Chapter 30 Capture Alive
The Hu soldiers, who had just put down their long swords, picked them up again, staring intently at the people who had suddenly arrived.
All around were the sounds of blades striking their sheaths.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and dust. Even the wind seemed to carry a chilling, menacing chill.
The Central Plains soldiers who were mixed among the Hu people were quite surprised to see Chu Yu, and whispered a few words to the Hu general next to them.
The leading Hu general narrowed his eyes and carefully examined the refined young man before him. "You are Chu Yu."
Chu Yu didn't respond to him, but simply said, "These barbarians, leave no survivors."
Several Deadpools swarmed up from behind!
The surrounding Hu people were terrified by this attack. They staggered a few steps and exchanged glances.
Then, understanding immediately, he blew a whistle, and the sound of troops moving could be heard from the foot of the mountain!
It was as if dark, heavy clouds were sweeping in from the horizon!
Chu Yu was not surprised that they had reinforcements nearby.
But if they're after Yu Wanyin, then he has to kill them all.
At the very least, he must draw away all the firepower.
The vast army of Hu people marched towards that mountain.
The King of the North stood quietly on the vast plain, watching his troops being called to aid him.
The man was a bit older, around thirty-five or thirty-six, but still possessed an extraordinary demeanor and was mature and composed.
A messenger arrived by carrier pigeon to report, "The Yu family members have been captured in the ambush ahead. It was Chu Yu who went to interfere with the ambush."
"Chu Yu has brought a troop of soldiers. We are short-handed and need help."
The man did not speak.
After calmly observing for a while, he said, "Hasn't Chu Yu already broken through the ambush at Qinggu Slope?"
"He has already escaped safely and gained the upper hand, despite losing so many of our troops and deliberately sacrificing a number of officials from Yingzhou."
"Now he's putting himself in danger again, all for his wife." The King of Northern Chi sneered, "He's quite the romantic."
The King of the North was once again convinced that capturing his wife was a wise choice.
His azure pupils narrowed slightly, and after a moment of contemplation, he suddenly ordered, "Don't just focus on this place. Send another force to intercept them fifty miles ahead."
"Chu Yu has many tricks up his sleeve, both overt and covert, so that he won't use a smokescreen to send his wife away just to draw attention to her."
"In the end, we expended such a large number of troops, but gained nothing."
The servant suddenly understood, immediately accepted the order, and went to make arrangements.
Fifty li ahead lies the location of Yu Wanyin.
*
The military report was also sent to the Jiangling bandit stronghold, which was not far from Qinggupo.
Zong Cheng received the intelligence and prepared to deliver the message. He strode into the house, lifted the curtain, and bumped into Rong Si confronting the envoy from Bei Chi.
Rong Si sat in the main seat, leaning back, silently exuding a sense of pressure.
He looked coldly at the people below, his demeanor relaxed yet arrogant, like a lurking but awake beast.
Even a fraction of an inch away is within his hunting range.
It's obvious I don't take you seriously.
The Northern Chi envoy probably didn't get the answer he wanted, but was also feeling uneasy under his gaze. He could only force a cold laugh and say, "The decision the leader made today probably didn't anticipate the day when we come to your doorstep and put you in such a predicament."
There's a saying in the Central Plains: "You won't shed tears until you see the coffin."
“It’s alright, we’re not in a hurry,” the Northern Chi envoy stared at Rong Si with great interest. “The leader will definitely regret this in the future.”
"However, our clan's king cherishes talent. As long as the leader stays in the stronghold obediently as he is now, and doesn't collude with the officials of Yingzhou to interfere with our attack, you can discuss surrendering at any time in the future. You can choose any military position you like."
"But if the leader helps the Yingzhou officials fight back against us, then there will be no room for negotiation in the future."
The Northern Chi envoy bowed, "However, I have heard that the leader is at odds with the officials of Yingzhou, so there is no need to get involved in their self-destructive affairs."
He smiled and said, "Leader, see you later."
The Northern Chi envoy turned and left the tent.
He was determined to win; once the Northern Chi tribe occupied Yingzhou, how could he fear that they wouldn't be able to defeat this mighty lion of the mountains and fields?
Zong Cheng glanced at the Northern Chi envoy who had left the camp, and waited for him to leave before stepping forward to report to Rong Si, "Their arrogance shows that they have indeed marched to Qinggupo."
"Currently, there is a chaotic battle at Qinggupo. Chu Yu was prepared and used the terrain to trap a group of Hu people in Qinggupo."
"Chu Yu could have left with his own group, but for some reason he ordered the others to go first while he covered their retreat."
Zong Cheng frowned as he spoke, "But this time it didn't go smoothly. The Hu people seemed to know he would do this, and they sent more troops to ambush him."
Rong Si remained silent for a moment.
"Our men spotted a bit of them from a distance. The Hu people's formation is quite large, but Chu Yu didn't bring many men."
"If things continue like this, the situation is not very optimistic."
This does indeed sound very illogical, as people like Chu Yu are most adept at calculating gains and losses.
Returning after going there, he put himself in danger. Rong Si asked slowly, "Is he hiding some treasure that he can't let the Hu people see?"
Zong Cheng shook his head. "I find that strange too. Could it be some military secret, or something concerning the fate of the nation?"
After all, power is the most important thing for Chu Yu.
In order to do this, they could take advantage of the opportunity at Qinggupo to eliminate dissidents.
It's better to kill a hundred innocent people than to let one guilty person go free.
Nothing could move him except power.
Rong Si remained silent for a long time.
Suddenly, he felt that Chu Yu's situation was very similar to his own last time.
The more you care about something, the more likely it is to perish because of it.
It is both an obsession and a grave.
Didn't he know that it was his wife's idea?
Yu Wanyin actually condoned his foolish behavior.
Zong Cheng pondered, "However, it seems that Chu Yu could have continued to move the capital to Dingjing, but this move has destroyed his initiative."
"If the situation doesn't stabilize, the capital might be wiped out by the barbarians halfway through the relocation."
Rong Si leaned on the table to get up, his voice trailing off, "Let's go."
Zong Cheng hadn't reacted yet, "Where to?"
Rong Si picked up a wrist bandage from the side and wrapped it around his arm. "Go and suppress the Hu people's anger, at least so that they can't affect the relocation of the capital and the subsequent deployment of troops."
Zong Cheng was not surprised when he heard this. He replied with "Okay" and immediately turned around and went out to prepare.
Su Fang hesitated for a moment and said, "My lord, that barbarian just said that if we help Yingzhou with its military supplies, we'll be considered accomplices..."
Rong Si picked up the long sword beside him and said, "I have a grudge against Chu Yu, but I have no grudge against the people of Yingzhou."
“We are all from Yingzhou.”
The invasion of the barbarians brought nothing but harm and no benefit.
This is also why, when he heard that the Hu people had entered the pass, he stopped fighting with Chu Yu and planned to withdraw from Shang'an.
Personal grudges and the rise and fall of a nation.
He can tell the difference.
Solve the big problems first, then the small ones.
It's better to provide aid now than to wait until the Hu people occupy Yingzhou and then use their weapons when they're right at our doorstep.
Even if we don't know how useful it will be.
Rong Si raised an eyebrow, "Are you going or not?"
Su Fang understood what he meant, "Wherever my lord goes, I will go."
Rong Si casually tossed a long sword over.
A soft metallic sound vibrated, "Then let's go."
Rongsi relied on firepower, so its troops were not numerous, and it was divided into three groups to investigate the situation.
Along that narrow road beyond the pass, the sounds of clashing weapons filled the air, and blood and dust swirled in the air.
The already thick clouds pressed down the sky, making it dark and obscuring the sun.
The surroundings were somber and bloody.
The sounds of killing were loud and frenzied.
The approach of the Hu reinforcements was like an earthquake, and this extremely intimidating sound instantly ignited the morale of the Hu people.
Several Hu soldiers shouted, directing the reinforcements to launch an attack.
The sound waves rose higher and higher.
Chu Yuzheng severed the neck of an attacking soldier, and the blood once again stained his entire body red.
The encirclement tightened from all sides, completely surrounding Chu Yu.
When Chu Yu entered the court as an official, he was skilled in horsemanship and archery, skills that all court officials possessed.
However, he was not a skilled military general.
His strength lies not in direct attacks, but in maneuvering.
Chu Yu watched from afar as the Hu soldiers surged toward them.
His face was stained with blood that had not yet dried, and even the depths of his pupils were bloodshot.
He raised his hand, giving a single gesture to the Deadpool beside him.
The surrounding assassins immediately understood and turned around, running in the opposite direction from where Yu Wanyin had left.
Keep these soldiers as far away from her as possible.
The Hu people who arrived immediately followed closely behind.
The leader was still shouting stupidly, "Capture Chu Yu! There will be a huge reward!"
Chu Yu's horses traversed through the mountains and forests, and the pursuers quickly swarmed up behind them, almost trampling the grass and trees along the entire mountain path.
With an almost overwhelming force, it pounced on him.
Chu Yu was familiar with this mountain forest, and his figure appeared and disappeared intermittently.
When it appeared, it aroused cheers from the Hu people; when it disappeared, it made them extremely anxious.
The leading general quickened his pace, closely following behind Chu Yu.
The distance between them was reduced to only a few feet, and the man curled his lips into a cold smile.
Then he took out a longbow and arrows and aimed at the back of the person in front of him.
Just as the man thought he was about to catch him, Chu Yu's figure turned around again and was hidden by the rocks and vegetation on the side.
The man, enraged, tightened the reins, yelling, "Are you fucking walking the dog?"
He stopped, and the soldiers behind him also stopped in their tracks. "My lord."
The man composed himself, his eyes blazing with fury.
Their anger at being repeatedly tricked clouded their judgment, causing them to completely forget that they had not come here to expend so much manpower just to capture Chu Yu.
But at this moment, they cannot be satisfied until they capture Chu Yu.
He gritted his teeth and gestured to one of his men, "You go and surround them over there."
"The rest of you, follow me this way."
Upon receiving the order, the crowd scattered to capture Chu Yu.
The two armies, in a pincer movement, blocked all their escape routes.
They circled around most of the mountain, until they found Chu Yu and his assassins completely surrounded in a woodland overgrown with withered autumn grass.
Chu Yu saw the pursuers coming from the front, turned around, and pursuers followed behind him as well.
He stopped just now.
The leading general smiled smugly, pulling on the reins as he sized up the gentle young man standing in the middle.
"Your Excellency, it's time to surrender."
Chu Yu just looked at him and clicked his tongue impatiently, "So noisy."
He slowly took out something and blew on the tinderbox in front of everyone.
Tiny sparks drifted out in the wind.
The soldiers opposite him were stunned for a moment, staring at his actions strangely.
Unexpectedly, Chu Yu suddenly threw the tinderbox on the ground.
It instantly ignited a large area of withered branches and fallen leaves.
The flames spread with lightning speed, forming a rapid line of fire that stretched in all directions.
This caused the surrounding troops to retreat repeatedly.
The general shouted, "Oh no! An ambush!"
Chu Yu raised an eyebrow at them, "Since you're already here, why don't you stay?"
The next instant, a deafening roar!
The massive fire instantly blasted away a group of Hu soldiers and horses, shaking the earthen slopes and rocks.
The general was so shocked that he retreated one after another, and one explosion after another roared up along that line of fire!
Before they could run away, the flames engulfed them all with overwhelming force.
The explosions were getting more and more violent!
The combined force created a force that blotted out the sky, leveling the entire earthen slope to the ground!
Zong Cheng, who had just led his troops to the outside of the hillside, was so shocked by the sudden burst of fire that he had to retreat repeatedly.
The flying stones and clods of earth forced them to stop and avoid the debris!
The fire was raging skyward!
Zong Cheng shielded himself from the rocks, and when he looked up again, he saw the mountain peaks dyed orange-red by the firelight.
The area above was densely packed with people.
As small as an ant.
The vast majority of people had lost their vitality, and their corpses piled up on the hillside one after another.
It resembled a massive stone mountain and a sea of blood.
Zong Cheng was still shaken by the sight.
A few scattered soldiers ran out from inside and fled in a frantic panic.
“Let’s go,” Zong Cheng gestured, “Let’s take advantage of the chaos and plunder.”
The bandits behind them immediately followed.
They faced off against the fleeing Hu people head-on.
This group of Hu people were already easily frightened, and they could not withstand the bandit soldiers' offensive at all, so they surrendered.
This group of Hu soldiers was almost completely wiped out, and was left stranded on that mountain.
The fire spread across the mountains and fields.
Zong Cheng waited until it got dark and the fire subsided before going up the mountain.
The mountain was deathly still, and the air was thick with the acrid smell of corpses being scorched by fire.
Zong Cheng's face contorted from the fumes, and he quickened his pace to survey the situation on the mountain.
The surrounding branches and leaves were burned, and occasionally some of them made a creaking sound.
After dealing with the Hu people, the important thing is to find Chu Yu.
Zong Cheng needed to assess Chu Yu's current situation in order to predict the future course of events and return to report.
He sent a group of people to search everywhere, and Chu Yu's move was almost a suicide attack.
They destroyed the Hu people's army, but they also basically lost their own way to survive.
Zong Cheng couldn't understand why he was doing this.
Or perhaps something is hidden here; we must guard it.
Zong Cheng searched until midnight when the bandits below somehow found a dark token and called out to him, "Brother Zong, this is a troop mobilization token!"
Upon hearing this, Zong Cheng strode over. The words on it were charred and blurred.
It is written in Chinese.
Among these troops, those who could mobilize troops were either Hu generals or Chu generals.
But only Chu Yu's token has Chinese characters on it.
Zong Cheng stared at the token for a while, then sighed and scoffed, "That's good news."
"This corrupt official climbed to the top by stepping over countless corpses, treating human life as worthless. It's finally his turn to pay with his life."
"However, his death in resisting foreign invaders can also be considered a meritorious act."
His merits and demerits canceled each other out, and he died a worthy death.
This doesn't mean that his grudges against them can be wiped clean.
But now, paying with one's life is the best outcome.
Zong Cheng looked around at the several corpses and said, "Bury him and put up a tombstone."
He used the wooden stick in his hand to turn over several charred corpses, saying, "It's just that the figures of the people around here don't quite look like them."
The bandit nodded, "But the fire has burned like this for several hours, so it's definitely not what it used to be."
Zong Cheng gave up the idea of searching for Chu Yu's body.
With such a large fire, even a few Hu people couldn't escape, so how could he possibly escape?
They just haven't found out what treasure Chu Yu is protecting by doing all this.
*
The night was deep, and the mountain wind was cold.
Yu Wanyin was taking a nap in the bumpy carriage when she was suddenly awakened.
The moment I woke up, I was drenched in cold sweat.
She didn't know what was wrong with her; she couldn't calm her mind and saw danger everywhere.
The faint chirping of insects in the mountains sounded hoarse and mocking, as if grinding against her scalp.
The carriage outside slowed down, but Chao Yue still dared not stop.
He needed to cross Qinggupo and meet up with his master at the agreed time, and even a day's delay on the way would be risky.
A mountain breeze rustled through the leaves in the forest.
These slight rustling sounds made Yu Wanyin's heartstrings tighten. She slowly sat up, lifted the curtain, and looked outside.
It was already past midnight, and the mountain road was so dark it was somewhat eerie.
Hearing the noise, Chao Yue turned his head and asked, "Why did you get up, Madam?"
Yu Wanyin asked anxiously, "How much longer do we have to walk this road?"
“Not long,” Chao Yue calculated the remaining distance, “We should be able to cross Qinggupo around this time tomorrow night.”
"We have now passed the most critical point."
"Don't worry, Madam, the road ahead is safe..." Before Chao Yue could finish speaking, unfamiliar shadowy figures appeared at the exit of the mountain road.
Yu Wanyin stopped abruptly upon hearing his words and tried to look ahead in the direction he was looking.
But they saw figures in the bushes along the road.
What's even more terrifying than attracting wild beasts is that they attracted strangers on their escape route!
Yu Wanyin held her breath, staring in astonishment at the throng of people in front of her.
What's even more terrifying is that this group of people are tall and burly, like bears.
These are characteristics of the Hu people!
Whether she was hallucinating or not, she heard someone pointing at her and laughing.
It was a very sharp laugh.
It's like they've acquired some amazing loot!
Yu Wanyin hurriedly lowered the curtain and hid inside the carriage.
But their entire entourage was already under surveillance, so this move was tantamount to burying their heads in the sand.
Chao Yue instantly increased the speed of his horse, and the horse accelerated again, trying to break through the encirclement in front.
The assassins surrounding the carriage were poised to strike, gripping their longswords tightly.
The moment the scabbard snapped open.
The Hu people who had been lying in ambush all around also rose up in rebellion!
"Our King is truly a master strategist, with unparalleled foresight."
The Hu man who was speaking narrowed his eyes, recalling the fleeting glimpse of the beautiful woman lifting the curtain with her delicate hand just now—her skin was as tender as jade, and her beauty was captivating.
Now she finally understood why Chu Yu had arranged such a secret passage to send her away: "Capture this lady alive! Kill the rest without mercy!"
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