Chapter 497: with translation of chapter title

Western Hebei Circuit, the territory of Xingzhou.

Duan Jingzhu led the "Night-Shining Jade Lion" and hid in a deserted mountain god temple.

Hearing the horse hooves and shouts gradually fade outside, he dared not even breathe.

His face was smeared with mud, his clothes torn in several places by brush, making him look far more disheveled than a few days prior.

Since that encounter at the wayside inn, his journey has become fraught with danger at every step.

Sometimes he was intercepted and questioned by unknown martial-arts figures.

Sometimes he ran into "enthusiastic" militia who insisted on inspecting his baggage.

Once, he nearly got detained by a militia flying the "Resist Gold" banner, who took him for a Jin spy.

Although each time he escaped unscathed, either he relied on his horse's speed to flee,

or some unseen force seemed to create chaos at critical moments to help him get away.

But this nerve-wracking life almost drove him to collapse.

He felt the hard jade seal in his bosom, his heart filled with both dread and longing.

"As long as I reach Liangshanpo and meet Lord Song, everything will be all right."

He muttered to himself, giving himself encouragement.

"Lord Song is righteous as the heavens; he will surely protect me and this treasure, and then…"

He dared not think further about the possible riches and honor afterward; he only felt the jade seal in his bosom growing hotter.

As if it might at any moment bring upon him a deadly disaster.

He decided never again to take any main road that might expose his whereabouts.

He would rather go far out of his way, threading mountain gullies and threading through forests.

He only wished to reach Liangshanpo silently.

He did not know that these "accidental" harassments

were mostly the careful designs of Qian Gui.

Their purpose was not to seize the jade seal, but to delay his journey.

and to spread the rumor linking the jade seal to the Jin state, like sowing seeds, across every corner of his route.

At the same time

on the greenwood roads of Shandong and Hebei

and in several frontier garrisons, various versions of the rumor were spreading at an astonishing speed.

"Have you heard? Lord Song of Liangshanpo wants to obtain a tremendous treasure—the former dynasty's imperial jade seal!"

"More than just hearsay! I also know that the jade seal has dubious origins and is closely tied to the northern Jin dogs!"

"Shhh… keep it down! I have a brother who mixes on the Hebei road; he said that recently several bands have been fighting over that thing, with official troops and unknown experts getting involved, and not a few have died!"

"A Jin thing? Why would the chief want that? Could it be…"

"Hush! This matter is very suspicious; I think this 'Mandate of Heaven' may not be so pure."

These rumors were like stones tossed into a calm lake, raising ripples upon ripples.

Many of the greenwood heroes who originally held Liangshanpo's Song Jiang in high esteem could not help but feel a twinge of doubt.

And some border soldiers and civilians who bore a deep blood feud with the Jin felt an instinctive aversion to the very words 'jade seal'.

Even some leaders of small rebel bands secretly sent men to contact familiar chiefs in Liangshanpo.

They inquired politely about the truth of the matter, their words not lacking in worry.

Liangshanpo, the residence of Song Jiang.

Song Jiang looked at several letters in his hand from different channels, his face somewhat gloomy.

These letters included reminders from friends and inquiries from allied forces.

Their content all pointed to the negative rumors currently circulating about the jade seal.

"Brother, it seems someone does not want us to obtain this jade seal smoothly."

Wu Yong sat at the lower seat, sipping tea leisurely, seeming not surprised.

"Military advisor, could these rumors be traced back to their source?"

Song Jiang set down the letters, his tone carrying suppressed anger.

"If we let these foul words ruin the auspicious name of the jade seal, would we not betray Heaven's good intention?"

Wu Yong shook his head.

"Rumors are like water, penetrating everywhere, hard to trace back to their source."

"In my view, behind this there must be someone pulling the strings, aiming to tarnish the jade seal and strike at Brother's prestige."

"Such intentions deserve death!"

He set down his teacup, his gaze becoming deep.

"However, this also indirectly confirms that the jade seal is genuine and of utmost importance; otherwise, why would the enemy go to such trouble?"

"The urgent task is to dispatch more personnel to swiftly receive the one presenting the treasure and bring him up the mountain."

"Once we hold the jade seal, we will hold a grand ceremony to proclaim it to the world; then the magnificent imperial aura will naturally suppress the slander of all petty scoundrels."

Song Jiang nodded, feeling Wu Yong's words made sense, yet that lingering unease would not go away.

"Just as the military advisor said."

"Send additional forces led by Brother Daizong, and select twenty capable and steadfast trusted chieftains to go down the mountain in different directions to meet him."

"We must quickly locate Duan Jingzhu, ensure his safety, and bring the jade seal back to the stronghold unharmed!"

He must quickly use facts to crush these malicious rumors.

In the shadows, the Iron Crow Army was likewise thrown into disarray by this sudden rumor.

The leader of the "Hidden Shadow" responsible for this jade seal escort mission feels the greatest pressure.

He originally thought this was a sure-thing mission, only needing to clear out some clueless bandits.

He didn't expect that now not only have several forces with obscure backgrounds emerged, constantly harassing, but even more troublesome are these rumors flying everywhere.

"Have you looked into it clearly? Where exactly did these rumors start?"

He asked his subordinates in an ice-cold voice.

"Sir, the rumors spread extremely fast; the source seems not just one place, the methods are also very seasoned, making them hard to trace."

A member of the Hidden Shadow reported in a low voice.

"Moreover, the several batches of personnel we sent to eliminate the rumor sources have all been ambushed by unidentified individuals, suffering significant losses.

"The other side seems to be very familiar with our operational patterns."

The Hidden Shadow leader fell silent for a moment, his face in the shadow twisting slightly.

"It's that 'variable's' power…… They indeed intervened."

"Change strategy, prioritize ensuring the safety of the jade seal and Duan Jingzhu, let the rumors be for now.

"As long as the jade seal is successfully sent to Liang Mountain and integrated into the 'Mandate of Heaven' aura, these minor stains will naturally be washed away by history."

"Also, notify our people on the mountain, strengthen control over Song Jiang, ensure that after he obtains the jade seal, he can unswervingly follow our script."

Inside the manor located dozens of li outside, Qian Gui received reports of movements from all sides.

"Commander, the rumors have already taken effect.

Song Jiang added personnel to respond, appearing quite urgent.

The Iron Crow Army's Hidden Shadow contracted its defenses, focusing on protection, reducing the counterattack strength against our harassment squads.

"Green Forest and the borders, doubts about the jade seal are also increasing."

Qian Gui's face showed a satisfied expression.

"Very good.

"What we need is them being anxious, what we need is them being doubtful."

"The more they want to quickly hide the jade seal, the more we must let it be exposed under the bright sky."

"Notify downwards, the supervision over Duan Jingzhu can be relaxed a bit, let him feel that safety is near, so he can run faster."

"Meanwhile, near Liang Mountain, create some 'small' trouble for Dai Zong and them, so their response won't be so smooth."

"We want everyone under heaven to know that this Liang Mountain's 'Mandate of Heaven' jade seal came about in such a 'twisted' and 'eye-catching' way."

He walked to the window, gazing toward Liang Mountain, as if he had already seen the upcoming jade-offering ceremony, and the thunder that would follow closely after.

The plan of feigning east while striking west has succeeded.

The Iron Crow Army's and Song Jiang's attention has been drawn to the rumors and the response.

Yet they do not know that the true killing move is hidden in their goal they are determined to achieve.