Chapter Seventeen: The Tomb

  At dawn, the sky was gray and overcast. Although it wouldn't rain like yesterday, the grass in the wild had absorbed a lot of water and slowly seeped out at this heavy dew time, condensing into frost.

  Di Lie, Yang Zhechong and Ye Die'er three people, just crouched on this wet dewy grassland, completely unaware of the dew's seepage, intently gazing into the distance. Because in front of them, appeared an extremely strange scene.

  About a hundred zhang away from their ambush, there was a wide and broad river. According to Yang Zhechong, this was the River Huan of Xiangzhou. At the beginning of summer, the water was abundant, and with the heavy rain yesterday, the water level rose, and the current was rapid.

  At this time, on the other side of the river, behind a small mound, there were at least hundreds of men dressed as Song people with dull expressions and tattered clothes, continuously throwing various colored long strip-shaped backpacks into a huge pit.

  Due to the distance being too far, and the sky still being dark, Yang Zheshuang and Ye Die'er really couldn't see what the "package" that was thrown into the pit was. Moreover, on this side of the riverbank, there were occasionally three or two Jin army cavalrymen holding torches coming back and forth to patrol, which made them dare not get too close.

  What made the two of them feel strange was that under such a gloomy view, Di Lie actually held up that magical Thousand-Mile Mirror and observed without any obstacles - could it be that this treasure mirror could ignore darkness and clearly distinguish autumn hairs?

  Yang Zhechong was just about to ask Di Lie for the scope, but as he leaned over, he saw Di Lie put down the scope, furrowed his brow tightly and threw out a sentence: "You guys wait here, I'll go ahead and scout it out."

  In Yang Zhe's eyes, Di Lie's crawling posture was strange and ugly, but he had to admit that this snake-like stealthy approach was extremely effective. Seeing Di Lie sometimes fast, sometimes slow, suddenly rushing forward, suddenly stopping still, in less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, he had advanced thirty zhang under the noses of the Jin soldiers. The Jin soldier on patrol closest to him was less than fifty zhang away, and from his high vantage point, it would be even easier to spot him.

  Yang Zhechong and Ye Die'er, both had their hearts in their throats, understanding that this was the darkest moment before dawn. The Jin army patrol hadn't discovered Di Lie's trail for the time being, but once daybreak came, they would surely expose their hiding place.

  They were able to quickly and accurately locate the Jin army's camp, thanks to the confession of the captured Jin soldier. The captive confirmed everything Ye Die'er had said.

  The army camping outside Xiangzhou City was the first batch of the Jin army's northern return, led by Meng An'guo Xin with 3,000 elite armor. They were escorting more than 2,200 males and 3,400 females from the imperial family and nobility of the Song Dynasty, as well as over a thousand strong laborers, and tens of thousands of mules, cattle, and sheep. On March 27th of the second year of Jingkang (1127), they departed from Qingcheng Camp in the southern suburbs of Bianjing City, advancing slowly, taking more than ten days to arrive at Xiangzhou.

  Yesterday's rare heavy rain in the north not only delayed the rescue of Di Lie and his two companions, but also hindered the progress of Genghis Khan's army, forcing them to stay put for an extra day. Moreover, due to this rainstorm, the Jin army's scouts were greatly reduced, with only one team being sent out within a radius of ten miles. This allowed Di Lie and his two companions to penetrate deep into the Jin army's central camp after defeating that small group of Jin scouts without encountering any further obstacles.

  To some extent, this rainstorm actually won time for Di Lie's rescue operation and cleared the obstacles, while also creating a favorable opportunity.

  But what did this downpour mean for those thousands of captives, especially the more than three thousand women? At that time, the three men didn't know.

  After obtaining the confession, Yang Zhechong naturally sent the tortured Jin soldier scout on his way, but was subsequently severely reprimanded by Di Lie, who explicitly ordered him to ask for instructions next time when handling prisoners. Yang Zhechong, although puzzled, reluctantly agreed. He had no idea that Di Lie's attitude towards prisoners was still stuck in a different state of mind. On the battlefield, one could be ruthless, but once a prisoner was taken, without special circumstances, they couldn't be killed at will.

  At this time, Di Lie still holds another space's humanitarian spirit towards prisoners of war.

  Just as Yang Zhechong and Ye Die'er were looking at the gradually brightening sky, and then at Di Lie's figure appearing and disappearing in the thin fog, their hearts were burning with anxiety. A faint rustling sound entered their ears, the dense wild grass parted, and Di Lie's agile figure appeared before them. Ye Die'er was personally concerned, so she was anxious, and as soon as she saw Di Lie return, she asked: "Did you see anything?"

  Di Lie raised his hand to signal silence, his face solemn and intimidating. He then made a gesture to retreat: "There are too many Jin soldiers on patrol now, we don't have an opportunity, let's pull back for now."

  This withdrawal lasted until noon, until no more Jin soldiers were seen in the sniper scope. The three men returned to their hiding place that morning. At this time, both banks of the Wan River had restored a peaceful atmosphere, and the Jin army's large camp was stationed at a place called Yeshan Gang on the north bank of the Wan River, still seven or eight miles away from here. As long as they didn't cross the river, there would be no danger for the time being. Of course, they weren't here to sightsee; whether it was safe or not, they had to cross the river.

  The river is the main source of drinking water for Xiangzhou City, with a width of over 30 zhang and a depth of one zhang in summer. With yesterday's heavy rain, the river surged violently, and the current was rapid. This naturally couldn't stop Di Lie, who, along with Yang Zhe, chopped down some thick branches nearby with short axes, tied them together to form a wooden raft, and carved two wooden paddles. After everything was ready, the three of them pushed the raft into the water and crossed the river.

  All the horses and supplies were left in a grove on the south bank; after all, they had only come to reconnoiter the enemy's situation and would return at any moment.

  Originally, this reconnaissance task only required Di Lie to complete it alone, and there was no need for three people to act at the same time, especially with a weak woman like Ye Die'er. However, Di Lie signaled for Ye Die'er to cross the river together as well. His face had been gloomy all along, making Yang Zhechong and Ye Die'er feel uneasy and not daring to disobey.

  Crossing the Wen River and walking forward for 70 or 80 yards, they turned over a small earth mound. Before them appeared an earth heap as large as a basketball court in later times. Yang Zhe and Ye Die immediately recognized that this was the big pit they had seen last night. Only now it had been covered with mud and become an earth heap. The mud on the earth heap was soft and wet, emitting a strange smell that could not be described or explained. It stood tall and conspicuous like a gigantic tomb.

  In fact, this is really just a grave mound.

  Di Lie and Yang Zhe dug up the earth piles anywhere, they would present a scene that made people's hair stand on end: corpses, countless corpses, densely stacked together... all were female corpses! The vast majority of the female corpses were either tattered or naked, each with obvious signs of torture, their lower bodies in disarray, it was imaginable what they had suffered before death...

  Yang Chao threw down the curved knife and sat on the ground with a thud, holding his head in silence, only clenching his fists, with bulging veins on his arms, and grinding his teeth with a loud crunch.

  Di Lie looked at him with a glance and also stopped his hand, expressionless, only a pair of eyes deep in the eye sockets, as if two raging fires were jumping.

  From the moment she saw the first corpse, Ye Die'er's whole body was trembling like a leaf, tears streaming down her face, her small white hands covering her mouth, no sound of crying could be heard, only seeing the dark red bloodstains winding and flowing.

  Under the bright blue sky, three living people, amidst a pit of female corpses, appear eerie and somber.

  It wasn't long before Ye Die'er suddenly flung herself into Di Lie's arms, using all her strength to pummel him wildly, her voice hoarse as she exclaimed: "Is this really everything you saw this morning? You clearly saw it, yet didn't stop it... how heartless can you be?"

  Di Lie let her vent her emotions, his eyes filled with sympathy. When she had almost finished, he spoke softly: "They died last night, what we saw this morning were just corpses..."

  They died last night, and so many of them did, what exactly happened last night?

  "Did she die last night?" Ye Die'er muttered to herself in a daze, her entire body's energy seemingly exhausted from the intense beating, her delicate body slowly collapsing. "Sister, my sister..." Suddenly, she pounced onto the large mound of earth and frantically dug with her hands.

  Di Lie was about to stop her from overexerting herself when his eyes suddenly hardened and he turned his head back. Almost at the same time, Yang Zhe also jumped up from the ground, grasped the hilt of his sword, and gazed northwest, exclaiming in a low voice: "Golden Dogs! It's the Golden Dogs' patrol! One, two, three... there are as many as five squads!"

  "Not just that, there are also five more on the side and in the rear." Di Lie took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to shoot all these cattle dead, and ordered quickly, "Hurry back to the riverbank and board the rafts to cross back to the south bank. The Jin soldiers have no rafts, they can't do anything to us."

  If it were just over a dozen Jin soldiers, Di Lie wouldn't mind unleashing his pent-up anger on them. However, the Jin army's main camp was only seven or eight li away, and he estimated that there were no less than several hundred Jin soldiers patrolling the surrounding area. If things went awry and they got caught up in a fight, he could still escape by swimming, but what about Ye Die'er?

  "Leaf little girl, hurry up and leave, the golden dog is coming!" Yang Zhe urged repeatedly, but Ye Die'er seemed to be unaware of it, and continued to dig in the mud regardless.

  Di Lie strode over, not saying a word, and suddenly slapped his palm on Ye Die'er's neck, then picked up her soft body and rushed towards Yang Zhe with a shout, before dashing off in a flash.

  Just like Di Lie and others discovered Jin Bing, the other side also saw the three people from a distance and immediately galloped over on horseback.

  The golden soldiers were patrolling at least two miles away, while the three of them were less than a hundred yards from the riverbank. They should have made it in time. But others had four legs, they had two legs, and they were carrying another person... Fortunately, Di Lie's ability to march quickly with a heavy load was super strong, and Ye Die'er's slender figure weighed absolutely no more than fifty kilograms, just like training.

  Just as Di Lie was passing by a pit, he caught a glimpse of something moving slightly out of the corner of his eye. Di Lie's footsteps paused, and he turned to Yang Zhe with a hint of a whistle, conveying his intention through his eyes.

  Yang Zhe slowly approached the pit, carefully using his arrow to part the weeds - a woman appeared before him, crouching on the ground, motionless and covered in mud with disheveled hair.

  Yang Zhechong was stunned for a moment, subconsciously loosening the bowstring, and reached out to feel the woman's breath. His face lit up with joy, and he turned his head to shout: "She's still breathing, she's not dead!"

  Judging from the situation, this woman was probably also buried in the pit, and it's unknown whether she was buried too shallowly or quietly crawled out halfway, hiding in a nearby earth pit. The Jin people were in such a hurry that they didn't even discover her.

  Di Lie made a swift decision: "Take her with us, let's go!"

  When the four of them jumped onto the wooden raft and quickly rowed away, the pursuing soldiers were less than sixty zhang behind. Judging from the situation, before the raft could even reach the middle of the river, the pursuers would already be at the riverbank. The surface of the Wan Shui River was only about fifty zhang wide, so even if they reached the center of the river, it would be no more than twenty-five zhang away, and the Jin army's archery range exceeded thirty zhang. In other words, the raft would be within the range of their strong bows and sharp arrows.

  "You just row the boat, I'll take care of the pursuers." Di Lie carefully placed Ye Die'er and the woman in the middle of the wooden raft, then opened the gun box, calmly and quickly assembling his sniper rifle. Since the wooden raft was made up of circular logs tied together, it was easy for the bipod to slip when placing the two legs, so Di Lie simply knelt on one knee, taking aim without any support.

  The Barrett M82A1 anti-material rifle was originally designed as a heavy sniper rifle, but its weight is too much to hold by hand. When shooting without support, the arms will become weak in less than two minutes and the muzzle will float, making it difficult to ensure shooting accuracy.

  However, due to the influence of time and space shuttle, Di Lie's strength increased greatly. A 13-kilogram firearm felt like a 3-kilogram one in his hand, equivalent to the weight of an ordinary rifle. Implementing unsupported aiming was no problem at all.

  In just over ten seconds, the raft had only paddled out three zhang away, while the pursuing soldiers had shortened their distance to fifty zhang. Through the sniper scope, one could clearly see each and every scarred face of the Jin soldiers. Behind them, another group of Jin soldiers were fiercely whipping their horses, madly chasing after them. And further behind, one could vaguely see flags waving and dust flying, obviously more Jin soldiers had been alerted.

  However, the only ones who truly posed a threat to Di Lie and his three companions were the first row of Jin soldiers. As long as they could take down the vanguard, the pursuing troops behind would be left with nothing but sighs of admiration.

  Bang! It seemed that two rotten woods collided and emitted a slight muffled sound. The sturdy body of the golden armored soldier in front suddenly shook, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer on his chest. His large body was shaken off the saddle and rolled down from the back of the horse's buttocks, crashing to the ground like a dead meatball.

  A Jin soldier who was closely following him was caught off guard and unable to dodge, his horse's hooves trampling on the flesh. The horse suddenly lost its footing and fell, sliding forward for over ten yards with great momentum, throwing the Jin soldier on its back violently into the air. The soldier rolled like a stone all the way until he reached the riverbank, where he was left in a bloody mess, his head and face completely indistinguishable from his buttocks...

  The three Jin soldiers behind were greatly startled and hastily reined in their horses, almost colliding with each other due to the sudden stop.

  Bang! Di Lie seized the opportunity cleverly and fired another shot at the right moment.

  This shot was at a very tricky angle, the trajectory coincided with three golden soldiers in a straight line, and the three golden soldiers happened to be stuck together. As a result, an astonishing scene appeared - one shot pierced through three people, stringing up human flesh!

  The two Jin soldiers in front didn't even have time to scream before they fell off their horses. The last Jin soldier happened to raise his horse's head, and as a result, the bullet first pierced the horse's head before shattering his breastplate and then opening up his chest.

  The golden armor soldier fell off his horse, but slowly got up, staggering like a drunkard, and retreated backwards. After running about seven or eight steps, he fell down again and couldn't get up.

  "You dare to chase and kill me!" Di Lie put away the sniper rifle, retrieving two shell casings. This thing might still be useful in the future.

  Yang Zhechong, who was rowing with all his might, once again witnessed this magical scene, and in his eyes there was only a deep sense of reverence.

  When the last squad of Jin soldiers arrived at the riverbank, the raft had already crossed the center of the river. At this time, if they shot arrows, it was still possible to hit the raft. But none of the Jin soldiers dared to take action, and with a look of shock, they circled around the five corpses of Jin soldiers on horseback. The tragic state of these Jin soldiers shocked them so much that they didn't know what to do, occasionally looking at the ground and then raising their heads to gaze out at the river in inexplicable fear.

  Just as these golden soldiers were hesitating, the wooden raft slowly drifted further and further away, slowly approaching the opposite bank...