Chapter 153: Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 FlamingoBees 

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 Jiao Cang "Delicate Concealment" / Are You the One

 

 Chapter 153: 

 

When Liu Mian Tang led the four brothers and over a dozen members of the escort agency out, she turned to Lu Quan with a serious expression and said, “What were you shouting about earlier? Calling yourselves experts among experts? If I remember something, do I have to bring you along?”

Although she had some experience in the Jianghu, it was all knowledge passed down from her grandfather and uncle. As for the intricate happenings on Yangshan Mountain, she couldn’t remember much at all!

Now, she was relying on this group of brothers from Yangshan to help her see if there was a way to rescue Marquis Zhao.

Lu Quan, reprimanded by the boss, didn’t dare to retort and mumbled softly, “I’m just saying it was impressive…”

Liu Mian Tang didn’t have time to organize her subordinates. She quickly mounted her horse and headed straight for the location of the incident.

Upon arrival, the scene was indeed chaotic, with bodies scattered everywhere. Lu Yi examined the wounds of the deceased and noted that they were all inflicted by narrow blades, likely the samurai swords favored by the Japanese.

Liu Mian Tang instructed them to search the perimeter for the route the bandits took while escorting the marquis away.

Lu Zhong was skilled at tracking and quickly identified the broken branches and disordered hoofprints along the narrow path, indicating that they had retreated toward the southeast.

With the direction established, they mounted their horses and pursued the southeast route. Liu Mian Tang instructed Lu Liang to leave a note for any reinforcements that might come by, so they would know where to find them.

Holding a torch, Liu Mian Tang scanned the overgrown path and noticed there weren’t any fresh bloodstains. At least from the traces, it seemed that Zhao Quan had not sustained any severe injuries.

As they ventured further, they encountered a dark expanse of wilderness. It was rumored that the Japanese invaders favored hiding in these mountains, where many women who had been captured were taken to a dock on the other side of the mountains and sold to various places.

Liu Mian Tang ordered her brothers to extinguish their torches early on, and as they gazed at the pitch-black mass of the mountains ahead, she pondered what to do. After thinking for a while, her mind buzzed with confusion and yielded no clear ideas. She waved for Lu Yi to come over and asked, “If you were me, what would you do?”

Such questions were frequently posed by the former leader while on Yangshan Mountain, as a way to test whether her carefully nurtured subordinates had considered all aspects of a situation.

Lu Yi thought the leader was testing him again and pondered for a moment before replying, “A while ago, the prince explored the nearby mountains because we had previously gathered vines and wild goods near the village and were somewhat familiar with the terrain. At that time, we heard from the locals that these Japanese invaders sometimes took refuge on that cliff when they came ashore. However, since the troops from Zhenzhou arrived, the Japanese have not dared to land for a long time. The prince once pointed out this mountain and said that although it was perilous, it was also a ‘dark place under the lamp’. If we can climb up the cliff, we can definitely catch them off guard. So if we want to rescue the lord, it would be wise to climb the cliff, capture a live one, and then interrogate them to find out where the lord is before devising a rescue plan… Am I thinking correctly, leader?”

Since it was a suggestion from the prince, Liu Mian Tang felt she could trust it. She pretended to consider his words and nodded, “You’ve thought it through; we’ll proceed as you suggested!”

With the strategy to attack the mountain settled, the group of ten or so made their way stealthily to the other side of the cliff under the moonlight.

The loyal brothers were well-prepared, equipped with ropes, grappling hooks, deer-hide gloves, chisels, and axes.

Lu Quan, who was nimble and skilled at climbing, was the first to scale the cliff and led the way.

He grabbed with his hands and pushed with his feet, swiftly climbing several meters up the cliff. As he ascended, the available footholds became fewer. Where there was no place to grip, he used his axe and chisel to carve out a foothold. Every few meters, he would drive a metal spike into the rock face, securing the rope and lowering it down. Lu Zhong, Lu Yi, and Lu Quan easily climbed up, using the rope to steady themselves as they scaled the wall.

Liu Mian Tang, along with the remaining brothers, watched the four of them climb nimbly, and couldn't help but exclaim, "This method of scaling mountains is excellent! They truly are impressive!"

One of the bandits from Yangshan cautiously added, "Chief, weren’t these tools all your invention? Back when you led the attack on the prince's camp, you climbed the cliff like this and flanked them... That time, you made the prince so furious that he put a bounty of one hundred taels of gold on your head..."

The man's enthusiasm faded as Mian Tang shot him a sharp glare, silencing him.

Mian Tang turned her head back to watch the four brothers climbing with agility, suddenly thinking that perhaps losing her memory wasn't so bad—at least now she could praise her own past brilliance without any hesitation...

Due to the effort it took to forge a path, they took turns leading. At this moment, Lu Liang was at the front. Upon reaching the top of the cliff, he carefully listened for any sounds. Hearing none, he cautiously peeked over the edge, scanning the area. After confirming there was no one around, he climbed up fully. Soon, Lu Zhong, Lu Yi, and Lu Quan followed, tying the rope securely to the root of a tree at the cliff's edge. They scouted the area and found no Japanese invaders nearby, as it seemed the attackers were so confident in the cliff’s natural defenses that they hadn't stationed any guards here.

Lu Zhong tugged the rope five times—this was the prearranged signal with their chief, indicating that everything was clear. Soon, Mian Tang and the remaining members climbed up the cliff as well.

Standing atop the cliff in the dead of night, Mian Tang took in the desolate and chilly surroundings. The mountain peaks stretched endlessly before her, and the fierce wind howled, buffeting her body. A strange feeling welled up inside her—something that felt both familiar and nostalgic, and perhaps even a bit... exhilarating? She shook her head, pushing down the vague emotions stirring within her. Turning to Lu Yi, she asked what their next move should be.

Since climbing up, Lu Yi had been surveying the surrounding terrain, drawing on the experience they'd gained in their days on Yangshan. He analyzed which areas might make good campsites and where sentries might be stationed.

When asked by the chief, Lu Yi replied, "Chief, if the Japanese invaders have any military sense, they'd set their camp between those two peaks over there. It's a naturally advantageous position—high ground, easy to defend, and hard to attack." He pointed to a few spots and added, "They'd likely post sentries here to monitor the surroundings. If anything happens, they'd be able to alert the camp immediately. However, if the invaders lack military training, they might have set up their camp in the basin below the peaks. It's a flat area, surrounded by mountains, which ordinary people might see as a safe and secure spot."

Mian Tang nodded and said, "The Japanese invaders have defeated the imperial forces in Beihai several times over the years. From what the prince said, a few of their battles were well-fought, clearly showing military expertise. Their camp is likely between the peaks, as you suggested. Let's quietly approach and capture one of their men to interrogate."

Before long, Mian Tang, along with Lu Zhong and Lu Liang, had stealthily crept up to the outskirts of the Japanese encampment, crouching beside a low fence. From inside, they could hear the cries of women and the crude laughter of men.

Peeking through the gaps in the fence, Mian Tang saw that the invaders were selecting from a group of women. The more beautiful ones were being roughly pulled up and dragged toward the tent of the bandit leader. These young women, clearly from decent families, wept and struggled but were forcibly taken into the tent.

Others, with lifeless expressions, were dressed in thin undergarments and served food and wine to the drunken invaders. From time to time, one of the lecherous men would grab a serving girl and pull her into his arms, taking advantage of her.

Among the captives, Mian Tang also noticed three or four children, no older than ten, locked in a cage with the other women...

At that moment, Mian Tang could no longer suppress the burning anger in her heart. Originally, her plan had been to rescue Zhao Quan first, ensuring the marquis' safety, and then quietly retreat. Once Fan Hu gathered the elite troops, they would return for a direct confrontation with these bandits.

But now, seeing these helpless women being violated, there was no way Mian Tang could just leave them behind. If she turned a blind eye and let them be abused, she knew she would never sleep soundly again for the rest of her life!

With this thought, Mian Tang suddenly untied her headscarf and half-undid her hair, letting strands of it fall loose around her face. Then, she began taking off her outer garment.

Lu Zhong and Lu Liang were dumbfounded, quickly turning their heads away and stammering, "B-big boss, what are you doing?"

Mian Tang ripped part of the collar of her inner garment, replying, "I'm still wearing my inner clothes under this—what are you panicking about?"

She then grabbed a handful of dirt and smeared it on her forehead and clothes. "Do you have the knockout powder?" she asked.

Lu Zhong nodded. Mian Tang hid a small willow-leaf dagger in her hair and told them, "Go tell Lu Yi that the plan has changed. I'll sneak in and put the knockout powder in their wine. Then I'll infiltrate the leader's tent. When you hear my signal, move in and slaughter these scum! We'll free the women and get them down the mountain."

Lu Zhong shook his head vigorously. The number of Japanese invaders in the camp was far too many, and they didn’t have enough men. Plus, it was clear Mian Tang intended to use herself as bait. Knowing how the invaders were like wolves when they saw women, if anything happened to her, it wouldn’t just be them who’d suffer—Prince Huaiyang would undoubtedly tear them to pieces and feed them to the fish in the sea!

But before Lu Zhong could say anything more, Mian Tang had already bent down and, like a nimble cat, leapt over the fence.

Bold as ever, she silently crept up behind one of the women serving wine, smoothly taking the tray from her hands. Acting naturally, she pretended to pour some wine as she walked towards the large wine barrel.

The other women, who were already familiar with each other, immediately noticed the unfamiliar face. Suspicious, they cast wary glances at her.

Mian Tang raised her head and gave them a slight smile, whispering, "Turn around and cover for me." As she said this, she quickly poured a large pouch of knockout powder into the wine barrel.

Though the women didn’t know who she was, they could more or less guess her intentions from her actions. One of the quicker-witted women immediately turned her back, silently raising her cup to block Mian Tang from view.

As for the drunken bandits, they had come ashore to pillage after receiving a report from an informant that the local military commander had taken his forces out to sea. Seizing the opportunity, they raided the village while the coast was undefended. This time, luck was on their side—they stumbled upon a “fat lamb” on the road: a wealthy nobleman, traveling with four or five beautiful servant girls. The women alone could fetch a hefty sum if sold in Japan.

When they slaughtered his guards, the nobleman had begged for his life, promising that his family would pay a large ransom. Now, the poor soul was hanging in a cage, crying pitifully for mercy.

After Mian Tang finished spiking the wine with knockout powder, she took a few steps and spotted Zhao Quan hanging in the cage. Seeing that he was crying out with full strength, she felt slightly relieved—he didn’t seem to be seriously harmed.

As Mian Tang lowered her head and began to walk away, a drunken guard suddenly grabbed her by the hair. In slurred Japanese, he grumbled, "Why is this one’s face so dirty? Didn’t they clean you all up?"

With that, he splashed the wine he held onto Mian Tang’s face. The mud she had smeared on herself was washed away, revealing her strikingly beautiful features.

The guard’s eyes went wide, and a lecherous grin spread across his face. He shouted loudly, "Wow, I just found a real beauty here!"

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