Chapter 4 A Female General 

The bamboo raft floated out of the small river and merged with the larger one. Xuan Dao put away the bamboo pole and let the raft drift with the current. He believed that Dongfang Changfan had no reason to lie to him in his dying moments, so there was no need for suspicion.

Sitting on the bamboo raft, Xuan Dao used a wooden knife to cut small bamboo strips. He pulled out some dry firewood he had prepared beforehand and took out a match. He made a small fire on a flat rock and began to roast the bamboo strips until they were tough enough. Then, he cut the strips into small pieces. He pulled out the hemp thread he had prepared in the village from his bosom and stretched it with his hand. After confirming its sturdiness, he tied a small piece of bamboo to the hemp thread at a point in the middle.

Next, he pulled out a piece of wheat straw from his bosom and cut it into small pieces. He bent the tough bamboo strips and used the small pieces of wheat straw to bind the two ends of the stretched strips, preventing them from bouncing off. He reached into his tattered clothes and pulled out a small handful of wheat kernels, which he had gathered from the muddy ground in the village, likely scattered by bandits during their raid. He pinched a grain of wheat and stuffed it into the holes of the wheat straw on the two ends of the bamboo strips. In this manner, he made a dozen or so simple mechanisms on the hemp thread.

After that, he dipped the hemp thread into the water. One end was tied to the bamboo raft, and the rest was left to fate. Xuan Dao then took out a bamboo tube, drew some water from the river, and drank it slowly until it was warm. He sat on the raft, warmed himself by the fire, and admired the scenery on both sides of the river, his eyes filled with curiosity about this new world.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly felt some movement on the bamboo raft. It seemed like something was being pulled underwater. He was delighted but remained still. Not long after, the movement stopped.

He pulled back the hemp thread and soon, a two- to three-catty fish was dragged out of the water. The gills on both sides of the fish had been pushed open by the bamboo strips, and in just a short while, the fish was already half-dead. This small, simple fishing mechanism was not to be underestimated. The gills are the fish's breathing system underwater, and once obstructed, even fish can drown. The elastic bamboo strips ensured the fish could not break free, and due to the lack of oxygen, the fish quickly lost strength. Once caught, it was difficult for the fish to escape, unlike those hooked, which struggle for a long time underwater.

Of course, this small mechanism had its flaws; catching big fish was difficult.

There was no other way. The conditions in the village were limited, and there was no food for him to carry. He could only pick up some random things according to the local conditions. He had to find a way to fill his stomach along the way.

He plucked the fish and threw away the waste. Then, he put a small piece of wheat straw back into the water. The other wheat grains had already swelled up, so he estimated that the chances of luring fish had greatly increased.

Picking up the half-dead fish, he took out a dagger and cut open the belly of the fish. After cleaning it in the river, he lit the fire again and skewered the fish with a stick. Then, he happily roasted the fish. Since he could catch fish, it seemed that the environment here was pretty good. He planned to eat, drink, and sleep on the bamboo raft. He heard that it was chaotic here, so it was probably safer to stay on the bamboo raft.

The fish had just been cooked and was scalding hot. Before Xuan Dao could take a few bites, there was a tug under the bamboo raft. Xuan Dao was overjoyed.

At the same time, a horse carriage was running wildly on the shore, pursued by a group of people. The cavalry on both sides raised their bows and shot at the carriage. Screams were heard, and the carriage was quickly stopped.

As the bamboo raft passed by, Xuan Dao, who was slowly eating the fish, saw the soldiers throw a few corpses out of the carriage. One of them did not seem to be dead and was kneeling on the ground, begging for mercy. A general approached and stabbed the kneeling man with his spear.

For Xuan Dao, who had lived in another world, witnessing such brutality in broad daylight was too much. Most importantly, what he saw in the village gave him a bad first impression of these soldiers. He did not have a good impression of them, but he could only watch from the side.

The general who pulled out his spear also noticed Xuan Dao. What a surprise—roasting fish on a bamboo raft?

Xuan Dao also noticed that the soldiers had spotted him. He pretended to be a good citizen and went about his business. He pulled some rope from the back of the bamboo raft and brought up another fish.

The general looked interested and said to his subordinate, "In the middle of winter, his clothes are tattered, but he has a way to fill his stomach. This young man looks smart. With some training, he may be a good recruit." The voice was that of a woman.

The subordinate understood that the general intended to capture the young man to be a soldier. He shouted to Xuan Dao, who was on the bamboo raft, "Young man, quickly come ashore. I have something to ask you." He wanted to trick him into coming over.

Xuan Dao did not dare to come ashore. He pretended not to hear and wiped his hands on his clothes. He plucked the roasted fish from the bamboo raft and continued to eat, pretending to be deaf.

Thud! An arrow struck the bamboo raft and quivered slightly. It was right next to Xuan Dao, who almost jumped in fright. What would happen if they missed?

He looked up angrily and saw that it was the general who had raised the spear to kill the kneeling man.

The general, sitting on a horse and pointing her bow at him, shouted, "Young man, come here!"

The voice was crisp and clear. Xuan Dao then realized that this was a female general. Because she was wearing dusty armor, he couldn't initially tell if she was a man or a woman. He was enraged and pointed his middle finger at her. He shouted, "Slut!"

Although the female general did not understand what he meant by pointing his middle finger at her, she could tell from his cursing that this gesture was not meant to compliment her. For a commoner to dare to insult an officer, he must have some guts. Interesting. She laughed coldly.

Her subordinates immediately drew their bows and aimed at him.

"I'll go!" Xuan Dao cried out. How could he have forgotten that they had bows and arrows? If he had known earlier, he would not have angered them. With a flip of his body, he dived into the cold river.

With a series of thuds, more than a dozen arrows struck the spot where Xuan Dao had been sitting. Sparks flew, and the burning firewood on the flagstone was sent flying by the arrows.

The female general made a sound of "Yi" and her eyes revealed an increasingly appreciative look. She discovered that this young man was not simple. His reaction speed was fast enough. A normal person would have been scared out of their wits, but this young man's first reaction was to avoid danger. She confirmed that he was indeed a good candidate, which aroused her interest in taking him under her command.

She raised her hand to stop her subordinates who were about to shoot again. She looked on with a face full of ridicule and led her troops to follow the drifting bamboo raft.

Under the water, Xuan Dao reached out and climbed to the edge of the bamboo raft. When he popped his head out to take a look, he discovered that the pile of firewood on the bamboo raft had already caught fire. He hurriedly waved his arm and splashed water, extinguishing the flames that had just started. If the bamboo raft burned, he would not be able to bring Dongfang Changfan's body to the Ancient Crystal Sect without a vehicle.

Seeing that the other party's troops and horses were leisurely following on the shore, it was obvious that they had their eyes on him. Xuan Dao climbed onto the bamboo raft and paddled with his feet, pulling the bamboo raft to the other side of the shore.

The female general casually took out an arrow from her quiver, nocked it on the bowstring, and released it with a whoosh.

Xuan Dao turned his head to look at the arrow that flashed by. He saw that the arrow was stuck in a crooked tree trunk on the other side of the shore. The corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch. The river was at least sixty to seventy meters wide, and she could easily hit a small tree on the other side. The message was clear: she was showing off her archery skills and warning him that if he dared to go ashore on the other side, she would shoot him down with one arrow, and he wouldn't be able to escape.

Xuan Dao indeed had this thought. If he really couldn't do it, he would give Dongfang Changfan a water burial and slip onto the other side of the shore to escape. It wasn't that he was heartless, but the water was too cold. If he soaked for too long, he would definitely lose his life.

The female general had a teasing smile on her lips. She looked like she wanted to see how long he could soak in the water. She led the troops to slow down their riding speed and stared fixedly at Xuan Dao. She also got the horses to set up a long line on the riverbank and stared at the river from a long distance to prevent him from diving far away and escaping.

After resisting for a while, Xuan Dao's teeth started to chatter from the cold. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "General, this lowly one has no grudge with you, why are you threatening me with death?"

The female general replied, "No grudge? Who was that b*tch scolding just now?"

Xuan Dao was speechless for a while and shouted again, "Can you be a great person and forgive this lowly one's past?"

The female general simply said, "No!"

Xuan Dao: "What will it take for you to let me go?"

The female general: "Very simple, come under my command to atone for your sins and become my soldier!"

So unruly, wouldn't I be tortured to death by you? Xuan Dao cursed in his heart. He didn't dare to believe the other party and suspected that she was trying to trick him into going up to teach him a lesson. Since the other party was being unreasonable, there was no need for him to be polite. He replied loudly, "I'm not interested in being your soldier, how about being your man?"

The female general sneered, "You still dare to be so stubborn. Let's see how long you can soak in the water!" An arrow was nocked on her bow, and she looked like she was about to shoot.

Xuan Dao took a deep breath and dove into the water. He grabbed onto the vines under the bamboo raft and moved stealthily beneath it.

But after waiting for a while and seeing no movement, he quietly peeked out again. The moment he did, the general pretended to draw her bow again, forcing him back into the water.

After repeating this a few times, Xuan Dao finally understood that the general was playing with him. However, he didn't dare not to dodge. What if she really shot him? He was now a little suspicious of Dongfang Changfan's words. Didn't he say that the talisman would protect him on the way? Why wasn't it having any effect?

He had no choice but to hide under the pile of firewood. Beneath it was Dongfang Changfan's body. He couldn't care less if the arrow would hit the innocent.

Fortunately, there was always a way out. Just as he was thinking of a way to escape, a complicated terrain appeared on the riverbank ahead. The horses couldn't get close to the riverbank anymore. The river started to meander and change its direction. In the distance, the silhouette of a towering mountain appeared. The river seemed to be flowing through the mountains, and the speed of the current seemed to increase.

A soldier whispered something to the female general. She looked at the terrain ahead, then after a brief pause, took out a sign, attached it to an arrow, and shot it into a nearby tree trunk. She then shouted loudly, "Boy, listen well! Today, I'm giving you a clear path! You're on your own in this harsh world. If you ever figure things out, take the nameplate to Guang Yi County and look for the government officials there. You might find me. I can't guarantee anything, but you'll at least be warm and fed. Maybe you can even have a future. Don't waste this chance!" With that, she and her troops galloped away.