Brother Hui spoke as he led the others closer to us. We could no longer retreat; any further and we'd be at the cliff's edge.
The senior whispered, "When I yell one, two, three, we charge into the crowd together. We'll fight them!"
There was no other option but to fight. Even if they didn't attack us, they could still push us off the cliff.
When they were less than a meter away, Ah Hui suddenly told everyone to stop. With his usual sarcastic expression, he said to me, "For the sake of you being my nephew-in-law, I'll do my niece a favor. I can let you live. If you agree to submit to me now, I'll spare you and your companions. The only condition is that you join me here. Not only will I forget the past, but I'll also give you the highest compensation. What do you say?"
"Dream on! We'd rather die than work with you. Of course, if you want us to jump off the cliff, you'll have to pay us!"
As if a moment, I lunged forward to Brother Hui, a dagger at his throat.
The senior also rushed forward and subdued Ah Bei.
We held our knives to them, and the big dark man and the men in black dared not make a move.
Controlling Brother Hui and Ah Bei, we slowly moved towards the cliff. The senior counted, "One, two, three!" Each of us grabbed one person, and with a leap, we plunged into the abyss.
Since we were outnumbered and couldn't escape unharmed, we might as well perish at the bottom of the cliff with the bandit leader.
Amidst startled cries, I suddenly opened my eyes.
After a while of adjusting, I saw the Taoist brothers standing opposite me with surprised expressions. I smiled sheepishly and said, "Sorry, I had a nightmare."
The Taoist brother said, "You were yelling so loud, I was afraid you'd attract Brother Hui's men."
"How long have I slept? Is there no noise outside?"
"You've slept for about half an hour. It's been quite quiet outside."
"That's good. I'll take watch. You get some rest."
As I spoke, I took out a cigarette, didn't light it, and brought it to my nose to smell. I sat a bit closer to the outside, listening for any sounds. The dream was still lingering in my mind. Perhaps it was too much worry about this matter that caused such a vivid re-enactment, blurring the lines between dream and reality.
It's only been a little over half an hour. I wonder if Xiao Zhang has found the senior and the others.
By now, Brother Hui has likely discovered our disappearance. I wonder if they'll search the mountain or if they'll come looking in this direction.
Suddenly, intense gunfire erupted from the mountain. I was startled. What happened? My biggest fear was that they would find the senior and the others, encounter each other, and resort to firearms.
This area is a military-controlled zone, so guns are standard weapons, and the sound of gunfire is a common occurrence.
However, the timing is off. Such dense gunfire must be related to us, and the shots are very close. Listening carefully, I can even hear voices.
I told the Taoist brother, "Stay alert, there's something going on."
In truth, I knew that even if the two of us were a hundred times more alert, we would be nothing more than targets in front of firearms, with no chance of escape if exposed.
The Taoist brother also heard the gunfire. He leaned against a tree, warily scanning his surroundings.
He nodded at me, indicating he was ready.
The jungle around us was dense, filled with undergrowth and branches, making it impossible to see outside. Of course, it was also not easy for people outside to spot us.
The fear was that military dogs might be involved; they can smell human scents, and the jungle would pose no obstacle to them.
Fortunately, we didn't hear any dog barks at the moment.
Good military dogs do not bark without reason, unless they have found a target.
When we escorted Xiao Zhang away earlier, I had observed the terrain. There were no hiding places around the few civilian houses, but a little further on, a small river could be seen.
I dared not gamble whether Brother Hui would mobilize the army or whether the search party would bring military dogs. We had to act proactively now, without any missteps.
I told the Taoist brother, "Let's leave here quickly and head for the river!"
With that, we scrambled out of the jungle and ran quickly towards the houses.
Water can block our scent, making military dogs helpless.
We ran to the riverbank in one breath and were stunned.
This was no small river; it was a rushing stream.
Although not wide, it had strong undercurrents. The water was a deep green, indicating its depth.
I glanced behind us. A few figures were rushing out from where we had just run.
They were wearing grass-green military uniforms, looking around, clearly not having spotted us yet, and trying to determine where to search.
It seemed Brother Hui had indeed mobilized the army.
We crawled into the grass by the bank. I hesitated about what to do. As expected, they would first search the houses and then head towards the river.
I looked at the water surface again. Judging by the downstream, the water seemed calmer. I quietly asked the Taoist brother about his swimming ability. He nodded. I said that our only way out was to cross the water and asked if he was confident. He nodded. Without further hesitation, we backed into the water.
As soon as we entered the water, we felt a huge impact. I knew the characteristics of this river: large drops and fast currents. Forget a person weighing a hundred pounds; even a towering tree would be swept away like a fallen leaf.
We held onto the vines on the bank, watching the movements in the distance.
At the foot of the mountain were the same few people. No military dogs were seen, so they were likely just soldiers.
I remembered Ah Bei saying that the local garrison had about a hundred men, primarily responsible for cultivating and processing crude hLy. They were not armed for combat but were more like a processing plant controlled by a local faction.
Their combat effectiveness was far from that of regular troops.
By estimation, there were five or six of them, holding long rifles.
They didn't seem to be waiting for reinforcements. Two of them had already started approaching the houses.
I told the Taoist brother, "Let's not rush to cross the river yet. Let's observe for a while."
The two men, carrying their guns, walked towards the houses.
When I passed by the houses earlier, I had taken a specific look. These houses were quite dilapidated, not appearing to be inhabited. I didn't see anyone. I was very puzzled. Had Xiao Zhang found people earlier? Where had he gone?
The two men circled the houses, peering inside from time to time. After checking several rooms without finding anything, they then looked towards us.
They only looked in our direction, with no intention of coming over.
The other men said something to them, and they gestured. The group called for them to come back.
They glanced at us one last time and walked down towards the foot of the mountain.
Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, I suddenly saw figures in black. Although I couldn't make out who they were, the presence of men in black suddenly complicated matters.