Chapter 860 Brother Qing's Methods! (Third Update)

What's meant to happen will happen; there's no use in being afraid.

From the first day they entered Ghost Mountain, they knew that the flames of war outside would one day spread here.

They are not afraid of fighting, and would rather die than become mere dogs of the State of Jin!

Shangguan Qing and Tang Yueshan returned to the village first.

Gu Jiao continued to guard Xuan Yuanqi at the entrance of the cave.

He has protected others for most of his life, and this is probably the first time someone has silently protected him.

Gu Jiao sat cross-legged beside him, gave him a deep look, and said softly, "You really have to remember it quickly, Xuan Yuanqi."

...

After returning home, Tang Yueshan did not fall asleep again. He stood at the village entrance with his large bow on his back, gazing motionlessly in the direction of the forest.

As dawn broke, a ghost soldier swiftly emerged from the woods and reported to Shangguan Qing: "The Jin army has set out! They are heading towards Ghost Mountain!"

Shangguan Qing asked, "How many troops did they bring?"

The ghost soldier opened his mouth, then forced himself to say, "Twenty thousand."

Shangguan Qing put his hands behind his back and frowned.

Clearly, this number exceeded his expectations.

Gongsun Yu actually mobilized 20,000 regular troops to deal with a mere 300 bandits from Guishan. He really thinks highly of Guishan.

"Give the order: no fires are to be lit this morning. Proceed according to plan," Shangguan Qing commanded.

"Yes!" The ghost soldier quickly returned to the forest after receiving the order.

Tang Yueshan entered his room and asked, "Is the Jin army about to attack?"

Shangguan Qing hummed in agreement, his expression no longer as nonchalant as it had been the night before.

"Twenty thousand troops," he said.

Tang Yueshan's eyes widened: "What? Twenty thousand? Has Gongsun Yu gone mad! Twenty thousand to deal with a ghost mountain!"

Shangguan Qing said, "Gongsun Yu's grandfather was buried in Guishan, so he may have had an unusual rage against Guishan... But you're right, he really is a madman."

Tang Yueshan asked, "Is there an escape route? What's behind the back of the mountain?"

Shangguan Qing said solemnly, "It is a lake, a lake that stretches as far as the eye can see."

That means there's no way to get a refund.

Tang Yueshan then asked, "What about the east and west sides?"

Shangguan Qing said, "There's a lake just beyond the mountain. The village doesn't have enough boats."

Tang Yueshan sensed that the situation was not good: "Then..."

Shangguan Qing suddenly relaxed: "Don't worry too much. Guishan is not as vulnerable as you think. Although the 20,000 Jin troops are troublesome, if we can't beat them, can't we at least run away? We'll be safe when the imperial army comes to take back Pucheng."

Tang Yueshan gave him a strange look, and after a quarter of an hour, Tang Yueshan realized that he was serious about hiding.

He struck the stone bell at the village entrance three times.

In a short while, the villagers came out of their houses one after another, all of them fully prepared to go.

Tang Yueshan stared in disbelief: "No way? So fast?"

Shangguan Qing thoroughly enjoyed the meme-worthy expressions Tang Yueshan provided on the spot. He raised an eyebrow and said, "It was all packed up last night."

Otherwise, why would the villagers stay up so late to do farm work?

The moment the Jin army entered the mountains, he immediately activated the emergency plan. Although it was a few days earlier than expected, it was not a big deal.

Tang Yueshan: "I'll go to the front."

Shangguan Qing said, "No need. You are responsible for protecting the villagers. The ghost soldiers in front will retreat soon."

Daytime is not Ghost Mountain's home turf, and Shangguan Qing will not make a pointless sacrifice if he cannot win.

Tang Yueshan looked at Shangguan Qing with some surprise. This boy had a convincing courage. He was so young, but he was calm, brave and resourceful, but not impulsive.

Is it just my imagination?

Why did I suddenly think of Lao Xiao?

There is a mechanism in the village's ancient well; once opened, an opening will appear in the well wall.

Shangguan Qing arranged for two ghost soldiers familiar with the secret passage to lead the way, and then evacuate the villagers one by one into the passage.

To Tang Yueshan's astonishment, from the elderly to the three-year-old children, not a single person was frightened or cried, and there was no panic or scrambling.

Everyone obeyed Shangguan Qing's arrangements.

This is a trust that is completely unconditional.

He thought of Marquis Xuanping again.

Marquis Xuanping may seem unreliable, but wherever he goes, the people's hearts are with him, and everyone is inspired.

He used to blame it on the Marquis of Xuanping's face, but this kid hasn't even shown his face yet—

Shangguan Qing turned around, interrupting his thoughts: "It's your turn, Marshal Tang."

Tang Yueshan's body trembled.

Wait a minute! I don't think I said I was the Grand Marshal! I only said my surname was Tang!

...Could it be that girl who said it?

Yes, it must be.

It can't be that this kid knows him!

Tang Yueshan and Shangguan Qing also entered the passage in the ancient well. The entrance didn't look big, but it wasn't narrow once inside. Tang Yueshan's middle-aged, overweight figure didn't feel crowded at all as he crawled around inside.

And after climbing ten feet, the passage becomes higher and wider, allowing one to walk while bending over.

"Are the ghost soldiers still behind?" Tang Yueshan asked.

Shangguan Qing bent down and walked ahead, saying, "Yes, they'll be here in a bit."

Tang Yueshan: "And then?"

Shangguan Qing: "Then this passage will be sealed off."

This actually means they abandoned the village, but as long as the green hills remain, there's always hope for rebuilding their homes.

I don't know how long I walked underground, but the passage became wider and wider, and eventually I was even able to walk upright.

The candlesticks on the corridor walls were lit, and the firelight reflected on everyone's faces.

Tang Yueshan followed at the back at a leisurely pace. Then, as if remembering something, he asked, "By the way, are there any passages in the forest where we fought yesterday? What would happen if the Jin army discovered them?"

Shangguan Qing paused, then sighed and said, "That would be terrible."

...

Xie Xingzhou led an army of 20,000 into Ghost Mountain, accompanied by Elder Lu of the Sword Pavilion and two highly skilled disciples.

Xie Xingzhou and his group rode horses, while the rest walked.

It wasn't that they were reluctant to give up the cavalry, but rather that the terrain of Ghost Mountain was unsuitable for cavalry warfare.

"You searched for so long and found nothing?" Xie Xingzhou asked. "Elder Lu, are you sure the battle took place in this forest last night?"

Elder Lu said nonchalantly, "I'm sure, and there are definitely traps and formations in this forest."

Xie Xingzhou said, "But we've been searching for an hour and haven't found anything."

"General!"

A soldier lying on the ground suddenly shouted, "We've found a passage here!"

Xie Xingzhou hurriedly spurred his horse over, but by the time he arrived at the entrance to the passage, the soldier had already dismounted.

Before long, the soldier came up covered in dust, picked up a skull claw, and said, "There are tunnels down there, leading to different places. They must have been playing tricks down there!"

Xie Xingzhou instructed his two lieutenants: "Take your men and search the area."

"yes!"

Considering the treacherous nature of the ghost soldiers, who were able to wipe out Min Hongyi's 500 Jin soldiers with only 300 men, the number of men they took with them must have been considerable.

They made a major discovery in the passage: the skulls emerging from the ground, the bleeding trees, and the carcasses of birds were all actually traps inside!

A bunch of pretentious charlatans!

Xie Xingzhou said calmly, "It seems it will be over soon."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a terrifying explosion suddenly erupted from underground, the ground shook, and then screams of agony echoed through the tunnel!

Xie Xingzhou's expression changed: "What happened! Answer me!"

The only response he received was screams.

“So it’s truly tragic,” Shangguan Qing said. “Once the self-destruct mechanism is activated, there’s no way to leave any survivors. Moreover, it will permanently sever all access to the village.”

"Wow." Tang Yueshan was secretly amazed.

There's a saying, isn't there?

Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. This trip to the State of Yan has certainly broadened his horizons.

So this is how wars can be fought.

Tang Yueshan sincerely admired him and said, "How did you come up with the idea of ​​digging so many tunnels? And setting up such ingenious mechanisms?"

Shangguan Qing said, "It wasn't me. When I came to Ghost Mountain, the underground passages were already there. I just figured out how to use those mechanisms."

Following the pamphlet I swiped from Old Ghost King!

I can't say that, otherwise how can I show off?

The last ghost soldier also entered the passage, and the entrance to the well was completely blocked by a mechanical boulder.

They walked for a while longer and came to a natural underground cave.

The cave is large and long, with a stream flowing through it.

The villagers and the ghost soldiers sat together on the ground.

There is an inexhaustible water source here, and everyone has prepared enough dry food, so hiding for a month is not a problem.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Tang Yueshan would hardly have believed that such a masterpiece of engineering existed in the world.

What kind of amazing person dug this up?

And why dig?

Tang Yueshan asked, "Will the Jin army dig three feet into the ground?"

“No,” Shangguan Qing said. “I put a boat on the lake in Dongshan and left some escape marks on the shore. They should think we left by boat overnight.”

"No wonder you told everyone not to light fires in the morning." If they did light fires in the morning, the Jin army would know they were still there last night, and the boats on the lake would not go far.

If they could escape overnight, it wouldn't be surprising to see no boats on the lake.

This little devil king's plan is truly flawless. Old Xiao, I've found someone just as cunning as you!

Once I bring him back and adopt him as my godson, let's see if you'll still be so cocky in front of me!

Tang Yueshan then said, "Over there on the back mountain..."

Shangguan Qing said, "You've been to the back mountain yourself. The Ghost King's lair is very well hidden; the Jin army can't find it."

That's true.

So, the next step was to wait in the cave.

The Jin army will leave voluntarily, or the imperial court will attack and force them to leave.

The latter is more likely.

Old Xiao, we're trapped in Ghost Mountain, you absolutely must attack us soon!

This is a late update, please vote with your monthly tickets, muah~

(End of this chapter)