Chapter 300: Chapter 261: Repairing the Gloves, Thousand Mile Mountain Ambush 4

Chu Ming and Meng Zhen exchanged glances several times without saying a word.

"Commander Meng Wanfu, you and I will take turns keeping watch at night."

"Yes."

Upon entering the house, Chu Ming lit a lamp to read, while outside, Meng Zhen was on the first half of the night’s watch, and Jiang Zhan went to sleep first.

About half an hour later.

"Chu Royal Attendant, may I come in?"

Meng Zhen dared to speak only after seeing that Jiang Zhan next door was asleep.

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, Meng Zhen walked in, and gently closed the door again.

"It was your master who arranged for you to accompany me to the Qin Capital, wasn’t it?" Chu Ming looked at Meng Zhen.

"As expected, Chu Royal Attendant guessed it." Meng Zhen respectfully saluted.

"Does the master have any other arrangements?" Chu Ming asked again.

Meng Zhen remained bowing but stayed silent.

After a long pause, he spoke in a low voice, "Commander Xiang said that if we cannot return from this journey, he hopes that Chu Royal Attendant will protect the safety of the Xiang Family."

Upon hearing this, Chu Ming frowned tightly.

Such words indicated that the master must have known something in advance.

The master’s confinement... Two generals of the Huang Forbidden Army stationed within the Tiger Armor Army... A sudden invasion by South Jingyue Country...

The one on the Dragon Throne intended to take this opportunity to directly render the master powerless, thereby taking control of the three hundred thousand Tiger Armor Army!

In other words, even without the frame-up of privately manufactured armor by the Blood Evil Sect, or the slander by ministers led by Chancellor Zuo Yuan, it would still be very difficult for the master to return to the Tiger Armor Army after heading to the Qin Capital.

Chu Ming raised his gaze, simultaneously taking out a newly deduced cultivation technique and several bottles of elixirs to enhance Qi blood.

"Take these."

"Thank you, Chu Royal Attendant."

"Commander Xiang said, Commander Jiang has a pure character and, apart from lacking experience and insight, he is worthy of trust."

"Alright, I understand."

Chu Ming nodded slightly.

When he saw Meng Zhen and Jiang Zhan arriving just as he was about to set out, he knew the intention of his master, Xiang Yue.

Meng Zhen voluntarily left the room and stood guard at the doorway.

Chu Ming continued reading his book.

Suddenly.

A message came from the Communication Clan Leaf of the Wind Spirit Race.

"Clan Leader, yesterday we successfully took control of all the bandits within a hundred-mile radius of the clan’s territory, numbering ten thousand people."

The message was sent by Feeng Jun, the elder of the Wind Spirit Race.

After secretly sending Lix Yan from the Great Derivation Sect and The Medicine Maniac to Zhengxi Town to try to control the Ink Crow Horde, Chu Ming also assigned a mission to the Wind Spirit Race.

Focusing on the clan’s territory of the Wind Spirit Race, he instructed them to recruit and organize mountain bandits and thieves to expand their ranks.

The gold and silver treasures obtained from previously eliminating Black Wind Stronghold, Teng Family Manor, and Blood Vine Castle were mostly left for the Wind Spirit Race.

With the resources from the Blood Evil Sect at the Mieqin River Bay Camp, such as provisions and armor, he was almost able to assemble a force of ten thousand armed men.

However, these bandits were certainly not going to enjoy such benefits immediately, as those resources were meant to be accumulated for a formal army later on. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Control the bandit leaders, strictly prohibit killing innocent people, and continue expanding the recruitment range according to the original plan."

Heart Spirit communicated with the Communication Clan Leaf, inputting the message.

"Yes."

"..."

Bandits, after all, are still bandits.

Recruiting bandits was merely the first step within the territory of the Qin Dynasty, and there was still a considerable way to go before creating an army comparable to the Tiger Armor Army.

...

The next day, at dawn.

"Commissioner of Canal Transport Mr. Chu, how did you sleep last night?"

Chu Ming had just opened the door when he heard Jiang Zhan’s voice.

"Pretty well."

At this time, Meng Zhen also came out of the room.

"Let’s have some breakfast and then head out."

"Alright."

The three of them went down to the first floor of the inn and sat in the hall to have breakfast.

"The Youlong Escort Agency dared to venture into the mountains alone, surely encountered mountain bandits, that’s suicidal."

"Don’t say that, the Youlong Escort Agency has a total of twenty people, led by two Chief Escort Masters at the Refining Organ Realm, their strength is enough to enter the mountains."

"Enough to enter? Then why were they all found with their hearts and lungs ripped out, hanging on the mountain path?"

In the hall, people were intensely discussing.

Upon hearing, it seemed an escort agency ventured into the mountains last night and encountered mountain bandits, resulting in the death of the entire group.

"I looked at those bodies, they didn’t seem like the work of bandits."

"If not bandits, then what? Exotic beasts?"

"It’s possible."

"..."

Various rumors were being discussed endlessly.

Some said the Youlong Escort Agency encountered mountain bandits, some said exotic beasts, and others claimed that the agency took on an ill-fated escort job, had been targeted long before, and thus recklessly crossed through the mountains at night.

Chu Ming and the others listened quietly while eating breakfast.

Soon, a familiar figure approached.

"Hero Jiang."

Linn Yong, the Chief Escort Master from Celestial Treasure Escort Agency in Pingzhong County, directly sat beside them, wearing a somewhat strange expression.

"Why is Linn Yong the Escort Master alone, where is young Linn Xing?" Jiang Zhan cupped his hands.

"Linn Xing...," Linn Yong’s eyes flashed with anger, "He’s inspecting the goods."

Chu Ming sipped his porridge, casting a glance at him before calmly lowering his eyes.

With the Spiritual Sense of Sword Gourd, he sensed a bloody odor on the man, and hints of vomit residue on his chest area.

"Has Linn Yong the Escort Master heard about the incident with Youlong Escort Agency?" Meng Zhen asked.

He had been observing Chu Ming, and noticing the subtle change in expression, he turned to Linn Yong and indeed found something amiss.

Upon hearing this, a flicker of panic passed through Linn Yong’s eyes.

"I heard that the Youlong Escort Agency ventured into the mountains alone last night, encountered the bandits from Thousand Mile Mountain’s Wuyun Peak, and they were all killed."

"Oh? Linn Yong the Escort Master seems quite well-informed, we only heard they encountered mountain bandits, but you even know exactly which group it was," Jiang Zhan said in surprise.

"..." Linn Yong was anxious again, "Since we’re all Escort Masters, I went to see the bodies this morning, and the wounds seemed like the work of Wuyun Peak bandits."

"Nonsense."

As soon as he finished speaking, someone from the next table stood up to refute: "I also saw those bodies, their entire chest cavities were ripped open, with all the internal organs scooped out, no other injuries were visible, how did you deduce it was the work of Wuyun Peak bandits?"

Internal organs?!

Hearing those two words, Linn Yong’s stomach churned violently.