Chapter 118: Night Plans, Night Wind Soldiers Discuss Fire, Raise the Sword to Determine What's Shortcomings and Long...
By three o'clock in the morning on the appointed day, the rain had gradually stopped.
Inside the Cao Gang's main hall, the lights were bright, making the wet bluestone floor look like water.
Almost all the prominent underworld forces in Yuzhou had arrived. Besides the Cao Gang's leader, Long Lao, and the masters of the Lin and Snake branches, there were also the heads and elders of the various sword sects in Sichuan, Luo, and Hezhong, as well as the heads of several powerful families in Luanyang County who had been escorting people for generations. Everyone had a solemn expression as they sat in the hall, whispering and discussing things.
Yesterday, I disguised myself as the young doctor "Yu Gui" and had a face-to-face encounter with Shen Juansheng. I almost scared myself to death.
Today, she dared not use that face again no matter what. Qing Guiyu disguised herself as an ordinary woman, mixed in with the Cao Gang disciples, stood in the corner of the hall, and pulled her hat down a little.
I feel very confused.
The young man who stood emaciated in the rain, as if he would be blown away by the wind at any moment; the patient who silently studied medicine in the clinic and said that she "didn't want me anymore"; at this moment, he had to confront this room full of gangsters in this dangerous place.
Just as I was thinking about it, I heard a slight sound of footsteps outside the hall.
Everyone fell silent, their eyes all looking towards the door.
A man walked in slowly.
He was tall, wearing a black robe with gold thread, wide sleeves and a wide belt. His face still looked a little sick, but after dressing up a little, he no longer looked as disheveled as he had been in the rain yesterday.
Her long ebony hair was gathered up with a white jade crown. Her appearance was well-groomed and graceful, and her demeanor was like jade, but her expression was very sullen, as calm and sharp as a cold edge of broken ice.
The young man walked into the hall.
Young Master Jinsheng.
"Chen Tianji." Old Gang Leader Long spoke slowly, his voice resonant, "You're finally willing to show up."
Shen Jiansheng's gaze swept across the room full of heroes, finally looking at the old leader, Long. He straightened his face, bowed in greeting, and spoke in a flat voice, the hoarseness of a long illness evident.
"Old Gang Leader Long, fellow seniors," the black-robed young man said, "I'm late, please forgive me."
"Ha," Elder Peng of the Snake Hall sneered, "Pavilion Master Chen has been shutting himself in for the past few days, claiming to be heartbroken and unconcerned with worldly affairs. Yet today he's making such a big fuss, gathering us all here. I wonder what's behind this?"
These words echoed the thoughts of everyone present. All eyes, scrutinizing, suspicious, and wary, fell on this young man, who was so young yet already so renowned.
Shen Engraving seemed to be completely unaware. He walked into the hall, took out something from his arms, and gently placed it in the middle of the Eight Immortals Table.
Everyone looked closely and was stunned.
It was a purple bamboo flute with a lustrous and shiny body.
It was the one that Qing Guiyu threw at him in anger that day.
"Everyone," he began, his voice clear and melodious, silencing the entire room of heroes, "I've invited you all here so late at night. It's urgent, so I'll keep this short."
The young man stretched out his slender pale fingers and turned the flute upside down. A few grains of corn covered in mud and water rolled out of the flute and fell onto the table.
"Poisoned food." Huo Erniang's face changed.
"We've known about this for a long time!" An elder from the Chuanzhong Sword Sect suddenly stood up. "My dear nephew, did you only find out about this today?"
"I know." Shen Juansheng raised his head, and a cold and sharp light flashed in his eyes that were dim yesterday. "Not only do I know, I also know that this poisonous food will kill more than a few people."
Everyone in the room was shocked.
"You are all senior veterans in the martial arts world,"
Young Master Jin Sheng reached out his hand and flicked a few grains of corn into the teacup beside him. With a soft "hiss" sound, the tea instantly turned black and a puff of fishy green smoke rose.
"You all know that a drug as potent as this poison must be expensive, and can only be prepared in bulk. But corn, soaked in water, is simply too difficult to preserve in the height of summer. The manpower, financial resources, and time required to poison millions is simply wishful thinking."
He continued slowly, "The Northern Dynasty's treasury is scarce. To poison an entire state's worth of grain would be time-consuming and far from easy. Such an act is unwise."
His words were clear and logical, lightly dispelling the greatest fear in the hearts of everyone present.
"Then what are they..." Elder Peng twirled his beard in thought, "What are they planning?"
"The intention is not to kill," Chen Juansheng's fingertips gently stroked the golden rice grains, "but to destroy their hearts."
The crowd was shocked, and Master Jinsheng hesitated for a moment.
"They don't need to poison tens of thousands of people, they only need to... poison dozens or even hundreds. Let these people die in mysterious and horrific ways. Then, spread the news that the grain is poisonous."
The young man in black carefully put the purple bamboo flute back to his side, looking a little tired.
"The autumn floods are approaching, and there will be a shortage of crops. People will be in a state of panic, feeling threatened. No one will dare eat, no one will dare trade. The court will be helpless, and the people will be alienated. Yuzhou may be prosperous, but rumors are spreading like wildfire. Stories of plague and ghosts and spirits are enough to shake the city without a single soldier."
With just a few words like these, the layers of vicious schemes were stripped away, leaving only the most sinister core.
The hall was completely silent for a moment, with only the heavy breathing of the crowd remaining.
It wasn't a poisoning, but a carefully orchestrated panic.
"What a vicious plan!" The head of the Chuanzhong Sword Sect slammed the table and shouted angrily, "Killing people without being seen!"
"This is the first step." Shen Juansheng turned around, his face still calm. "The poisonous food is bait. It's not the real killer."
The young man in black stood up and passed by Huo Erniang. With a flash of cold light, he pulled out the short knife from her side.
The knife gleamed brightly, illuminating the young man's pale face.
He walked to the huge waterway feng shui map in the Caobang Hall.
"Make a feint to the east and attack in the west, sneaking through Chencang." He pointed the tip of his knife at a reed-covered bay in the river. "Lihua Bay."
Everyone present was a smart person. After he pointed it out, they immediately figured out the key point, and many of them had cold sweat on their foreheads.
The young man retracted the blade, lowered his eyes, and smiled with pursed lips.
"The poisoned grain is bait, the warships are weapons. When the autumn flood arrives, the city of Yuzhou will be in chaos due to the spread of poison. At this time, the boats and ships will be launched together, and the battleships will be trapped, with enemies from both sides. If Yuzhou is captured, the gates of the Southern Dynasty will be wide open, and the situation will be dangerous."
Qing Guiyu listened in the corner until his hands and feet turned cold. He never imagined that behind this, there was such a monstrous murderous plot.
The plot of Chen Yan and Bei Chao was far more grand and cruel than she had imagined.
The hall was momentarily silent, with only the heavy breathing of the crowd remaining. This event, beyond the scope of ordinary Jianghu grudges, was overwhelming everyone.
"Chen Tianji," said the old leader Long in a hoarse voice, "Do you... have any countermeasures?"
Shen Juansheng returned the dagger to Huo Erniang and chuckled.
"have."
"Take away the firewood from under the cauldron."
Chen Juansheng walked to the feng shui map, picked up the cinnabar pen on the table, and without even looking at it, he drew a line on the map.
The vermilion line winds out from an inconspicuous freight terminal outside Yuzhou City, bypasses several dangerous shoals, and finally, like a sharp sword, points directly to Lihua Bay.
"This plan requires two hundred small boats and ten thousand pounds of saltpeter."
His voice was not loud, but it made everyone look at each other in confusion.
"Saltpeter?" Old Gang Leader Long was startled. "My dear nephew, where did you get it from..."
"From the Northern Dynasty." Chen Juansheng smiled slightly. "The goods that the Cao Gang secretly transported to blow up the dike are being carefully kept by Tianji Pavilion for you."
The whole room was silent. The scale of this move was simply appalling.
"Liaohua Bay is where three rivers converge. It's overgrown with reeds, narrow waterways, and densely packed with reefs. Therefore, even the most experienced boatmen would shy away from setting foot there. It's a perfect spot for concealment."
He pointed to the red line on the map and said, "But reed marshes can hide large ships. Reeds are flammable, and narrow waterways can also become natural targets for fire attacks."
The young man pondered for a moment, then continued calmly,
"Fight water with fire, and life with death."
This act was neither cruel nor ruthless, leaving everyone present speechless with shock.
"This... this is too risky!" Someone immediately objected. "What if the wind blows in the wrong direction? Wouldn't that just lead to disaster?"
"No," Chen Jiansheng said firmly. "To conceal our presence, Lihua Bay is narrow and long, with rocks on either side. Once a fire starts, it will create an inward-flowing force, with hot air rising and cold air flowing downward, forming a wind tunnel. At that time, no matter what wind blows from the river, the bay will be a purgatory."
The right time and right place are analyzed in detail.
This was his true self. Qing Guiyu stood in the corner, looking at the young man standing alone in front of the map, his golden thread tracing his silk thread, feeling both strange and familiar.
He is the master of destiny, calculating all the details of the world. A single word can move the world, and a single plan can decide life and death.
In the silence, someone suddenly shouted "Cheers" first, and the whole room suddenly exploded with excitement.
"Alright!" The elder of the Chuanzhong Sword Sect slapped his thigh and stood up suddenly, his hair and beard standing tall. "Those Northern Dynasty barbarians want to use poisoned food to destroy our people. We will use raging fire to burn them to ashes!"
"That's right!" The Dian Cang Sect's head, a middle-aged female Taoist priest, nodded repeatedly. "Chen Tianji, the Yuzhou area is the foundation of our sects. If you need money or people, just tell me."
"Exactly!" The Luanyang County escort leader's eyes widened as he slammed the tea bowl in his hand down on the table. "Drink it! I'd rather throw my old bones into this river than watch those bastards from the Northern Dynasty succeed!"
The atmosphere in the hall was filled with excitement. The gloom that had been lingering over the previous plot was completely swept away by this heroic act of "death in exchange for life." The sons and daughters of the Jianghu, always willing to risk their lives, possessed a fierce and courageous spirit.
For a moment, the crowd was excited and the responses were so loud that they almost blew off the roof of the main hall.
Shen Jiansheng waited for everyone to calm down, put down the cinnabar pen, turned around, and his voice remained calm.
"Old Gang Leader Long," he said, looking at the chief, "I kindly request that you, old man, take charge of Yuzhou, consolidate all ships, and prepare saltpeter and sulfur. Within three days, you must have two hundred fireboats ready and hidden at 'Luoshitan' downstream, awaiting orders."
Gang leader Long was cheered up and agreed readily.
"Master Huo, Master Peng," he turned to Huo Erniang and the others, "Now that the fire ships are out, we need someone to guide them. Water can divide the enemy's forces, and when their forces are divided, our forces are strengthened. I would like you two to lead the elite members of the Canal Gang, disguised as a grain transport caravan, to meet us downstream from Luoshitan. Once the fire starts, you can go downstream and divert and intercept all the scattered Northern Dynasty warships in the middle of the river."
"I know!" Elder Peng nodded in response. Huo Erniang clasped her fists, her eyes full of pride.
"Seniors from our factions," Shen Juansheng said with a smile after looking around, "the situation will be very chaotic. We need to consult the court as soon as possible to calm the people. If there is any unrest in the city, we will also need you to suppress the scoundrels and protect the people."
Everyone responded with a roar of agreement, and the assignments were decided in an instant, with everyone doing their job.
"As for the matter of starting the fire..." Elder Peng asked, twirling his beard, "Who will my nephew hand it over to? This is a dangerous matter, requiring only the brave, careful, and highly skilled in martial arts to undertake."
All eyes in the room fell back on Chen Juansheng.
He smiled slightly, that smile was filled with sickly weariness, yet sharp as a knife.
"Don't bother with that," he said softly.
"The first fire, I will go there myself."
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole room fell silent.
With his frail body, was he going to personally risk his life, deep into the enemy's lair, to ignite the raging fire that could burn everything? This was tantamount to committing suicide!
"No!" Huo Erniang said immediately, "Chen Tianji, are you crazy?"
Chen Juansheng just shook his head, his eyes sweeping across the reed marsh on the feng shui map, his eyes frighteningly calm.
"When using fire, attack when there's chaos and retreat when there's peace. Timing is crucial. When to start the fire, where to start it, the direction of the wind and the flow of the water—the slightest error is crucial. Only I can do this."
He paused for a moment, then changed the subject, his voice becoming a little colder.
"Besides, do you think there are only warships in Lihua Bay?"
Everyone was startled.
"Madam Wei of the Northern Dynasty has already led her elite troops to infiltrate the Southern Dynasty. She must be personally overseeing this sinister plot. Lihua Bay is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and it's teeming with Hook Matrix experts, waiting for us to enter and fall into their trap."
He was dressed in black and swaying clothes. He raised his head and looked at everyone in the hall. "If I try to start the fire, I will be in danger of death. But what is more important is that before I succeed in starting the fire, an elite force should attack from the other side, intercepting them from the front and back, and dragging Madam Wei and her masters to the shore."
"This special force must penetrate the enemy's formation like a sharp knife. Fight for my life and for those two hundred fire ships. Win a chance of survival."
The hall fell into dead silence again.
If starting a fire is a life-or-death situation, then the special forces responsible for the assault and the killing are a death-or-death situation.
Everyone present was a master, and there were many local heroes, but no one was sure of victory when it came to tackling this toughest challenge in front of the elite troops of the Northern Dynasty.
Everyone looked at Master Jin Sheng, thinking that he must have some brilliant plan. Everyone thought that they should just listen to Shen Tianji's instructions.
But Shen Juansheng looked at the changing expressions on everyone's faces and did not urge them. He just waited quietly.
In this suffocating silence, a sound as clear as jade hitting each other suddenly came from outside the hall.
"I'll do it."
Before he finished speaking, a white figure stepped into the hall like flowing clouds and snow.
He was dressed in white, had white hair, and held a Wuwang sword in his hand. The dark green jade on the sword tassel emitted a warm glow under the light.
Lu Guiyan, the white-robed swordsman.
The heroes in the room were all shocked. Bai Yi Wuwang, the Snow Mountain Sword Immortal, had long been known throughout the martial arts world.
"Mr. Lu!" Old Gang Leader Long was surprised and delighted, "You..."
"Junior Brother!" Qing Guiyu cried out in the corner, then quickly covered his mouth.
A message came from Baidi City, saying that Junior Brother, bringing along the jade slips with the martial arts instructions, should have arrived soon. He had obviously heard everything that had just happened, but his expression remained cold.
"Gui Yan has dealt with over twenty people in Beijiangwei recently." Lu Gui Yan stepped forward slowly, his Wuwang sword ringing like a dragon piercing stone in its sheath. "Madam Wei and the Hook Matrix, I will take care of it myself."
He walked to the feng shui map, without even looking at Chen Juansheng, and just bowed to the old leader Long and everyone else.
"I will clear the way for you all... to break the formation."
Shen Juansheng looked at him without saying a word, but stretched out his hand and handed over the cinnabar pen.
"Wei Qiong and the others are ready to fight to the death," he said coldly, "Brother Lu, can you kill them?"
Lu Guiyan ignored his sarcasm, took the pen, moved his wrist slightly, and with a crimson stroke of the pen, drew a sharp arrow on the other side of Lihua Bay, which echoed the route of Shen Juansheng's fire attack, forming a pincer attack.
Where the snow sways, a bit of black hair is revealed.
"Can kill."
When everyone saw him standing alone with his sword in hand, his clothes as white as snow, they were all impressed and bowed to him.
"Excellent!" Old Gang Leader Long slammed the table, his hair and beard standing on end. "As expected of the Snow Mountain Sect's successor! What a noble character!"
"Young Master Lu is so righteous!"
"I'd like to go with Young Master Lu!"
The atmosphere in the hall was ignited again. Lu Guiyan just nodded slightly, as if to agree, then turned his head and looked at Chen Juansheng again.
"It's hard to get away unscathed this time," he said coldly.
"You too." Shen Juansheng replied in the same calm voice.
The plan was decided, and everyone did not delay any longer. They dispersed, deployed their troops, and prepared ships and saltpeter. The entire Cao Gang headquarters was caught up in a tense and orderly busyness.
The hall soon became empty, with only Shen Juansheng left, still standing in front of the feng shui map, wondering what he was thinking about.
Qing Guiyu hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not step forward.
He turned around and mixed in with the dispersing crowd, wanting to leave quietly.
"Miss Yu...?"
A clear voice came from behind him.
She was nervous, paused, and froze, but she didn't look back.
Shen Juansheng walked slowly behind her and stopped three feet away. He did not try to expose her disguise, but spoke to this "Cao Gang woman" in a slightly conspiratorial tone, appearing extremely hesitant:
"That's right, that's right..."
Seemingly hesitating and considering,
"After this battle, Yuzhou City will be safe,"
Young Master Jinsheng lowered his head, his hands clasped together with golden threads, and he repeatedly clenched the purple bamboo flute, his face flushing. A soft, pleading tone seemed to linger in his voice.
"Can you... take a look at me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
