"Two hundred bandits disguised as villagers. Leader: General Lu. Weapons hidden in the Water Shrine."
The handwriting was extremely hurried and scrawled, clearly written in great haste.
He Lingchuan brought the paper to his nose and sniffed, catching the metallic tang of rust. "It's blood."
Those few words were plain and simple, yet horrifying in their meaning: the villagers were bandits in disguise, their leader was called General Lu, and they had concealed their weapons inside the Water Spirit Shrine.
Madam Ying gasped, clutching He Chunhua's arm as she breathed a low cry, "Husband!"
Her panic was unmasked.
Could they truly be so cursed by luck? A single night lodging out in the wilderness, and they had walked straight into a den of wolves?
It was an explosive revelation. Seeing the solemn expressions on his father and younger brother's faces, He Lingchuan rolled his eyes thoughtfully and said, "Dad, why not strike first to seize the initiative? It's only two hundred bandits—let's grab our weapons and take them down!"
"Fool!" He Chunhua glared at him. "If she says two hundred, does that make it two hundred? If she says bandits, does that make them bandits? Can we take the word of a mere village woman as fact?"
He turned to his personal guard, Zhao Qinghe. "Infiltrate the Water Spirit Shrine. If weapons are hidden there, find out how many."
Zhao Qinghe nodded, pushed open the door, and slipped out.
The man was of average height and ordinary looks, blending seamlessly into any crowd. Had He Chunhua not chosen him for his personal guard, He Lingchuan would never have even noticed him.
With Uncle Hao absent, He Chunhua entrusted such a crucial task to him, showing that he knew and trusted the man implicitly.
Once again, He Lingchuan realized how little he truly knew about his father.
Madam Ying said in a low voice, "I thought that man surnamed Lu had a vicious gleam in his eyes. He really doesn't seem like a good person!"
*A moment ago, you were eager to go see Twin Moon Pool with him,* He Lingchuan thought to himself. Naturally, he lacked the courage to say it aloud.
About fifteen minutes later, Zhao Qinghe returned, looking grim. "The shrine guard went to piss, so I slipped inside to take a look. Under the altar table and in the inner chamber, several chests were hidden behind cloth drapes. They're filled with sabers and axes—a rough count puts them at one hundred and forty or fifty. Every blade is honed, and they've tasted blood. The murderous aura is heavy!"
This corroborated Zhu-shi's bloody message. After all, why would a simple farming and fishing village possess so many lethal weapons?
Zhao Qinghe added, "Also, the Water Spirit's spirit tablet is indeed snapped clean in two."
Madam Ying turned pale. "If they're bandits, why didn't they flee when they saw government soldiers? Why pose as villagers and stay?"
That was the question lingering in everyone's mind.
Xianling Village harbored far too many mysteries.
"They harbor ill intent." He Yue looked at his father and brother. "Zhu-shi said there are two hundred bandits, which explains why there are an unusual number of prime-aged men in this village."
"They haven't made a move, which clearly means they're waiting for an opportunity to strike." He Lingchuan's expression shifted slightly as he asked his parents, "Have either of you drunk any water in this house?"
"Right after we stepped through the door, the host offered water to Master," Butler Lao Mo said. "I had him dump it out, fetch fresh water, and boil it anew, watching him the whole time. Later, when the maids were cooking, I kept watch in the back kitchen as well. There shouldn't be any issue."
He Chunhua pointed at the blood-written note. "What concerns me is this: is 'General Lu' just a personal name, or does it specifically refer to a general surnamed Lu?"
The implications between the two were worlds apart.
In any crowd of a hundred men, all sorts could be found. A bandit chief with delusions of grandeur who liked to be addressed as 'General' wasn't entirely unheard of...
Bah, no, it was all wrong.
"There's only one way to find out," He Lingchuan said, rising to his feet. "I'll go find Zhu-shi."
"She must be watched as well," Madam Ying wondered. "How do you plan to find her?"
"I'll just take a stroll and find her. The village is only so big—how long can it take to walk from east to west?" He Lingchuan grinned. "Besides, I took note of which house she entered earlier. It's not far from here, just a dozen or so thatched cottages away."
This boy—call him attentive, yet he was usually so careless; call him careless, yet he had even committed to memory where a young woman lived. Madam Ying could only sigh. "Be careful!"
She rarely showed concern for He Lingchuan. A sudden warmth washed over him, and he gave a firm nod.
He Yue spoke up, however. "Their holding back means they either intend to poison us or launch a sneak attack late in the night when everyone is asleep! The night is already deep. Why don't we seize the initiative and capture Lu Han first?"
He Lingchuan waved a hand. "Don't be rash. Wait until I return."
No one else had an appetite for dinner, yet He Lingchuan's chopsticks moved like lightning, shoveling rice and dishes into his mouth with hearty relish. Having lived through the brutal, bloody battles in the dream world, he found his composure in the face of danger far more unshakable.
Madam Ying sighed. "You can still eat at a time like this." The boy truly had nerve.
"We might be doing some heavy lifting later. How can I have the strength without a full stomach?" He Lingchuan polished off his meal like a whirlwind, taking less than half the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Wiping his mouth, he stood up. "I'm off. Delay breeds trouble."
He Chunhua looked at his retreating back, gave a nod, and then sighed. Just as he was about to urge his wife and son to continue eating, an announcement came from outside: Zeng Feixiong had arrived.
As the leader of the personal guard, Zeng Feixiong reported in at regular intervals. Tonight's affair would require his involvement, so He Chunhua immediately summoned him inside.
***
Zhu-shi's house was in the western corner of the village, not particularly close to where He Chunhua and his wife were lodging.
Her husband had died mysteriously, and when her mother-in-law awoke, grief drove her mad, laughing and crying uncontrollably. The ruthless bandits naturally couldn't leave a madwoman in the village to draw the soldiers' attention, so they cut her down with a single stroke and tossed her corpse into the lake to join her son.
Her father-in-law, shattered and distraught, had been dragged away along with her young child.
Thus, Zhu-shi was all alone in her home.
As she walked back with her head bowed, two soldiers approached from the side and asked her for a drink of water.
These guards were quartered in the granary, unlike the officials who stayed in residences, so getting hot water wasn't quite as convenient. He Chunhua had already instructed the village chief to arrange food and water for the men, but it had not yet been prepared.
Drinking raw water easily brought sickness; it was best boiled. Only when out in the wild with no other choice would one drink it unboiled.
"Wait here a moment, I'll go boil some water." She carried fresh water to the back kitchen to boil. The soldiers insisted there was no need to go to such trouble; waiting around just for a cup of hot water wasn't something most people had the patience for.
Yet she was determined not to let such a rare opportunity slip by. "It's no trouble at all. I'll need some for the evening anyway."
While waiting, the soldiers stood before the house. Perhaps struck by her pleasing appearance, they chatted with her a while, and the atmosphere grew quite pleasant.
Yet Zhu-shi knew that the surrounding bandits were watching her every move. This was not the right moment to plead for help or drop hints.
She grew anxious, trying to think of some roundabout way to convey the truth. Just then, a series of urgent whistles sounded nearby. Hearing the call, the two soldiers hurried back to their duties without even having time to drink the water.
Zhu-shi's heart sank in disappointment.
Right at that moment, a figure suddenly darted out from the shadows behind the house!
Terrified, Zhu-shi nearly screamed, but the person clamped a hand firmly over her mouth and nose with terrifying force, hissing in a low voice, "Shut your mouth, or I'll snap your neck! Understand?"
As he spoke, foul breath washed over her face. She looked up and saw a stout, heavyset brute with flesh bulging across his cheeks.
Zhu-shi nodded hastily.
The fat brute released his grip. "What were you trying to do just now? Warn that corrupt official's family, weren't you?"
"No, no! It's not like that!" Zhu-shi shrank back. "The village chief and his lackeys have always bullied me. Three months ago, they even beat me up. I... I just wanted to take this chance to vent my anger!"
Chapter 100