Chen Xiaobei felt uneasy when he thought of Chen Dayong and the others at Longwang River.
What if they returned unexpectedly, unaware of the situation?
Although he believed Liu Rumei would surely contact Ma Biao and the others, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Chen Xiaobei hurried to find Liu Rumei. "Miss Liu, how do you plan to arrange the manpower at Longwang River?"
Liu Rumei sighed. "I'm afraid we can't afford to worry about that now. They need to retreat to the mountains as soon as possible."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Rumei understood Chen Xiaobei's intention. She smiled and said, "I'll send someone to Longwang River right away to inform Ma Biao and the others to head into the mountains, and also to notify your village guards to return quickly."
Chen Xiaobei finally smiled. It seemed Liu Rumei understood him after all. There was a bit of tacit understanding between them.
Meanwhile, Chen Dayong and his men were guarding the end of the narrow path.
For several days, there was no movement, and the few men were bored. They spent their days lounging and dozing in the woods.
Today was no exception. As noon approached, they ate a simple meal and then sunbathed and slept.
Just then, Chen Sangui, the village guard on duty, nudged Chen Dayong.
"Brother Dayong, look, it seems someone is coming."
Chen Dayong rubbed his sleepy eyes and squinted.
Indeed, dozens of people, men and women, were approaching. Judging by their attire, they were not mountain folk. It seemed they were the ones they were waiting for.
Strange, how did they get out? Were Ma Biao and the others completely unaware?
But regardless, he was responsible for guarding this place, so he had to fight them.
With that, he called out to his men, "Get the repeating crossbows ready. As soon as they enter range, attack. Don't let them get close."
At this moment, the Lotus Cult Master and his group were completely unsuspecting and soon reached the narrow path.
One side of the path was a slope several zhang deep, and the other was a sheer rock face. It could only accommodate one person at a time, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
However, Chen Dayong and his men had not undergone professional training. As soon as the first two scouts entered their range, more than a dozen repeating crossbows impatiently fired.
A volley of arrows rained down.
The first two men fell instantly.
There was an ambush here! The Lotus Cult Master was greatly alarmed and quickly ordered his men to retreat.
They retreated for about two li. The group stopped and found a patch of woods for a brief rest.
Chu Han approached the Lotus Cult Master and said respectfully, "Master, that path is too narrow and easy to defend. Why don't we wait until tonight and quietly descend into the deep gully nearby to avoid them?"
The Lotus Cult Master nodded. "No rush, no rush. Even if we can't get out, there's no need to be anxious. Look at this vast forest; it's enough for us to hide. If they come looking for us, we'll be in the dark while they're in the light."
Hearing this, Jasmine next to him couldn't help but flatter, "The Master is absolutely right. We have enough provisions to last for three to five more days. We'll eventually find an opportunity to get out."
Seeing them retreat, Chen Dayong looked very frustrated.
He led his men forward to drag over the two dead scouts and searched their belongings. They found some food and drink, but nothing else.
There was not even any identification.
Alas, how could he claim credit from Ma Biao and the others? He could only keep these two corpses as evidence.
Just then, the sound of horse hooves approached from behind. It was Liu Rumei's guard, whom Chen Dayong recognized.
The man cupped his fists at Chen Dayong. "Thank you for your hard work."
"Village Chief Chen Xiaobei asked me to deliver a message to you. There has been a major incident in the village. Please return as soon as possible."
Upon hearing that they were asked to return, Chen Dayong and his men looked very unwilling. He pointed to the two corpses beside them.
"The people you are looking for appeared just now, and we killed two of them."
The man bowed to Chen Dayong again. "My lady will reward you. Please return first. I will go find Military Advisor Ma and the others. They need to return as well."
Fine, Chen Dayong had no choice but to call his men to pack up and head home.
"Alright, we'll go back. By the way, Military Advisor Ma and the others are about ten li ahead. Follow the road and don't take any wrong turns."
The man led his horse through the narrow path, remounted, and headed into the mountains.
The Lotus Cult Master in the woods had not yet caught his breath when he heard the sound of horse hooves. He looked closely and saw a young man in green. Judging by his attire, he was clearly skilled.
But now, he couldn't be sure what this person was doing. Was he a local villager, a hunter, or someone from Liu Rumei's side?
"Master, should we keep him or not? He'll be here soon," Chu Han said impatiently.
The Lotus Cult Master nodded slightly. "Keep the person and find out his identity first."
Chu Han agreed and silently floated out.
Just as the man was about to pass them, he suddenly raised his hand and flicked a fine ox-hair needle.
The needle was aimed at the horse's front leg.
The horse, running forward, suddenly felt a sharp pain in its front leg. It stumbled, throwing the rider to the ground with a face-plant.
Before he could get up, Chu Han's saber was at his throat.
"Don't move."
The guard immediately recalled Chen Dayong's words and knew something was wrong.
But at this moment, he could only try to calm himself. "Who are you? Why did you ambush me?"
Hearing this, Chu Han smiled. This was a common tone among martial artists. A villager would never speak to him like this.
"Tell me, what are you doing entering the mountain?"
The guard gritted his teeth and made up his mind. "I am a hunter from the mountains."
"You're lying. You're not a villager from around here. You're one of Liu Rumei's people."
Upon hearing this, the guard's heart tightened, and his body involuntarily trembled. From this reaction, Chu Han knew his guess was correct.
Excellent, they had captured someone from Liu Rumei's side.
"Tell me what you're doing in the mountain. Lie again, and I'll cut off your head."
Not everyone feared death. "I'll tell you, I'll tell you. I was ordered by Miss to tell those guarding the river to return. We are withdrawing."
Chu Han was secretly delighted. "What about the people on your way here? Have they withdrawn too?"
"Oh, those are the village guards from Hetou Village. They have already withdrawn."
Chu Han smiled slightly, flicked his sword, and the guard died on the spot.
Chu Han kicked the body into the grass by the roadside, then led the horse into the woods before going to see the Lotus Cult Master.
Hearing that the people ahead had withdrawn, the Lotus Cult Master was skeptical.
"Bring the person here. I'll ask him myself."
Chu Han gave a helpless wry smile. "Master, I killed him. I think he was telling the truth. Let's go."
The Lotus Cult Master was a little angry. "Why did you act without permission?"
"Master, he said that the ones who stopped us were the village guards from Hetou Village and that they had withdrawn. If he had escaped and informed Liu Rumei's people guarding the river, we would still be pursued. Only by killing him could the news be contained."