Chapter 00116: The Mad Demon
# The Mad Demon
Chapter 116
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 116: The Mad Demon
"Although cannibalism isn't unheard of, taking pride in it and boasting about it—only he would do such a thing. Half of the infamy carried by the rebel army is due to his atrocities."
Zhao Qinghe continued after He Yue: "After Hong Xiangqian was defeated and killed, Lu Yao gathered the remnants of the army and fled south. They didn't just pass by the Immortal Spirit Village as they claimed; they were there to meet up with two other rebel generals by the Immortal Spirit Lake."
"These two are General Wu Shaoyi of the Right Camp and General Pei Xinyong of the Hunshui Army."
He Yue exclaimed in shock, "When will they meet? How many men are there in total?"
"Tomorrow afternoon, at Twin Moon Bay. The three armies combined will have at least four to five thousand men."
He Lingchuan thought to himself that he and his father were truly unlucky.
They had checked the almanac before setting out—was it fake? Produced by some shady workshop?
Whether they were government troops or rebels, defeated armies often had weapons but no discipline.
They would burn, kill, and plunder along the way, more terrifying than bandits.
In the coming days, the Immortal Spirit Village would be swarming with rebels.
Originally, they had heard that the villagers here were actually mountain bandits in disguise, so the He family had looked down on them.
After all, since ancient times, bandits didn't dare to fight officials, especially when the officials had superior numbers and well-trained soldiers.
He Lingchuan, having survived several life-and-death situations, had been brimming with confidence, thinking that since he had already weathered great storms, what was a little trouble like this?
But now he realized that their opponents were high-ranking rebel generals, the infamous cannibal generals!
The enemy had fourteen hundred men under their command, and tomorrow, three times that number would arrive.
It was like a fisherman trying to catch eels in the river, jumping into the water and thrashing around, even stabbing with a harpoon, only to realize that what he was dealing with wasn't an eel but the tip of a giant anaconda's tail!
Was it too late to back out now?
He Lingchuan also noticed the pale faces of his father's advisors.
If they fled overnight, what were their chances of success?
He Lingchuan believed that his father's fighting spirit had also been extinguished, and now it was time to start thinking of a way out.
One of the advisors spoke up: "If we leave the mountain now, we might be able to get ahead of the rebel reinforcements from Desheng Town."
Zhao Qinghe shook his head: "That fat prisoner confessed that the rebels from Desheng Town have already arrived, about seven hundred of them. They're resting at Whistle Rock, just five miles from here!"
Everyone was horrified.
Two hundred rebels plus seven hundred reinforcements—the enemy already outnumbered the government troops by more than double.
The personal guard had over four hundred men, but only about three hundred were actual combat-ready soldiers.
The rest were women, children, and support staff, with little to no combat capability.
If they really had to fight the rebels, the government troops would also have to protect these non-combatants, putting them at a severe disadvantage.
Madam Ying and Zhu Xiuer also realized the dire situation, their faces as pale as paper.
If the government troops were defeated, the fate of the women... it would be better to just slit their own throats.
Hearing these numbers, He Chunhua, however, calmed down: "If Lu Yao has such an overwhelming advantage, why hasn't he attacked yet? He was ambushed by Deputy General Zeng by the lake, yet he wasn't angry and instead sought peace with me."
With this point raised, He Yue immediately said: "He also wants to preserve his strength!"
"Since they're meeting tomorrow, even if these rebel leaders want to sit down and have a peaceful tea discussion, they'll likely have to determine their ranks based on strength. In this situation, if Lu Yao fights us, he'll suffer losses, which might affect his plans for tomorrow. That's why he has to swallow his pride and seek peace."
In other words, both He Chunhua's government troops and Lu Yao's rebel army were in a delicate state of mind.
Both sides wanted to avoid losses.
He Lingchuan glanced at his younger brother.
This kid was quite sharp.
"So there's still room to maneuver; it's not a hopeless situation," said advisor Mo Zhe Jingxuan.
"But Lu Yao's so-called peaceful coexistence probably only has a few hours left."
"Negotiating with him is like trying to make a deal with a tiger," He Chunhua mused.
"He doesn't want to fight tonight because he doesn't want to lose strength. But once the three armies gather tomorrow, they'll likely join forces to hunt us down!"
What could be more inspiring for the rebels than wiping out a government troop?
These defeated soldiers might even think they need a big victory to solidify their foundation, ensuring the success of their meeting.
He Lingchuan's heart grew heavy, feeling as if he had returned to the battlefield in his dreams.
That sense of being surrounded by enemies with no way out—was it about to play out in reality?
In this small, exposed mountain valley, three hundred brave men against four to five thousand—even novels wouldn't dare write such a scenario.
If it came to that, He Chunhua's three hundred men would be nothing more than sacrificial offerings to the rebel army.
Madam Ying couldn't help but interject: "If we can't leave now, and we can't leave tomorrow either, then what do we do?" Are we just supposed to sit here and wait for death?
The dining hall fell silent.
Stay and die, leave and die—their three to four hundred people had unknowingly fallen into a desperate situation.
If heaven never seals off all paths, where was that sliver of hope?
He Lingchuan thought back to the battlefield in his dreams.
When the last line of defense formed by the carriages was about to be broken, what he felt wasn't despair, but a sense of honor in death!
They held out until the end, and finally, they heard that inspiring horn.
It was the same now.
Giving up was too early; there were still a few hours until dawn.
Time was money, and they still had a chance to turn things around.
Seeing everyone sitting dumbfounded in the hall, He Lingchuan cleared his throat and said to He Chunhua: "The disparity in strength is too great. Trying to make a difference on our own probably won't work. Father, have you considered seeking external help?"
"The nearest town, Desheng, is already under rebel control. If we want to borrow troops, we'd have to go further out to Qianteng Town. I remember there's a garrison there from Hebei, but after the Battle of Woling Pass, I'm not sure how many soldiers are left."
He Chunhua took a deep breath.
"I'll write a plea for help and send someone down the mountain. If we can hold out until tomorrow afternoon, perhaps... there's still hope."
"No... Father, what I mean is, the rebel army isn't a monolithic block. Are Generals Wu and Pei really that loyal to Lu Yao? Rather than pinning our hopes on unreliable garrison troops from the town, why don't we try to pit them against each other?" Seeing everyone staring at him expectantly, He Lingchuan chuckled awkwardly.
"That's all I've got for now. Needs more thought."
"Lingchuan, you're right..."
A spark of inspiration flashed in He Chunhua's mind.
As he pondered further, his eyes grew brighter.
"That makes sense! Yes, it makes a lot of sense!"
He had been momentarily blinded by the sheer numbers of the rebel army, forgetting that two-thirds of them weren't under Lu Yao's direct command! Even though they were all rebels, the differences were significant.
He Lingchuan's insight was like poking a hole through a window paper—simple but effective.
Mo Zhe Jingxuan followed the line of thought and grasped the key point: "Lu Yao gathered an army of fourteen hundred, but only brought two hundred to the Immortal Spirit Village, leaving the rest in the town. Why? Because this village can't support that many people!"
(End of Chapter)