The county yamen of Lianshan.
A black-clad figure wearing a mask sat to the left of the county magistrate, speaking with a displeased expression. "Elder Mu, I heard your people failed?"
"Hmph, wasn't that because the intelligence you provided was faulty? Those Embroidered Uniform Guards were all at the Martial Disciple realm! What did you tell us when you asked us to act?"
Elder Mu's expression was equally displeased. He glared at the black-clad figure, not backing down, and angrily retorted, "Only three to four hundred ordinary soldiers for escort? Then what are these Embroidered Uniform Guards? You must take responsibility for this!"
"Hmph! It's also because the people you sent out were too useless. I've always said that even when hunting a rabbit, one must use full force. You were unwilling to send out elite sect disciples, so who can you blame?" the black-clad figure said coldly and dismissively.
"Unwilling? If I were unwilling, would I have sent out disciples at the Body Refining realm? Would I have sent out a hundred disciples at the Martial Disciple realm? Do you think our sect disciples are like those Embroidered Uniform Guards, supported by the court with vast resources for their cultivation?" Elder Mu shouted indignantly.
"What's the use of shouting at me? Think about what to do. Your foolish disciple doesn't even know how to cover his face," the black-clad figure said with a cold laugh, not angered, but merely pointing out a fact.
This statement struck Elder Mu's vulnerable point. He was so angry he wished he could personally kill his own stupid disciple. Damn it, to intercept imperial officials, they dared to act without masks! They truly had the courage of a leopard. He had always said to be cautious, but they were too confident in those soldiers. Now look! Elder Mu was extremely vexed.
The other elders exchanged glances. One said, "After this incident, the officials will likely call for reinforcements. If we still want to kill those two, our actions must be swift and decisive."
"I naturally know that. So, what should we do about this? Everyone, offer your suggestions." Elder Mu sighed, tapping the table with his fingers.
The black-clad figure did not wish to delay. He said coldly, "The more we think, the longer it takes. I suggest we concentrate all our forces tonight and kill them before they learn the identities of your disciples. Otherwise, once they investigate your disciples' identities, it will be useless even if you silence them afterward."
This left Elder Mu breathless. The elders from other sects watched him with schadenfreude. They had not sent any representative figures to participate in this matter. Only Elder Mu, in an attempt to curry favor with the person behind the black-clad figure, had dispatched his disciples.
Cornered by his disciple's actions, Elder Mu gritted his teeth and asked, "You old geezers, it's too early to be gloating. Tell me, how many people did you bring, and what were their cultivation realms for this matter?"
"You mean to...?"
"Let's strike while the iron is hot! We'll raid the camp tonight, all of us going together. I don't believe that with so many people, we still can't kill those two!" Elder Mu slammed the table, and it immediately split into pieces.
The county magistrate at the head of the table trembled, regretting why he had come to this place to be a county magistrate years ago. If not for that, he wouldn't have gotten caught up in such trouble.
"Our Lianshan Buddhist Academy has brought one hundred monks, fifty at the Martial Disciple realm, forty-five at the Ancient Martial realm, and five at the Body Refining realm."
"Our Songshan Sword Sect has only brought eighty people, ten at the Ancient Martial realm, two at the Body Refining realm, and the rest are at the Martial Disciple realm."
...
Seven or eight sects spoke one after another, revealing the number and cultivation of their disciples. Elder Mu was delighted and clapped his hands, laughing. "Excellent! I never expected you old fellows to have so many people hidden away! If we add our Lianshan Sect's remaining one hundred disciples at the Martial Disciple realm, fifty at the Ancient Martial realm, and five at the Body Refining realm here."
"This will total over five hundred at the Martial Disciple realm, over two hundred at the Ancient Martial realm, thirty at the Body Refining realm, and the three of us at the Foundation Establishment realm. This is more than enough to sweep through their camp."
"Let's not delay. I'll trouble you, sir, to quickly prepare black masks." Elder Mu's worries vanished, and he was once again full of confidence.
"Don't worry, I've already prepared these. You can send someone to the county treasury to retrieve them," the black-clad figure said, nodding with satisfaction, even managing a rare smile.
Only the pitiable Lianshan county magistrate looked dejected, serving merely as a decoration. Although he wasn't entirely clean himself, being a bit greedy and not caring much for the common folk, he had never intended to openly oppose the court. In the current situation, his family was held hostage by the black-clad figure, and he himself was poisoned and controlled by him. Moreover, he was terrified of the person behind the black-clad figure and their forces. His presence here was merely to represent Lianshan County being dragged into this mess. He used his authority to provide a cover and transit point, but he was not qualified to participate directly.
Meanwhile, Zhang Chengzhu looked at the nearly completed camp foundation. Yet, no one from the county had appeared, and the soldiers sent to deliver notifications had not returned. Seeing this, Zhang Chengzhu knew that even if Lianshan County wasn't the mastermind, it was likely involved. He couldn't count on them.
At this moment, a centurion of the Embroidered Uniform Guard walked over with a dark expression. Zhang Chengzhu quickly asked, "Centurion Zhou, how is the investigation going?"
"Of the two small banners dispatched, not one has returned. When I followed them from a distance, I saw no less than five at the Body Refining realm and over ten at the Ancient Martial realm," Centurion Zhou replied with a look of guilt.
"No wonder the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the county town had no warning! These villains are so numerous!" Zhang Chengzhu knew something was amiss. He quickly lowered his head and whispered something into Centurion Zhou's ear. The latter nodded and hurried away.
"Lord Zhang, it seems Lianshan County has fallen. I never expected that despite the numerous noble families in Shuangyue Prefecture, we encountered no resistance, only to stumble here," An Xian said with a bitter smile.
"The noble families of Shuangyue Prefecture fear the imperial army and the Embroidered Uniform Guards. If they dared to make a move, they would soon be crushed by the army, so they dare not openly turn against us. Now, in this small Lianshan County, so many people have gathered. How could the martial arts sects of Lianshan County alone have so many? Someone must be leading them, uniting the martial arts sects from nearby prefectures and counties to wait for us here," Zhang Chengzhu sighed, analyzing the situation.
"Then how should we respond now?" An Xian asked.
Zhang Chengzhu shook his head. "Military matters are not my forte. I'll leave it to you, Lord An. You make the decision."
"If that's the case, then I won't be polite," An Xian nodded and said, "Lord Zhang just asked Centurion Zhou to urgently request reinforcements, but that will take many hours. In my opinion, these villains will likely launch a major attack at nightfall, and even the county soldiers might be among them. We, with our current numbers, are no match for them."
"My suggestion is to gather straw from the surroundings, make straw figures, and set up a false camp. We, on the other hand, will immediately retreat to buy time and shorten the journey for reinforcements."
Zhang Chengzhu nodded, agreeing with An Xian's plan.