Chapter 159: Underground Passage

The group whipped their horses and sped back to Lookout Prefecture City.

The city gates were shut tight, the troops on the walls braced as if facing a great enemy, and the atmosphere was so heavy it felt suffocating.

Jiang Xiaomu showed his token, and only then did the city gates slowly open.

Upon entering the city, Jiang Xiaomu immediately located Zhang Biao, commander of the elite city garrison, and bluntly asked:

"How are the casualties?"

Zhang Biao looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, and his armor was stained with blood and dust.

"Mr. Jiang, the civilian death and injury toll in the city is horrific—over two hundred people have been killed."

"Most of them were unarmed civilians; those barbarian beasts are simply insane!"

Jiang Xiaomu's heart sank—over two hundred lives!

The barbarians' move clearly aims to unsettle the populace and sow panic.

He drew a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and continued asking:

"Where did the enemy forces enter? Any survivors?"

Zhang Biao shook his head, his tone grave.

"Those barbarians feared no death; when surrounded, they all committed suicide, leaving no survivors."

"We still don't know how they infiltrated the city; the Prefect is currently inside the Governor's Mansion conferring with officials on countermeasures."

Jiang Xiaomu nodded, about to head for the Governor's Mansion, when he caught sight of a familiar figure approaching from afar.

It was Constable Captain Pei Donglai.

"Constable Captain Pei!" Jiang Xiaomu called out to him.

"You've come at just the right time—tell me, exactly how did those barbarians sneak in?"

Pei Donglai stepped forward, his face equally solemn.

"Mr. Jiang, this matter is highly suspicious."

"Those barbarians did not enter through the gates or over the walls, but..."

He paused, then lowered his voice:

"They emerged from a dry well in the east of the city."

"A dry well?"

Jiang Xiaomu frowned; he knew Lookout Prefecture City like the back of his hand, and the eastern district had been deserted for years.

"There's only a ruined temple and a dried-up well—how could..."

"Mr. Jiang, please follow me."

Pei Donglai made a gesture and led Jiang Xiaomu toward the east of the city.

Along the way, corpses of civilians slaughtered by the barbarians lay everywhere, a gruesome sight.

The temple had long since fallen into disrepair, its roof collapsed, its walls mottled,

weeds overran the courtyard, a scene of desolation.

Pei Donglai pointed to the dry well in the temple's corner and said in a low voice, "This is it."

Jiang Xiaomu walked to the well's edge and peered down.

The well opening was small, surrounded by weeds, and looked utterly unremarkable.

"This well has been dry for years; no one knows where its bottom leads."

Pei Donglai explained:

"We only discovered signs of disturbance at the well's bottom while clearing corpses."

Jiang Xiaomu's suspicions deepened; he had Zhang Biao fetch a torch and personally descended to the well's bottom to investigate.

The well walls were slick, the footholds covered in moss, emitting a faint stench of decay.

By torchlight, Jiang Xiaomu discovered that the well's bottom indeed held a narrow passage, just wide enough for one person.

Jiang Xiaomu crouched, his fingertips touching the cold, damp earth, and a bold idea formed in his mind.

"If this passage let them in, we can use it to get out."

He rose to his feet, his gaze fixed on Xiong Kuohai and Ye Ying.

"We can use this passage to strike them unawares!"

Xiong Kuohai blinked, then excitedly slapped his thigh.

"Excellent! Boss, we'll gather our men and burst out of here, leaving not a single barbarian alive!"

Pei Donglai, however, furrowed his brow, his expression grave.

"Mr. Jiang, this still requires careful thought."

"Constable Captain Pei is overthinking it," Jiang Xiaomu interrupted.

"In warfare, taking risks leads to victory; rather than wait passively for death, we should take the initiative."

He turned his head to look at Ye Ying and Xiong Kuohai behind him.

"Ye Ying, Xiong Kuohai, have your men ready—we'll act tonight!"

Ye Ying, usually composed, now showed a hint of worry.

"This is too risky; what if the barbarians block the passage?"

"Or they could set traps inside—wouldn't we be walking into a net?"

"Miss Ye Ying is right," Pei Donglai agreed.

"The barbarians are full of tricks; we must guard against them."

Jiang Xiaomu pondered for a moment; Ye Ying's concerns were not without merit.

This passage is narrow and cramped; if it were blocked, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"Like this," Jiang Xiaomu said after a moment's thought.

"I'll take a small team in to scout the path."

"If the passage is clear, I'll let you know to follow; if we encounter an ambush……"

He paused, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes.

"Then we'll fight our way out!"

Ye Ying wanted to say more, but Jiang Xiaomu stopped her with a look.

"No need for more words, it's decided."

Ye Ying, helpless, could only obey and prepare.

At night, Jiang Xiaomu led ten elite soldiers, silently sneaking into the dry well.

The air inside the passage was foul, reeking of rot.

Jiang Xiaomu held his breath, carefully feeling his way forward.

The passage twisted and turned, leading who knows where.

Jiang Xiaomu felt a vague unease, as if something was off.

After walking about half an hour, the path ahead opened up, revealing an exit.

The exit was not the dense forest he'd imagined, but a clearing covered with freshly turned soil.

Two barbarian soldiers were dozing leaning against a crooked tree, loosely holding their sabers, snoring intermittently.

Jiang Xiaomu gave a signal; the two elite soldiers understood and moved silently toward them.

A flash of cold light— the two barbarians didn't even have time to cry out before collapsing.

Jiang Xiaomu signaled the rest to drag the bodies into the shadows, then had the two elite soldiers change into the barbarians' uniforms to serve as vanguard scouts.

"Move lightly, don't make a noise."

Jiang Xiaomu whispered his orders.

After changing, the two soldiers crouched low and crept cautiously toward the barbarian camp.

Jiang Xiaomu led the remaining soldiers close behind, each step taken with extra caution, fearing to alert the enemy.

The camp was far larger than imagined, rows of tents undulating like a black sea, looking especially grim and terrifying in the night.

Scattered campfires flickered, their light casting the soldiers' savage faces.

Jiang Xiaomu's party, under cover of night, slowly approached the camp.

Suddenly, a clamor came from ahead, mixed with the barbarian soldiers' rude shouts and women's cries. Jiang Xiaomu's heart tightened, an ominous feeling welled up.

"What's going on?"

He asked the soldier beside him in a low voice.

"It seems they've captured a few women……"

The soldier replied in a lowered voice, his tone laced with disgust.

"Come on, let's go see."

They crept closer to the source of the noise and saw a group of barbarian soldiers gathered around a bonfire.

They were openly jeering at a few ragged women, their words foul and obscene.

One woman struggled desperately, but a barbarian soldier roughly pressed her to the ground, tearing at her clothes.

"Attack!"

Jiang Xiaomu could hold back no longer; he let out a low roar and was about to charge out.

"Wait, don't rush!"

Ye Ying at his side quickly grabbed him.

"We only have ten people; if we fight head‑on……"