Rebirth of the Star General (128 onwards)

158

     The canal was engulfed in a sea of fire and smoke.

Uto's screams, panicked cries, and Maka's orders were mixed together. In the end, they were all silenced by the crackling sound of wood being torn apart by the fire.

This east wind came late, but it was strong. As if knowing that they were late, they desperately refused to stop. Thousands of Uto soldiers' boats were connected by iron hooks. The fire came quickly, and before they could escape, they were all engulfed in the sea of fire in the blink of an eye. It was rare for a smart Uto to be slightly further away. They used all their strength to cut off the hooks, but the smoke was thick and they couldn't tell the direction. There were submerged reefs everywhere. If they accidentally bumped into one, the boat would capsize.

At this time, the small boats of Jiyang City's army showed their advantage. The small boats were agile and connected to the water. Even if they couldn't tell the direction, they were still Jiyang people. Everyone knew the water and left easily. Even if they were affected by the fire, Jiyang people knew how to swim. They dived into the water early and swam to the shore. Most of them were unharmed.

The Uto soldiers were not so lucky. Not many of them could escape from this fire attack. Even if they did, their morale was in chaos. They were probably defeated before the battle even started.

Under the water, He Yan and Xiao Jue swam to the shore.

The moment the fire was lit, Xiao Jue had already grabbed her and jumped into the water. The spring water was still cold. He Yan knew how to swim, but when the water reached her eyes and nose, her body unconsciously stiffened.

It was as if she had returned to the Xu family and was drowned in the pond by He Wanru's people. Because of this, the sky above the water was getting farther and farther away from her. She was forever left underwater, unable to see the light.

In the beginning, he could still barely hold on, but after a period of time, it became more and more difficult for him to force it. His body's discomfort was always quickly dealt with, but the fear in his heart, the shadow left behind by a certain incident, was not something that could be easily forgotten.

She gradually fell behind Xiao Jue.

Xiao Jue, who was in front, seemed to have sensed something. Seeing He Yan fall behind him with a rarely seen pained expression, she couldn't help but be slightly startled.

He Yan had never mentioned in front of Xiao Jue whether he could swim or not, but he definitely could. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hold on until now when he jumped off the boat. But now, it seemed that he was afraid of water.

This was also possible. For example, people who had been burned by fire in the past would later avoid fire when they saw it. A man who fell from a horse and got injured would never get back on a horse again, even if he was an expert horseman. He Yan should be able to swim, but he was afraid of water, probably like those people.

Just as he thought of this, he saw He Yan's eyes close and his expression change.

Xiao Jue frowned. She didn't even change her breathing? If this continued, she would suffocate to death.

He turned back to He Yan's side and pressed He Yan's shoulder, trying to wake He Yan up. However, He Yan seemed to have lost most of her senses and did not respond to his actions.

She looked pained. Perhaps she was thinking of some bad memories. Even under the water, he could vaguely see that she was nervous. Xiao Jue looked up. There was still some distance to the shore. If this continued, she would die.

The girl's face was very close to him. She was underwater, her long hair had already scattered and the dirt on her face had been washed away. Her facial features were as clear and fragile as glass, as if they were about to disappear underwater. Xiao Jue made up his mind. He took a deep breath, pressed down on her shoulder, and leaned over to kiss her.