Chapter 625: Uncles, keep it up!

Lu Wu nodded: "I have already devised a foolproof plan."

"Bring everyone and set up an ambush near the Main Camp."

"When I lure that child out of the Main Camp, you all rush forward and strike directly."

"Be quick, do not linger in battle; withdraw once you succeed."

Wei Shen's brows knotted into a lump: "Master, we only have a few dozen men."

"That Main Camp holds Xiao Yuanhang's fifty thousand troops."

He stared at Lu Wu's eyes, word by word: "Do you intend to send us to our deaths?"

Lu Wu's expression unchanged: "We seek wealth in danger, General Wei; you don't need me to teach you that."

"You also know it's a military camp, with strict defenses."

"If you refuse to help me, this cannot be done."

He put on a stern face: "Then we might as well go straight back to the Capital."

"I will report to the superiors that you retreated before battle, and I can do nothing about it."

Wei Shen's face changed, his clenched fists making a cracking sound.

"Old fox! You're forcing me to lead my brothers into danger!"

"But the superiors' methods are far more terrifying than this old fox."

"Going may not mean death, but if he truly says that upon returning, it will surely be death."

The two stared at each other for a long time.

Finally, Wei Shen loosened his fists: "Fine, I'll follow the Master's words."

He turned and walked out of the door, summoning all the guards: "Tomorrow, we will cooperate with the Master's spell and set up an ambush outside the Main Camp."

The guards looked at each other.

Wei Shen, without changing expression, pointed at two people: "You two, wait here."

"If we have no news within a day, return immediately to the Capital, report to the superiors that we have been utterly annihilated."

The guards who were not selected all had their faces sink, they all looked at Lu Wu, eyes full of doubt.

Lu Wu felt another blockage in his chest, blood surged up again.

He drew a deep breath, forcing back the bloody sweetness.

Let him go; as long as they are willing to act, that's enough.

The next morning, as the sky just began to show fish-belly white, the carriage had already arrived at the old spot and stopped.

Lu Wu lifted the carriage curtain, telling Wei Shen: "You go ahead; wait for me outside."

Wei Shen designated two to stay by the carriage, waved his hand, and led the remaining guards into the forest, sneaking toward the Main Camp.

Lu Wu lowered the carriage curtain, closed his eyes tightly, formed hand seals, and murmured an incantation.

A wisp of faint soul drifted from his brow, silently passing through the curtain, over the treetops, above Wei Shen and the others' heads, entering the Xibei Main Camp.

He floated to the tent of Princess Consort Ning, where two soldiers stood left and right at the entrance, ramrod straight.

The one on the left was tall and broad-shouldered, thick-waisted—clearly a skilled soldier.

The one on the right was somewhat younger, his stature not as sturdy as the left's, yet also neat and capable.

Lu Wu's gaze swept back and forth over the two, finally settling on the younger soldier.

"You."

"Young, strong, good at running; if anything goes wrong, you can still flee quickly."

He drew a deep breath, a faint light drilling into the young soldier's mouth and nose.

The soldier's body stiffened slightly, his eyes locked, then after a moment they turned and returned to normal.

"Done."

Lu Wu moved his limbs a bit, lowered his head to look at this body.

He tried clenching his fist—knuckles thick, palms full of hard calluses; though young in appearance, he was clearly a veteran soldier.

Shortly after, a dark-skinned big man arrived, standing silently at the doorway.

Lu Wu stood straight, and from inside the tent came a clear child's voice: ""Mother, I'm going out to play with Xiao Yueyue and the others!""

Lu Wu was overjoyed; it came just in time!

The next moment, the tent flap was lifted a corner, revealing a soft, white little face.

Tuan Tuan sprang out, hopping and jumping, a white fox circling her neck.

She shouted happily: "Second Uncle! Let's go find Xiao Yueyue!"

Xiao Er smiled and said, "Okay!" The two lifted their legs and walked off.

Lu Wu's eyes shone brightly, just about to follow.

"Old Zhao, Old Qian!" Two soldiers strode up, blocking his path.

The two bowed to him and the burly man beside him: "You've worked hard; it's our turn now—you may go."

Lu Wu startled, "Go? Go where?"

The burly man stretched, patting the two soldiers' shoulders: "All right, it's yours."

The two soldiers, speaking, stood side by side in front of the tent.

Lu Wu froze in place, "Our turn? What does that mean?"

One soldier, seeing him unmoved, gave him a strange look: "Old Zhao, why aren't you leaving?"

"Aren't you hungry? Hurry and get breakfast!"

Lu Wu opened his mouth, looked up toward the direction Tuan Tuan had run—no one in sight.

They had long since run far away.

The burly man tugged him: "Hurry up! What are you dawdling for!"

Lu Wu staggered under his pull, his body moving of its own accord as he followed him in one direction.

Outside the mess hall, several large pots were set on earthen stoves, steaming hot.

Lu Wu followed the burly man inside, and the cook handed him a bowl of thick porridge, a big flatbread, a small dish of pickles, and two large pieces of meat.

He lowered his head to glance at the meat in the bowl and was taken aback.

Early this morning, the camp had porridge and flatbread, and there was even meat?

"What are you staring at? Eat quickly!"

The burly man was already slurping half a bowl of porridge: "We're all blessed by the Princess (Commandery), so we get meat at every meal."

Princess (Commandery)? Oh, I remember—she's that child.

Lu Wu had already eaten that morning, so he wasn't hungry now; he chewed the flatbread slowly, and his mind gradually settled.

That child wouldn't leave the Main Camp, so after finishing, they'd go look for her.

In this current shell, no one would suspect him.

Just as he was thinking, footsteps sounded at the mess hall entrance.

A towering man strode in, a knife hanging at his waist, his clothing clearly different from the soldiers'.

Everyone in the mess hall stood up: "Deputy Commander Zhang!"

Lu Wu also hurriedly stood, "Deputy Commander?"

Zhang Wu'an nodded, scanned the crowd, and raised his hand to point at Lu Wu and the soldiers beside him: "You, after eating, go chop wood first."

"After chopping, go to the eastern fence and deepen the outer trench."

"Then go to the stables, brush the horses, and hold them tightly!"

"Yes!" the crowd echoed in unison, their voices loud.

Zhang Wu'an set his expression straight: "The Prince has long said that our soldiers must know everything!"

"No one knows what they'll face on the battlefield; the more skills they have, the greater their chance of returning alive."

"Got it?"

The crowd shouted, "Got it!"

Lu Wu was stunned: chopping wood? digging trenches? brushing horses? Who? Me?

He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the burly man beside him grabbed his arm: "Come on, Lao Zhao! There's a lot to do today!"

He again found himself compelled to follow the group out of the mess hall.

At the chopping site, Lu Wu lifted the axe, weighed it, and its weight made his wrist drop.

A soldier beside him had already placed a log on a stump.

He gritted his teeth, swung the axe down.

The axe veered, wedged in the wood, shaking his palm until it went numb.

The soldier complained, "Lao Zhao, what's up with you today? Didn't you just finish eating?"

Another soldier swung his axe, the log split in two, then turned to him: "Your force is off; you need to use it evenly—don't just rely on your arms, engage your waist too."

Lu Wu nodded, took a deep breath, and raised the axe again.

This time it split, but the log cracked crookedly, splintering wood onto his face.

From not far away came a tinkling laugh: "Ha ha, so fun!"

Lu Wu wiped his face and looked up.

Tuan Tuan was holding a branch, squatting on the ground drawing something, with two little boys gathered around her, watching intently.

A white fox lay at her feet, its tail wagging.

The black man stood behind her, arms crossed, smiling.

Lu Wu's heart jumped.

How is she here?

"Lao Zhao, hurry up!" a soldier shouted nearby.

Lu Wu could only keep chopping wood.

With each swing, his palm blistered painfully, his arm ached so much he could barely lift it.

But he dared not stop.

He kept his peripheral gaze fixed on that tiny figure.

When Tuan Tuan finished drawing, she stood, clapped her hands, ran a few steps toward them, and shouted, "Uncles, keep it up!"

All the soldiers lifted their heads, grinning broadly: "Princess, don't worry! This little work will be done in a moment!"

Lu Wu also tugged at his mouth; his smile looked worse than crying.

Tuan Tuan waved at them, and with the two boys, ran farther away.

The white fox trailed at her feet, like a rolling snowball.

After finally finishing the wood, Lu Wu's hands had blistered into two blood blisters.

But he hadn't had time to catch his breath.

"Let's go! Lao Zhao, it's time to dig the trench!"