Chapter 208: Before the Raid
Chapter 208: Before the Raid
"Running a mountain camp like this requires a great deal of effort, but destroying it is quite simple. Do you believe that?"
The Masked Man stood up, his face, gaunt and hungry, exuding an air of vigor and determination.
Lu HaiKong approached with his Mountain Bandit Bodyguards, his heart filled with suspicion as he looked at the man before him.
He had come here because his subordinates reported that a suspicious person had entered the camp, and since he had some free time, he decided to come and check it out.
However, the actions of the man before him clearly indicated that he had been waiting for Lu HaiKong.
"Who are you?" Lu HaiKong sized up the man, feeling that there was something odd about him, not just his behavior, but as if he were wearing a mask.
"Who am I? I am the one who can destroy your camp." The Masked Man smiled calmly, his gaunt and pale appearance somehow exuding a seductive charm.
"Destroy my camp? What a bold claim!"
Lu HaiKong sneered, his Ghost Mask Axe trembling as the aura of the Mountain Splitting Axe technique burst forth.
The Masked Man's expression changed, but he simply took a step back, and the oppressive aura from Lu HaiKong dissipated into thin air. "This isn't about being bold or not. If I want to, your camp will be destroyed tonight..."
"No one can destroy my camp." Lu HaiKong cut him off, his tone authoritative.
The Masked Man frowned. "If I hadn't deliberately revealed myself, do you think you would have noticed me? If it weren't for her, do you think I would have shown myself?"
"Whether you are noticed or not is a different matter from destroying my camp. Speak, what do you want?" Lu HaiKong was increasingly protective of his camp and couldn't tolerate anyone threatening it.
The Masked Man smiled again, his seductive charm making even Lu HaiKong's heart, that of a lifelong bachelor, skip a beat. "What do I want? I want to save your camp and make a deal with you."
Lu HaiKong ignored the Masked Man's first statement. "What deal?"
"The deal isn't urgent. For now, I can give you a piece of information for free. You should be familiar with the Mystic Dingxiang Marquis Wang Hao. He hired me to open the city gates for him in three hours, at a price of ten thousand gold."
Lu HaiKong was taken aback, then asked suspiciously, "Ten thousand gold to open the city gates? Why are you betraying him?"
"Betray? Far from it. Once I knew the target was you, I never intended to take the job, so it's not betrayal," the Masked Man explained.
"But I still can't understand why you would want to help me."
Lu HaiKong's eyes locked onto the man, certain that he was a Mystic with special skills. Due to being betrayed by a Mystic before, Lu HaiKong was extremely cautious around them.
"There are many reasons to help you, like Zhao Yue'er, or the fact that I need your help for a future deal."
Hearing Zhao Yue'er's name, Lu HaiKong's wariness towards the Masked Man decreased slightly, but he remained vigilant.
Seeing Lu HaiKong's cautious demeanor, the Masked Man frowned. "You're a grown man, yet you're so petty. Do you really have something worth plotting against?"
"Fine, I won't argue with you. Wang Hao's strategist has gathered seven elite families, totaling five thousand troops, who will launch a surprise attack on your mountain camp in three hours. Survive this, and I'll come back to talk to you later."
As the Masked Man turned to leave, a strange glint flashed in Lu HaiKong's eyes.
"Stop! My camp, do you really think you can come and go as you please?"
"Hmph, I come and go as I wish. Do you think you can stop me?" The Masked Man's voice turned sweet and crisp, clearly that of a vibrant young girl.
Lu HaiKong's eyes widened at the sound, feeling a sudden dizziness, evidently affected by some illusion skill. By the time he regained his senses, the Masked Man had already disappeared into the alleyways of the trading street.
Lu HaiKong hesitated as he looked at the spot where the Masked Man had vanished, then turned and left.
After Lu HaiKong's departure, he immediately dispatched the hundred or so elite mountain bandit bodyguards he had recruited over the past month, including Wang Jun, Zhang Wen, and Li Feng, along with the skilled individuals in the camp.
Lu HaiKong then began making arrangements, first sending people to recall the Black Wind Legion and deploying the First Battalion to the city walls. He also brought the Second Battalion over and cleared a section behind the camp's walls.
In truth, Lu HaiKong wasn't overly concerned about the potential elite family alliance. With his camp's current strength, even if five thousand troops launched an unprepared attack, Lu HaiKong was confident he could repel them.
What worried Lu HaiKong the most now was Li Xiong. If what that person had said was true, there was no doubt that something had gone wrong on Li Xiong's side.
If it had been a few months ago, Lu HaiKong would have suspected Li Xiong of betraying him. But now, he was more concerned about Li Xiong's safety.
For now, Lu HaiKong could only wait and see if the elite family alliance would indeed attack after three hours. If they did, Li Xiong's situation would likely become dangerous.
Time ticked by as Lu HaiKong waited, and when the Second Battalion's warriors on the walls shouted, "Who goes there?," a cold glint flashed in Lu HaiKong's eyes.
The promised attack had arrived, and there was no doubt that something had gone wrong on Li Xiong's side.
"I hope Li Xiong is safe. Otherwise, I'll annihilate the Wang Family and make them your funeral escort!"
Li Xiong was not only Lu HaiKong's most capable person for external affairs, but his diligent work over the past few months had also earned Lu HaiKong's trust. Lu HaiKong now regarded Li Xiong as his right-hand man. If his arm were truly severed, Lu HaiKong would be driven to murder.
However, the immediate concern for Lu HaiKong was this elite family alliance that had come knocking on his door. While Li Xiong's situation was important, he couldn't spare the time for it at the moment.
"Charge! Let them have a taste of their own medicine, then lure them in and send them to their graves one by one!"
At Lu HaiKong's command, a temporary force of several hundred cannon-fodder bandits rushed forward.
After several minutes, when this group of cannon-fodder bandits was annihilated and the elite family alliance stormed in, a cold light flashed in Lu HaiKong's eyes, signaling the start of his night of slaughter...
"The Imperial Court's second wave of attacks is upon us. Prepare for defense!"
(End of Chapter)
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