Chapter 00122: Exposed
# Exposed
Chapter 122
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 122: Exposed
With such numbers, they already had an advantage over the ambush at Whistle Rock.
If they could start with a sneak attack, their chances of winning would be even greater.
Wu Shaoyi himself had 1,100 men, and facing Lu Yao from Xianling Village and the combined forces of the government troops, his confidence was even greater.
Dividing and conquering was a common military strategy.
By the end of the third watch, the two men's drinking session was also coming to an end.
Lu Yao's face was flushed, and the table was a mess of cups and plates.
He took another swig of wine, wiped his mouth, and stood up: "It's less than two hours until dawn, Lord He, you can rest assured now, right?"
He Chunhua was puzzled: "Rest assured about what?"
Lu Yao chuckled and turned to leave.
This official still didn't trust him and insisted on drinking with him to keep him from plotting a sneak attack with his men.
Little did he know that Lu Yao had no intention of making a move tonight.
Having drunk too much, his stomach felt bloated.
He found a place to relieve himself and asked his subordinate: "Why hasn't there been any news from Wu Shaoyi yet?"
The subordinate didn't know either and hurriedly went to ask around.
It wasn't until Lu Yao grew impatient that the man finally returned with a scout in tow: "General Wu indulged too much in drinking and only set off after sobering up. He also had some stomach trouble along the way."
Lu Yao frowned: "How could he be so unreliable? Something's not right."
He looked around and suddenly asked: "Where's Fatty? Damn it, where's Fatty Wang? Where the hell has he gone?"
Usually, all the information was coordinated by Fatty Wang and reported to him.
Why would he need to bother asking now?
The subordinates looked at each other, mumbling that they didn't know.
Lu Yao drank the sobering tea offered by the villagers and used a cold towel to wipe his face.
The heat in his head subsided, but suspicion rose in his heart.
Something was wrong.
Fatty Wang was always proactive.
How could he disappear for most of the night?
Thinking back to how He Chunhua had inexplicably invited him to drink for several hours, could it be to cover something up? Lu Yao glared at his subordinates: "Go, all of you, find Fatty Wang for me. If you can't find him, I'll eat you alive!"
The men scattered in all directions.
When one's life is at stake, efficiency skyrockets.
The bandits gathered the villagers from the east side of the village and asked: "Who saw our Fatty Brother tonight? The one staying at Zhu's house?"
After asking twice, no one responded.
It seemed they needed some motivation.
The bandits added: "Anyone who provides a clue can take their child back immediately!"
Only then did the villagers react, all deep in thought.
A woman at the back thought for a long time before gritting her teeth and saying: "I saw him!"
"Oh?" The bandit was delighted that the boss's task was almost complete.
"You, come out and speak!"
He Chunhua watched Lu Yao's retreating figure with a cold smile on his lips.
Back in his own territory, the government troops were ready for battle, while the villagers were uneasy.
He Yue was chatting with Lady Ying, while Zhu Xiuer stared out the window, lost in thought.
Lady Ying sighed in relief when she saw her husband: "Thank goodness that scoundrel didn't give you any trouble."
"He forgets everything when he drinks, the more listeners the better."
He Chunhua sat down.
Qian Ma, seeing his flushed face, knew he couldn't handle his alcohol and quickly brought him water to wash up and sobering soup.
"After my warning arrow, Wu Shaoyi's troops stopped advancing and even called up the remaining forces from the foot of the mountain," a guard reported.
"But he has a spirit pet that's incredibly sharp, like a marten demon. I almost got caught the second time I went near and didn't dare to approach again."
He Chunhua was overjoyed: "Heaven helps us! With such a spirit pet, it's even more convenient than scouts. Wu Shaoyi will find it easy to verify the authenticity of the letter."
He Yue smiled: "It wasn't in vain that Father drank all night and exhausted himself."
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 let out a drunken burp: "It's been years since I drank like this! Even though I took an anti-drunk pill beforehand, I was still worried I might blurt out the plan if I got too drunk."
Lady Ying was concerned: "Lu Yao is a rough man, how could you compete with him in drinking?" Then she grew anxious again: "We've taken the west side of the village. The other rebels won't come from the west, will they?"
"Wu Shaoyi is coming from the east, so he should attack from the east, facing Lu Yao directly."
He Yue said: "Wu Shaoyi has stopped advancing, probably wanting to join forces with Pei Xinyong. Since he's coming from the east, Pei Xinyong will flank from the west."
Lady Ying's face changed: "Isn't that heading straight for us?"
He Lingchuan laughed: "Whistle Rock is to the west. Only if Pei Xinyong intercepts the 700 ambush troops Lu Yao set up will Wu Shaoyi dare to attack Xianling Village head-on. So the west is very safe."
Lady Ying let out an "Oh," but only relaxed when He Chunhua nodded.
Zhao Qinghe added: "To prevent any mishaps, I placed crying vine dolls at hidden spots on the west road. If something passes by, these little things will cry out a warning; if something keeps passing by, they'll keep crying."
With that, he threw a few cone-shaped objects onto the table.
These things looked like hazelnuts, with patterns on the surface resembling a face, with eyes and a mouth, though the mouth was tightly shut now.
In the middle of the night, if something kept passing by the west road, it could only be a human army.
He Lingchuan picked one up: "These look like hazelnuts. Can you eat them?"
He was just asking casually, but the guard actually answered: "Yes, but they're very bitter and will upset your stomach."
He Chunhua glanced at them: "These are from the Great Shaman, right?"
"Yes."
He Lingchuan's heart stirred.
Were they talking about Zhaomandu, the Great Shaman? The one he had only heard of but never seen since waking up?
Just then, someone outside suddenly shouted: "Zhu Shi, Zhu Xiuer, come out!"
The voice came from the east.
At this critical moment, another complication arose, and everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
Lady Ying, full of doubt, asked Zhu Shi: "Why are the bandits looking for you?"
Zhu Xiuer shook her head, indicating she didn't know.
He Chunhua stood up: "Let's go out and see."
They walked a few steps before realizing Zhu Xiuer hadn't followed.
Looking back, she stood still, as if in a daze.
Lady Ying asked with concern: "What's wrong?"
Since learning of Zhu Xiuer's background, she had felt particularly sorry for this young woman who had been trafficked.
Zhu Xiuer shook her head again and silently followed.
The bandit outside shouted three times before He Chunhua came out and stood on the west side of the midline, asking: "What's the matter?"
"I'm not talking to you, official!" the bandit said.
"Who is Zhu Xiuer?"
Among the group, there were only three women.
Besides Lady Ying and Qian Ma, everyone instinctively turned to look at Zhu Xiuer.
"You're Zhu Shi!" The bandit pointed to a high place: "Look, what's that?"
The village was low-lying, and the west side was higher.
The bandit was pointing to the winding mountain road to the west, which was at least fifteen zhang above the ground.
The cliff face was bare, with nothing on it.
(End of Chapter)