Chapter 341: The Red Lotus Sect Attacks

Just as Cheng Feng stood on the high pavilion of the Hongmen Medicine Hall, gazing at the prosperous and peaceful scene inside and outside Lianshan Prefecture City, his heart full of infinite longing for the future of the Hong Sect, the sound of Wang Hu's hurried footsteps and heavy panting broke this tranquility.

"Sect Master, something terrible has happened!" Wang Hu's expression was grave, his eyes revealing unprecedented tension and worry. "I have just received confirmed news that the Red Lotus Sect has assembled a great army and is marching toward Lianshan Prefecture City, intending to capture this city!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Feng's heart tightened abruptly, as if a giant boulder were pressing down on his chest.

The Red Lotus Sect, a notorious evil cult in Great Zhou, organizes rebel armies and is known for its cruelty, bloodthirstiness, and vicious methods. Its influence spans many regions, and it has repeatedly incited wars, leaving countless commoners displaced.

Now, they have actually set their sights on Lianshan Prefecture, which is undoubtedly a major test for Cheng Feng.

When the nest is overturned, can any egg remain intact?

"Is the information reliable?" Cheng Feng struggled to calm the turmoil in his heart and asked in a deep voice.

"Absolutely certain!" Wang Hu pulled a secret letter from his bosom and handed it to Cheng Feng. "This is intelligence sent by my informant in Heimu Prefecture. It even contains the Red Lotus Sect's marching route: starting from the east, the first stop is the outermost Qiyuan County, and the second stop is our Qingxi County."

Cheng Feng took the secret letter, scanned it quickly, and frowned deeply.

When it comes down to it, the Hong Sect was organized by himself; as for having any patriotic sentiment, that is not quite the case.

But as the person behind the scenes of the Hong Sect, Cheng Feng naturally has the responsibility to help the Hong Sect weather this immediate crisis.

However, once the rebel army arrives and the flames of war spread, can he really protect the Hong Sect?

"Pass down the order," Cheng Feng's voice was firm and powerful, "All Hong Sect disciples are to enter a state of concealment immediately, strengthen their disguises, and prepare for retreat. At the same time, send out scouts to closely monitor the movements of the Red Lotus Sect."

"Additionally, notify the members in the four major counties and surrounding villages, and have them prepare to retreat to the Prefecture City at any time."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu immediately took the order and left. The entire Hong Sect became busy in an instant, and a tense yet orderly atmosphere permeated the air.

Cheng Feng stood alone on the high pavilion, gazing at the dark clouds gradually approaching from afar.

"Large-scale warfare is simply not a burden the Hong Sect can shoulder. In the current situation, leaving is naturally the best policy."

When Cheng Feng re-examined the current situation, he realized his thinking might be too simple and direct.

The Hong Sect disciples are all locals; if they were all lone individuals, that would be one thing.

Unfortunately, that is not the case; dragging their families along, they will inevitably have to take action.

Inside the Fuya of Qingxi County, the atmosphere was exceptionally tense. Lady Liu sat in the study, clutching the secret letter sent by her family, unable to hide the anxiety between her brows.

Carefully deliberating on what was said in the letter, the Red Lotus Sect's great army is now fully prepared and aimed directly at Lianshan Prefecture, and Qingxi County is clearly the second stop on their attack route, which made Lady Liu feel the urgency of the situation.

"The Red Lotus Sect is indeed no pushover; they have been preparing in secret, and now they have finally bared their fangs." Lady Liu pondered to herself, the secret letter in her hand being read over and over again, every word feeling as heavy as a thousand catties.

Relying solely on the existing defensive forces of Qingxi County to withstand the Red Lotus Sect's attack is undoubtedly a pipe dream. Therefore, she must take action immediately to leave herself a way out.

Thinking of this, Lady Liu stood up quickly and instructed the maid beside her: "Go quickly and notify the master, tell him I have a matter of extreme urgency to discuss with him, and have him come to the Rear Courtyard to find me immediately."

Upon hearing this, the maid dared not delay in the slightest and hurried off to carry out the order. Lady Liu walked quickly toward the Rear Courtyard, having already formed a preliminary response strategy in her mind.

In a quiet little room in the Rear Courtyard, Lady Liu waited anxiously for the master's arrival. As the County Magistrate of Qingxi County, the master carries the heavy responsibility of protecting the peace of the local people; if he were to flee rashly, he would definitely not have a good end.

And she herself, as the wife of the County Magistrate, would naturally not escape the fate of being beheaded.

Before long, the County Magistrate hurried over, his round belly bobbing up and down, which was quite comical, his face full of exhaustion yet unable to hide his worry.

Seeing this, Lady Liu hurried forward to meet him and handed him the secret letter in her hand.

"Master, the Red Lotus Sect's great army is about to attack Lianshan Prefecture, and Qingxi County is a place they must pass through. We must take action as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable," Lady Liu said with a firm tone.

County Magistrate Liu took the secret letter, read it carefully, frowned, and after a moment of silence, said: "What you say is very true, Madam. This matter is of great importance; we must immediately summon the officials to discuss countermeasures and at the same time request aid from the Imperial Court."

"Master, that is not what I am talking about; I am talking about us."

Looking at the expression of his Principal Wife, County Magistrate Liu understood: "Are you afraid the county cannot withstand the Red Lotus Sect's offensive?"

Lady Liu said sternly: "In the entire county, besides Wang Tieshan of the Tieshan Martial Arts Hall who is suspected to be at the Bone Refining Initial Stage, there is the old master of the Li Family who is at the Bone Refining Initial Stage, plus the County Lieutenant who just broke through not long ago, and then you—that makes only four at the Bone Refining Initial Stage."

"The Red Lotus Sect can beat the regular border troops of Great Zhou into a retreat; how could they be something ordinary martial artists can handle?"

"Calculating it this way, what percentage of a chance does Qingxi County have of winning???"

County Magistrate Liu listened to his wife's words, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

Inside the deep main hall of the Qingxi County Fuya, an urgent and solemn meeting was being held in full swing. Under the bright lights, County Magistrate Liu and a group of officials sat together, everyone's face filled with the gravity and determination regarding the impending crisis.

Lady Liu sat behind a screen listening in; although the secret letter had been put down, that sense of urgency still lingered in everyone's hearts.

County Magistrate Liu was the first to break the silence. His gaze was like a torch, and after sweeping across the room, he said in a deep voice: "The fate of Qingxi County is in our hands at this moment. The threat of the Red Lotus Sect cannot be ignored; we must take action immediately and formulate an effective response strategy."

As County Magistrate Liu's words fell, heated discussions erupted in the meeting room.

The officials expressed their own views one after another; some proposed strengthening the city's defensive facilities to improve its defensive capabilities; others suggested urgently recruiting militia to bolster the city's defense; and still others put forward valuable suggestions from the perspectives of material reserves and information transmission.

After a round of intense discussion and consultation, a comprehensive and thorough response plan gradually took shape. The plan not only covered military defense, material allocation, and information transmission, but also specifically emphasized the importance of stabilizing public sentiment and unity.

When the meeting concluded, County Magistrate Liu placed high hopes on everyone: "Every one of us is a guardian of Qingxi County. In the face of this crisis,"

"We must unite as one and overcome the difficulties together. I believe that as long as we work together and fight bravely, we will definitely be able to protect our home!"

As the County Magistrate's voice fell, the atmosphere in the meeting room became even more firm and powerful.

But after the meeting dispersed, County Magistrate Liu looked at his Principal Wife and said: "Madam, how is the retreat route prepared??"

Lady Liu said sternly: "I have already arranged for people to move the wealth out of the city; we can leave directly as soon as we find the right moment."

The tense expression on County Magistrate Liu's chubby face eased.

Once outside, the County Lieutenant naturally whipped his horse to prepare for the defense, but the well-known Heads of the Family in the county exchanged glances.

By unspoken agreement, they instructed their coachmen: "Go to Hongyun Tower."