After Exile, I Married the Amnesiac General [Rebirth] Chapter 43

“You finished that quickly?” In the mountain forest, Li Chanxiu walked quickly while hunched over, turning his head to ask Pei Er beside him.

Pei Er gave an “mm” and said, “Those bandits were no match.”

After speaking, his gaze fell on the bow and arrows in Li Chanxiu’s hands.

Li Chanxiu noticed and lightly coughed, covering it up: “Did you forget? When we went hunting in the mountains before, you taught me.”

As he spoke, he subconsciously hid the arrow behind him a bit, thinking that later he would have to pretend his archery wasn’t that good, that it was all just coincidence that he hit.

But when he lifted his head and saw Pei Er’s smudged face, he couldn’t help but laugh.

Pei Er was walking quickly with him in pursuit. Seeing him suddenly smile at him, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

Li Chanxiu coughed lightly and pointed at his own cheek, indicating that his face was dirty.

Pei Er: “?”

His expression grew even more puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he slowed his steps slightly and raised his hand, using his thumb to wipe the spot on Li Chanxiu’s face where he had just pointed.

The rough pad of his finger brushed against smooth skin, and Pei Er’s movement paused for a moment.

After wiping, he curled his fingers and said seriously, “Alright.”

Li Chanxiu froze. After snapping back to his senses, he felt a bit awkward and coughed again. “I meant, your face is dirty.”

Pei Er: “…Oh.”

The tips of his ears reddened slightly. He hurriedly wiped his face roughly with his sleeve, still not cleaning it properly, but he didn’t bother with that and quickly continued chasing the figure ahead together with Li Chanxiu.

Third Boss, a few steps behind them: “……”

Maybe, perhaps, he should have waited for Fourth Boss just now and gone to see Ah Fu together… instead of following behind these two.

.

After being hit by the arrow, Centurion Jiang gritted his teeth, cut off the shaft, and ran desperately toward the deeper, denser part of the forest.

But hearing more and more footsteps behind him, getting closer and closer, he grew increasingly panicked, running even more blindly like a headless fly.

After running for an unknown amount of time, he suddenly realized that he had unknowingly gotten lost and didn’t know where he was. Then, seeing a faint light ahead in the forest, he clenched his teeth and charged out!

But the moment he rushed out, he broke into a cold sweat, before him was actually a cliff!

Centurion Jiang’s face turned pale, and his heart instantly sank to the bottom.

No way forward, pursuers behind, was heaven going to destroy him?

Almost at the same time, Li Chanxiu and Pei Er also chased out of the forest. Both stopped at once, their gazes sharpening as they looked at the person by the cliff.

Third Boss was two steps behind them, following closely.

Hearing movement behind him, Centurion Jiang gritted his teeth and suddenly turned around. Seeing who had chased after him, he was stunned for a moment, then burst into loud laughter.

“Heaven hasn’t abandoned me!”

It turned out that only three people had chased him, one of them was even a young woman, and another was Third Boss, who didn’t even have a weapon. The only one he needed to be wary of was Pei Er.

Centurion Jiang secretly clenched his teeth, his gaze fierce.

In that case, he might as well rush forward and fight it out, there might still be a chance to live.

And it was good that Pei Er had come too, he could deal with him in one go.

If he could kill Pei Er, Third Boss would be no problem. Especially since Third Boss knew about his collusion with Song Wanqian, when he killed Song Wanqian earlier, he should have eliminated him as well. Unfortunately, he hadn’t found him at the time and needed to leave urgently, so he let it go. Now that the other party had delivered himself to his door, all the better!

As for the young woman surnamed Shen, a weak woman, her threat could be ignored.

Thinking this way, Centurion Jiang felt that with only these three chasing him, the situation wasn’t too bad.

If he could get through this, not only would his purpose in coming to the stronghold be achieved, he could also erase the evidence of his collusion with the bandits.

The only difficult one to deal with was Pei Er, so long as he could get rid of Pei Er…

Centurion Jiang clenched his teeth, his eyes dark and vicious, staring fixedly at Pei Er not far away, tightening his grip on the blade again and again.

Pei Er stood at the edge of the forest with Li Chanxiu. Suddenly, he shifted a step, blocking Li Chanxiu behind him, his gaze cold as he looked at Centurion Jiang by the cliff, silently tightening his grip on his blade.

Their eyes locked, both knowing what the other intended to do.

The air at the cliff top gradually stilled, the atmosphere tense, danger spreading.

Li Chanxiu tightened his grip on the bow and arrows in his hands and quietly stepped back, so as not to become a target later and hinder Pei Er.

Third Boss froze for a moment. Seeing the blade in Centurion Jiang’s hand, he hurriedly turned to look around, trying to find something he could use as a weapon.

A gust of cold wind suddenly blew past. Sand and stones rolled at the cliff top, fallen leaves swirling.

Suddenly, Centurion Jiang stepped on loose soil and, gripping his blade, charged fiercely toward Pei Er.

Pei Er’s gaze turned sharp, his figure like lightning as he also rushed forward.

Both moved extremely fast, but Pei Er was clearly a step quicker, swinging his blade at Centurion Jiang. Because he wanted to capture him alive and take him back for interrogation, this strike did not aim for a vital point.

Centurion Jiang, however, was making a desperate last stand, his bright blade slashing fiercely toward Pei Er’s neck.

With a “clang,” the blades collided, producing a piercing sound.

The blade in Pei Er’s hand had been taken from the mountain stronghold and snapped on impact. He tilted his head just in time to avoid the blade’s edge.

Li Chanxiu’s gaze tightened sharply. Third Boss, who had just found a wooden stick nearby, was also stunned, thinking: the blades from our stronghold really can’t compare to those from the military camp.

Holding the wooden stick, he hesitated at once. Even the blade had been cut in half, if he went forward with this stick, it probably wouldn’t withstand even a single blow.

Seeing this, Centurion Jiang was overjoyed and immediately swung his blade again at Pei Er.

Pei Er swiftly bent to dodge, while at the same time twisting his wrist, driving the broken blade straight into the opponent’s abdomen, followed by a sweeping kick of his leg.

Centurion Jiang let out a miserable cry, his leg knocked out from under him as he fell heavily to the ground. Pei Er, however, quickly stood up, gripping the broken blade and preparing to stab him again.

Just as death was about to claim him, Centurion Jiang suddenly reached toward his chest with his left hand, pulled out a paper packet, and flung it fiercely at Pei Er.

Pei Er hurriedly leaned back to dodge, but he was a step too late. A gust of wind had just risen at the cliff top, and the powder in the packet was completely scattered onto his face. Caught off guard, he inhaled quite a bit, and his vision was instantly obstructed.

Seizing the opportunity, Centurion Jiang quickly got up, clutching his wound, and slashed at him again.

Relying on his hearing, Pei Er discerned the direction of the blade cutting through the air and instinctively sidestepped, raising his leg to deliver a fierce kick forward.

Li Chanxiu’s expression tightened. Almost at the same time, he drew his bow and nocked arrows, three sharp arrows shot out in an instant, precisely avoiding Pei Er and striking straight at Centurion Jiang.

Struck in the waist by Pei Er’s kick, Centurion Jiang staggered backward. Sensing the incoming arrows, he hurriedly retreated again to dodge. But he stepped back too hastily, forgetting the cliff behind him, his foot slipped into empty air. With a scream, he fell straight off the cliff.

Seeing this, Li Chanxiu hurried forward and grabbed Pei Er, whose vision was still impaired, asking urgently, “How are you?”

Pei Er quickly opened his eyes, blinked his reddened eyes, and said, “I think I’m fine.”

Li Chanxiu let out a breath of relief, then frowned again: What powder had Jiang Cong just thrown? And also, had he… already died?

Just as he was thinking, a blood-soaked hand suddenly climbed up from the edge of the cliff behind Pei Er and violently grabbed his ankle.

Pei Er had just stood up and hadn’t yet steadied himself. Caught off guard, he was yanked backward and fell. Li Chanxiu was startled and hurriedly grabbed him, but was dragged along as well, both of them lunging toward the cliff. Soon, half their bodies were hanging over the edge.

Seeing this, Third Boss rushed over, trying to pull the two of them, but he was still a step too late. On the cliff face, Centurion Jiang slipped on a foothold stone and slid down several feet, dragging Pei Er and Li Chanxiu down with him.

Li Chanxiu’s figure disappeared from the cliff edge in the blink of an eye. He quickly pulled a dagger from his sleeve and stabbed it into the cliff face. At the same time, Pei Er also drove his broken blade into the rocks. After sliding for who knows how long, the three of them finally came to a stop, all hanging off the cliff.

Seeing this, Third Boss hurriedly stretched his wooden stick down and shouted, “Quick, grab the stick!”

Li Chanxiu held the dagger in one hand and pulled Pei Er with the other, he simply couldn’t free a hand. Moreover, the stick was still some distance away; he couldn’t reach it at all.

Pei Er clenched his teeth. His face had already flushed slightly, and sweat even beaded on his forehead. Looking up at Li Chanxiu, he said, “Let go of me and climb up.”

Hearing this, Centurion Jiang below immediately said, “Shen Xiu, don’t you dare let go! If you let go, I’ll drag Pei Er down with me to die!”

At these words, Pei Er’s eyes turned fierce. He suddenly kicked downward at the hand below.

The back of Centurion Jiang’s hand split open, blood flowing, yet he still clung tightly, refusing to let go.

Li Chanxiu knew that if this continued, they would eventually be dragged down by Centurion Jiang. Suddenly, he raised his head and calmly said to Third Boss above, “Throw down the blade.”

Third Boss froze. When Centurion Jiang had fallen earlier, the blade in his hand had just happened to land by the cliff edge.

He quickly understood Li Chanxiu’s meaning. He hurriedly turned to grab the blade, aimed at Pei Er’s position, and threw it down.

Centurion Jiang’s face changed drastically. He also tried to grab the blade, but he was positioned lower than Pei Er and simply couldn’t reach past him to seize it.

Watching Pei Er catch the blade in one motion, his expression changed sharply. Fear reflected in his pupils as he shouted tremblingly, “Pei Er, you dare kill me? My brother is a captain, my father is an advisor in the prefectural office! You, a mere centurion, dare kill me? They won’t let you off!”

Pei Er’s eyes were cold. He turned the blade in his left hand and looked down at him.

This blade was long enough that when gripping the handle, the tip could reach the neck of the person below.

Without hesitation, the blade tip moved with extreme speed, slicing downward like a streak of silver.

Centurion Jiang’s pupils trembled. Even as the silver streak passed, he shouted in terror, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me! Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you when I get back, want to be promoted to centurion? No, no, to captain, and money, money, ”

Before he could finish saying “money,” the spot on his throat where the blade had cut suddenly burst open. Blood gushed out, splattering a large section of the cliff face red.

Centurion Jiang’s eyes widened. He raised his hand to clutch his throat tightly, letting out strained choking sounds, but could only watch helplessly as the blood kept flowing, his breathing growing more and more difficult, waiting for death in terror.

“No, no, kh…”

He struggled desperately. Pei Er’s expression remained cold as he turned the blade again and this time threw it downward, piercing through his skull.

Centurion Jiang’s eyes remained wide open, his face frozen in a moment of terrified distortion. Finally, he let go and fell completely off the cliff.

Li Chanxiu finally let out a breath of relief and quickly said to Pei Er, “Try and see if you can climb up.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than the spot where his dagger was lodged suddenly loosened, and he began sliding down rapidly.

Pei Er’s face changed drastically. He hurriedly grabbed him, only to be dragged down along with him.

Gritting his teeth, as Li Chanxiu slid past him, he wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him tightly, while once again driving the broken blade into the cliff face.

Li Chanxiu also quickly stabbed his dagger back into the rock. The two clung to each other like this, supported by the dagger and the broken blade, sliding for an unknown distance.

When they finally stopped again, the top of the cliff was no longer visible.

At the cliff top, Xuanping and the others followed the trail of blood dripping from Centurion Jiang’s arrow wound and finally found the spot, only to see that what remained here were traces of battle, and Third Boss lying dazed at the cliff edge.

Zhang Hu’s expression changed slightly. He hurried forward and asked, “Where are they? Where is Centurion Pei? Why are you the only one left?”

Xuanping also rushed forward and asked, “Third boss, what happened?”

Third Boss held a wooden stick longer than before. Standing up in frustration, he said, “They all fell down. I had just found a longer stick, and then, whoosh, they all went down.”

Hearing this, Zhang Hu’s face changed drastically. He grabbed him and asked urgently, “What do you mean? Who fell down? How did they fall?”

“What are you doing? What are you doing? It’s not like I pushed them down!” Third Boss had already been grabbed by the collar repeatedly. The cold-faced kid earlier was one thing, he looked like someone like Lu Zhi, not to be offended, but now this big fool also dared to grab him?

He shook him off and glared fiercely before explaining the situation, adding, “It’s really not my fault. That young lady told me to throw the blade, so I didn’t have time to find a longer stick. But I saw they were both supporting themselves with a blade and dagger, they didn’t fall straight down. Maybe they can still be saved.”

As soon as Zhang Hu heard this, he immediately turned to go gather men to search down the mountain.

Xuanping quickly followed and said, “You’re not familiar with this mountain, I’ll lead people with you.”

Hearing this, Third Boss also said at once, “Then I’ll come too. Fourth boss hasn’t been on the mountain as long as I have, I know it better.”

As they spoke, they hurried back toward the stronghold.

***

On the cliff face, Li Chanxiu and Pei Er clung to each other, each gripping a broken blade and dagger, breathing heavily.

Because they were pressed close together, with every breath they could feel the rise and fall of each other’s chest.

Having just gone through danger, Li Chanxiu had no time to think much. After catching his breath for a while, he raised his head and looked upward, asking, “Right now, are we closer to the top or the bottom?”

Pei Er shook his head, then suggested, “Let’s go down.”

From the height of Wuding Mountain and the time they had just slid, he judged that they were now closer to the bottom.

More importantly, they no longer had the strength to climb up.

Li Chanxiu nodded. Then the two worked together, Li Chanxiu pulled out the dagger, searched downward for a firm spot, and drove it in to support both of them. Then Pei Er pulled out the broken blade and looked for another point further down that could hold their weight.

Bit by bit, until dusk began to fall, they finally saw the bottom of the cliff.

Pei Er let out a breath. Suddenly, he tightened his arm around Li Chanxiu, turned his body, stepped against the cliff face, and ran downward in one swift motion, landing safely at the bottom.

Li Chanxiu hadn’t even reacted, he only felt a gust of wind pass before him, and then he landed steadily in his arms.

The moment their feet touched the ground, both felt a sense of solidity. Then they saw not far away the already mangled corpse of Centurion Jiang.

Pei Er immediately raised his hand to cover Li Chanxiu’s eyes and led him a bit farther away, saying, “Don’t look.”

With his vision covered, Li Chanxiu couldn’t see anything and could only be guided forward, his steps unsteady.

One of Pei Er’s hands covered his eyes, while the other still held him. His back was almost pressed against the other’s chest, as if leaning in his embrace.

Earlier on the cliff, the situation had been perilous, and there had been no time to think. Now that they were safe and he was still held in the other’s arms, his heartbeat suddenly became a bit unnatural.

Especially since Pei Er, perhaps from exerting too much strength on the cliff, was breathing heavier than usual, his breath hotter than before. The warm air brushed against his ear, making his ear grow hot as well.

Even the hand that had been covering his eyes seemed to grow hotter and hotter, so much so that Li Chanxiu became absorbed in wondering why and forgot that he could simply pull away.

After who knew how long, Pei Er finally led him to a flat boulder and released the hand covering his eyes.

Li Chanxiu let out a soft breath, then suddenly remembered something and hurriedly stepped out of his embrace.

Just now, in danger, they had been pressed tightly together, minds free of distraction. Now that they were safe, recalling it made Li Chanxiu feel a bit awkward.

Especially since he didn’t know whether Pei Er had noticed that he was actually… flat, unlike a woman. Hopefully the winter clothes were thick enough, and Pei Er dull enough, not to have noticed anything.

Perhaps he still needed to think of a way to pad something, to avoid such accidents in the future.

As Li Chanxiu let his thoughts wander, he looked around and realized he didn’t know where they were. For the moment, he didn’t know which direction to go.

On top of that, it was getting dark, and they had just come down from the cliff, they were both exhausted. After thinking, he said, “Zhang Hu and Xuanping will definitely bring people to search for us. How about we wait here first?”

After speaking, he didn’t hear Pei Er respond, but instead noticed that his breathing seemed to be growing heavier in the wind.

Li Chanxiu felt puzzled and turned to look at him, only to see that his face was even redder than before, his expression like he was intoxicated, his dark eyes deep, his chest rising and falling.

Li Chanxiu was startled, this was clearly abnormal. Could it be a fever… no, no, Pei Er hadn’t caught a cold recently.

Was it that packet of medicine from Centurion Jiang?!

“What’s wrong with you? Is it that powder from earlier?” he asked urgently.

If that was the case, and combined with Pei Er’s current condition, could it be that the powder was…

As Li Chanxiu thought this, his gaze unconsciously shifted downward.

Pei Er was still wearing the clothes of that thin mountain bandit from last night. Because they were too small, they were already tight. After the earlier fight and climbing down the cliff, the poor-quality fabric had been unable to bear the strain, and many places had torn.

And at the spot where the trousers were tight, the stitching had split open. Whether it was the padded trousers underneath being squeezed or something else, it was very conspicuous, making it look as if the outer pants had been stretched apart and burst open.

Li Chanxiu’s pupils visibly trembled, his eyes full of shock.

Noticing his strange expression, Pei Er also lowered his head and then froze.

What he had been worried about earlier had indeed happened, and in such an awkward way. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to cover it or not.

Li Chanxiu quickly turned around and coughed lightly. “Well, that… the powder Jiang Cong threw at you earlier doesn’t seem to be anything good. You, you… ahem, you should go deal with it.”

Pei Er was stunned when he heard this. Powder? Deal with it?

In a flash, he suddenly realized something and finally understood why, ever since being on the cliff, he had felt his blood surging and his body growing hotter and hotter.

He had always thought it was because he was holding Miss Shen tightly, letting his thoughts wander. After reaching the bottom of the cliff, unwilling to let go, he couldn’t help but find an excuse to hold her a little longer. But the situation didn’t ease, on the contrary, his desire only grew stronger.

He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself and might offend Miss Shen, making her dislike him. Just now, despite his reluctance, he still let her leave his embrace, thinking that standing in the cold wind for a while would help, but unexpectedly, it only became worse.

So it turned out… it was because of that packet of medicine?

Miss Shen told him to go deal with it, but… he had lost his memory, should he even understand this?

Pei Er lowered his eyes, doing his utmost to suppress the impulse in his heart.

His plan had always been to take it slow, to wait until Miss Shen gradually came to accept him.

But that was before.

In the military camp, aside from wealth and family background, Pei Er felt there were hardly any who could compare to him. So before, he had never considered the possibility that Miss Shen might fancy someone else.

But now, he realized he had overlooked something, Miss Shen might not fall for others, but that didn’t mean others wouldn’t take the initiative. For example, that Lu Zhi, just because he took off his clothes once during treatment, he wanted to devote himself entirely. Truly scheming.

He could have waited slowly for Miss Shen to come to like him little by little. But what if someone used tricks and got ahead of him…

Pei Er’s thick black lashes suddenly lifted, his gaze flickering slightly as his hand gradually clenched.

Yes, he had lost his memory, he could pretend not to know.

Perhaps because of the blood rushing through him, his breathing became more and more labored, and his mind grew increasingly heated.

He must have been muddled from the fever, his dark eyes fixed steadily on Li Chanxiu’s back. Sweat on his forehead fell onto his lashes, making them sting slightly.

He blinked, and finally spoke, his voice hoarse: “Miss Shen, what… kind of bad medicine? How do I deal with it?”

In the night wind, the question came suddenly, his tone tinged with confusion.

Li Chanxiu suddenly stiffened.

Pei Er stood just behind him, like a beast hidden in the deep forest at night, his sharpness concealed, his claws tucked away, only his presence pressing in, silently surrounding him.

There was no contact, yet the distance was extremely close.

The scorching breath brushed against his ear. Li Chanxiu felt as if he’d been burned, and he turned around abruptly, his nose almost colliding with the other.

Pei Er seemed to freeze for a moment, leaning back slightly, his dark eyes blank, as if he understood nothing.

After a pause, he frowned again, his tone troubled and mixed with pain: “Miss Shen, I feel… very uncomfortable.”

Li Chanxiu stiffened, finally remembering something: right, Pei Er had lost his memory. He might not understand.

But wasn’t this a man’s instinct? If he didn’t understand… he could just figure it out himself.

Li Chanxiu’s expression was rigid, his voice dry as he reminded, “You… can just use your hand.”

“Hand?” Pei Er’s tone was confused, his expression still pained.

Li Chanxiu: “……”

“Just…” He clenched his teeth and explained more clearly.

But Pei Er was truly too slow to understand, and Li Chanxiu himself only half-understood, it wasn’t as though he were a particularly skilled teacher.

And that medicine, who knew where it came from? If it wasn’t dealt with, would it harm the body…

Li Chanxiu’s face grew slightly warm. Hearing movement beside him, he didn’t dare turn his head. Pei Er, for some reason, didn’t move farther away, perhaps he himself should leave.

He took a deep breath and had just begun to rise when his wrist was suddenly grabbed. Turning his head in surprise, he met Pei Er’s eyes, dark and deep like a bottomless pool.

The other’s hand was like heated iron, strong, scorching hot. His gaze was almost vacant as he suddenly held him tightly.

…

The night wind wailed, and the sky grew darker and darker.

Earlier on the cliff face, Li Chanxiu’s right arm had already been somewhat dislocated. Now, truly exhausted, he finally switched back to using his left hand.

Pei Er lightly brushed against his hair and held him tightly, shielding him from the waves of cold wind that struck in the night.

This really shouldn’t be happening, Li Chanxiu thought with his eyes closed. But for some reason, he too had gradually begun to feel hot, his mind growing muddled.

It must have been that earlier, when he had been close to Pei Er, he had inhaled some of the powder that had clung to the other’s clothes, just less of it, so his condition wasn’t as severe as Pei Er’s.

But his mind was still foggy. So when Pei Er grabbed his hand, and when he met those vacant, yearning eyes, it was as if he had been controlled, he ended up helping Pei Er, who had been struggling without method, his expression full of pain.

Fortunately, Zhang Hu, Xuanping, and the others never came looking.

Under the night wind, Li Chanxiu scrubbed his hands with snow gathered beside a rock, his face expressionless. He didn’t feel cold at all, in fact, his palms felt burning hot.

Pei Er lit a fire beside the rock, stopped him from washing his hands with snow, found a curved piece of stone, melted the snow into water, and then heated it.

Then his gaze flickered slightly as he handed the water to Li Chanxiu.

Li Chanxiu sighed. At first, he had been very embarrassed, but now, he had already become numb.

He felt that his arm was more tired than when he had climbed down the cliff. Even in his dreams, when he later led troops and practiced spear techniques, he had never found a spear so hard to hold, so difficult to grip.

Pei Er… what exactly had he eaten growing up? His family must have been well-off, right? Maybe, like Chen Qing said, he was actually a young master from a wealthy family, well-fed since childhood, which was why…

It couldn’t be that all men in the world were as outstanding as Pei Er… Li Chanxiu’s face became even more expressionless. There was really nothing worth comparing about this, it was vulgar!

A truly outstanding person should be exceptionally intelligent, masterful in commanding troops, and concerned for the world, like that Pei Zhen of Bingzhou, not compared in this way.

But…

Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but glance at Pei Er again, still unable to resist wondering, what exactly had he eaten growing up?

Pei Er used the cleaned stone piece to heat more water, this time drinkable.

Noticing Li Chanxiu’s gaze, he handed the water over and suddenly asked in a hoarse voice, “Miss Shen, are you… alright?”

Li Chanxiu paused mid-drink, looked up at him, and thought in confusion: What could be wrong with me?

Pei Er pressed his lips together. His dark eyes looked at him, almost like a dog’s eyes, as he hesitated and said, “At that time, the powder fell on me. Later, you were leaning on my shoulder, you might also…”

Li Chanxiu’s expression immediately stiffened.