Chapter 86
Chapter 86
With Qian Kun dealt with, no one at the Garrison could threaten the Xiao Family’s safety for the time being.
Only then did Xiao Che feel at ease leading the group away from the Garrison and toward the Black Pine Forest.
The forest lay more than thirty li from the Garrison.
It had snowed for half the night, and the snow on the road now rose past their knees. Every step through it was a struggle. A sled would have made the journey much easier.
Unfortunately, a sled was easy to build, but they had no animals to pull it.
Tiny Jin Bao wanted to walk through the snow by herself. She had taken only a few steps when she encountered a hollow. One foot plunged in, and she abruptly vanished.
All that remained was a pitch-black hole in the snow.
“My daughter!”
Xiao Che immediately lunged forward to save her, but Old Han held him back.
“Marquis, the snow on the Northern Frontier is different from what you have in the Central Plains. The climate here is dry, so the snow is dry too. It’s also called powder snow. Once you fall in, the harder you struggle, the deeper you sink. Let me handle this.”
Xiao Che hastily bowed. “Old sir, please, you must save my little girl.”
Old Han unfastened a coil of rope from his waist and swiftly tied it around his ankle, then passed the other end to Xiao Che.
“Marquis, if I tug on the rope, pull us out at once.”
Xiao Che quickly took it and nodded solemnly.
Without hesitation, Old Han reached down through the hole. He did not have to go far before his hand found a tiny foot. He gave it a forceful yank, and Jin Bao, who was still pawing frantically with both hands, popped straight out like a freshly pulled radish.
“Aiya-ptoo, ptoo-”
The instant Jin Bao emerged from the hollow, she began spitting melted snow from her little mouth.
Old Han burst out laughing at the sight.
“Little girl, do you understand the danger now? This is the Northern Frontier. Snow is its disguise. You never know what might be hidden beneath it. All that strength and speed of yours are useless in a soft snow hollow like this.”
Jin Bao had truly learned her lesson this time.
After Xiao Che pulled them both free, Jin Bao’s little face was still white with fright.
“Daddy, Baby was so scared. Baby almost went pee-pee.”
The exiles nearby burst out laughing.
Xiao Che had been aching with worry, but even he was amused by Jin Bao’s expression. She had nearly wet herself from fear, yet she had announced it openly without the slightest embarrassment.
He bent down, hooked both hands under her arms, lifted her high into the air, and set her directly on his shoulders.
Jin Bao skillfully wrapped her arms around Xiao Che’s neck. Her wide eyes had still held a trace of fear, but now they instantly curved into smiling crescents. The fright from moments ago vanished, replaced by the excitement of riding on Daddy’s shoulders.
“Daddy, Baby grew taller again! Baby can see so far!”
“Daddy, Baby sees a bunny! Wow, there’s a pheasant too! The pheasant fell in a hole!”
…
Jin Bao chattered and exclaimed all the way, breathing life into the previously subdued logging party. Better still, the group really did pick up quite a few rabbits and pheasants.
Following Jin Bao’s directions, they dug each rabbit and pheasant out of a snow hollow, finding one every single time.
Only then did everyone realize that Jin Bao was not merely formidable in a fight-she also had eyes sharp enough to see through anything.
It took the party nearly half a day to travel from the Garrison to the edge of the Black Pine Forest.
The sun hung in the sky like an egg yolk, giving off not the slightest warmth.
They had eaten roasted wolf meat that morning, but after half a day of walking, every bit of food in their stomachs had been burned away.
Xiao Che decided that they would eat lunch before starting work.
The exiles knew the terrain of the Black Pine Forest better than Xiao Che and Old Han. Among them was a man named Xu Huaijin, just over thirty years old. From beginning to end, he had been the quietest and calmest exile in the group.
Ever since they set out, the others had seemed to take their lead from him. His face was covered by a scraggly beard, making it impossible to tell what he truly looked like.
Xiao Che had met countless people in his life. From the clarity and intelligence in this man’s eyes, he could tell that Xu Huaijin was no ordinary person.
“Marquis, I am Xu Huaijin. If you wish to light a fire, I know of a cave nearby. We found it by chance on one of our previous logging trips.”
Xiao Che nodded. “Mr. Xu, please lead the way.”
Xu Huaijin paused in surprise. Mr. Xu? He could no longer remember how long it had been since anyone addressed him that way.
“Marquis, are you not afraid we might harm you?”
Xu Huaijin asked the question as if it were nothing more than an idle thought.
“Even all of you together wouldn’t be a match for my daughter and me. What do I have to fear? Are you somehow more frightening than that wolf pack?”
Xiao Che proudly lifted his chin and dotingly stroked Jin Bao’s tiny hand. Every inch of him radiated, My daughter is amazing, and I’m proud of it. He did not care in the least about preserving his image as Great Xia’s War God, nor was he afraid anyone would mock a grown man for relying on his daughter to protect him.
Jin Bao proudly tipped back her little head as well, her restless legs swinging up and down. Protecting Daddy and her family made her happy-happier even than eating a huge chicken drumstick.
Xu Huaijin cupped his hands, then led the way.
Before long, a cave came into view. It was quite shallow, and the rock wall at the back was visible at a glance.
In truth, calling it a cave was generous. It was merely an open space formed by an overhanging cliff that slanted outward at its base. The entrance was quite broad, however, and even with dozens of people inside, it did not feel crowded.
More importantly, neatly stacked piles of dry firewood were waiting inside.
Surprised, Xiao Che pointed at the wood. “What is this…?”
Xu Huaijin bowed and answered, “Marquis, this place is our temporary base. Sometimes, while Yama Zhao is dozing off, we sneak away to hunt and roast meat. We could never have survived on that single scrap of dried meat each day. Everyone still alive knows about this secret hideout.”
Understanding dawned on Xiao Che, and he asked no further questions. No wonder such a large group turned over less than half a day’s required timber to Zhao Hu.
“Mr. Xu, aside from this cave, are there any other places nearby where people could live?”
Xiao Che was thinking that if they could find a large cave, they could begin moving within the next couple of days.
Xu Huaijin shook his head. “We don’t know. Although we often come to the Black Pine Forest to cut timber, we never dare venture deeper. This forest stretches farther than anyone can see and is full of man-eating beasts. Anyone who gets lost inside never comes out again.”
“Someone once tried to escape. After Zhao Hu discovered it, he led a search party after the man, but all they found was a pile of bleached bones. Since then, none of us have dared go deeper or split up. We always work in groups.”
Xiao Che now had a basic understanding of the Black Pine Forest. If they could learn its terrain, then hiding here would be their safest option for the time being.
Once Xiao Che had formed a plan, he began roasting a wild pheasant for Jin Bao.
Along the way, they had collected more than a dozen pheasants and over twenty wild rabbits.
Everyone simply skinned the game and roasted the meat.
Xu Huaijin had the men build a large fire and set up several roasting racks at once.
Soon, the fragrance of roasting meat filled the entire cave, making everyone swallow hungrily.
When the pheasant was ready, the first thing they did was tear off a drumstick for Jin Bao.
Jin Bao held the drumstick in both hands and bit into it with a fierce “awoo.” Rich juices burst across her tongue, leaving the little girl completely dazed by the deliciousness. She closed her eyes and chewed slowly, savoring every bite.
Just as she was enjoying her meal, a scene suddenly appeared before her eyes.
By now, Jin Bao had grown accustomed to such visions.
After quietly watching the images play out, she tugged at Xiao Che’s clothes and leaned close to his ear.
“Daddy, bad men are coming to catch Baby. They’re from a place called Bei’an City. The bad man’s last name is Lu. Baby didn’t hear his full name, but everyone called him General Lu. He said he’s going to take Baby to the Capital. Baby doesn’t wanna leave Daddy and Mommy.”
Xiao Che’s body stiffened for an instant. Bei’an City? Wasn’t that the prefectural capital of the Northern Frontier?
Under normal circumstances, riding from Bei’an City to the Heishui Garrison would take more than five days. With the roads now buried beneath the snow, the journey should take even longer.
But Jin Bao’s next words left Xiao Che unable to sit still. “Daddy, they aren’t riding horses. They’re sitting on a flat cart pulled by doggies, and it goes really, really fast. Baby wants to ride one too. It looks so fun!”