NOVEL NEXT 14 Where to go?
The setting sun cast a pale， bleak light over the tall white grass swaying in the wind. Two small figures moved stealthily through the thick underbrush， which rose taller than a person. They kept low to the ground， their eyes darting around cautiously. The black-clad figure was none other than Mo Wen， yet now he appeared as a slender teenager of about fifteen or sixteen， his dark brown eyes still gleaming with excitement.
Emerging from the burrow， Mo Wen was startled to find that time and space had shifted. It seemed he had stepped into a primordial era; the steel forests of the city were gone， replaced by vibrant colors and the mixed scents of soil and grass in the air—along with the unmistakable smell of animal dung.
Now， the two of them were hidden amidst the towering wild grasses， with a small hill and forest in another direction. Mo Wen hoped the bandits would be distracted by the woods and head the wrong way， but to his dismay， they had already been spotted. Hoofbeats thundered from behind， and Mo Wen urged the younger boy to move quickly.
The dense meadow made it difficult for the bandit Wild Horse to navigate， forcing him to lean down and search for tracks. The wind rustled the grass， and occasional disturbances ahead spurred the bandits to spur their horses on faster. Mo Wen and Little Hong moved like phantoms through the grass， their faces streaked with dirt and sweat. Sweat dripped from Mo Wen's brow， his expression stern and determined. Each step was deliberate and light， as if every blade of grass guided him. Little Hong followed closely， pale and breathing hard， his heart pounding. He prayed silently that the bandits would not find them， recalling the last moments with his mother， tears welling up in his eyes. He forced them back， telling himself he had to be strong and keep up with Mo Wen for any chance of survival.
“Hey， kid， how did you get caught?“ Mo Wen asked as they ran， his tone curious.
Little Hong bit his lip， not responding.
“What's this? Won't answer your savior? Are you mute or just a coward?“ Mo Wen smiled slightly， trying to lighten the mood.
“I'm not mute!“ Little Hong retorted， his voice trembling with nerves.
“Then what's your name?“
“Does it matter? Those bandits will catch up soon， and none of us will escape!“
“Then why are you still following me?“
“Because... because I just want to die sooner! I’ve brought bad luck—I caused my mother's death， and I don’t want to live anymore!“
Mo Wen chuckled， thinking the boy was stubborn， unwilling to admit he wanted to survive. He joked，“You won’t harm me， will you?“ But before he could finish， the sound of hoofbeats grew louder.
Wild Horse， an expert rider， scanned the horizon from his mount. The endless meadow rose and fell like waves. Suddenly， he spotted unusual movement in the grass ahead and shouted excitedly，“There， surround them from both sides!“
Another bandit maneuvered skillfully to flank Little Hong and Mo Wen. Wild Horse yelled with glee，“Don't anyone else touch them， I need a skull for a drinking cup!“
The two fugitives ran desperately， the grass swaying violently and betraying their path. Little Hong and Mo Wen felt breathless， their faces pale， hearts pounding. Could two legs outpace four?
“I told you... we should've... gone through the woods... this way we can't escape!“ Little Hong panted， complaining.
“Shut up! Now isn't the time to complain. Save your strength， and run!“ Mo Wen replied in a low， irritated voice， a flicker of urgency in his eyes， but he remained calm， scanning for an escape route.
The bandits closed in， the grass shaking wildly ahead of them. One bandit leaped from his horse， pouncing like a hungry tiger onto the moving grass. These seasoned bandits had perfected such aggressive tactics， scaring their prey into submission.
“I've got them!“ he yelled， only to find he had captured a large rabbit instead. Wild Horse's horse blocked the possible escape route ahead.
The bandit proudly waved the rabbit，“Boss， we’ve got a feast tonight!“
Wild Horse scowled， feigning a smile，“We're not here to hunt!“ He grabbed the rabbit， broke its limbs， stuffed it into his coat， and continued the chase.
The thunder of hooves echoed above the two fugitives' heads as they hid in a narrow burrow. Little Hong held the cover tightly， while Mo Wen curled his legs to fit inside. After a brief quiet， they crawled out， gasping for air， lying on their backs.
Ever since Mo Wen crawled out of the ground， he noticed the hole gradually closing up， leaving behind only a small opening， barely large enough for a person. The surrounding grass and foliage seemed to grow rapidly， covering the traces of the hole. Instinctively， Mo Wen quickly wove a grass cover， meticulously grabbing tufts of grass from here and there to ensure no obvious traces were left behind. As the sun began to set， casting an orange-red glow across the sky， he thought to himself that if he couldn't find any shelter nearby， he would return here to spend the night， trying his best to avoid detection by wild animals.
When Mo Wen decided to rescue someone， he had already planned his escape route. The wild rabbits in the meadow were unafraid of humans in this era. Their sleek fur and innocent， twinkling eyes made them easy to catch. Mo Wen grabbed one， feeling its slight tremble in his hands. Instead of eating it， he tucked it into his coat， letting its warmth comfort him. He fled through the meadow， cautiously searching for the hole he had crawled out of. Not entirely confident， he had marked the area before leaving， using twigs to make subtle symbols on the ground and a compass to ensure he could find his way back accurately.
As he approached the hole， the sound of horse hooves grew louder， like a pack of wolves closing in. He had no choice but to release the rabbit， feeling a pang of reluctance but knowing that his life was at stake. The rabbit， once free， darted into the grass， frantically trying to escape. Mo Wen quickly reached the hole， silently slipping inside and blending seamlessly with his surroundings.
The bandits were only ten meters away. Through the grass， Mo Wen could see their silhouettes， but their attention had been diverted by the fleeing rabbit. They all chased after it， oblivious to Mo Wen's hiding spot. That poor， frightened rabbit had unwittingly saved Mo Wen and another person's lives. Mo Wen held his breath until the sound of hooves faded into the distance. Only then did he allow himself to relax， grateful for his foresight and timely preparations.
Suddenly， they scrambled up in fear， hearing hoofbeats again in the distance.