Eternal Night - Chapter 77
The Leopard Cavalry members were indignant, but remained silent with grim faces as they escorted Yongye's carriage away, leaving behind all five cartloads of congratulatory gifts.
"Wait! What are those three carts carrying?!"
"A chivalrous knight is the attire of my lord."
"Leave!"
"This..." Lin Hong was in a dilemma. He went to Yongye's carriage to report.
The man only saw a hand reach out from the carriage and wave lightly. He couldn't help but wonder, was this cowardly fellow who wouldn't even dare to fight really the son of Prince Duan? Intrigued, he spurred his horse forward and shouted, "Come out and let me see what a pathetic coward my Prince Consort of Chen looks like!"
"Ha ha!" Laughter immediately echoed through the forest.
The Leopard Cavalrymen's eyes were practically spitting fire; they wished they could draw their swords and strike.
"Come here, and I'll show you everything," Yongye said calmly.
The man, relying on his superior numbers, actually stepped forward.
The sedan curtain was slightly lifted, and he saw a young man wearing a veil sitting inside, with a maidservant sitting beside him, her head bowed. Emboldened, he reached out to lift the curtain, but Yongye remained motionless. She smiled at him as he lifted the curtain: "Can the chivalrous man let us pass now?" Her voice was clear and bright, but she coughed twice after speaking.
The man was exactly the sickly man he had heard of before. His face was dark and gloomy, and his lips were even bluish-black. In the darkness, he looked as if he was about to die. Yet, his features were exquisite and handsome, which was inexplicably eerie.
He withdrew his hand, brandished his knife, and laughed loudly: "Let them pass, brothers, come and carry the congratulatory gifts!"
Seeing the situation, Lin Hong shouted, "Let's go!"
One hundred soldiers escorted the carriage and quickly left.
As dawn approached, they traveled another ten miles after leaving the woods and finally arrived at Qingquan Town.
"My lord, the roads diverge here," Lin Hong said in a low voice.
Yongye got off the carriage, breathed in the fresh forest air, and said with a smile, "Let's rest and have a meal in town."
Qingquan Town is small, with only about ten households scattered along both sides of the side road. Though small, it has everything one needs, including teahouses, taverns, and inns.
Yongye pointed to the inn and said, "Everyone has had a long night. Please rest at the inn for a while before setting off after dinner. You only have a quarter of an hour."
The mountain was frequented by wandering travelers who traded goods across the Three Kingdoms region. The innkeeper was startled when a group of about a hundred people suddenly appeared in the inn.
Lin Hong tossed a gold ingot aside and laughed, “We are envoys from Anguo, on our way to congratulate King Chen on his birthday. We will only rest for a while before leaving. Please prepare some food and drink, and we will reward you if you enjoy it.”
The boss, overjoyed to hear that the gold was just for a meal and a rest, ordered the kitchen to quickly serve porridge and steamed buns, and carefully prepare the wild game from the mountains to serve the guests.
The soldiers were quite dissatisfied. Yongye noticed this, called Lin Hong over to sit at the same table, and laughed, "Are you feeling resentful? You haven't even made a move yet, and you've already presented five cartloads of gifts and three cartloads of luggage. It's just not right to go empty-handed to congratulate Prince Chen on his birthday. It's too embarrassing."
Everyone lowered their heads, their faces showing disdain, as if their secret had been exposed.
Yongye took a sip of hot porridge and smiled, "It tastes good. Everyone has worked hard all night, eat more."
Seeing someone's face turn bright red and about to get up and lash out, Lin Hong hurriedly shouted, "Hurry up and eat! The Marquis has his own arrangements!" He was also feeling uneasy. Although he had done as Yongye had said, he didn't know what she was up to.
Yongye sighed and said, "Commander Lin is also wondering, isn't he? I just thought that the five carts of congratulatory gifts would delay our journey, so I asked those thieves to help transport them for a while. As for our luggage, it's just some tattered clothes, so it doesn't matter. Can't we buy things with silver notes? We'll eat and set off lightly."
Lin Hong was puzzled. Why would the thief return the five cartloads of gifts, let alone help transport them?
Seeing him standing there dumbfounded, Yi Hong smiled and said, "Commander Lin, if the young master says so, then so be it. Hurry up and eat something." As she spoke, she served him a bowl of porridge.
Seeing Yongye's confident demeanor, Lin Hong felt somewhat relieved. He quickly finished his porridge and went out to prepare. After the meal, the group set off for Chen.
Yongye lifted the sedan curtain and said to Lin Hong outside the carriage, "Go at full speed. If you encounter any more bandits on the road, don't ask any questions, just kill them all, leave no one alive. Also, call me when we reach Tiger's Mouth."
Lin Hong nodded.
Yongye then lay down to rest.
"Young Master, do you think we can get the congratulatory gift back?" Yi Hong asked gently while massaging her legs.
"Yes, your young master loves to double-cross others."
Bloodstained Glory
The mountain road winds and twists, and the forest is deep and secluded.
Spring is warm and sunny, birds sing and flowers bloom.
Tiger's Mouth lives up to its name, with two mountains close together. One mountain has a jutting cliff that, from a distance, resembles a tiger's open mouth. Beyond Tiger's Mouth are gentle hills. If someone were to ambush someone from Tiger's Mouth, attacking from above, anyone passing through would undoubtedly become the tiger's meal.
"My lord, Tiger's Mouth is just ahead," Lin Hong said.
Yongye yawned, lifted the sedan curtain to peek out, and instructed, "If I'm not mistaken, there will be an ambush here. Commander Lin, you have many years of experience in military campaigns, so you handle it. What I want is for none of the men to escape."
"Yes!" Lin Hong responded and quickly divided his troops to prepare.
A group of about a hundred men, carrying the banner of Anguo, escorted the carriages straight towards Tiger's Mouth. Just as the vanguard arrived, a whistle was heard, and arrows were shot down from the slope towards the group.
The Leopard Cavalry were well prepared. They surrounded the carriage with round shields and waved their long spears to deflect the arrows, and not a single one of them was hit.
After the arrow passed, a large group of people stood up on the slope, shouting, "Qishan Fenglin Village demands toll money!" Dozens of people rushed down the slope.
Lin Hong sneered and drew his sword, pointing it at the enemy. The Leopard Cavalry, who had been holding back their anger for a long time, immediately charged forward upon receiving the order.
Prince Duan chose the elite Leopard Cavalry, and although it was in the mountains, they maintained order.
The people from Fenglin Village ahead were taken aback. Before they could react, a group of men who had rushed forward were already lying on the ground like mowing grass.
The horse neighed and reared up. The leader, enraged, charged forward, his long sword flashing out. Just as he was about to cut down a leopard rider, a spear suddenly appeared, deflecting the long sword's length. He felt a sudden weight in his hand, his tiger's mouth went numb, and the long sword was sent flying, piercing through one of the men in the mountain stronghold. Before he could react, the spear was already pressed against his neck.