The Glory After Rebirth [ɇÇ”Ÿä¹‹Å°Šè£] Chapter 442- 444

Chapter 442: They Want Us to Steal for Them

“What happened, Father? And what’s that in your hand?”

At the sight of Mr. Tao storming back home with anger written all over his face, Tao Xiaomei hurried up to him, offering to hold his bag for him.

Mr. Tao declined her offer. Gripping the bad, he huffed, “Close the front gates and go inside. I’ll tell you later.”

Tao Xiaomei hastily went to shut the front gates and then called Mrs. Tao, Wang Sheng and Stonie into the house. As soon as the whole family were inside the house, Tao Xiaomei closed the doors and they all clustered around Mr. Tao.

Looking at the bag on the table, Wang Sheng walked over and opened it only to find that inside it were clothes, all of which were black. There were also some black cloth masks. Surprised by these things, Wang Sheng asked, “Where did you get these clothes, Father-in-law?”

Mr. Tao smoldered for quite a while before he replied, “That unfilial son of mine gave these to me. I’m not the only one. Every family in this village received a bag of this kind of stuff. Those people said all of us are to change into these clothes and wear the black masks tomorrow. You know what they want us to do? They want us to steal for them! I always knew those people harbor evil intentions and would lead everyone in this village to their doom, but the village head and the others wouldn’t listen to me. They even colluded with them and killed all those who tried to flee this village. Those conscienceless bastards!”

Wang Sheng was taken aback. Those people wanted them to put on these black clothes and masks and then transfer their goods out of the village for them? He knew some inside information and was aware that those people of the caravan didn’t have any contacts whatsoever in the army of the imperial court, that it was the rebel forces in Jiangzhou that they were in cahoots with! If the villagers charged onto the battlefield clothed in this kind of outfits, they would only end up being killed by the troops of the imperial court before they could explain themselves! This was such a venomous stratagem. Those people were sending the villagers on an apparently suicidal mission!

This was bad. He needed to tell this to the couple of men that had slipped into this village as soon as possible.

Wang Sheng was anxious, but he was the only one knowing about the couple of men’s infiltration into this village. It was inconvenient to make contact with them during daytime, so he’d have to wait until night fell.

“Father-in-law, did they mention at what time they’ll make their move tomorrow?”

Mr. Tao responded, “They said they’d do it tomorrow afternoon. The weather hasn’t been very good lately. Tomorrow’s going to be a cloudy day, and there might even be some rain.”

Rain? That would make the situation even more troublesome. Those thugs had actually thought of taking advantage of the weather. The army of the imperial court would have a difficult job catching them in a cloudy and rainy day. Those ruffians were such wily old foxes!

“Don’t worry, Father-in-law. For the moment we may just stick to our plan. In no circumstances should we join those criminals to work against the army of the imperial court tomorrow.”

With a grave look on his face, Mr. Tao inclined his head. “I’ll tell the others at dusk. Wang Sheng, are those people you mentioned really going to protect us?”

Wang Sheng replied, “Yeah. I trust them. All we need to do is follow the plan.”

On hearing this, Mr. Tao dismissed his misgivings and decided to go out to inform the others at nightfall.

At dusk, Mr. Tao did leave home, but he didn’t go far away and just paid a visit to a nearby family, saying that he needed to borrow some soy sauce to sauté food. In the kitchen, he took advantage of the opportunity and had a word with his old bosom buddy, dropping a hint to him.

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng quietly went to a secluded spot in the back yard. On the surface he seemed to be stacking firewood, but actually he was talking with Yao Yi.

Wang Sheng related that Mr. Tao had received a bag of clothes during the day, that the villagers had been required to change into those outfits and use black cloth to cover their faces.

Yao Yi said, “I saw it in another place earlier this day. They don’t dare reveal their true identities and could only pose as rebels. The villagers here will be their human shields. Tomorrow, I want you to take all your family and…”

Yao Yi expounded to Wang Sheng his plan for the next afternoon, the latter’s face gradually softening as he listened. When Yao Yi had stopped speaking, Wang Sheng said with a serious inclination of the head, “You may rest assured that I’ll get it done.”

“By the way, tell your wife that tomorrow, in order to make it more convenient to carry out the plan, one of my men will disguise himself as her and join you. Make sure your son stays close to that man. We’ll keep him safe,” said Yao Yi.

Wang Sheng was delighted. “Okay. I will. Thank you, Captain!”

The safety of his wife and son was what concerned Wang Sheng the most. Now that his wife wouldn’t have to go to the battlefield and his son would be under protection, he found this plan perfect.

Though overjoyed, Wang Sheng didn’t forget to mention to Yao Yi that it might rain the next day.

Yao Yi, who had made an educated guess about the next day’s weather already, replied, “I know. All you need to do tomorrow is follow the plan.”

Relieved, Wang Sheng put the firewood in place and then hastened back to the front yard. Late that night, he woke up Tao Xiaomei and told her everything.

Tao Xiaomei was shocked, but she’d always known part of the reason why this time around they’d come back to this village, so she soon collected herself.

“What am I supposed to do, darling? Can’t I take Stonie with me?”

Wang Sheng answered, “They’ll secretly get you out of this village and take you to Xiaofeng Village, where you’ll be waiting for us. Stonie can’t go with you. If he does, those people will notice and become suspicious.”

In her anxiety, Tao Xiaomei asked Wang Sheng to beg Yao Yi and the others to let her son go with her.

“Pull yourself together, Xiaomei. Stonie’s sudden disappearance would rouse those people’s suspicions. In that case, not only me but also your parents will be killed.”

Wang Sheng’s words cooled Tao Xiaomei off. It was a long moment before she, fighting back her tears, said, “I see. I’ll wait for you in Xiaofeng Village. When will that man come here to impersonate me?”

“Now,” replied Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng had just finished speaking when the door of the bedroom slightly moved.

Tao Xiaomei was taken aback. Wang Sheng put a finger to his lips. “Sh.”

Then he hissed, “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” said Yao Yi’s voice.

Wang Sheng heaved a sigh of relief and told Tao Xiaomei to relax, saying that the one outside was their helper.

Yao Yi walked inside and up to them, acknowledged Tao Xiaomei with a slight inclination of the head and then said to Wang Sheng, “We may get started if you’re ready.”

Wang Sheng said, “We’re ready. What do we have to do?”

Yao Yi said to them, “Wait a moment.”

Soon another two men entered, quickly covered all windows in the room with thick black fabric, and then did the same thing to the door. After checking that no light could leak out, they lighted the oil lamp in the room.

Yao Yi said to Tao Xiaomei, “Please come here and take a seat. And, what I’m going to do might strike you as a little offensive.”

Troubled and uneasy, Tao Xiaomei sat beside the table. Yao Yi put on a pair of thin black gloves made of a kind of special material, walked up to Tao Xiaomei, reached out a hand to hold her head steady, and then felt her parietal bone, cheekbones, temporal bones, nasal bone, maxilla and jawbone with his other hand. Having got the information he needed about her face, he took his hands off her.

Yao Yi and the other two men were all in disguise. Their features had been altered, but what with the poise in their eyes, Tao Xiaomei and Wang Sheng didn’t dare speak. Tao Xiaomei was quite nervous when Yao Yi checked her face. When Yao Yi had taken his hands off her, she gave a gasp of relief.

“Sorry. In order to impersonate you, I need to get detailed information about the contours of your face,” said Yao Yi.

Tao Xiaomei and Wang Sheng saw Yao Yi call a young man up to him, have him sit down in the brightest spot and then open a chest he’d carried into the room.

Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei exchanged apprehensive glances, having no idea what Yao Yi was going to do.

The guard sitting beside the oil lamp was about Tao Xiaomei’s height. He was sitting there quietly, waiting for Yao Yi to disguise him.

When Yao Yi started to disguise the guard, Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei were both thunderstruck. Firstly, they’d never seen this kind of disguise skills before; secondly, this guard was a man, and Tao Xiaomei was a woman.

“Captain, are–are you sure this will work? My wife’s a woman, and thi–this gentleman here is a man. They’ll see through it,” said Wang Sheng, a look of surprise and incredulity on his face.

“Relax. Nobody’s going to see through it,” replied Yao Yi calmly.

Wang Sheng and Tao Xiaomei were both fretful, but neither of them dared move. Yao Yi kept working on the guard’s face, occasionally glancing at Tao Xiaomei to confirm something, but most of the time he was quite confident.

After about two hours, the guard’s face and hairstyle looked exactly the same as Tao Xiaomei’s.

Tao Xiaomei clapped her hands to her mouth, staring fixedly at the guard’s face, fearing that she might dissolve into scream.

Wang Sheng was also dumbstruck. He had once heard that some people in Jianghu had divine disguise skills, but he’d always believed that it was a wild exaggeration. It’d never crossed his mind that one day he’d be able to see it with his own eyes.

“It’s not finished yet.”

Yao Yi began to work on the Adam’s apple of the guard. When he’d finished, the guard was nothing short of Tao Xiaomei’s doppelganger. The guard was slimmer than Tao Xiaomei, his neck considerably thinner than hers, but after Yao Yi disguised him, their necks appeared the same.

“Now bring me a set of clothes of yours, the kind you wear at ordinary times,” Yao Yi said to Tao Xiaomei.

Bobbing her head, Tao Xiaomei immediately rose to her feet and went to the wardrobe, tense and excited, unable to believe what she’d just seen. Her hands were still shaking as she rifled through her clothes.

The guard changed into Tao Xiaomei’s clothes and then stuffed something into his bosom. After that, he and Tao Xiaomei looked as though they were cut from the same cloth.

“Done. My man will stay here impersonating Tao Xiaomei. Tomorrow he’ll go to the battlefield with you. Now come with us, Tao Xiaomei. Do not make any sound on the way out. I’ll hit your Dumbness Acupoint, just in case, but don’t worry, I’ll undo it when we’re out of this village,” said Yao Yi.

Having seen what Yao Yi could do with his superb disguise skills, Tao Xiaomei and Wang Sheng now had absolute and complete trust in Yao Yi, so they agreed without a second thought.

“Promise me you’ll keep our son and my parents safe, darling,” Tao Xiaomei said to Wang Sheng at the moment of parting.

Wang Sheng held her hands. “I promise they’ll stay alive as long as I still draw breath.”

“Let’s go. I have to return to this village before daybreak after getting you out,” urged Yao Yi.

Tao Xiaomei appeared reluctant. Wang Sheng clenched his teeth and walked her out of the room. And then Yao Yi struck her Dumbness Acupoint and took her away.

The fake Tao Xiaomei said to Wang Sheng, “There’s still some time before dawn and you may catch up on your sleep, but first I need you to tell me all the details about your wife’s dealings with your other family members.”

His voice was also the same as Tao Xiaomei’s, which startled Wang Sheng, who for an instant mistakenly believed that his wife was still in the room. Cold sweat breaking out over his back due to the shock, he tremulously filled the guard in on Tao Xiaomei’s usual manner and her attitude towards Stonie, Mr. and Mrs. Tao down to the smallest detail.

Chapter 443: An Ambush

Wang Sheng’s mouth was almost dry from the long talk. When lying back onto his bed, he still felt that what was happening was somewhat unreal, so he stole a glance at the guard impersonating Tao Xiaomei, bewilderedly wondering if he was in a dream.

“What’s the matter?” asked the guard, who was resting his mind with his eyes closed. He knew that Wang Sheng was looking at him, though he didn’t open his eyes.

The man’s voice made Wang Sheng jump, jerking him out of his trance. “Nothing, nothing. You may continue.”

Wang Sheng hastily shut his eyes, not daring to let his mind wander again.

The next day, after daybreak, Wang Sheng and the guard walked out of the bedroom and started doing household chores as usual, pretending nothing had happened. Mr. and Mrs. Tao and their grandson, Stonie, all didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary about ‘Tao Xiaomei’. Secretly relieved, Wang Sheng was once again awed by the miraculousness of the disguise skills and also astonished that the guard could actually speak in a female voice.

As noon drew near, the atmosphere in the house grew increasingly stressed and subdued. Wang Sheng drummed it into Stonie that he was to stay close to ‘Tao Xiaomei’ at all times, that on no account should he lag behind. His words made Stonie quite nervous and even faintly scared.

The guard drew the boy over and consoled him, “There’s no need to be nervous. Just stay close to me.”

Stonie looked up at the guard, finding the tone of ‘his mother’ somewhat strange, but there seemed to be some kind of power contained in those words, which struck him as reassuring. The boy nodded vigorously.

Wang Sheng also cautioned Mr. and Mrs. Tao about what they needed to do. The old couple also repeatedly promised they wouldn’t forget.

In comparison with the stressed and subdued mood in the Tao family, the atmosphere outside was one of excitement and expectation. A lot of people were anticipating the arrival of that moment.

After lunch, when every member of the Tao family’s nerves were on edge, someone knocked on their door. It was a man who came to check whether or not they’d changed. He also told them to get ready to go to the village square to assemble at a moment’s notice.

Mr. and Mrs. Tao were walking in front, Wang Sheng and the guard following in their wake, taking Stonie with them. As they exited the courtyard, they found that all the other villagers were also headed in the direction of the square.

The square was sited in the midmost of the village, in front of the village head’s residence.

Most villagers had already arrived, the village head standing at the front. Members of the caravan were also present, all clothed in skintight black outfits, eyeing the villagers ferociously. Everybody on the square was dressed in black. The large black crowd struck people as some kind of bad omen.

“Is everybody here now?” asked the village head aloud. “Next you’re to help our honored guest transport his goods to the checkpoint. If we get the job done, our honored guest will give us everything he promised us, and we’ll never have to worry about the sale of our pottery or food or money again. This is a godsend for Taowang Village. You must accomplish the task!”

“Yes!” Many of the villagers were fanatical supporters of the village head, but there were also some who, like the Tao family, agreed to help because they didn’t have a choice.

Wang Sheng’s eyes swept across the village head’s face and then rested on the so-called ‘honored guest’ standing before the village head. He knew that that man was the very person his boss was looking for. The man’s bushy beard obscured more than half of his face, making it impossible for others to get a clear view of his features. He seemed to be… much stronger than his father-in-law had said he was. Even the man’s eyes, which his father-in-law had described as “mild”, appeared quite fierce at this moment. Wang Sheng couldn’t help but feel worried, unsure whether he’d got the wrong person.

He nervously asked the guard impersonating Tao Xiaomei, “Sir, do you think it’s possible that we got the wrong person?”

Got the wrong person? The guard asked Wang Sheng what he meant and the latter explained to him. Then the guard said, “He’s wearing disguise.”

Light suddenly dawned on Wang Sheng. “Just like you?”

The guard replied with a slight nod, “Don’t look at me again, and don’t speak unless you have to. Be careful not to rouse their suspicions.”

Wang Sheng hastened to shut his mouth, not daring to utter another word.

The villagers finished assembling. Almost the whole village were present. Young children who were unable to keep pace with the adults were staying, but all those over ten years old were going.

“All right. Now follow the instructions. Go there to carry the goods.”

…

Outside the village.

“Childe Ling, they’re making their move.”

Ling Zhang said with a head bob, “Tell everybody to get ready.”

“Yes, Childe Ling.”

Meanwhile, there was an escalation in the activities of the rebel soldiers stationed near the checkpoint in Jiangzhou. The army of the imperial court, under orders from the General Zhongwu (AKA the General of Loyalty and Valor), had mobilized, poised to attack.

It was now afternoon and the sky began to darken, threatening rain.

Finally, some movements broke the semblance of quiet of Taowang Village. Distantly, Ling Zhang and the others could see a group of masked villagers in black walking out of the entrance of the village, who were carrying bags on their backs or shoulders or pushing wheelbarrows laden with goods.

“Hidden among those goods is gold. We’ve confirmed it.”

Yao Yi had returned from inside Taowang Village after he found solid proof that concealed amid those goods were indeed the gold ingots which they’d always conjectured Shan Congyi would transport to Jiangzhou.

The look in Ling Zhang’s eyes went cold. Staring at those musclemen from the Wan Kingdom who were going out with the villagers, he said, “Good. Now that they’ve come, we’re not letting them return.”

…

Those were not common goods at all and were all very heavy, and all the villagers were having a tough time transferring them, but anybody lagging behind would be dressed down and whipped by the musclemen. Worse still, their fellow-villagers would hurl abuse at them too.

“These bastards.” Mr. Tao muttered a curse. “How could they do this to their fellow-villagers? Their conscience must’ve been eaten by dogs.”

Seeing some people were being insulted by their fellow-villagers, Mr. Tao was consumed with anger and intended to stick up for them.

Wang Sheng hurriedly seized his arm to stop him. “Calm down, Father-in-law. We can’t afford to get ourselves into any trouble at this point in time.”

Those musclemen were keeping close watch on them. If Mr. Tao walked up to and confronted those who were insulting their fellow-villagers, it wouldn’t make any difference and would only serve to attract those musclemen’s attention. If things came to that, it would be very difficult for them to carry out their plan.

Teeth clenched, Mr. Tao hesitated for quite a while before he resignedly gave up. Of advanced years and having much less physical strength than he used to have when in the prime of life, he wouldn’t be able to last long if he carried a bag of goods on his shoulder, so he, along with his wife, his ‘daughter’ and his grandson, were pushing a handcart, which was also fully loaded with goods. The ‘Tao Xiaomei’ accompanying them was a fake and had great strength. Because of his secret help, Mr. and Mrs. Tao hardly needed to exert themselves. Still, the guard had to do it covertly lest anybody become suspicious.

Wang Sheng, who was carrying a bag on his back, was progressing much more strenuously, hunched from the effort.

Hidden among these goods were heavy, solid, gold ingots.

The residents of Taowang Village were proceeding arduously. Ling Zhang and his men were tailing them, maintaining a long distance from them, subduing their rage and urges to kill those people from the Wan Kingdom, waiting for them to walk into the trap that had been laid for them.

The team traveled for a very long time. Dark clouds began to mass on the horizon, gusts of wind picking up, thunder rumbling in the sky. This kind of weather, naturally, lowered the visibility considerably, and the villagers had no choice but to slow down. The musclemen from the Wan Kingdom started to hurry them. “Move faster if you value your lives!”

From their fierce tones of voice and their whips, even a fool could tell that they were by no means common musclemen working for a caravan. Those villagers who’d been hoodwinked by the village head’s promises and the money the caravan had offered them gradually came to realize the truth, but those musclemen holding whips looked as ruthless as cacodemons capable of killing people, rendering the villagers too afraid to resist.

“Make them go faster.” Shan Congyi glanced in the direction of the wood beside Xiaofeng Village which was not far away, raised his head to look up into the sky from which rain was about to drop, and then impassively instructed the man beside him to press the villagers.

“Yes,” the henchman answered before pivoting around to whip the villager closest to him. “Hurry up, all of you! Whoever lags behind shall be beaten to death! Move faster!”

With another stroke of his whip, a villager’s pained cry was heard.

Ling Zhang in the distance clenched his fists, anger smoldering in his eyes. Suppressing his fury, he hissed, “Get ready, everybody. We make our move as soon as they enter the wood.”

“Yes, Childe Ling!”

…

“General, the rebel army of Jiangzhou is mounting an attack!”

“Then we fight back!”

“Yes, Childe Ling!”

The neigh of warhorses and the beating of war drums filled the air at the same time. The vibrant drumbeat was resounding around the whole space, making people feel as though it were their hearts that the drummers were beating. Rain also started falling callously from the sky at this moment. The heavy shower poured down, splattering against the ground. The large group of residents of Taowang Village were astounded by the atmosphere, fear spreading among them.

“Move, move! Faster! All of you!” The musclemen began to lash the villagers mercilessly. The war had commenced. If they were to successfully transport the gold into Jiangzhou, they must quicken their pace and take advantage of the gap that the rebel army of Jiangzhou had opened up for them in the enemy’s defensive line.

…

“They’re entering the wood. Get ready, brothers!”

As Wang Dashan gave the order, all twenty-four bodyguards took action and with that a large-scale smokescreen formation sharpened by the advantageous weather and terrain was immediately activated!

Apart from the leaden sky, the howling wind and the elemental fury of the rainstorm, Shan Congyi and his men, after entering the wood, found themselves faced with thick fog as well, which was making it difficult for them to tell the direction.

Eyelids twitching uncontrollably, Shan Congyi had a sense of foreboding that something was wrong. “What’s going on?! How come there’s fog coming in at this hour?!”

The village head of Taowang Village was grabbed and marched out of the crowd. Soaking wet with rain, the village head cutting a sorry figure finally felt fear as he was brought to Shan Congyi. Trembling all over, he said, “I–I have no idea either. Never has anything this weird happened in this wood before. I can’t remember a single occasion when fog closed in at this hour.”

The musclemen brought several villagers to Shang Congyi in succession and questioned them, but they all said that they didn’t have a clue what was going on, their faces etched with horror.

Shan Congyi, who didn’t think any of these villagers had the guts to lie to him, believed that the cause of this fog was indeed a mystery to all of them. At this juncture, even the slightest delay could lead to the failure of his plan.

“Find someone familiar with this wood to lead the way. I’m a prince, and these people will get my goods through this wood, even if they have to crawl!” said Shan Congyi through gritted teeth.

“Yes!” his musclemen chorused and then began to force the village head to find someone who had an intimate knowledge of this area.

The village head, whose hands started shaking violently as he heard Shan Congyi call himself ‘a prince’, told the musclemen which one of the villagers was familiar with this wood immediately after they pressed him.

“What a gutless coward.” Mr. Tao was beside himself with rage.

Wang Sheng looked around him. He was uncertain as to what kind of situation they were in either, but he had a sneaking suspicion that they might have entered the ‘trap’.

“This fog is going to thicken. You need to take advantage of this opportunity to get your parents and all those willing to go with you out of this place. I’ll tell you which direction to run. Now go and gather them. Hurry,” said the guard disguised as Tao Xiaomei.

Wang Sheng hurriedly dropped the bag, grabbed Stonie’s hand and said to Mr. and Mrs. Tao, “Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, it’s time to go.”

Mr. Tao came to himself, released his grip on the handles of the handcart, raised his arm and called, “Brother San, bring the others here! Hurry!”

Chapter 444: A Closed-Quarters Fight- A Violent Explosion

The one addressed as ‘Brother San’ was not far away from them, and this was also part of their plan. A quick-witted man, he immediately called out to his companions, “Hurry! All those at the meeting last night, come here right away! It’s time to go! Remove your masks!”

“What are you doing?!” A muscleman from the Wan Kingdom marched over and swung his whip at the villagers, but some men in black suddenly materialized and stopped him.

The expression in Shan Congyi’s eyes instantly went cold at the abrupt change of situation. “Shit! It’s an ambush! Everybody stay alert!” he bawled.

“Protect His Highness!”

The musclemen quickly clustered around Shan Congyi. Wang Sheng and his parents-in-law were immediately rid of the pressure of imminent danger and, leading the group of villagers, hastened in the direction that the guard had told him to go.

“Just keep running in that direction. Do not stop.”

“Okay. Stonie, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, follow me! Hurry!”

Wang Sheng, gripping Stonie’s wrist and protecting his parents-in-law, started running in the direction that the guard had told him, the others following in his wake. As the fog thickened, more villagers caught on to the situation and fled in that direction.

All those engulfed by the thickening fog before they could run were the ones that had chosen to serve Shan Congyi at the very beginning. These people were the most fanatical and had been blinded by money. They, along with the village head, had unconscionably persecuted a lot of fellow-villagers of theirs. They were monsters, and Ling Zhang would never save any of them.

The fog wouldn’t last long. What with the rainstorm which was gathering strength and the roaring wind, it would be only a Joss-stick (a unit of time used in feudal China; how long it takes for a joss stick to burn itself out) before the fog lifted, but it was enough for those deserving of survival to escape. None of those who stayed in the wood was innocent.

Looking at those panic-stricken people in the fog with wintry eyes, Ling Zhang instructed flintily, “Do it.”

“Yes, Childe Ling!”

…

Before the fog dispersed, the fighting was virtually a ruthless massacre.

All those who’d mutilated their fellow-villagers, along with the group of conscienceless bastards from the Wan Kingdom whom they worked hand in glove with, died by the sabers of Ling Zhang’s men.

“Identify yourselves!” bellowed Shan Congyi, casting glances about in alarm.

He’d cautiously had everything planned out before coming to this county, and had even scouted out the lay of the land of every village before selecting Taowang Village to be his hideout. He was positive nobody would be able to find out about his true identity. What had he done wrong exactly? How had these people found him? Now he was trapped in this fog like a turtle in a pot.

When those musclemen gathered around Shan Congyi guarding against potential attack from killers hiding in the fog, the thick fog finally began to lift, allowing them to see the enemies in the hiding.

“Kill them!”

“Take no prisoners. Kill each and every single one of these bandits and rebels who dare make trouble under the watch of the imperial court’s army!”

The two groups of men engaged, fighting at close quarters. Shan Congyi and his men knew very well they were neither bandits nor rebels, but they didn’t dare blow their cover in these circumstances. Having no choice, they clenched their teeth and fought those men.

“Things are going south, Your Highness. We need to get out of here as soon as possible!” said Shang Congyi’s henchman.

Shan Congyi glanced in the direction of Jiangzhou and replied through gritted teeth, “Let’s flee this place first.”

…

The fight was getting increasingly intense, and Shan Congyi’s men was downed one after another.

They were unable to extricate themselves from this wood which was like a maze without any exits. Although the fog had dispersed, they still couldn’t find a way out. Several times they’d felt that the edge of the wood was right ahead of them, but when they’d got there, they’d found themselves faced with more trees.

They were completely trapped in this place, and their pursuers were making fools of them like a cat playing with a rat before killing it.

Shan Congyi was beside himself with fury. “Who are you exactly?! Why are you stooping so low?!”

“Stooping so low?” sneered Ling Zhang, standing on a tree branch.

His voice immediately struck Shan Congyi as familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he’d heard it before. “Who is it?!” he bawled.

He looked in the direction of the source of the sneer and saw a nondescript mustached young man standing on a tree, whom he’d never seen before.

“Who are you exactly? You’re clearly not soldiers of the Great Wen. Why did you stop us? We have no quarrel with you!” Shan Congyi had some time before noticed that these people were not troops of the army of the Great Wen, that they were more like killers working for some kind of non-government organization.

However, what he didn’t know was that although these people were not soldiers of the army sent by the imperial court, they were the most elite force under the command of the empress of the Great Wen. They always appeared without warning and disappeared without trace, and it seemed as though they could hold their sabers to Shan Congyi’s and his men’s throats at any moment!

“There’s no need for you to know about my identity. As subjects of the Great Wen, we’re obliged to rid our homeland of evil and crime. You bandits and ruffians are all going to die here,” said Ling Zhang.

By no means would he state the true identity of either of them. As Shan Congyi wanted to keep his doings secret, he would die in this place with his dark secrets!

“Have you any idea who I am?!” ranted Shan Congyi.

“You? You’re nothing but the leader of a bunch of bandits and thugs. You’re the culprit, which is why you deserve to die more than any of your men does,” responded Ling Zhang frostily.

“How dare you? I’m a prince of–”

“Ha! You’ve made yourself a prince? That’s yet another reason for you to die. There’s no point wasting any more time. Kill these mobsters!”

Shan Congyi was taken aback, for he finally came to realize that his enemies were not really in the dark about his identity! They knew very well who he was but still wanted to kill him!

Cold sweat breaking out over his back profusely, Shan Congyi finally came to know that it was no good trying to negotiate with these people, that he must escape!

“This way! Hurry!” Shan Congyi pointed in a direction and with that the musclemen from the Wan Kingdom, protecting him, rushed in that direction.

Standing languidly on a tree, Ling Zhang watched Shan Congyi and his men going round in circles in the area beneath him. They believed they were getting close to the edge of the wood, but in fact they were just running around like headless chickens.

Ling Zhang gave a wave of his hand and with that Yao Yi inclined his head, informed those beside him and they leaped off the tree together…

…

“AAAAAAARGH!”

The blood sticking to their blades was soon washed away by the rain, dropped onto the ground and mixed with the mud, losing its original color.

Shan Congyi had only four guards left now, all of whom were wounded. Even Shan Congyi himself was also injured. Gasping for air, he watchfully looked around. The rain was getting heavier, blurring their visions, making it difficult for them to hear the enemies’ movements. They were cornered and at the end of their rope.

“I have a hundred thousand taels of gold. If you let me go, I’ll give you all of it!”

Shan Congyi had no alternative but to resort to his last bargaining chip, intending to strike a deal and bargain for his life.

“A hundred thousand? That sounds like a lot of money, but unfortunately for you, I’ve already come to know where the gold is. Why should I let you go when the gold will be mine sooner or later?” Ling Zhang’s voice was heard once again.

What with his injury and the long cat-and-mouse game, Shan Congyi was somewhat groggy, but in this kind of dreamy state, he finally recalled where he’d heard a similar voice before. It was Ling Zhang!

“It’s you?! You’re Ling Zhang!”

Shan Congyi let out a roar, going berserk at the realization of his opponent’s identity, only too anxious to kill Ling Zhang.

“Ling Zhang? Who’s Ling Zhang? I think you’re losing your mind, you criminal. You can’t trick me by saying some random guy’s name. Actually you could’ve picked a famous one. It’s a waste of time to give a name nobody has ever heard of.”

Ling Zhang appeared quite unhurried, determined not to admit to his identity.

“He’s the empress of the Great Wen! How could you not know that?!”

“Is that so? Why is this my first time hearing that his name is Ling Zhang? Even if that is indeed his name, which is a big if, you’re just a criminal, the leader of a gang of bandits, and you’re in no position to refer to His Highness by his full name.”

Ling Zhang still looked quite at ease. “All right. Enough talking. Finish them off, boys!”

“Ling Zhang! I’m Prince Yi of the Wan Kingdom. Has it ever crossed your mind what consequences you’ll have to face if you have me killed in this place? You want another war?”

Shan Congyi panicked. He found it hard to believe that Ling Zhang really wanted him dead!

“Prince Yi? Never heard of it. I could tell at the mention of it that you made it up. Isn’t the Wan Kingdom an enemy state? I heard that your country lost the last war to the Great Wen. If there’s going to be another one, so be it. It’s no big deal,” replied Ling Zhang.

“You–!”

“AAARGH!” Another guard of Shan Congyi’s was killed.

One after another, the last four guards died by the sabers of killers in black before they knew it.

“Run, Your Highness. Run…”

“Run? He had his chance.”

Looking at the approaching killers, Shan Congyi kept backing off. “Ling Zhang! You’re such a maniac!”

“Ha.”

“Do you not want to know what’s going on in Jiangzhou?! Kill me and you’ll never find out! Your country is nourishing a tiger which will sooner or later devour its master! Spare my life and I’ll tell you what Wang Xiangxin is up to!”

“Is that so? Unlucky for you, I’ve already come to know what Wang Xiangxin is up to. Besides, he’ll join you in the underworld very soon.”

“It’s you! I knew it! Are you still going to deny it?!”

“I’m not, because you’re going to die soon anyway.”

Ling Zhang leaped off the tree and threw a palm strike, generating a gust of wind which shot at Shan Congyi like lightning.

Taken aback, Shan Congyi hastily took several steps sideways in an attempt to dodge the blow but was still hit by the gust of wind, the force of which dashed him against a tree trunk, reducing him to spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Kill him,” instructed Ling Zhang, standing where he was, looking at Shan Congyi who was a sorry sight and having trouble pulling himself to his feet.

A bodyguard of Ling Zhang’s, like a ghost, soundlessly closed in on Shan Congyi, who watched in horror as the bodyguard raised his saber. All of a sudden, Shan Congyi’s face instantly twisted and became murderous.

“You’ll have to die with me!”

“Watch out, Young Master!”

BOOM!

Shan Congyi produced a small black ball from his bosom. Nobody knew what it was, but it violently exploded as it hit the ground. Such was the force of the explosion that everything within a 50-meter radius was blown to pieces, gravel and dirt flying in all directions. Yao Yi rapidly whisked Ling Zhang away. The others also retreated in time.

The tree that Shan Congyi had leaned against a moment before had been reduced to ash, and his body seemed to have suffered the same fate.

When the ground stopped quaking, Ling Zhang hurried up to search that spot, but there was nothing left in that crater with a radius of fifty meters. It was as though the blast had devoured everything it’d come into contact with!

“Did any of you see Shan Congyi die or flee?” asked Ling Zhang coldly.

“None of us had a clear view of anything in that moment, but this wood is surrounded by the army of the imperial court, so it won’t be easy for Shan Congyi to escape. I’ll have them scour this area right away!”

Yao Yi immediately sent someone to deliver a message to the army of the imperial court on the periphery.

There was a circle of soldiers around this wood, whose job was to prevent Shan Congyi from escaping.

Ling Zhang gazed into the crater. There was a long cut on his arm caused by a piece of flying stone. It was very deep, and his arm had been covered with blood which was dripping onto the ground. There were also some scratches from flying gravel on his face. That blast just now had been so powerful. However, he had no idea whether Shan Congyi had been reduced to ash or fled in that moment.

Theoretically, given that Shan Congyi had been grievously wounded and at the center of the explosion, there was no way he could’ve survived in that instant, but Ling Zhang still felt that he wouldn’t be able to have complete peace of mind until he saw Shan Congyi’s dead body.

The surrounding circle was gradually contracting as the soldiers scrupulously combed the area. It took them more than an hour to finish the search and reach Ling Zhang’s position, but there was no sign of Shan Congyi’s survival.

“I think Shan Congyi is dead, Young Master. He couldn’t have survived that explosion.”

Ling Zhang slowly inclined his head. “Gather these bodies. Burn them after the rain stops.”

“Yes, Young Master. You’re hurt. You need to get that wound cleaned and bandaged as soon as possible.”