roccoschili Chapter 197 Tang Clan
Chapter 197 Tang Clan
As soon as they stepped out of the woods, everyone's tense nerves relaxed instantly, and they fell to the ground in an instant, like puppets with their spines pulled out.
Chifeng was riding on a horse, and the bumpy ride this afternoon made his face pale and his limbs weak.
Compared to him, the fugitives on foot were even more miserable.
The most pitiful among them were the female prisoners and children under Yuan Zhiqiang.
These women and children had never experienced such an intense trek before, let alone in this foggy forest filled with the breath of death, where every step was accompanied by unknown fear.
Their feet had already developed blisters from being rubbed, their legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, and their eyes were filled with fear and exhaustion.
If Yuan Zhiqiang hadn't been waving the whip and shouting and threatening behind them, these people would probably have preferred to die in the forest rather than endure this endless torture.
Yuan Zhiqiang and several officers did not have it easy along the way. They had to be constantly alert to the dangers in the forest and drive away this group of convicts. They had to concentrate their minds highly and expend a lot of physical energy.
At this time, they also threw away their armor and sat on the ground, gasping for breath. The majesty of the past had long disappeared, leaving only a miserable appearance.
Sun Ying was in the carriage, watching all this through the window.
Her eyes were dim and her heart was in pain. These fugitives who were being driven away, beaten and scolded were all relatives of her Sun family.
Today, they are being driven and beaten like pigs and dogs, and their dignity is being ruthlessly trampled upon.
Her hands were tightly clutching the corners of her clothes, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she felt no pain at all. Her heart was filled with mixed emotions, including guilt and pity for her people, as well as anger and resentment towards the injustice of the world.
……
Everyone had just stopped and was about to relax their tired bodies. Not long after they rested, suddenly, wisps of fire flickered outside the Misty Forest. The fire swayed and jumped in the darkening night, and was rushing towards where everyone was at a very fast speed.
"Boss, someone is coming!" Baozi has always been smart and sharp-eyed. He saw the approaching fire at a glance and shouted hurriedly.
He quickly stood up with a knife in hand. His originally relaxed expression instantly tensed up, and his eyes stared vigilantly at the source of the fire. He looked as if he would rush forward and fight immediately if there was any sign of trouble.
Here, the officers had just breathed a sigh of relief and had not had time to completely relax when they found themselves surrounded by a group of uninvited guests.
I saw that these people were wearing costumes of different ethnic groups, which were colorful but exuded a mysterious atmosphere. They held bamboo arrows in their hands, and the arrowheads flashed coldly under the faint firelight.
These foreigners looked at the officials and fugitives in front of them with astonishment. Their eyes showed not so much wariness towards these strangers as surprise at the phantom mist forest behind the fugitives that was ravaged by fire.
For a moment, the two groups were deadlocked, staring at each other for a long time, and the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed as if water could drip out.
In the end, it was the leader of the alien race who stepped forward and broke the silence. He was tall and strong, with deep and sharp eyes, like an eagle. The clothes on his body were more exquisite and gorgeous than those of others, showing his identity as a leader.
He raised his head slightly and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here? What happened in this forest?" His voice was low and powerful, with an unquestionable majesty.
Seeing that the other party initially showed no intention of fighting or killing, Chifeng felt a little relieved. He cleared his throat and explained, "We are a group of exiles from Kyoto. This forest suddenly caught fire last night. The fire was extremely fierce and has now been completely burned down."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, trying to give the other person a more intuitive understanding of the thrilling fire last night.
The leader became even more shocked when he heard what Chiffon said, his mouth slightly opened, his eyes full of disbelief.
It turned out that the raging fire that illuminated half the sky last night was burning in the mysterious Misty Forest, and this exile team actually successfully passed through the Misty Forest and arrived at their territory.
You know, the reason why the Tang family can live in seclusion here is largely due to the natural barrier of the Phantom Mist Forest. Now that the Phantom Mist Forest has been burned, it means that the peace of their family is about to be broken, and the days to come will probably be full of variables.
Thinking of this, the leader looked at Chifeng and others with a look of disappointment and worry in his eyes. He frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "In that case, come back with us to the tribe early tomorrow morning and talk about it!" Although his tone was still tough, there was also a hint of helplessness in it.
Chifeng shook his head and refused without hesitation. He clasped his hands together and said respectfully: "Thank you for your kindness, but we are escorting fugitives and have official duties to attend to, so it is really inconvenient for us to disturb the tribe." He was well aware of his responsibilities and could not easily deviate from the itinerary.
Unexpectedly, the man became even more resolute after hearing this, and insisted, "If you want to leave this forest, you must return to our tribe with us."
After saying that, he turned sideways and pointed in the direction behind him. It turned out that the place where the Tang family lived was very special. It was located between the Fantasy Mist Forest and a towering mountain. If one wanted to continue along this road, the territory of the Tang family was a must-pass place.
After listening to the leader's explanation, Chifeng and Yuan Zhiqiang looked at each other and discussed in a low voice.
Chifeng frowned, and after weighing the pros and cons, he nodded slightly and agreed to go back with them after dawn.
That night, due to the arrival of the Tang family, the originally tired and silent team became extremely lively.
Every member of the Tang family was a good hunter. They were agile and soon returned triumphantly with several rich prey. These people were extremely generous and gave all the big prey they had caught to the fugitives.
When the convicts saw their prey, their eyes suddenly lit up, and their original fatigue and despair were instantly replaced by surprise.
Even dozens of officials were given a share of the prey, which made everyone very grateful to the Tang family for their generosity.
Although Chifeng faced such hospitable Tang clan members, he did not completely let down his guard. He knew that he had to be on guard in this wilderness, and he would not accept their prey until he got Murong Ling'er's approval.
Murong Ling'er sat aside, her eyes calm and wise. She nodded slightly, indicating that Chifeng could accept it.
In her opinion, it is not appropriate to create discord with the Tang clan members at this time. Accepting their kindness for the time being may bring more convenience and security to the team.
Chu Lingfeng squatted nearby, skillfully building a bonfire and roasting wild rabbit meat. He turned to Murong Ling'er and said, "I've heard my father mention the Tang family before. They've been making mechanical devices for generations, formerly serving the royal family. I've heard the devices they create are incredibly ingenious, and whether used for defense or offense, they're incredibly powerful."
"But later, for some unknown reason, they disappeared overnight and no one knows where they went. I didn't expect that we would run into the Tang family here." There was a hint of curiosity and excitement in his eyes, as if he was full of desire to explore the past of the Tang family.
After hearing this, Murong Ling'er suddenly understood why the leader had such a melancholy look on his face when he saw the Misty Forest burning. It turned out that there was such a complicated reason behind it.
She raised her head slightly and looked at the busy figures of the Tang family, as if thinking about something.