"General Zhou Fugui, you truly live up to your reputation!"
Zhou Fugui was eager to return home, but unexpected bandits ambushed him on the road. To buy time for Xiao Qing and the others to escape, he stayed behind to cover their retreat.
With a stern shout, Zhou Fugui drew out over a hundred men in black. A burly leader, wielding a large saber, bellowed at Zhou Fugui, "General Zhou, your alertness and fierce reputation are known throughout the land. However, you are alone now, how can you possibly contend with all my brothers? Why not discard your bow and arrow, and surrender..."
"Pfft!" With a sound, before the leader of the men in black could finish speaking, an arrow flew and pierced his throat. It carried immense force, embedding so deeply that the fletching protruded from the back of his neck, skewering his bloody Adam's apple onto the arrowhead.
The leader of the men in black toppled over, hands clutching his neck, blood gurgling from his mouth and throat. He tried to roar, but not a sound escaped. His body thrashed on the ground like a fish out of water.
Seeing this, the men in black were instantly terrified. Some retreated into the elm forest, while others threw themselves to the ground, not daring to lift their heads.
"Get up, all of you! He's just one man, what are you afraid of? If you fail your master's mission, you'll all die!"
"Charge! Charge! Let's see how many he can shoot!"
Thus, the men in black, armed with various weapons, let out loud battle cries and charged at Zhou Fugui.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Zhou Fugui unleashed his consecutive arrow technique. Three arrows in rapid succession, each finding its mark, felling the three leading men in black to the ground.
The archery skills of Da Yan's Yang Youji were indeed legendary, hitting targets a hundred paces away with unerring accuracy!
"Oh heavens!" The men in black cried out in fear, turning tail and fleeing. However, threatened by their overseers, they quickly surrounded Zhou Fugui again.
This time, the men in black simultaneously loosed arrows and desperately swung their sabers and spears to ward off Zhou Fugui's divine arrows, slowly closing in.
Zhou Fugui let out a cold laugh. After shooting down several more, he reined his horse around, intending to make a swift escape.
As the saying goes, even the strongest fist cannot fend off four hands, and a fierce tiger fears a pack of wolves. No matter how brave Zhou Fugui was, or how precise his archery, he would surely meet a grim fate once they closed in. Thus, Zhou Fugui decided that among the thirty-six stratagems, fleeing was the best option.
However, these men had come prepared, and they would not allow Zhou Fugui to escape so easily.
"The master commands: no living captives, only corpses! Kill him, and you shall receive a great reward!"
Just then, another group of people appeared behind Zhou Fugui, loosing arrows and shouting wildly as they charged.
Arrows rained down from both sides, aimed at Zhou Fugui.
Trapped on the bridge, Zhou Fugui was blocked from both ends, unable to escape or evade the volley of arrows. Struck by over a dozen arrows, he cried out, tumbled from his horse, and plunged into the river, ice shards flying as he sank to the bottom.
"Is he dead?"
As the crowds rushed over, they gathered on the bridge, looking at the water. Below them, only Zhou Fugui's warhorse struggled in the river; Zhou Fugui himself had vanished.
"Hit by over ten arrows and fallen into this icy river, he's surely dead!"
"Yeah, if he's not dead from this, he must be an immortal."
"The master said, we must see him alive or bring back his body!"
"Bring back his body? In this frigid water, you go fetch it yourself."
"What should we do then?"
For a long time, the crowd on the bridge debated fruitlessly. Finally, they decided to follow the river's current, hoping to chance upon Zhou Fugui's corpse.
...
"Splash!" With a crack, Zhou Fugui broke through the ice and walked onto the bank, his hair disheveled, covered in ice shards and water droplets.
Who wanted him dead? Zhou Fugui crossed his arms, his face pale and lips purple from the cold, trembling as he surveyed his surroundings. He thought to himself.
At this point, Zhou Fugui understood that the ambush was not for wealth, but for his life! They wanted Zhou Fugui dead, otherwise, they would not have ignored the carriage carrying Xiao Qing and Xiao Yu Nu, letting them leave.
Could it be the Duan family father and son? Zhou Fugui pondered. In Lu Ming Township, the only ones with a grudge against him were the Duan family father and son of the Xianbei Duan tribe.
What puzzled Zhou Fugui was whether the Duan father and son had such audacity.
Although Zhou Fugui was merely a minor ninth-rank military official in the Yan Dynasty, he was an appointed official of the court. Ambushing and killing a court official was tantamount to treason.
However, if the Duan father and son killed him, they could easily blame it on the bandits, Zhou Fugui then considered.
In these chaotic times, bandits were as common as flies. Even if the Yan court wanted to investigate, it would be difficult, especially for a minor, ninth-rank Han Chinese military official like Zhou Fugui.
Fortunately, he had a great fortune and narrowly escaped death. The next task was to uncover the truth. If it was indeed the Duan father and son, he would never let them off the hook. Zhou Fugui looked around again and thought to himself that his immediate priority was to make a fire and dry his clothes. Otherwise, he would freeze to death in this bitter winter.
Thus, Zhou Fugui headed towards a densely vegetated hillside.
Zhou Fugui had been struck by over a dozen arrows, yet he was unharmed. It was the Ao Long Tian Can Zi Jin Bao Jia, gifted by Murong Huiying, that saved his life. He only sustained some abrasions and bruises on his arms and legs.
The reason Zhou Fugui was not drowned when he fell into the water was his excellent swimming ability, capable of swimming over six li with a load.
The Ao Long Tian Can Zi Jin Bao Jia also had the advantage of being waterproof. Therefore, the fire-starting tools like fire-starters and flint in Zhou Fugui's embrace did not get wet. His chest and back were also not soaked.
Zhou Fugui found a secluded spot, gathered some dry wood, and started a fire with his fire-starter and flint. The flames leaped, casting flickering shadows on Zhou Fugui's stern face.
Zhou Fugui removed all his clothing, wearing only the Ao Long Tian Can Zi Jin Bao Jia.
If the Duan father and son wanted to take his life, would they also target his family? Zhou Fugui mused while drying his clothes.
Upon this thought, Zhou Fugui became extremely anxious.
...
"Husband, husband."
At Zhou Fugui's home in Luoyan Village, Lu Ming Township, Youzhou, Zhou Fugui's elder sister-in-law, Madam Gu, wept, looking at Zhou Dashan, Zhou Fugui's elder brother, who lay on the bed, on the verge of death.
Zhou Dashan's legs had been broken and he had been bedridden for over two months.
"Madam Gu, I'll go fetch a doctor right away," Xiao Qing said worriedly from the side.
"Miss Xiao Qing, it's no use," Madam Gu sobbed. "No doctor dares to come. They... they are too cruel."
"Madam Gu..." Hearing this, Xiao Qing also comforted her sadly, "When Brother Fugui returns, everything will be alright."
"Miss Xiao Qing, where exactly is Uncle?" Madam Gu looked up at Xiao Qing and asked.
"He... Brother Fugui was delayed by some matters. He'll be back soon," Xiao Qing replied with some hesitation.
As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours; a slow boat meets a headwind. Zhou Fugui's fate was unknown. Xiao Qing, with Xiao Yu Nu, had finally found Zhou Fugui's home after much searching, only to find such a tragic scene. Xiao Qing could not bring herself to tell the truth.
"Mother..." Zhou Hutou, the son of Zhou Dashan and Madam Gu, and Zhou Fugui's nephew, clenched his small fists and said to Madam Gu, "When Second Uncle returns, he will kill them and avenge Father."
"Hu... Tou, what are you talking about?" Zhou Dashan, extremely weak, rasped, "When Second Uncle returns, tell him to leave, go as far away as possible, and never come back."
A strong man, now emaciated by illness and injury.
"Your husband..." Madam Gu sobbed.
"Creak!" Just as the people in the room were shedding tears, the door was pushed open, and a tall man strode in, letting in a gust of cold north wind.
"Second Uncle!"
"Brother Fugui!"
The arrival was none other than Zhou Fugui. Everyone was overjoyed. Hutou ran to Zhou Fugui, hugged his thigh, and looked up, shouting, "Second Uncle, Second Uncle."
In two years, the stout Zhou Hutou had grown significantly, now reaching above Zhou Fugui's waist.
"Hutou..." Zhou Fugui held Hutou's hand and walked to Zhou Dashan's bedside, softly calling out, "Brother, I've returned."
Just as Zhou Hutou had grown, so had Zhou Fugui. Not only had he grown taller, but his body was also exceptionally robust. His determined face bore features as sharp as carved blades, and a chilling aura of killing intent emanated from him. Two years had transformed a childish boy into a spirited youth, and an ordinary farmer into a majestic general.
Most importantly, Zhou Fugui had returned whole after two years of war, with no missing limbs. This filled Zhou Dashan with immense joy and relief. He struggled to sit up, reaching out to caress Zhou Fugui's face, his voice choked with tears, "Fugui, Fugui, you've returned? My brother..."
Zhou Fugui gently lifted the quilt, his eyes instantly reddening. His heart ached, and he was too overcome with grief to speak.
Zhou Dashan's legs had been broken and left untreated; his legs had festered, emitting a foul odor. Zhou Dashan would not last a few more days. The only treatment at this point would be amputation, but in this world, such an operation would kill Zhou Dashan on the spot.
"Fugui, don't worry. I feel much better these past few days," Zhou Dashan said with a pained smile.
"Xiao Qing, take care of my elder brother. Sister-in-law, come with me," Zhou Fugui instructed Xiao Qing, then said to his sister-in-law, Madam Gu.
Unbeknownst to them, Zhou Fugui's words now carried an unusual authority, brooks no argument.
Xiao Qing nodded. Madam Gu followed Zhou Fugui to a side room, which was dilapidated and half-collapsed, letting the cold wind whistle through.
Compared to when Zhou Fugui left two years ago, his family's current situation was even more desolate and impoverished.