mtl008 Chapter 421 Building a Bridge to Escape the Trap
Chapter 421 Building a Bridge to Escape the Trap
Cui Zhihao, along with several of his personal guards, cleared away the rubble on the riverbank and compacted the ground in preparation for building the bridge.
He would occasionally look up at the opposite bank and see Shi Wanxia standing on the edge of the cliff, directing the guards to adjust the angle of the tree trunks.
Rain soaked her hair and clung to her cheeks, but her back remained straight, like a pine tree that grows tenaciously in the wind and rain.
"She's always like that."
Choi Ji-ho murmured with admiration, "The more critical the situation, the more composed you become."
Upon hearing this, Shen Yanzhou's gaze fell on the figure on the opposite bank, a complex emotion flashing across his eyes.
He had known Shi Wanxia for so long and knew she was intelligent and resilient, but every time he saw her standing tall in adversity, his heart would still clench.
He wished she didn't have to be so strong, didn't have to face these storms alone.
"almost."
Shen Yanzhou withdrew his gaze and looked at the several thick tree trunks piled up on the bank. Each trunk was nearly three zhang long, enough to span the river.
Ready to set up!
The guards immediately stepped forward, two by two, carrying one end of the tree trunk, with Shen Yanzhou and Cui Zhihao each standing at one end to direct the operation.
"Slow down! Hold on! Aim at the stone pillars on the opposite bank!"
The heavy tree trunk was slowly lifted and gradually extended towards the river.
The rushing river water immediately surged up, causing the tree trunk to sway slightly in the current. Several soldiers carrying the tree trunk were pulled and nearly fell over.
"Stay calm! Everyone stay calm!"
Shen Yanzhou shouted sternly, personally stepping forward to grab one end of the tree trunk, veins bulging on his arm.
Upon seeing this, Shi Wanxia on the opposite bank immediately directed her guards: "Quick! Pass over the tree trunks on our side to help them!"
The two tree trunks slowly approached each other in the middle of the river. Shi Wanxia seized the opportunity and shouted, "Use vines! Tie the two tree trunks together!"
A nimble guard immediately swung out a vine, which accurately wrapped around the tree trunk on the opposite bank. With a pull from both sides, the vine tightened instantly, binding the two tree trunks together firmly.
"One more!"
Shi Wanxia shouted, "One more strand makes it even more stable!"
The second and third tree trunks were successively erected, and bound by vines, they formed a simple yet sturdy wooden bridge spanning the turbulent river.
Although the wooden bridge was still swaying slightly from the impact of the water flow, it was still wide enough for people to pass through.
"It's done!" Cui Zhihao shouted excitedly, his eyes slightly red.
Shen Yanzhou loosened his grip, his palm already bearing red marks, but he was completely unaware of it. He simply looked at Shi Wanxia on the opposite bank, his voice slightly hoarse from the relaxation after the tension: "Miss Shi, please be careful and come over slowly."
Shi Wanxia looked up at him. The rain had stopped, and sunlight shone through the clouds, reflecting shimmering light on the river.
She gave Shen Yanzhou and Cui Zhihao a faint smile, a smile that was weary, but also bright with the joy of surviving a disaster.
"Brother Cui, Your Highness, we've arrived."
She spoke softly, then turned to the people behind her and said, “Everyone be careful, cross the bridge one by one, and get the seriously wounded brothers across first.”
Cui Jiu was the first to step onto the wooden bridge, moving slowly and steadily. The bridge sagged slightly under his weight, making a creaking sound, but there was no sign of it breaking.
He reached the other side safely and turned back to give Shi Wanxia a thumbs-up.
Immediately afterwards, the guards helped the seriously wounded man carefully step onto the wooden bridge.
Shen Yanzhou and Cui Zhihao watched nervously from the opposite bank, ready to provide assistance at any moment.
Shi Wanxia was the last to step onto the bridge. Her steps were steady, and her gaze was fixed straight ahead, without looking at the rushing river below.
The moment her feet touched the land on the opposite bank, Choi Ji-ho almost instinctively took a step forward and reached out to support her arm.
Her arms were cool and damp from the rain, yet firm.
"You..." Cui Zhihao was about to say something when Shi Wanxia interrupted him.
"Your Highness, Brother Cui, let's not talk for now."
Shi Wanxia steadied herself and immediately looked up at them with a solemn expression.
"This wooden bridge won't last much longer. The floodwaters are still rising. We must take our supplies and leave as soon as possible. I'm afraid we won't be able to hold onto Xiaoping Mountain."
As soon as he finished speaking, a muffled rumble suddenly came from afar, and the earth seemed to tremble slightly.
Following the sound, everyone looked and saw a muddy mudslide rolling down the mountainside upstream, heading towards the river.
"Oh no! It's a landslide!" Cui Zhihao's expression changed drastically.
Without hesitation, Cui Zhihao grabbed Shi Wanxia's wrist: "Go! Get away from the riverbank immediately!"
The group disregarded everything else, supporting the wounded, carrying provisions, and quickly retreating along the mountain path they had come from.
Behind them, the roar of the mudslide rushing into the river grew closer and closer. The newly erected wooden bridge, under the impact of the flood, made several sounds of breaking under the unbearable pressure, and was soon swallowed up by the turbid river water.
Shi Wanxia glanced back, then was pulled by Shen Yanzhou and quickened her pace.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds and shone through the forest, casting long, wet shadows of the group.
The continuous rain had lasted for three days, and the mountain road had been washed into a muddy mess. The gravel underfoot made it slippery from time to time, and every step was extremely difficult.
Choi Ji-ho steadily supported Shi Wan-xia with one hand, while using the other to push aside the low branches blocking the way, his gaze occasionally sweeping towards the winding line behind them.
"Walk slowly, don't rush."
His voice was low, carrying a barely perceptible concern, but it reached Shi Wanxia's ears clearly through the air.
Shi Wanxia gave a soft "hmm," her forehead beaded with a fine sheen of sweat, which, mixed with the splashing rain, made her already pale face appear even weaker.
Her light blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) was already splattered with mud and water, and the hem was covered with mud, making every step feel incredibly heavy.
They were on orders to deliver a batch of urgently collected grain to Chuzhou.
The group consisted mostly of strong and capable guards, with only her and a few other women, including Miss Wang.
Unexpectedly, they encountered continuous heavy rain halfway through the journey, making the mountain roads difficult to travel and slowing their progress by more than half.
"Third Uncle, the road ahead seems even more slippery. Should we take a break?"
Cui Yu'an's voice came from the front of the group. Although the young man was also a bit disheveled, his eyes were still bright, but there was a hint of fatigue from the journey between his brows.
Before Cui Zhihao could answer, he suddenly heard a strange roar from above. The sound grew closer and closer, carrying the power of an earthquake, and the ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly.
His heart sank suddenly, and years of vigilance made him instantly look up—
On the hillside not far away, countless clods of earth, carrying pebbles the size of bowls, roared down from the sky like a giant yellow dragon, uprooting trees wherever they passed, creating a terrifying spectacle.
"Oh no! It's a mudslide! Get out of the way!"
Cui Zhihao's expression changed drastically. He instinctively pulled Shi Wanxia behind him and shouted a warning to the group at the same time.
Chaos erupted instantly, and everyone panicked and fled to the relatively open areas on either side. The heavy sacks of food they carried on their backs slowed their movements considerably.
Cui Zhihao held Shi Wanxia tightly, taking shelter under a thick old tree, and watched helplessly as the turbid torrent swept through the middle of the road they had just walked, leaving behind a mess.