Chapter 3029: Troops in the Deep Mountains

I'm not reconciled. I had someone go to the county to inquire, hoping to bring back a few breeding pigs, otherwise what will we do next year? The result was the county said they received orders from above and couldn't make exceptions. The orders from above were to produce as much meat as possible, preferably live animals, and the quantity was so huge they couldn't fill it, and they were worrying about it. Moreover, it's not just our county; I know five or six livestock breeders in other counties, and their long-haired lizards were all seized, totaling several thousand. Even the cattle, horses, and sheep raised by other farming households weren't spared, all taken together.

They even took the cattle and horses? Unbelievable.

Cattle and horses are extremely important production tools for civilians, and they won't be moved unless there's a major emergency. A wartime mobilization order wouldn't go that far, would it? Fan Shuang then asked: "That's several thousand live pigs—wouldn't it be hard to transport them? Live animals are harder to move than dead ones, right?"

"Yeah." The man nodded, "Two breeders weren't reconciled, secretly followed them, and found the live animals were finally loaded onto big trucks heading toward Yong Mountain. Yong Mountain, you know, is famous far and wide as a deep mountain ancient forest, where not only do man-eating demons lurk, but even the trees eat people! One breeder got scared and didn't dare follow anymore, while the other insisted on going, and after that, he never came back."

Nowadays, demons are too powerful; ordinary people all live in cities or nearby areas, and without some cultivation, they dare not enter the deep mountains.

Fan Shuang asked again: "Then why do you guys have to flee again? Isn't it just grain and meat requisition?"

You know, unless it's absolutely unavoidable, ordinary people are unwilling to leave their own land and livelihood. With abundant spiritual energy in the air, as long as there's land at home, one can always dig up some food to eat. Being a refugee, wandering and displaced, life is ten times harder than staying at home.

The man gave a bitter smile: "We heard a few rumors. Near our county, two villages failed to deliver grain, and one night, the entire village population just vanished."

Fan Shuang wondered: "Couldn't they have been taken by demons?"

"Who knows?" the man said, "Someone from the neighboring village went to visit relatives; when they arrived, they found the village eerily quiet—not a person in sight, not even any live animals."

"Couldn't it be bandits sweeping through the village?"

"If bandits had raided the village, there should be signs of fighting everywhere, and bloodstains too. But in those two villages, everything looked normal—just the people and live animals had vanished into thin air."

"Our county was also completely cleaned out—no money, no grain, not even meat left. Since we couldn't survive anyway, the whole family packed up and fled south to Xuan Yi State. Actually, quite a few people from our county have fled here too; everyone's afraid." The man sighed, "Fortunately, the Liu Tongxia of the border town is a reasonable person, sympathetic to us refugees, and even turned a blind eye to let us sneak across the border; otherwise, if we were caught and sent back, alas!"

This matter isn't strange or not strange— in chaotic times, what oddities haven't occurred? The days on the Flash Gold Plains used to be harder than national crises, and whole villages being wiped out was commonplace. But Fan Shuang always felt something was off about this.

Exactly where is the problem?

He thought hard for a long time, then suddenly a flash of inspiration struck: "Hey, wait—you said this wartime mobilization didn't involve conscription? Perhaps they're not conscripting in your county's countryside?"

The man shook his head: "Impossible. All the county towns and villages around us haven't posted any conscription notices. At the time, the villagers were even rejoicing, thinking they wouldn't have to recruit strong men. Who knew later they'd requisition so much grain—hey, you say they didn't conscript people but need this much grain and pork—what for? Armies can have huge appetites!"

Fan Shuang also found it strange. A state preparing for war requisitions grain and levies taxes—so why hasn't conscription begun?

Don't wars need people?

He thought for a moment and then asked: "Have the workshops in the county town been requisitioned to start making weapons, boots, and armor?"

These are all pre-war preparations.

The man recalled for a moment, then waved his hand while drinking: "No, no, none at all."

"Can you be sure?"

"Of course I can—more than sure. My aunt worked for seven years at the largest tailor shop in Lin County. I also know the owners of two leather shops in Dacheng nearby; they come to our house every year to buy large quantities of leather and pig fat. As for other workshops, we know several more, and none of them have received any unusual orders."

Fan Shuang nodded: "You're doing the right thing. That place really isn't suitable to stay any longer."

He called the waiter over, ordered another large bowl of shredded meat noodles for the man, and then, amid the man's thanks, paid and went upstairs.

Returning to the guest room, he opened the window and called his two attendants inside.

As an envoy of Cangyan, Fan Shuang has seven guards accompanying him. Experts value quality over quantity—five are human, and the other two are night owls, strong in combat and fast in flight.

The two night owls flew in through the window, and Fan Shuang gave them their task: "Circle the outskirts of Yong Mountain in the state. I suspect an army is hidden deep in the mountains. You can follow the supply convoys in, but be extra careful—don't get caught by them."

The two night owls nodded and spread their wings, flying off.

From here to Yong Mountain in the state, at their speed, they'll arrive in half an hour.

Night owls are the best assassins and scouts at night—silent in flight, and when approaching from behind, prey can't even hear the slightest flutter of wings.

Fan Shuang waited in the guest room, sleepless all night.

At dawn the next day, a tapping sound came from outside the window.

Fan Shuang hurriedly opened the door; the two night owls flew in, drank two sips of water, then reported: "An army is stationed by the lake deep in Yong Mountain, their camp protected by a barrier—we can't fly in, but we followed a few soldiers on patrol. When one went off to urinate, we captured him for interrogation. He refused to speak at first, but we searched him and found a small statue of the Lingxu Holy Sovereign on him!"

Followers of the Lingxu Holy Sovereign? Fan Shuang clenched his fist: "Heavenly Palace? So the Heavenly Palace's army is really hidden here?"

Not long ago, the Emperor issued an order commanding Cangyan to investigate nearby unknown forces, especially to watch for any movement of the Heavenly Palace army.

Such armies usually have the traits of thorough training, hidden presence, firm belief, and strict discipline—completely different in demeanor from the armies of neighboring states.

Fan Shuang never expected that merely taking a detour through Xuan Yi State would lead him to stumble upon such a clue.

Truly, the God of Fate favors him.

"Later, he couldn't withstand our interrogation and confessed. Indeed, it's the Heavenly Palace army, organized and trained seven or eight years ago, and deployed to Yong Mountain over a month ago to lie in wait."

"What mission are they carrying out?"

"The patrol soldiers don't know; the higher-ups didn't say, only that this army numbers around forty thousand. Moreover, some monsters are hidden in the pits of Yong Mountain, and they occasionally hear low growls coming from deep in the caves."

Fan Shuang suddenly understood: "Demons or drought beasts."

No wonder the livestock of the breeders in Ju County were all requisitioned—turns out it's to feed these big appetites.

"But drought beasts are usually sealed away, easy to manage and cause little trouble. These drought beasts, however, are awake—"

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Blessing