After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 118: Chapter 119: The Third Team

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to pull a counter-espionage scheme out of his hat so quickly tonight.

’This father of mine... he’s never content to just lie low.’

The Yuan Kingdom was in turmoil. In remote areas, many minor officials lacked any ambition, content to just muddle through each day, waiting for death. They’d retreat into their own little worlds, ignoring the chaos outside.

’That used to be my wish, too,’ Hee Lingchuan sighed internally. ’Why does it seem to be getting further and further away?’

Hee Chunhua tossed his brush aside, and someone quickly stepped forward to take what he had just written. The next task was for swift and agile Scouts.

Hee Chunhua couldn’t resist patting his eldest son’s shoulder again. "Chuan’Er," he praised, "your words today were a real wake-up call. Excellent, truly excellent!"

Hee Lingchuan let out a few hearty laughs and followed up with some pleasantries, saying he was more than satisfied to be able to help his father.

’Sigh... With the situation so dire and disaster looming, I had no choice but to stop playing the fool, did I?’

"You see? Even if the Water Spirit’s prophecy is real, it must have been referring to this moment," Hee Chunhua continued. "If we work together to overcome this crisis, everything will turn for the better. This ’calamitous fate’ you mentioned will shatter in an instant!"

Hee Lingchuan’s smile didn’t fade. "I think so too."

’Is it really that simple?’ he wondered. ’What about the part of the prophecy that said, "The cuckoo has stolen the magpie’s nest"? Does that just refer to the savage bandits taking over the village and posing as its people?’

Hee Chunhua turned to confer with his men. Time was precious, and every second counted.

Hee Yue also walked over to his older brother. "Well done."

Hee Lingchuan asked him, "By the way, what was that commotion by the lake earlier?"

"It was nothing." Hee Yue let out a breath. "I started the skirmish by the lake tonight. It made us miss a good opportunity, and now we have to make up for it."

"So it was you!" Hee Lingchuan had been puzzled. His father was always composed and would plan his every move. ’Why would he act so rashly against Lui Yao?’

"I was too hasty!" Hee Yue said, ashamed.

"Now you’re acting like a kid." Hee Yue was mature for his age, and Hee Lingchuan often forgot he was only fourteen.

’Fourteen is practically synonymous with being impulsive, reckless, and full of teenage angst. The fact that he only slipped up occasionally was already remarkable.’

「West Side of Immortal Spirit Mountain.」

With a grim expression, Wu Shaoyi followed the guide. He would occasionally glance back at the long dragon of torches trailing behind him.

They had already made camp at the foot of the mountain, intending to rest up before crossing it the next day. But who would have thought that bastard Lui Yao would send a guide to lead them by night, inviting them to an all-fish feast? His exact words were, "You have to eat live fish while they’re fresh. Fried, grilled, or stewed—they won’t be any good by morning."

The crucial part was that the guide had practically shouted the invitation, and the forty or fifty men around the tent all heard him. Wu Shaoyi had managed to gather eleven hundred remnants of his army. With the rebellion crushed, morale was already low. To make matters worse, Wu Shaoyi had forbidden them from pillaging on their journey, causing widespread discontent. His lieutenants had all urged General Wu to let it slide. What was the harm in indulging the men once or twice?

For the sake of security, Wu Shaoyi had adamantly refused. But this time, when Lui Yao’s guide shouted the words "all-fish feast," the soldiers’ eyes practically glowed green. In the last ten days, they hadn’t even had coarse rice to eat. While the officers could manage with some hard-baked flatbread, the common soldiers had been reduced to digging up wild greens and chewing on mushrooms. At least seven or eight had already died from eating poisonous varieties.

Seeing them openly gulping, Wu Shaoyi knew this was not the time to refuse.

So, they went up the mountain that very night.

Furthermore, the guide had also told Wu Shaoyi that Pei Xinyong’s troops were also ascending the mountain.

Naturally, Wu Shaoyi didn’t take the guide’s word for it. But Pei Xinyong’s army was indeed on the other side of the mountain. He sent his own spies to check, and they returned with confirmation—

Long before the Saint Master’s rebellion, Wu Shaoyi and Pei Xinyong had been comrades-in-arms. Wu Shaoyi had even saved his life once, and they were on good terms. Since Pei Xinyong was also ascending the mountain, the stable, three-way balance of power would remain intact.

After weighing his options, Wu Shaoyi gave a decisive wave of his hand. They would enter the village that very night!

At the thought of fine wine and fresh fish waiting up the mountain, the entire army picked up its pace. Still uneasy, Wu Shaoyi’s advisor questioned the guide again. "Lui Yao summoned us up the mountain in the dead of night just for a meal? There’s no other reason?"

The guide chuckled. "The way you talk! Xianling Village is a tiny place, no bigger than a thumbnail, tucked away in the mountains. What other reason could there be? Don’t tell me you think there’s some ancient Cave Mansion hidden there?"

Wu Shaoyi considered this. It did seem logical. He said no more and focused on the march.

The calls of Night Owls and wild wolves echoed back and forth through the pitch-black mountain forest.

The further he walked, the more unnerved Wu Shaoyi became. There was no moon or stars tonight. The forest was so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face; only the torches pierced the gloom.

’A moonless, windy night—perfect for a slaughter. Isn’t that an apt description of right now?’

’An ambush in a forest like this would be nearly impossible to counter.’

Just then, with a great FLUTTER of wings, a flock of night birds took flight from behind them. Among them, crows screeched hoarsely, CAW! CAW! The sound made everyone’s scalp tingle.

Everyone instinctively turned to look, but at that exact moment, an arrow shot out from the dark woods ahead. THUNK! It struck a birch trunk not twenty feet from Wu Shaoyi.

His personal guards lunged forward, surrounding Wu Shaoyi. "Ambush!" one of them yelled.

The soldiers drew their weapons, bracing for an attack.

But Wu Shaoyi waved his hand. "Retrieve the arrow."

In the torchlight, he could see a red silk ribbon tied to the arrow’s fletching.

A message by arrow.

’Who would be lying in wait in the forest in the middle of the night? Who knew my army was marching up this very path?’

After a moment, the forest remained silent. No other enemies or hidden arrows appeared. Wu Shaoyi sent his men into the woods to investigate, but they soon returned empty-handed.

Wu Shaoyi wasn’t surprised by this outcome. He simply ordered a personal guard to unfurl the red silk ribbon and hold it up to the torchlight.

He wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t looked. On the silk were three short lines of text, and every character sent a chill down his spine:

Lui Yao has surrendered.He is leading the Court Army in an ambush at Xianling Village.Seven hundred more lie in wait below Whistle Rock.

The night was late and heavy with dew. Wu Shaoyi suddenly felt that every breath he drew was laced with ice.

’Lui Yao has surrendered to the Royal Court?’

His advisor leaned in and also saw the three short lines of text. They stared at each other, the shock mirrored in their eyes.

Wu Shaoyi asked in a low voice, "Is it possible? He’s infamous. The Court Army hates his guts."

The advisor quickly composed himself, knowing his master needed his professional opinion at this crucial juncture. He considered for a moment, then said cautiously, "If he were to turn on us, the Royal Court would be delighted. They might have even promised him a title and riches. You know as well as I that Lui Yao never planned to stay a bandit forever. It’s possible the two parties came to a swift agreement."

"But I always heard he wanted to raise his own army again."

"He’d need to build up his strength first," the advisor analyzed. "Serving as a pawn for the Royal Court is better than being a... better than being a homeless fugitive, constantly hiding from the Government Office."

He had almost said "stray dog," but caught himself—that description fit General Wu’s current predicament all too well.

Wu Shaoyi understood perfectly, and a flicker of displeasure crossed his face. The advisor quickly added, "But verifying this will be easy."

He pointed to the text on the ribbon. "We just need to send someone to Whistle Rock. That will prove whether this is true."