Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 293 Rising from Failure

Hu Bugui's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and the suffocating feeling made it almost impossible for him to breathe. With red eyes, he struggled to go back, but was held tightly by Wu Tao.

"Taotao, let me go! I can't leave them behind!" Hu Bugui's voice was hoarse, full of pain and despair.

Wu Tao's eyes were also filled with tears, but she tried hard not to let them fall. She knew that now was not the time to be emotional, they had to stay alive in order to save Xingchen and Yueying.

"Bugui, calm down! If we go back now we will only die in vain! Do you want Xingchen and Yueying to lose their parents?" Wu Tao's voice was firm and powerful, like a flash of lightning, splitting the fog in Hu Bugui's heart.

Hu Bugui's body trembled violently, he closed his eyes in pain, and finally gave up resistance. He let Wu Tao pull him and stumbled away from the bloody place.

They ran all the way until they were exhausted. They found a hidden cave to hide in and silently treated their wounds. The cave was silent, with only the crackling of burning firewood and the heavy breathing of the two.

"Are we... wrong?" Hu Bugui's voice was low and hoarse, as if it came from the abyss. He leaned against the stone wall weakly, his eyes were empty, as if he had lost his soul.

Wu Tao didn't say anything, but silently handed him a pot of water. She was also immersed in self-blame and pain, but she knew that now was not the time to blame each other. They had to cheer up and find out the reasons for the failure in order to save Xingchen and Yueying.

"We were too impatient," Wu Tao took a deep breath and said slowly, "The leader was very cunning, and we underestimated him."

"And me," Hu Bugui said self-reproachfully, "I was too impulsive and didn't listen to your advice, so I fell into their trap."

"No, it's not your fault," Wu Tao held his hand and said firmly, "We all wanted to save the child so much that we lost our minds."

At this moment, there was a slight sound of footsteps outside the cave. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui immediately became alert and tightened their weapons.

"Don't be nervous, it's me." A familiar voice came, and Li Xiaoyao's figure appeared at the entrance of the cave.

"Xiaoyao, why are you here?" Wu Tao was surprised and happy, and hurried forward to support him.

"I was worried about you guys, so I followed you secretly," Li Xiaoyao smiled weakly, "It seems that I came at the right time."

Although Li Xiaoyao was seriously injured, his mind was still clear. He carefully analyzed their previous actions, pointed out several key mistakes, and put forward some new ideas and suggestions.

"The leader's target is not us, but Xingchen and Yueying," Li Xiaoyao said in a deep voice, "They took the children away, so they must have other intentions."

"Any other intentions?" Hu Bugui and Wu Tao looked at each other, their hearts full of doubts.

Li Xiaoyao nodded, a gleam in his eyes: "If my guess is correct, Xingchen and Yueying must be hiding some secrets..."

The firelight in the cave illuminated the solemn faces of the three people. Li Xiaoyao's words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up thousands of waves. What secrets were hidden in Xingchen and Yueying? This question was like a fog, shrouding their hearts and lingering.

"We must find out their purpose as soon as possible so that we can formulate the next plan." Wu Tao broke the silence with a firm tone.

Hu Bugui took a deep breath, suppressed his inner anxiety, and said calmly: "Xiaoyao, how much do you know about this mysterious organization?"

Li Xiaoyao shook his head: "Their background is very mysterious. I have investigated for a long time. I only know that they are a force hidden in the dark, acting in secret and with vicious means."

"However," he paused and continued, "I found out that they have been searching for a treasure called 'Ambergris'. It is said that this spice has the power to bring the dead back to life."

"Resurrection?" Wu Tao and Hu Bugui exclaimed. Could it be that the disappearance of Xingchen and Yueying was related to this "ambergris"?

"This is just my guess," Li Xiaoyao said solemnly, "but I think there must be some connection between them."

In order to confirm their conjecture, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui decided to act separately. Wu Tao used his knowledge and experience from the modern times to start investigating the source and efficacy of "Ambergris" and clues related to the mysterious organization.

Hu Bugui focused on investigating the background and action patterns of the mysterious organization. He visited people in the underworld and collected intelligence, and finally found that most of the members of this organization came from a place called "Nether Valley".

The Nether Valley is located in a remote area and is shrouded in miasma all year round. It is a forbidden place that everyone in the martial arts world is afraid of. It is said that there is a group of evil people with high martial arts skills and ruthless hearts living there, who once set off a bloody storm in the martial arts world.

"Netherworld Valley..." Hu Bugui muttered to himself, with a cold light flashing in his eyes. He knew that if he wanted to save Xingchen and Yueying, he had to go deep into the tiger's den and confront these demons head-on.

At the same time, Xingchen and Yueying, who were trapped in the base of the mysterious organization, did not give up hope. They knew that their parents would try every means to save them, so they had to stay calm and wait for the opportunity.

Relying on his extraordinary memory, Xingchen memorized the terrain and routes of the place where they were imprisoned, and secretly observed the guards' shift changing times and patrol patterns.

Yueying used her medical skills to secretly collect herbs to heal herself and her brother, and she also made some simple drugs in case of emergency.

They believed that as long as they seized the opportunity, they would be able to escape from this den and reunite with their parents.

Late one night, Xingchen suddenly heard a slight snoring sound coming from the guard's room. He was moved and a bold plan began to form in his mind. He gently pushed Yueying who was sleeping soundly, leaned close to her ear and whispered: "Yueying, wake up, we have a chance to escape..."

The firelight in the cave flickered, illuminating the tired but resolute faces of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui. The days of running around and worrying had left their faces full of fatigue, but the light in their eyes was becoming more resolute.

"We can't give up, there must be a way." Wu Tao said in a low voice, with a slight tremor in his tone, but it couldn't hide the determination.

Hu Bugui held her hand and gave her strength: "Don't worry, I will definitely bring Xingchen and Yueying back safely."

As if in response to their determination, a small paper crane flew lightly into the cave and landed in Wu Tao's palm. The paper crane had a secret symbol on it, which was a unique way for the four of them to communicate.

Unfolding the paper crane, Xingchen wrote in childish but firm handwriting: "Dad, Mom, we are fine, don't worry. We believe in you and will wait for you to save us."

Just a few words made Wu Tao and Hu Bugui's eyes moist instantly. Their children, even in difficult situations, still maintained optimism and courage, and this strength deeply touched their hearts.

"Stars, moonlight..." Wu Tao's voice choked. She held the paper crane tightly, as if she was holding a child's hand, and her heart was filled with strength.

At the same time, in the ruined stronghold of the mysterious organization, the leader of the remnant of the mysterious organization was laughing arrogantly. He thought he had completely crushed the forces of Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, and victory was in sight.

"Pass the order down, increase vigilance, and defend strictly. We must not let them have any chance to turn the tables!" He said viciously, completely unaware that danger was quietly approaching.

At this time, in a dense forest not far from the base, Wu Tao and Hu Bugui were seriously planning their next move. They had already contacted Xingchen and Yueying through secret channels and had obtained detailed information about the base.

"Xiaoyao, the key to this operation is to catch the enemy by surprise and attack them when they are unprepared." Hu Bugui pointed at the map, his tone calm and firm, "We must take full advantage of the enemy's underestimation of us and catch them off guard."

Li Xiaoyao nodded, his eyes gleaming: "I have arranged everything, just waiting for your order."

As night fell, the moon was dark and the wind was strong, it was the best time to act. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui looked at each other, and they could see the determination and resoluteness in each other's eyes.

"set off!"

At the command, the soldiers who had been lying in ambush all around rushed towards the base of the mysterious organization like tigers descending from the mountains...

The atmosphere in the cave was heavy. The message delivered by the paper crane gave them hope, but also gave them a heavier responsibility. The shadow of failure loomed over everyone, but Wu Tao took a deep breath and broke the silence first.

"Xiaoyao, where do you think the loopholes in our plan are?" Her clear voice echoed in the cave, and her tone was so calm that she didn't sound like she was experiencing a life-and-death moment.

Li Xiaoyao was stunned for a moment, then realized that Wu Tao was trying to learn a lesson from his failure. He pondered for a moment, reviewed the details of the previous operation one by one, analyzed the gains and losses of each link, and finally came to the conclusion: "We underestimated the enemy's strength and overestimated the accuracy of our intelligence, which led to their ambush."

Hu Bugui also added: "Our internal communication was not timely enough, which gave the enemy an opportunity to take advantage."

"That's right." Wu Tao nodded, his eyes firm. "This failure is a painful lesson, but we can't keep immersing ourselves in sadness and self-blame. What we have to do is learn lessons from the failure and stand up again!"

She stood up and walked to the map, swiping her slender fingers across it, and said decisively: "We have already figured out the enemy's details and their weaknesses. Xiaoyao, you must contact all forces immediately. We must gather all our strength to deal a fatal blow to the enemy!"

"Yes!" Li Xiaoyao was infected by Wu Tao's aura, and his eyes became determined.

"Bugui," Wu Tao turned to Hu Bugui, his eyes gleaming with wisdom, "We still need a more thorough plan, a plan that can completely destroy them..."

In the following days, the cave was brightly lit, and Wu Tao, Hu Bugui and others discussed the battle plan day and night. They studied the terrain, analyzed the enemy's strength, and tried to take every detail into consideration. In the end, a bold and thorough plan gradually took shape.

"This time, we're going to catch them off guard!" Wu Tao pointed at the red dot on the map representing the enemy's headquarters, his eyes flashing with confidence.

As night fell, the moon was dark and the wind was strong. Wu Tao and Hu Bugui stood in front of the army ready to go in their military uniforms, their eyes full of determination and resoluteness.

Following an order, the army, like an arrow from a string, quietly approached the headquarters of the remnants of the mysterious organization under the cover of night...