Free Web NovelChapter 199: Chapter 199
Chapter 199 ƒгeewёbnovel.com
The journey to the capital would take several days, passing through numerous cities, winding through forests with both dangerous spots and rest areas. Mu Heng and Yueqian did not let their younger siblings accompany them because of the risks involved. The hardships and lack of comfort compared to the era she came from made Yueqian quite frustrated.
Today was the fourth day of their journey. They had passed through three cities and were heading straight for the capital as quickly as possible. Fortunately, having the royal decree in hand allowed their procession to move swiftly. Eventually, their group of over 100 people stopped to rest in the forest between cities.
They chose a flat hill to ensure they could monitor each other’s safety. This procession included two women, one of whom was the governor’s furen, so everyone had to pay extra attention to her and provide as much convenience as possible. Because of this, the procession moved slower than expected. The original goal of reaching the next city could not be met. If they delayed further, they wouldn’t have time to set up their tents and secure the area.
Traveling at night was out of the question. The terrifying nocturnal animals would pose a significant threat for them. If they decided to set up a temporary camp, it would at least allow them to establish a defensive position. Nevertheless, traveling without knowing when or where these animals might attack, the danger would be many times greater.
However, the spot they chose to camp wasn’t a bad one. Many times during their journey, they had chosen to stop in this area. So, no one thought it was a problem.
After setting up the camp and pitching the tents, Yueqian and Qu Yi started preparing food with the help of two or three male soldiers. Of course, it was inappropriate to be too close, so they prepared the food in full view of everyone to show their good intentions.
Mu Heng patrolled around the camp. As the governor, he still had to carry his work with him. Some tasks required lengthy inspections, and such free time during the journey was ideal for this.
As the medium-sized camp of over 100 people was being set up peacefully, the sunlight gradually faded, welcoming the night. Those who had been traveling all day felt quite weary. Some lay down on the ground, while others fell asleep even before the tents were fully set up.
While no one expected any trouble, a group of soldiers suddenly appeared. They were dressed in the same military uniforms as those of the Bai Region. Mu Heng’s soldiers noticed them but not cautious at all, assuming they were soldiers from another city on duty. Thus, they didn’t raise the alarm.
Who would have known that upon seeing the Red Earth City camp heading to the capital by royal decree, this group would display scorn? They numbered over 200, while Red Earth City had only 100 soldiers for this journey.
“We’ve found the target. Surround them. Don’t let anyone escape from the encirclement. Kill anyone who resists,” the order came from the leader of this troop. His voice was quite loud. It caused everyone who was resting to jump up in surprise.
They saw soldiers of the Bai Region like themselves, but these soldiers exuded a murderous aura without fear of repercussions.
“What’s the matter with you? I am a representative of the soldiers from Red Earth City. We are traveling to the capital under royal decree. This must be a misunderstanding,” replied a Red Earth City soldier, holding up the pass given by Governor Mu for him to use when traveling to different cities.
Normally, if it were other people, when they saw such a pass, they would definitely understand and make way. However, these soldiers did not do so. They completely ignored the Red Earth City soldier’s words, as if they were looking at the soldier who was already dead.
“Where do these soldiers come from? Who sent you?” Mu Heng, having heard the commotion, emerged from his tent. He had been reviewing Red Earth City’s affairs. The loud voices of these soldiers made him sense something was wrong. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
“Governor of Red Earth City, you don’t need to know where we’re from. Just know that today is your last day,” that soldier said aggressively, looking at Mu Heng with dissatisfaction, seeing him as an obstacle to his master’s ambitions.
Previously, whenever his master spoke, all governors of Red Earth City would comply. But this new governor boasted about his prowess, flaunting his numerous connections and even sending a petition to the royal palace. Did this man truly think he had a chance of survival? If so... then this governor of Red Earth City was just a foolish man who didn’t understand what real power meant.
"You are defying a royal decree. The punishment is death for seven generations. Knowing this, do you still dare to block our way?" Mu Heng’s eyes flashed with a stern, threatening glare, but the opposing soldiers were unfazed by his demeanor.
Their master was not Governor Mu, and there was no chance of reconciliation. Was it not fitting that such a selfish governor like Governor Mu should die? He had many medicines for deadly diseases but refused to share them with others, only seeking personal gain. Instead of helping people from his own Region, he covertly sold medicines to various tribes. Such a person was considered a scoundrel who, if allowed to continue, would only worsen the situation for the Bai Region.
"Execution, you say? How could we be executed? Wasn’t it the case that Governor of Red Earth City was robbed and killed by bandits upon arriving here without even knowing it was him? What does that have to do with us?"
"Oh, so you intend to deal with me in this manner and blame it on the bandits?" Mu Heng scoffed.
"No need to waste to waste time talking. The wicked Governor of Red Earth City deserves to die. Prepare to attack. Spearmen, form ranks!"
The soldier had no desire to prolong the conversation. His duty was to kill this corrupt governor. Once the Governor of Red Earth City was gone, they could obtain the medicine and distribute it to their families and the people of the Bai Region.
As soon as the enemy was dead, the Bai Region would have a chance to survive!Despite the imposing stance of the other side, Mu Heng felt no fear. His gaze grew colder. He had warned them of the consequences, but they ignored him. So be it—they would face the results of their choice.
Mu Heng raised his right hand high, preventing the spearmen from moving. Hidden archers in the trees surrounding the plains revealed themselves. Though their numbers were few, the bells hanging from their arrows were not to be underestimated.
This was the same method Yueqian had once used. As the arrows were released, poison bags attached to them burst, spreading poison over the 200 soldiers encircling them.
"Cover your noses. This is poison powder!" Despite the command, it was already too late. Their bodies gradually weakened and tingled; their limbs unable to move anymore.
The squad leader, who avoided inhaling the poison powder by quickly recognizing Mu Heng’s hand signal, widened his eyes in shock and defiance.
"Why am I...?" He seemed to want to ask something, but in the end, even his tongue went numb, preventing him from completing his sentence. All of this happened in just a few seconds. If not for the soldiers being slow to draw their bows, the other party might not have managed to say even the word "why."
"I must commend your quick thinking, but the drug we used doesn’t need to be inhaled to take effect. It absorbs through the skin, so even if you hold your breath, it will still work once it penetrates your skin," Mu Heng explained to clarify the situation for him.
In truth, their procession wasn’t that slow. Yueqian was not weak, and the hundred soldiers knew it. From their previous journey, they had seen Yueqian cook for them morning, noon, and night without showing any signs of fatigue. How could she be a burden?
However, to buy time for the ten soldiers who had gone ahead to prepare hiding places, they pretended that Yueqian was preparing slowly and often needed to rest due to exhaustion. Otherwise, how could they stop at the predetermined ambush point? There was no better place than here if they thought of launching an attack.
Since leaving Red Earth City, their governor had anticipated the journey would indeed be dangerous. As a person from the Du Regions, he didn’t have as much knowledge as the original soldiers of the Bai Regions. Therefore, they had spent the whole night planning and identifying the most vulnerable points for an ambush.
In fact, there were two more potential ambush points ahead. If not for the governor’s furen pretending to be slow and needing frequent rests, they would have safely reached the next city without considering it a dangerous spot.
Nonetheless, the governor deemed the two upcoming points too risky. He didn’t want to wait too long for incident to happen. As they had been traveling for several days, this could lead to negligence and exhaustion. Additionally, it would be better to catch the pursuers quickly.
This plan was thus proposed. Luckily, the hospital of the governor’s furen had a kind of anesthetic that could be safely applied externally. When the governor’s furen learned that they were planning this together, she offered a stronger anesthetic.
It was a concoction she claimed was made from a mistake in medicine preparation. So, everyone used this drug to deal with their enemies without exerting too much effort.
“Search them until you find out who sent them,” Mu Heng ordered his men to tie them all up. The 200 attackers in this ambush were indeed too many. However, the more there were, the more weight his words carried.
And yes, they already knew whose soldiers these were. Who else could it be if not the governor of Small Mountain City who was about to be punished?
Who would benefit most from Mu Heng’s death now? Even though other cities had disputes over interests just like the governor of Small Mountain City, once they knew that Mu Heng was not actually demoted and sent here, but still had the backing of a Wang, would they dare to do such a significant act?
The chicken slaughter was indeed successful. The monkeys were now humble and did not dare to stick their necks out to be slaughtered again. However, the chickens that were not dead still wanted to use their last bit of strength, hoping that their fierce pecking would strike the heart of the butcher, not realizing that chickens would always remain chickens. Their efforts would only make it easier for the butcher to plunge the knife deeper into their throats.
“Inform the eunuch who is waiting for news, tell him that we have successfully captured them. The eunuch can now travel with us,” Mu Heng ordered his men again. Hearing this, the eyes of the soldiers in command widened with shock. It seemed they had failed to observe everything carefully from the beginning. Had these people been planning this all along? Nevertheless, it was too late to regret now. They were all captured here, and the governor was escorted to the capital by soldiers.
