozen fierce horses galloped up, kicking up a cloud of dust. Zhang Xuan suddenly stood up, raised an earth spear, and threw it with all his might down the hill.

The earth spear flew swiftly, with great force. The leading cavalryman could not dodge it in time, and the spear pierced the belly of his horse. The horse let out a terrible scream and rolled down the other side of the hill with the cavalryman.

The cavalrymen behind were frightened and pulled their horses to a stop. The horses reared up, neighing wildly.

At this moment, a cavalryman shouted, "Quickly retreat!"

The dozen cavalrymen retreated, and a huge rock, weighing several hundred pounds, rolled down the hill, blocking the path.

The cavalrymen looked up the hill and immediately saw a young man with strange attire standing by the edge of the forest. He had very short hair and was wearing a tattered hemp robe, holding several long spears.

Zhang Xuan pushed the rock down the hill and then threw several earth spears at the cavalrymen. The spears came swiftly, and the cavalrymen hurriedly retreated to avoid them. The spears plunged heavily into the ground.

They then realized that these were not spears but branches with one end sharpened and the bark removed. Although crudely made, they were powerful enough to pierce their bodies.

The cavalrymen were furious and drew their bows, but when they looked for a target, they found that the target had vanished. They also could not find the man they were chasing.

The cavalrymen realized they had been tricked. The man on the hill had distracted them, allowing the man they were chasing to escape.

The dozen Sui cavalrymen cursed loudly. The general had ordered them to capture the fugitive, but they were few in number, and the fugitive had help. They were afraid of an ambush in the forest and could only shout and wait for reinforcements.

Zhang Xuan and the man he saved ran for several miles. The man was exhausted, and in front of them was a towering tree with lush branches, like a giant umbrella standing in the forest. The thick roots intertwined like pythons, making it the king of the forest, standing out prominently.

The man barely made it to the tree, bending over and panting heavily. He waved his hand and said, "Let's rest for a moment. I... I can't run anymore."

He sat down under the tree, leaning against the root and breathing heavily, looking around, still shaken.

Zhang Xuan leaned against another root, his right hand gripping the military dagger at his waist, observing the man.

His pistol had only three bullets, and he would not use it unless in dire straits. To deal with this man, the military dagger was enough.

The man was in his early thirties, with a short beard, of medium build, narrow eyes, and a high nose, exuding both martial and scholarly charm, with a remarkable appearance.

His left leg was scratched by the bushes when he fell off the horse, bleeding profusely. Zhang Xuan took out a ball of homemade hemostatic medicine made from mimosa and threw it to him, "Chew it and apply it to the wound to prevent infection."

The man did not rush to apply the medicine but stood up and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan, "Thank you for saving my life. May I ask your name? I will remember it and repay you in the future."

Zhang Xuan, impressed by his appearance and manners, felt a sense of goodwill. He was from Xi'an, now known as Chang'an, and smiled, "My name is Zhang Xuan, from Chang'an. Who are you, and why were you being chased by the cavalry?"

"Oh! So you are from the same hometown as me."

The man bowed again, "I am Li Mi from Chang'an."

"You are Li Mi, Duke of Poshan?"

Zhang Xuan looked at the man he had saved in surprise. He was Li Mi, the famous warlord of the late Sui dynasty.

"Indeed, I am!"

Zhang Xuan had only been in this era for seven days and had only met a grandfather and grandson. The third person he met was the famous Li Mi, which surprised and excited him.

He knew that Li Mi had joined Yang Xuangan's rebellion, and after Yang's defeat, Li Mi had been forced to flee. This must have been the time when he saved him.

However, Li Mi was not surprised. His family was prominent, and most people in Chang'an had heard of him. The young man in front of him, wearing tattered flowered pants and with hair less than an inch long, was tall and strong, but he was curious about him.

However, Li Mi was still shaken and did not think to question the young man's background. At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly shouted and ran a few steps, his military dagger flashing as it stabbed into a dense bush. A man holding a long saber clutched his chest and fell out of the bush with a scream.

The situation changed suddenly. From above, from the bushes, and from behind the tree, seven or eight ambushers rushed out and attacked them.

Zhang Xuan reacted with exceptional agility. He dodged a blow to the back of his head, swept his left leg, and hit the attacker's head. The kick was powerful enough to shatter three bricks, and the attacker's skull cracked.

Before he could stand up, he tackled another person, and with a "crack," his iron-like arm broke the other's neck.

There were eight attackers, and Zhang Xuan had killed three in the blink of an eye. However, Li Mi was in a dangerous situation, wrestling with the attacker who had jumped down from above. Another attacker emerged from the gap between the roots, silently thrusting a spear at Li Mi's back.

Zhang Xuan leaped up, ready to pounce, but his neck was suddenly tightened. Someone had grabbed him from behind, and a bright dagger was about to cut his throat. Zhang Xuan struck with his elbow, and the attacker groaned, with five or six ribs broken.

He then grabbed the attacker's hand and performed a back throw, sending the attacker flying headfirst into the spearman, who could not dodge and was knocked over.

Zhang Xuan scanned the area, and two more attackers rushed at him. He dodged a blow, and his military dagger stabbed viciously, piercing the soldier's jaw and exiting through the top of his head.

The other attacker turned and ran, but Zhang Xuan threw the military dagger and leaped, grabbing a tree root with his hands and kicking the attacker's neck with his legs. The neck was broken into three pieces, and the attacker died instantly.

Zhang Xuan picked up the military dagger and walked over, mercilessly stabbing the other two injured soldiers to death.

At this moment, Li Mi finally killed the soldier he was fighting. He stood up, panting, and was stunned. Zhang Xuan leaned against a tree root, his eyes cold, the tip of his dagger still dripping blood.

Seven bodies lay around them, each one a gruesome sight.

Li Mi raised his hands in panic, explaining, "These people were not arranged by me. I really didn't know!"

It was just a coincidence that Li Mi had rested there, which made Zhang Xuan suspicious. He observed Li Mi for a moment, seeing no fear in his eyes, and asked, "These people should at least be your comrades, right?"

Li Mi laughed bitterly, "What comrades? With hundreds of thousands of people, who can recognize who?"

He looked at the soldiers' uniforms and pulled out a copper badge, surprised, "They are Yang Xuangan's Tiger Guard, each one a fierce warrior, and you actually—"

Li Mi raised his thumb, praising, "Impressive, one man against seven Tiger Guards, even a brave general can't do better!"

"It's nothing, just seven small bandits, not much of a challenge."

Zhang Xuan listened for a moment, picked up a saber, and said to Li Mi, "Let's go! The Sui cavalry is catching up."

Li Mi was startled. He could faintly hear shouting in the distance and hurriedly picked up two short spears, "Wait for me!" He chased after Zhang Xuan, who was walking quickly.

...

By the next morning, they had completely shaken off the pursuers and reached an abandoned official road to the north. Zhang Xuan caught a few fish in a stream, and Li Mi had flint and tinder, so they quickly started a fire in a small forest and cooked the fish for food.

Li Mi had cooked a large carp and smiled as he handed it to Zhang Xuan, "Carp is a tonic, but I have a hidden illness and can't eat it. You go ahead, I'll cook the crucian carp."

Zhang Xuan skewered a crucian carp on his military dagger and handed it to Li Mi, exchanging it for the cooked carp, and smiled, "I won't be polite then!"

Li Mi took the military dagger, cooking the fish over the fire, and casually asked, "Your accent doesn't sound like you're from Chang'an."

"I am from Chang'an, but I grew up in Henei."

Li Mi smiled, "I thought so! Your accent is like that of people from Henei. You grew up in Henei, but many temples were destroyed in this chaos, and many monks like you were forced to return to secular life. Which temple in Henei did you grow up in?"

Zhang Xuan smiled, took a big bite of the fish, and did not answer. Although Li Mi's tone was light and friendly, he was clearly probing Zhang Xuan's background.

People like Li Mi, with the potential to be a warlord, would only trust someone after thoroughly investigating their background. If he didn't know Zhang Xuan's background, how could he feel safe traveling with him?

Li Mi cooked the fish casually, but his eyes quickly glanced at Zhang Xuan, who had almost finished his fish. A hint of a cold smile flashed in Li Mi's eyes.