Chapter 00275: Each Unleashes Their Means (For Daily Wage, Extra Update)
# Each Unleashes Their Means (For Daily Wage, Extra Update)
Chapter 275
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 275: Each Unleashes Their Means (For Daily Wage, Extra Update)
In this operation, He Lingchuan felt that there was nothing that couldn’t be discussed, which was why he sent this straightforward person over.
Of course, it was also because Jiao Tai had the best ability to determine directions in the wilderness.
If the old man was determined to strike, he needed a reliable person to lead the way.
At this moment, Elder Liang from the Chuan Yun Pavilion had also arrived and took a seat to listen.
When Jiao Tai mentioned that the remaining troops of the Xunzhou cavalry were hiding in the abandoned mine and that they possessed gunpowder and had found a back entrance to the mine, He Chunhua couldn’t help but repeatedly exclaim “Good,” slapping the table and standing up. “Do you still remember the way to the mine?”
“Of course I do!”
He Chunhua could finally make a decision: “You lead the way; we’ll set off immediately!” As he spoke, he felt a sense of relief in his heart and turned to Elder Liang, saying, “I’ll be relying on Elder Liang here at Xinhang.”
“Nothing to worry about.” Elder Liang gestured for a disciple beside him to translate, “Chuan Yun Pavilion is willing to exert our humble strength.”
At that moment, He Chunhua ordered the entire army to prepare.
Fifteen minutes later, He Chunhua personally led a team of twelve hundred people west out of Xinhang, heading straight for the abandoned mine in Bailu Town.
Wu Shaoyi stayed behind with five hundred men to guard the Xinhang garrison, assisted by Elder Liang from the Chuan Yun Pavilion.
…
At the abandoned mine, Hong Chengluo was eating, taking bites of cornbread and sips of hot water, devouring his food ravenously.
The cornbread was rough and a bit dry, almost choking him.
Yet, Hong Chengluo found it quite delicious; it was the best bread he had eaten in the past two months.
As the cornbread filled his stomach, it combined perfectly with the hot water to give him a fulfilling sense of satisfaction.
On the table lay half a golden roasted wild chicken.
Although the feathers weren't completely plucked and the skin was a bit charred, the soldier who was temporarily acting as the cook had done his best.
Hong Chengluo didn’t touch the roasted chicken; instead, he picked it up and took it to Bai Li Qing’s sickroom.
The general was still in a deep stupor.
The officer attending to him stood up when he saw Hong Chengluo enter.
Hong Chengluo waved his hand, “No need to be formal. How is General Bai Li?”
“He’s recovering well; he should wake up soon.”
Hong Chengluo placed the roasted chicken on the table. “When General Bai Li wakes up, heat it up for him to eat.”
“Understood.”
He relinquished his share of the meal, which made the officer think he was trying to win favor, so he didn’t even say a word of acknowledgment.
Originally, the officer had been promoted by Bai Li Qing.
At this moment, hurried footsteps sounded from outside, and a soldier rushed in, panting, “General Hong...!”
Hong Chengluo raised his hand to stop him and stepped outside to the open space. “Come here and speak; don’t wake General Bai Li.”
Seeing something was amiss, the other officers gathered around.
“A large number of troops from the Xiazhou army have appeared at the foot of the mountain, about nine hundred or a thousand men. It seems they are searching the mountains and are roughly heading this way!”
Hearing this, everyone’s scalp went numb.
Could it be that the Xiazhou army was indeed relentless in their pursuit?
Coincidentally, the second scout they sent to Bailu Town had returned at this time, reporting that the first scout had been killed in Hong Chengluo’s empty house! And according to reports from the townspeople, there were indeed people from Xiazhou coming to inquire about last night’s events.
Hong Chengluo’s worries had been confirmed.
The two officers looked to Hong Chengluo first, feeling a twinge of regret.
If they had retreated in the afternoon…
Everyone waited for Hong Chengluo’s decision.
His face was grim as he decisively said, “Xu Yingsian, Tao Ze, you two follow me to divert the Xiazhou army!”
He then turned to the other two officers. “You stay behind to look after General Bai Li and the wounded brothers. If we cannot hold them off, you evacuate to Xinqiao Township.”
As the commanding officer gave the order in crisis, the two immediately accepted their commands.
The soldiers felt a sense of admiration in their hearts.
Fortunately, the Xunzhou cavalry had developed the habit of being always prepared for battle, ready to go at a moment’s notice.
In less than fifteen minutes, they were all mounted and equipped, ready to set off.
Thus, Hong Chengluo left fifty men to guard the abandoned mine and hurriedly set off with two hundred seventy or eighty men.
After running more than two hundred paces, there was no sign of the enemy.
Continuing along the mountain path for another two to three hundred paces, still no enemy in sight.
It wasn’t until they were near the foot of the mountain that a sentry rushed over, reporting that the Xiazhou army had turned north.
What was north? No one knew.
So, if the Xiazhou army was really not coming… the soldiers looked eagerly at Hong Chengluo, who whispered to Tao Ze a few words before assigning thirty men to him.
This thirty-man team headed back.
What to do now?
Hong Chengluo waved his hand, “Pass my order: the whole army heads east to Xinhang!”
The soldiers were stunned.
“What?”
Hong Chengluo shot them a stern glance. “Are you not going to give the order?”
One soldier foolishly asked, “Do we need to send a message back to the mine?”
Xu Yingsian tugged at him, “The commanding officer has given an order; we follow it without complicating matters!”
The close to three hundred cavalry immediately set off east, neither returning to the mine nor sending messages back.
Seeing Hong Chengluo leading the way without anyone beside him, Wu Qing rode up to him and asked, “Do you have something in mind, General Hong?”
Hong Chengluo didn’t even lift his eyelids. “What?”
“You’ve avoided taking the shortest route to Xinhang.” Wu Qing, who traded in the north and understood the local terrain, continued, “This way, we’ll take about another half an hour.”
“But it’s safer.”
Wu Qing was startled, thinking for a moment before saying, “You mean that route has been occupied? Is it… the Xiazhou army?”
This was Xiazhou territory.
Naturally, He Lingchuan’s army could march with confidence while they had to sneak around.
Hong Chengluo glanced at him. “Boss Wu is clever; Nian Zanli should invite you to be his adviser.”
“Don’t, I’m inherently lazy and unrestrained.”
“The scout sent out has not returned; I suspect he was caught. Thus, we must prepare for the possibility that our hiding place has been compromised. The safest way is to change locations, but Bai Li Qing’s subordinates don’t agree.”
“If I were He Chunhua and learned that the Xunzhou troops were hiding in the abandoned mine at Bailu Town, he would most likely send troops to eradicate us,” Hong Chengluo said slowly. “This man is seeking fame and fortune; coming to Xiazhou is mainly to gain notoriety and promotion. I burned ten thousand stone of his rations; he would have difficulty addressing that at the front lines and even harder to explain back at the state capital—he would certainly feel his face would be wiped clean.”
“You also know the situation here in Xiazhou, dominated for years by the four noble clans. He Chunhua worked hard to establish a foothold here with two victories. If he returns like this, his reputation will at least be cut in half, and it won’t be so easy to control military and political affairs in the future.”
Wu Qing laughed, “Yes, just wait for the time the four noble clans to pull the leg out from under him.”
“Moreover, even if he doesn’t come looking for us now, we may still have to intercept his supply convoy later. The rocky beaches to the north of Xinhang are very suitable for ambushes. Therefore, he must take this opportunity to rectify his position. If he finds out about our whereabouts, he certainly cannot let this opportunity slip.” Hong Chengluo gripped the reins, sitting casually yet with a tone filled with killing intent, “I’m just fulfilling his wish.”
Wu Qing's smile faded slightly.
General Hong was treating Bai Li Qing and his two subordinates, along with the nearly a hundred old, weak, ill, and disabled, as bait! When He Chunhua led his troops to take the bait, the rear would definitely be left empty, leaving General Hong free to burn the rations in Xinhang!
This calculated move was indeed ruthless.
The Xiazhou army had injured so many Xunzhou cavalry, thinking they would turn into a burden for Hong Chengluo, but in the end, they had become bait enticing them to the trap.
However, Hong Chengluo’s treatment of Bai Li Qing and his two subordinate commanders was quite harsh.
Wu Qing understood the military orders from Nian Zanli; Bai Li Qing originally commanded the Xunzhou cavalry that now suddenly had Hong Chengluo parachuted in to take command away from him.
Bai Li Qing was resentful and had not gotten along well with Hong Chengluo in recent days.
On another level, He Chunhua was removing these disobedient leaders and the weak and ill, allowing Bai Li Qing to take over the Xunzhou cavalry more justifiably—the army should only heed a single voice.
Wu Qing thought Hong Chengluo might use some soft-handed tactics, but it seemed he lacked that kind of patience.
…
He Lingchuan was sleeping soundly when suddenly someone patted his shoulder.
“Eldest Young Master, wake up!”
He Lingchuan shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “What’s wrong?” He hadn’t dreamt of Panlong City, so he felt uninterested.
“Something’s happening below,” Mao Tao quietly said, “It seems there are troop movements.” The Eldest Young Master was also a deep sleeper, using a bundle of clothes as a pillow, sleeping soundly on the ground without a care.
His sleep quality was extraordinary.
Unbeknownst to him, He Lingchuan had been patrolling in the Panlong dream realm, accustomed to sleeping rough in the wild.
“Troop movements?” He Lingchuan instantly awakened. “How many people?”
“Their horses, which were originally left in the woods, have now mostly been brought back and saddled.”
Where could they be going? He Lingchuan’s eyes turned as he thought, could it be that Hong Chengluo intended to go out to raid supplies?
He must have gathered enough rations from defeating Wu Shaoyi, so there was no shortage in the short term, even having surplus to share with the townspeople of Bailu; could he be raiding for medicine?
That wouldn’t require such a large number of troops.
Could it be?
Dan Youjun quietly remarked, “These guys aren’t planning to retreat, are they?”
“It’s possible.” He Lingchuan considered, “After all, the scouts they sent to Bailu Town have yet to return. Perhaps this Hong fellow is just that cautious.”
The three decided to follow along.
However, the next move by the Xunzhou people left He Lingchuan somewhat confused:
The main force quickly mounted up and set off in a hurry.
Yet the sulfur soldiers surrounding the mine did not withdraw; Mao Tao went to scout again and reported that there were still many people below.
There were still quite a few left.
So, were they not planning to move and set up camp elsewhere?
But where were the more than two hundred Xunzhou cavalry heading?
The three quietly retreated, leading their horses and stealthily following.
The main troop of the Xunzhou army went down the mountain, seemingly making a half-circle, without anyone knowing what they intended to do.
As the sky darkened and the forest grew increasingly dim, it became more challenging for Mao Tao to trace the footprints left by the vanguard, such as hoof prints and feces.
He Lingchuan unconsciously grasped “Fusheng,” finding that the coldness from the hilt aided his thinking.
At that moment, he suddenly felt a palpitation, as if a tremendous crisis was descending upon him.
He Lingchuan’s ears perked up; it felt like he could hear suppressed breathing in the silent wilderness, and it wasn’t just one person!
He couldn't help but shout, “Be careful!”
As soon as the words left his mouth, an arrow came flying from the sky, shooting towards Mao Tao with a whoosh.
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(End of Chapter)