Chapter 374: Unexpected (Part 4) [Two-in-One]

The strategist's wine and dishes remained untouched, and he had only taken a couple of bites of each dish. From the start of the welcoming banquet until he was called by Chen Tang, he remained quiet with his head bowed. He didn't utter a single word, and his presence was extremely subtle.

He looked up when he heard this.

He revealed a gentle and kind face.

Yes, gentle and kind.

His eyes and brows seemed to have been meticulously crafted, smooth and without any sharp edges. He had a carefully trimmed short beard, and his features were refined and elegant, with a steady and composed demeanor. At first glance, he appeared to be a handsome middle-aged man who was well-read and exuded a scholarly air.

In layman's terms—

If this person appeared in a TV series, he would definitely be an upright character!

The only drawback was that this person wasn't particularly imposing, and his overly harmless demeanor even gave the impression that he was somewhat frail. Neither his appearance nor his physique was the type that Prefect Lu preferred.

Given the impetuous nature of the Prefect of Lu, he would never allow someone who didn't meet his standards to become the second-in-command.

I'm fairly confident about that.

Before the middle-aged man could react, Shen Tang smiled and turned to Prefect Lu, asking, "Could you please introduce me, Lord Lu?"

Prefect Lu: "..."

He looked at Shen Tang and then at the other person.

He moved his lips but didn't speak.

For some reason, the atmosphere suddenly became stiff.

There was also a faint sense of chilling danger.

Shen Tang laughed it off: "Why is Lord Lu being so stingy? I was just asking, I didn't intend to pry anyone from you... As for such a treasure, you won't even introduce it to me... Sigh."

Prefect Lu twitched the corner of his mouth.

But he still didn't say anything.

For some reason, the subordinate who had been so hospitable to everyone had a slightly pale face, and his forehead was covered in sweat. Large beads of sweat seeped from under his skin and rolled down in a drizzle. Some of it hung down his chin, dripping and wetting his sleeves, while some slid down his neck.

His Adam's apple bobbed nervously.

While everyone's attention was off him, he turned away to wipe his sweat. When he came to his senses, he found himself drenched in sweat and his breathing was erratic.

Just then, the middle-aged strategist spoke up.

Even his voice was as refined as his appearance.

He said, "My name is Jiang Sheng, courtesy name Xiandeng."

Shen Tang seemed oblivious to the subtle atmosphere that had just transpired, and asked him with a smile, "Is it the 'first to ascend and seize the flag' from 'first to ascend and seize the flag'? Mr. Jiang, that's a good name, though it doesn't quite suit your temperament. It sounds rather ruthless..."

The middle-aged strategist asked Shen Tang, "What about my temperament?"

Shen Tang kept talking, acting like a familiar face: "Mr. Jiang is handsome and refined, making people feel happy and approachable. Seeing you makes one feel that you should be holding a book, gazing at the moon in the wind, untouched by worldly affairs."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged strategist's smile lines deepened, but the smile did not penetrate his eyes.

The Prefect of Lu and his subordinates had slightly darkened expressions, and their eyes seemed to say to Chen Tang, "When did you go blind?"

Jiang Sheng picked up his wine cup, intending to drink, but then put it down again, as if remembering something: "Unworldly? Lord Shen thinks too highly of me. I'm probably just a character from a local tale... What you see is nothing but a stinking carcass..."

"If the physical body rots, is the person still alive?"

Shen Tang's eyes were full of sincerity, as if these words came from a heartfelt doubt rather than sarcasm.

Middle-aged strategist: "..."

Shen Tang stared intently at the middle-aged strategist.

He turned to Prefect Lu and said, "I like this Mr. Jiang more and more the more I look at him. Prefect Lu, would you be willing to part with him?"

Prefect Lu sneered: "Do you want to die?"

Shen Tang pouted: "Fine, don't cut it then, it was just a joke... How come you can't even take a joke like this?"

The Prefect of Lu seemed to want to say something but hesitated.

In the end, he swallowed back what he wanted to say.

He gulped down his tea, and judging from his sour face, he was in a very bad mood, practically screaming "Whoever messes with me will die!"

Shen Tang rested her chin on her hand and watched the song and dance for a while.

She started nitpicking again, looking for trouble out of nothing.

"Are these the dancers and musicians you keep in your household?"

Prefect Lu said irritably, "So what if it is?"

Shen Tang said, "They danced poorly. Their steps and movements were out of sync with the music. It hurt my eyes to watch them."

Jiang Sheng seemed to have her interest piqued.

"Shen Jun is also proficient in music theory?"

Chu Yao, who was quietly eating with his head down, suddenly froze. Zhao Feng noticed his unusual behavior and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

Chu Yao quickly recovered.

The only difference is that I'm using chopsticks much more frequently now.

He said, "It's nothing."

The He Yin government office has a strange little secret—the music theory of their own Prefect Shen has the wonderful effect of making one feel light and thin.

Those who hear of it will find their food tasteless for three days.

After Chu Yao finished speaking, his lord said with great confidence, "Even if the tune is wrong, Zhou Yu will notice. That's about the level!"

Jiang Sheng actually believed it.

If you didn't have some skills, why would you dare to mess with Zhou Yu?

Shen Tang glanced at the dancers and musicians, waved her hand, and signaled them all to leave, giving her the stage! Taking advantage of the lively atmosphere of the welcoming banquet, she wanted to show off her skills to everyone.

Chu Yao was stunned by what he saw, and for a moment he no longer cared that this might be a trap rather than a welcoming banquet.

He tried to stop him urgently, almost breaking his voice.

"My lord!"

It's fine if they just entertain themselves in the government office.

For the sake of my lord, I would gladly grow thinner and thinner.

But, family scandals should not be aired in public!

It's a real performance. Before long, Shangnan, Tianhai, and Yiru will all know what level of music theory their lord is.

They'll probably be laughing for three years straight!

But Chu Yao underestimated Shen Tang's confidence in herself. She waved her hand and laughed, "It's alright, it's alright."

Chu Yao: "..."

At this moment, he prayed in his heart—

If Heaven could hear his heart's desire, then let something happen, such as Prefect Lu and his entourage revealing their true colors!

Shen Tang had just placed the jade flute to her lips.

Chu Yao turned his face away in despair.

However, at this critical moment!

With a loud bang.

The roof ridge was shattered by a burst of martial energy.

As rubble and wood chips fell, a young man dressed in dark brown robes leaped down from the cave entrance. Everyone in the hall awoke with a start, poised for action. Prefect Lu was initially taken aback, but when he saw the figure the young man was carrying on his shoulder, he slammed his fist on the table and rose to his feet!

The figure looked slender and delicate.

Isn't she his precious daughter?

Now he was covered in blood.

Of all the people, only Jiang Sheng remained unmoved.

Shen Tang looked surprised: "Shao Xuan?"

The newcomer was Bai Su, who was holding a sword in her right hand and a person in her left. Her face was extremely gloomy. After seeing the situation in the hall, she decisively threw the person to Zhao Feng, retreated in front of Shen Tang, conjured another sword, and said sharply, "My lord, there is a trap!"

Prefect Lu remained expressionless and made no move.

He just stared at Jiang Sheng with wide, round eyes and asked Bai Su, "Where did you kidnap this person from?"

Bai Su seemed surprised and doubtful upon hearing this.

She said, "What 'abduction'? It's clearly a rescue!"

Shen Tang asked, "Shao Xuan, what happened?"

Bai Su: "Just now, I passed a house and smelled blood and heard cries for help. I rushed in and guess what I saw? Dozens of women, children, and men had been brutally murdered. The only survivor was saved by her eldest brother who risked his life to protect her. I rescued her and learned that she was the youngest daughter of the Prefect of Lu. The capital of Luxia Prefecture has been captured..."

Having said all that, everyone turned to Prefect Lu, demanding an explanation for the matter.

Shen Tang lowered his voice and asked, "Is it true or false?"

The Prefect of Lu did not utter a word.

Just then, a raging fire erupted from the direction of the temporary camp. Hundreds of fierce-looking men wielding knives and axes rushed out from outside, inside the hall, and into the back room, surrounding the group. Moreover, firewood had been piled up outside, and hundreds of archers were poised to fire. Even a blind man could see this was a trap.

Shen Tang's expression remained unchanged.

She tapped her palm with the jade flute with great interest.

He asked the Prefect of Lu, "We are allies, why has this come to this?"

We traveled thousands of miles to provide rescue, and this is the treatment we get?

The words Bai Su had spoken echoed in Prefect Lu's mind—dozens of women, children, and men had been brutally murdered! Only one person survived!

The scenery before my eyes flickered in and out of view several times.

He was so angry he wanted to die; smoke was billowing from his seven orifices.

His anger pushed him to his limit, which ironically brought him back to some semblance of reason. However, his eyes were bloodshot and filled with terrifying veins, and his features, under the impact of his rage, made him look like a monstrous demon.

"Ah—" He struggled to open his numb mouth, his voice like that of a raging beast. His uncontrolled martial energy surged forth, instantly turning Bai Su's face deathly pale. Only after being protected by Shen Tang's literary energy did she feel somewhat better. "You, you all—prepare to die!!!"

Shen Tang thought to himself, "What a mess this is!" Just as he was about to make a move, he saw Prefect Lu's red eyes sweep across the subordinate, and he flashed to the subordinate's side, raising his palm and smashing the subordinate's skull. The subordinate didn't even have time to beg for mercy before he breathed his last and returned to the Yellow Springs.

Shen Tang could roughly guess what was going on just by looking at this.

This subordinate is most likely a traitor.

The bandits then used the families of the Prefect of Lu and the common people in the city as leverage to lure Shen Tang and his reinforcements into the city, intending to wipe them out in one fell swoop. However, if this were a normal ancient world, it probably would have actually succeeded.

But this world doesn't follow science.

Each of the more than 10,000 reinforcements could fight five men at once.

Both the bandits and the reinforcements were unfamiliar with the city's layout; both sides started from the same point. Shen Tang's side was still on guard, eliminating their initial advantage of a surprise attack, and the bandits then willingly abandoned their natural advantage of defending the city…

Bow strings buzzed outside the house.

Countless rockets were launched into the hall.

Chu Yao immediately raised the literary aura city wall.

The people who had been drinking and eating at the table got up one after another. Looking at them, they were agile and their movements were as fast as lightning. They didn't seem to have been hindered by alcohol at all.

"This place is too small, let's go outside to fight!"

These ambush soldiers wielding swords and axes, like the previous heavy shield bearers, all had blank expressions, displaying fierce courage and fearlessness. If they were to get close, it would be extremely disadvantageous for their side. Zhao Feng and his few brave warriors became even more reckless—so what if the enemy has powerful figures?

They have people too!

One person can summon hundreds of henchmen!

The martial arts soldiers instantly formed a human wall to block the ambush troops, but the moment the two clashed, Zhao Feng's expression changed. The strength of these ambush troops was no less than that of a third-class warrior.

Add to that their relentless, desperate efforts—

Shen Tang cleaved the roof open with a single sword strike.

The ambush outside intensified its attack.

Flames roared and licked at the entire banquet hall in an instant. Prefect Lu used his blade, imbued with powerful martial energy, to cleave through two ambushers, followed by several more who attacked. His eyes were fixed only on Jiang Sheng, who remained calmly seated.

"Jiang! Xian! Deng!" he roared, hacking at the seemingly endless ambush soldiers. "You filthy scoundrel!"

Shen Tang and his group had already jumped onto the roof.

She said, "Prefect Lu, do not linger in battle!"

However, the governor of Lu County did not listen.

The ambush troops also rushed up.

Shen Tang directly switched one of the ambushers with Prefect Lu, grabbing him to go to the temporary camp to meet up with the others. Although she was quite confident in Kang Shi and the others, and that the group of refugees and bandits posed little threat as long as precautions were taken, she was still somewhat worried about the fire.

Prefect Lu, however, did not want to accept this favor.

A ferocious look appeared on his blood-covered face as he said resolutely, "I will stay behind to cover the retreat!"

Shen Tang said, "What's the point of cutting off the rear! The real priority is to join forces with the main force, counterattack the bandits, and recapture the capital city! Damn it, I told you you were unreliable. Since the capital city has already fallen, if you had given me even a hint, we could have worked together from the inside and outside, which would have been much better than what we are now—and you're still lying to me. Is this how alliances are supposed to be?"

Being on guard is one thing.

But that doesn't mean we shouldn't care if we get ambushed.

It's just a difference in the magnitude of the loss.

Seeing the flames of war rising everywhere and the relentless pursuit of his troops, Prefect Lu said with a heavy heart, "I am truly sorry for what happened to you, brother. In my next life, I will repay your kindness by serving you like a cow or a horse. If you have any strength left after escaping this predicament, please take care of the common people in the city and my daughter—I will not rest in peace until I have killed as many of them as I have done to them!"

He fought against these bandits.

They knew all too well how difficult they were to deal with and how numerous they were.

One person must stay behind to cover the retreat and delay the enemy.

I wouldn't consider anyone else but him.

After speaking, he secretly channeled his martial energy, pushing Shen Tang and his group back to the opposite direction of the pursuers. His face showed a dark and terrifying determination! He slashed a crack with his long sword, and his martial energy, brimming with killing intent, condensed into a city wall several dozen feet high.

He stood in the middle of the road.

"Those who cross the line will be killed without mercy!"

After speaking, her cheeks flushed an unusual red.

With his exceptional eyesight, Shen Tang immediately saw what this fellow was up to—he had made the same choice as Commandant Yang had made, leaving himself no room for regret. Shen Tang couldn't take him away like he had with Commandant Yang; the only thing he could do was consolidate his forces and retake the Lu Xia administrative center!

May you have great success in your military endeavors!

The ambush troops paid no attention to those blocking their way.

If there are people, then kill them.

At this moment, Prefect Lu seemed to have returned to his original state. There was no trace of aggression in his surroundings, nor any sign of the anger and murderous intent he had shown before. His eyes were indifferent. The way he looked at the ambush soldiers was as if he were looking at hundreds of insignificant corpses.

He stepped forward.

One step, two steps, three steps...

He was getting closer and closer to the ambush.

Just as the two were about to clash, Prefect Lu's figure flashed and vanished like smoke, leaving behind only a spray of blood, severed limbs, and ominous martial energy. In the blink of an eye, the dozens of soldiers in the front row, without even uttering a scream, were sent to their deaths with their numbered tags.

Wherever the blade strikes, the enemy will surely pay with their blood!

But the person Prefect Lu most wanted to kill was still—

Jiang Sheng!

Jiang Xiandeng!

The middle-aged strategist stood on the rooftop, coldly watching the soldiers lying in ambush below, their bodies rippling like waves of wheat, and the Prefect of Lu, who was almost covered in blood. He indifferently looked away.

Why did you betray me?

Why did the governor of Lu betray the lower prefecture of Lu?

Its form twisted and dissipated, heading towards the real battlefield.

(End of this chapter)