Chapter 595: Haha, there's still an ambush (Part 2) [Requesting monthly votes]
As the night drew to a close, the wind and rain showed no signs of abating.
The night was a few degrees darker than before.
In the darkness, a somewhat demoralized group marched forward through the wind and rain. They were barely noticeable unless one looked closely, and their pace was not slow. Apart from the splashes of water as they landed and the rustling of their armor against each other, there was no other sound.
Miao Shu looked at the shadows at the end of her line of sight.
For some reason, I felt a sense of unease.
She tried again to persuade them: "This place seems ominous..."
The fifth-rank physician, with a cold face, asked, "What's so ominous about it?"
Miao Shu couldn't explain herself, so she lowered her eyes and pursed her lips. Another martial artist, despite his injuries, tried to smooth things over: "...Wenxin, the scholar, has a better intuition than we do. If she really feels something is wrong, we need to be even more careful on the way ahead."
Miao Shudao said, "What I mean is, could we..."
She still wanted to change course and choose the original route.
The ninth-rank, fifth-class physician merely scoffed at this.
He asked, "Have you spotted any enemy activity ahead?"
Miao Shu carefully sensed it for a while, then shook her head.
There were hardly any enemies, let alone animals, ahead.
In this heavy rain, anyone with common sense would be hiding inside.
The fifth-ranking official asked, "Then why change course?"
He then asked, "Based solely on your intuition?"
Miao Shu gripped the reins tightly, raised her eyes, and whispered.
"What if?"
The ninth-ranking, fifth-class doctor merely gave a cold, mocking laugh.
"Do you remember that our troops just suffered a defeat? Morale was low, and they marched through wind and rain, which took a toll on both their physical and mental health. Changing course now would be a double blow. If we were to encounter the enemy halfway, how long do you think we could hold out? Even if there are ambushes ahead, as long as we break through, we will soon reach the territory of Sibao County."
Even if there's an ambush, we have to take the gamble.
Furthermore—
The ninth-ranking official sneered, "You're just a military scribe. It's your job to boost the morale of the army when it's low. Instead of thinking about changing course, you should use your incantations to forcefully invigorate the troops and charge through. Don't you even know this?"
He doesn't like Miao Shu.
One reason was the other was her gender and status; another reason was that she was too inexperienced and, relying solely on her knowledge of Beishang County and Nanyu County, as well as her innate scholarly talent, she wanted to take on a major role right away…
What's the difference between this behavior and playing with his and his soldiers' lives? Does she think she can have special privileges just because she's the lord's wife? With Miao Shu as a comparison, he felt even more that his mistress was prudent and experienced, and wouldn't interfere in areas she didn't understand.
However, this was the lord's order.
As a subordinate, he had no choice but to obey.
Miao Shu: "I..."
After being subjected to a sarcastic remark by the fifth-rank doctor, Miao Shu felt both ashamed and angry, and her already pale face turned even whiter.
The ninth-ranking physician found the situation uninteresting.
"I don't know what the lord is thinking... For ordinary scholars to enter officialdom, they don't have to be experts in their fields, but they can't be mediocre at all."
Miao Shu: "..."
Although Miao Shu received the same education as her brothers when she was young, the Literary and Scholarly system was completely different. She had never been exposed to it. Even though she tried her best to make up for it in the past two years, her literary skills were weak and her energy was limited. The Literary and Scholarly teacher that Qiu Cheng helped her find also had reservations about her for various reasons, refusing to let her ask for advice on the grounds that she was a member of the lord's inner circle and should not be too close.
If Qiu Cheng inquired about her studies, he would simply say, "The master leads you through the door, but the cultivation is up to you." He was only responsible for teaching her the power of words; how she comprehended it was up to Miao Shu herself. Miao Shu felt ashamed and embarrassed. Other students could impress their stubborn and pedantic teachers with their perseverance and talent, but her status limited her path. For the past two years, she felt as if her hands and feet were bound by vines and thorns, and she was mired in a quagmire.
More often than not, you have to figure things out on your own.
The more she felt this way, the more she hated Shen Tang for bringing her pain.
The joys of the past were destroyed by this person, and the scorn and pain she has endured over the past two years are also his doing. This thought is deeply rooted in her heart, sprouting and growing in the daily torment, and now it has become a towering tree.
While we were talking, we walked for a while longer.
Seeing that Miao Shu made no move, the ninth-ranking official knew that having Wenxin, the scholar, with him made little difference. He raised his hand and ordered the remaining troops to be alert. The troops formed defensive formations, ready to charge at the slightest sign of trouble.
Everyone was on edge.
Miao Shu also tried her best to concentrate on sensing the rain.
There was still no sign of the enemy.
Could it be that she's overthinking things?
Is this road safe?
Halfway through the journey, a sudden change occurred.
A snow-white sword beam descended from the sky without warning, its target the leading ninth-rank fifth-grade physician! All of this happened in the blink of an eye, followed by a deafening explosion. Mud and water sprayed everywhere, obscuring everyone's vision.
"An enemy is in sight—"
The guards beside the ninth-rank, fifth-grade official raised their flags, intending to loudly notify the soldiers behind them. Before they could finish speaking, their heads had already fallen to the ground.
The vanguard's formation was thrown into disarray.
The ninth-rank, fifth-grade doctor was also shocked.
When the sword light approached him, he didn't even sense the opponent's presence. If it weren't for the reflexes honed by years of combat that allowed him to dodge, the sword would have pierced his heart. He staggered and was forced off his horse, only to be met by the sword's owner once more.
They hastily raised their weapons to meet the enemy.
clang!
The weapons clashed, producing a crisp sound.
The force was so great that it forced the already unsteady ninth-rank fifth-grade doctor to lean backward, causing him to retreat several dozen feet. The shockwave from the impact of the weapons sent the vanguard of troops flying, throwing men and horses to the ground. It even plowed deep cracks in the spot, a shocking sight!
Such immense power!
The ninth-ranking official was deeply moved.
The power of the invading enemy gave him the illusion that he was facing not an enemy, but a mountain!
With mountains looming overhead, even the fighting spirit waned.
He opened his eyes wide, trying to make out the face of the person through the dense afterimages of the attack, but he couldn't make it out at all. He only knew that it was a warrior dressed in red robes and silver armor. This person was not particularly burly, but he moved quickly, and his attack rhythm was even more intense than a raging storm.
"Ah, Master—" After exchanging blows with this person for dozens of rounds, another beam of martial energy descended from the sky, accompanied by a noisy physical attack and two belated [General's Five Virtues], "How dare you try to take it from me?"
Bang!
The fifth-rank doctor felt as if he had been kicked in the chest by some kind of giant animal, and was sent flying backward in excruciating pain.
Before his body even hit the ground, the first martial artist flashed forward, his sword aimed straight at his throat, while replying to his companion, "First come, first served! You can't just grab a head by speed. Do you expect someone to hand it to you willingly? Or does their head have your name, Xu Wenshi, etched on it?"
Xu Quan: "..."
He was fast enough.
But the lord's hand speed was even faster.
Seeing the target enter the ambush, without a word, she charged forward, sword in hand, and entered the fray. Xu Quan couldn't help but wonder if his lord had developed some kind of mental illness these past few years. She was the lord, not the vanguard; why was she being so proactive?
He glanced around, drew his weapon, and intercepted another martial artist who wanted to support a ninth-rank fifth-level doctor. His tone was nonchalant, but his eyes flashed with a chilling killing intent: "My lord is in high spirits and rarely wants to favor someone. Don't go up there and make a fool of yourself."
Liao Jia, who was leading his ambush troops down the field, stumbled upon hearing the words "favored" and nearly fell forward.
(～￣▽￣)～
The wild beasts are released from their cages, and Tangmei is freed from her pen!
Go for it!!!
PS: Regarding why Tang Mei wore red and silver armor instead of her preferred blue, it's because she felt the blue and white color scheme wasn't as eye-catching and flashy as the red and white one. _(:з」∠)_
(End of this chapter)
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