Chapter 953: Secret Talks in the Forest

In an era without light pollution, when the air returned to its primal state, moonlight was pure.

When the sky had no clouds to block it, its light shone down and the land could be seen clearly—houses, grass, roads were all clearly visible, as if draped in a layer of misty gauze.

The only things pitch black, where you can't see your hand in front of your face, were probably the mountains and the forests.

At that moment, inside the large mountain to the left front of Chen Wuji's camp, a group of people holding torches hid in the center of the dense forest, furtively observing the not‑far‑away army Lìng.

"Elder Lin, did that bastard Chen Wuji really come in person to Guiling Xian?" someone asked in a low voice in the dark, his tone full of suspicion, the distrustful hostility barely concealed.

The man called Elder Lin snorted coldly, "Lao Zamao, you've asked this several times already? If you don't believe me, go check yourself—the news my people sent from Xinglin Zhen couldn't be false. Chen Wuji not only came himself, he brought his finest Central Cavalry, one man with two horses."

That man gave a cold laugh, "That's exactly why I think Elder Lin is trying to fool us."

"Does Chen Wuji not know what's going on in Guiling Xian? We're all hiding deep in the mountains and old forests—what use is his bringing cavalry? Not even one man with two horses, let alone one man with eight horses would help—unless his mount has grown wings?"

"This really is puzzling, but that's what the intel says. You've all seen those many horses—if you really have nothing to say, just shut your trap!" Elder Lin cursed.

At that moment, another person interjected to smooth things over, "Both elders, let's calm down! No matter how much we've clashed before, we're all in the same boat now—Chen Dog is coming with great force, we ought to set aside our grudges and pull together."

As soon as his words fell, two heavy‑nasal cold snorts followed.

"No matter how much I dislike this Gou‑surname person, it's not your place to chime in—shut your trap!"

"Lin Chusheng finally said something pleasant to hear; I, this Gou‑surname person, feel the same—shut your trap, and if you really have nothing to say, just hold your tongue."

""

The third speaker fell silent for a moment, then angrily cursed, "I shouldn't have let you two old beasts onto my mountain—sooner or later we'll all die together, damn it! Let's go!"

"Wait, you're walking off over just fart? You say two sentences and you're already unhappy? By that logic, shouldn't this Gou‑surname dog‑thing have died long ago?" Elder Lin shouted.

The Gou‑surname person instantly became unhappy, "Lin Chusheng, you're truly something—if you're going to curse him, curse him, why drag me into it?"

"All right, shut up—although this Yang‑surname person let out a useless fart, his point still has some merit; let's set aside our past grudges and focus on getting through this immediate crisis." Elder Lin's voice rose, a bit shrill.

Upon saying that, he drew another two cold snorts.

"What are you snorting at? I suspect Chen Wuji this bastard wants to carry out a great purge!" Elder Lin said in a low voice.

After a moment, the Gou‑surname person asked in a muffled voice, "What do you mean?"

"My people sent word that Chen Wuji's army stationed in Xinglin Zhen is basically idle, just drilling every day." Elder Lin said in a low voice, "Chen Wuji personally leading cavalry to Guiling Xian is indeed abnormal, but if this cavalry is merely guarding his safety, is that still abnormal?"

"If they've mobilized forces but aren't here to fight, that would make sense, wouldn't it?"

"Then what is he doing here?" the Gou‑surname person asked, puzzled.

The Yang‑surname person let out another cold snort.

His voice was distinctive—coarse, with a slight lisp.

"You're a real idiot—no idea how you'd earn General Huo's favor." The Yang‑surname person sneered, "If Chen Dog brings cavalry and it's not to fight, then it must be to supervise the battle—what else could he be doing? Did he come to our turf just to sightsee?"

"Chen Dog's army is idle in Xinglin Zhen—so close, what's wrong with them lending a hand to fight a bit? That guy Qian Fugui, whom we've forced into a frenzy, is begging for help, which is only natural."

The pitch‑black forest suddenly fell into a death‑like silence.

After a long while, the Gou‑surname person's voice rang out, "Since you've all guessed this fact, I don't know how you can say these things so lightly—Chen Wuji is no weakling; his battle record was earned blade by blade, spear by spear."

"So I'm getting ready to leave—this place is absolutely no longer tenable!" Elder Lin said in a low voice, "Once Chen Wuji's army enters our territory, we have absolutely no chance of winning."

"Leave? Where would you go?" the Yang‑surname person asked, puzzled.

"Yan Zhou!" Elder Lin said.

"General Huo and Cao Lin are still locked in battle at Yan Zhou—we'll go to Yan Zhou to lend him a hand, at the same time tying down Chen Wuji's attention; once the Yan Zhou matter is settled, we'll request to return."

"Chen Wuji could never possibly garrison Guiling Xian long‑term—this is our chance, and it also lets us make a good impression in front of General Huo, so he doesn't overlook us after all this time."

The other two heard this and remained silent for a moment.

After a long while, the Yang‑surname person spoke first, "Aren't you afraid of luring Chen Wuji's army over here?"

"General Huo's recent military orders boil down to one sentence: closely monitor the movements of Chen Wuji's army, report any mobilization immediately."

"What does that mean—you two can't possibly not hear it? General Huo is worried about Chen Wuji, worried he'll stir up trouble and ruin his plans at Yan Zhou."

"We're all exposed right under Chen Wuji's nose—if nothing unexpected happens, his scouts are surely active throughout Lingzhou, and any move we make will inevitably draw his attention."

Elder Lin asked in a low voice, "Yang‑surname person, I just can't believe someone as high‑minded as you would willingly sacrifice your life to stay here and draw Chen Wuji's attention for General Huo."

"We've come to know Chen Wuji's strength well enough—he could defeat us without even exerting half his power; maybe the fight would be over in ten days or half a month."

"Both of you, in the face of Chen Wuji, never overestimate yourselves. But if we go to Yan Zhou, even if General Huo is displeased, he'll surely still look on us favorably—you all understand what I mean, right?"

The Yang‑surname person said displeased, "I think you're over‑glorifying Chen Wuji—Qian Fugui is his great general, strong troops and sturdy horses, right? But we've held him back, he can't do a thing to us, and even if Chen Wuji's army presses the border, we're not completely without a chance."