Chen Ji stepped on the yellow and rotten leaves in the mountain forest, while identifying the direction, he wielded his knife to cut down the branches and shrubs on the road for the three people behind him.

In winter, water-soaked clothes cling to your body, like leeches, sucking the life out of you bit by bit.

But they couldn't stop to dry the clothes, so they could only keep running for their lives.

He recalled the look on the officer's face on the awning boat. He didn't panic when he saw him escaping ashore, as if his life was hanging by a thread and there was no room for struggle.

But what is there on the other side of the river? Isn’t it a wilderness?

At this time, Zhang Xia followed him and suddenly asked: "Chen Ji, who are you?"

Chen Ji replied without looking back: "Apprentice from the medical clinic."

Zhang Xia was full of doubts: "Can a medical apprentice sink a ship?"

Chen Ji chopped at the large-leaf holly blocking the road, and explained casually: "The ship was old, and it was broken open with just two chisels."

Zhang Xia glanced at Chen Ji's back and then at Bai Li: "Don't you have anything to ask him?"

Bai Li shook his head.

Zhang Xia was surprised: "You and the Crown Prince have known about it for a long time, so you are not surprised at all!"

Bai Li nodded and said yes.

Zhang Xia was silent.

After a long time, she said calmly: "Sorry, I was too talkative to persuade you to come in earlier, but now I feel that you are at least much better than your second brother! If you want to scold me, just scold me, I won't talk back!"

Chen Ji smiled: "Why are you scolding you?"

Zhang Xia said seriously: "Thank you, thank you for saving us."

Chen Ji thought for a while and said: "Actually, you don't have to jump into the river. These killers are not here for you. Even if you don't run away, they will not attack you. I guess they planned to silence them all at first. It can be seen that the moment they saw the prince,

Changed my mind."

Bai Li was confused: "Why did you change your mind?"

Chen Ji replied: "Because they need the prince to live."

Bai Li asked: "Chen Ji, have you guessed the identity of the mastermind behind the scenes?"

Chen Ji did not answer.

Who needs the prince to live?

People who rebel.

Those who conspired to rebel need royal blood as a banner. If Prince Jing dies, they will lack the name to serve as an army.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves could be heard in the distance. Chen Ji quickly pulled everyone to squat behind the bushes and quietly look at the dirt road outside the forest.

A moment later, dozens of cavalrymen dressed as bandits galloped past the dirt road. After the cavalrymen passed by, hundreds more people wearing leather armor and leading hounds passed by.

Chen Ji's heart sank, how could there be so many bandits here?

No, not a bandit.

Bai Li came closer and asked, "Chen Ji, are these bandits from Longwang Tun?"

"No," Chen Ji said solemnly: "The victims turned into bandits. Their only weapons were kitchen knives, hoes, and rakes. How could there be organized cavalry and leather armor? The victims of Longwangtun had been killed by them. Now these people are

Private soldiers raised by noble officials."

Bai Li and the Crown Prince looked at each other with horror in their eyes.

Now this group of private soldiers is obviously claiming them, so whoever supports this group of private soldiers is the one who wants to kill them.

This place is only more than fifty miles away from Luocheng, and it is still under the jurisdiction of the nine counties of Luocheng. There are only two people who have the ability to raise private soldiers here, one is Liu Gun and the other is Prince Jing.

The prince said sternly: "It's definitely not my father who wants to kill us. He's not that kind of person."

Bai Li was about to defend his father, but Chen Ji nodded: "I don't think he is Prince Jing either."

The two of them were startled.

Chen Ji continued: "With the prince's methods, if he wants to kill us, how will he give us a chance to survive? It is precisely because the other party does not know that the prince is traveling with us that we are alive until now."

Therefore, the only ones who want to kill them this time are the Liu family.

"Let's go quickly," Chen Ji stood up: "They are searching from the river. If there are hounds, they may catch up soon."

When Chen Ji turned around, he was shocked to see Bai Li's cheeks were rosy, as if he was drunk. When he stood up, he was crooked and almost fell down.

Chen Ji looked at the prince: "Your Majesty, touch the princess's forehead."

Bai Li raised his hand to block: "I'm fine, don't worry about me!"

The prince pressed her arm and stretched out his hand to check: "It's hot!"

Got a fever.

Everyone was exposed to the cold wind on the bullock cart yesterday, and today they were soaked in the cold river water for half a day. They had to wear wet clothes to escape. It was only a matter of time before the prince and Zhang Xia got sick.

While I was thinking, I heard the sound of dogs barking in the distance.

Chen Ji glanced at the sky: "I can't wait any longer, I have to leave now... Princess, I'm offended."

After saying that, he picked up the white carp and carried it behind his back, turned around and ran towards the southwest. That was the boundary of Luhun Villa and the annex of Laojunshan Taoist Court at the foot of the mountain.

Bai Li's head hung weakly on Chen Ji's shoulders, and he asked softly: "Chen Ji, will we die here?"

Chen Ji said firmly: "No."

"Yes." The girl slowly closed her eyes, leaned on her shoulders and panted slightly, "Chen Ji."

"Huh?" Chen Ji tilted his head, his cheeks were a little itchy due to the disturbance of Bai Li's hair. When he wanted to ask Bai Li what he was calling him for, the other party was already asleep.

…

…

In the mountains and forests.

More than a dozen soldiers, dressed in rogue clothes, led the hunt with hounds with stern expressions. The hounds quickly found the place where the traces had been cut and the bushes were cut.

They turned around and gestured behind them: Found it!

On the other side, Chen Ji heard the barking of dogs getting closer and closer, as if they were only a few hundred steps away. The barking sounded like a reminder, making people upset.

The next moment, the barking sound suddenly disappeared.

It was as if the chirping of cicadas that had been bothering him all summer suddenly disappeared, and the world became a little clearer. But Chen Ji's heart sank: there is only one reason why the hound suddenly stopped barking, and that is that the hunter has loosened the reins of the hound.

, the hound is flying towards the prey with all its strength.

Can't run away.

Once a hunting dog has identified its prey, it will never give up until it bites it.

Chen Ji suddenly turned to look at the prince: "Your Majesty, you carry the princess on your back and run, and I will stop the hounds. If these hounds are not killed, we will never be able to escape."

Zhang Xia was stunned for a moment: "You..."

The prince took a deep breath: "You carry my sister and run away. I'll stay and deal with these people. If you run fast, I won't be able to run very far. Chen Ji, take my sister back alive."

Chen Ji said in a deep voice: "Stop being pretentious, I don't have time to talk nonsense with you at this time, just run away with Bai Li on my back..."

Before he finished speaking, he heard the whining and whimpering of hounds suddenly coming from the forest.

One sound, two sounds, three sounds.

The whine of the hounds was endless and extremely sad.

Chen Ji suddenly turned around, someone had killed the hound!

who?

Could it be that the golden pig has arrived?

No, if you want to come from Luo City, even if you drive very fast, you have to go after sunset. The golden pig can't come so fast!

Just when Chen Ji was confused, a dark and furry shadow flashed past the woods ahead.

A hound was running towards him at full strength, but the black shadow suddenly picked up its paws and punched it on the head, knocking it over.

The punch was so fierce that the hound fell to the ground, its limbs twitching, and it looked like it might not survive.

dark clouds?!

Fiercely!

Zhang Xia asked in surprise: "What was that black shadow that flashed past just now?"

Chen Ji carried Bai Li on his back, turned around and continued to escape in the southwest direction: "I didn't see clearly either. Don't worry about what it is, it's important to escape!"

After half a stick of incense, several soldiers rushed to the place where the hound died.

A military man squatted down, picked up the skin of the hound by the scruff, and carefully observed the death of the hound.

He first opened the hound's eyelids and saw that they were full of red bloodshot eyes. He then touched the hound's head and found a crack on the skull.

"Kill with one blow."
To be continued...