Chapter 118: Third Team

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to quickly devise a counter-espionage plan tonight.

His father truly wasn't content to be submissive.

The state of Yuan was in turmoil, and in many remote areas, minor officials lacked ambition, simply biding their time and waiting to die. They were content to retreat into their own small worlds, unconcerned with the changing seasons.

That used to be his wish too, He Lingchuan sighed inwardly. Why was he drifting further and further from it?

He Chunhua put down his pen, and someone quickly stepped forward to retrieve what he had just written. The next steps would require agile and nimble scouts.

He Chunhua couldn't help but pat his eldest son's shoulder again, praising him, "Chuan'er, today you truly enlightened me with a single sentence! Excellent, excellent!"

He Lingchuan chuckled along, then offered a few polite remarks, saying he was more than satisfied to be able to help his father.

Oh, wasn't it because the situation was urgent and disaster was imminent that he had no choice but to reveal his abilities?

"You see," He Chunhua continued, "even if the Water Spirit did give a prophecy, it must be coming true now. If we work together to overcome this, everything will improve, and your so-called disaster will be broken immediately!"

He Lingchuan's smile didn't falter. "I suppose so."

Could it really be that simple? What about the phrase "dove occupying a magpie's nest"? Did it refer to the bandits taking over the mountain village and impersonating villagers?

He Chunhua turned back to consult with his subordinates. Time was precious now; he had to make every second count.

He Yue also came over and told his brother, "Well done."

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

"Nothing much," He Yue exhaled. "The skirmish by the lake tonight was my fault. It caused us to miss a good opportunity, and now we have to make up for it."

"So it was you, kid!" He Lingchuan had been puzzled. His father was always composed and would surely plan before acting. Why would he have rashly attacked Lu Yao?

"I was too hasty!" He Yue admitted with shame.

"Now that's more like a kid." He Yue was mature for his age, and He Lingchuan often forgot he was only fourteen.

Fourteen was practically synonymous with being impulsive, rash, and overly dramatic. For him to only occasionally make such mistakes was already excellent.

***

West side of Spirit Immortal Mountain.

Wu Shaoyi followed the guide with a stern expression, occasionally glancing back at the long line of torches behind him.

They had originally set up camp at the foot of the mountain, intending to rest and cross it the next day. However, that fellow Lu Yao unexpectedly sent a guide to lead them through the night, inviting them to a "full fish banquet." His exact words were, "Fresh fish should be eaten fresh. If you fry, grill, stew, or cook it and leave it until morning, it won't be fresh anymore."

Crucially, the guide practically shouted this, and forty to fifty people in front of and behind the tent heard him. Wu Shaoyi had gathered 1,100 remnants of his army. The failed uprising had already left everyone disheartened, and along the way, Wu Shaoyi had to restrain them from looting, which caused discontent within the ranks. His aides all advised General Wu to let it go, asking what harm there would be in indulging the troops once or twice.

For safety's sake, Wu Shaoyi firmly refused. This time, when Lu Yao's guide shouted the words "full fish banquet," the soldiers' eyes lit up with hunger. They hadn't even had coarse rice to eat for the past ten days; the leaders could at least get by on some flatbread, but the lowest-ranking soldiers had to dig for wild herbs and gnaw on mushrooms. At least seven or eight men had died from mistakenly eating poisonous mushrooms.

Seeing them practically drooling, Wu Shaoyi knew it was best not to say "no" this time.

So, they ascended the mountain that very night.

The guide also informed Wu Shaoyi that Pei Xinyong's contingent was also ascending the mountain.

Wu Shaoyi naturally couldn't take this at face value, but Pei Xinyong's army was indeed on the other side of the mountain. He sent scouts to inquire, and the reply was affirmative.

Even before the Holy Master's uprising, Wu Shaoyi and Pei Xinyong had shared a camaraderie; Wu Shaoyi had once saved Pei Xinyong's life, and their friendship was strong. Since Pei Xinyong was also heading up the mountain, this stable triangular dynamic remained unbroken.

After much consideration, Wu Shaoyi waved his hand decisively: enter the village tonight!

The thought of good wine and fish on the mountain significantly sped up the army's advance. Wu Shaoyi's strategist, still uneasy, asked the guide again, "Is Lu Yao asking us to come up the mountain tonight just for a meal, and no other reason?"

The guide chuckled, "What are you talking about? Spirit Immortal Village is a tiny place, nestled in the mountains. What other reason could there be? Is there a hidden cave dwelling or ancient ruins there or something?"

Wu Shaoyi thought about it and concluded it made sense, so he said no more and focused on the journey.

In the dark, dense mountain forest, the cries of night owls and howls of wild wolves echoed one after another.

The further Wu Shaoyi walked, the more uneasy he felt. There were no stars or moon tonight, and the forest was pitch black, illuminated only by torches.

A dark night with strong winds, perfect for murder — wasn't that exactly what this felt like?

If there were an ambush in such a forest, it would be extremely difficult to counter.

Just then, a flock of night birds fluttered up from behind, among them crows cawing loudly, making everyone's scalp tingle.

Everyone instinctively turned their heads, only for an arrow to suddenly shoot out from the dark woods ahead, lodging with a *thunk* into a birch tree trunk about two *zhang* from Wu Shaoyi!

Bodyguards rushed forward, surrounding Wu Shaoyi, shouting, "Enemy attack!"

The troops drew their weapons, ready for battle.

Wu Shaoyi, however, waved his hand and said, "Retrieve the arrow."

By the light of the torches, he could see a red silk ribbon tied to the arrow's tail.

It was an arrow message.

In the middle of the night, who would be lying in wait in the forest? And who would know that Wu Shaoyi's army was heading up this mountain?

For a while, the forest remained quiet, with no other enemies or hidden arrows appearing. Wu Shaoyi sent his men into the woods to search, but they soon returned empty-handed.

Wu Shaoyi was not surprised by this outcome. He simply told his bodyguards to unfurl the red silk ribbon and illuminate it with a torch for him to read.

What he saw made his heart pound. The red silk contained just three short lines, every word chilling him to the bone:

Lu Yao has surrendered, leading government troops to set an ambush in Spirit Immortal Village. Another seven hundred men are lying in wait below Whistle Rock.

As the night deepened and the dew grew heavy, Wu Shaoyi felt every breath he drew into his lungs was cold.

Lu Yao had pledged allegiance to the Royal Court?

The strategist leaned closer and also saw the three lines of small text, so startled that he and Wu Shaoyi exchanged shocked glances, each seeing the astonishment in the other's eyes.

Wu Shaoyi whispered to him, "Is that possible? He's infamous; the imperial army clearly despises him."

The strategist quickly composed himself, knowing his master needed his professional judgment at such a critical moment. After a moment's thought, he cautiously replied, "If he turns against us, the Royal Court would be delighted, perhaps even granting him official titles and wealth. You know that Lu Yao never intended to remain a bandit. Perhaps they simply found common ground."

"I always heard he wanted to lead another uprising."

"He would need to recuperate first," the strategist analyzed. "Serving as the Royal Court's henchman is certainly better than wandering the world and constantly evading the authorities."

He almost said "a stray dog," but then realized that General Wu was currently in a similar predicament.

Wu Shaoyi, of course, understood and showed his displeasure. So the strategist quickly added, "Verification shouldn't be difficult."

He pointed to the small characters on the red silk. "Send someone to Whistle Rock first; that will confirm it."