Chapter 258: A Pincer Attack

And this was only the beginning.

The Chaoli tribe launched wave after wave of fierce attacks, leaving behind dozens of corpses each time before retreating. Half an hour later, they would return with renewed vigor.

Having repelled the enemy once more, Gu Yanxi glanced at the faintly brightening horizon before turning back. Chen Qing was leading his men in piling up the bodies of the Chaoli tribesmen, while his own brothers were being carefully carried to one side. Others were digging pits by the roadside, a temporary resting place for the fallen members of the Seven Stars Bureau.

The Seven Stars Bureau had suffered severe casualties, dwindling from thirty-seven to just sixteen. Twenty-one people had lost their lives, and it would take the bureau nearly a decade to cultivate such a group of individuals.

The sound of horses approaching caused everyone to stand up alertly. No matter how tired or injured they were, they had to endure.

Gu Yanxi's ears twitched as he let out a long sigh. Reinforcements had arrived, earlier than expected.

Some of the men immediately collapsed to the ground, unable to stand for a moment longer.

Before the horses had come to a complete stop, the leader dismounted and bowed deeply. "Greetings, leader."

Gu Yanxi returned the salute. "How many men do you have? Did you see Yuan Shifang on the way?"

"Yes, I've arranged for someone to escort Yuan Shifang back to the capital. There are two hundred men with me this time."

Two hundred men. It was probably the limit of what the Seven Stars Bureau could spare from the capital. Gu Yanxi's eyes narrowed as she looked towards Yuzhou. "You've come just in time. Take your men and ambush them on that side. The Chaoli tribesmen will likely charge one more time. We'll attack from both sides, and not a single one of them will escape!"

“Yes.” Wang Rong’s nose twitched as he looked at his lifeless brother. Biting his cheek, he averted his gaze and walked away to make arrangements. If he had let even one person escape from his grasp, he would have torn his own head off in atonement!

As Gu Yanxi had predicted, the Chaoli tribe charged again shortly after. Although they suffered even heavier losses, their total number was several times that of the Seven Stars Bureau, and even now they still had over fifty people. Moreover, after several previous encounters, they had thoroughly understood the Seven Stars Bureau, who had less than twenty people left.

How could they let go of such an opportunity?

Their targets were clear: five men charged directly at Gu Yanxi, while the others targeted the injured first. They were determined to succeed!

However, this time, luck was not on their side. Just as they arrived, Wang Rong and his men surrounded them. Their long swords were instantly disarmed, and they were thrown into a dizzying spin.

Of the fifty-four people, none escaped. Fifty died on the spot. Gu Yanxi only left four alive, having dislocated their jaws. The Chaoli people were known for their ferocity and brutality, and he intended to hand these men over to Shaoyao, who had never let him down in this regard.

“Chen Qing, arrange for people to find everyone along the way and bring them back. Then, take my official seal and find the local government to ask them to send people to dispose of the Chaoli people’s corpses.”

“Yes.”

“Wang Rong, take fifty men to Yuzhou and thoroughly search the entire place. Follow the trail of Yuan Shifang and investigate further. I suspect there are more Chaoli people with hidden identities in Yuzhou.”

“Yes.”

“Leader,” a man ran over, his shoulder torn open, revealing a bloody wound. As if feeling no pain, he handed over a piece of silk. “Found on the Chaoli people.”

Gu Yanxi opened it and, not surprisingly, it was a map. It was very detailed, showing at least three routes from Yuzhou to the capital.

He'd memorized Yuan Shifang's handwriting, and this wasn't it. He held the silk to his nose and sniffed, then handed it to Wang Rong. "Find this person and subject them to the most excruciating torture."

"I'll make sure they regret ever being born," Wang Rong snarled, his teeth clenched. If this person was also from the Chaoli tribe, it would be one thing, but if they were from Great Daqing, he would make them rue the day they were born!

"Be vigilant. There may be more enemies lurking, and they may strike again."

"Yes."

The sky was already tinged with dawn, the eastern horizon painted in hues of red. It was like a vibrant canvas, ready to showcase the rising sun.

'If Ah Zhi were here, she would probably smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. As long as I saw her smile, no matter how big the problem, it wouldn't seem so bad.'

'Soon, we'll be reunited.'

*

Hua Zhi slept until the next day. When she finally woke up from her deep slumber, the first thing she felt was pain, even worse than the time at the manor.

"'Miss, you're awake!' Bao Xia was almost in tears. "Are you thirsty? Hungry? I'll get you something to eat!"

Bao Xia rattled off a list of questions and then scurried away. Shao Yao continued to dress her wound, rolling her eyes. What was there to be excited about?

She'd been through worse!

Her body ached, she was parched, and she was starving, but none of it could overcome the overwhelming fatigue. For a moment, Hua Zhi felt as if everything below her neck wasn't hers. It would be nice if the pain would go away too.

"What time is it?"

"It's the next day. We paid a deposit for the boat, so they couldn't cancel. I asked them to delay it for a day, and they didn't dare refuse. Everyone in Zhenyang knows we're trouble now."

"..."

There was nothing to be proud of, Huazhi thought weakly as she closed her eyes again.

"Don't sleep, don't sleep. Hold on a little longer, Huahua. Eat something before you rest."

"No sleep." Hua Zhi forced her eyes open again. "How are everyone else's injuries?"

"Don't worry, yours is the most serious. I'll prepare a prescription for you later. Once you get back, bathe in medicinal herbs every day. It'll help you regain your strength. Huahua, your stamina is really poor."

"..."

She didn't need stamina, thank you very much. Hua Zhi couldn't help but smirk a little at the thought, but her facial expression remained cheerful. "After training for half a year, I've improved a lot. If it were back when I was at the manor, I couldn't have lasted this long."

"Of course this boxing technique is good; I stole it." As they were speaking, Bao Xia came in carrying a wooden tray. Before the scent of the food reached them, the smell of medicine filled the air.

"You'll need to eat medicinal food for a while. I've already bought the herbs and had them sent to the ship. Huahua, you're a woman. You can't constantly drain your qi and blood like this. It's too damaging to your body. If you don't replenish it properly, you'll suffer in the future."

"Yes, yes, I'll listen to you."

Hearing her reply so obediently, Shao Yao was immediately delighted. "Don't worry, it's delicious. It smells a bit medicinal, but it doesn't taste like it."

Hua Zhi smiled and chatted with her, making her even happier, as if the Shao Yao who seemed ready to devour someone yesterday had never existed.

Hua Zhi was not a person who was particularly attached to things or people. She was too open-minded.

No matter how good something was, if it couldn't belong to her, she would never covet it. But this didn't prevent her from respecting such people.

Like Shao Yao, she had forgotten all her relatives, but her past convictions had never been forgotten. Even if she couldn't become a female general, certain things had become instinctive, her bottom line. She disciplined herself with this, and also demanded it of others. She admired people like that.