Tactical deployment
Su Baiwei was about to open her mouth to defend herself, but her eyes swept across the dazzling skylight outside the cave, and her face suddenly darkened: "Even if I tell you, you may not believe it. But Tiaotiao, I can't wait any longer." She stood up suddenly.
Sally and Daben tensed up instantly and stared at her warily.
Su Baiwei ignored him, leaning over to pick up a dry branch from the campfire. The flames danced, illuminating her unusually calm profile. The branch scraped across the ash-covered ground, making a rapid rustling sound.
Several people gathered around subconsciously.
"Beimang Mountain is three hundred miles from here," the withered branch emphasized. "It takes a medicine man a day to walk. If we ride fast, we can reach it in half a day." She raised her eyes and scanned the crowd. "Looking at the sky, it's past the hour of dawn. In less than half a day, the medicine man's reinforcements from Beimang Mountain will arrive at the Holy Fire Hall." The withered branch drew a straight line. "Send two people, carrying the Soul-Chasing Gu, on fast horses to Beimang Mountain. One will disguise himself as me, and the other will reveal his identity as the Seven Swords. We will make a grand feint and launch a feint attack on the Mother Gu formation."
The withered branch paused heavily at Beimang Mountain and quickly moved back to the Holy Fire Hall. "When the Medicine Man's reinforcements arrive at the Holy Fire Hall, if urgent news comes from Beimang Mountain that the Seven Swords and I are attacking the formation," she paused deliberately, swiping the withered branch between the two locations, "Even if Chi Lian is absolutely certain that we want to save Tiao Tiao, he will definitely hesitate. He will never dare to gamble with the safety of the Mother Gu formation and will most likely send the Medicine Man back for help."
The withered branch pointed toward the Ghost Sees Sorrow Pass. "We'll set up an ambush here in advance, leaving one person on guard. Once the Medicine Man reinforcements have passed through the pass and are retreating," she thrust the branch upward, like a flare rising into the air, "send the signal immediately. At this moment, the main force will assault the Holy Flame Hall head-on to draw fire; the two men from Beimang Mountain will immediately return to reinforce. Meanwhile," the withered branch suddenly thrust toward the dungeon, "one person and I will infiltrate the dungeon to rescue them."
Finally, she clutched the medicine pouch at her waist. "Prepare enough antidotes. While they can't eradicate the Bone Rot Palm poison, they can at least give us a glimmer of hope." Her gaze pierced the flickering flames. "Under cover of the assault, retreat."
As soon as the words fell, the cave fell silent. Only the crackling of the campfire could be heard, sparks flying everywhere. Everyone was speechless, stunned by the interlocking, thrilling moves.
Hongmao was the first to break the silence. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed on Su Baiwei, and asked the crucial question: "You once said that Chi Lian was certain we would rescue Tiao Tiao. What if he was determined and forced the medicine man to stay in the Holy Fire Hall to set up defenses? By then, we would have been delayed for over a day, and time..." His voice was low, and every word weighed heavily.
Su Baiwei met his gaze. "Even if he's certain, he wouldn't dare leave Beimang Mountain open to the public. First, the Beimang Mountain mineral veins are the lifeblood of the Demon Cult and cannot be lost. Second," her voice suddenly grew cold, "as long as the Mother Gu formation still exists, I will personally go and break it within seven days. Otherwise, the three thousand medicine practitioners and those infected with the Child Gu will be dead. He knows very well that I, like you, must break this Gu." A dead branch struck Beimang Mountain heavily, sending ashes flying. "So, the Holy Fire Hall can be lost, but the mineral veins and the Mother Gu formation must not be lost. This man is suspicious and fickle, but he hates the shaking of his foundation the most. He won't gamble on even the slightest risk of shaking his foundation."
A gleam of light flashed in Rainbow Cat's eyes, and he nodded slightly.
Sally frowned and asked, "How can he be so sure that you will go within seven days? What if you don't go in the end?"
"No." Su Baiwei looked firm, but did not explain.
Lan Tu pondered for a moment and asked, "If we set up a barrier at Guijianchou to stop the medicine man, how can the two people from Beimang Mountain return to the Holy Fire Hall in time to support them?"
"The medicine man doesn't have Qinggong skills, so he can only take the main road." Su Baiwei's voice remained steady. "We can dig a deep pit or blow up the rocks to block the pass. The Seven Swordsmen have excellent Qinggong skills, which is enough to cross."
Lan Tu asked, "Where's the Blood Soul Bell in Chi Lian's hand? If he crushes it..."
"He wouldn't dare." Su Baiwei interrupted, "The Blood Soul Bell is connected to the lives of all Neutron Gu users. If the bell breaks, all the hidden spies of the major sects and Chi Lian's confidants will be buried with it. Tiao Tiao is just bait to him, and his life or death is of no concern. He will never take such a desperate path."
Dada frowned, his doubts still lingering. "It sounds like a sound plan. But... is Tiao Tiao really in the dungeon? Chi Lian is cunning and sly. What if we sneak in and find him empty-handed..."
Su Baiwei clutched the cloth bag in her sleeve, her knuckles turning slightly white. "One of my companions is still in the Holy Fire Hall. If we can contact him, he might be able to act as an insider." Her voice dropped, "But... there's no news now, and it's hard to tell whether he's alive or dead." This trip wasn't just to save Tiao Tiao, but also to find out if Mu Jin is alive or dead. She took a deep breath, her tone firm again. "If we can't contact him, we'll have to give it our all. This is the biggest variable. We must synchronize our offensive to draw out the main force and our infiltration to rescue them. We won't give Chi Lian the chance to set a trap."
Dada's eyes were sharp as a torch, and he pressed on. "Even so, if something happens in Beimang Mountain, how can we ensure that Chi Lian will be the first to know? If he delays in noticing, the medicine man won't return to help, and won't the plan fail?"
"Chi Lian raises a group of gray-feathered carrier pigeons that carry secret messages between the two places," Su Baiwei replied calmly, "The urgent report will arrive in half an hour."
"What if!" Da Ben slammed his palm to the ground. There was a dull "boom" sound, the campfire shook violently, and gravel tumbled down. "What if your accomplice turns against us, or if this is all a trap set by Chi Lian? If we scatter our forces, won't we be walking into a trap and be divided and annihilated?"
"You can monitor me." Su Baiwei met Daben's suspicious gaze calmly, her voice unwavering. "My life is in your hands now." Her clenched fist trembled slightly, then she forced it open. "You can imprison me as you wish. I pose no threat to you..." She slowly pulled a cloth bag from her sleeve, the very one Tiao Tiao had slipped back to her on the night of the blood sacrifice. Her fingertips trembled as she untied the knot, revealing a nine-needle sachet, bottles, jars, and several packets of medicinal powder. Then, she pulled out two key items: a Seven Swords Frost Flower Seal, gleaming with a cool sheen, and a fire starter that a reputable sect was eager to incinerate.
"This is..." Sally's eyes were instantly attracted by the familiar frost flower mark, and then suddenly fixed on Su Baiwei's waist, where a long sword with a faint green light was slung across, and the hilt was stained with dried blood. It was the green sword that Tiao Tiao never left behind.
The cave fell into a dead silence once again, with only the crackling of the flames pounding at their heartstrings. Everyone's gaze shifted between the token of the Seven Swords' promise and the fire stick, symbolizing the sect's secrets, their hearts pounding.
After a moment, Rainbow Cat spoke in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, then over the fire stick, finally settling on the Frost Flower Seal. Every word weighed heavily: "The fire stick is the secret Tiao Tiao gained through ten years of undercover work, at the cost of his life; the Frost Flower Seal is the promise of the Seven Swords. He entrusted these two items to Miss Su..." His gaze lingered for a moment on her bloodied arm, "I believe what Tiao Tiao believes."
Lan Tu followed closely behind, her voice soft but firm: "I believe in Tiao Tiao too." After she finished speaking, she quietly took half a step forward and stood diagonally in front of Su Baiwei, naturally forming an invisible barrier.
Sally's tightly pursed lips finally relaxed, her complex gaze fixed on the bloodstain on the hilt. "Since Rainbow Cat, Blue Rabbit, and Tiaotiao all believe it... I believe it too." She paused, her tone suddenly turning cold. "However, if you make even the slightest move, don't blame me for being ruthless with my sword!"
Dada stared at the simple map on the ground. The aloofness in his eyes softened slightly, and a hint of surprise and admiration flashed across his eyes. "This plan... perfectly aligns with the key principles of military strategy: attack the enemy where they must rescue and cut off their communications... Miss Su..."
"If you all..." Su Baiwei began, her voice slightly hoarse. The image of her rehearsing the deductions by candlelight night after night flashed before her eyes. She was momentarily lost in thought, then lowered her eyes to hide the pain welling up in them. When she raised them again, her expression had returned to a near-indifferent calm. "Having been controlled for twelve years, day and night, plotting how to destroy this harmful mind-controlling Gu, I'm sure he's more adept at this than Baiwei."
Hongmao stood up suddenly and said in a firm voice, "There's no time to lose! Sally, quickly change clothes with Miss Su and disguise yourself as her. Take the Soul-Chasing Gu and head straight for Beimang Mountain. Doudou may be late, but it only takes half a day to get there. When he arrives and joins you, the two of you must create a tremendous momentum, the bigger the better."
"Understood!" Sally responded promptly.
"Da Ben, Da Da, come with me to the Ghost-Seeing Shroud to set a trap and make sure to trap the medicine man in the pass. Lan Tu, you and Miss Su go collect herbs immediately to prepare to rescue Tiao Tiao. When everything is ready, Da Da will stay here. The medicine man will retreat across the pass and the signal will be sent up. Your mission is to hold them back and not send back for support. As soon as the signal is given," Hong Mao's eyes swept over Da Ben, "You and I will attack the Holy Fire Hall head-on to tie down all the main forces and create an opportunity for Lan Tu and Miss Su to sneak in and rescue people. Sally and Dou Dou, return to support immediately when you see the signal." He took a deep breath, "This battle is dangerous. Go all out to save Tiao Tiao!"
"Okay!" Lantu, Sally and Dada responded in unison, and their fighting spirit was instantly ignited.
Daben's brows were still furrowed, his gaze sweeping across Su Baiwei's face, his Adam's apple rolling, his doubts lingering. However, meeting Hongmao's stern gaze, his trust in Hongmao finally overwhelmed his inner burden. He stomped his foot, the gravel cracking beneath his feet, and shouted, "Go!"
Everyone filed out in tacit understanding, leaving the small space for the two people who needed to change clothes.
Outside the cave.
Hongmao lowered his voice and said solemnly to Lantu beside him, "Miss Su and Tiaotiao have a close relationship, and Tiaotiao is deeply confidant in her. But just in case, Lantu, you're closest to her, so please be extra careful."
Lantu nodded seriously: "I understand."
"Daben, Dada! Follow me!" Rainbow Cat said no more, turned around, and strode straight towards the pass.
"Go!" Daben roared like thunder and followed closely behind. Dada also hurriedly followed.
Inside the cave.
Sally took the red dress from Su Baiwei. When she unfolded it, the tears in the fabric and the dark brown blood stains that had seeped into the dress were shocking. Her heart trembled, and she involuntarily looked up at Su Baiwei.
Su Baiwei's back was to her, five claw marks deep enough to see the bone clearly visible on her moon-white midriff-baring gown. She quickly pulled on Sally's purple tights, the slightly loose material brushing against the wounds, causing her to frown slightly. Then, she opened the porcelain bottle containing the Soul-Chasing Gu and examined it intently for a moment, confirming that the insect was in good condition, before handing it to Sally.
Sally took the porcelain vase, her complex gaze fixed on her pale face. Turning to leave, she paused, approached Lan Tu, and lowered her voice, "Lan Tu, I know you have a kind heart. But... we must be on guard. Don't forget Ma Sanniang's previous experience!"
Lantu patted Sally's shoulder gently, her eyes calm: "Don't worry, go ahead, and be careful."
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