The undercurrent surges back to Daimyo
Chapter Quote: The disturbance in Shandong has subsided temporarily, but the journey home is fraught with danger. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
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With the Dulonggang incident over, Yan Qing, still concerned about Lu Junyi, set out with his companions on the journey back to Daming Prefecture. While this trip to Shandong didn't involve a major direct conflict with Liangshan, he achieved considerable success, secretly thwarting Wu Yong's plots several times, rescuing Zhu Tong and Xu Ning (hopefully, the arrangements for the capital were effective), and solidifying the Three Villages alliance. He believed that after these setbacks, Liangshan would be unable to attack Daming Prefecture and these targets in the short term.
However, he knew Wu Yong's temperament well. He was a vindictive and meticulous man. How could he give up after being frustrated repeatedly? On the way home, Yan Qing was extremely cautious. Not only did he send scouts ahead, he also often disguised himself to investigate the situation.
The group left Shandong and entered Hebei, still several days' journey from Daming Prefecture. One day, as they reached a desolate mountain path, with no village or shop nearby, Yan Qing's uneasiness grew stronger. The path was lined with dense forests, and the silence was so quiet that only the sound of horse hooves and birdsong could be heard.
"Stop." Yan Qing suddenly reined in his horse and raised his hand. He listened attentively, his brow furrowed slightly. It was so quiet that even the birdsong had faded.
The attendants were all alert people. Seeing this, they immediately dispersed, put their hands on their weapons, and looked around vigilantly.
At that moment, a dozen large men suddenly appeared from a bend in the road ahead, each wielding a gleaming steel knife, blocking their way. The leader, a tall, sallow-faced man holding a broadsword, shouted, "I own this mountain, I own this tree! If you want to pass through here, leave me some money!"
Judging from their attire, they looked like ordinary bandits. But Yan Qing glanced at them and saw that their steps were steady, their eyes were fierce, and their positions formed a subtle encirclement. They were definitely not ordinary bandits.
He remained calm and bowed on his horse: "My dear friends, we are merchants traveling here. This is just a small gift, not a token of respect." As he said this, he signaled one of his servants to take out a bag of silver and throw it over.
The yellow-faced man used the tip of his knife to pry open the package, glanced at the silver, and sneered, "Is that all? Are you sending away beggars? I see your horses are strong and your luggage is heavy, you must be fat sheep! Keep them all here, and I'll spare your lives!"
Before he finished speaking, footsteps were heard from behind, and more than ten people blocked the retreat route from behind.
Being attacked from both sides, it is like catching a turtle in a jar.
Yan Qing sneered in his heart. Sure enough, they came. But he pretended to be panicked and said, "Good man, I will give you money, just let us live."
Seeing them "surrender," the yellow-faced man said proudly, "You're smart! But, today, I want more than just money," he pointed the tip of his knife at Yan Qing, "I want your life, too!"
After saying that, a whistle was blew, and the bandits in front and behind shouted, brandishing their weapons and rushing forward to kill!
"Do it!" Yan Qing shouted, and pulled the trigger of the Sichuan crossbow that had been in his hand. A short crossbow arrow shot out like a meteor, straight at the throat of the yellow-faced man!
The man didn't expect Yan Qing's attack to be so swift and brutal. He was shocked and dodged in a hurry. The crossbow arrow flew past his neck, leaving a trail of blood, which scared him to death.
At the same time, Yan Qing leaped from his horse, his figure as swift as a swallow, and rushed into the group of bandits. The short knife in his hand turned into a cold light, and he targeted the enemy's wrists, joints and other vital points. He did not want to fight, but only wanted to quickly open a gap.
The four attendants were also elite members of the Lu Mansion. They stood back to back to form a small formation, with swords flashing, and fought hard to resist.
The thieves obviously did not expect that this seemingly weak caravan had such strong fighting power, especially Yan Qing, whose figure was erratic and his swordsmanship was strange. In an instant, three or four thieves were knocked down by him and fell to the ground screaming in pain.
The yellow-faced man was shocked and angry, and shouted, "This is a tricky thing! Attack them shoulder to shoulder! Kill the leader!"
Upon hearing this, the bandits attacked Yan Qing even more frantically.
Yan Qing's pressure increased sharply, but he remained calm, using his clever kung fu to maneuver while observing the thieves' moves. He found that these thieves had mixed martial arts skills, but they coordinated in a very methodical way, unlike an ordinary mob.
"It's someone from Liangshan!" Yan Qing concluded. Wu Yong had indeed sent people to intercept and kill them on their way back! And the one he sent was definitely not an ordinary leader. This yellow-faced man was a skilled warrior, and his men were also very skilled.
A prolonged battle is not beneficial! Yan Qing's mind raced, and he had to fight quickly and decisively!
He seized an opening, pretending to be vulnerable, and lured a thief to swing his knife at him. He didn't dodge or evade, waiting until the blade touched his body. Then he suddenly did a "iron bridge" move, and the blade grazed the tip of his nose! At the same time, his right foot kicked out like lightning, hitting the thief in the mouth!
The thief screamed and huddled to the ground. A crack appeared in the encirclement!
"Follow me!" Yan Qing shouted, his short sword dancing into a ball of light as he charged towards the intersection, his companions following closely behind.
How could the yellow-faced man let him escape? He swung his broadsword at Yan Qing's back with a fierce gust of wind!
Yan Qing seemed to have eyes on his back, listening to the wind and determining the opponent's position. He twisted his body strangely, avoided the blade, and slashed at the opponent's wrist with his backhand, which was exactly the sumo grappling technique.
The yellow-faced man hurriedly drew his knife, but Yan Qing got close to him and hit him hard in the ribs with his elbow!
"Ugh!" The yellow-faced man groaned, staggered back, and felt his blood boiling.
Despite this obstruction, Yan Qing and his companions broke out of the encirclement, not caring about the horses and luggage, and ran into the mountains and forests.
"Chase! Don't let him get away!" The yellow-faced man recovered his breath, yelled angrily, and chased after the thief relentlessly.
Yan Qing and his companions entered the dense forest, relying on their agility and keen sense of the terrain to fight off the pursuers. As they ran, he said to his companions, "Split up! Meet up at the old place!"
The attendants understood and immediately dispersed to divert some of the pursuers.
Yan Qing specifically went to places covered with dense thorns and difficult to walk, and at the same time kept turning around and shooting with a crossbow. Although it was not fatal, it slowed down the speed of the pursuers.
After chasing for a while, the yellow-faced man saw that his men had been led away and scattered. The terrain in the forest was complicated, and if he continued to chase, he might be ambushed. He had no choice but to stop and spat in anger: "Damn, what a slippery boy! Retreat!"
Silence returned to the forest. Yan Qing heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that the pursuers had retreated, and headed for the pre-arranged meeting place.
He felt no joy at surviving the ordeal, but instead felt even more depressed. The fact that Wu Yong had precisely grasped his return route and time, and dispatched such a skilled assassin, meant that Liangshan had been constantly monitoring Daming Prefecture and even Yan Qing's movements, and might even be right beside him...
He didn't dare to think any further. He had to rush back to Daming Prefecture as soon as possible!
Two days later, Yan Qing reunited with his two companions who had managed to escape at the agreed-upon town. After taking inventory, they found that two men had been killed, their horses, and their luggage completely lost—a considerable loss. But to have survived was a blessing.
The three men did not dare to stay, so they hired a carriage and rushed to Daming Prefecture day and night.
As Yan Qing gazed upon the towering walls of Daming Prefecture from afar, he felt as if he had been transported to another world. His journey to Shandong had seemed uneventful, but undercurrents were turbulent, and he had come close to death several times.
The inspection at the city gate seemed much stricter than usual. Yan Qing revealed his identity, and the guards, recognizing him, respectfully let him pass. But they whispered a warning, "Brother Xiaoyi, you're finally back! There seems to be some unrest in the mansion... lately."
Yan Qing's heart tightened: "What happened?"
The soldier looked around and lowered his voice, "I don't know for sure, but I heard... Mr. Lu caught a cold a few days ago and was bedridden. He's been calling in several doctors, even the palace physician was alarmed... Also, the security inside the mansion is tighter than before..."
Lu Junyi is ill? And his illness is so strange?
Yan Qing's face darkened instantly. How long had he been gone? His master had always been in good health, so how could he suddenly become seriously ill? And even alert the imperial physician?
A strong sense of foreboding gripped him. He recalled the ambush on the way home, and Wu Yong's sinister look...
"Lure the tiger away from the mountain?!" A terrible thought exploded in his mind like thunder!
Wu Yong deliberately created trouble in Shandong to lure him away! His real target had always been Daming Prefecture and Lu Junyi! The ambush on his way back was probably not just revenge, but also an attempt to delay his return!
"Quick! Return to the mansion!" Yan Qing no longer cared about his manners. He whipped his horse hard and galloped towards the Lu Mansion. The two servants also realized the seriousness of the situation and hurried to catch up.
The scenery on both sides of the street receded rapidly, but Yan Qing's heart sank. He only hoped that he hadn't returned too late! He only hoped that his master would be blessed by good fortune!
However, when he rushed to the gate of Lu's mansion and saw the tightly closed gate and the doubled number of guards with solemn expressions in front of the gate, his heart sank into an ice cave.
Is he still... coming back late?
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Chapter 10 End
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