Bright Sword: This unit is really ruthless

Xiaoya looked back at him, her eyes full of anxiety: "Now is not the time to talk about this! We have to get out of here quickly!"

"But...you..." Zhang Ling wanted to ask more, but was interrupted by Xiaoya.

"Don't say but! If you don't leave now, you really won't be able to leave!" Xiaoya's voice was almost crying.

Only then did Zhang Ling realize the urgency of the situation. He gritted his teeth, endured the pain, and ran desperately after Xiaoya.

The two ran for a while and came to a hidden cave. Xiaoya helped Zhang Ling into the cave and let him lean against the wall.

"How are you?" Xiaoya asked with concern. Looking at the blood on Zhang Ling's chest, her tears couldn't stop flowing.

"I'm fine..." Zhang Ling said weakly, "It just hurts a little..."

Xiaoya took out some herbs and bandages from the medicine bag she carried with her and carefully bandaged Zhang Ling's wound.

"How do you... know medicine?" Zhang Ling asked in surprise as he watched Xiaoya's skillful movements.

While bandaging the wound, Xiaoya said, "I...I learned some from the old man in the village..."

Zhang Ling looked at Xiaoya, full of doubts. He knew Xiaoya's family situation and she had no chance to get in touch with medicine.

"Who...are you?" Zhang Ling couldn't help but ask.

Xiaoya's hand paused for a moment, she raised her head and looked at Zhang Ling, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"I...I am..." Xiaoya hesitated to speak, as if she had something to hide.

Just then, footsteps were heard outside the cave.

"Oh no! They are catching up!" Xiaoya's face changed, and she quickly pulled Zhang Ling to the depths of the cave and covered the entrance with some branches and weeds.

The two hid in the darkness, holding their breath, listening to the noise outside the cave.

"They should... not discover us..." Zhang Ling said in a low voice.

Xiaoya shook her head and said nothing.

The footsteps got closer and closer, and finally stopped at the entrance of the cave.

"It seems like... someone has been here..." said the voice of an island soldier.

"Let's go in and take a look!" said another island soldier.

Two island soldiers pushed aside the branches and weeds and walked into the cave.

Zhang Ling and Xiaoya pressed tightly against the wall of the cave, not daring to move.

The two island soldiers searched the cave and found nothing unusual.

"It seems... we are worrying too much..." said an island soldier.

"Let's go and keep chasing!" said another island soldier.

The two island soldiers turned and left the cave.

Zhang Ling and Xiaoya finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was a close call..." said Zhang Ling.

Xiaoya nodded and said nothing.

The two hid in the cave for a night.

The next morning, the two left the cave.

"Where are we going now?" Zhang Ling asked.

Xiaoya looked at Zhang Ling with determination in her eyes.

"Go to Yan'an! Find the People's Army!"

"Xiao Ya... why are you here..." Zhang Ling was pulled by Xiao Ya and staggered forward. The pain in his chest made it difficult for him to breathe, but he still couldn't help but wonder in his heart.

Xiaoya looked back with an anxious look on her face: "Now is not the time to explain, hurry up! Yamamoto's troops will catch up soon!"

Zhang Ling was shocked. Yamamoto! How could he forget this insidious and cunning guy! He endured the pain and quickened his pace.

The two ran all the way, through the dense woods, over the steep hillside, and finally arrived outside the valley.

"Hu...Hu..." Zhang Ling stopped panting, feeling severe pain in his chest.

Xiaoya supported him and asked with concern: "How are you?"

Zhang Ling waved his hand to indicate that he was fine. He looked around and found that it was a wilderness with no villages or roads in sight.

"Where are we now?" Zhang Ling asked.

"In...deep in the Taihang Mountains..." Xiaoya said after hesitating for a moment.

"Taihang Mountain?" Zhang Ling was stunned. "Why...are we in Taihang Mountain?"

He clearly remembered that they were fighting Yamamoto's special forces on the North China Plain, so how come they were in Taihang Mountains in the blink of an eye?

Xiaoya bit her lip and said, "I...I am from the People's Army..."

"What?!" Zhang Ling widened his eyes and looked at Xiaoya in disbelief.

Xiaoya lowered her head, not daring to look Zhang Ling in the eye.

"I...I was actually sent by the People's Army...to lurk around you..." she said in a low voice.

Zhang Ling felt a buzzing in his head, as if he was struck by lightning.

He always thought that Xiaoya was his fiancée and the person he loved the most, but he didn't expect...she was actually a soldier lurking by his side!

"You...you lied to me..." Zhang Ling's voice trembled, full of pain and despair.

Xiaoya raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry... I... I have no choice..." She choked and said, "I... I have been adopted by the People's Army since I was a child... They... They are my... my family..."

Zhang Ling looked at Xiaoya's tearful face, and felt mixed emotions. He didn't know what to say or what to do.

He always thought that he was the happiest man in the world, with a beautiful fiancée, a thriving career, and a bright future.

But now, all of this has been shattered. His fiancée is a fraud, his career is ruined, and his future is uncertain.

"Why...are you telling me this?" Zhang Ling asked in a hoarse voice.

Xiaoya wiped her tears and said, "Because... because I don't want to... don't want to lie to you anymore..."

"I...I like you...Zhang Ling..." She mustered up her courage, looked into Zhang Ling's eyes, and said, "I...I don't want to...I don't want to lose you..."

Zhang Ling looked at Xiaoya's sincere eyes, feeling mixed emotions.

He didn't know whether he should believe Xiaoya's words.

He didn't know whether he should forgive Xiaoya's deception.

He didn't even know where to go...

Just then, there was the sound of horse hooves in the distance.

"Da da da..."

The sound of horse hooves was getting closer and clearer.

Xiaoya's face changed and she said, "Oh no! Yamamoto's pursuers are coming! Let's go!"

She pulled Zhang Ling and hid in the woods nearby.

The two held their breath and listened quietly to the noise outside.

The sound of horse hooves came closer and closer, and finally stopped outside the woods where they were hiding.

"Search! Search carefully!" a rough voice shouted, "We must find them!"

"Yes!" an Archipelago soldier answered and began searching in the woods.

Zhang Ling and Xiaoya hugged each other tightly, not daring to make any sound.

They knew that if they were discovered by the island army, they would be dead...

In the woods, the light is dim and the shadows of the trees are swaying.

Zhang Ling felt Xiaoya's body trembling, and he knew that she was very scared.

He gently patted Xiaoya's shoulder and comforted her: "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Xiaoya raised her head and looked at Zhang Ling's determined eyes, and her heart felt a little relieved.

Suddenly, an island soldier discovered their hiding place.

"Here! Here!" he shouted.

Hearing the shouts, other island soldiers ran over here...

Zhang Ling was dragged by Xiaoya, stumbling along the mountain road. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his vision went dark. He almost fainted. He didn't understand why Xiaoya appeared here. This area should have been blocked by the island army. Could it be...

"Xiao Ya, why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the hospital in the rear?" Zhang Ling asked while enduring the pain, his voice weak and intermittent.

Xiaoya didn't look back, but held his hand tightly, saying anxiously: "Now is not the time to talk about this! Yamamoto Ikki and his men are catching up with us!"

Zhang Ling's heart trembled. Yamamoto Ikki! This haunting fellow! He gritted his teeth, forced himself to run forward with Xiaoya.

The gunshots behind them were getting closer and closer, bullets whizzed past their ears, and the breath of death enveloped them. Zhang Ling knew that if they were caught up by Yamamoto Ikki, they would surely die.

"There's a cave ahead!" Xiaoya shouted, pointing to a hidden cave not far ahead.

The two of them tried their best to rush into the cave. Xiaoya quickly blocked the entrance with stones, and the cave suddenly fell into darkness.

"Cough, cough, cough..." Zhang Ling started coughing violently, and blood gushed out of his mouth.

"Zhang Ling! How are you?" Xiaoya's voice was full of worry.

"I...I'm fine..." Zhang Ling answered weakly. He felt his consciousness becoming increasingly blurred.

Xiaoya took out a bandage and medicine powder from her bag and bandaged his wound skillfully. Her movements were gentle and quick, as if she had done it countless times.

"How do you... know all this?" Zhang Ling looked at her, his eyes full of confusion.

Xiaoya paused for a moment, then raised her head and looked at Zhang Ling, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

"Actually...I...I am..."

Before she could finish her words, suddenly, a loud noise came from the cave entrance.

"boom!"

The rocks blocking the cave entrance were blown open, and dazzling light shone in. Yamamoto Ikki appeared at the entrance with several island army soldiers.

"Zhang Ling! You can't run away!" Yamamoto Ikki showed a ferocious smile on his face.

Zhang Ling struggled to stand up, but was held down by Xiaoya.

"Don't move! You are seriously injured!" Xiaoya's eyes were full of determination.

She stood up and stood in front of Zhang Ling, facing Yamamoto Ikki and his soldiers.

"What... do you want to do?" Xiaoya's voice trembled, but she still tried to stay calm.

Yamamoto Ikki looked at Xiaoya, and a lewd light flashed in his eyes.

"Yoshi! I didn't expect there was a beauty here! Catch her!"

Several island soldiers rushed towards Xiaoya with a grim smile.

At this moment, Xiaoya suddenly took out a pistol from her arms and pulled the trigger at Yamamoto Ikki.

"boom!"

A gunshot rang out and Yamamoto Ikki fell to the ground.

"Baka!" The remaining island soldiers suddenly fell into chaos.

Xiaoya took advantage of the chaos and pulled Zhang Ling to escape from another exit of the cave...

Zhang Ling felt a burning pain in his chest, and his breath smelled of blood. Xiaoya's slender arms were like iron clamps, tightly holding him, almost dragging him out. He staggered and ran, the world in front of him was spinning, and he felt like he would faint at any moment.

"Xiao Ya... why are you here? Aren't you in the rear hospital?" Zhang Ling asked intermittently, gritting his teeth.

Xiaoya didn't answer, but kept urging: "Don't talk! Run!"

Zhang Ling felt like he was being dragged by Xiaoya like a rag doll. The mountain road was rugged and full of thorns. His clothes were torn and his exposed skin was scratched by sharp stones, leaving bloody marks. However, he could no longer feel the pain, only endless fatigue and weakness.

Finally, they ran out of the valley and came to a dense forest. Xiaoya supported Zhang Ling and leaned against a big tree, panting and saying, "Finally... safe..."