In the forest, by the campfire.
Zhao Douan held the blackened end of a tree branch, frowning as he asked the court tribute who had run back, "What's going on?"
Tang Jinzhong was still holding a bundle of dry branches:
"There's a squad of soldiers in the forest chasing someone. Without your orders, we didn't dare to recklessly reveal ourselves, so we came back to report first."
A chase in the forest? This time, not only Zhao Douan, but Mo Chou and even the meditating priest Yu Xiu opened their eyes.
Voices drew near, and everyone looked in the direction of the sound. They saw shadowy figures approaching from the woods ahead on the left, moving very quickly.
The person fleeing in front was slender, wearing coarse clothes, with a straw hat on her head. One of her shoulders was injured and bloodied, and she was desperately fleeing—remarkably, a young woman.
