jdhmnovel Chapter 138 Caught
Chapter 138 Caught
Lin Wei and his men searched the mountains for more than two hours before finally finding their hiding place. However, after observing for a long time, they did not see Shen Yanchu and the others. Inside the cave, there were only some messy footprints and a few remnants of food.
Lin Wei was puzzled. Had Shen Yanchu and the others already left? Unwilling to give up, he decided to send people to continue searching the vicinity.
Soon after, a subordinate rushed over and reported that some suspicious traces had been found not far away. Lin Wei immediately led his men to investigate and found some bloodstains and signs of a struggle on the ground, along with some cut tree branches nearby.
Lin Wei's heart tightened. Had Shen Yanchu and the others encountered danger? He quickened his pace, following the tracks forward. After walking for a while, they came to the foot of a valley, which was shrouded in thick fog, obscuring the view inside.
Lin Wei hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to lead the group into the valley. They proceeded cautiously when suddenly they heard shouts. Lin Wei was overjoyed and quickened her pace, running forward.
The first thing they saw was a cave. Although there was no movement inside, a campfire was still burning. He waved for someone to go and check it out. His men cautiously reached the cave entrance and found that, apart from one man, the cave was full of women.
He quietly withdrew and reported to the general. Lin Wei frowned deeply after hearing his subordinate's report.
Where did this woman come from in this desolate wilderness? She must be one of their accomplices. Let's take her back first, then we'll see.
At Lin Wei's command, they slowly made their way along the path to the cave, the stones beneath their feet making a crisp sound. This startled the people inside; Uncle San and his men had just reached the entrance when they found themselves surrounded.
"Oh no, Miss Wang, Miss Shi, we're surrounded! This old servant will arrange for maids to help you break out. The outside is full of thugs; you women must not fall into their hands."
Third Uncle led four maids to distract them, while the other three quickly packed their belongings and fled the cave. Just as they were about to escape, they were stopped. The three maids protected their masters while warily watching the newcomers.
The newcomers were a group of men dressed in black, each with a menacing look on their faces and wielding sharp blades. The leader coldly said, "Trying to leave? Not so easy! Hand over the goods, or don't blame us for being impolite!"
The masters turned pale with fright, and one of the maids said, "Who are you? How dare you be so insolent here!"
The soldiers ignored them and advanced step by step. Just at this critical moment, Uncle San returned with four maids, and they engaged in a fierce battle with the soldiers.
Third Uncle was highly skilled in martial arts, and the maids were not to be outdone. They cooperated well and fought the soldiers to a standstill for a time.
However, they were outnumbered, and the physical disparity between men and women was too great; the seven maids were either wounded or killed. Soon, the soldiers occupied the cave and bound all the women.
When Lin Wei entered the cave, he saw that the haul was quite substantial; they had captured so many young women, several of whom were exceptionally beautiful. The soldiers present were immediately tempted. Lin Wei, though also tempted by these women, had other business to attend to. He ordered one team to stay behind and watch over the women, while the rest continued the search.
"Listen up, all of you! Anyone who dares to touch these young ladies, don't blame me for being impolite. I'll enjoy them first when I return, and then it'll be your turn."
The squad leader who remained behind repeatedly agreed and humbly escorted the general out of the cave.
Seeing that the general had already gone far away, the remaining soldiers responsible for guarding the girls could no longer restrain themselves and rushed towards the innocent girls, wanting to have some fun. Shi Wanxia kicked away the soldier who rushed towards her, a resolute glint in her eyes.
She quickly stood up and formed a defensive circle with the other girls, back to back. Shi Wanxia shouted, "Sisters, we can't just sit here and wait to die, we must fight back!" The girls responded one after another, and they fought with all their might against the soldiers.
Shi Wanxia was agile; she dodged left and right, avoiding the soldiers' attacks while looking for an opportunity to counterattack.
"How dare you! Get away from my young lady! You mustn't be so disrespectful to her!"
“救命呀!”
Inside the cave, the girls were terrified by the soldiers. Shi Wanxia's hands were bound, and she noticed that some of the girls' clothes were almost torn. In desperation, she started cursing, trying to attract their attention.
“You are soldiers, and a soldier’s duty is to protect the country, not to bully others. You are also human beings, with families, parents, and sisters.”
"You join the army to fight not only to support your families. A true man is born into this world to protect his country, punish the strong and help the weak. This is what a man should do, not to use your strength to bully the weak."
They didn't listen to Shi Wanxia's words, but the thugs stopped their wicked actions. Taking advantage of the thugs' momentary daze, the girls quickly hid behind Shi Wanxia.
The soldiers cursed and swore incessantly. They had been conscripted by the imperial court, forced into military service, and forced to leave their hometowns and parents. They had fought desperately for years, yet remained lowly soldiers, their merits stolen by their superiors. Filled with resentment and discontent, they could only vent their anger through cursing.
In this chaotic world, being a soldier was a dangerous thing. They not only had to face enemy attacks, but also endure the oppression and exploitation of officers. They had no dignity, no freedom, and no hope. They were just a forgotten group of people struggling to survive on the edge of war.
"You little wench are so naive. You join the army just to have fun and avoid being bullied. I was conscripted into the army seven years ago, before my wife even received her veil. When I joined the army, it was to protect my home and country. I had to protect my home, but as for the country, it was just the country of those officials and the royal family."
"What does this have to do with us lackeys?"
"That's right, all the credit goes to those officials. What does it have to do with us lowly guys? Every time I've faced death, it's just to save my life and go home."
"That's right, we were conscripted, and today we finally managed to catch you young ladies. It's your good fortune to have some fun with us."
"That's right, Captain, stop talking nonsense. This chick is yours, the others are for the brothers. Haha..."
"Wait a minute! How are you any different from those bandits who bully the weak? You are human beings too! Whenever the country is invaded, whether you like it or not, once you go to the battlefield, it is incredibly glorious to fight to protect your home and country!"
"Yes, in my hometown, the soldiers of the past also committed the same atrocities as you. However, they harmed their own country and their own families. When foreign enemies invaded, their brothers and sisters were all violated and killed by the invaders, leaving no trace of their bodies."
"At that time, there was no future to be seen, no hope to be seen. Men, young and old, all died on the battlefield, and half of the country fell into the hands of foreign powers."
"With the country broken and its territory occupied, the average age of soldiers at that time was only eleven or twelve years old. Many parents had no choice but to send their children to the battlefield one after another."
The soldiers were stunned. What kind of war was this? All the men were dead, and now the elderly, women, and children were being sent to the battlefield. They were captivated by the girl's story and squatted down beside her to untie her.