Escape to Safety
"Father, it's me. I've come to save you." He said in a low, trembling voice, "Don't make a sound, come with me."
Father Zhou was stunned for a long time, then shakily helped him up, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Tong'er..."
Zhou Tong went inside, first waking his mother, then helping his wife and concubine.
The moment the two women opened their eyes and saw him, tears streamed down their faces. They covered their mouths, afraid to cry out loud.
His youngest daughter also woke up, rubbed her eyes, saw her father, pouted, and looked like she was about to cry.
Zhou Tong quickly took his daughter into his arms and gently coaxed her.
"Baby, don't cry, Daddy's here to save you." He patted the child's back. "Don't make a sound, it won't be good if someone hears, okay?"
The little girl was sensible; she buried her face in his shoulder and stubbornly held back her sobs, managing only to choke out a couple of times.
His son also woke up; he was older, his eyes wide, but he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.
Zhou Tong put his arms around his wife and children, one in each hand.
The commotion was quite loud, waking up the prisoners in both cells.
Someone was clinging to the fence, shouting in a low voice.
"Hero, hero, please release us too! We beg you to save our lives!"
Shen Jingchuan thought to himself, "That's fine. Let them go while things are in chaos. The muddier the water, the easier it is to escape."
He took the key from the unconscious jailer, opened the door to a nearby cell, and whispered instructions to the prisoners inside.
"Listen up, take the keys and open all the cell doors."
"Don't just focus on running away. This prison is heavily guarded; you can't escape on your own."
"I've subdued these constables inside. Release them all and await my orders."
"I'll go out first and take care of the guards outside the cell gate. I'll call you back after I've cleaned up. Come out in fifteen minutes, understand?"
"If you dare to run off ahead of time and alert the soldiers, you're courting death, and no one can save you."
The prisoners nodded repeatedly, as if they had been granted a pardon.
"Listen to the heroes, everyone listen to the heroes."
They took the keys and went off to open the various cell doors.
In an instant, the sounds of keys, door hinges, and low gasps filled the prison, creating utter chaos.
Someone was about to shout excitedly when Shen Jingchuan gave a low shout, not loud, but like a bucket of ice water being poured on them.
"Shut up, all of you. If you want to live, shut up. Anyone who makes a sound again, I'll kill them right now."
The prison fell silent, save for suppressed breathing and footsteps.
Shen Jingchuan gave Zhou Tong a wink and lowered his voice.
"Take your family and follow me towards the main entrance. Wait in the corridor and don't go out."
Zhou Tong nodded, and, helping the elderly and leading the children, quietly moved forward.
Shen Jingchuan, carrying his sword, went alone to the main gate of the prison.
Beneath the archway, five gatekeepers, wrapped in cotton quilts, were fast asleep.
Without saying a word, he lunged forward, his hand rising and falling, aiming specifically at the back of the neck and the back of the head.
With a few muffled thuds, the men passed out without even uttering a sound.
He didn't care whether he might kill someone if he hit them too hard, nor did he care at the moment.
He unlatched the door, creaked open the heavy front door, and led Zhou Tong and his family out through the main gate.
The streets were deserted and dark, with not a single pedestrian in sight.
Shen Jingchuan then activated his Divine Sense and released all three horses— Big Black, Little Black, Treading Snow.
The three horses landed on the bluestone slab and snorted. Shen Jingchuan patted Little Black and Treading Snow and gave them a few instructions.
"These are my friend's family members. You'll have to give them a ride, so behave yourselves."
He first pointed to the Treading Snow and said to Zhou Tong's father.
"Uncle, please take Aunt and ride this horse."
He then turned to Zhou Tong and pointed to Little Black.
"You take your two sisters-in-law and ride this horse."
Zhou Tong hesitated for a moment.
"W-will this work? Will it even fly?"
Shen Jingchuan didn't waste any words, "Yes, hurry up."
He bent down, picked up the two children, and gently leaped onto the Big Black's back, one in front and one behind, to comfort them.
"Follow your uncle."
He gestured with his chin toward Zhou Tong and the others.
"Hurry up and mount your horse, let's go!"
Zhou Tong didn't have time to think anymore. He first helped his mother and father onto their horses, and then sent his wives and concubines onto their horses one by one.
Treading Snow was quite obedient and obediently bent down to let the two elderly people sit down comfortably.
Little Black was still a bit arrogant; being dragged along by Zhou Tong's two wives, it impatiently scratched its hoof.
Zhou Tong struggled a bit, first helping his wife onto the horse and set her up, then helping the other one up as well, before finally climbing up himself and sitting between the two women.
Big Black, Little Black, Treading Snow, the three horses spread their wings in turn.
The Zhou Tong family had been frightened in prison. As soon as they mounted their horses, the night wind blew them up, and they saw that they were about to be lifted into the air. They were all filled with fear and the joy of surviving a disaster, and their expressions became dazed.
Zhou's mother gripped her husband's clothes tightly and asked in a trembling voice.
"Master, is this... is it going to fly?"
Father Zhou was also shocked, but he still held his wife tightly and nodded heavily.
"Don't be afraid, this is a friend Tong'er found."
Shen Jingchuan rode on the Big Black dog, protecting the two children. He glanced back and called out softly.
"Hold on tight and stay close to me."
"Rise."
The three mythical beasts flapped their wings and soared into the air, sweeping over the slumbering Chang'an City and heading straight out of the city, disappearing into the night.
As soon as the three horses took off, their wings flapped, and a protective shield of Spiritual Power opened up beside them, a faint layer of light enveloping everyone inside.
The night wind was biting high in the sky, which should have made people's hands and feet numb with cold, but it was warm and cozy inside the protective shield.
The family was initially very worried, but after flying for a while and seeing that there was nothing wrong, their anxiety gradually subsided.
The three horses galloped swiftly towards Azure Cloud Stronghold.
The distance from Chang'an to Azure Cloud Stronghold wasn't too far; after flying for less than an hour, the eastern horizon began to lighten, and it was just getting light.
Before long, the outline of the large village nestled against the mountainside gradually came into view among the mountains ahead.
On the walls of Azure Cloud Stronghold, the guards were patrolling back and forth, guns at the ready.
Suddenly someone looked up and saw three dark shadows flying in from the horizon, their wings large, flapping as they drew closer.
The village head's eyes lit up; he immediately recognized him, his face beaming with delight, and he nudged his companion with his elbow.
"Hey, look! It's the young master! The young master is back!"
He waved repeatedly towards the sky.
Three horses galloped over the stockade wall and headed straight for the quiet little courtyard at the back of the stockade, where they slowly landed.
This courtyard was originally where Shen Jingchuan's family lived. Now that the ladies and maids have all entered the space, the house is empty, which is perfect for Zhou Tong's family to settle in.
The three hooves landed, and the wings folded.
Shen Jingchuan, carrying the two children, dismounted first, and Zhou Tong then reached out to help everyone down.
Zhou Tong and his family stood in the courtyard, looking at this unfamiliar place, as if they had been transported to another world.