Saving System: Calm Down, My Fleeing Host!

Chapter 274 - 266: Arriving Just in Time

Seeing the arrows becoming denser, Yang Fan could no longer care about much else. He could only focus on dealing with the situation in front of him.

While fending off attacks, he tried to move towards Ming Shan’s position.

Along the way, he helped block fatal blows for several comrades.

As he was about to reach him, he saw Ming Shan take an arrow to the shoulder and fall heavily backward.

"Ming Shan!"

Yang Fan shouted in terror, rushing forward at the fastest speed to support the falling body. Seeing his good friend injured, his heart sank bit by bit. Many brothers in the team had died from severe injuries due to delayed medical treatment.

"It’s... it’s okay!"

With a pale face, Ming Shan managed a faint smile.

"Hold on, I’ll carry you back to find Grandfather Two.

Ming Shan shook his head, "Don’t trouble Grandfather Two. He’s just a veterinarian. How can he... cough cough, anyway, we’re out of medicine and with such a severe injury, it’s useless."

"How do you know it won’t work if you haven’t tried?" Yang Fan stubbornly went to grab Ming Shan’s other arm.

"Ming Shan, just go with Xiao Yang. Here there’s..."

Splurt...!

An arrow at a strange angle pierced through obstacles and shot straight into the old man’s heart.

Blood trickled from the corner of the old man’s mouth. Before he could say a word, he fell onto the snowy ground.

"Old Scythe!"

Yang Fan shouted loudly, gently setting Ming Shan down and crawling over to shake Old Scythe’s body.

The person on the ground lay still, no matter how Yang Fan called, there was no response. Trembling, he reached out to check for breath, but he was already dead.

Closing his eyes, he mourned quietly for a moment and slowly closed Old Scythe’s eyelids, "Rest in peace!"

These days, his heartache had already turned numb, sending off countless relatives and friends. The number of deceased was growing rapidly beyond recovery.

Tonight’s attack was the fiercest, with the largest number of enemies, as two forces joined together, determined to wipe them out.

Along the long riverbank, the injured and fallen people were everywhere, and the atmosphere of despair and sorrow grew heavier.

At that moment, the enemy launched a fierce attack, crossing the riverbank in no time and dismantling the obstacles on this side.

Instantly, screams, roars, and curses mixed together, weapons clashed — swish, swish, swish!

Both sides were engaged in battle, swords pierced flesh, and blood splattered. The scene was grim, with very few able to hold their own against the regular army, leading to one-sided circumstances.

Yang Fan had no time to feel sad, hurriedly grabbing a companion to carry Ming Shan back.

From behind, Lengzi led a group of half-grown kids rushing up, the dark crowd roughly numbering over 400.

The hesitation was because these kids were even younger than Lengzi, the youngest only 12. They were the main future labor force, only called to action in a life-or-death moment.

Looking at the young, tender faces and fearful eyes, barely having practiced a month before going to battle, it was utterly cruel.

This was their last group, potential warriors. If everyone here perished, the fate of the old, weak, women, and children at the back was predictable.

"Youngsters, hold your weapons tight, fight for the families behind you. You’re all great. In more than ten years, you’ll be good men again. Tonight, killing one will be enough, killing two is a profit. When we get to the underworld and see King Yama, we’ll still be little heroes fighting to protect the weak."

Yang Fan’s words of motivation drove fear from the hearts of the youths. Facing the threat of death, they no longer retreated, bursting with energy, each gripping their weapons tightly, their fighting spirit soaring as they shouted and charged forward.

"Such good seedlings, how can they be wasted like this?" Cheng Xiaoxiao sighed.

"Host, 200 meters to the battlefield."

Once successful, Cheng Xiaoxiao brought her people immediately, even faster than the retreating troops.

She had no choice; if she didn’t hurry, their people would be nearly dead, even sending young children to fight, showing how dire the situation was.

Her forces split up, advancing towards the north city gate from different directions, not far from Cheng Xiaoxiao’s position.

As Yang Fan and his group were in despair, ready for mutual destruction and heroic sacrifice —

The enemy ahead suddenly lost formation, and sounds of fighting emerged faintly from the rear.

Despite the white snow reflecting some light in the darkness, the situation at the rear was unclear.

They only heard the clashing of weapons from afar, speculating that the enemy rear was in chaos, possibly another force attacking.

As Cheng Xiaoxiao’s people joined the fight, the pressure on Yang Fan’s side eased significantly, enabling them to barely hold their ground.

Joy surged in his heart, and he shouted, "Our allies are here to support us. Everyone, push harder, we must hold on."

Although he wasn’t sure if they were there to help, any reduction in pressure to last longer was a blessing. By hanging on till the end, there might be a miracle.

Mounted on a tall, slender horse, Cheng Xiaoxiao proved adept at slashing through with her sword against regular soldiers.

She charged recklessly on horseback, disrupting the enemy’s attack formation. They couldn’t get close enough to dismount her, causing chaos and frustration among them.

At this time, the leading general was tied up by Fang Zheng, overwhelmed with problems.

Soldiers gradually felt dizzy, seeing double vision. In the weak night light, they couldn’t distinguish directions.

Some even mistakenly swung their swords at fellow comrades.

Seeing the effects, Cheng Xiaoxiao sped forward, reaching the ice river and dismounting, utilizing their bridges to advance swiftly.

A thin layer of snow covered the river surface, which was icing underneath, though not thick enough to support weight; stepping on it would certainly cause a fall into the river.

Before approaching, Cheng Xiaoxiao shouted, "I am Cheng Xiaoxiao, the commander of the 132th Regiment. I’ve come to rescue you. Don’t be afraid, you are temporarily safe now."

Upon reaching Yang Fan, accurately locating the leader with the aid of her system, she casually asked, "Who is in charge here?"

Yang Fan looked blankly at the young girl before him, her light voice and graceful appearance strikingly unlike her previously valiant demeanor breaking through the siege.

Seeing her from afar, he’d thought she was a martial arts hero, but she turned out to be a young girl.

Riding a horse, she cut a path through the siege amidst swirling snow, appearing before him like a deity, reviving his dying heart.

It took him a while to react, "I... I am. And who might you be, miss?"

"We are refugees from Dingzhou, seeking an alliance. Do we have the honor of joining you?"

Hearing such a capable girl request to join them, Yang Fan was speechless.