Children of Loulan

A strong sense of uneasiness surged in her heart, her brows knitted tightly, and even a thin layer of sweat oozed out of her forehead. The Fifth Master and Uncle Kui meant a lot to her. They were the only two people in this mountain village who not only did not show any malice towards her, but on the contrary gave her a lot of help.

Her eyes were like being attracted by a magnet, locked onto the fierce fighting outside. However, because the hole was too small, her vision was greatly limited, and she could only vaguely see the situation outside.

As time went by, she gradually discovered that the number of soldiers was increasing, while the number of bandits was decreasing rapidly. The situation, which was originally evenly matched, had now clearly tilted to the side of the soldiers. The bandits fell one after another, and the blood stained the ground red. The scene was extremely tragic.

Finally, all the bandits were killed, leaving only the fierce soldiers who began to search the mountain stronghold. Ayi's heart beat more and more violently, as if it was about to jump out of her throat. She stared at the soldiers who were walking towards the dark room where she was hiding.

Fear surged into her heart like a tide, her hands began to tremble unconsciously, and she almost dropped the tinderbox in her hand. Just as the officers and soldiers were about to approach the darkroom, she took a deep breath and blew out the tinderbox, and the entire darkroom instantly fell into darkness.

Aiyi was so nervous that she almost dared not breathe. She pressed against the wall, praying that the officers and soldiers would not find her hiding place. However, after searching around the dark room, the officers and soldiers did not seem to notice anything unusual and finally turned and left.

Seeing the outside world calm again, Aiyi breathed a sigh of relief, but her worries were not alleviated at all. As one of the leaders of the mountain stronghold, Wu Dangjia would definitely be the primary target of the officers and soldiers. Now that the mountain bandits were clearly at a disadvantage, Wu Dangjia's situation was probably very dangerous.

However, at this moment, she seemed to be imprisoned, unable to do anything, and could only wait silently, staring at the corpses of the bandits lying all over the place outside. Ayi thought to herself that this was obviously caused by the Tang Dynasty soldiers going up the mountain to eliminate the bandits, and judging from the current situation, this mountain stronghold might be difficult to preserve.

At this moment, another thought flashed through her mind like lightning: If the Fifth Master could not return, wouldn't she be imprisoned in this dark secret room forever until the end of her life? When she thought of this, Aiyi felt terrified, and a chill surged up her spine.

So, she took out the tinder without hesitation and lit it carefully. The weak flame flickered in the darkness, like a candle in the wind. Ai held the tinder in her hand and slowly looked around, trying to see the whole picture of the secret room. However, because the light of the tinder was too weak, her vision was greatly limited and she could only vaguely see a corner of the secret room.

Despite this, Aiyi was not discouraged. She groped the wall inch by inch, not missing any place where there might be an exit. However, she knew nothing about things like mechanisms, and during the long process of groping, the flame of the tinderbox gradually dimmed and finally went out quietly.

Ai's mood became increasingly heavy. She realized that she might really be trapped to death in this dark secret room.

At this moment, her heart seemed to be drowned by a torrent of despair. Her revenge had not yet been avenged, and the tragic deaths of her parents and brothers kept flashing before her eyes. And now, she herself was about to die in this dark secret room. Was this the so-called injustice of heaven? Thinking of this, her tears could not help but burst out like a flood.

As time went by, her consciousness gradually blurred, as if she had returned to the past, she saw Hanguli enter the palace in her place, and then, there was the horrific death scene of her parents. She was extremely anxious and desperate to run to her parents, but just when she was about to touch them, she suddenly felt a strong force holding her tightly.

She struggled desperately, but could not break free from the power. Just when she felt desperate, she suddenly opened her eyes and found that the person in front of her was actually the Fifth Boss!

She hugged Wu Dangjia tightly without hesitation, as if she had grabbed the last straw to save her life. Her body kept shaking, tears flowed like a spring, and she cried and said, "Wu Ye, I thought I would die here, I thought I would never see you again..."

The Fifth Master was obviously startled by her sudden action, but when he heard her miserable cry, he couldn't help but feel a little pity in his heart. He gently patted her back and said softly, "It's okay, it's all over..."

After crying for a long time, Ayi's emotions finally calmed down a little. However, just as she gradually regained her sanity, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind, making her feel that something was wrong.

She remembered the identity of the Fifth Master - a mountain bandit! And the officers and soldiers who came to suppress the bandits last night obviously had the upper hand. This discovery shocked Ayi, and her crying stopped abruptly. The hand that was originally tightly holding the Fifth Master loosened as if it had been electrocuted.

Ayi's eyes fell on the Fifth Master. Although he was still wearing the same clothes as last night, several soldiers in armor followed closely behind him. This sudden scene shocked Ayi. She was completely at a loss and could only stare at the Fifth Master blankly, her eyes full of confusion and fear.

At this moment, a shout came from outside: "Major General, Major General!" The voice came from far away and became clearer and clearer. Ayi's attention was drawn to it. She turned her head to look outside the door, and her doubts became more and more serious.

As the voice got closer, Ai finally couldn't help but speak and asked the Fifth Boss: "Major General? You..." However, before she could finish her words, the voice outside sounded again, interrupting her question.

"Reporting to the Major General, all the bandits have been captured, not a single one escaped!"

Upon hearing this news, the Fifth Master smiled with satisfaction. He nodded slightly and replied, "Yes, very good." Then, he turned to the soldiers behind him and ordered, "Count all the property, the kidnapped people, and the girls who were taken to the mountain. After the counting is completed, bring them all back to the camp."

"Yes." Ayi watched the man who reported the incident turn around and leave, and her doubts deepened. She stared at the man in front of her and slowly asked, "So, you are not a bandit, but a major general?"

A trace of guilt flashed across the face of the Fifth Master. He hurried forward, helped Ayi up from the ground, and said softly: "I'm sorry, Ayi, I lied to you. But please believe me, I can explain everything to you."

Ai looked at him blankly, waiting for his explanation. The Fifth Master took a deep breath and began to tell the real situation of this village.

It turned out that the bandits in this mountain village had been entrenched here for many years. They made a living by killing people and robbing goods, and specialized in intercepting passing merchants. No matter whether they were from the Tang Dynasty or Loulan, as long as they took a fancy to someone, they would rob him and bring him to the village without hesitation.