Chapter 247: The Enemy Won

In the witch country's encampment.

Torches lit the mountain forest a deep red.

Dao Mo and Li Rui had both gone out and had not yet returned, so except for the night sentries, the other soldiers had already crawled into their tents and gone to sleep early.

At this moment.

The flap of one tent was pulled open.

A lean young man stumbled out, shivering.

The night sentry saw the young man and cursed: "You little brat going to piss again?"

"Couldn't hold it."

"Get lost, get lost."

The night sentry waved him off with disgust.

The young man broke into a run and vanished into the forest, glancing back occasionally.

He ran for a long time.

Only when the witch army's encampment was completely out of sight did he slow down, bending low to search the ground, then murmuring in surprise: "That's odd—it was right here yesterday."

As he fumbled through the undergrowth.

A voice suddenly spoke: "Are you looking for this?"

"Who's there?!"

The young witch man snapped his head up.

There stood an old man, holding a piece of bark, watching him with a faint, knowing smile.

"Li… Li Da Ren?!"

Recognizing the old man's face, the young witch man broke into a cold sweat, stumbling backward, his eyes darting as if searching for an escape.

He forced a grin: "Li Da Ren, how did you get back here?"

Li Rui: "Did I come back at the wrong time?"

"No, that's not what I meant."

Just as the young man opened his mouth to speak, a furious roar erupted behind him: "You traitorous worm!"

Dao Mo kicked the young man to the ground, where he rolled over several times before crashing into a tree and stopping.

In an instant.

Several torches flared to life, bathing the entire forest in blazing red light.

The young man's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Dao Mo, who had appeared out of nowhere.

He looked around at his surroundings.

It was clearly a trap, already laid!

"Shit, we've been had."

Deep in the Ten Thousand Mountains.

In a hollow, a patch of forest identical to any other in the Ten Thousand Mountains, a dozen men sat in silence.

"You, go check if they left any message."

Qi Rui told one of the Qi clan members.

"Yes!"

Then three or four young men rose and slipped into the forest.

This was routine every night.

They were retrieving the messages left by their mole inside Dao Mo's camp.

It was thanks to these reports that they could maneuver effortlessly, leading Dao Mo's hundred men in circles.

The Qi clan had long held considerable influence within the military; though the new emperor and the Grand Witch had purged them once, many spies remained hidden.

Soon, the camp fell quiet again.

Qi Rui stared blankly at the bonfire, occasionally stirring up sparks, lost in thought.

"Why do I feel so uneasy?"

He frowned slightly, then reassured himself.

'This is the Ten Thousand Mountains, and we have a mole—they can't possibly have found us.'

Qi Rui's thoughts turned to another matter.

"Jiang Lin, Li Rui."

Yesterday.

He had received word that the Qi clan would send experts to eliminate Jiang Lin.

Even the Empress Dowager had issued an imperial decree.

The Empress Dowager was none other than the former Qi clan imperial consort, whose son the Qi clan had placed on the throne—she had become Empress Dowager, and it was she who had given the Qi clan hope of restoring their dynasty.

Thus, the former imperial consort, now Empress Dowager, held immense authority within the Qi clan; her words carried great weight.

'What exactly is the Ghost Ming Sect planning?'

Yuan Gao hadn't said, but if it had reached the Empress Dowager's ears, the matter was no simple one.

"Forget it."

"Worrying won't help."

Qi Rui's mind began to turn.

He had no chance against Jiang Lin, but against Li Rui, there was still some opportunity—especially now that Li Rui was inside witch country territory.

It was the perfect chance to strike.

He narrowed his eyes, as if making a decision.

"Do it."

Qi Rui gritted his teeth and told a trusted subordinate: "Tomorrow, go to Man Gu City. Bring more men."

"More men?"

The middle-aged man beside him froze.

Weren't they here to launch a surprise attack?

The more men they brought, the greater the risk of exposure.

Qi Rui: "Do as I say."

Since both Jiang Lin and Li Rui were targets of the Empress Dowager's orders, why not strike first? That way, they could claim a substantial reward.

As long as they held off Dao Mo.

Capturing a sixth-rank official would be child's play.

If they delivered that Li official to her early, they'd surely earn the Empress Dowager's favor.

As Qi Rui pondered this.

Suddenly, muffled groans echoed from the forest.

"What's going on?"

Qi Rui snapped to attention and leapt to his feet.

In the same instant, the bandits formed a tight circle around Qi Rui, their discipline far beyond that of ordinary outlaws.

The next moment.

Boom!

Several men were kicked like sacks into the center of the group.

He looked closer.

They were the young Qi clan members Qi Rui had sent to deliver the message.

"This is…"

Qi Rui glanced down at his men, pupils dilating; he looked up.

There stepped out Dao Mo, face brimming with murderous intent.

Worse still.

Torches flared all around, instantly turning the forest crimson.

They were surrounded!

"Dao Mo."

Qi Rui spoke each word slowly.

Dao Mo narrowed his eyes at Qi Rui: "I wondered which bandits these were—turns out you're Qi clan rebels."

Qi Rui sneered: "Rebels? You're the ones."

Dao Mo had no interest in arguing.

He raised his hand.

"Attack!"

The moment he spoke, the air erupted in battle cries.

Clashing weapons and roars filled the air.

Dao Mo gripped his blade, grinning: "Come on, Qi Rui. Let me see if you've improved these years—don't die before you're old."

Qi Rui snorted: "Young pup, don't get too cocky!"

In an instant, both men became blurs, colliding in midair.

Blades flashed and swords gleamed, locked in a bloody, unyielding struggle.

Half an hour later.

Under the torchlight, the mountainside was littered with corpses.

Dao Mo was directing his men to clean up the battlefield.

"Brother Dao, did you kill the enemy leader?"

At that moment.

Li Rui walked over with Tan Hu and several others from the Running Tiger Cavalry, looking relaxed.

All of this happened within Wu Country.

He came to assist with the investigation; he certainly wouldn't have his men fighting to the death in a foreign land.

That wouldn't make sense.

So they had waited on the perimeter until the sounds of clashing weapons faded, then revealed themselves. When Dao Mo saw Li Rui and the others, he smiled: "Qi Rui, that old eel, managed to slip away—he's got some skill."

He added quickly: "But everyone else is dead."

His eyes gleamed with excitement.

Not just because of the brutal battle, but because he had achieved a major victory.

The new emperor of Wu has long regarded the Qi clan as evil cultists; killing so many of them will surely please him.

Li Rui bowed: "Then congratulations, Brother Dao."

"It's all thanks to your great skill, Elder Brother—you found this old villain's hideout. Otherwise, I never could've caught them off guard."

Dao Mo waved his hands repeatedly.

Every word was sincere.

Although he didn't know what methods Li Rui had used, he had merely walked for a few days through mountain trails, then somehow uncovered the Qi clan's spies embedded in his army—and even located Qi Rui's camp in one stroke.

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That's how we won so easily.

Li Rui: "Just a small trick. It still took Brother Dao's martial skill."

Dao Mo laughed heartily: "Let's stop flattering each other. Come on—this place isn't far from Wu Bei City. Elder Brother, let's have a drink?"

Li Rui: "How could I refuse?"

In any other place, he might have hesitated.

After all, he was still a Trade Captain of Yu Country; appearing inside a Wu City was somewhat inappropriate.

But Wu Bei City was an exception.

Wu Bei City, like Qinghe, was a Yu Country port.

As the two spoke.

A Wu soldier approached, holding something: "Commander Dao, we found this token. What does it say?"

Dao Mo and Li Rui both looked at the object in the soldier's hand.

It was a token cast in crimson copper, inscribed with a bold, powerful character.

"This is..."

Dao Mo took the token and studied it for a long time, utterly baffled.

What is it?

He prided himself on his knowledge of Wu Country, yet he couldn't recognize the character on the token.

Beside him, Li Rui stared at the token, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's Yu."

Yes, the token was clearly an official Yu Country trade entry-exit permit.

As a Trade Captain, he'd handled many such tokens—he recognized it at a glance.

"It's a Yu Country exit token."

Hearing Li Rui's words, Dao Mo was startled: "These Qi people have some real connections—they got hold of this? Elder Brother Li, you'd better be careful. There might be spies in Qinghe too."

Spies?

Spies? That's not even the half of it!

The Qi clan of the Southern Frontier colluded with the Ghost Ming Cult; Zhu Renhe, the county magistrate himself, was a rebel.

Li Rui's mind raced with possibilities.

He even thought of the mysterious merchant caravan that had appeared outside Qinghe City on the day the trade fair opened.

If he wasn't mistaken, it was these very people.

Qi Rui was a fifth-rank expert!

If they'd charged down the mountain recklessly, casualties would've been catastrophic.

And the reason Qi Rui's group could stroll so boldly outside the city was because they held the token given to them by Zhu Renhe.

In an instant, many things became clear to him.

"Brother Dao, could I have this token?"

Dao Mo chuckled: "If Elder Brother Li wants it, take it. I've no use for it myself."

He handed the token to Li Rui.

Moments later.

The battlefield was cleared; the corpses of the Qi clan members were carried down the mountain as battle trophies.

At dawn.

Dao Mo and Li Rui finally stood before a majestic city.

Green moss clung to the weathered walls, radiating ancient weight; a group of riders entered Wu Bei City on horseback.

Li Rui gazed at the wall so close at hand.

He felt a deep sense of awe.

Wu Bei City had stood for ten thousand years—older than any city in Yunzhou.

Had the old Wu Emperor not died suddenly, Wu Country's power would still have been terrifying.

Wu Bei City's architecture differed sharply from Yunzhou's: golden rooftops clustered thickly, nearly blinding Li Rui's eyes; vast stretches of banana leaves adorned every corner; the streets were wide, radiating unique charm.

The Wu citizens on the streets mostly wore hemp and cloth garments, no different from those in Yu Country.

The stereotype of Wu people wearing animal pelts and drinking raw blood was pure myth.

Only nobles in Wu Country wore animal pelts.

You think any scrap of hide will do?

No!

Even the worst had to be tiger or marten fur, meticulously tailored with fine craftsmanship.

Ordinary people simply couldn't afford them.

"Wu Bei City has many interesting things—especially our Wu women..."

Dao Mo grinned.

Li Rui cleared his throat: "Next time."

Dao Mo's men went ahead to the city governor's mansion; Dao Mo brought Li Rui and the Running Tiger Cavalry members to a spacious courtyard with a golden roof.

"Bring wine!"

What arrived was not just wine.

Soon, a group of Wu women, clad only in scattered silver ornaments and strips of fabric, exposing large expanses of healthy, sun-kissed skin, darted over like swallows.

Tan Hu and the others stared, eyes wide.

Wu dance was passionate and lively, more vivid than Yu Country's courtesans.

"Beautiful."

Li Rui said it with a critical eye.

He drank with Dao Mo, chatting as they went.

This wine was strange—before long, the courtyard's dozen or so people had vanished, even the dancers gone.

Dao Mo chuckled: "Elder Brother, I saved you the best one."

Li Rui smiled lightly: "Aren't you keeping her for yourself?"

Dao Mo looked embarrassed: "My wife watches me too closely. Forget it—harmony at home brings prosperity."

Li Rui: "I don't need one either."

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

"Drink, drink."

Dao Mo: "The city governor of Wu Bei is my close brother. Elder Brother Li, if you see anything you like here, just take it—no need to pay."

Li Rui leaned back slightly.

That was a bold statement.

He'd studied Wu Country's structure.

Unlike Yu Country, Wu Country didn't use prefecture-county divisions; each city was governed by its own lord, who collected taxes and submitted only a portion to the imperial court.

So each city lord wielded far more power than a county magistrate.

Each system had pros and cons—no single perspective could judge them.

Li Rui: "Brother Dao, that's a bold offer. Then I won't refuse."

Dao Mo smiled smugly.

If it were someone else, he wouldn't dare say such a thing—if they truly took something valuable, they'd have to return it, and both sides would be embarrassed.

But Li Rui acted with restraint; he was completely at ease.

The next day.

Li Rui sat up in a room twenty zhang across.

"Smaller is better."

He muttered under his breath.

A small room concentrates qi better; sleeping in one feels more solid. Now they've given him an entire small plaza to sleep in—he simply couldn't adjust.

He stepped out of the large room.

Several Wu clan maidens approached to assist him with dressing and washing.

The life of the upper class.

After washing up, Li Rui dismissed the maidens and strolled casually out of the vast estate.

Before the new city was built, Wu Bei City had been a major Wu capital, its shops lining the streets, more prosperous than Qinghe after its new city was established.

Li Rui walked down the street without drawing attention.

Both nations used gold and silver.

Seeing something he liked, Li Rui simply bought it on the spot.

Dao Mo had said he didn't need to pay, but it was just a few silver coins—he, a respectable sixth-rank official, wouldn't stoop to such petty gains.

As he passed a small stall,

He stopped in his tracks.

"Dragon's saliva incense?"

(End of chapter)