Chapter 359: So Pitiful

“What is that?!” Hu Da pointed into the distance.

They all squinted to look and saw flames rising into the sky, thick black smoke billowing up to blot out that patch of starlit sky.

Yan Yu’s eyes went wide. “Is that a Wolf-Smoke Signal?!”

It sounded like a question, but she was almost certain.

It was in the direction of Crouching Tiger. Crouching Tiger had lit a Wolf-Smoke Signal to ask for aid…

So was it because of this Wolf-Smoke Signal that the Northern Rong had set the bridge on fire?

Their plan to cut off communication between the two cities had failed, so they had come up with this method instead.

That Dashi Bridge was not only the only route from Yongning City to Crouching Tiger, it was also the only way from Gufeng City to Crouching Tiger.

With something so important, how could the Northern Rong possibly let it be?

Yan Yu’s feet did not slow, her mind racing at full speed.

When she left, Crouching Tiger had still been holding on, yet the Wolf-Smoke Signal appeared at this exact moment. There must have been some change, and it was definitely not in Crouching Tiger’s favor.

Dashi Bridge was critical. It decided whether Yongning and Gufeng, the two big cities closest to Crouching Tiger, could send reinforcements there.

Take it back?

No! It would not be that easy!

If she were the Northern Rong, a single fire would never be enough. She would definitely station men to guard it tightly.

Even if someone who was good in the water tried to cross the river from underwater, it would still not work. The Northern Rong could just wait calmly on the bank. How hard would it be to get ashore?

They needed to open up another route to let reinforcements cross the river!

She thought of the dozen or so rafts tied up at the Ferry Crossing.

If they tied all the village’s rafts together to form a temporary wooden bridge, would it work?

It would!

But people could cross, and horses would find it hard!

They could only abandon their mounts to make it across, then take Dashi Bridge back from the Northern Rong!

The group finally made it back to the village, exhausted.

They did not even have time to catch their breath before Yan Yu had them running in circles under her orders.

“Uncle Hu, you and Fourth Uncle Qi go to the eastern Arrow Tower by the river.”

“Second Uncle Hu, you and Uncle Qi Wu go to the southern Arrow Tower by the woods.”

“Uncle Luo, find more people and go to the Ferry Crossing by the river. Tie all the village’s rafts together, all the way to the opposite bank.”

“Brother Da Tie, search the village again and see if there are any more door panels. If you find any, take them to Fourth Uncle Qi and Uncle Qi Wu, the more the better. If you really can’t find any, then take the planks off the wagon frames!”

Yan Yu pulled quite a few Young Scouts off the Arrow Towers and sent them along with Hu Da and Hu Er.

Everyone else gathered at the central Arrow Tower.

“Remember this, everyone. If the Northern Rong thieves come again, we must do everything we can to keep them pinned under the eastern and southern Arrow Towers. Killing the enemy comes second. The important thing is not to let them into the village.”

She was worried that without fierce warriors like Fourth Uncle Qi and Uncle Qi Wu, who could hold a pass alone against ten thousand, the central Arrow Tower of the village would not be able to withstand the Northern Rong assault.

“Uncle Luo San, your task is heavy. You not only have to be ready to support any side at any time, you also have to make sure Uncle Luo’s position stays safe and see that the rafts get linked smoothly to the other bank. This is very important. It is just as important as defending our village!”

Luo San realized something was wrong. “Xiao Er, what about you?”

Yan Yu said, “I have to cross the river to find reinforcements!”

She had to bring people back here. Otherwise, who would even know there was a raft-bridge here?

“That is too dangerous! Let’s switch. I will cross the river to find help, and you stay in the village to command us!” Luo San said urgently.

“…On the road, I threw away some Iron Sheeting. I will go back to find it first and put it on. It can block arrows. You are all grown-ups, there is not enough Iron Sheeting for everyone.” Yan Yu cut off Uncle Luo San before he could keep trying to persuade her.

“Time is tight. Uncles, please hurry. I will go on ahead. Uncles, please be very careful!” She said solemnly, then decisively turned and ran off.

She sprinted all the way while shouting for Sanbao.

Before long, Sanbao’s sturdy figure appeared in front of her.

She scrambled onto his back and took up the reins.

“Sanbao, cross the river, quick!”

Feeling her urgency, Sanbao flung out his hooves and galloped.

He did not slow at the riverbank, plunging straight into the water, swimming past mid-river, then leaping up to land on the opposite shore…

Suddenly, inspiration struck Yan Yu.

“Sanbao, stop for a bit.”

Sanbao obediently came to a halt.

“Drink more water, fill yourself up!”

Sanbao moved closer to the river, lowered his head, put his mouth into the water, and began gulping it down with loud glugging sounds…

Yan Yu used the time to quickly arrange stones on the ground.

She lifted Maomao out of the basket on her back.

She had her determine the Northern Rong’s position again.

To save time, this time each hole stood for a hundred people.

Maomao poked the holes very quickly.

Looking at the four holes that were practically right next to the village, Yan Yu clenched her fists.

Damn it, they really did want to join up with the Northern Rong who had come to plunder Xiao’an Village.

Unexpectedly, Maomao did not stop. She kept poking holes in the directions of Gufeng and Yongning as well.

Yan Yu’s eyes lit up. This really was a wonderful surprise!

She focused on the five holes in the direction of Gufeng.

At least five hundred men. That was enough!

Sanbao had drunk his fill and wobbled back toward her.

Yan Yu climbed back onto him and wound the reins around her arm.

“Sanbao, it is time to show off your speed. As long as there is no one nearby, give it everything you have!”

Sanbao let out a moo.

Yan Yu hurriedly wrapped her arms around his head.

…

When Yan Huaiwen saw the increasingly familiar outline of an ox up ahead, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

Yan Yu rode the ox closer with caution, and when she clearly saw who the man in the lead was, she was so excited she choked up.

She had not wanted to cry, she really had not, but she simply could not help it.

The tears came streaming down on their own, without even greeting her first.

“Uncle!” she sobbed.

She tilted her little face up, hoping the useless tears would hurry up and go back.

Yan Huaiwen dismounted and rushed over anxiously. He lifted her down in one swift motion and looked her over from head to toe.

“Xiao Er, what are you doing here?! At home…”

Yan Huaiwen did not dare to finish the question.

Even he did not realize that right now he was shaking.

Yan Yu forced back the heat in her eyes and quickly said, “Uncle, hundreds of Northern Rong came. I do not know if the uncles in the village can hold them off. They burned Dashi Bridge…”

Yan Huaiwen calmed down again.

“We will talk as we move!”

He hoisted Yan Yu up, then swung himself into the saddle.

Yan Yu could not forget Sanbao. “Sanbao, keep up!”

Sanbao mooed once and ran among the warhorses at the normal speed of an ox. He was gradually left behind, but he still kept stubbornly chasing after them…

Yan Yu pitifully recounted everything that had happened that day to her uncle.

She skimmed over the earlier parts and focused on her guesses about Crouching Tiger, and on how the Northern Rong were heartless enough to burn the bridge.

A young officer riding nearby stared in surprise at this second child of Registrar Yan’s family.

So small, yet he dared to run out alone to seek reinforcements.

He was not afraid even sitting on a warhorse moving at such speed, and he could not keep still, rummaging around for a waterskin and glugging down water on his own…

Yan Yu’s throat felt like it was on fire.

Only after seeing her uncle and feeling her heart settle did she think to look for water.

“…Uncle, Uncle Luo led people to tie all the village’s rafts together into a wooden raft-bridge. People can get across, but the horses…”

Yan Yu deliberately blurred the timeline and glossed over the fact that some Northern Rong had already died with hatred in Xiao’an Village.

At a time like this, if she wanted to win the support of these city defense troops from Gufeng, she had to look pitiful, incredibly pitiful.

She tried hard to squeeze out some tears. Too bad, the surge of excitement from seeing her uncle just now had already passed…

“Uncle!” She twisted around and hugged her uncle, pressing the top of her head against him.

“Wuu wuu wuu… Hurry and save Mom, and Big Sister, and Grandpa Village Chief, and Grandma Qi… wuu wuu wuu!”

All thunder and no rain? Not a chance. Yan Yu wailed loudly while squeezing out a bit of spit, soaking into her uncle’s long robe…

Author Note: Our uncle is back, all the bad guys who bullied us can just wait, hmph hmph o(￣ヘ￣o＃)

(End of chapter)