Quick mission: We don't make trouble

Wang Xiangdong and Zhu Qingqing exchanged a glance and simultaneously asked, "Where did the arrow come from?"

The two were wondering,

Then another arrow came and hit the same position as the previous arrow, with a piece of cloth shaking on it.

The sudden noise made everyone in the camp look towards the big tree, and then turned around to look in the direction where the arrow came from, but they could see nothing but dense forest.

After a while, seeing that no more arrows were shot, Yang Wu waved to Yang Jiu.

Yang Jiu quickly climbed up the tree, pulled out the arrow, and then slid down quickly.

His movements were so smooth and seamless that it was amazing.

Yang Jiu shouted, "Fifth brother, there is a piece of cloth here, it should be a letter."

Yang Wu quickly took the cloth and unfolded it, a look of surprise on his face, he said: "It's the people from Yucheng, they came to find us, that's great!

Xiaojiu, take your men and search in this direction. They are on the other side.

I'll go tell my second brother right now. Escort Zhao Peng is still alive, and he was the one who reported it."

After saying that, Yang Wu hurriedly ran towards the tent.

Here, Yang Jiu immediately gathered people and prepared to go to the riverside to look for people from Yucheng according to the instructions.

Wang Xiangdong looked at their busy figures and said to Zhu Qingqing, "I'll go and take a look too," and followed Yang Jiu to the river.

It turned out that yesterday, the escort Zhao Peng and the yamen runners rushed to Dayu Mountain at full speed. They galloped all the way and did not dare to delay for even a moment.

Along the way, they saw floodwaters sweeping through the area, and the people, carrying the elderly and children, panicked and fled to higher ground. Seeing this, some yamen runners immediately dismounted and helped the people evacuate and relocate. In the end, only two yamen runners remained with Zhao Peng: Duan Kui and Liu Huai.

When they reached the site of the Dayu Mountain landslide, they found the floodwaters still surging like a waterfall, the road already submerged and obscured. With nightfall and visibility obstructed, they could no longer advance. Desperate, the three men sought shelter from the wind, lit a campfire, and sat around it all through the long night.

After daybreak, Zhao Peng decided to go downstream, hoping to find a relatively safe place to cross the river and head to the other side to look for the caravan. They carefully made their way through the dense forest along the river's edge.

Suddenly, Duan Kui pointed at wisps of smoke rising from the dense forest opposite and shouted excitedly, "Look! There's smoke over there. Someone must be making a fire and cooking. This might be the caravan we're looking for!"

Zhao Peng looked in the direction of his finger, a hint of joy on his face: "It should be. The caravan is retreating from the mountain and will most likely choose to settle here."

So the three of them quickened their pace and walked towards the direction of the smoke, their hearts full of anticipation.

However, when we walked to the position opposite the smoke from the cooking stove, we found that although the river channel here was relatively narrow, the water flow was more turbulent, and it was impossible to reach the other side without the help of tools.

Zhao Peng: "We have to find a way to let them know we are here."

Liu Huai said, "Lao Kui, come shoot an arrow and warn them."

Duan Kui was a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. Born into a hunter family, he was naturally strong and had great archery skills, never missing a shot.

This time, he was the only one carrying a bow and arrow.

Duan Kui squinted his eyes, looked at the smoke and said, "I can climb up the tree and shoot at the tree over there."

Zhao Peng: "Great, I'll trouble you, Brother Duan Kui. Oh, wait a moment, I'll write a few words."

As he spoke, he tore the hem of his clothes, bit his finger, wrote a line of words, wrote his name, and then handed it to Duan Kui.

Duan Kui quickly climbed up a large tree with the strip of cloth in hand, and planted himself on the highest branch. He took aim with an arrow and shot it towards the rising smoke...

Then he took out another arrow, tied a strip of cloth to it, pointed it at the place where the smoke was rising, and shot...

Then he said slowly: "Wait."

Just lean against the tree branch and close your eyes to rest.

Zhao Peng and Liu Huai looked eagerly at the other side, hoping to see the caravan.

After about a quarter of an hour, Duan Kui on the tree said, "They are coming."

Zhao Peng immediately stood up.

"where?"

After a while, several people rushed out from the dense forest opposite, led by Yang Jiu, followed by Wang Xiangdong.

Zhao Peng excitedly waved his arms and shouted, "Xiaojiu, Guard Wang... I'm here... here..."

I thought: Great, Guard Wang is fine, is Team Leader Yang okay too?

He remembered that Guard Wang was following behind Team Leader Yang.

He rushed to the riverside impatiently and asked, "Guard Wang, Captain Yang...how is he...?"

Yang Jiu answered first: "My second brother is fine, thanks to Brother Wang. He just broke his bones and can't move right now. Unfortunately, the other escort and several other people in the caravan were not so lucky. They were washed away by the flood..."

Zhao Peng also secretly regretted the fate of his companions, but he couldn't dwell on it too much. He cheered up and said, "The county magistrate and the city commander have learned of the situation and have sent people out to search for them.

Manager Yang personally led people to search and rescue downstream.

I led the others up the river, but along the way, the people were also affected by the disaster, and most of them dispersed to help the people. Brothers Duan Kui and Liu Huai and I searched along the river for your whereabouts. Thankfully, we finally found you."

Yang Jiu: "Thank you, Master Zhao, Brother Duan, and Brother Liu. We will definitely reward you generously when we return to Yucheng."

Duan Kui said in a gruff voice, "It's our job. It's nothing to worry about. I think we should send someone back to inform the county magistrate first."

Yang Jiu: "Then I'll trouble you all. Please inform Shopkeeper Yang and ask him to do his best to arrange anything you need. We will just wait here peacefully until the flood recedes and the road is repaired."

Duan Kui: "Okay, then we'll go back first. Come back in three days, and use the arrow as a signal again."

Yang Jiu then said, "Who shot the arrow so accurately from such a long distance? I admire you."

Liu Huai: "Haha, it's our big brother Kui, he's a famous archer in Yucheng."

Yang Jiu: "When we get to Yucheng, I will definitely ask Brother Duan for advice."

Duan Kui: "Sure, sure."

He bowed and said goodbye to the people on the other side and went downstream.

After Zhao Peng and his group left, Yang Jiu, Wang Xiangdong and his group turned around and returned to the camp.

Yang Jiu went to report the situation to his second and fifth brothers.

Wang Xiangdong found Zhu Qingqing, who was helping to divide the food in the pot.

Seeing Wang Xiangdong, he hurriedly said, "Lao Geng, come quickly. It's just right. Have a bowl of hot knife-cut noodles to warm you up for the whole day."

Yang San, who was standing by, said with a smile, "Master Zhu cooks well and speaks well. Even if I don't eat, I still feel warm inside."

Wang Xiangdong took the bowl from Zhu Qingqing and asked, "Have the old man and the others eaten?"

Zhu Qingqing: "Yu Bo and Yingying Didi have already sent it over to them. Just sit down and eat your meal. You must be hungry after running around all morning."

Wang Xiangdong nodded.

He was indeed hungry.

Zhu Qingqing also filled a bowl for herself, and she and Wang Xiangdong found a place to sit down and eat together.

Wang Xiangdong: "Just now, it was the escort Zhao Peng who came here with the yamen runners from Yucheng."

Zhu Qingqing: "Master Zhao is fine, why did you go to get reinforcements?"

"Ah."

"That's great."