After the Immortal Disappeared

Chapter 122: Chapter 123: Exposed

These numbers already gave them an advantage over the ambush force at Whistle Rock. If they opened with a sneak attack, their odds of victory would be even greater.

Wu Shaoyi had eleven hundred men of his own; he was more than confident he could handle even a combined force of Lui Yao’s men and the government soldiers in Xianling Village.

To divide and conquer was, after all, a standard tactic of the Military Family.

「」

As the third watch of the night drew to a close, the two men’s drinking session was winding down.

Lui Yao’s face was flushed, and the table before him was a mess of cups and plates. He downed another gulp of wine, wiped his mouth, and stood up. "Dawn is less than two double-hours away. Mr. Hee can rest easy now, can’t he?"

Hee Chunhua feigned confusion. "Rest easy about what?"

Lui Yao let out a chuckle and turned to leave. ’This damn official is still worried,’ he thought. ’He insisted on drinking with me just to keep me from secretly plotting a surprise attack with my men. He has no idea I had no intention of making a move tonight anyway.’

He had drunk too much, and his bladder was full. He found a place to relieve himself, asking one of his men, "What’s going on with Wu Shaoyi? Why haven’t we heard anything yet?"

The subordinate had no idea either, so he scurried off to ask around.

By the time Lui Yao was growing impatient, the man finally returned, jogging back with a Scout in tow. "General Wu is fond of his drink. He didn’t set out until he sobered up, and he had some stomach trouble along the way."

Lui Yao frowned. "How can he be so unreliable? No, something’s not right."

He looked around and suddenly demanded, "Where’s Fatty? Where the hell is Fatty Wang? Where did he disappear to?"

Normally, Fatty Wang would have coordinated all these messages and reported them directly to him. Why should he have to trouble himself with asking?

His subordinates glanced at each other, murmuring that they didn’t know.

Lui Yao gulped down the sobering tea a villager offered him and pressed a cold towel to his face. The heat in his head subsided, but a cold suspicion began to rise in his heart.

Something was wrong. Fatty Wang was always proactive and eager. How could he vanish for half the night?

Then he thought about how Hee Chunhua had inexplicably invited him to drink, a session that lasted for several double-hours. Could he have been trying to cover something up? Lui Yao glared at his subordinate. "Go! All of you, go find Fatty Wang. If you can’t find him, I’ll eat you alive!"

The men scattered in all directions.

When one’s life is in danger, one’s efficiency becomes truly remarkable. The bandits rounded up the common folk on the east side of the village and demanded, "Did anyone see our big brother Fatty tonight? The one staying in Mrs. Zhu’s house?"

They asked twice, but no one made a sound.

’Looks like they need a little motivation,’ the bandit thought, then announced, "Whoever gives us a lead can get their kid back right now!"

That got a reaction from the villagers, who all began to think hard.

A woman in the back row considered it for a long moment, then suddenly bit her lip and said, "I saw him!"

"Oh?" The bandit, pleased that his boss’s task was almost complete, said, "You, step forward and speak!"

「」

Hee Chunhua watched Lui Yao’s retreating back, a cold smile finally touching his lips.

Back in their own territory, the government soldiers were on high alert, ready for battle, while the villagers were fraught with anxiety. Hee Yue was keeping Madam Ying company. Zhu Xiu’er was staring blankly out the window, lost in thought.

Seeing her husband, Madam Ying breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. That vile man didn’t give you any trouble."

"Once he starts drinking, he loses all inhibitions. He’d be happy as long as he has an audience, the bigger the better." Hee Chunhua sat down. Seeing his flushed face, Nanny Qian knew he couldn’t hold his liquor well. She quickly brought him water to wash up and a bowl of sobering soup.

"After my warning arrow, Wu Shaoyi’s troops stopped advancing. In fact, they even called up their reserves from the base of the mountain," a Guard came over to report. "But he has a Spirit Pet that’s exceptionally sharp, seems to be a Mink Demon. The second time I went, I was almost chased. I didn’t dare get any closer."

Hee Chunhua was delighted. "Heaven is helping me! With such a Spirit Pet, it’s even more convenient than a Scout. It’ll be incredibly easy for Wu Shaoyi to verify if the letter is real or fake."

Hee Yue smiled. "It seems Father’s exhausting night of drinking wasn’t in vain."

Hee Lingchuan walked out from an inner room and jumped when he saw Hee Chunhua. "Whoa, Dad, your face is really red."

Hee Chunhua let out a drunken burp. "It’s been years since I’ve drunk like that! Even though I took a hangover prevention pill beforehand, I was still worried I’d get drunk, start spouting nonsense, and give the whole plan away."

Madam Ying’s heart ached. "Lui Yao is a brutish thug. How could you try to outdrink him!" Then, she added worriedly, "We’ve taken the west side of the village. The other rebels won’t come from the west, will they?"

"Wu Shaoyi came from the eastern road, so he should attack from the east, facing Lui Yao directly."

Hee Yue said, "Wu Shaoyi halted his troops, likely because he wants to join forces with Pei Xinyong. Since he’s taking the eastern road, Pei Xinyong will swing around to the west."

The color drained from Madam Ying’s face. "Doesn’t that mean he’s coming right for us?"

Hee Lingchuan found this amusing. "Whistle Rock is to the west. Only if Pei Xinyong goes to intercept the seven hundred men Lui Yao has lying in ambush will Wu Shaoyi dare to attack Xianling Village. So, the west is perfectly safe."

Madam Ying let out an "Oh," but she only truly relaxed after Hee Chunhua nodded in confirmation.

Zhao Qinghe added, "To prevent any accidents, I’ve placed Crying Vine Dolls in concealed locations along the western route. If anything passes by there, these little things will cry out as a warning. If things are continuously passing by, they will cry continuously." With that, he tossed several small, cone-shaped objects onto the table.

The objects looked a lot like hazelnuts. The patterns on their shells resembled human faces, with eyes and a mouth, though the mouth was currently shut tight.

At this time of night, if creatures were continuously passing along the western road, it could only be a human army.

Hee Lingchuan picked one up. "This thing looks like a hazelnut. Can you eat it?"

He was only asking casually, but a Guard actually answered, "You can, but it’s incredibly bitter. It’ll give you an upset stomach."

Hee Chunhua glanced at it. "The Great Shaman gave you these, didn’t he?"

"Yes."

Hee Lingchuan’s interest was piqued. ’Are they talking about Zhaomandu the Great Shaman?’ he wondered. ’The Great Shaman he’d only heard about but hadn’t seen since waking up?’

Just then, someone outside suddenly shouted, "Mrs. Zhu! Zhu Xiu’er, get out here!"

The voice came from the east.

For another complication to arise at this critical juncture—everyone’s heart skipped a beat.

Madam Ying asked Mrs. Zhu uncertainly, "Why are the bandits looking for you?"

Zhu Xiu’er just shook her head to show she didn’t know.

Hee Chunhua stood up. "Let’s go see what’s happening."

The group took a few steps toward the door before realizing Zhu Xiu’er hadn’t followed. They turned to see her standing frozen in place, as if in a daze.

"What’s wrong?" Madam Ying asked with concern.

Ever since learning of Zhu Xiu’er’s past, she felt a particular sympathy for the young woman who had been abducted and sold.

Zhu Xiu’er shook her head again, then lowered her head and silently followed.

The bandits outside shouted three times before Hee Chunhua finally emerged, standing on the west side of the dividing line. "What is it?"

"I’m not talking to you, official!" the bandit said. "Which one of you is Zhu Xiu’er?"

There were only three women in their group. Besides Madam Ying and Nanny Qian, the one everyone subconsciously turned to look at was Zhu Xiu’er.

"So you’re Mrs. Zhu!" The bandit raised his hand and pointed high up. "Take a look. What’s that up there?"

The village sat in a low-lying area, with the terrain rising toward the west. The bandit was pointing at the winding mountain path to the west. The spot was at least fifteen zhang from the ground, on a cliff face that was completely bare.