Near the desert, there is a pagoda-shaped rock. There are no protruding rocks within a three-mile radius around it. It looks like an isolated peak abandoned by the Devil City.
Li Siye decided to stay on the top of this peak and gather enough energy to deal with the enemy.
He led Hei Pang to the bottom of the rock wall and made five or six small pits around it, only as deep as his knees. He sprinkled caltrops on the bottom, covered them with dead wormwood, and sprinkled a layer of rock debris on the rest.
Also sprinkle with caltrops and cover with a layer of soft sand.
He nailed his barrier knife into the wall with a stone and tied the horse's reins to it to prevent the fat black man from running away and making the trap ineffective.
After taking a breather, he began to look for a way to climb to the top of the rock. He circled the stone tower and was surrounded by straight cliffs, with no place to start.
That's fine. It's difficult for him to climb up, and it's also difficult for the enemy.
He first piled the extra stuff in his backpack at the foot of the cliff, leaving only hemp ropes in it, then carried it steadily on his back, holding the knife at his waist in his mouth, and dug a shallow nest in the rock for stepping on.
The cliff pillars formed by wind erosion are mainly composed of sandstone and mudstone, which are not very hard. As he climbed up, he chiseled with the blade of his knife. Although his hands and feet were sore and tired, he finally persevered as he watched the top getting closer and closer.
There was a protrusion on the cliff wall for standing on. After standing on it for a while, he continued climbing. Fortunately, the slope at the top was gentle. He used his hands and feet to find gaps in the rock to climb, and finally climbed to the top of the rock.
He lay on the top platform and took a few deep breaths, telling himself not to stop.
"The robbers are coming soon, so hurry up, hurry up."
The platform at the top of the rock was about a foot wide at most, and the view was wide. He turned over, took off his backpack, and took out a hemp rope. He looked for a place to tie the knot on the empty rock surface and followed a path.
Excavate the rock gap, then insert the knotted rope end with a knife, stick it along the gap to the narrowest place, and then pull it as hard as possible.
Very good, there was no need to worry about the rope coming out. He threw the rope down the cliff, picked up his backpack and grabbed the rope to descend to the ground.
Now the items can be transferred. Armor, water bags, swords, crossbows, crossbows, saddles, and refilled backpacks are all tied to ropes.
He once again dragged the rope to the top of the rock, and used up all his strength to pull up the supplies tied to the rope. However, these items were too heavy, and he should have transported them in two times.
His arms were so sore that they seemed to be torn apart, veins popped out on the thick and knotted skin, and the rope in his hand moved upwards one foot at a time.
The sound of camel bells was heard on the horizon in the night, and the ghosts following him appeared in sight again. Li Siye just turned his head and glanced, then squatted and knelt on the rock face intently until he dragged all the supplies to the top of the rock.
Hot breath came out of his throat, and his dark eyes stared intently at the slowly approaching Zhang Kuo bandits. A helpless and mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: "You really don't give people a chance to breathe."
He quickly knelt on the ground, took out the crossbow and used his legs to wind it up. He put a crossbow arrow into the slot and aimed it at the enemy who came to the door.
These five people did not approach rashly. They obviously saw Hei Pang tied to the rock wall, riding a horse and camel in a circle around the rock tower, and finally stopped a hundred meters away and began to rest.
Li Siye let go of the crossbow string, his beating heart calmed down a little, and he silently estimated the fighting power between himself and the enemy. There were five people left, one had a broken leg and was not enough to pose a threat, and the remaining four were swordsmen and bandits who roamed the desert. These people
He has rich combat experience and is better able to adapt to the desert than him. No matter how you look at it, you are at a disadvantage.
But his advantage begins to become apparent from now on. He will compete with food and willpower to see who can persevere.
…
Zhang Kuo and others lit a bonfire on the ground and sat on thick felt blankets. Their waxy faces were covered with wrinkles blown by the wind knife, and their faces became more and more gloomy. From the encounter between the two sides in the Tarim River, to now
It has been ten days, and the prey they are hunting has still not fallen. It seems that everyone has lost the confidence to win easily after chasing thousands of miles. The chapped lips and tired eyes have already explained it all.
Ah Wu was lying on the ground, his body wrapped in thick horse leather, running a high fever and talking nonsense. No one went to care for him, they themselves were exhausted.
Zhang Kuo pursed his lips tightly, with nowhere to vent the anger in his heart. He had traveled across the desert for more than ten years, and whether it was the food caravans gathering with guards or the Central Plains Escorts full of swords and guns, no one could escape his prey.
.
But he never imagined that hunting down a lone wolf could lead to such embarrassment.
Others can lose confidence, but he cannot, he must show an optimistic side.
"He has run out of oil, so he stopped and stood on that lonely rock to make the final struggle. We will stay here for a few days, no, three days. After three days, this person will definitely be weak and weak. We will stay here for a few days.
Go and take his life."
"That, boss." San'er reminded carefully.
"What!" Zhang Kuo asked angrily.
"We have finished our dry food."
The two swordsmen sitting opposite them exchanged glances quickly, lowered their heads and remained silent.
"Then kill the horse."
"Shajin's horse has been eaten."
"Kill Ah Wu's horse. When we go back, I will walk and hump him with my horse."
San'er nodded silently, took out the shining sword from his waist, turned around and walked into the dark night, leading a horse to a distance.
…
The mournful neighing of war horses echoed in the wilderness of Devil's City. Li Siye, who was lying in his quilt, jumped up and looked at the collapsed body at the end of the bonfire in the distance. He was frightened and made a victory gesture to himself.
The war of attrition has worked, and he can be sure that his opponents will not launch an attack rashly tonight. Moreover, climbing the rock wall at night is twice as difficult, and their actions will inevitably wake him up.
Thinking of this, Li Siye smiled knowingly. He turned over and lay on the ground, peeled off the oil paper and ate the homemade compressed biscuits. Then he held the brown leather bag and raised his head and drank a sip of cold water. He felt the cold flow pouring into his stomach along his throat.
My heart felt cold and I shivered all over.
It was really cold in late autumn in Devil City. The cold wind poured in from all directions. The sheepskin quilt could preserve the remaining heat in his body. Despite this, his hands and feet were still cold.
It has been more than a month since he left Chang'an, and Mei'er doesn't know how he is. Generally speaking, Zhang Xiaojing is still reliable, as long as he doesn't commit any crime and goes to jail. Even if there is an unexpected situation, isn't Gao Shi still there?
I have this intimate young lady Wenran.
The cold wind could not stop his sleepiness, and Li Siye soon fell into a drowsy sleep.