Chapter 69 Assassination

  The night grew darker, and compared to the camp on the snowy plain, this camp had less desolation and more vitality. However, the soldiers did not slack off at a safe moment, and the four exits of the camp were set up with many deer horns, tripwires, iron caltrops, fences, and the fence was as strong as ever. The front and rear camps stood two tall wooden pillars, each with a watchtower on top, and in each watchtower, two black shadows crouched, staring intently at the surrounding movements.

  In front of the fence, several large vats were buried underground, and soldiers were also squatting in the vats. They occasionally pressed their ears against the vat wall to listen carefully for a moment. This thing was created by Qian Buli, and it is the only one in the Ji Zhou country, with no branches elsewhere. The effect of the ground listening device is very obvious. During training, when Du Bing led the cavalry team to infiltrate just ten miles away, the soldiers responsible for ground listening could already hear the faint sound of horseshoes. Of course, this thing also made Qian Buli's image in the army even more impressive.

  A patrol of soldiers was walking inside the camp, when they approached the vicinity of Qian Buli's command tent, the leader of the patrol squad, Zhou Yizheng, made a gesture and they all lightened their footsteps. Their movements were very natural, they weren't trying to curry favor with their superiors, and at this late hour, there wouldn't be any superior noticing their actions anyway. Their actions came purely from their hearts, Commander Qian slept too late, they didn't want to disturb him.

  In this world, although the civilization is not very developed, it has a long history. In those distant years, many brilliant emperors, bloody generals, and wise strategists have emerged, as numerous as the stars in the sea. Compared to them, Qian Buli's greatest advantage lies in his approachability. Those people can at most become good generals who care for their subordinates, but Qian Buli is on the same level as the soldiers. He doesn't put on airs or maintain a sense of identity, and he can chat with the lowest-ranking soldiers about everyday life. Moreover, Qian Buli has an astonishing memory. As long as he has chatted with a soldier once, he can remember that soldier's name. For an ordinary soldier, being called by his own name by the commander is an honor worth remembering for a lifetime!

  When there was no military affairs, Qian Buli was like a kind elder brother. Although some soldiers looked much older than Qian Buli, when they approached him, they would always reveal a silly smile, the kind of silly smile that children show when they meet an elder brother they like, smiling with purity and naturalness.

  "It is not only the great men who can do what this sentence contains, small people have their own perspective, and it doesn't take much to win them over. Sometimes, a sincere greeting, an appreciative smile, are enough to make their blood boil with enthusiasm."

  Zhou Yizheng's gaze was fixed on Qian Buli's commander tent, and although the commander-in-chief was asleep at this moment, it did not affect the frenzy and worship in his eyes. Zhou Yizheng didn't turn his head back until he walked past the commander tent, but just as he did, a loud roar suddenly tore through the night sky: "Daring dog thief! How dare you attempt to assassinate our commander-in-chief!!"

  Zhou Yizheng's body suddenly stiffened, and he clearly heard that the angry roar was from his respected leader, Qian Buli. Zhou Yizheng's hair stood on end as he drew his long sword and shouted in a distorted voice: "Assassins... Protect the commander!!" As Zhou Yizheng's men rushed towards the commander's tent like fugitives.

  On a valuable night, the general heard the shouting voice ringing the war drum. The whole camp became bright in the blink of an eye. One soldier after another took torches and long swords from their tents and rushed out. They lit their torches at the torches outside the tents, but they didn't run around. Instead, they quickly gathered in units of five, then three units of five formed a small team, under the command of the team leader, rushing towards the fence.

  The first to arrive at the commander's tent were Du Bing, wearing a red upper garment, and Wang Rui, who was in charge of tonight's duty. Du Bing charged in with his spear, opening the door curtain, and Wang Rui followed closely behind him. They saw that the canvas separating the inside from the outside had been cut off by someone, and more than ten soldiers were surrounding Qian Budang, their long swords drawn and shining coldly, pointing at the periphery like a large wheel.

  "Sir, are you alright?" Du Bing hastily called out. In his mind, Princess Ji Sheng was their banner, while Qian Buli was their soul. If something were to happen to him, their banner might fall, but they could find a way to raise another one. However, if their soul were gone, their fate would be either annihilation or disintegration. Du Bing couldn't control the panic in his heart.

  "It's nothing." Qian Buli's voice was as calm as ever.

  "Sir, are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Wang Rui hastily added.

  "Don't worry, with just a few of them, they can't hurt me." Qian Buli pushed away the soldiers who were using their bodies to protect him and walked out.

  Du Bing was taken aback and suddenly realized a key point: "Sir... did you see the assassin?"

  "Yes." Qian Buli nodded, picked up a chair that had fallen to the ground and sat down. He looked very tired. At this time, Du Bing and Wang Rui saw clearly that several places on Qian Buli's chest were torn, which could be seen at the time of the fierce battle. Fortunately, there was no blood stain, which made Du Bing and Wang Rui breathe a sigh of relief.

  "Sir, who is the murderer?" Du Bing and Wang Rui asked in unison. Without much thought, they both knew that the one who could assassinate the commander in a heavily guarded camp must be a soldier! Outsiders can't get in at all!

  "It was Sun Zhongde who brought a few people... Ah! I really didn't think he would assassinate me!" Qian Buli said angrily.

  Du Bing was immediately stunned, his eyes fixed on Qian Buli, and the long gun in his hand almost fell to the ground; Wang Rui was not much better than him, his mouth was wide open, revealing a full set of teeth, and a thread of saliva was dripping from the corner of his mouth.

  "Alas, I was shocked at the time just like you! I couldn't think of why they wanted to kill me." Qian Buli emphasized the two words 'shocked' heavily: "You pass down the order, thoroughly search the entire camp, and must bring back Sun Zhongde this traitor and his accomplices for me! Remember, I want them alive!!"