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Huang Cheng glanced at the two nearly shattered carts lying overturned at his feet, then leaped down from the gap in the courtyard wall and joined the fray.
Ignoring the furious charge of Captain Chen, Huang Cheng instead darted to the side, circling around to flank him and engaging the few soldiers who had followed the captain.
Huang Cheng knew that no matter how skilled Captain Chen was, he was still just one man. He couldn't control the gap in the wall alone. But if Huang Cheng allowed himself to be entangled by the captain, even two or three of his soldiers standing beneath the breach would be enough to block anyone trying to descend from the wall.
Swift as a hare and fierce as an eagle, Huang Cheng's blade work was ruthless. The three or four ordinary soldiers barely had time to react before they were cut down in an instant.
Only then did Huang Cheng turn to face Captain Chen.
The captain proved more challenging. Huang Cheng exchanged blows with him for over a dozen rounds before finally spotting an opening. With a slash, he first wounded Captain Chen's left leg, then, taking advantage of his momentary stagger, swept his blade across the man's throat—
Amid the spray of blood, Huang Cheng spotted more men rushing over from the front courtyard, some of whom appeared to be archers. He quickly called out to Huang Xu, ordering a few men to help escort Fei Qian and the others out through the gap in the wall.
Zheng Jian, seeing that Captain Chen had not returned with any updates for some time, left only a small detachment behind to guard the main gate of the courtyard with the posthouse attendants. He then led over twenty shield-bearing soldiers and archers toward the breach—
While the shield-bearing troops were troublesome for Huang Cheng, Huang Xu, and the others due to their heavy armor and shields, they weren't impossible to deal with. The real problem was the archers lurking in the shadows, firing cold arrows. Several of the Cui family's guards were struck down immediately.
Under Huang Xu's cover, Fei Qian scrambled out through the gap, his face covered in dust. He crouched beside the carts, scanning the surroundings before shouting orders to fight a retreat toward the posthouse's rear courtyard.
Zheng Jian was furious that his prey had slipped away. Roaring in anger, he pursued relentlessly while sending men to summon more soldiers to block Fei Qian's escape.
Originally, Zheng Jian hadn't thought it necessary to mobilize a large force to deal with Fei Qian—a mere scholar trapped in a small courtyard. If not for the fact that Fei Qian was a disciple of Cai Yong, Zheng Jian wouldn't have even bothered to come personally.
But now, not only had Fei Qian escaped the fire meant to kill him, but Captain Chen had also been lost in the process. Filled with rage and fear, Zheng Jian cast aside all restraint. He no longer cared about appearances—his only thought was to summon enough troops to crush Fei Qian where he stood!
Fei Qian had visited the rear courtyard once or twice before, so he had some familiarity with the layout. He led the group straight toward the posthouse's back gate.
Passing the stables, Fei Qian pointed at the horses and ordered Huang Xu to cut all their tethers. Though there weren't enough to create a stampede, setting a few ablaze to disrupt the pursuers' formation was more than feasible.
"Rope! Grab the rope!" Fei Qian shouted as he sprinted forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a few coiled hemp ropes among a pile of discarded items. He quickly sent two men to retrieve them.
Just as Zheng Jian and his troops charged into the rear courtyard, they were met by seven or eight horses galloping toward them, their tails on fire. Two or three soldiers were too slow to dodge and were sent flying, their fates unknown. The rest scrambled to the sides in panic, clearing a path for the frenzied animals.
By the time the chaos subsided, Zheng Jian and his men stormed into the courtyard—only to find it empty, save for the half-open back gate swaying in the wind.
Fei Qian ran for some distance before realizing something was wrong. He turned and saw that only Huang Cheng, Huang Xu, a squad leader from the Huang family, and about a dozen of his surviving personal guards were still following closely. Of the Cui family's guards, only five or six remained; the rest lagged far behind, groping their way forward as if they weren't fleeing for their lives at all.
What was going on?
Huang Cheng gave a bitter smile beside him. "Young Master Fei, these men suffer from night blindness!"
Night blindness?!
Damn it! So that was it!
The Huang family of Jingxiang wasn't a major clan, but as a hidden lineage that valued craftsmanship and Mohist traditions, they paid attention to such things. Their living conditions were also relatively better, so night blindness caused by nutritional deficiencies wasn't an issue.
The personal guards Fei Qian had received from Cai Mao had originally been selected under high standards for archers. Naturally, no one with night blindness would have been chosen.
But these Cui family guards—aside from the few who had kept up—were all stumbling blindly in the dark. Though the starry sky provided faint illumination, for those with night blindness, it made no difference. To them, the world was pitch black.
Fortunately, while the Cui family's guards suffered from night blindness, so did many of Zheng Jian's soldiers. This was partly why Zheng Jian had only summoned a portion of his troops—not all of them could fight effectively at night.
But now, Zheng Jian no longer cared. He ordered his men to light torches and search from both ends of the eastern and western walls, determined to hunt down Fei Qian, the fish that had slipped through the net.
Fei Qian watched as the torchlight from both ends of the street drew closer and closer—
"The rope!" A sudden idea struck him. He pointed at the coils of rope carried by one of the guards.
Huang Cheng immediately understood. Delighted, he and the guard rushed back, whispering instructions as they handed the ropes to the night-blind men.
Human psychology was strange. Though they still couldn't see, having something to hold onto gave the Cui family guards courage. Each of them gripped the rope tightly, and even when they tripped over uneven stones in the road, they gritted their teeth and refused to cry out. Their speed noticeably increased.
But now, the problem was that while they had improved their pace, they still had no clear path of escape.
The soldiers from the eastern and western walls were closing in, their figures visible in the torchlight. If Fei Qian's group got caught, it would be a disaster.
They needed a way out—but where?
Hangu Pass was unlike other cities. To the north, though there was no wall, the sheer cliffs offered no footholds for ascent or descent, making that direction impossible. The east and west were slowly being sealed off by advancing troops, leaving no easy passage.
The southern wall was shorter, and breaking through the southern gate might have been easier than the eastern or western ones—but it was pointless. Beyond it lay a sealed valley. The only escape would be to jump into the river.
In this weather, plunging into the water would mean losing half their lives on the spot. The other half would depend on sheer luck—avoiding rocks and debris, finding a safe spot to climb ashore. Otherwise, with cliffs on both sides, they'd freeze to death long before reaching safety.
What now?
Which way should they go?