Chinese Generals Summoning System

Chapter 8: Scattering to Escape

The news brought back by Liu Pi, who had been scouting ahead on horseback, instantly filled Liu Hao and the others with dread. A force of over a hundred cavalrymen could easily wipe out their group several times over, and from the faint tremor of the ground, they knew this cavalry force was about to arrive at any moment. Liu Hao acted decisively and said, “Brother Liu Pi, you take Liu Ji and Niuniu and ride away quickly. Old Tie and I will lead the women and children up the mountain. We’ll meet up in Qi County, Changping Commandery, Yongzhou!” Liu Ji was startled upon hearing this and said, “Father, we…” Liu Hao waved his hand to cut Liu Ji off, speaking in a tone that brooked no argument: “There’s no time for you to dither. Keep a close eye on Niuniu! Without you and Niuniu holding us back, your Uncle Tie and I will be fine!” Just then, Liu Pi spurred his horse up beside Liu Ji, yanked him onto the warhorse in one swift motion, and had him sit in front of him. “My Lord, Master Liu is right! There’s no time to hesitate!” Liu Tie immediately handed Liu Niuniu to Liu Ji. Liu Ji knew this was the only option left at this moment. He held his sister tightly and shouted to Liu Hao and Liu Tie, “Father! Uncle Tie! You must be careful!” Liu Ji and Liu Niuniu sat in front of Liu Pi, but this did not hinder Liu Pi’s control of the warhorse. With a flick of the reins, Liu Pi guided the horse as it galloped back the way they had come. Liu Hao bellowed at the terrified women, “Take the children and run up the mountain! Don’t look back—just keep running!” Liu Hao and Liu Tie then led the way up the mountain. At that moment, Liu Hao was in no position to worry about the fate of the women and children; life and death were in the hands of fate, and whether they could escape depended entirely on their own luck. If it had been for Liu Ji and Liu Niuniu, Liu Hao and Liu Tie would have fought to the death without a moment’s hesitation—they would have drawn their knives and charged headlong into the fray. But for the sake of these women and children, neither Liu Hao nor Liu Tie was willing to risk their own lives. No sooner had Liu Hao, Liu Tie, and the others begun their escape up the mountain than a large group of cavalrymen, dressed in a motley assortment of clothing—at least a hundred riders—appeared from around a bend in the mountain pass a hundred paces away. Spotting Liu Hao’s group, they charged toward them without slowing their horses in the slightest. “Don’t let those women get away! Dismount and chase them up the mountain!” “Kill the men and children—avenge our fallen brothers—but make sure to keep the women!” “Right! Keep the women—let’s all have some fun! Haha!” “There are still some fleeing on horseback up ahead. Send a few men to chase them down. Anyone who dares to kill our ‘One Cloud’ men—not a single one of these disaster refugees is to be allowed to escape!” Of the more than 100 bandit cavalrymen, only six or seven continued to spur their horses toward Liu Pi, Liu Ji, and Liu Niuniu. The rest reached the foot of the mountain; aside from a dozen or so who stayed behind to watch the horses, nearly a hundred bandits dismounted and immediately set off up the mountain in pursuit. Many of these bandits were carrying bows and arrows, and the women and children fleeing up the mountain were well within their range. However, in order to capture the fleeing women alive, none of the bandits used their bows and arrows; instead, they pursued them relentlessly, shouting as they went. The warhorse Liu Pi had seized from the bandits was quite a fine mount. Since Liu Ji and Liu Niuniu were both light, the fact that three people were riding it did not slow the horse down—though Liu Pi’s riding skills were certainly a key factor. In the end, Liu Pi, Liu Ji, and Liu Niuniu rode this warhorse nonstop for nearly 20 li, while the bandit cavalry chasing them gave up after a short pursuit and had long since vanished from sight. Liu Bi slowed the warhorse to a trot, let out a sigh of relief, and said to Liu Ji, “My lord, we should be out of danger for now. It seems those bandit cavalry have given up pursuing us.” Liu Ji’s face was somewhat pale. Whether in his previous life or in this world, he had never ridden a horse before; this was effectively his first time. Moreover, the warhorse was galloping so fast that the jostling made Liu Ji feel as if his internal organs were shifting out of place, and acid was constantly rising in his stomach. The discomfort was truly unbearable. “Niuniu, how are you? Are you feeling sick?” Liu Ji asked his younger sister with concern, fighting back the urge to vomit. Liu Niuniu’s face was just as pale. Hearing Liu Ji’s question, she nodded pitifully, her eyes brimming with tears as she choked out, “Brother, will Dad and Uncle Tie get captured by those bad guys?” “Don’t worry! With Dad and Uncle Tie’s skills, those bandits won’t be able to stop them if they try to escape,” Liu Ji said with absolute certainty—though in saying this, he was also trying to reassure himself. “Big Brother, when will we get to see Dad and Uncle Tie?” Liu Ji ruffled Liu Niuniu’s hair and said, “As long as Niuniu behaves, it won’t be long before we see Dad and Uncle Tie again.” Liu Niuniu nodded repeatedly and said, “Niuniu will be good. Niuniu will definitely listen to Brother.” Then Liu Ji turned back and said in a grave tone to Liu Pi, “We can’t take this mountain path now. We must find another route to Yongzhou.” Liu Pi nodded and said, “My lord is right. The bandits won’t just have cavalry. Since there are already over a hundred horsemen, their infantry must be even more numerous. We really can’t take this mountain path. However, we’re not familiar with other routes to Yongzhou, so it would be best to ask the locals for information.” After discussing it briefly with Liu Pi, Liu Ji decided to head west. Since Yongzhou lay to the south, they could travel west for a while, bypass the bandits they’d encountered earlier, and then proceed to Qi County in Changping Commandery, Yongzhou, to join forces with Liu Hao, Liu Tie, and the others. Late in the evening, Liu Pi led his warhorse to the outskirts of a village, while Liu Ji sat on the horse holding Liu Niuniu in his arms. The village was built within an earthen enclosure, but the wooden gate of the enclosure was now missing, and there was not a single sound coming from inside—it all seemed rather eerie. “My lord, the situation in that village ahead is unclear. Let me go in first to scout it out. If it’s safe, then you and the young lady can follow.” “Liu Pi, be careful. Why don’t you ride your horse in? If something seems off, get out of there quickly—I can’t handle this horse on my own anyway.” “My Lord, then you and the young lady should hide in this patch of tall grass for now. I’ll be right back!” Liu Pi lifted Liu Ji and Liu Niuniu off the warhorse, then led the horse toward the village ahead. Liu Ji, carrying Liu Niuniu, immediately hid in the waist-high weeds. “Brother, Niuniu is hungry.” “Niuniu, there are still a few pieces of roasted venison here. Have a little to tide you over—though the meat’s gone cold and is a bit tough.” Liu Ji took a cloth bundle from his bosom. When he opened it, he found four pieces of roasted venison inside, each weighing at least half a jin. Liu Ji picked up a piece and placed it in Liu Niuniu’s hand. This roasted venison had been prepared last night after everyone had finished eating; Liu Ji had asked Liu Pi to cut off over two jin of venison to roast. Liu Ji had tasted the pangs of hunger himself, so when the opportunity arose to stock up on food, he didn’t hesitate to use his special status to set some aside for himself—especially since the venison had been procured by Liu Pi in the first place. As for the strange looks from the other refugees, Liu Ji simply ignored them. “Big Brother, you should eat some too! Sigh—Niu Niu will have to hide some food just like you do in the future. Otherwise, going hungry is so miserable.” “Big brother isn’t hungry. You eat up, Niuniu!” Once the roasted venison had cooled, it had indeed become quite tough, making it very difficult for Liu Niuniu to chew. However, she didn’t mind at all. Although she was only seven years old, these days on the run had already taught her the value of food. She wasn’t picky at all—gnawing on rock-hard venison was definitely better than going hungry. Before long, Liu Pi led his warhorse back to the thicket of wild grass outside the village. Upon seeing Liu Pi return, Liu Ji immediately stood up from the thicket and asked, “Liu Pi, what’s the situation in the village? Is anyone still there?” Liu Bi sighed, his face somber, and said, “My Lord, there’s not a single living soul left in the village. It appears it was just raided by a band of bandits. There are at least a hundred villagers’ bodies inside the village, but there aren’t many women’s bodies—they must have all been abducted.”