Chapter Fourteen: The Mountain Rain is Coming

  A soldier looked me up and down a few times and said: "General Li and Master Shang have gone to the rear camp."

  I pulled that person and said: "Hurry up and take me there." That person hastily took me and ran towards the rear camp.

  I arrived at the rear camp and was stunned. It was much more lively here than in the front. I saw Officer Guo and General Li standing beside a carriage, talking. There were several thousand people around them, busy loading sacks onto the carriage. I rushed to Officer Guo's side and said: "Your subordinate has received information that four people plan to assassinate you and General Li. Earlier, in the commander's tent of this camp, I encountered two of them, one is dead and the other was captured. Please instruct what to do with them."

  "Magistrate, you've turned around and looked at me, saying: 'How did you get hurt like this? Your face was even slapped by someone?'"

  He took out a small bottle from his body and handed it to me, saying: "This wound medicine is very effective, apply it quickly."

  Only to see General Li beside him smiling and saying: "Shangguan brother, looking at your troops, and then look at mine...". After finishing, he shook his head and sighed, and continued to say: "Can I pick some of your troops to use?"

  Magistrate Lord smiled and said to me: "Quickly come and pay your respects to General Li Shimin."

  I hastily paid my respects to General Li and thought to myself: "So this is the renowned Li Shiji? He looks quite majestic, but what's with these soldiers of his? They all look like they were molded from mud." But I said aloud: "I've long heard of your great name, General."

  Magistrate said: "Where is the captive now?"

  The soldier who brought me said: "He is now imprisoned in a wooden cage in the front camp, and 30 people have been sent to guard him." After hearing this, Officer Wang and General Li went towards the front camp.

  Arrived at the front camp, the two adults went to interrogate the assassin. My status was too low, I couldn't go in to listen, so I just wandered around the camp. At this time, Zheng Xiong and others arrived, bringing An Tiehu's corpse with them.

  After telling him the whole story in detail, Zheng Xiong smiled and said: "Those two can't stir up big waves, don't worry, those two people should be specialized in killing high-ranking officials, thinking of using this trick on us, go dream. By the way, your face got slapped well, do you know why that man hit you?"

  I asked: "Do you know who he is?"

  Zheng Xiong said with a pleased expression: "Of course, I'm still quite familiar with him. This slap is to teach you not to charge alone into the battlefield, not knowing the height of heaven and the thickness of earth, daring to recklessly rush around by yourself. With your little skills, it's truly fortunate that you're still alive."

  I grumbled and said: "Really didn't think that this An guy is so formidable, who's stronger between you and this An guy?"

  Zheng Xiong looked at the corpse on the ground and sighed, saying: "Hand it over to me and I should be able to take his life within 50 moves. This kid has indulged in wine and women too much, he's not as good as before."

  I exclaimed: "Have you ever fought with him? Do you know this An guy?"

  Zheng Xiong's face suddenly flashed a hint of pain, saying: "He is my junior brother." After finishing, he ignored me again.

  Just then, Officer Shang came out and hastily walked over, saying: "Prepare the horses, we're returning to camp immediately."

  I was shocked to see him like this, I had never seen an adult panic before, something big must have happened. Two guards led several horses over quickly and said: "Please get on the horse, sir."

  I was suddenly surprised to find that these two soldiers were not quite right, standing in a position that had the adults sandwiched in between. The horses they brought over separated me and Zheng Xiong from the outside. I immediately crawled under the horse's belly, just halfway through, when I saw the soldier in front of me suddenly pull out a short knife.

  Just then, a loud shout like thunder erupted. Zheng Xiong grabbed the bellyband of the horse in front of him and flipped it over his shoulder. At the same time, his right fist flashed towards another soldier like lightning. I was also in extreme danger here, with no time to think, I jumped up and pounced on the man's back, one hand grabbing the knife and the other hand strangling his neck.

  The man in my arms was struggling desperately, and I, who was injured, couldn't withstand his tossing about. In a moment of desperation, I opened my mouth and bit down on the man's neck. The man let out a miserable cry and grabbed my hair with his hand, pulling me back. I bit even harder, and the stinky blood gushed into my mouth, making gulping sounds. I shook my head like a mad dog, and to my surprise, a low growling sound came from my throat.

  At this time, the person I was biting suddenly went limp and fell to the ground, with me completely on top of him, my mouth still desperately biting.

  The official patted my back and said: "This man has been killed by me, get up, don't bite anymore."

  After shouting for several times, I started to understand human language. When I wanted to get up, I found that my mouth was stuck too tightly and couldn't be opened. In a hurry, I pressed the person's body and exerted force, I stood up, but also tore off a big piece of flesh from the person's mouth.

  The bloody meat was dangling under my mouth, and I was really scared. On one hand, I was wailing, on the other hand, I was trying to pull it out with my hands. Director Shang pressed down on my shoulder and said: "Don't be in a hurry, you're using too much force, it'll come loose soon."

  He finished and put his hands on the hook of my mouth to gently massage it. At this time, Zheng Xiong came over and winked at me, asking: "How is it, does the meat smell good?"

  I almost fainted, the big mouthful of human blood I had in my mouth sprayed out from my nose at that moment, and just as I was being choked to the point where my veins were bulging, my mouth finally opened. I spat out that big chunk of flesh and collapsed onto the ground, vomiting. Zheng Xiong came over again and said: "You little brat's mad dog skills are not ordinary, you can even make a standard mad dog howl when biting people, it's incredible!"

  Magistrate said with a gentle pat on my back: "Cough it up, once you've spat everything out we'll be on our way."

  After returning to the big camp, Officer Shang directly entered the commander's tent and called me and Zheng Xiong in, saying: "Zheng Xiong, take your troops to Gaoyou immediately with this token arrow, seize the military power of Left Hongli, the garrison commander of Gaoyou Town, and capture him. If he resists, kill him."

  "Obey orders!" Zheng Xiong shouted, turning around and exiting the large tent. At this time, Officer Shang took out his pen and ink and hastily wrote a letter, without even lifting his head, saying to me: "Jiulang, take this letter and rush to Yangzhou tonight, go find Old Master Chen of Xinglong Rice Shop, hand him this letter, and you'll stay there waiting for his instructions. If something important comes up, you can directly go to Gaoyou to ask Zheng Xiong for help, no need to send me a report. You two can decide on your own actions. This matter is urgent, cannot be delayed, I will soon dispatch someone to assist you, after the battle is over, I will personally come to meet you."

  I said: "Got it". Just then Magistrate Ouyang finished writing the letter and sealed it with wax. He took out a small stamp from a small box, examined it carefully, and stamped it on the envelope. Then he handed it to me and said: "Three days, you must help me get through these three days".

  I led the horse and took some dry rations out of the big tent, then I set off. This place is about 200 miles away from Yangzhou, with a fast horse and whip, I can arrive there by tomorrow afternoon.

  As I ran, I thought to myself, this matter is unclear to me, but judging from the current atmosphere, it's definitely not a small thing. There must be something that can be decided and acted upon on its own. When I thought of this, I couldn't help but smile. It seems that I'm also considered a big shot now. But when I thought about those three days, I couldn't laugh anymore. It seems that these next three days will at least make me lose my skin. I sighed silently and muttered to myself like in a play: "Oh... woe is me..." And so, with a belly full of confusion and unease, I arrived in Yangzhou.

  Outside the city, I found a ditch to wash my face and took off the bloody uniform on my body, stuffed it into my arms, pulled up my fast-running horse that was vomiting blood, and slowly entered Yangzhou City.

  After entering the city, I was immediately attracted by the prosperity in front of me. The streets were wide enough for six large cars to drive side by side, and the shops lined up on both sides of the street. All around were people dressed in bright clothes walking on the street.

  Compared to these people, my outfit looks particularly out of place. The people around me are all looking at me with a disdainful gaze, and those who pass by me quickly cover their noses. I walk through the crowd with a red face, asking for directions to Xinglong Rice Shop along the way.

  After wandering around the city for half an hour, I finally arrived at the entrance of the rice store, which was located on the left side of the crossroads, very close to the North Gate. It was a very elegant two-story small building, with the first floor being the rice store.

  I tied my horse to the hitching post in front of the door and stepped inside. The shop wasn't very crowded, with almost the entire room filled with large sacks of grain, emitting a distinctive aroma of rice and flour everywhere.

  Just as I was greedily savoring the smell here, a man in his 30s who looked very sharp came over and asked: "General, do you want to buy grain?"

  I hurriedly smiled and said: "Excuse me, is Mr. Chen from your shop around?"

  The man replied: "I am Chen Guisheng, the boss of this place. What can I do for you?"

  I said to him: "I have a letter here that someone asked me to deliver." After finishing speaking, I took out the letter and handed it over.

  That man was taken aback at the time, took over the letter and looked at the seal on the envelope, his face changed, and immediately asked: "Are you from the Xuanjia Camp? Where is your black battle robe?"

  I sheepishly pulled out the black robe from my bosom and said: "It's a bit too dirty, I didn't dare wear it when entering the city."

  He took over the black robe and looked at it, then smelled it and said: "Where did you come from?"

  I said: "From the battlefield of Jinling".

  That person looked at me and nodded, saying: "Wait a minute, I'll go in and come out right away." After that, he walked towards the back of the house.

  The shop assistants looked at me standing there and frowned, I didn't dare to stay in the store for long, walked out of the store door and found a corner to sit down and start waiting.