Chapter 1590: Siege and the Granary
Chapter 1590: Chapter 1590: Siege and the Granary
But as soon as he finished speaking, his smile froze on his face.
Because Hong Dao didn’t care about Squad Leader Feng’s life or death at all and swung his knife towards Xiao Lu.
"Damn it!" Xiao Lu cursed, shoving Squad Leader Feng out to block the knife for himself, but he underestimated Hong Dao’s swordsmanship. Esteemed by Qin San Lang for his knife skills, Hong Dao was not an easy man to deal with.
Whoosh, the big knife only sliced through Squad Leader Feng’s chest without causing severe injury.
Then the knife was tossed, falling into Hong Dao’s left hand, which he used to chop forcefully, and with a snap, directly severed Xiao Lu’s wrist.
"Ah!" Xiao Lu let out a painful scream, eyes wide open at his severed wrist, filled with disbelief... A left-handed knife with such force; he’s a capable man!
Xiao Lu realized he had underestimated his opponent, dared not fight hard anymore, and immediately took out poison to scatter, hoping to knock Hong Dao unconscious.
But Hong Dao had taken Detoxification Pills; the witch doctor’s poison couldn’t harm him. While Xiao Lu was scattering the poison, Hong Dao leaped, hacking towards Xiao Lu.
Crack!
Xiao Lu’s arm was cut off diagonally, dropping to the ground, and with unbearable pain, he fell. As he struggled to rise, Hong Dao rushed up, severing his tendons, crippling him utterly.
Xiao Lu roared angrily, eyes filled with malice, cursing, "Peasant, peasant!"
With two slaps, Hong Dao sneered, "Peasant you say? You, an untaught Yirong bastard, crawling out of an animal’s belly, what right do you have to curse?!"
Think only you can curse?
I can curse until you cry.
Fearing Xiao Lu might commit suicide with poison, Hong Dao snapped off his jaw, leaving it hanging and unable to close.
Xiao Lu, eyes wide with rage, stared at Hong Dao, unable to even die.
Awoo~
Messenger wolf, severely injured, howled in the doghole but persisted stubbornly, trying to move deeper, but it was thwarted by a long arrow lodged within.
Hong Dao moved in a flash, rushing to the doghole, pulling the messenger wolf out, saying to Squad Leader Feng, "Give me the rope you have."
Squad Leader Feng, already terrified, clutching his wound, watched all this unfold until Hong Dao shouted again, snapping him back into action to hand over his waist-hung rope.
Hong Dao deftly tied the messenger wolf’s mouth, ensuring it couldn’t make much sound.
Squad Leader Feng trembled and asked, "Brother, is this Xiao Lu really a Rong man?"
"What do you think?" Hong Dao retorted, then tied the rope to his own waist, hoisting Xiao Lu up, calling to Squad Leader Feng, "Let’s go meet County Magistrate Luo."
With that, carrying the man and dragging the wolf, they left the animal shed.
Not only was Squad Leader Feng shocked, but Xie Cheng and the others also jolted upon seeing Hong Dao like this... This lad is becoming more unruly.
"Sir, this Xiao Lu is a Rong man." Hong Dao slammed Xiao Lu to the ground with a bang, tugging the rope on his waist, saying to Qin San Lang: "I also caught a messenger wolf. Xiao Lu tried to release it to send a message, but I caught him."
"Well done." Qin San Lang praised, examining the messenger wolf, finding an iron tube tied to its abdomen and extracting a Rong language paper strip, which said: Soldiers from the government office have arrived, the Great Chu peasants must have discovered our affairs, please act in advance, sir.
Qin San Lang handed the paper to County Magistrate Luo: "Ironclad evidence of Rong people’s infiltration within the city."
County Magistrate Luo didn’t understand Rong language, but seeing the foreign characters different from Great Chu’s knew Qin San Lang spoke the truth, shouting at Squad Leader Feng: "Feng Dashi, you dead-seeking fool, daring to bring anyone into the government office? Are you that short on money? You nearly doomed everyone in this entire county!"
He continued interrogating Squad Leader Feng: "Where does this Xiao Lu live? Does anyone live with him? Those people might also be infiltrating Rong men."
Squad Leader Feng responded: "Xiao Lu lives in Old Lv’s house, just one room, which is part of Sifu Inn’s outbuilding, reserved for inn staff. Old Lv helps Sifu Inn clean night soil and thus has a room without paying rent, the same for Xiao Lu."
Hence...
"Xiao Lu lives alone."
Upon hearing this, Qin San Lang promptly said: "Brother Xie, immediately take soldiers to seal off Sifu Inn, and block the streets and alleys around Sifu Inn, no one is allowed in or out."
"Sure." Xie Cheng responded, quickly leaving the government office, summoning the soldiers outside, letting the Government Official lead the way towards the streets and alleys surrounding Sifu Inn.
Company Commander Jin, Chief Commander Tang, and Chief Commander Lao also took the government officials with them to start clearing the city of Rong people.
County Magistrate Luo, seeing their actions, asked in horror: "Company Commander Qin, do you think Sifu Inn is hiding Rong people?"
Qin San Lang nodded: "Yes. No need to ask further, get everyone moving quickly, eliminate the Rong people first and then talk."
With that said, he blew a loud whistle from his mouth.
The Liugou dogs heard the sound, quickly rushing in, upon seeing the messenger wolf, they pounced, sniffing its scent.
Soon, after barking at Qin San Lang, they immediately rushed out of the government office.
Qin San Lang knew Liugou had caught the scent of Rong people, feeling elated, he told Hong Dao and Bu Fang: "Hong Dao, leave fifty soldiers to guard the county government and help County Magistrate Luo protect the granary. Bu Fang, take twenty men to the northern city granary to prevent a Rong attack!"
The county holds granaries, and there are two, typically one at the county government and another guarded by soldiers elsewhere.
Ancang County’s other granary is located at the northern city wall base.
Rong people setting fires each time they invade the county aim to destroy granaries, leaving Chu Army and civilians without food during war.
"Yes." Hong Dao and Bu Fang replied, one summoning the soldiers guarding outside the government office to come in, and the other leading troops to the northern granary.
County Magistrate Luo clung to the departing Qin San Lang, asking: "Company Commander Qin, you’re leaving only fifty soldiers to guard the county government, is that sufficient?"
"I secretly have reinforcements helping guard the county government, County Magistrate Luo need not worry." Qin San Lang assured, summoning other soldiers, bolting out of the government office, mounted his horse to catch up with Liugou.
Squad Leader Shi also followed, and receiving Qin San Lang’s orders, he shouted to the curious onlookers along the street: "Bandits have entered the county, get back home now, shut your doors tight, and don’t come out regardless of what you hear. Once all bandits are eliminated, the government will notify everyone with a drumbeat. Also be cautious of fires, if you see pine oil torches landing in your homes, extinguish them immediately!"
Rong people are brutal; northwest locals dread them. Saying Rong people infiltrated outright may cause chaos, and alerting hidden Rong people to raise defenses, it’s said bandits have entered instead.
"What? Bandits entered the county, could it be bandits from Eagle Food Gang?" Bandits are common in the northwest, folks weren’t very scared upon hearing this.
Squad Leader Shi angrily replied: "Get back, or I’ll have you imprisoned in the government!"
The crowd saw Squad Leader Shi angry, dared not ask further, scattered back home, shut their doors, staying inside.
Within thirty minutes, they indeed heard the sounds of fighting outside in the streets... Bandits really did enter, probably from Rongshan Gang, or it wouldn’t be so intense.
The fighting sounds emerged from the direction of Sifu Inn; indeed, Rong people hiding in the inn, and one was even a Company Commander.