Chapter 174 — Caught Off Guard

The light of dawn pushed aside the darkness between heaven and earth. On the official road, banners snapped in the wind as a vast black tide of troops stretched endlessly into the distance, stirring up clouds of dust that filled the sky.

Donkey carts and ox carts had retreated into the fields, while merchants traveling from north and south gathered together, staring in astonishment at the long serpent of an army winding past. Some exchanged whispers in low voices.

“Are we going to war?” “I don’t know, are there even enemies left in the south?”

“Next down is Fushui County. I haven’t heard of any unrest there.”

“Then that’s strange—what’s the army doing here?!”

Clang, clang, clang! The sound of raised spears, sword scabbards, and interlocking armor plates rang through the air. At the head of the long column, beneath several great banners, a few generals urged their horses forward at a slow pace and turned to look back at the winding host.

One of them, a general named Kong Fan, stroked his short beard, the iron plates on his shoulder guards rasping against each other as he bent his arm.

“His Majesty orders us—commanders of the army—to capture a mere man of the wilds. Even if he does possess some demonic arts, this seems rather an overreaction.”

Beside him rode Ren Zhong and Chen Bizhi. The two exchanged glances; Ren Zhong rubbed at the thick beard around his rounded chin, nudged his horse forward, and cupped his hands.

“That’s not entirely fair to say. The General of Agile Cavalry himself suffered at this man’s hands—bewitched in just a few words. We cannot afford to underestimate him.”

Among the three, the thinner-faced Chen Bizhi nodded in agreement from behind.

“General Ren speaks reason. The damage at Jianchun Gate in the capital still bears repair marks, and even His Majesty’s Chengyun Hall is being restored. That alone shows how profound that fiend Lu Liangsheng’s cultivation must be. I’ve heard even the National Preceptor dares not act rashly against him.”

Kong Fan glanced between them. “Then, what are your thoughts?”

Soldiers lived by orders, and these three were all men of decisive courage—none inclined to back down. As the long column advanced, a fast rider came galloping back from the front. Before his horse had fully stopped, he leapt down and dropped to one knee before the three generals.

“Reporting to the three generals: less than twenty li ahead lies Fushui County!”

Kong Fan, astride his chestnut warhorse, ran his hand through its mane, narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, then turned toward the other two.

“If the man truly commands powerful sorcery, we must make our preparations.”

Then, turning to the messenger, he issued his orders.

“Carry my command to Fushui County. Tell the magistrate to gather every black dog within the city. Then have him inquire whether there are any reclusive masters nearby—and invite them to accompany our army to Qixia Mountain, to aid us in subduing Lu Liangsheng!”

“Sir!”

The messenger acknowledged the order, sprang to his feet, and swiftly mounted his warhorse. Waving to several companions, he galloped off along the flank of the marching “dragon,” heading toward the county town ahead.

Thud, thud, thud…

At the gates of Fushui County, travelers and merchants who were being inspected for entry heard the sound of pounding hooves and hurriedly stepped aside in alarm. The riders brandished their whips and credentials.

“Make way! Make way!”

The gate guards dared not obstruct them, and the five riders charged straight through the gates, scattering chickens and dogs along the length of the main street.

Hrrmph!

Their steeds halted before the county yamen. The county magistrate and the registrar stared at the dust-covered messengers, feeling headaches already brewing. As they sent men throughout the city to gather black dogs, they began discussing the other part of the order.

“Collecting black dogs is easy enough, but as for this ‘expert’… who in Fushui County could that possibly be, aside from Lu Liangsheng himself?”

The registrar, sitting off to the side, sighed helplessly and tapped his knee with his sleeve.

“Indeed. Anyone truly skilled wouldn’t hole up in a backwater like ours… Ah—wait, isn’t there that Master Wang the Great Immortal in town? We can fetch him.”

“You mean Half-Blind(Banxia) Wang? He only tells fortunes—hardly a true adept.”

“General Kong didn’t specify what kind of ‘expert’ he wanted. My lord, at least this way we’ll have someone to present, better than having nothing at all, don’t you think?”

The magistrate sighed and nodded. “Very well, let it be him.”

On the bustling main street of Fushui, a small stall was surrounded by several people. A white banner with black edges fluttered lightly in the wind. Behind it sat an old man, eyes half-closed, stroking his goatee with one hand while the other pinched at his fingers, swiftly divining fortunes for a customer.

“Lust is a blade that scrapes the very bone—best avoid it in excess.”

“What about indulgence in men?”

In the lively street, several yamen runners pushed through the crowd, scanning left and right. When they spotted the hanging banner, they pointed at it. Before Wang Banxia could even recover from a coughing fit, several figures had already strode up, seized him without a word, and lifted him bodily off the ground.

“Hey, hey! What are you doing?!”

“The county magistrate requests your presence.”

Still in a sitting posture, his legs bent beneath him, Wang Banxia was carried off between the two officers. The onlookers, seeing that the men wore the insignia of the county yamen, dared not interfere and could only watch helplessly as the old man was borne away down the street.

Before Wang Banxia had even stepped into the county yamen, he was bundled straight into a carriage. Inside, the registrar explained the entire matter to him—but whether he agreed or not, the carriage wheels were already turning, rumbling out through the city gates and heading south.

“How did a simple day of fortune-telling on the street turn into such calamity…”

Sitting stiffly inside the carriage, Wang Banxia dared not move. His sharp hearing caught sounds from outside—more footsteps than before, and the barking of numerous dogs.

Woof! Woof! Woof!

The barking rose in a shrill chorus, and soon the slowly moving carriage came to a halt. Through his blurred vision, Wang Banxia saw the registrar help him down, while others came to receive them. They walked toward the place where many footsteps gathered densely.

Tilting his head slightly, he could hear countless soldiers marching along the official road. Before long, the sound of horse hooves approached, followed by the registrar’s voice speaking respectfully.

“General Kong… this is the renowned adept of our Fushui County.”

“He is said to divine the future with uncanny precision—famous far and wide. Whenever someone’s home is troubled by spirits or misfortune, they come to him for aid.”

Listening for a moment, Wang Banxia felt a jolt run through his body. His chest unconsciously puffed up with pride.

Pff!

The warhorse snorted loudly. From atop his steed, General Kong Fan reined in his mount and cast his gaze over. The old man before him, dressed in a plain gray robe, stroked his goatee and nodded toward the distant mountain range. His half-closed, unfocused eyes lent him an air of inscrutable mystery.

“A true master indeed…”

Kong Fan murmured praise under his breath, clearly pleased. He ordered the registrar to return and commanded that “Master Wang” be treated with the utmost respect. Then the army continued south along the official road for another five or six li, where the three generals parted according to their battle plan.

Ren Zhong led five thousand men to climb mountains and cross rivers, advancing from the western side of Qixia Mountain. Chen Bizhi took ten thousand troops to encircle from the north.

“I will personally lead a force with Master Wang and advance from the front. Even if that Lu Liangsheng himself escapes, could the people of his Lu Family Village possibly get away?”

On horseback, a surge of heroic spirit rose naturally from Kong Fan, his voice carrying over the ranks as his vigor spread through the army.

The heavens stretched vast and clear, clouds curling and dispersing. At the crossroads, the forest of banners split apart, each following its own general’s standard as they gradually spread westward and northward.

Amid the heavy cadence of marching feet, Wang Banxia had more or less guessed that he was now in the midst of a great army—though where they were headed, he still had no idea. Yet with everyone calling him “Master Wang” this and “High Immortal” that, his heart grew light as air.

A smile appeared on his face, deep and inscrutable.

Anyway, I’ll just keep up the act. As long as we’re not going after that Lu Liangsheng of Qixia Mountain, it’ll be fine. Heh… no, that can’t be—how could so many people be sent just to deal with one man? I’m overthinking it, overthinking it… heh heh…