Several shadowy figures, two or three in number, moved in the dim light. I hoped they were our seniors, but I couldn't tell.
We didn't dare to be careless, bending low and running with all our might towards the hill.
They seemed to have spotted us, changing direction and moving towards us with incredible speed.
A bird call suddenly echoed, and I stopped dead. Could it really be our seniors?
I told my Daoist brother to lie down. "I think it's our seniors."
He had also heard the bird call and looked ahead with a puzzled expression.
I called back, and a deep male voice responded, "Is that Li Hua?"
Recognizing the voice of our senior, I immediately stood up. "It's us."
They approached us rapidly. From their figures, I could tell it was indeed our seniors and two other Daoist brothers.
"What are you doing here?"
Our senior walked up to me, his eyes scanning me in the faint moonlight to check for injuries.
"While we were hiding, we encountered soldiers and men in black searching the mountain. We had no choice but to slip into the water. However, the current was too strong, and it swept us downstream until we hit a large tree and stopped."
"Are you injured?"
"I'm alright. My Daoist brother was hit quite hard. Just as he was recovering, he saw you appear. Because you were too far away, he didn't know it was you, and fearing they were the search party, he ran towards the hill."
Xiao Zhang said, "This is at least five or six li from Brother Hui's location. They probably won't be able to get here for a while."
"We were swept this far? Just now, we observed about ten soldiers and two men in black at our parting point. They probably haven't left yet. I think we should take advantage of the darkness to deal with them first, then make our way to Brother Hui's and act according to the situation.
Oh, right, Ah Bei is still being held by them, his fate unknown. We need to buy him some time and resolve this as quickly as possible."
Our senior nodded. "I've heard everything from Xiao Zhang. Ah Bei performed admirably. I didn't expect him to help us so faithfully. We must rescue him as soon as possible. How are you two? Can you still fight?"
I glanced at my Daoist brother. "I'm fine. I'm just not sure if your body can handle it. How about you stay here and wait for us? If we're not back by tomorrow morning, you can head to the town, rent a tricycle to the border, and find a way to get out."
My Daoist brother was alarmed. "I'm going with you. We're already short-handed. You guys are going to face six or seven men in black and soldiers with guns. If I back out, our strength will be even weaker. I've recovered quite a bit and should be fine. Don't worry."
I didn't look at him and suddenly threw a punch towards his head.
He instinctively raised his hands to block my fist.
I nodded with satisfaction. "At least your reaction time is fine. How are you feeling? Anything uncomfortable?"
"My chest still hurts when I throw a punch, but it's not a serious injury. I can bear it."
"Alright then. Be careful and protect yourself. Don't engage in direct combat. Just cooperate with us."
After giving instructions, I asked our senior if he had anything else to say. He waved his hand, signaling us to set off.
On the way, Xiao Zhang told me what had happened. He hadn't encountered anyone in the village. He estimated the direction and walked along the riverbank. When he reached the place where we were blocked by the tree, a small path appeared. He finally saw an old man traveling and learned the way to town. It wasn't too far. He contacted our seniors and hurried over, coincidentally meeting us here.
Fortunately, we met. Knowing what had happened inside, if they had gone to our original location, they might have fallen into the ambush of the men in black.
Our senior brought us some food. We took it and ate as we walked, instantly regaining our strength.
Eating the unsalted, tasteless glutinous rice balls, I suddenly missed the rich meals of a few days ago, my mouth watering at the thought.
We walked in silence, the only sound the rustling of our footsteps.
After about half an hour, I signaled everyone to slow down. If we went any further, we would approach the deserted village.
I told everyone, "I'll go ahead and scout. If there's no one, we'll go together."
Xiao Zhang wanted to go with me, but I said, "I'm more familiar with the area. You guys wait here. If anything happens, I'll signal you."
We discussed it. If there was any sign of danger, we would use a rapid bird call; otherwise, a more relaxed one.
I walked a few steps forward. Ahead was an open area where I could see the dilapidated houses and the situation at the foot of the mountain.
Everything here appeared calm. I didn't see anyone around.
I took a few more steps and suddenly heard faint, intermittent voices at the foot of the mountain. The sounds were so low that they were almost inaudible without careful listening.
I quickly approached the bushes by the mountain and crouched down to listen intently.
"Damn it, what bad luck. Everyone else is back there eating and drinking, leaving us here to be eaten by mosquitoes."
"Don't rush. A Zhan said that if we catch those guys, we'll get a few days off. I heard some new girls have arrived in town, from the Philippines. They know a lot of stimulating new tricks, making you want to die and feel like an immortal."
"You can forget it. The Philippines has a lot of ladyboys. Their faces and chests look like women. The ones from that place have bigger ones than yours. Don't end up getting bent by a ladyboy when you're looking for a nest."
"Really? I heard there are many ladyboys in Thailand, but also in the Philippines?"
"You wouldn't understand. Most ladyboys in Thailand have had surgery, and some are more feminine than women. The ones from the Philippines are different. Not only are they dark-skinned, but their bone structure is different from ours, and they are incredibly ugly. Forget ladyboys, even if they were real women, they'd be unwatchable. To put it this way, you'd be excited to go, but as soon as you see them, you'd wish you could quit altogether."
"Are they that terrifying? I heard some people went and wanted to go back, calling it the most beautiful experience of their lives. How can it be like you say?"
"Then you go. If you get bent, don't say I didn't warn you."
I approached them while they were talking animatedly.
I saw two soldiers with guns standing at the exit of the jungle we had just come from, chatting idly.
Behind them, several others had set up a tent in an open space and were playing poker inside. These few were only focused on their game, unlike the two guards who were constantly talking.
I looked into the distance and saw no one else. I then quietly retreated until I was far enough away before signaling our seniors.
Our seniors, like me, approached along the edge of the woods.
When they got close, I gestured with my hand, telling them there were six people and no men in black.