"Go!"
Ji Fa made his decision at once. He abandoned the attempt to surround and kill Zhang Guifang. They could not even surround him, so how were they supposed to kill him?
He ordered his personal guards to withdraw slowly. His army numbered three thousand, while Zhang Guifang was just one man. Even if he slaughtered men like pigs, it would still take him quite some time. Escaping unscathed should not be difficult.
Sure enough, even though Zhang Guifang saw Ji Fa slowly retreating under the protection of his guards, there was little he could do. He could only pursue and kill blindly, but with Zhou Army soldiers blocking his path, fighting his way through to Ji Fa was no easy feat.
Yet as Ji Fa withdrew, the soldiers' agonized screams unsettled him, throwing his thoughts into disarray. Even with Heaven's favor, could I really be reduced to such a sorry state?
Fighting as they retreated, they finally reached the Quicksand River while Ji Fa once again questioned everything he knew. There was only one bridge at the crossing. Once they crossed and dismantled it, they would be safe.
However powerful Zhang Guifang was, his martial skills were still those of a mortal. Without a bridge, he could not fly across the river.
Zhang Guifang pursued without letting his horse pause for breath. Naturally, he knew what Ji Fa intended, but he remained just a little too far behind and never managed to catch up.
By then, Ji Fa had reached the bridgehead and was about to cross under his guards' protection. Suddenly, a neigh like a dragon's cry rang out from the opposite bank. An old horse galloped over from the far end of the bridge and crouched beneath Ji Fa.
Instinctively, Ji Fa stepped astride it. The old