Late Ming Dynasty: Summoning players from Liaodong to support the Ming Dynasty

Outside the camp, a strong, sour stench mixed with the bitterness of herbs assaulted the nostrils.

The wails were much quieter than before. Hundreds of auxiliary soldiers lay sprawled on the muddy ground, their faces pale and panting heavily.

Anji was covered in sweat, his leather apron stained with unidentified dirt. He held a large, rough porcelain bowl filled with a dark liquid. It was saline solution mixed with crushed charcoal powder.

"Open your mouth! Swallow it!" Anji grabbed a young auxiliary soldier by the chin and forced the black water into his mouth.

The auxiliary soldier coughed violently, black liquid dripping from the corner of his mouth and staining his collar. He instinctively wanted to vomit.

"Hold it back! Spit it out and then I'll make you drink two more bowls!" Anji shouted sternly, holding a wooden tongue depressor, ready to pry his mouth open at any moment. "The charcoal powder can absorb toxins in the intestines; swallowing it will save your life!"

Several players who were assisting nearby quickly came over and held down the twitching limbs of the auxiliary soldier.

"Dr. An, is this trick really working? This NPC's health bar is almost empty." An engineering team player wearing a hard hat looked worried.

"He won't die. Activated charcoal absorbs the toxins, and saline solution replenishes the body fluids. This is called physical detoxification." Anji took off his monocle, wiped it haphazardly on his sleeve, and put it back on. "The poisoning was extremely crude, and the dosage wasn't even accurate. Rest for one night, and he'll still be up and pushing the cart tomorrow."

Chu Ze strode over. His dark heavy armor gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen in the gloomy light. His guards quickly parted the crowd, making way for him.

"Anji, well done." Chu Ze's voice was loud and clear, carrying with it a powerful inner force. The voice clearly echoed throughout half of the camp.

Anji didn't even look up, continuing to prepare medicine for the next auxiliary soldier. "General, you flatter me. This poison isn't too strong, otherwise, he really wouldn't have survived."

Chu Ze turned around and faced the NPC veterans and auxiliary soldiers around him who were still in shock.

"Soldiers!" Chu Ze raised his voice, which drowned out the cold wind of Liaodong. "The Jurchens are afraid to fight! Huang Taiji's 100,000-strong army dares not confront my Guangning army head-on, and has resorted to such despicable tactics!"

He suddenly drew his long sword from his waist, pointing it at the sky.

"They poisoned the water source ahead, attempting to subdue the enemy without a fight! Fortunately, the physician An possessed extraordinary medical skills and saw through the Jurchens' scheme, saving the lives of our soldiers!"

Wang Erniu stood to the side, his bronze face flushed red. He slammed his fist heavily into the tree trunk beside him, cracking the bark and sending down large shards of ice.

"Damn it! These spineless barbarians! When they can't beat you, they resort to dirty tricks!" Wang Erniu roared in his rough voice, "I'll chop Huang Taiji to pieces!"

Li Xunyi sighed deeply, shaking his head repeatedly, his white beard trembling in the wind. "A barbarian land, utterly without principles! To resort to such despicable means is truly outrageous!"

Panic was instantly replaced by anger. The NPC soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, cursing the Jurchens through gritted teeth.

Whispers could be heard from the players on the periphery.

"So it was the Jurchens who poisoned it. I thought it was some kind of Resident Evil plot."

"The AI ​​in this game is too intelligent. When it can't beat someone, it resorts to underhanded tactics."

"Damn it, that's why I didn't get to grind any monsters today. If I run into those Jurchens tomorrow, I'm going to rip their guts out!"

Chu Ze sheathed his sword. He stabilized morale and diverted attention from internal conflicts. This was a brilliant move. The army couldn't afford to be in disarray; he absolutely couldn't let anyone on the inside know this was a betrayal.

Central command tent.

The tent flap was lifted, and Chu Ze strode in. The tent was dimly lit, as no lamps were lit inside.

The shadows in the corner twisted. Qin Jue silently emerged. He was dressed in pure black ninja clothing, his face hidden behind a mask, his entire being blending into the darkness.

On the table lay the crumpled note. Qian Shi's name was heavily circled in cinnabar.

Chu Ze walked behind the table and sat down, his fingers lightly tapping the surface. Tap, tap, tap. The sound echoed in the quiet tent.

"Have you found out?" Chu Ze asked, his voice very low.

"Qian Shi, ID: Jin Buhuan." Qin Jue's voice was dry and hoarse, devoid of any emotion. "Last night at three-quarters past midnight, he left the camp. His excuse was to get up in the middle of the night."

Qin Jue stepped forward and pointed to the name on the note. "I checked the patrol routes. At that time, he was able to avoid the patrols of the Ming army veterans. Moreover, he had contact with the Shenzhou Guild players guarding the supplies."

"Those players were AFK at the time. They had plenty of time to target the supplies."

Chu Ze's gaze fell on the note, and a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips.

"Should I grab it?" Qin Jue flicked his wrist, and a jet-black, non-reflective dagger slid into his palm. The blade emanated a chilling killing intent.

"No." Chu Ze raised his hand to stop him. "What's the use of capturing a piece of trash like him? This cowardly rat wouldn't have come up with such a precise and vicious plan."

Qin Jue sheathed his dagger and waited quietly for what was to come.

"He has someone backing him." Chu Ze leaned back in his chair, his fingers ceasing their tapping. "This person understands the army's weaknesses very well. He doesn't kill, he only cripples the support and logistics personnel. His methods are insidious and highly targeted."

"Arresting Qian Shi directly will only alert him. I want you to keep a close eye on him." Chu Ze leaned forward, placing his hands crossed on the table. "Wherever he goes, you go. Whoever he meets, write it down. What messages he sends, find out."

"Catching just one enforcer is too cheap. I want the whole network behind him."

"Understood." Qin Jue bowed slightly. Before he finished speaking, he retreated and disappeared back into the blind spot of the tent. Not even the sound of clothes rustling was left behind.

On the edge of the logistics camp. An inconspicuous little single tent.

Qian Shi lay on the haystack, legs crossed. He put his hands behind his head and hummed an unknown tune.

Open the guild panel. Messages are scrolling wildly in the encrypted channel of the Reverse Scale guild.

Long Shuo's comment was pinned to the top by the administrator: "Jin Buhuan has made a great contribution this time. He single-handedly held back tens of thousands of troops, buying the Khan two precious days."

Below is a string of praise and envy.

"Jin Ge is awesome! That was a godlike move!"

"Tens of thousands of people in half an hour, that's incredible efficiency!"

"Brother Jin, don't forget about the brothers when you get the best gear!"

Qian Shi grinned and laughed silently, revealing his gums.

Two hundred thousand. Two hundred thousand RMB in real life. Plus three top-tier pieces of equipment. This is an incredible windfall.

He switched to the world forum. The screen was filled with the wails and curses of players from various guilds.

"Damn! I'm stuck in the main storyline! When will this poison circle dissipate?"

"My greatsword is itching for a fight, but this lousy plot has me stuck in the camp!"

"Who will find and expose the Jurchens who poisoned the city?! A huge reward is offered for information!"

Watching these usually arrogant and powerful guild members become impotent and furious, Qian Shi felt a morbid sense of satisfaction.

So what if there are tens of thousands of people? So what if Chu Ze was the big boss in that version? He was still completely manipulated by me. With just a little brainpower, all the big shots in this game would have to obediently drink my foot bath water.

He reached out and touched his chest.

It was rock hard. The sharpened bamboo tube and the leather water bag containing the poison powder were still there.

Qian Shi's smile suddenly froze. His heart skipped a beat.

No. This thing cannot be kept.

Chu Ze is not someone to be trifled with. That NPC's AI is ridiculously advanced, and his methods are ruthless. If he finds out, not only will you lose your money, but your account will also be ruined. You might even be devoured alive by tens of thousands of angry players just walking down the street.

The evidence must be destroyed.

The night was deep. A cold wind blew in through the gaps in the tent, causing the embers in the brazier to flicker.

Qian Shi changed into a drab, gray work clothes and pulled his hat brim down as low as possible. He lifted a corner of the tent and peeked out, looking around.

The camp was quiet. The only sound was the footsteps of a patrol passing by in the distance.

He hunched his shoulders and moved very quietly, deliberately choosing to walk in the shadows where there was no campfire.

On the west side of the camp, there is an abandoned garbage pit. Leftover ashes and rotten vegetable leaves from cooking during the day are dumped here. At the bottom of the pit, there are still some unburnt charcoal pieces, gleaming faintly red.

Qian Shi walked quickly to the edge of the pit. There was no one around. Only the wind whipped up ice shards from the ground, stinging his face.

He reached into his robe and pulled out a bamboo tube and a cowhide water bag.

A tiny bit of pale purple powder remained at the tip of the bamboo tube. It was extremely glaring under the dim red light.

Qian Shi gritted his teeth and threw the items directly into the smoldering fire at the bottom of the pit. He found a branch and poked at it a few times, making sure the fire completely enveloped the two items.

The dried bamboo tube, upon contact with the high temperature, quickly ignited, emitting a slight crackling sound. The leather water bag emitted a pungent, acrid smell, gradually shrinking and turning black.

The firelight illuminated Qian Shi's face. His normally ordinary face now appeared somewhat distorted due to a mixture of tension and excitement.

Burn it. Burn it to ashes and it'll be gone. There will be no way to prove anything.

Qian Shi let out a long breath, and his tense shoulders finally relaxed.

A hundred paces away.

On a thick, withered tree.

Qin Jue's legs were wrapped around the tree trunk, his body hanging upside down. His pure black night clothes allowed him to completely blend into the darkness. He even reduced his breathing to a minimum.

The firelight from the abandoned pit below clearly illuminated Qian Shi's movements.

Qin Jue's gaze locked onto the burning bamboo tube.

One end is sharpened and the middle is hollow.

The crime scene instantly flashed through my mind.

Pierce the sack. Blow in the poison powder.

The method was extremely ingenious. It didn't require untying the sack ropes, nor did it damage the disguise of the clean outer layer of potatoes.

Anji had said during the day that the poison powder only adhered to some of the potatoes. This perfectly matched the crude method of poisoning.

Qin Jue's lips curled into a cold smile. His face beneath the mask remained completely expressionless.

The prey has already shown its tail.

The flames at the bottom of the pit gradually died down. Everything was completely reduced to ashes.

Qian Shi kicked the surrounding soil into the pit to cover the remaining sparks.

He clapped his hands, turned and left.

Qin Jue assumed he was heading back to his tent. However, Qian Shi's route veered towards the east side of the camp.

There was a makeshift signal tower built by the player. The platform, made of several thick logs, was originally used by the engineering team to test the firing arc of ballistae.

Qian Shi used both his hands and feet to climb onto the high platform.

The wind was extremely strong on the high platform, making his gray cloth shorts flutter loudly.

He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. His body remained still.

To outsiders, it just looks like an ordinary player is AFK (away from keyboard).

Qin Jue slid silently off the withered tree. His toes touched the ground without making a sound.

He swiftly climbed up the wooden pillars of the high platform, his movements as nimble as a black cat.

Qin Jue stopped three feet below the money stone. He gripped the gap in the wooden pillar with one hand and held his breath.

He looked up.

Qian Shi's fingers twitched unconsciously in mid-air. The frequency was extremely fast.

This is a characteristic of the Chosen Ones when using that magical artifact called the "System Panel." They communicate in the void without needing to speak.

He was giving a report.

Qin Jue was absolutely certain.

This Jin Buhuan is just a henchman. The real mastermind is hiding deeper, perhaps not even in this camp.

Qin Jue did not disturb Qian Shi. He quietly slid down the wooden post and disappeared into the dark grass.

The thread has been caught. Next, we need to follow the trail and uproot the entire network.

The next morning.

The sun in Liaodong finally tore through the thick clouds, casting a pale light.

The army remained encamped in place. A tense atmosphere permeated the camp.

After a night's rest and with Anji's medication, the auxiliary soldiers' complexions had regained some color. However, most of them were still weak in the limbs and unable to push the heavy supply wagons.

Chu Ze stood on the high slope outside the central command tent, overlooking the entire camp.

Su Qingying walked over quickly. Her eyes were red, clearly she hadn't slept all night. She was carrying several thick account books in her hands.

"General," Su Qingying bowed slightly, her voice a little hoarse. "The third batch of provisions has been completely sealed up. I have arranged for people to purchase grain from nearby villages at high prices, but it's a drop in the ocean. I'm afraid the army still won't be able to break camp today."

She bit her lower lip, her face full of self-reproach. She felt it was her fault that the supplies had run into problems.

Chu Ze turned his head and looked at her.

"No need to collect the grain." Chu Ze's tone was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. "Gather the remaining good grain and fodder. Prioritize supplying it to the veterans of Guangning and the Chosen Ones."

Su Qingying paused for a moment. "What about the auxiliary soldiers..."

"They don't need to work today. A little thin porridge will do." Chu Ze interrupted her. "Qingying, remember, mercy doesn't make for an army. Now is not the time to be stingy with food. What we need is time."

Su Qingying lowered her head, clutching the account book tightly with both hands. "Qingying understands your teachings."

Wang Han and Shi Dali strode up the slope.

Wang Han pushed up his black-rimmed glasses, his brows furrowed. "Boss Chu, when are we going to break up this poison circle? Several thousand brothers in the guild are going crazy. The forums are full of cursing. If we don't leave soon, morale will completely collapse."

Shi Dali slammed the exaggeratedly broadsword heavily onto the ground. "That's right! My muscles are practically rusting! Even without supplies, I can storm the capital shirtless!"

Chu Ze looked at the two agitated player leaders.

"What's the rush?" Chu Ze sneered. "Huang Taiji's 100,000-strong army is right ahead. Without divine fire oil and ballistae, are you going to charge headfirst into the Jurchen heavy cavalry?"

Wang Han choked for a moment and awkwardly touched his nose.

"Pass down the order," Chu Ze raised his voice, "The entire army shall begin drills on the spot! Anyone who dares to leave camp without permission will be court-martialed!"