Chapter 152: Your Honor, Spare My Life

At the city gate.

The City Defense Army watched the people from the Patrol Guard Division ride past, and they began to discuss it one after another.

Their commander sighed: "You really can't compare people to people!"

The guards nodded along and said: "It's just different when you hold great power; being able to command so many people, it looks truly imposing!"

The commander said: "Do you think just anyone can easily command so many elites?"

If someone else were sitting in Wen Gu's position, they would probably still be getting familiar with their new workstation, let alone ordering around those Commanders.

Hearing that the commander's words had a bias toward Wen Gu, the guards grew gossipy: "Commander Mu, rumors in the streets say that your family and Deputy Envoy Wen—"

Commander Mu interrupted: "You know as well as I do that those are just street rumors! It's all made up! Stop spouting nonsense!"

He had only looked for Wen Gu to talk in the past, and the He Daye family had already spread rumors about it.

Later, the old He was dealt with.

The "He Mie-mie" of street rumors became famous from then on.

Actually, Commander Mu really did have some private matters he wanted to ask Wen Gu for help with, but the Patrol Guard Division seemed to have had major movements recently, so he could only shelve it for now.

On the official road from Xinzhou City to Yuecheng.

More than thirty riders headed toward the target location.

When going out on official business, their weapons and equipment were different from those inside the city.

They usually carried sabers, but when going out, they would also bring a horse lance or a long spear.

Among the elites selected from the Border Army, there were none with poor physiques. If they were even slightly inferior, they wouldn't even be able to grip a horse lance.

Ming Tiao and Yu He guarded Wen Gu's left and right respectively to protect his safety.

Ming Tiao didn't care how others evaluated Wen Gu; as long as Wen Gu could bring benefits to everyone, he would assist with all his might.

He really had to thank Chief Pei for sending him here; he could get a big job as soon as he arrived!

Deputy Envoy Wen was likely not very good at fighting.

Although he didn't know why, in the incident where the young master was attacked in Shuo City, only Wen Gu and the young master survived in the cellar, nor did he know why the cellar exploded at that time. The young master hadn't spoken of it to the outside; those were secrets that only a very small number of people could know.

In terms of individual combat power alone, compared to people like them, Wen Gu was definitely not very professional.

But now Wen Gu was their control center, so he had to be protected well. Especially his brain!

There was also a third Commander in this team, the Xinzhou City Garrison Commander sent by Fu Ju to help: Lei Da.

He used to be called Lei Da, which fit the trend of this era; he was the eldest in his family, so he was called that.

Until his war exploits grew more and more and he was transferred into the Patrol Guard Division, Lei Da saw others changing their names, so he also changed his to the "Da" of "soaring success."

Usually, Lei Da followed Fu Ju to handle affairs, and being sent here this time was also with the thought that if there really were a major discovery, they could get a share of the spoils.

Commander Lei was currently guarding against threats to the side of the team, holding a bow and arrow.

Compared to the sound of the horse hooves moving forward, the sound of the bowstring actually seemed much calmer.

The weather was hot, and the Plague Ghosts were agile and swift; even without obstacles to block them, many people would involuntarily panic when facing the Plague Ghosts running toward them.

But Commander Lei showed no anxiety, nor did he show killing intent; his eyes were indifferent and focused.

Composed and unhurried, or perhaps it was powerful self-confidence!

Killing the enemy in one strike, he wouldn't waste a single extra arrow.

He was different from Xiao Liu, who came from a background as a hunter.

Xiao Liu's archery was practiced in the mountains since childhood, while Lei Da's archery was practiced on the battlefield since childhood!

Having seen too many big scenes, he was very capable of staying steady.

Wen Gu also noticed that although the other party's facial expressions were not apparent, throughout the whole process, he seemed to be whispering something.

After observing for a while longer, he discovered that this Commander Lei seemed to be counting. Counting how many Plague Ghosts he had killed.

When the team rested, Wen Gu asked Ming Tiao beside him, voicing his confusion: "Is he counting war exploits?"

Ming Tiao was more familiar with Commander Lei and shook his head: "That is a factor, but it's more for his own personal reasons. Commander Lei believes in Buddhism; when he joined the Patrol Guard Division, he vowed to slay demons and eliminate monsters. Killing Plague Ghosts is Merit; he is just counting how much Merit he can add today."

Wen Gu understood.

Shooting a Plague Ghost +1, +1, +1—

Today's Merit +1, +1, +1—

Nocking an arrow and shooting was just like holding incense and worshipping Buddha, focused and devout.

On the other side, Lei Da actually also had questions. He had accepted this mission in a rush and still had many puzzles in his heart, so when he caught a gap during the rest, he went to ask Ming Tiao.

"Why do you all think the Jinchan Hu would hide secrets?"

Ming Tiao laughed: "It's not easy to find a place that is exceptionally suspicious; isn't it normal to come and investigate?"

Ever since the world became chaotic, the ownerless Granaries in Xinzhou had been raided one after another. As for the Granaries outside, the ones that could be found and were easy to find had almost all been found. The private grain of wealthy families was hidden discreetly and was not easy to find.

It could be said that they had already become familiar with many places in Xinzhou.

But it still wasn't detailed enough.

Lao Zhao was looking for the military supplies that had disappeared within Xinzhou, hoping to fill the gap. He didn't just want this batch of supplies; he also wanted to remove the hidden danger.

It was like having an unexploded Fire Powder buried in one's own territory; how could one be at ease?

Previously, the Patrol Guard Division had screened the cargo routes of merchant caravans, as well as routes prone to smuggling, filtering them one by one.

Then, the Shuo City young master was attacked.

What did this prove?

It meant they were about to finish screening to the target!

"Now we continue to comb through the clues, and when we comb to the Jinchan Hu, it looks suspicious no matter how you look at it, so shouldn't we hurry over and investigate it once?

Whether there is anything there, we'll only know after we dig!"

We must dig!

They were not willing to give up without digging through the site once.

After Ming Tiao finished explaining, Commander Lei nodded in agreement.

Fu Ju had just finished checking a section of the route without any results, which was why he had been feeling depressed lately.

Since Wen Gu's actions overlapped with the direction of his own mission, Fu Ju had hurriedly sent Lei Da over to follow up.

It was not an urgent military matter of utmost importance, so they did not need to rush; they stopped twice along the way before reaching their destination.

Unlike Li Mountain, which inherently carried a "fiery temperament," Jinchan Hu—as the name suggests—was a place abundant with the vitality of water and wood.

What is a "Hu"? Only a mountain with dense vegetation is called a "Hu"!

But before their eyes—

"It's bald."

Yu He said, "It wasn't this bald before!"

Ming Tiao scanned the logged mountain terrain: "Large-scale logging like this is usually done by the Xianshou Army or the City Defense Army; they cut it down when they come out for patrols. After coming and going a few times, it was logged bald."

In the past, there was indeed plenty of vegetation on this mountain, but as the plague raged, everyone became more cautious about what they consumed, and the demand for firewood increased.

The military's monthly coal supply was limited. If there was wood, they would naturally cut it down first, using some for construction and splitting the rest to burn as firewood.

Secondly, trees and shrubbery were cleared to prevent Plague Ghosts from hiding within them.

The vegetation that obstructed the view had all been cleared, so the Danguan located on the mountainside was very conspicuous at a glance.

Besides the Danguan on the mountainside, there was a small courtyard at the foot of the mountain; it used to be a tea house for travelers to rest, but now it was a place for passing patrol squads to take a break.

The Danguan on the mountain had been uninhabited for a long time and was not maintained, so it was dilapidated. Therefore, they still rested in the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

The conditions in the small courtyard were crude. It was made of Mutou, and apart from the roof beams which still remained somewhat intact, things like doors and windows had long since been dismantled by someone, presumably to be burned as firewood.

Looking around, only a few earthen walls were still standing firm.

"Deputy Envoy, shall we search the mountain?" Ming Tiao asked.

"No rush yet."

As Wen Gu spoke, he took out the Daoist Priest's blueprints, walked out of the small courtyard, and looked at the paths on the mountain that resembled veins.

In the past, people often walked on this mountain, and stone slabs had even been laid down as steps.

It was just that the shapes and materials of these stone slabs were quite mixed, not looking like they came from the same place.

Setting this question aside for now, Wen Gu looked at the winding path leading upward.

Because the mountain had been logged bald, those path steps were even more obvious.

And the lines of the path partially overlapped with the extra lines on the Protective Talisman drawn by the Daoist Priest!

The three people with Ming Tiao also saw it and struggled to control their excitement.

"It must be here! Deputy Envoy, shall we search the mountain?"

"Search the mountain!"

Jinchan Hu was not small, and the clues obtained were limited, so searching the mountain remained quite difficult, and it was hard to have any discoveries for the time being.

However, they had already decided before coming to stay here for a few more days to search carefully.

The next morning, inside the small courtyard at the foot of the mountain.

Wen Gu was drawing a map of Jinchan Hu.

Based on the newly organized information, he was drawing a multi-directional and multi-angle map.

Yu He came over at this time: "Deputy Envoy, the laborers transporting the supplies have arrived."

The laborers of the Patrol Guard Division were not just common manual laborers; they were temporary workers with a functional service status.

Those who arrived today belonged to the Logistics personnel of the Patrol Guard Division, delivering military equipment and provisions at the rear of the team.

Wen Gu and his group traveled light, so the supplies were a step behind.

These Logistics personnel were also physically strong individuals, and most had some military background, so they were very proactive in their work.

They were laborers now without official establishment, but if the Patrol Guard Division expanded its structure in the future, they would have a chance to become permanent staff!

Seeing that there were more and more people in Xinzhou, the hope for becoming permanent staff was getting closer. The Logistics personnel scrambled to do the tasks assigned by the three main leaders of the Patrol Guard Division.

As soon as they arrived at the location this morning, the team leader came to report on the work.

Yu He said: "The lead laborer just said that when they set off yesterday, everything was normal until they rested at night. But when they were traveling this morning, they noticed someone following them. The identity of the other party is unknown, but they don't know how to hide well; they might be refugees who have survived nearby."

Being able to serve as a laborer in the Patrol Guard Division meant having some ability, and the team leader was even more sharp.

They quickly discovered they were being followed, but the other party had no other actions for the time being, and they themselves were busy ensuring logistics, so they didn't stop to deal with them.

Now that they had arrived at the destination, they certainly had to report this matter. After all, it was a risk.

"I have already sent people to investigate," Yu He said.

"Surviving refugees nearby?" Wen Gu became interested.

Yu He also thought that if they were nearby refugees, they could be brought over for questioning.

But whether the other party was a bandit or an ordinary refugee would only be known after investigation. They would use different methods to deal with different identities.

Not far from the small courtyard, on a slope.

More than a dozen gaunt figures gathered here.

Their voices were hoarse, their lips were chapped, and their bodies were like skin and bone.

At this moment, these people's eyes were blood-red; because their emotions were too intense, their eyeballs were bloodshot, flashing with ferocity.

The person in the center gripped a blade tightly, their eyes fierce: "What are you afraid of? Fight! Once a decision is made, there is no turning back. Charge! Don't stop! Follow me and charge!!"

They had just seen those people transporting goods enter the small courtyard, and now they just needed to rush in and seize the food!

Food!

The person who made the decision was not just shouting slogans; they were truly charging in front with a large blade.

The others didn't think about anything else at this moment; they picked up their blades and followed closely behind, running.

They held their breath, thinking that food was just ahead, and ran faster and faster.

In the blink of an eye, the small courtyard came into view.

The person charging at the very front gradually saw the open gate.

And—

Inside, that row of sturdy figures clad in Iron Armor, their blades even unsheathed, glinting with a cold light.

The expression on the face of the person charging at the front changed with every step, almost as rapidly as his quick running pace.

The ferocity in his eyes quickly transformed into pure innocence.

In that instant, it was as if a violent storm with thunder and lightning appeared in his mind.

In a flash of lightning, his survival instinct led him to make the best choice.

He threw away the blade in his hand, and his knees went weak.

Skrr—

He slid to his knees in front of the gate.

Using almost all the strength in his body, he shrieked: "Officers, save me!!!"

The people behind had originally been charging forward with their heads down, but after seeing the situation inside, their minds went blank, and they had no idea what to do.

Seeing the reaction of their leader, they panicked even more; they had been charging forward too fast to stop, so they could only make sharp turns and crash into the earthen wall.

Their already sluggish brains became even more chaotic.

But someone had already set an example, and they only needed to follow suit.

They threw away their blades, plopped onto the ground, and pleaded with the utmost sincerity: "Officers, spare our lives!"

"We are—law-abiding citizens!"

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