Chapter 221: Ma Pian
Chapter 221: Ma Pian
September 25, 2017
Li Xiong was casually imprisoned in a guest room of the Lord's Manor, his hands and feet bound with heavy iron chains, and several soldiers stood guard over him.
In his current physical state, Li Xiong didn't need the chains or guards. Even without any restraints, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Although the middle-aged scholar had objected, Li Xiong still suffered abuse. Initially, it was for interrogating Lu HaiKong's Mountain Camp military deployments, but later, Wang Hao became infuriated when the historical general he had recruited with difficulty was harmed by Lu HaiKong.
Li Xiong had endured much abuse during his captivity, and now he was covered in wounds.
At this moment, Li Xiong, his entire body bruised and battered, lay in a corner of the guest room. His mental state was remarkably poor, his face deathly pale, and he felt as if he were on the brink of death. His mind was hazy.
Through a narrow slit in the guest room window, Li Xiong gazed at the faint moonlight.
"Such beautiful moonlight. How long has it been since I last saw this kind of moonlight?" Li Xiong murmured, his body aching all over, yet his expression was one of profound calmness. Ever since following Lu HaiKong, he had never experienced such leisure.
Li Xiong was well aware of his physical condition, and in this state, he knew he couldn't hold on for much longer.
Death was drawing closer to him, and Li Xiong gradually came to understand this. Strangely, even Li Xiong himself found it odd that at this moment, his heart wasn't overly disturbed.
Li Xiong knew he was a man afraid of death, deeply afraid. Otherwise, he wouldn't have so readily surrendered to Lu HaiKong.
But as his life was about to reach its final moments, Li Xiong suddenly felt perplexed. Why, during the harsh torture, had he been able to grit his teeth and endure?
"He's just a domineering bandit leader. Why am I risking my life for him?"
Li Xiong pondered for a long time, and finally, he couldn't help but smile wryly.
"If you wish to know the answer, you can ask the Lord yourself."
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed from outside the window...
...
Outside the Lord's Manor.
As Lu HaiKong spoke, everyone who heard him felt a sense of unease. Those on the fortress walls even craned their necks to look behind Lu HaiKong, hoping to catch a glimpse of the source of his confidence.
Inside the City Lord's Mansion, the middle-aged scholar and Wang Hao were also closely monitoring Lu HaiKong's actions. When they heard his response, their faces displayed contrasting expressions.
Wang Hao was disdainful, while the middle-aged scholar was alarmed.
Just moments ago, Wang Hao had felt reassured, but as Lu HaiKong spoke, he felt a chill run down his spine. This man was skilled at reading people's minds, and the middle-aged scholar had gained much insight into this art.
Based on his observations, the middle-aged scholar felt that Lu HaiKong held all the winning cards. He couldn't fathom the source of Lu HaiKong's confidence, but it left him shaken.
"What's wrong?" Wang Hao asked, noticing the unusual expression on the middle-aged scholar's face.
"My Lord, something is amiss. Let's bring Li Xiong here. With this protective charm, even if Lu HaiKong breaks through, we will have room to maneuver."
"It won't come to that. Didn't you just say that our defenses were impenetrable?"
Wang Hao was perplexed, but he still ordered his men to bring Li Xiong over.
However, after ten minutes, Li Xiong still hadn't arrived. By now, even Wang Hao sensed that something was wrong.
Indeed, the soldier sent to fetch Li Xiong returned in a panic, reporting that the room where Li Xiong was held captive had been breached, and Li Xiong had disappeared.
Wang Hao, at this moment, didn't notice that the little Shi had been standing by the door the entire time, too afraid to enter the Lord's Hall.
"What? How is this possible?" Wang Hao roared in disbelief.
"It must be him! It has to be the Masked Man colluding with Lu HaiKong. Otherwise, no one could have sneaked into my City Lord's Mansion and taken people away without a sound."
"I knew it! Our plan couldn't have failed. The Masked Man must have betrayed us from the start, leaking information to Lu HaiKong and setting up an ambush. That's why our Allied Forces were completely annihilated! Damn that Masked Man and Lu HaiKong!"
Wang Hao's face contorted with rage as he yelled.
His thoughts were jumping all over the place, instantly connecting Li Xiong's rescue to the Masked Man's betrayal. Although his leap of logic was a bit far-fetched, he had guessed correctly, but not entirely.
The Masked Man had indeed betrayed him, but it wasn't the Masked Man who rescued Li Xiong.
"Ah..."
In the 1619 book, the truth was revealed!
"Why? Why did you ambush me..."
Just as Wang Hao roared, sudden screams of agony echoed from outside. Many soldiers who had been guarding the fortress wall alongside them suddenly drew their weapons and took the lives of those beside them, directly killing several people nearby.
This scene was unfolding throughout the City Lord's Mansion, and no one could understand why, with the enemy still outside, chaos had erupted within.
"What's happening out there? Has Lu HaiKong's cavalry broken through? It's impossible. How could his horsemen have breached our defenses so easily?" Wang Hao, terrified by the screams outside, asked the little Shi before him.
At this moment, the mid-aged scholar reacted, pulling Wang Hao, "My Lord, this isn't the time to worry about that. Since they've already broken in, the City Lord's Mansion isn't safe. Let's escape through the secret passage and discuss it outside."
"No, this is my City Lord's Mansion. If it's breached, I'll suffer tremendous losses. Plus, I have the protection of the Lord's Hall." Wang Hao objected.
"My Lord, a gentleman doesn't stand by a crumbling wall. Who knows what methods they might have to breach the Lord's Hall's defenses? Besides, a small loss won't hinder us. As long as you're safe, we can always rebuild."
"Yes, yes, let's go. If the City Lord's Mansion is lost, it's gone. But as long as I'm here, as long as you're here, we can always rebuild it."
At this moment, Wang Hao came back to his senses. He had already used up both his lives, and if he died once more, it would be his final goodbye. He hurriedly pulled the mid-aged scholar, ready to leave.
But at this moment, he realized that the little Shi, who had been afraid to enter the Lord's Hall earlier, was now looking at them with a cold, indifferent expression.
"Leave? Can you really leave?"
As he spoke, a black aura flashed across the little Shi's face, and his facial features visibly transformed into another person's visage—a slender face with a shadowy outline that didn't seem like someone easy to talk to. This person could only be Ma Pian.
"Who are you?" Wang Hao was startled, shielding the mid-aged scholar behind him. He drew the longsword beside him and pointed it at Ma Pian. Despite the strangeness of the person before him, Wang Hao wasn't overly afraid. He had a strength of 70, enough to protect himself against ordinary foes. Plus, he was currently inside the Lord's Hall, where no one could easily harm them.
"I am Ma Pian, the Phantom Leader of Yan Huang Mountain Camp." Ma Pian cackled...
(End of Chapter)
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