Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

After the envoy departed, undercurrents surged within Qin Family Fortress, and fear gripped the people. The elders were once again gripped by panic, hiding in their residences and whispering amongst themselves. Some even secretly packed their valuables, plotting to surrender to the Black Stone Sect for self-preservation, completely disregarding the lives of the fortress's inhabitants. Huang Yiming immediately summoned Qin Cang, Qin Yuling, and Qin Hu, and secretly discussed the matter of purging the traitor within the main hall. He concluded that the Black Stone Sect cultivators' previous attack on the stronghold and the envoy's precise knowledge of the fortress's situation indicated that a high-ranking traitor was colluding with external enemies, and that this person held a high position with access to the fortress's core defense information.

To avoid alerting the traitor, Huang Yiming lowered his voice and deployed the investigation plan, his expression serious: "The traitor must be among the elders in the fortress, and someone who harbors resentment towards me and covets wealth—he has repeatedly opposed taking in refugees and obstructing trade before; his intentions have long been skewed." He lightly tapped the table with his fingertips, his eyes sharp as knives, analyzing the behavior of each elder one by one, quickly locking onto the suspicious target, not giving the traitor any chance to destroy evidence or tip off the traitor.

"The traitor must be among the elders in the fortress, someone who harbors resentment towards me and covets wealth." Huang Yiming sat in the hall, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his eyes sharp. "Yuling, you are responsible for retrieving the recent guard duty records in the fortress and investigating anyone with suspicious movements; Qin Hu, you lead your trusted men to secretly monitor the residences of the elders. If you discover anything unusual, report it immediately; remember, do not alert them, and act in secret."

The two accepted the order and immediately sprang into action. Taking advantage of her command of troops, Qin Yuling quickly retrieved the guard records and discovered that several elders had recently approached the storage point in the back mountain under the pretext of patrolling, their movements highly suspicious. Qin Hu, along with several trusted guards, disguised themselves as servants and staked out the elders' residences, closely monitoring their every move.

Not long after, Qin Hu rushed back to report, his face full of anger: "Brother Huang, there really is a problem! The Third Elder was sneaking around in the backyard, sending messages via secret mail. I saw him tie the letter to the leg of a carrier pigeon, and the pigeon flew straight towards the Black Stone Sect!"

Huang Yiming's eyes narrowed, and he immediately ordered, "Take men and capture the Third Elder immediately! Remember, do not alert him!" Qin Hu accepted the order and, with his trusted guards, kicked open the gate of the Third Elder's residence. At that moment, the Third Elder was sitting smugly inside, waiting for the Black Stone Sect to attack so he could exchange it for wealth and glory. But when he saw Qin Hu and his men barging in, his face instantly turned pale.

"What...what do you want? I am an elder of the fortress, you have no right to arrest me!" the Third Elder shouted, his voice trembling with fear, as he tried to back away. Qin Hu, too lazy to waste words with him, stepped forward, grabbed his collar, and lifted him up like a chicken. The Third Elder struggled desperately, but he couldn't break free from Qin Hu's divine strength.

"No right to arrest you? You colluded with the Black Stone Sect, betrayed the fortress's secrets, and committed treason! You deserve to die!" Qin Hu roared, grabbing the Third Elder and heading towards the main hall of the fortress. Along the way, the Third Elder cried and begged for mercy, looking extremely pathetic, attracting a crowd of fortress residents who cursed and swore at this traitor.

Inside the hall, Huang Yiming, Qin Cang, and Qin Yuling sat upright. The Third Elder, thrown to the ground, trembled with fear and immediately knelt down, begging for mercy: "Fortress Master, spare my life! Young Master Huang, spare my life! It was the Black Stone Sect that forced me to do this; I had no choice! Please let me go this time; I will never dare to do it again!"

While begging for mercy, he frantically made accusations, claiming that other elders were also involved, attempting to confuse the situation and displaying his disgraceful behavior. Qin Cang looked at this elder who had followed him for many years, his face filled with disappointment, and said angrily, "I have treated you well, yet you betrayed the fortress for wealth and power. How can you face the ancestors of the Qin family, and the people of the fortress?"

Huang Yiming was too lazy to listen to his sophistry. He took out the secret letter that Qin Hu had intercepted and threw it in front of the Third Elder. His tone was icy: "The evidence is conclusive. What else do you have to say?" The secret letter clearly contained confidential information such as the Qin Family Fortress's defenses, material reserves, and Huang Yiming's strength. The evidence was irrefutable. The Third Elder could no longer deny it and collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

"According to the fortress rules, those who collude with the enemy and betray the country shall be imprisoned in the dungeon and never released!" Qin Cang declared sternly. Guards immediately stepped forward and dragged the limp Third Elder away. After purging the traitor, morale within the fortress soared, and the previous atmosphere of panic vanished. Everyone praised Huang Yiming's wisdom, and the elders completely abandoned their petty thoughts, fully cooperating with the preparations for war.

Huang Yiming immediately made arrangements for preparations: Qin Yuling led the guards to reinforce the city defenses, set up rolling logs and stones, and strictly guarded the city gates; Qin Hu led the able-bodied men to form a reserve force to provide support at any time; Yang Xiu led the women in the fortress to inventory medicines, prepare dry rations, sew armor, and manage logistics. With clear division of labor, the entire fortress was united in its efforts to prepare for war, and no one retreated.

Between her busy moments, Yang Xiu would often steal glances at Huang Yiming, her eyes filled with worry, yet she persevered, managing the logistics meticulously. She even carefully prepared the remaining fever reducers and bandages, fearing for Huang Yiming's safety. Qin Yuling, dressed in military uniform, moved swiftly and decisively atop the city walls, directing the defenses and personally inspecting the placement of rolling logs and stones. Her heroic bearing and seamless coordination with Huang Yiming were evident; their eyes met, and they understood each other without a word. The two women, each fulfilling their duties and united in protecting their husbands, became a beautiful sight in Qin Family Fortress, giving hope to all the inhabitants and calming their previously panicked hearts.

Just as preparations for battle were drawing to a close, an even more powerful pressure of spiritual energy swept in from afar, like a mountain pressing down, instantly enveloping the entire Qin Family Fortress. The sky seemed to darken, the sunlight was completely blocked, and an intense sense of crisis gripped everyone's hearts; even the air became thick and oppressive. Huang Yiming climbed the city wall and looked into the distance. He saw four figures soaring into the air at the edge of the dense forest, their feet treading on faint spiritual energy, rapidly approaching the Qin Family Fortress. The leader, surrounded by spiritual energy as dense as mist, exuded a terrifying aura; he was none other than the Black Stone Sect Master. Behind him, three Qi Refining disciples followed closely, their killing intent palpable.