Chapter 8

The skeleton seemed to be a dividing line. The further they walk, the more bones there are on the ground. Some were prostrate on the ground, some were leaning against the boulders, some were lying alone, and some were entangled with each other. Some had rusty armor on their bodies, some were still holding guns, and there were even many horse bones to be seen.

When the wind blows, there is a banging sound, but it is hard to figure out where it came from.

Even though Mei Lin was brave, she was shocked by this battle field-like place, and felt a chill in her heart.

"Has been there a war here?" She seemed to be talking to herself, or asking Murong Jinghe. In fact, the broken flags fluttering in the wind and the broken swords and halberds scattered on the ground had already given the answer.

Murong Jinghe rested his head on her shoulder, watching everything calmly without responding.

The road ahead became difficult to walk on due to the increase of obstacles on the ground. Mei Lin had to kick some rusted weapons to the side as she walked to make it easier to drag the small cart over. As for the bones, if they could not be bypassed, she had the patience to spread the grass at first, put Murong Jinghe down, and then respectfully moved to the side. Later, there were more and more bones blocking the road, and she couldn't bear to deal with it anymore, so she could only gently push them aside with her feet.

However, the further she walked, the more uneasy she felt. It seemed that the sound of the wind was mixed with the sound of fighting men and horses. It wasn't until the third time she passed by a broken flag that she finally knew something was wrong and had to stop.

"We can't get out of this land." She whispered to Murong Jinghe.

"Try to go back." Murong Jinghe took a look at the surrounding environment and said lightly.

Mei Lin hummed and was about to turn around, but then stopped again as if she thought of something. She took out Murong Jinghe's dagger and drew an arrow on the stone wall beside her before leaving.

As expected, half an hour later, they were back to where they came from. Mei Lin was a little skeptic, so she choose another side of the road that she had not taken before. She walked until she was exhausted, but the result was the same.

Murong Jinghe sighed and said, "Let's rest here."

Neither of them was a coward, so this time, they had no worries in their hearts. Mei Lin followed his instructions and cleared up some space among the bones, spread some grass, put Murong Jinghe down, and then went to pick up the rusty weapons.

After collecting a bunch of weapons and taking the flag, she sat down on the hay. After adjusting Murong Jinghe's position, she originally wanted him to sit on her shoulder, but he said his head hurt, so she could only let him lie on her uninjured leg. In fact, after Murong Jinghe lean on her for a day, her shoulders were a little numb.

After everything was settled, Mei Lin picked up the flag and pieced together an incomplete black flag embroidered with yellow taotie (a greedy and gluttonous monster). She didn't know much about the imperial army, so she couldn't tell what the flag meant. Before she could ask, Murong Jinghe who was lying down snorted coldly, "The greedy Hu people."

"Who are the Hu people?" Mei Lin couldn't help but ask.

Murong Jinghe glanced at her, his eyes revealing a hint of contempt, "You don't even know the Hu people? Are you really from Great Yan?"

"I..." Mei Lin couldn't help but stutter, then said confidently, "I am from Xiyan."

Murong Jinghe's eyes suddenly became extremely strange. He tried to hold back, but couldn't help but blurt out, "Then tell me something about Xiyan."

Mei Lin was embarrassed and ignored him, and started to look at the weapons.

"The Hu people were the royal family of the previous dynasty." Murong Jinghe explained, "They were actually foreigners to this land. Later, because of their greed and immorality, the people suffered and were driven out by my Murong ancestors."

"There are words on it." Mei Lin touched the handle of the sword that was only half broken, and when she got closer, she found an unfamiliar pattern. She had to hand it to Murong Jinghe and said doubtfully, "It might be words..."

Murong Jinghe glanced at her and his expression changed slightly. If he was able to move, he would have sat up.

"A weapon that can only be used by the royal guards of the Hu clan." He said, motioning Mei Lin to continue looking at other weapons.

Mei Lin took two more arrows, both with the same markings. When she picked up the spear, different engravings appeared.

"I know this one." She swept away her previous dejection and said with a little surprise, "Bing Dao."

Murong Jinghe said softly, and moved his fingers hanging by his side slightly. He couldn't hold his breath anymore, urging her. "Hurry, show it to me."

Mei Lin handed it over.

In the dim light, one could see two large Chinese characters "Yan" clearly engraved on the ridge of the spear tip. Although there was some rust, it was still possible to make out that they were the two words "Bing Dao" (Art of War) that Mei Lin had mentioned.

A look of respect and admiration appeared on Murong Jinghe's face. He stared at it for a long time before he let out a long sigh and let Mei Lin take it away. He didn't say anything, and seemed to be lost in thought.

Mei Lin did not disturb him and looked through the remaining weapons alone, but found no other marks. Obviously, these two symbols represent two factions, and they are likely to be hostile.

"The two words 'bing dao' were used by the King of Zangzhong, the leader of the eight founding generals of this dynasty." Murong Jinghe's voice suddenly sounded like he don't have energy anymore, and seemed very serious. It can be seen from this that he admires the King of Zangzhong from the bottom of his heart. "The king of Zangzhong is like a god in his military skills, and half of the territory of Great Yan was conquered by him. The art of war, the art of war...the art of war is also deceitful..." When he said this, he shook his head and laughed that as if he was fighting with someone. Mei Lin didn't asked about the war anymore, so he stopped talking.

Mei Lin was indeed not interested in the King of Zangzhong or his military skills at all, but seeing that he was talking about it with great interest, she didn't bother him. He stopped talking, and she was happy to talk about other issues.

"You mean to say that all the soldiers and generals of the King of Zangzhong's army uses this kind of weapon?"

Murong Jinghe shook his head slightly, "Only those under the King of Zangzhong's command use this kind of weapon. His descendants and successors all left the army and went to Tibet to respect his unique status."

Thinking of these two words representing the strongest military force of the Great Yan Dynasty, he couldn't help but half-squinted his eyes, which shone with an incomprehensible light.

Mei Lin was so focused on his words that she didn't notice.

"In that case, these bones were left behind hundreds of years ago." She murmured, recalling the majestic appearance of those soldiers back then. Looking at the bones in the ground, she felt an indescribable feeling arose spontaneously.

"At least three hundred and twenty-four years." Murong Jinghe responded, feeling a little excited, obviously not thinking the same thing as her. "Back then, the King of Zangzhong suddenly disappeared. Everyone thought that he had retired after achieving success and quietly retired. Could it be that he came here?"

Upon hearing his guess, Mei Lin's expression suddenly changed. If the King of Zangzhong is really as powerful as he said and was also trapped here, then the possibility of the two of them getting out is probably even slimmer.

"We...can't get out?" she asked hesitantly.

Murong Jinghe came back to his senses from reminiscing about the past and said lightly, "Maybe."

After hearing what he said, Mei Lin's heart miraculously calmed down. It's not that she let it go, it's just that the two of them has always been at odds with each other, and she can't help but interpret his words in an opposite manner. If he had swore that they could definitely be able to get out, she might be afraid instead.

"That's fine, let's just be a short-lived couple here." She said with a smile, moving her head to the higher grass and getting ready to lie down and rest.

Murong Jing was stunned at first, and then got angry, "Who wants to be couple with you!"

Seeing that he had regained some of his former spirit, Mei Lin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but showed a surprised expression on her face, "Don't you admire me so much that you are clinging to me? Otherwise, why don't you go and pester that little guy Yue Qin?"

Murong Jinghe snorted, seeing that she was deliberately provoking him, so he simply closed his eyes and ignored her.

In fact, they all knew that although Yue Qin was kind-hearted, uninjured, and quite strong, he looked like the best candidate to help him escape. But in terms of adaptability and survival in the wild, he was far inferior to Mei Lin. In addition, one was a prisoner of war, and the other was a woman who nominally belonged to him and he had been together for a period of time. If someone catches up with them, it will naturally be more difficult for others to find flaws if he is with Mei Lin. If he was with Yue Qin, not only would he not be able to escape if something went wrong, but he would also be charged with treason.

Mei Lin felt that the two of them had really switched roles. In the past, he was the one who provoked her and she rarely paid attention, but now it was completely the other way around. Thinking of this, she felt that she was really boring, shook her head, and suddenly lost interest in speaking.

The surroundings became quiet again, with the occasional clanging sound coming from the wind. Murong Jinghe felt a pair of hands hugging him from behind, just like last night, which helped him to resist the cold. He was not used to this posture, and he had never allowed others to do so, but at this moment he could only open his eyes and quietly look at the pair of bare hands clasped on his chest.

The hands were already covered with wounds of varying sizes, one of which was still wrapped in a bandage. Apart from the original elegance that could still be seen from its appearance, the hands were almost horrible to look at. But it was these pair of hands that brought him across mountains and rivers, and brought him here almost intact.

Although when he chose her, he believed that she could do it because of his secret observation for one night and half a day, but when she actually did it, he couldn't help but be surprised at the strength and power hidden in her bones.

He couldn't help but think of the day when Muye Luomei said she wanted to know how a person without martial arts could survive in a dangerous situation, and wanted to use this to conduct targeted training for the soldiers. Maybe she should really flee with the woman behind her instead of chasing her, so that she would know how much potential a person can unleash in the face of death.

Thinking of the plum blossoms falling from the trees around Muye Luomei and her angry departure that day, he could not help but feel an indescribable fatigue and disappointment. If one day he was sent to the guillotine by his father or brother, she would definitely retaliate with death, but facing a paralyzed cripple, he had no confidence that she could endure it. Knowing her well, she would rather see him dead than live in such a miserable state.

Embarrassment...

The embarrassment of that day came to his mind again, making his face flush. The soft body and heavy breathing of the woman against his back became obvious all of a sudden, and his hands couldn't help but tighten slowly.

At this moment, a rustling sound like that of a mouse suddenly sounded, which was extremely obvious amidst the ghostly howling wind.

Murong Jinghe's heart shuddered, and his chaotic thoughts instantly disappeared. As the voice got closer, he quickly closed his eyes, leaving only a slight slit.

There were pieces of rubble rolling to the ground in front of him. After waiting for a while, a hunched figure appeared in the dim light.

Mei Lin felt very distressed. She couldn't understand why she had just slept and woke up with nothing but an empty bamboo board.

"Do you think it was done by humans or ghosts?" She asked Murong Jinghe, and the content of her questions had a tendency to cause insanity.

Murong Jinghe shook his head and said nothing.

"Aren't you always very alert?" Mei Lin couldn't help but ask. It's not that she don't believe him, she just think it's weird.

Murong Jinghe looked at her, his eyes devoid of any emotion, but there was a turmoil in his heart.

She knew! She actually knew that he had trouble falling asleep. In order to hide this, he would even deliberately let the women who accompanied him stay overnight, but no one ever noticed. Even in the past few days when they were inseparable, he tried his best to behave like an ordinary person. How did she know?

Mei Lin didn't expect to get any more answers from him, and said helplessly: "If this goes on, I'm afraid we will really have to stay here." Although she said so, she began to pack up the still hot bundle of hay under her body, and then put Murong Jinghe on the bamboo cart.

"Now you'll be comfortable." She smiled bitterly and used rattan to secure his upper body to prevent it from slipping to the ground while being dragged.

What she said was indeed true, for there was a thick layer of dry grass beneath them. Although the cart was short, forcing their legs to drag on the ground, it was much more comfortable than being carried by her while limping and sliding up and down from time to time.

Murong Jinghe carefully observed her expression and found that apart from the initial shock, she had regained her usual composure. He couldn't help but admire her strong psychological endurance.

"My ear hurts. Can you take a look at what's wrong?" he suddenly said.

Mei Lin was startled, feeling somewhat strange, but still asked, "Which ear?"

"On the right ear."

Because the light was not good, Mei Lin had to bend down and get closer to see while reaching out to touch his right ear. When she was still some distance away from his face, she could see that his right ear was intact. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly noticed that his lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something. She suddenly realized something and quickly lowered her ear a little, almost touching it to his lips. From the side, it looked like she was carefully examining his ears.

"Someone is following us." Murong Jinghe said in a low voice. If Mei Lin hadn't been close, the sound would have been completely obscured by the wind. "I only saw one person. He has a sword and also has a bow and arrow in his hand."

Mei Lin wanted to ask if that person had stolen their things, but before she could utter a word, she was stopped by Murong Jinghe with a look.

"How are you? Are you injured?" He asked in his usual voice.

Mei Lin saw that he didn't seem to be going to say anything else, so she stood up and said sarcastically, "It's just a little scratch, is it worth making such a fuss? I lost so many things last night, how come you didn't feel it?"

She pulled him across her chest and dragged him forward. Because there were fewer things and she saved a lot of energy, she went much faster.

"You also slept like a dead pig, how dare you criticize me!" Murong Jinghe fought back without giving in. Seeing her walking forward on the same way again, he couldn't help but yell, "Didn't you leave from there yesterday, and you're walking the same way today. You're worse than a pig."

Mei Lin snorted, ignored him, and continued walking forward. She seriously suspected that he was taking this opportunity to vent his dissatisfaction with her.

"Idiot. You are my man and I am a pig. Aren't you a pig's husband?" She was not angry and said with a smile.

Murong Jinghe choked. He wanted to refute, but the fact was that she could indeed be considered his woman. No matter what status she was in, he was scolded along with himself.

However, before he could remain silent for a while, he started shouting again.

"Hey woman! I've been lying here all night, and you're still letting me lie like this. You must be deliberately making it difficult for me."

"You are the only one who is troublesome." Mei Lin was annoyed, but still put down the rattan rope and walked over, untied him from the bamboo cart, and then helped him stand up.

Murong Jinghe lost his balance and fell on her. As his lips brushed past her ear, he said quickly, "He's behind the third stone on the left. I didn't see anyone else." Because he was paying special attention, he immediately noticed the existence of the other person.

Mei Lin hummed softly, holding his waist tightly with one hand and holding the dagger tightly with the other hand.

"You can't even stand steadily, can you be more useless?" She cursed loudly, "I really don't know what sin I committed in my previous life, to be dragged down by a man like you... Well, it hurts... It hurts... Let go of your mouth, let go of your mouth..." She was cursing excitedly, but unexpectedly, Murong Jinghe, who was leaning on her shoulder, bit her ear. She immediately froze and begged for mercy.

At the same time, a sound of metallic scraping reached their ears. The two exchanged glances, and Mei Lin felt the blood flow in his body begin to speed up.

"Keep scolding." Murong Jinghe whispered. He noticed something was wrong.

That person didn't do anything to them when they were asleep last night, so why couldn't he keep calm today. Is it related to the sarcastic words they said to each other, or was he provoked by their intimate behavior? In any case, letting such an unknown person hide in the dark was extremely disadvantageous to them, so they had to take the risk of provoking him.

Mei Lin was stunned. Who was she scolding? She had just been bitten by him and forgot everything. She couldn't think of what to do next.

"Stupid woman." Murong Jinghe knew what was going on with just one look. He couldn't help but sigh helplessly and suddenly lowered his head to kiss the corner of her lips.

Mei Lin was startled and looked at him reflexively. His lips slid over and tightly sealed her lips. At the same time, her ears perked up to capture the man's reaction.

The wind howled, obliterating all the smallest sounds, and the man seemed to disappear all of a sudden, never making any sound again.

It's not because of this. Murong Jinghe's eyes turned, a frivolous smile appeared on his face, and before leaving the soft lips, he sucked them reluctantly, "I'll give you a chance to vent your dissatisfaction." He said something almost inaudibly, and then suddenly sneered, "I think you are a bad woman, you wish I would die soon so that you can find another man, but I won't do as you wish! Remember this, you are still my woman now, I can do whatever I want..."

Snap! A crisp sound cut off the rest of his words. Mei Lin pushed him onto the cart, but when his hand almost slipped to the ground, she raised her leg to block it without leaving a trace, and then kicked him wildly.

"Do you think you are still that majestic prince? Look at what kind of person you are now. Who else but me can take care of you..." She cursed angrily, looking as if she wished the man on the ground would die.

"Ahem... hit me all you want. You can't get out of here even if you kill me..." Murong Jinghe curled up on the cart with his face hidden in the dark. Although his tone was angry and ashamed, there was no expression on his face.

"Bah, do you think I can't survive without you?" Mei Lin said fiercely, kicking him in the buttocks, then suddenly pulled out a dagger and said coldly, "Then let's try and see if I can get out without you."

The cold light of the dagger flashed in the dark gray light, and it stabbed Murong Jinghe's chest.

Murong Jinghe narrowed his eyes slightly, almost thinking that she really wanted to kill him. If it weren't for the scraping sound of metal that sounded again, and it was even more obvious and longer than the previous one.

"I'm going to kill you, you evil woman..." A hoarse voice suddenly interrupted, followed by the sound of stumbling running.

Mei Lin pushed the cart further away, then turned around and looked at the hunched figure holding a knife and rushing towards her. Although her internal strength was gone, her eyesight and moves were still there. If she met a master, there would be nothing to say, but the man in front of her, whether it was the way he held the sword or the speed he ran, told her that he was just an ordinary person, who at most had a little more murderous and deathly aura that ordinary people did not have. And these two things were not what she was afraid of.

"Where did this monster come from!" she sneered, trying to provoke the man's anger even more.

Murong Jinghe slowly pulled his head out of the shadows and looked at the man calmly to judge Mei Lin's chances of winning.

At first glance, the man looked short and hunched, but in fact he had a very large frame. If the man straightened his back, he would be as big as Murong Jinghe. His clothes were tattered, and his hair and beard were tangled into wisps, covering his face. It looked like he had been here for quite some time.

The man's steps were heavy, and it was obvious that he had no internal strength. The posture of drawing the sword is unorganized, which means that he does not know martial arts. How could such a person be here? How did he survive? The damn woman had just attacked him without mercy. How was he going to get back at her after the matter was resolved? Her mouth still tasted of wild grapes. Tsk, he felt a little hungry...

Seeing that Mei Lin was not in great danger, his thoughts began to wander and go elsewhere.

If Mei Lin knew what he was thinking, she would probably want to start hitting him harder, but she couldn't be distracted at this time. Although the man didn't seem to know martial arts, the sword was not a threat. If he will get hurt from it, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't suffer some pain. Or if he discovered their trick and ran away, it would be difficult to lure him out again.

Fortunately, the man was so stimulated by her words that he lost his mind. He swung the knife at her without thinking and showed no intention of retreating.

Mei Lin's eyes narrowed, and just when the knife was about to hit her face, she twisted her waist, and the person had already moved to the side. She raised the dagger in her hand at the same time, and when she was about to hit the person's wrist, she suddenly changed her posture and bent her elbow, hitting him in the heart. The injury on her left shoulder was not healed, so the strength she used was limited, but she still made the man bend his body. Then the dagger made a beautiful turn and easily crossed his throat.

"Throw away the knife." She smiled lightly. The stink of rotting corpses and death came from the man's body, making her nauseous, but she didn't even frown.

The man's shoulders slumped in despair, and his eyes hidden under his messy hair flashed a look of bewilderment.

Clang! The dagger fell to the ground.

The man's hands were tied behind his back with the rattan ropes on the cart. He reluctantly pulled the bamboo cart and Murong Jinghe on it forward step by step.

He refused to say who he was, and Mei Lin didn't bother to ask, so he simply called him a corpse ghost, because she was really annoyed by the stench on his body.

The strange thing is that it was obviously the same road, but after the corpse ghost made many twists and turns, the scenery in front of them suddenly changed, and it didn't even take half an hour. Although there are still huge boulders standing there, there is no single white skeleton on the road.

Mei Lin's eyes lit up, thinking there was a chance of escaping the forest, but her fantasy was soon shattered.

She saw a shack. A shack made of densely packed white skeletons and covered with cloth. The shack was randomly divided into two spaces by a cloth robe. One room was covered with a thick layer of broken bones and rags, and the other room had several pieces of air-dried meat hanging, as well as various other items. The debris, including the food, water, and herbs they brought in, was so messy that half of the shack was filled.

Obviously, this is where the corpse ghost lives.

Mei Lin rushed into the storage room without saying a word, picked up the bamboo tube, uncorked it and took a sip, then walked out to feed Murong Jinghe.

"What do you want to eat?" she asked, referring of course everything in the house.

Murong Jinghe shook his head, his face looked very ugly, his Adam's apple rolled, and he said in a difficult tone, "Help me sit up."

Mei Lin didn't know what he wanted to do, so she did as he said. Unexpectedly, just after she got him up and before he sat down, he fell into her arms and breathed heavily, as if he had been holding his breath for a long time. Mei Lin suddenly realized that he was also being smoked. Although she knew that he had no evil intentions, the feeling of the hot breath penetrating her clothes and ironing her skin still made her feel a little uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but think of the kiss that caught her off guard before.

Trying to calm her rapidly accelerating heartbeat, but she saw the corpse ghost who had turned around and was looking at them with a confused face, as if he didn't understand why the two people who were shouting and fighting at the beginning were so nice now. So she resisted the urge.

"Send us out and I'll leave all those things to you." She gently stroke Murong Jinghe's head and said to the corpse ghost.

The corpse ghost looked at her, and then at Murong Jinghe, who was leaning on her like a child, and seemed to understand something, and the strong anger and hatred in his eyes disappeared.

"You... were trying to... lure me out?" he asked. Compared to his smooth speaking speed when he was furious before, his voice sounded stiff and slow, as if he hadn't talked to anyone for a long time.

Mei Lin smiled without saying anything, which was considered as his agreement, and Murong Jinghe's breathing gradually calmed down. The two now looked like a loving couple..

The corpse ghost grinned, forced a stiff smile, and squatted down on the spot.

"I can't get out... I can't get out..." He buried his face in his knees and said muffledly, his voice sounds like a sob. "Those who have entered here, don't even think about getting out... They can't get out... You can't get out either..."

Murong Jinghe felt that he could finally suppress the urge to vomit. Hearing this, she turned her head and looked at him.

"How long have you lived here?"

The corpse ghost seemed to be stopped by the question, and the muttering full of despair stopped. After a while, he raised his head and asked, "What year is it now?"

When Meilin heard him asking about the year instead of the day, her heart instantly sank.

"August of the 32nd year of Zhaoming... um... what time?" Murong Jinghe responded, and the last two words were asked to Mei Lin.

Who has the energy to keep track of the date? Mei Lin shook her head and realized that the two of them were still in that ambiguous posture. She pushed him away quickly and sat down, supporting him next to her.

"Really...the thirty-second year of Zhaoming...the thirty-second year...haha..." The corpse ghost was stunned for a moment, repeated two sentences in a stammering voice, and then laughed mournfully by himself. The sound was like the cry of a wronged ghost at night, which made people feel sad and chilling.

Mei Lin shrank her body behind Murong Jinghe, still feeling a little unbearable. She coughed lightly and quietly poked Murong Jinghe, signaling him to say something quickly.

Mei Lin shrank back behind Murong Jinghe, still feeling a little unbearable. She couldn't help but cough lightly and poked Murong Jinghe quietly, signaling him to say something quickly.

Murong Jinghe ignored her until he felt that she had vented enough, then he repeated the previous question, "Have you been here for a long time?"

"Eight years...eight years..." The corpse ghost raised his head tremblingly, his eyes were red and dull.

Murong Jinghe gasped, but immediately regretted his action. He turned his head and retched, and did not stop until Mei Lin pressed his head onto her shoulder.

Because they had been fleeing in the mountains and forests, Mei Lin's body is stained with the fragrance of pine, bamboo and grass leaves, which has an excellent effect on resisting the rancid smell.

"You can't get out either?" Mei Lin was a little skeptical. If he couldn't get out after staying in such a place for eight years, where would he get his food and water?

"Don't... don't ask." Without waiting for the corpse ghost to answer, Murong Jinghe closed his eyes and stopped her with a slight gasp.

"Eh?" Mei Lin was a little surprised.

"Isn't it obvious enough?" Murong Jinghe's stomach churned again as soon as he finished speaking, and he quickly shut his mouth. He felt that this woman was sometimes very smart, but sometimes she was extremely slow.

Mei Lin was slightly startled, and looked at the hunched corpse ghost, then turned to his bone shack, and finally fixed her eyes on the pieces of dried meat hanging on the roof. An indescribable feeling filled her chest, making her mood suddenly become a little heavy, and her impetuous mood settled down.

"If I were you, I would do the same thing." She said to the trembling man with his head lowered as if trying to isolate himself from all the disgust and strange looks from the outside world.

As the corpse ghost trembled slightly and slowly raised his head because of her words, Murong Jinghe also became a little stiff because of her words. But he said nothing about it, but turned his head to look at the corpse ghost.

"If you want to get out, tell us everything you know."