Neigh!!
Eight fine horses galloped out through Luoyang's eastern gate, thirty-two hooves flying as they charged eastward with unstoppable force, kicking up billowing clouds of dust.
After riding at full speed for some time, Yin Kuang saw a stretch of forest emerge in the distance to their front right and shouted, "Turn right! Into the forest!"
Ride into the woods? Wasn't that courting death?! Not at all! Although they had seized the initiative for the moment, pursuers would soon arrive. Moreover, the region between Luoyang and Hulao Pass was firmly under Dong Zhuo's control. To guard against spies from the coalition of eighteen lords, Dong Zhuo had scattered countless fast-riding scouts and reconnaissance patrols throughout the area. The moment they encountered even one, their whereabouts would be exposed. The forest might hinder them, but it would hinder everyone else as well.
Besides, the rendezvous point Yin Kuang, Qian Qianqian, and the others had selected was within that very forest.
The eight riders simultaneously pulled their reins and turned their horses, shooting toward the woods like arrows loosed from a bow. Before long, they plunged into the forest and vanished from sight.
"Dismount!"
Not long after entering the woods, the trees ahead grew denser and the path became increasingly rugged. Their horses' speed was severely affected.
At Yin Kuang's shout, he leaped from his saddle. Yet at the instant his backside left the saddle, he gave the horse's rump a hard lash. The steed cried out in pain and bolted forward. Perhaps because its burden had suddenly lightened, its speed increased by a full thirty percent.
The others were a beat slower, but they followed Yin Kuang's example. Before long, the eight fine horses were crashing wildly through the forest, disappearing from view.
After landing gracefully, the grand swordmaster Wang Yue