Chapter 279

Wang Xiaosong had gone through the thrills of life and death, so he was timid and walked on thin ice.

The teenager Yang Zhi next to him had picked up his life from a pile of corpses, looking around, feeling that there were Northern Nomads everywhere and the shine of blades filled his sight.

The two almost hugged each other and cried for their mothers.

In order to alleviate the fear in their hearts, Wang Xiaosong took the initiative to speak, "Why are you called Yang Zhi? Isn't that a girl's name?"

Yang Zhi was obviously even more upset, "My mother said it's easier to survive with a girl's name."

Indeed, he needed to be able to survive, because he no longer had a mother and could only support himself.

The air was suddenly filled with sadness. Wang Xiaosong closed his mouth and chose to continue watching the front with trembling heart.

As the old saying goes, the more you fear something, the more likely it will come.

Just as the carriage was rushing at full speed, a Northern Nomad riding a horse flashed by to the left.

Wang Xiaosong's heart jumped up instantly. He pointed to the front and was so scared that he couldn't even speak.

Yang Zhi's eyes were even redder. He woke up another worker who was resting in the carriage. Everyone was on high alert.

Everyone was worried.

They hoped the Northern Nomads didn't see them, hoped it was an illusion.

Until more and more horse hoof sounds rose up.

Wang Xiaosong was almost paralyzed. His hands shook and he couldn't hold the reins. Fear, tension, panic, worry flashed through his mind.

The only thing missing was regret.

Because he had to take this road anyway. If he didn't, someone else would. If he didn't run into the Northern Nomads, someone else would.

As the horse hooves sounded closer and closer, Wang Xiaosong became calmer and calmer. He gripped the reins tightly and pulled hard the moment the hoof sounds surpassed them.

The horse neighed and raised its front hooves high, then put them back down.

As a subject of the Dayu Dynasty, if he was doomed to die under the blades of the Northern Nomads, then he could not die in vain or waste this life. He wanted to charge forward with the carriage and horse, slamming hard.

Take one down for one taken, take two down for a pair gained. Just as he was gathering his strength and preparing to ram forward.

A heroic figure riding a horse rushed to the front of him, frowning and said, "Xiaosong, it's me."

It turned out to be Third Young Master Fang Heng who came in person to receive them.

Wang Xiaosong unloaded his strength instantly with tears and mucus flying, "Third Young Master, you finally came. You scared me to death just now. So many people were chasing us, so many Northern Nomads."

Yang Zhi sobbed and nodded beside him.

Fang Heng pressed his lips without speaking, but Jiang Yi couldn't help but said, "Xiaosong, did you get the wrong idea? It was us who were chasing you just now."

"Yes, the faster you ran, the faster we had to chase. Fortunately we were on horses, otherwise we wouldn't have caught up to the ends of the earth with you." Jiang Ba patted his chest.

Wang Xiaosong: "..."

So was it an illusion earlier? Did he see wrong?

But that was clearly a Northern Nomad, wearing a gown, tall and mighty, fundamentally different from the slender and upright men of the Dayu Dynasty.

"It was probably an illusion." Jiang Yi said, "It's good to be cautious, but you can't be too cautious like this. We chased you for half a day."

"That's right." Jiang Liu rarely chimed in.

Even Wang Xiaosong broke into a smile, thinking it was his own mistake.

Until Fang Heng frowned and spoke, "Perhaps it was true."

The atmosphere instantly became solemn. Yang Zhi shrank behind Wang Xiaosong in fright, even temporarily stopping breathing.

"Does the team leader mean that before us there really was a Northern Nomad who came over, but retreated later?" Jiang Wu speculated.

Fang Heng slowly nodded.

The army made good use of scouts, usually used to scout ahead, and would immediately return to report the situation if anything was discovered, thus minimizing casualties to the greatest extent and avoiding traps.

That Northern Nomad just now was probably a scout for the small team. They originally targeted Wang Xiaosong and the others, but had to retreat when Fang Heng brought his people.

This showed that their small team was understaffed, and also showed how right Zheng Ruqian's suggestion was to send someone from the barracks to receive them.

Wang Xiaosong decided to kowtow to the young master twice when he got back.

"This road is not safe anymore." Fang Heng analyzed. "The Northern Nomads have seen you here once, I'm afraid they'll come again a second time."

If they didn't have such good luck to meet the army before the Northern Nomads came again, people and goods would definitely suffer at their vicious hands. "Boss, since their side is understaffed, let's find a way to take them out. This is the most convenient road recently." Jiang Yi clamored. Jiang Er glared at him. "Even the scout ran away. How do we find them?"

If the Northern Nomads were so easy to find, the Dayu Dynasty would not have failed to quell the war for decades.

But they could make the Northern Nomads come to them.

Fang Heng's eyes turned as he looked at the three workers who were trembling like sieves.

The barracks were no strangers to laying traps before, using trip wires to trap horses in pits were common tactics. Luring the enemy in deep, leaving the city empty as a tactic, have all been used before.

After so many times, the Northern Nomads had become cunning too. If something seemed off, they would retreat. Only when they observed real merchants would they gather to take action, killing people and robbing goods.

Just like Wang Xiaosong's team right now.

The Northern Nomads didn't know the relationship between the two sides, nor did they know the meat inside was being delivered to the barracks. In normal thinking, the army encountering merchants would only escort them to rest stops before leaving.

In April of that year, according to custom in previous years, in May the Northern Nomads' main force would retreat from the border. Before that, they tended to be more frenzied in killing, arson and plundering, in order to ensure their own food stock before the new year.

Fang Heng gambled, gambled that the Northern Nomads did not truly leave, gambled that their scout was still following from afar, gambled they coveted this carriage of meat.

He glanced at Jiang Wu and the others.

Long time of training allowed the masters and servants to connect minds. They immediately understood the implied meaning.

Jiang Wu brought Jiang Qi and Jiang Ba, the two relatively petite ones, to hide inside the carriage, while the others escorted and discussed with Wang Xiaosong and the others.

"With Fifth Jiang and the others inside to protect, you will not be in danger, but you may encounter slaughter." Fang Heng said solemnly. "If you are unwilling, unload the meat at the rest stop and change clothes with Jiang Wu and the others."

Only changing people might startle the snake in the grass, scaring away the Northern Nomads and wasting previous efforts. The road still could not be taken.

And finding a new road meant new dangers and new exploration.

Wang Xiaosong's eyeballs rolled back and forth, clearly not knowing how to make a decision.

It was Yang Zhi, shivering behind him, who stood up. "I'm willing."

Only those who had experienced brutal slaughter knew, being able to kill some Northern Nomads was such a thrilling and gratifying thing.

Even if it meant possible danger to life.

"Boss Wang." Yang Zhi said earnestly. "You can wait at the rest stop. I'll go alone. I can do it. I'm not afraid."

But he was only a fourteen year old teenager!

Wang Xiaosong suddenly felt he did not match his status as a seventeen or eighteen year old older brother. He remembered his unflinching protection of the young master, and remembered the calm composure when he decided to fight the Northern Nomads to the death.

On what basis could he only summon courage when encountering things? On what basis could he not just be a brave person?

It was just acting as bait for a trap. If fourteen year old Yang Zhi could do it, so could seventeen year old Wang Xiaosong!

"Good! I'll go!" He uttered the most passionate and ambitious voice in his life so far.