Chapter 116: The Ruse

The conversation outside between Stone Boss and the others could be heard clearly by Dog Two and Wei Renshi inside the carriage.

Dog Two tightened his grip on the short blade in his hand, moved his lips, and whispered into Wei Renshi’s ear, “When the fighting starts, I’ll charge out and force open a gap. Young Master, jump off the road at once and run through the woods. Don’t stop!”

Wei Renshi said nothing, but secretly shook his head.

Dog Two’s plan was sheer nonsense. There appeared to be over a hundred men surrounding them. If a fight truly broke out, the two of them would certainly die. And as for Wei Renshi—even if they covered his escape and he leaped from the road into the woods, how could he possibly outrun these men?

Damn it. How had they encountered such a group here?

They were not far from the main road, nor far from Fuchang City. There were numerous villages nearby, and outlaws would never choose such a place. Stone Boss had also said that he had vaguely heard military terminology from these men. Moreover, they even had warhorses.

Therefore, these men were not bandits of the greenwood. They were soldiers.

Soldiers from the army had appeared here in the dead of night, dressed in neither uniform nor military attire. They were even afraid of being seen and intended to silence the three of them.

What were they planning?

Wei Renshi cursed his luck inwardly, but there was no time for regret. Unless he could think of a way to escape, Stone Boss and Dog Two would end up dead here, while he would be chased down after running a short distance and hacked to death by a dozen blades.

The Fufang Army…

Wei Renshi felt that his mind had never turned so quickly before.

Suddenly, a phrase flashed through his memory and surfaced in his mind.

The Fufang Army Revolt!

His heart pounded violently as a desperate, gambling idea took shape.

“Don’t move!” Wei Renshi suddenly shouted.

As he cried out, he slipped out from beneath Dog Two’s arm.

Stone Boss’s expression changed drastically. He immediately grabbed Wei Renshi and pulled him behind himself. Dog Two also leaped down at once, drew his short blade, and stood in front of Wei Renshi.

Wei Renshi continued, “Gentlemen of the greenwood, please don’t kill me! My uncle is an official in Fuzhou. So long as you spare my life, you may send someone with me to Fuzhou and demand a ransom from my uncle! He dotes on me dearly and will certainly pay a great deal to redeem me!”

Stone Boss and Dog Two froze, completely unaware of Wei Renshi’s intentions.

“Well, well. A little young master from an official family. What office does your uncle hold?” someone among the men surrounding them called out with a laugh.

“My uncle’s name is He Chaozong. He serves as a Central Army Commander!” Wei Renshi replied. “He has already sent men to escort me there. These two are merely the advance party; the others are waiting in Luoyang. If you gentlemen spare my life, I will surely repay you handsomely. But if I do not arrive in Luoyang by the morning after next, my uncle will certainly come looking into the matter.”

“Are you threatening us?” someone behind them snapped angrily.

Several men who had been angered were about to step forward, but the leader stopped them with a frown, his face filled with suspicion.

If they had truly been bandits, Wei Renshi would never have dared threaten them.

But he was gambling that they were rebel soldiers preparing to take part in the Fufang Army Revolt. He remembered that the revolt was led by a Central Army Commander named He Chaozong—and that the rebellion had been crushed in a single day, turning him into a laughingstock.

“You say your uncle is named He Chaozong?” After stopping the others, the leader suddenly furrowed his brows and asked, “Why is he sending for you?”

“I don’t know. My uncle merely said that he wanted me to go there and enjoy a life of comfort,” Wei Renshi replied.

The man lowered his head and pondered for a moment. Then he suddenly turned around and ordered, “Send several men to scout the surrounding area.”

Several people immediately acknowledged the order and disappeared swiftly into the darkness.

The leader still did not allow anyone to attack, but he had Wei Renshi and the other two surrounded in several layers.

Stone Boss seemed to have guessed some of Wei Renshi’s intentions. He played along at once, giving a cold snort as he said, “We are personal retainers under General He, with dozens of brothers waiting in Luoyang. If Young Master does not arrive by the morning after next, those brothers will return and report to the general. Our general has always cherished Young Master. Once he learns that he is missing, he will surely seek revenge. Consider this carefully! With so many of you moving about, you cannot possibly leave no trace behind. When the time comes—hm!”

The leader said nothing.

After a short while, the men who had gone to scout returned and reported to him, “Master of the Altar, we found no sign of anyone else. There does not appear to be any ambush nearby.”

Master of the Altar?

Wei Renshi was startled. Could this group not be part of the army after all?

His heart tightened.

Once the leader had confirmed that there was no ambush nearby, he raised a hand and beckoned. A servant-like follower came running from the rear.

The two men exchanged a few words in low voices, too softly for anyone else to hear.

After the follower withdrew, the leader pondered for a long while before suddenly saying, “Since you are heading to Fuzhou, come with us. Once we reach Fuzhou, the truth will become clear.”

Although Wei Renshi had no idea who these people were, judging from their intentions, they truly seemed connected to the Fufang Army Revolt.

He immediately put on an astonished expression and asked, “You gentlemen are going to Fuzhou as well?”

The leader gave a few cold laughs. “You are only a child. We will show some mercy and escort you along the way.”

Then he ordered, “Come. Take over the carriage and imprison these three inside. Keep a close watch on them!”

When Wei Renshi heard that they would not be killed on the spot to silence them, he breathed a sigh of relief. So long as they were not immediately slaughtered, there would still be a chance to escape.

Wei Renshi glanced at Stone Boss and Dog Two. Understanding his signal, the two men offered no further resistance. Their woodcutting blade and short knife were confiscated, and they were sent into the carriage.

“Master of the Altar, why not…” Once the three had entered the carriage and the others had surrounded it, a man approached from behind and asked.

“The two men certainly appear to have come from the army. There is no ambush in this wilderness, so perhaps they truly are members of General He’s household,” the leader replied. “When that boy gave General He’s name, I thought our plans had somehow been exposed and that someone had deliberately lured us here into an ambush. That was why I sent scouts. But the scouts found no sign of an ambush. If this were truly a trap, why would there be only these three people, with a child among them as a burden?”

“But it is still far too much of a coincidence,” the man said. “Given what we are doing now, we must be exceedingly careful.”

“It is precisely because I am being exceedingly careful that I cannot kill these three immediately,” the leader said. “If there is no ambush nearby, then it is entirely plausible that a young child escorted by two soldiers could know General He’s name and say that he had been summoned to enjoy a life of comfort. It may indeed be that General He is preparing to make his move. Master Ouyang sent us to reinforce General He. If we accidentally kill members of General He’s household, would that not create an enemy and ruin our master’s plans? Even if there is only the slightest possibility, we cannot casually kill them.”

The man persisted, “But can we determine that these three are General He’s family merely from a few words? What if this is a feint? What if these three are only decoys meant to deceive us, while the real ambush lies farther ahead? In my opinion, killing them at once would be the safest course.”

“You have a point. They may indeed be decoys, with the rest of the ambushers waiting farther away.” The man known as the Master of the Altar considered the matter before continuing, “Whether or not our movements have been exposed, the three of them have mentioned General He’s name here, and we cannot determine their true identities. They remain a risk to us. Give the order: we will withdraw thirty miles and take a detour.”

“Very well. But what shall we do with these three?” the man asked.

The Master of the Altar replied in a low voice, “Bring them along and keep them under strict watch. Even when they go to the latrine, someone must stand guard! So long as they remain alive, we can still explain ourselves if they truly are members of General He’s household.”