Cunning General Si Ning
Chapter 274: General!

Chapter 274: General!

It was a relief when they got to an area in the woods that was filled with herbs and Song Feng was able to treat the reserved force because none of the seven reserved forces were a doctor. They had been on the road for two days heading to meet the rest after spending two days to rest and recuperate, the seven reserved forces were already feeling better, the one that kept Si Ning’s bow safe swollen eye had gone down that he could now open his eye, his swollen mouth had gone down too and he could now talk properly and even crack jokes.

So far so good, the journey was going so well and they haven’t encountered any of Xilie’s soldiers, the only encounter they had was with an elder farmer and his daughter picking herbs, Si Ning neither stop nor try to engage with them, after seeing that they were just ordinary people with fear written all over their faces as they stood frozen to their spot probably expecting Si Ning and his men to harass them but Si Ning and his men only passed by.

If the seven reserve forces had been in their best form, Si Ning would have sent them home with his mother’s head so she could be buried without delay even if he wasn’t there at her burial he would make sure to sit and talk to her at in the ancestral hall when he returns home.

It was daylight but they were currently resting. Si Ning raised his hand to see the hand Song Feng bandaged, he had already lost count of how many times his hand had been rebandaged by Song Feng, the wound he sustained on his head was healing too and it was surprising that he had no complications at all, it was then Si Ning knew he had a hard skull, he was currently sitting on a rock, his hair was packed because his bangs had grown longer and he had to pack it up just above his forehead with a small hairpin Song Feng gave him, none of the reserved force knows how to cut hair and Song Feng also refused to release his dagger for Si Ning to use it to cut his hair and that was when Si Ning suspected they purposely do not want to either cut his hair or they don’t really know how to cut hair but even if they tried to prevent him to cut his hair, Si Ning already made up his mind to cut it again because he couldn’t stand carrying a greasy long hair on their journey.

"General see I picked the best cherries." One of the reserved forces brought a bowl of freshly picked cherries for Si Ning. "See General it is sweet." He picked two and ate them, his face full of smile.

Si Ning smiled, he didn’t know their names yet he didn’t want to ask but the one with the cherries should be the one they called Kuan but Si Ning wasn’t so sure. "Thank you." He collected the bowl and watched as the reserve force’s face brightened up, his smile now wide because his General just thanked him.

It would be a waste not to eat the cherries so Si Ning ate two and it was true it was really tasty, he threw the third one in his mouth when he suddenly paused as he listened.

"Some troops are coming!" Si Ning announced as he stood up watching as his men turned to him, Song Feng bringing out his dagger. "We have to hide!" He instructed, he would not lose these seven sweet men he had been travelling it, he would not lose more men and be alone again so this time they were going to hide before knowing what next to do.

From what Si Ning’s ear detected, the unknown people were coming from the direction of the end of the Blossom trees so Si Ning couldn’t give orders for them all to take their horses and run in that direction, he couldn’t also tell them for them to take their horses and run back to where they were coming from so they needed to find a place to lay low until the troop pass, the injuries they sustained doesn’t mean they couldn’t fight but they were too small in number to engage in a battle.

"Yes, General but the horses?"

The horses would be a challenge, the horses would give them away so they either had to set their horses free but that would delay their journey so setting the horses free and letting them go was not feasible.

"Leave them." Si Ning said as he looked around, they could only run leaving the horses where they tied them on the route and run into the wood to hide.

"General." One of them called as he gestured to the direction he deemed okay to go.

Song Feng carried the bag of herbs and he followed Si Ning but before he took another step, he stopped because Si Ning had stopped with a finger raised to indicate that they should all be quiet, his eyes closed as he tilted his head to concentrate.

"G...e..r..l Si..Nin..."

Si Ning listened again at the distance sound then he heard it again but this time more clearly, someone sounded desperate as they called out to him.

"Ge..ne..ra.. Si... Nin.."

Si Ning opened his eyes as he sighed, relieved. "We should sit back down, it’s the rest of the reserved force, we didn’t meet as planned so they are coming this way." He reassured his men as he went back and took his seat.

To see their surprised faces were expected made Si Ning proud because he might misstep but he was quite a capable General for him to know friends from foes and those coming shouting his names were friends.

None of the reserved force could hear them first so they all took their sit still alert as they tried to hear something.

Si Ning was eating his cherries when they all started to hear someone calling out for him loudly, he sounded so desperate because the person even added ’please be safe.’ yet they sounded so loud and were echoing all over the place, it was a voice Si Ning recognise.

Shang Jin.

It could only be Shang Jin and his tribe of men that would be so oblivious and ignorant to the world for them to see yelling out the Empress of Xiu’s name all over the way as a normal thing, it was like their way to announce to the enemies that they were looking for the Empress as if they were telling the enemies to follow them.

"General I can hear the horses coming too." One of them said in alarm.

From what they could all hear, it seemed a small number of riders on horses were coming their way and they looked proud that their General detected it earlier seeing how relaxed the Empress was they knew they had nothing to be afraid of.

The first person that first appeared in the distance was Xiao Pei followed by Shang Jin with his men riding so fast with the wind, they were not more than twenty in number, Shang Jin was holding a long hollow horn which he had been using to make his loud announcement.

Xiao Pei jumped down when he got closer and ran to Si Ning then he fell on one knee in front of Si Ning breathing hard as he bowed. "General I am glad General is safe." He said sincerely.

Si Ning was glad to see the poker face Xiao Pei again that he placed a hand on his head to pat it. Shang Jin also jumped down from his horse before the horse even stopped and he ran up to Si Ning at full speed.

"Brother!" Shang Jin shouted and he came to hug Si Ning tightly almost pushing Xiao Pei out of his way.

It was an unexpected reaction but Si Ning hugged him back with a confused expression because Shang Jin just acted as if he just saw his long lost brother.

"What happe....?" Si Ning didn’t complete his words because he heard it, now a massive amount of horses coming towards his way and he stood up instantly. "What is coming!?" He asked alarmed because Xiao Pei and Shang Jin that ran to him might be running from the enemies.

"We all met at the end of the Blossom trees, the bases were empty so we knew something must have gone wrong then we met one Commander Ji Ran that belongs to your army and they are all coming this way." Shang Jin filled in when he realised Si Ning was about to take the next course of action. "They are on the way." He added.

Ji Ran?