Chapter 99
Chapter 99
With everyone rescued, Jin Bao and Xu Huaijin immediately split up.
Xu Huaijin took the Shadow Guards to meet Xiao Che, while Jin Bao was responsible for dividing Lu Dachang’s troops and leading them to the second ambush site.
Xiao Che had chosen two nearby locations for the second ambush: Rime Forest and Echo Valley.
Jin Bao would lure the enemy into Echo Valley, eliminate part of them, and then split up those who remained.
Jin Bao swiftly located Lu Dachang’s army in her mind. They were only twenty li from Echo Valley.
She raced toward the right rear flank of Lu Dachang’s column. Just as before, she took the Scent Bombs from her back and threw them among the Snow Mastiffs.
The smell irritated the racing Snow Mastiffs, making them sneeze uncontrollably.
At the same time, Jin Bao leaped in front of Lu Dachang and made a face at him.
“Bleh, bleh, bleh-big bad man, come catch Baby!”
After provoking him, Jin Bao turned and ran without looking back.
She remembered Second Brother telling her there was no need to look back. As long as Lu Dachang saw her face, he would chase her even if a mountain of blades and a sea of flames lay ahead.
The facts proved Xiao Jingmo right. Lu Dachang recognized Jin Bao at first glance as the Star Maiden Prince Cheng had described.
A portrait of the Star Maiden was tucked inside his clothes.
Prince Cheng had ordered someone to draw it based on descriptions from people at the courier stations along the route. The likeness was not perfect, but it was at least eighty percent accurate.
When Lu Dachang realized who she was, wild delight surged through him. He roared, “Catch her! Whoever captures her will receive a thousand taels of silver!”
At Lu Dachang’s command, the soldiers behind him surged forward like tigers descending a mountain, steering their sleds in rapid pursuit.
Jin Bao did not lead them directly to Echo Valley.
Without looking back, she could see the nearly two thousand pursuers in her mind. Their charge was earthshaking. If she led everyone there at once, Daddy and the others would never be a match for them.
Jin Bao blinked, abruptly changed direction, and raced another way.
She was heading back the way she had come, toward Boulder Ravine.
She would lure them there, trap some, then lead the rest away.
The soldiers behind her had become obsessed with the chase and had no time to consider anything else. The tiny figure ahead was simply too fast.
Worse, she created obstacles as she ran.
No one saw her do much of anything. Trees as thick as a man’s waist simply began toppling toward them.
Those who failed to dodge were instantly crushed into pulp.
Even those who narrowly evaded the trees found their route blocked. The men behind could not stop in time and crashed into them en masse, causing a stampede in an instant.
When they finally managed to set out again, they saw Jin Bao leisurely sitting in a tree, swinging her short legs and grinning at them with her head tilted.
“What the hell are we chasing? Is that even human? Could she be a spirit from the mountains?”
Prince Cheng had repeatedly ordered that no one outside his trusted circle learn about the Star Maiden, lest other nations attempt to seize her.
Thus, Lu Dachang’s soldiers knew only that they were searching for someone extremely important. They did not know that person’s identity or appearance.
Now they finally understood why the Deputy Commander wanted to capture this little child. All of Great Xia would fight over such a divine prodigy.
No wonder the reward was so high. She was truly worth a thousand taels of silver!
“Deputy Commander, we can’t catch her. That child is too fast, and she seems to possess innate divine strength. She kicked down trees as thick as a man’s waist and cost us more than a hundred men.”
Zhu Zhen delivered his report between gasps. Today had truly opened his eyes. He had never imagined such an extraordinary person existed.
Instead of growing angry, Lu Dachang became even more excited.
Prince Cheng had been right. This person was undoubtedly the Star Maiden, blessed with supernatural abilities and capable of pacifying the realm.
If he could not make her serve him, then he could only eliminate her.
He removed the bow from his back.
Lu Dachang had risen from an ordinary foot soldier to his current position because he possessed exceptional abilities of his own.
His archery was extraordinary, and no one in the army could match the strength of his arms.
Since no one could catch the Star Maiden, he would have to wound her with an arrow.
Jin Bao remained unaware of Lu Dachang’s plan and continued leading his men through the forest toward Boulder Ravine.
When she stopped once more to wait for her pursuers, a crystal-clear image of Lu Dachang appeared in her mind.
He had nocked an arrow and drawn his bow, aiming in her direction.
Jin Bao remained relaxed and even hummed a theme song from her previous life: White dragon horse, your hooves point west…
Whoosh-
Just as Jin Bao reached the most exciting part of the tune, a sharp arrow whistled toward her lower leg.
Jin Bao’s lips curved into an innocent, adorable smile as she blinked.
She bent down, caught the incoming arrow in one hand, and examined it. Only then did she say disdainfully, “This arrow isn’t as good as Grandpa Han’s. Baby doesn’t want bad things, so you can have it back. Don’t send another one, okay?”
With that, Jin Bao casually threw the arrow back.
Yet it flew as though it had eyes, tearing through the air with thunderous force and striking Lu Dachang’s left shoulder.
Unable to evade it, Lu Dachang could only take the arrow in his left shoulder. Otherwise, it would have pierced his chest, and he would already be dead.
Even so, the arrow dealt a devastating blow. He heard his left shoulder blade shatter. Had the bone not stopped it, the arrow might have pierced straight through his shoulder.
Lu Dachang no longer dared underestimate her. He snapped off the shaft, endured the pain in his shoulder, and urged the Snow Mastiffs onward in pursuit.
Jin Bao pouted, looked at her little hand, and sighed. “Aiya, he dodged it. Baby should’ve used more strength. At least then Baby could’ve crippled one of his arms. That would teach him not to shoot sneaky arrows at Baby. Is this what Second Brother calls a petty villain? He’s so annoying.”
After babbling to herself, Jin Bao noticed the soldiers charging after her again.
This time, they appeared far more cautious. The force split into three groups and attempted to surround her from three directions, preventing another stampede that would injure their own men.
That played directly into Jin Bao’s hands. She had been wondering how to separate them, and they had done it themselves. Now she did not have to use her brain, which was perfect because she did not like thinking anyway.
Jin Bao flipped down from the tree and continued running.
One after another, she led the three groups behind her to Boulder Ravine.
A sly smile curved Jin Bao’s lips as she ran around Boulder Ravine once.
The first group to arrive fell for her trick and charged straight into the formation at Boulder Ravine. They became trapped inside. Though barking dogs and human voices could be heard, not a single figure was visible.
Thick white mist swallowed them completely.
Jin Bao planted both hands on her hips, craned her neck, and peered inside, but she could not see anything clearly.
“Forget it. Baby’s not playing with you anymore. Bye-bye!”
More than two hundred men were trapped by the formation in one stroke.
Those behind noticed something was wrong and immediately halted their Snow Mastiffs before changing direction.
They discovered that Jin Bao had already run off in another direction.
The first group to arrive still had around four hundred men remaining, and they became even more cautious.
“There’s something strange about this girl. Everyone, be careful. Don’t act rashly.”
When Jin Bao saw them slow down, she began provoking them.
“Baby’s not playing with you anymore! You’ll never catch Baby in this lifetime. Bye-bye…”
With that, Jin Bao turned and ran.
The soldiers could not afford to lose their target, or the Commander would skin them alive.
“Everyone, hurry! Don’t let her escape!”
This time, Jin Bao did not deliberately slow down. She wandered through the forest at an unhurried pace, turning left and right.
Before long, she led them to Echo Valley.
Thick snow covered the slopes above Echo Valley, along with the falling rocks Old Han and his men had prepared in advance.
Once these soldiers entered the valley, there would be no escape.