Tang Dynasty Bandits

Chapter 57 I Will Return
Zhu Wen lifted the fu hat on Lan Suting's head and rubbed her hair lovingly.

He didn't think that in a remote place like Mount Tai, he would encounter a powerful enemy like Wang Jian, who would grow up to be as powerful as the Four Marshals.

But he also benefited greatly from Lan Suting's cautious advice.

When a team makes decisions, there must always be someone who holds conservative opinions, and it cannot be composed entirely of radical people.

"I'll be careful." Zhu Wen said, "Zhizhen, where do you think this secret passage leads to?"

"I read a story about a similar secret passage. When the master left through the exit, the guards had to commit suicide along with their entire family to avoid exposing the master's whereabouts."

Lan Suting changed the subject: "But Suting believes that doing so is not only cruel, but also meaningless."

Zhu Wen agreed. "So if we head straight for the exit, we'll likely encounter a secret force loyal to Master Cao. Even if we capture Master Cao, engaging them might not guarantee victory."

Lan Suting said, "This group of people was originally used by Master Cao to help him make a comeback after being betrayed."

"So, if we don't go out, where else can we go?"

There are enemies outside the entrance, but fortunately, the entrance has been blocked by a huge rock. The enemy does not know how to open the mechanism and cannot get in at all.

Zhu Wen smiled and untied the black cloth that wrapped the Dragon Sparrow Sword on his back, as well as the layer of oil paper inside.

"Zhizhen, do you hear the sound of water?"

Lan Suting was surprised and said, "There is a hidden river underground..."

"Yes," Zhu Wen nodded. "And it's probably a hot spring. This is the remote Taishan area, a much better place than Yangzhou in March."

"But there are stone walls all around..." Lan Suting hesitated.

"It's normal to see only stone walls when you first come down. That way, the enemy can't quickly chase you in by digging. But based on my observations of the mountain when I came up, if we walk a little further, we'll see soil."

Zhu Wen and Lan Suting lit pine torches to illuminate the path ahead, and escorted Cao Zixiu forward. Sure enough, the tunnel wall ahead turned to mud.

Zhu Wen inserted the Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Sword into the wall of the tunnel, exerted force and dug out a large piece of soil.

"There's no such thing as a sword that can cut through iron like mud," Zhu Wen said, "but digging mud is very labor-saving, and the blade won't curl."

He wondered if King Helian Bobo, the forger of this precious sword, would be dissatisfied if he knew that the famous sword he forged was used to make a hole.

But it was indeed very useful. After digging for a while, it was only slightly blunt. Zhu Wen took out the whetstone from his bag and rubbed it briefly on it, and it was as sharp as before.

Zhu Wen climbed out and came back: "The underground river has no bank to step on. It flows along the rock wall and the water is very turbulent."

"Zhizhen, can you swim?"

Lan Suting shook her head: "No."

"Then let's leave this fat guy here first." Zhu Wen said calmly: "I'll tie you to me later, and we'll rush out together with the current."

Lan Suting nodded without hesitation: "Okay."

She always trusted Zhu Wen's decisions and wisdom without reservation.

Seeing that Cao Zixiu wanted to shout something again, Zhu Wen waved his hand impatiently and stuffed a hemp seed into his mouth, so that he could only make vague moans.

"We'll get you out later, but by then, the only option left might be execution."

Zhu Wen said this with certainty as he squeezed into the narrow cave holding Lan Suting. As for the precious sword, he still wrapped it in cloth and carried it on his back.

The closer you get to the underground river, the hotter the cave becomes, and you can feel the steam hitting your face.

"It will be a little hot later, so be patient." Zhu Wen warned.

He had already tested it with his hand and found that this level of heat was within the range that the human body could tolerate.

Lan Suting nodded obediently.

Before jumping, Zhu Wen carefully tied himself and Lan Suting together with a long rope, and then jumped down without hesitation.

The turbulent water, hot and scorching, reached their shoulders in an instant. The two of them were swept down the river at a rapid speed.

The torches left at the cave entrance were getting farther and farther away from sight, and soon there was only darkness in front of them. They could only let the river push them forward in the scorching water.

Zhu Wen floated on the water on his side, with only his mouth and nose exposed for breathing, while Lan Suting was hugged from the front by him, so that her entire little head was exposed above the water.

The girl's skin was delicate and soon turned red from the hot water, but she never made a sound.

Light gradually appeared ahead.

Zhu Wen was so excited that he couldn't help but let out a hearty cheer. Before his eyes, the snow-white waves splattered into a sky full of broken jade, mixing with the steaming hot air, making it impossible to distinguish one from the other.

Lan Suting was a little scared at this moment. She gasped and said, "Captain, what if there is a waterfall outside?"

If the exit of the underground river is a waterfall, you will definitely be smashed to pieces.

"Before I came here, I asked regular customers and learned that there's a hot river that's warm even in winter. Nuns and guests come here to bathe and go boating in the fall and winter. Also, there aren't any waterfalls within a ten-mile radius of Baiyun Temple."

When obtaining this kind of information, you may not know whether it will be useful in the future, but collecting more of it can greatly improve the safety of your actions.

Lan Suting thought about it and nodded thoughtfully. She had learned another way of thinking from smart people.

When the river water gradually calmed down, Zhu Wen carried Lan Suting ashore and untied the ropes on their bodies. Their clothes were already soaked.

It was already dusk, and the two could only vaguely see each other's faces with the help of starlight.

"Do you want to rest for a while?" Lan Suting said softly, reaching out her little hand to wipe the water off Zhu Wen's face.

"Quick battle, quick decision." Having said that, Zhu Wen still took out the tinder from the sealed tinder can, struck it with a flint, picked up pine branches and made a fire in a leeward place, trying to dry his and Lan Suting's clothes as much as possible.

In late autumn on Mount Tai, the mountain wind was chilly, and if Lan Suting had not dried up, her frail body would definitely not have been able to bear it.

Outer clothes had to be taken off during the drying process. After Lan Suting took off her outer clothes, the wet clothes stuck to her skin, making her figure look even slimmer.

She shyly avoided Zhu Wen's gaze.

Actually, there is nothing good about her figure.

No matter how good her temper was, Lan Suting was always worried about her figure, so Zhu Wen cooperated and turned his back on her, not looking at her.

He didn't notice that this action made Lan Suting's face even redder. In the light of the fire, her jade-like face looked as gorgeous as a pomegranate.

Lan Suting deftly wrapped the two men's wet clothes on the branches and roasted them like roasted meat. With the gentle mountain breeze, the clothes dried quickly.

"Let's go." Zhu Wen turned around, put on his clothes, and gently put his palm on Lan Suting's shoulder.

If conditions permit, Zhu Wen is a man who will not delay in taking revenge.

So of course we have to solve the problem today.

As for the fact that Zhu Wen hadn't sent any signals, and seemed to be planning to fight back against her, who was powerless, Lan Suting didn't raise any objections. She knew that Zhu Wen must have a plan in mind.

The two quickly found their way back to Baiyun Temple.

They didn't go through the main gate this time. Zhu Wen directly leaped over a small hill with Lan Suting in his arms and arrived at the Moon Palace.

The fairy Chuoying stood outside the palace, holding a long sword, with a calm gaze, watching the two people coming hand in hand.

"Zhu Wen, hand over my master." She seemed extremely calm and composed.

"How do you know he is still alive?" Zhu Wen asked.

Before Chaoying could answer, a cold light suddenly flashed behind her.

In response to this, Chaoying's reaction was not slow at all.

Her sword swirled, instantly blocking the path of the cold light.

But blood also flowed from her thigh.

She blocked Shi Pu's sudden attack from behind, but failed to defend against the sneak attack from the other direction.

Shi Pu, dressed as a servant, smiled coldly and pinched Chaoying's chin with his slender fingers: "Fairy, Xiao Ke has been thinking about you for a long time."

Chuoying forced herself to remain calm: "My dear, are you so ignorant of the need to be gentle with women?"

"Why should a hunter be gentle with his prey?" When Shi Pu smiled, his face, which looked like the White Impermanence, looked even paler, making people wonder if he was wearing powder.

"I, Shi Pu, have two principles in my work. One is to enjoy my prey only when I close the net, and the other is to give someone a taste of their own medicine."

There was a fine steel crossbow arrow stuck in Chaoying's thigh.

She had previously used a crossbow arrow to plot against her master Cao Zixiu.

Shi Pu said softly, "Do you know where your problem lies?"

His voice was really gentle at this moment, like a woman's.

But Chaoying only felt a strong sense of suffocation coming towards him.

The other person's cold eyes revealed an unconcealable desire for her body.

This is a real devil who takes complete pleasure in playing with people's hearts.

Chuoying was speechless, but Zhu Wen said from the other side, "Let me speak for Fairy Chuoying. She shot and injured Master Cao, and it was too obvious."

"Anyone who could plot against Master Cao from that position must be someone who is quite familiar with him. This can already rule out most people."

"Fairy Chuoying had contact with me before. Although she tried to cover it up by getting involved with Zhizhen and sneaking around, it was all seen by Master Shi Pu."

"Am I right?"

Shi Pu suddenly laughed heartily and clapped his hands lightly.

His laughter still carried a chill to the bones.

"Yes, absolutely right. You are worthy of being the strategist of the Huang Chao army and the hero of our time who defeated the Snow Marshal Qi Kerang. Having a hearty exchange with you is truly the best decision I, Shi Pu, have ever made."

"It's time to reveal the real purpose."

Zhu Wen waved his hand, and then dense figures wearing hoods and night clothes appeared among the strange rocks, low hills, and bushes around the Moon Palace.

Each person exuded a cold murderous aura, but before this, no one had sensed the existence of this murderous aura.

They are undoubtedly rare talents under Huang Chao's command.

"Just because Zhu Wen's army doesn't dare pass through Tainingjie Town doesn't mean the people you bring won't dare go through Tainingjie Town. Of course, you can come with only two or three people, but that won't prevent others from secretly infiltrating the Taishan area via other routes. Am I right?"

Shi Pu knew that Zhu Wen had brought many good fighters from Huang Chao's army this time.

However, his actions did not receive the approval of Zhi Xian, the governor of Ganhua Army, and the number of people he could lead was limited.

Now it is actually our side that is surrounded.

But Shi Pu was not at all panicked.

He suddenly waved his hand, pursed his lips and whistled.

Then green blood spurted out from the throats of the two men in black.

Exclamations rang out one after another.

Shi Pu hooked his fingers proudly and used his other hand to stroke the snow-white cheek of Chaoying, who was tied up beside him.

"Zhu Wen, look, many of the people you brought with you are well-known wanted criminals. To prevent them from being recognized, you had no choice but to have them wear night clothes and hoods."

"But in this way, I just need to let my people quietly kill a few of them and replace them with others, and your people will be in complete chaos! They don't know whether their comrades are friends or enemies, and they don't know whether the partners they live with day and night are still trustworthy. They don't know who has been replaced!" Shi Pu showed a satisfied look and licked his lips with the tip of his bloody tongue, as if tasting the fear oozing from the hearts of Zhu Wen's ambushers.

The disciples of the Taishan Sect and Judge Wu's men have already rushed forward and are fighting with the black-clad men who are in chaos. Swords and knives are dancing, and the cold light is sharp.

The enemy moved so quickly that Zhu Wen's ambushers didn't even have time to take off their hoods to check on their companions.

Faced with such a sudden change, both Chaoying who was tied up and Lan Suting beside Zhu Wen could not help but change their expressions.

Zhu Wen was very calm.

"As far as I know, when Snow Marshal Qi Kerang led his troops through Xuzhou and opened the palace treasury, you, Shi Pu, didn't dare to say a word, so I didn't even hear your name."

"Such a sinister and despicable scheme. Perhaps a friend named Wang Jian put his malicious idea into your foolish head?"

Shi Pu's eyes finally changed slightly.

He said coldly: "Whoever you want to be is whoever you want to be."

As soon as he said this, Shi Pu realized that there was a big problem.

Although he tried to trick Zhu Wen into thinking that the man was Wang Jian, he publicly admitted that someone had given him advice. Whoever that person was, he was no longer a peerless strategist who could rival Zhu Wen.

He always prided himself on being a brave warrior, but he never expected to be outdone by a small-time thief.

"I really can't believe that this trick of deceiving a child could actually make General Shi Pu, who is as shrewd as a devil, confess himself."

Zhu Wen showed a very pleased expression and clapped his hands slowly.

"Your friend must not be here now, so I just need to get rid of you."

The Great Xia Dragon Sparrow Sword was suddenly unsheathed, and blood shot up into the sky!

(End of this chapter)