He and Xiao Qing dismounted and unloaded everything from the horses, then they hurried towards Xiao Qing River.
Fortunately, they were only a few li from Xiao Qing River, and they arrived soon. Standing on the stone bridge, Liu Rumei looked back at the fire dragon in the sky and let out a long sigh, thinking how lucky they were.
If she hadn't run fast enough, and if she had, like Xiao Qing, hidden until dawn when they stopped the first time, she would have truly never been able to return.
Soon, Yelü Chuang arrived with his large army.
Upon seeing the two horses lying on the ground, Yelü Chuang couldn't help but laugh heartily, "They have no horses, they can't go far. After crossing the bridge, split up and search. You must catch them for me."
At this time, Liu Rumei, with Zheng Zhun and five or six others, had been running for seven or eight li. Everyone was exhausted. Zheng Zhun and the others had been rushing for days, and Liu Rumei hadn't slept all night.
Liu Rumei climbed a nearby tree and gazed into the distance. Where her gaze fell, there was a forest.
Although the forest had no leaves in winter, making hiding difficult, it was better than being on the open road. Taking her suggestion, everyone cheered and quickened their pace.
Rushing and rushing, they hid in the forest and found a concealed spot, finally able to sit down and catch their breath.
Watching everyone resting, Liu Rumei forced herself to look around.
The place they were in was a low-lying area of the forest. From a distance, they couldn't be discovered, but if someone searched inside, they would easily be surrounded. Therefore, they couldn't stay here long.
Liu Rumei walked a bit deeper into the forest, but found nothing more, only that the woods became denser.
After looking around, Liu Rumei sighed. Just as she was about to turn back, she suddenly felt something watching her. She turned her head and saw a wolf not far away, staring with its green, glowing eyes.
Upon seeing this, Liu Rumei's heart leaped into her throat.
However, after staring at each other for a long time, the wolf remained motionless.
Liu Rumei then slowly retreated while putting her little finger in her mouth and blowing a long, clear whistle.
This whistle was for Xiao Qing, telling her that she was in danger.
Xiao Qing, who was resting nearby, suddenly heard the whistle and sprang to her feet. She said to Zheng Zhun and the others, "Miss is in danger, let's go quickly."
Hearing that Liu Rumei was in peril, Zheng Zhun and the others drew their weapons and quickly converged on her location. They didn't walk far before they saw Liu Rumei confronting a wolf.
The wolf clearly sensed more people approaching. It seemed to lose its patience. Suddenly, it crouched its body backward, then accelerated and lunged at Liu Rumei.
Still more than half a zhang away, the wolf leaped up and lunged with its mouth wide open.
Liu Rumei, skilled and brave, darted forward. She thrust her long sword forward, and with perfect precision, the sword pierced directly into the wolf's mouth.
Liu Rumei had put all her strength into this move. The long sword pierced through the wolf's mouth and out through its back of the neck. With a slight flick of her arm, Liu Rumei swung the wolf aside.
As the wolf fell to the ground, it seemed to ignore the pain and suddenly turned around, charging at Liu Rumei again. After only a few steps, its body went limp and it collapsed.
The wolf twitched and seemed to be dying. After struggling a few times, it managed to stand up, but this was its last bit of defiance. After a tense standoff with Liu Rumei, the wild wolf crashed to the ground.
At this moment, Zheng Zhun and the others from afar ran over. Seeing the wild wolf fall, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Liu Rumei quickly stepped forward, drew her long sword, and said to everyone, "We can't stay here long. Before the enemy catches up, we must leave quickly."
They hurriedly retreated a few zhang. At this moment, the wild wolf behind them suddenly leaped up again, raised its head, and let out a roar into the air.
Although Liu Rumei's long sword had pierced its throat, and it seemed unable to make a very loud sound, the low growl sent a shiver down everyone's spine.
After the roar, the wild wolf's mission was finally over. Watching the wolf fall again, everyone sighed with emotion. Liu Rumei also secretly admired the wolf's tenacity.
Just then, a scout rushed over, "Miss Liu, bad news. Several fast horses have appeared in the distance. The enemy is catching up."
They came so fast, Liu Rumei thought in surprise. But then she realized that without horses, and relying on their legs, they couldn't outrun them.
The enemy's vanguard had appeared, and the main force would follow soon. If they ran now, they would be easy targets.
Helpless, Liu Rumei could only say towards the depths of the dense forest, "There are a few pine trees over there. We can only hide there temporarily."
Liu Rumei urged everyone to conceal their tracks and move inward.
A dozen zhang past the spot where they killed the wolf, there were several tall pine trees.
Although these pine trees were slightly conspicuous in the forest, their dense canopy offered some temporary shelter.
"Let's hide in the trees. Hopefully, we can escape this disaster."
Liu Rumei was also at a loss.
After waiting for about half an hour, Yelü Chuang arrived with his large army. He looked at the vast forest.
"There's a forest over there. Go and search it carefully. Don't miss any suspicious spots."
Soon, dozens of soldiers began to search in their direction. Seeing them approach, Liu Rumei suddenly realized a problem. The dead wolf had not been dealt with. If they saw it, it might cause trouble.
As expected, the soldiers soon found the dead wolf. One of them reached out and touched it. The wolf's body was still warm. "This wolf died not long ago. It must have been killed by them. Report to the general quickly."
One soldier turned and left. The remaining soldiers looked at the wild wolf. Suddenly, one of them stepped forward, squatted down, took out a dagger, and slashed open the wolf's chest.
"It's a shame to waste such a good wolf pelt."
As one started, the others gathered around. "I want the fangs."
"Give me the head."
They were engrossed in carving up the wolf, and the smell of blood permeated the air. At this moment, no one noticed a dozen gray shadows rapidly approaching from the distance.
Liu Rumei was watching intently when Xiao Qing nudged her. "Miss, look, more wolves are coming."
Liu Rumei turned her head and saw indeed, there were a dozen gray shadows in the distance. They were all wolves.
A thought struck her. It must have been the dying roar of the previous wolf, a signal to its companions.
Moreover, wild wolves had keen senses of smell and could detect the scent of blood from dozens of li away.