Chapter 1380: Ambush

“How so?”

“Have you forgotten what we’re going to do next?” He Lingchuan asked, enunciating each word. “What does the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells want?”

To kill Xue Zongwu!

Dong Rui understood and clapped his hands, laughing aloud: “As long as we achieve our goal, the State of Yao won’t let them off.”

“As long as we achieve our goal, the State of Yao won’t spare any force that openly declares itself to be the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells.” Therefore, He Lingchuan wasn’t actually afraid of others impersonating them.

Stepping out of the courtyard, he walked along the long rain-sheltered corridor to greet Fan Shuang, who was approaching from the opposite side. With an enthusiastic expression, he said, “Brother Fan, you’re finally back!”

All the “actors” were present; now they just needed Xue Zongwu to set out.

***

Xue Zongwu’s main camp, northern front of the State of Yao.

Xue Zongwu’s personal guard was helping him get dressed when Tong Huan rushed in. “General, are you really sure you don’t need me to accompany you back to Tianshui City?”

“What’s the big deal about returning to Tianshui City? I go back every year.” His current journey was to return home for a birthday celebration, not to fight a war. “On the contrary, Frost Creek County Office still hasn’t settled its accounts, and that needs your special attention.”

Xue Zongwu had just finished shaving. His eyes were still bloodshot, and his breath was so foul he could smell it himself the moment he spoke.

There was nothing he could do; he had been too agitated recently, unable to rest or eat properly.

Anyone who found themselves targeted by the Regent Qingyang couldn’t help but feel anxious and irritable.

Those damned ledgers were endless; they simply couldn’t be completed!

No matter how much he raged or how many heads he chopped off, they remained unfinished.

“If Regent Qingyang sends people to audit the accounts, those cowards at Frost Creek County Office will surely let themselves be pushed around. If they’re told to rebuild the ledgers, they’ll rebuild them; if they’re told to audit, they’ll audit. How dare they say ‘no’?” Xue Zongwu snorted as he said this. “You go to Frost Creek and keep an eye on things for me. If their hands reach too far, you push back. I’ll bear all the consequences.”

Tong Huan immediately replied, “Yes, sir.”

He knew that Xue Zongwu would only dispatch his most loyal and capable confidants for this task.

“I’ll leave Shen Sanduo and Liu Yizhao with you, and also three hundred elite soldiers. Take them all to Frost Creek!”

Tong Huan was startled. “Deputy Generals Shen and Liu? They’re your right-hand men! If they stay, who will protect your safety?”

“Regent Qingyang has many powerful experts around her. She knows that sending people to audit our accounts might lead to conflict, so she’ll likely send some masters to accompany them. If gentle persuasion doesn’t work, they might try force.” Having led armies for many years, Xue Zongwu knew well that when words failed, fists were most effective, and once a decision was made, others couldn’t say much.

Undoubtedly, Regent Qingyang was also familiar with this tactic. That’s why he needed to leave behind his most astute and loyal strategists and generals to contend with Qingyang and counter her moves.

In comparison, his journey back home was merely a formality and didn’t require as many capable escorts.

“Frost Creek isn’t within the borders of the State of Yao. If Regent Qingyang thinks she can wield power and act recklessly on my turf, then she’s sorely mistaken.”

“Yes, sir.” Tong Huan then added, “Please be extremely careful on your journey back to the capital. Seven years ago, someone still harbored malicious intentions…”

Seven years ago, Xue Zongwu had been ambushed on his way back to the capital.

Although the assassins ultimately failed and their bodies were never found, there wouldn’t have been just one group looking to seize such an opportunity.

Xue Zongwu grunted, “When have I ever not been careful on my way back?”

Many people hated him, not just those who had emerged this year. However, his mind was currently preoccupied with the Frost Creek matter, so Tong Huan’s words didn’t quite register.

At that moment, a messenger came to deliver intelligence.

Xue Zongwu opened the note, read it, and raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise on his face.

“General?” Tong Huan was concerned about a sudden change in plans.

Xue Zongwu, however, handed the note to him. “The Mufeng Tribe claims to be the Black Armored Army. Apparently, it has caused quite a stir in the surrounding areas.”

“The Mufeng Tribe?” Tong Huan pondered. “Hmm, if it really is them, why are they admitting it now? And why did they act with masks on before?”

“Heh, I don’t believe it!” Xue Zongwu stated his conclusion directly. “The Mufeng Tribe couldn’t produce such an army.”

As a seasoned general, he had his own discernment and judgment. If he said it wasn’t them, Tong Huan believed it.

“Do you want to send someone to investigate?”

“Not necessary for now. Let’s discuss it after I return from Tianshui City.” He was currently entangled in his own troubles; how could he have the leisure for this?

Xue Zongwu strode out of the tent. The army waiting outside was already fully equipped, ready to depart.

***

A few days later, Yanmu Cliff.

The trees in this mountainous area were sparse, with exposed red earth and weathered boulders everywhere.

Weng Su was hiding in a rocky hollow on the cliff, not lighting a fire. He simply took advantage of the terrain to overlook the entrance to the valley below.

It was quiet, with only the wind howling as it swept across the cliff.

His eyes ached from staring, but there was still no movement below. Just as he yawned, a figure flashed behind him—someone had arrived.

“Brother!”

The newcomer was also a large man, bearing a faint resemblance to him.

This was his younger brother, Weng Xing.

“What’s the situation in the city?” Dawn was approaching.

“That Xue fellow is still in the city, but his troops are saddling their horses; they should be setting off soon.” Weng Xing pulled out a waxed paper package and opened it, revealing a thick stack of flatbreads. “Finally, no more plain flatbread! Today we have green bean and meat filling, and lard, scallion, and sugar filling!”

Weng Su took it; it was indeed still warm. “Isn’t this still flatbread? We just got five or six hundred taels from Xue Zongwu’s corrupt accountant. Can’t you get a bit more variety for breakfast?”

They had been eating flatbread for three to five consecutive days.

There was all sorts of delicious food in the market, so why did his simple-minded younger brother only buy flatbreads?

Weng Xing pulled a few eggs from his pocket. “Boiled eggs, for you.”

Weng Su rolled his eyes.

Weng Xing took a bite of the flatbread, oil dripping from his mouth. “Delicious, truly delicious! You’re not thinking of drinking so early, are you? We’ll have a fight later.”

A few days ago, they had spent all their money on alcohol, and as a result, they had to subsist on plain flatbread later. If the fellow named Qian hadn’t generously given them a windfall, they wouldn’t even have been able to afford flatbread last night.

“That Xue fellow won’t be easy to kill. If we try to avenge Big Brother Tu, we might end up losing our own lives. What good would these few hundred taels of silver be then? Wouldn’t it just benefit Xue Zongwu?”

“You’re right,” Weng Xing paused, and the flatbread in his hand suddenly didn’t seem as appetizing. If both brothers were to die by Xue Zongwu’s hand, they wouldn’t have a chance to spend the money anyway, so why not enjoy themselves while they could? “How about I go get some more wine and meat?”

As he left, he seemed to recall seeing vendors setting up their stalls. The roasted bamboo rats and braised rabbit meat smelled wonderful, and there were a few dried sausages dangling. Alas! Why hadn’t he bought any then?

“No time, don’t delay the main business,” Weng Su said, grabbing his flatbread and eating. “Before Xue Zongwu arrives, double-check the mechanisms. We don’t want them to fail when we’re in the middle of a fight.”

“Oh, and a little pickled vegetable,” Weng Xing said, taking out another packet of pickled vegetables from his storage ring. “Good thing I didn’t pawn this ring. By the way, brother, when I went into the city to buy things, it was already circulating among the common folk that the Black Armored men had robbed and killed a noble lord on the street. Everyone was smiling as they described it in great detail, as if they had seen it with their own eyes.”

He also smiled. “Do you think the true Great Emperor of the Nine Hells would blame us for impersonating him if he heard about this?”

Weng Su stuffed the pickled vegetables into his flatbread. “Why would he blame us? Aren’t we also acting on behalf of heaven? If they can kill evildoers, why can’t we? That Qian fellow is just an accountant, yet he carries so many jewels with him. He’s no good either! He must have been abusing his power and oppressing the local people!”

Weng Xing rubbed his nose, feeling a little guilty. “But we used the name of the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells and also killed someone.”

Weng Su glanced at him. “Did we publicly declare ourselves to be the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells?”

“Well, no, not exactly.” They had merely put on night clothes, worn masks, and created some smoke effects...

“Who can’t use that outfit? Who can’t wear night clothes, or who can’t wear a mask? Does wearing that outfit automatically make one the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells?” Weng Su finished his flatbread and wiped his hands on the hem of his clothes. “Most importantly, with so many evildoers in the world, how long would it take for the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells alone to eliminate them all?”

The more he spoke, the more righteous he sounded. “If he knew that we brothers also take action to eliminate tyrants and kill evil villains who oppress the good, he might even appreciate us more and insist on recruiting us into his Black Armored Army!”

“That’s true,” Weng Xing mumbled, convinced by his brother. “It would be great if the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells really came from the Underworld. If we brothers fail to kill Xue Zongwu and sacrifice ourselves, we could become two ghost generals under the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells, and ask him to bring us back to the human world to get revenge on that Xue fellow!”

“Then, Xue Zongwu would look at us as if he’d seen ghosts, hee hee hee... No, by then we really *would* be ghosts!”

Weng Su looked at him and sighed.

Oh, his foolish younger brother.

Weng Xing understood his gaze and retorted defiantly, “Why are you laughing at me for being foolish? There are gods and evil spirits in this world, so why can’t there be a Great Emperor of the Nine Hells?”

“Indeed, why can’t there be? More and more people are indeed believing in the Great Emperor of the Nine Hells now,” Weng Su said, knowing it was futile to argue about such matters. He simply pointed towards the valley entrance below. “Come on, let’s go check the mechanisms.”

Yanmu Cliff was covered in weathered boulders. With a little effort, they could loosen the bases, and Weng Su had designed a whole set of mechanisms based on this. The mountain, carved by winds over millions of years, was riddled with cracks and crevices. The widest parts allowed only three or four people to walk abreast, while the narrowest were too tight even for a pregnant woman to squeeze through.

Such a place was naturally suited for guerrilla warfare and hide-and-seek.

It took the Weng brothers half a month of careful selection to choose this spot as their ambush location.

There were only two of them, but their opponent had two hundred guards. Without the advantage of favorable terrain, this ambush would be an impossible mission.

The inspection took over half an hour. Weng Su was very satisfied with the traps and mechanisms he had designed, especially the countless mountain crevices that could serve as convenient escape routes for the brothers. He had also planned three escape paths.

“When Xue Zongwu arrives, we’ll make sure he gets more than he bargained for!” He wiped the sweat from his brow, making a bold declaration.

Full of confidence, the two brothers crept back to their original position and continued to wait.