Chapter 122: Exposed

Such a large number of troops already held an advantage against the ambushers at Shaoziyan; if they were to initiate a surprise attack, their chances of victory would be even greater. Wu Shaoyi, with his 1,100 men, felt even more confident facing Lu Yao and the allied government troops in Xianling Village. Dividing and conquering was, by nature, a standard military tactic.

*****

Towards the end of the third watch, their drinking session was also drawing to a close.

Lu Yao's face was flushed, and the table was littered with messy cups and plates. He took another gulp of wine, wiped his mouth, and stood up. "It'll be dawn in less than two hours. Are you relieved now, Master He?"

He Chunhua looked puzzled. "Relieved about what?"

Lu Yao chuckled, then turned and walked away. The official still wasn't at ease, insisting on keeping him drinking so he wouldn't have time to conspire with his subordinates for a surprise attack. Little did He Chunhua know that Lu Yao had no intention of making a move that night.

Having drunk too much, his stomach felt a bit bloated. He found a place to relieve himself and, at the same time, asked his subordinate, "Why haven't we heard anything from Wu Shaoyi yet?"

His subordinate didn't know either and quickly went to inquire around.

It wasn't until Lu Yao grew impatient that the man returned, jogging along with a scout. "General Wu was too fond of drinking," the scout reported. "He only set off after sobering up, and even then, his stomach wasn't feeling well along the way."

Lu Yao frowned. "Why is he so unreliable? No, something's not right."

He looked around and suddenly said, "Where's Fatty? Where the hell is Wang Fatty? Where has he gone?"

Normally, Wang Fatty was responsible for coordinating all these reports and bringing them to him. He shouldn't have to bother asking about them himself.

His subordinates exchanged glances, muttering that they didn't know.

Lu Yao gulped down the hangover tea offered by the villagers and then applied a cold cloth to his face. The heat in his head subsided, but suspicion began to well up in his heart.

Something was wrong. Wang Fatty was always proactive; how could he have disappeared for most of the night?

Then he thought about He Chunhua mysteriously inviting him to drink for several hours. Was he trying to cover something up? Lu Yao glared at his subordinates. "Go, all of you, find Wang Fatty for me. If you don't find him, I'll eat you alive!"

The men scattered.

Once their lives were on the line, people's efficiency soared. The bandits gathered all the civilians from the east of the village and asked, "Has anyone else seen our Fatty Brother tonight—the one staying in Madam Zhu's house?"

They asked twice, but no one spoke.

It seemed they needed an incentive. The bandit then added, "Whoever provides a clue can immediately get their children back!"

Only then did the villagers react, all lost in deep thought.

A woman in the back row considered for a long time, then suddenly gritted her teeth and said, "I've seen him!"

"Oh?" The bandit was delighted that the task assigned by their leader was almost complete. "You, step forward and speak!"

*****

He Chunhua watched Lu Yao's retreating back, a cold smile finally appearing on his lips.

Back on their own territory, the government soldiers were ready for battle, while the villagers remained anxious. He Yue was talking with Madam Ying, and Zhu Xiuer was staring out the window, lost in thought.

Madam Ying saw her husband and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness that villain didn't make trouble for you."

"He gets carried away as soon as he drinks, wishing for as many listeners as possible." He Chunhua sat down. Seeing his face flushed red, Qian Ma knew he couldn't hold his liquor well, so she quickly brought him water to wash up and served him hangover soup.

"After my warning arrow, Wu Shaoyi's troops stopped advancing and instead called up the remaining forces from down the mountain," a guard reported. "However, he has a spirit beast that's exceptionally keen, like a marten demon. I was almost caught when I went a second time, so I dared not get any closer."

He Chunhua was overjoyed. "Heaven is helping me! Having such a spirit beast is even more convenient than scouts. It will be incredibly easy for Wu Shaoyi to verify the authenticity of the letter."

He Yue smiled. "Father's all-night drinking wasn't in vain, even if it exhausted him."

He Lingchuan walked out from the inner room and was startled when he saw He Chunhua. "Wow, Dad, your face is really red."

He Chunhua burped. "It's been years since I drank so heavily! Even though I took a hangover pill beforehand, I was still worried I might blurt out the entire plan if I got too drunk."

Madam Ying's heart ached. "Lu Yao is a crude fellow; how could you compete with him in drinking!" Then she grew anxious again. "We've occupied the west side of the village. The other rebels won't come from the west, will they?"

"Wu Shaoyi came via the eastern route, so he should attack from the east of the village, directly confronting Lu Yao."

He Yue said, "Wu Shaoyi halted his troops, probably intending to join forces with Pei Xinyong. Since he's taking the eastern route, then Pei Xinyong will likely circle around to the west."

Madam Ying's expression subtly changed. "Won't that bring them right to us?"

He Lingchuan chuckled. "Shaoziyan is to the west. Only if Pei Xinyong goes to intercept the seven hundred ambushers Lu Yao deployed will Wu Shaoyi dare to launch a full-scale attack on Xianling Village. So, the west side is quite safe."

Madam Ying let out an 'oh,' but she only relaxed when He Chunhua nodded.

Zhao Qinghe then added, "To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, I've placed 'crying vine dolls' in a concealed spot on the western path. If anything passes by there, these little things will cry out a warning; if something continues to pass by, they will cry loudly without stopping." With that, he tossed a few conical trinkets onto the table.

These objects resembled hazelnuts, with patterns on their skins like human faces, complete with eyes and mouths, though their mouths were currently tightly shut.

In the middle of the night, if something were continuously passing by on the western path, it could only be a human army.

He Lingchuan picked one up. "This thing looks like a hazelnut. Is it edible?"

He had only asked casually, but to his surprise, the guard actually replied, "Yes, but it's very bitter and will upset your stomach if you eat it."

He Chunhua glanced at it. "The Great Shaman gave this to you, didn't he?"

"Yes."

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. Were they talking about the Great Shaman Zhaomandu? The Great Shaman whose name he had only heard since waking up but had never met?

Just then, someone outside suddenly shouted, "Madam Zhu! Zhu Xiuer! Come out!"

The voice came from the east.

At this critical juncture, another variable appeared, and everyone's heart sank.

Madam Ying was surprised and uncertain, asking Madam Zhu, "Why are the bandits looking for you?"

Zhu Xiuer shook her head, indicating she didn't know.

He Chunhua stood up and said, "Let's go out and see."

They took a few steps outside before realizing Zhu Xiuer hadn't followed. They looked back to see her standing in place, as if in a daze.

Madam Ying asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Ever since learning of Zhu Xiuer's background, she had felt particular pity for this trafficked young woman.

Zhu Xiuer shook her head again, then lowered her gaze and quietly followed.

The bandit outside shouted three times before He Chunhua finally emerged, standing on the west side of the dividing line and asking, "What's the matter?"

"I'm not talking to you, official!" the bandit said. "Who is Zhu Xiuer?"

Actually, among the group, there were only three women: Madam Ying, Qian Ma, and Zhu Xiuer, whom everyone instinctively turned to look at.

"You're Madam Zhu!" The bandit raised his hand and pointed high up. "Look, what's that?"

The village was situated on low ground, gradually rising higher towards the west. The bandit was pointing to the winding mountain path to the west, which was at least fifteen zhang above the ground, with nothing but bare rock on the cliff face.