Chapter Sixty-Five: Breaking Free

The demon soldiers lifted up Ye Feng, who had been frozen into a block of ice. Beating their victory drums and singing triumphant songs, they made their way back to camp.

Tuoli Leopard was overjoyed! He rode his horse, bouncing as he went, nearly bursting with excitement. The moment he entered the council hall of the fortress, he threw himself into a chair with a loud smack, leaned back, and gave a command: "Drag the two enemy commanders out into the sunlight. Once the ice has melted, bind them tightly and throw them in the dungeon."

The demon soldiers obeyed his orders. Before long, the ice encasing Ye Feng and Li Yiqing melted away. Each let out a cry: "So cold!" Their teeth chattered as they drew sharp breaths, shivering from head to toe. The demon soldiers paid them no mind, roughly pulling their arms behind their backs and tying them up securely before shoving them down into the dungeon.

Tuoli Leopard, full of self-satisfaction, barked another order: "Bring wine!" The lesser demons hurried in with wine jars and cups. Tuoli Leopard poured himself three bowls and downed them all in one go. The demon generals stepped forward, raising their fists in congratulation.

Tuoli Leopard burst out laughing: "That brat Ye Feng dared to challenge me? He was courting death!"

His subordinates echoed their flattery: "My lord, your powers are unmatched! How could the lowly subjects of the Great Xia ever compare?"

Tuoli Leopard nodded with a pleased smile. "Naturally. Now that Ye Feng has been captured, that little Murong girl will be easy to deal with. When we wipe out the rebel army, reporting back to our lord will be another great merit!"

The demon generals nodded and eagerly filled his cup. Before long, Tuoli Leopard was dead drunk, and the lesser demons helped him off to rest.

Meanwhile, in the dungeon, Ye Feng sat with his arms bound behind him, head bowed, sighing in despair.

"Deputy Commander Ye, there… there's no need to… to sigh. Th-these demon soldiers can't… can't do anything to us!" Li Yiqing stammered, trying to reassure him.

"General Li, I'm not sighing for myself," Ye Feng replied, "I only worry about Marshal Murong. I fear she might do something rash when she sees I've been captured."

"Oh no! Deputy Commander Ye, you might actually be right! We… we have to escape at once or we might ruin everything!" Li Yiqing exclaimed, so anxious he nearly jumped up. He bit his lip and strained his arms, testing the tightness of his bonds.

"General Li, don't struggle," Ye Feng warned him. "These are ox sinew ropes—the more you struggle, the tighter they get. There's no breaking free!"

Li Yiqing was undeterred. "Don't… don't worry, Deputy Commander Ye. Just… just go check the door, see if any demon soldiers are coming."

Now it was Li Yiqing giving the orders. Ye Feng, half-convinced, walked to the cell door and peeked out. Seeing no one nearby, he called back, "No one's coming, General Li. It's safe for now."

He turned to look—and gaped in astonishment.

Li Yiqing had curled himself into a ball. The man, normally two feet tall, was now barely one foot high. He twisted his neck and flexed his arms, quickly loosening the ox sinew ropes.

Ye Feng was overjoyed. He rushed forward and bit down on one of the ropes, tearing it open.

Li Yiqing felt much freer. With a few twists and turns, he wriggled out of the ropes completely.

"General Li, what a skill! You've truly opened my eyes," Ye Feng exclaimed.

Li Yiqing, voice high and bright, chuckled, "Deputy Commander Ye, don't flatter me! My little tricks are nothing compared to your skills!"

As he spoke, he used his fingers to grip the ropes binding Ye Feng. With a sharp tug, there was a snap, and the ropes broke.

Freed, the two prepared to pick the lock and escape.

Suddenly, they heard demon soldiers approaching. They hurriedly picked up the ropes and pretended to still be tied up.

"Glugluglu, Ye Feng smihahaha!"
"Xisa, hoi bazha!"

In recent years, fighting the demon soldiers so often, Ye Feng had picked up a bit of their tongue.

One said, "Great! Ye Feng's been caught, the war will soon end."
The other replied, "Yes, we can finally go home!"

After all, war was an affair for the powerful. For ordinary folk, win or lose, it was always a losing bargain. The demon soldiers were no exception—they didn't want to fight either.

The two demon soldiers chatted as they entered the cell. The shorter one glared at Li Yiqing and cursed, "You little rat, I can tell from your shifty eyes you're up to no good!"

He flung open the cell door and stormed in.

Li Yiqing just grinned mischievously. "Good sir, I was born with this face, but I've never done anything wrong. I suspect you little demon have done your share of evil!"

Ye Feng thought, This is bad! If these two notice we've freed ourselves and start shouting, we'll never escape! He quietly gathered his mental strength, preparing to strike as soon as they came close.

But then—

Boom, boom, boom!

Suddenly, the sound of cannons thundered outside the dungeon. Cries and shouts erupted in demon tongue.

Ye Feng understood them clearly:

"Not good! The rebels are attacking the city!"
"Quick, report to the Chancellor!"
"Defend, defend! No one is to retreat! Disobey and you'll be executed!"

In an instant, chaos broke out among the demon soldiers.

The two guards spun around and rushed out to see what was happening.

Ye Feng and Li Yiqing seized the moment. Throwing off their ropes, they hurried after the demon soldiers, grabbing them from behind and breaking their necks with swift force. They dragged the bodies into a dark corner, donned the demon uniforms, and pulled the hats low over their faces.

"General Li, let's hurry and find some weapons," Ye Feng said. "We can strike from within and take Juxiong Pass by surprise!"

But Li Yiqing frowned. "Deputy Commander Ye, it's so chaotic—how can we find our weapons now? I think it's best to escape first, and return later to seize the pass!"

Ye Feng stamped his feet in frustration. "Without our weapons, how do you expect us to fly out? The mountains are too steep—what are we, monkeys?"

Li Yiqing giggled. "Don't worry, Deputy Commander. Just follow me, and I'll get us safely out of Juxiong Pass!"

With that, he dashed into the firewood shed, grabbed an iron spike and a coil of rope, and led the way toward the mountainside. Ye Feng followed close behind.

Soon they reached the base of the mountain. Li Yiqing fashioned the iron spike into a hook and tied it to the rope. He glanced back at Ye Feng.

"Deputy Commander Ye, I'll go up first and lower the rope for you. Tie it around your waist, close your eyes, and don't be afraid!"

Ye Feng nodded to himself, thinking, Li Yiqing, you underestimate me! I've soared through the clouds on my magic treasure, far higher than this cliff, and never felt fear. Unless you slip and fall, you’ll be fine!

He looked up. The darkness was thick, the stars above twinkling mysteriously. A chill wind blew, making the grass writhe like countless snakes slithering across the ground, and sending pebbles skittering down the cliff face as if the whole mountain might collapse.

"Be careful, General Li," Ye Feng couldn't help but warn.

"Don't worry!" Li Yiqing replied breezily.

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the hook. There was a sharp snap as it caught on a sapling above. He tugged twice to test it, then leapt upward, springing more than ten feet at once. With agile hands and feet, he scrambled up the cliff, moving quicker than a monkey, and reached the little tree in less than the time it takes to smoke a pipe.

"Deputy Commander Ye, catch the rope!" Li Yiqing called softly from above, tossing the coil down.

Ye Feng fastened it firmly around his waist and tugged on the end. "All set!" he called.

No sooner had he spoken than his body was hoisted into the air. Ye Feng tried to climb, but a powerful force pulled him up so quickly that he had no chance to use his hands or feet. As he rose higher, he felt a twinge of dizziness and fear—quite unlike the confidence he felt when flying with his treasure, feet planted firmly, always in control. Dangling on a rope, with nothing beneath him, the unfamiliar sensation made his heart race. What if the rope snapped, or Li Yiqing let go? Who could be comfortable in such a situation?

Fortunately, before long, Li Yiqing had hauled him to the top. Li Yiqing, voice sharp and bright, chuckled in the silent night, sending a chill down Ye Feng's spine.

"Deputy Commander Ye, let's go! We've escaped—we should return at once. I fear Marshal Murong must be weeping bitterly by now!"

That made Ye Feng's cheeks flush red. Luckily, it was night and no one could see. He forced himself to look stern. "We're not out of danger yet, so no joking. Let's hurry back."

The two hurried down the mountain, soon arriving beneath Juxiong Pass. In the distance, they saw the rebel army charging the gates with scaling ladders, arrows raining down from above, felling many soldiers. At the front, Murong Yan wielded her sword, commanding with fierce determination.

"Brothers, charge! Charge! We will not withdraw until Deputy Commander Ye is rescued!"

Ye Feng's heart ached. Fighting like this would only lead to disaster! He understood Murong Yan's desperation, her worry for his safety. So, from afar, he shouted, "Marshal Murong, your subordinate has returned!"

Murong Yan was in the midst of commanding the assault. Seeing no progress, she had just snatched a rattan shield, ready to lead the charge herself. Hearing the shout, she turned—and saw Ye Feng.

For a moment, she stood frozen in disbelief.