Chapter - 446 Will the Encounter While Lion-slaying Cause a Calamity? (2) (1/2)

Two people sharing a ride went down the mountain. They traveled along the main road, turning slightly to the east to avoid meeting Wang Baobao. After walking for a while, they turned toward a small pathway. They were feeling slightly relieved, since they thought that even if Wang Baobao dispatched some people to pursue, they would not easily find this small and remote pathway. They will have more chance of escaping when the sky turned dark and they entered deeper into the mountain.

While riding leisurely, suddenly they heard hoof beats from behind; a pair of riders galloped near. Zhao Min's countenance sank; she tightened her hold on Zhang Wuji's waist while saying, ”My Gege comes very quick. It's just our cruel fate, in the end we can't escape from his cruel hands. Wuji Gege, let me go home with him. I am going to ask Father earnestly that we will see each other again later. As eternal and unchanging as the universe, let us not fail each other.”

With a bitter smile Zhang Wuji said, ”Your honorable brother might not necessarily be willing to let me go.”

Just as he was saying that, the riders had come within several dozens 'zhang's behind them. Zhao Min held the rein to let the riders pass. She pulled her dagger out, thinking that if they had a chance, they would escape, but if her brother had made up his mind to kill Zhang Wuji, then the two of them would die together. However, when the two riders came near, they did not even slow down. They were wearing Mongolian soldiers' uniform. They galloped passed them, giving them only a quick glance, and continued forward.

Zhao Min had just mused, ”Thank Heaven and thank the Earth. Turned out they are only two low-ranking soldiers, not our pursuers.” When she saw those two Yuan soldiers held their reins to slow down their horses, talked to each other, and suddenly turned their horses around and returned toward the two of them.

One of them, a full-bearded Yuan soldier, shouted, ”Audacious barbarians! Where did you steal these two good horses from?”

As she heard the tone of his voice, Zhao Min understood that they coveted the pair of steeds given by her father. The horses of the Ruyang Prince were naturally divine steeds, with golden stirrups and silver reins, extraordinarily magnificent and expensive ornaments. The Mongolians loved horses like they loved life itself, so when they saw a pair of excellent horses, how could their hearts be not moved?

Zhao Min thought, ”Although these two horses were given by Father, but if these two wicked thieves want to seize them by force, we'd better let them go.” She spoke in Mongolian, ”Which General's subordinates are you? Why do you dare to be so impolite to me?”

That Mongolian soldier was startled. ”Who are you, Miss?” he asked. He saw that these two were wearing expensive looking clothes, the horses they were riding were no small matters either; and now she was speaking fluent Mongolian. He did not dare to be careless.

”I am General Waerl Puche's daughter,” Zhao Min said, ”This is my brother. We met some robbers along the way and are injured.”

The two Mongolian soldiers exchanged a glance, suddenly they laughed loudly. The bearded soldier said in loud voice, ”One can't escape, two will not live. We might as well kill these two babies.” Unsheathing his saber, he charged forward.

Zhao Min was alarmed. ”What are you doing?” she asked, ”I'll tell the General and have the two of you pulled by four horses.” Execution by pulling by four horses was Mongolian army's capital punishment, in which the lawbreaker's limbs were tied to four horses. As the signal was given, a long whip cracked, the four horses would run to different directions at once, tearing the convict into four parts. It was the cruelest punishment.

The full-bearded Mongolian soldier laughed menacingly. ”Waerl Puche was unable to defeat the Ming Cult army,” he said, ”He randomly executed his subordinates, venting his anger to us, his soldiers. Yesterday the army revolted and chopped your father to be meat sauce. Nothing can be better than to bump into you, two puppies, in here.” While saying that, he raised his saber, ready to chop down.

Zhao Min jerked the rein, her horse leaped forward to evade. The soldier pursued to kill. The other Yuan soldier called out, ”Don't kill this young girl who is pretty-as-a-flower. We can have fun with her first.”