Face-Slapping the genius from another world (2.1)
Editors: chestnutwhale & Aaghna
Zhou Xu laughed lightly: "I don't want to die."
"Then be honest."
Zhou Xu's smile disappeared, and he suddenly kicked Yan He who was in front of him. Yan He was met with Zhou Xu's sudden movement, and was forced to take two steps back. Just then, a single feathered arrow swept past the spot where Yan He had previously stood.
Yan He's pupils shrunk. His expression had not changed, but his gaze was startled. The feathered arrow's tip had grazed a bit of Yan He's skin, though it wasn't serious.
"Don't…" Zhou Xu was just about to say 'don't move', scared that the assailant would still have a trick up their sleeve, but Yan He had already moved.
Yan He disappeared from in front of him in an instant. Looking again, he was already heading towards the feathered arrow's direction.
Above the numerous branches and bushes, Yan He's movements were like drifting clouds and flowing water. If one were to describe it, it was not unlike a top tier martial artist expert advancing with Qinggong in a wuxia world Zhou Xu had transmigrated into.
"Attention everyone, don't randomly move around. Hunch your backs and move forward quickly. Be aware, the Hexi clan's people might already be within our vicinity."
The warriors were obedient, because this wasn't a time where they could complain.
As Zhou Xu finished speaking, all of the warriors had already bent down at their waists. Another feather arrow headed straight for Zhou Xu.
The feathered arrows were very fast, but Zhou Xu has always had a keen sense of danger. So as soon as the feathered arrow shot out, he leapt, grabbing one side of a nearby tree trunk. The feathered arrow was caught by one of the warriors left behind by Yan He.
The warrior threw the feather arrow to the side, asking Zhou Xu, "Zhou Xu, are you all right?"
Zhou Xu shook his head, looking at the feathered arrow the warrior had thrown aside. The feathered arrow that the warrior threw had stabbed into a rabbit's body, the rabbit had fallen to the ground in response, twitching a few times later going motionless.
Zhou Xu knew that the situation was grave, thus he commanded, "Quickly move forward, don't dwell here."
Everyone continued to move forward. Zhou Xu caught sight of the unlucky rabbit. He originally hadn't cared, thinking that the warrior behind him simply had great strength. The arrow had pierced straight through the rabbit's internal organs, but now Zhou Xu noticed something strange. The blood from the rabbit's wound had turned green.
Zhou Xu was badly alarmed. Yan He might've also been poisoned.
Pulling aside the warrior who had caught the feathered arrow, Zhou asked, "What's your name?"
The warrior was stunned, replying, "I'm Han Xun ya. Zhou Xu, are you okay?"
Zhou Xu was also stunned, because in this world he hadn't really paid attention to the original owner's memories. Because he hadn't cared, he hadn't really recognised this person just now.
Han Xun was Han Wen's older brother, also a very ferocious warrior. But he didn't like leading, instead preferring to act as the second in command.
The clan leader had wanted to choose him as an elder, but he didn't agree no matter what. In short, he was a powerful man with little aspiration.
"Han Xun, I'm sorry, for now I'll hand the troops over for you to handle. Lead the warriors over to the steep cliff, and if you encounter the Hexi clan afterwards, remember to drive them to the spot where the cliff is and let them jump down. This way, we can do half the work but have twice the effect.
After speaking, Zhou Xu turned around to leave. But he was pulled back by Han Xun, "Zhou Xu, where are you going?"
Zhou Xu pointed at the rabbit, explaining to Han Xun, "This arrow was poisonous. Yan He went over alone, I'm going to go help."
"No, it's too dangerous."
Zhou Xu shook his head and said, "No, That's unlikely. The other side hasn't attacked again after shooting the two arrows, meaning that they only wanted to kill our leader, and for us to be in chaos while outnumbered. They haven't taken further action, which means that there were three or four people at the most. They were merely a few spies. So you don't need to worry. It's more important to defend our clan, and not let the troops scatter.
Han Xun looked at Zhou Xu, still hesitant, but he nodded anyways and said, "Then be careful."
"En, you should also be careful. Try not to have any casualties."
"En."
Han Xun left and led the troops away. Zhou Xu crossed over branches and underbrush in the direction of Yan He's whereabouts.
A few minutes later, Zhou Xu had already separated from the troops, leaving him to acknowledge that he should proceed and move forwards.
"Not following the troops, what are you doing?" A cold voice sounded. Zhou Xu raised his head, seeing Yan He standing above the tree trunk.
"Come down!" Zhou Xu's voice wasn't as frivolous and enticing as when he seduced Yan He in the beginning.
Yan He looked at Zhou Xu, then quickly came down.
Regardless of his reaction, Zhou Xu immediately pulled Yan He's wrist and began feeling his pulse.
His eyebrows tightened, Zhou Xu could feel his pulse quite, powerfully? He wasn't poisoned?
Drawing back his hand, Yan He asked: "Is something on your mind?"
"You're not poisoned?"
Yan He's pupils shrank once more, his gaze towards Zhou Xu showed that he was very impressed, "How did you know that I was poisoned?"
"Of course I know, it's because the second arrow was aimed at me."
"You?"
"Han Xun blocked it down."
Yan He silently looked at Zhou Xu. Zhou Xu said word for word: "Your body has secrets that others don't know of, am I right?"
Yan He's gaze became even colder. If it weren't for Zhou Xu's mental strength, he would've definitely been pressed down by the pressure.
"Don't look at me like this, if you don't want anyone else to know then I won't tell anyone. I also came back in order to save you, how about you become a little bit grateful?"
His eyes were finally not as cold as before, Yan He asked: "Did you truly come over to save me?"
"Or what? Do you think I came over to court death? Or do you think that I came over to accompany you for you to court death?"
Slightly embarrassed, Yan He turned his head to look elsewhere. But his earlobe had already turned slightly red which entirely sold him out.
Not intending to be at a loss with Yan He at this time, Zhou Xu said: "Alright, let's quickly leave. Now the troops are being led by Han Xun, I'm worried there'll be an issue."
"En."
The two then began to catch up and follow the troops, going towards the steep cliff.
Zhou Xu, who was also running, had lost track of Yan He. Although Zhou Xu could also leap between branches, compared to Yan He who was like a monkey, he was still inferior to him.
Heavily gasping for air, Zhou Xu said: "Slow down a bit, I can't catch up to you."
Yan He turned his head, and saw Zhou Xu support himself against the tree whilst gasping for breath. His two scarlet cheeks showed that he had really tried his best, and from what Yan He knew, him going this fast indeed took a great amount of effort.
It was true that Yan He and the original Zhou Xu had known each other, and were considered relatively familiar with one another. After all, the two had grown up together. But Yan He very much despised Zhou Xu, and the original owner had also hated Yan He.
One thinks that the other is an uncouth fellow, one thinks that the other is a delicate demon. In short, the two basically didn't speak to each other apart from having to communicate when they needed to.
It could actually be said that the original owner had a bad relationship with everyone. He didn't see anyone apart from himself.
Looking at the person now, Yan He suddenly felt a little distressed. Although Zhou Xu had previously always set himself against him and also never put great effort into hunting, this was the first time that he was truly different.
From the beginning up until now, he had even been thinking of the tribe in every possible way. Including this plan that he came up with to encounter the enemy, even Ruan Shijin who had the highest opinion in the tribe couldn't compare.
Thinking about this, Yan He spoke in a much gentler way, unlike just now when it was cold and icy. And above all, Yan He had indeed just been saved by Zhou Xu.
Even if the arrow's poison was unable to injure Yan He, the arrow was indeed going straight for his throat. If it did truly hit its target, Yan He might've lost his life on the spot.
"Want to take a rest?" Yan He asked.
"There's no need, just slow down a little. We'll soon catch up to the troops at this speed. You can be at ease."
"En, okay."
The two people began to move forwards at Zhou Xu's speed soon after. Twenty minutes later, the two people had caught up to the troops.
After catching up, Zhou Xu then slightly panted and asked Yan He: "How many archers were there just now?"
"Four."
"Killed all of them?"
"En."
"You knew that there were three or four people on the other side before you went, right? I don't believe that you, the tribe's strongest warrior, would just head over there without knowing how many people there were. If that happened, you wouldn't be able to become an elder. You also wouldn't be alive up until now."
Yan He's gaze turned cold again, "What are you trying to say, Zhou Xu?"
"I don't want anything to be said, I'm trying to make you say something. How about this, later today you'll confess it to me. If not and I truly find it out myself, your secret might not be a secret anymore."
"You dare threaten me?"
"I don't dare. This isn't me threatening you, it's me making a deal with you. If you tell me your secrets, I'll also tell you my secrets. How about that?"
"There's nothing great about it."
Zhou Xu was in a pretty good mood because he found it fun to tease this man with facial paralysis, especially watching him get tense at times and then turning indifferent.
No one heard what the two had said because the two had controlled the sound of their voices, it was like they were whispering.
"Very good, you're good." Han Xun said and heaved a sigh of relief after seeing Zhou Xu.
"En, have the Hexi clan's people come?"
"They've come. See those trees that are swaying relatively violently over there in that area? They're over there."
Zhou Xu followed the direction that Han Xun's finger had pointed at and looked over, but his heart already knew.
Yan He also walked over, taking a look at the people in that direction, then asking: "How many people are there?"
"The spies are reporting eight hundred people."
"How come there are only eight hundred people? Didn't the spies say there were one thousand and five hundred people in the beginning?"
Zhou Xu slightly smiled, then said: "It means that my plan was efficacious. And the other half should've gone over to the rivulet already. They might also already be unconscious."
Taking a look at Zhou Xu, Yan He didn't say anything. His plan was very good because it was for their clan, they were simply fearless of those mosquitoes. But the ethnic minorities certainly didn't know how to deal with them at the moment, the crucial point was that those mosquitoes were still slightly toxic.
Han Xun also felt pleasantly surprised, "Zhou Xu, you've done very well."
"Of course. Now let's start separating, one section of the troops will go behind their rear and drive them away. Another part of the troops will go to the left to create the facade that they're outnumbered, then we'll force them to the cliff."
Even Yan He began to unconsciously listen and obey Zhou Xu's commands. More than a minute after the event, the two clan's people had met.
The Hexi clan didn't expect that they would meet up with the Hedong clan's people halfway through and looking at the movement in the forest, it seemed like there were a large number of people. Thus they immediately ran in the direction of the Hedong clan.