Chapter 38: Beginning the Desperate Escape
Chen An immediately sensed trouble. Moreover, the handwriting on the note was undeniably Lord Ji's.
He and Li Yin had delivered numerous letters for Lord Ji. Though they never knew the contents, they were intimately familiar with the handwriting on the envelopes. While the script on this note was somewhat hurried, there was no doubt it was Lord Ji's.
Chen An quickly plastered on a servile smile, stealing a glance at Li Yin. Li Yin gave him a subtle nod, confirming the note's authenticity.
"Young Master, you misunderstand me," Chen An said. "I merely thought that since you've just returned, you'd have to make another trip so soon. If we'd known about this while you were still in the city, you could have avoided this extra journey. I wouldn't dare harbor any other thoughts. I'll prepare your horses immediately."
...
At the North City Gate, the garrison soldiers watched the backs of the riders entering the city. One of them remarked, "Lord Li is certainly busy today. He just returned not long ago and he's already back. We used to only see him once every month or two."
After entering the city, the three men galloped toward the Military Camp. Li Yan's inner turmoil belied his calm exterior. He had no way of knowing Strategist Ji's movements; he might return at any moment, or they could even run into him on the street.
They soon arrived at the camp gate. The sight of the familiar encampment brought a silent sigh of relief to Li Yan's heart. He dismounted swiftly, tossed the reins aside, and strode toward the gate without a word.
Chen An and Li Yin hurried to catch up, leading their horses. Li Yan glanced back at them. "After you stable the horses, wait for me there."
Both Chen An and Li Yin had read the note left by Strategist Ji, confirming that he wanted to speak with Li Yan alone. Though relieved, they remembered the advisor's instructions and kept watch on the camp gate. The moment Li Yan reappeared, they would bring the horses to him.
Li Yan ventured deeper into the camp. Having visited several times before, he knew the layout well. He skirted around several tents and passed several patrols of soldiers.
The soldiers checked Li Yan's identity and let him pass.
Li Yan glanced back at the path he had taken. Chen An and Li Yin were no longer in sight. After navigating a few more turns, he headed toward Liu Chengyong's tent.
Liu Chengyong was pacing inside his tent. It was about three-quarters of an hour past noon. Suddenly, the entrance darkened. He looked up to see Li Yan slipping inside.
"Brother Li, you finally made it," Liu Chengyong said bluntly.
"Captain Liu, I'm sorry to keep you waiting. The next steps are in your hands," Li Yan replied quickly.
"Good. Follow me."
Liu Chengyong's military discipline took over. Without another word, he turned and strode out of the tent.
Having received his secret orders, Liu Chengyong knew this was a matter of great importance to the Marshal. He didn't pry into the details, understanding only that the specifics must remain confidential. Li Yan followed closely behind.
The two exited the tent and headed deeper into the military camp. After winding through rows of tents, they arrived at a heavily guarded area.
Along the way, they encountered several patrol teams. Each time, Liu Chengyong produced a token. After a brief inspection, the patrols waved them through.
Before them now stretched a vast row of military tents, each spacious and draped with dark felt.
They were halted by a long wooden fence of crisscrossing stakes. The soldiers here were markedly different from those they had encountered earlier, clad in gloomy black armor and wearing impassive expressions.
Highly suspicious of their arrival, one of them shouted before they could approach.
"Halt! This is a restricted military zone."
Liu Chengyong turned to Li Yan and whispered, "Brother Li, wait here."
With that, he produced half of a Tiger Tally from his waist, raised it high, and strode forward.
Li Yan watched as Liu Chengyong handed the tally to the apparent leader. The man scrutinized it thoroughly, then exchanged a few hushed words with Liu Chengyong.
At that moment, Liu Chengyong beckoned Li Yan forward. As Li Yan approached, the leader turned to a nearby soldier and spoke briefly.
He then passed the half-tally to this soldier, who stepped forward, glanced at Liu Chengyong and Li Yan, and wordlessly turned to lead them deeper into the camp.
"Captain Liu, what's this place? The security is so tight that even the Marshal's half of the Tiger Tally is required. Wouldn't the regular token suffice?" Li Yan asked, his anxiety tempered by curiosity.
He had visited the military camp several times recently and was familiar with its regulations, roll calls, command arrows, and the Tiger Tally.
"This is the military supply depot, our lifeline," Liu Chengyong replied tersely.
No wonder the security is so strict, Li Yan thought. Even if Chen An and Li Yin knew I was here, they wouldn't be able to get in.
The two men followed the soldier deep into the camp, winding through several turns before arriving at a heavily fortified gate. The gate was tightly shut, guarded by a squad of black-armored soldiers. Thick iron chains, as thick as an adult's arm, were wrapped around the gate, secured by a bronze lock the size of half a man's head.
The soldier hurried forward and whispered to the black-armored guard who approached. He then produced the half of the Tiger Tally and handed it over. The guard examined it meticulously for a long moment before finally beckoning Liu Chengyong and Li Yan to approach.
After Liu Chengyong and Li Yan approached, the soldier returned half of the Tiger Tally to Liu Chengyong and ordered his men to pull on the iron chain, as thick as an adult's arm.
With a creaking groan, four soldiers strained to push the massive gate outward, their faces flushed with exertion.
Once the gate had opened just enough for one person to pass through, Liu Chengyong beckoned Li Yan and led him briskly out of the camp.
Behind them, the heavy camp gate rumbled shut with a resounding clang. The clatter of iron chains followed, then silence descended once more.
Li Yan surveyed his surroundings. They were now in a wide alley, the straight path stretching ahead before disappearing around a distant bend.
Liu Chengyong smiled at Li Yan. "Brother Li, this is the exit of the military camp's supply depot. No one will come here. If we walk a little further, we'll reach another guard post. Beyond that lies the North City Gate entrance."
Li Yan remembered the North City Gate from their entry into the city. Three broad roads paved with large bluestone slabs converged there. The central main road was the one they usually took when traveling to and from the city center.
The other two paths branched off, winding into the city on either side, their destinations unknown. Li Yan surmised that this path must have originated from one of those branches.
Seeing no one around, Li Yan turned to Li Chengyong and asked, "What are Marshal Hong's next instructions?"
Li Chengyong glanced at him. "The Marshal said that after leaving this military camp, I should take you to the back gate of the Marshal's Manor. Someone will be waiting there to receive you."
Li Yan shook his head. "Captain Liu, I can't go. Please deliver this bottle and letter to Marshal Hong for me."
With that, Li Yan produced a small porcelain bottle and a sealed letter from his inner pocket, handing them to Li Chengyong.
Li Chengyong took the bottle with a puzzled expression. It was no larger than a thumb, its mouth sealed with wax. He had no idea what it contained.
As for the letter, he was no stranger to delivering messages. However, his orders were clear: he had to bring Li Yan to the Marshal's Manor today, no matter what.
"Brother Li, you're putting me in a difficult position," Li Chengyong said, tucking the items into his tunic. He stared at Li Yan, enunciating each word deliberately.
"Heh heh... Brother Liu, after these past few months, haven't you realized I'm mired in trouble?" Li Yan said solemnly, pointedly omitting the title "Captain Liu."
Liu Chengyong stared at him. "I don't know what's between Marshal Hong, you, and Strategist Ji, but my orders are to bring you to the Marshal's Manor."
"Brother Liu, let's cut to the chase. I'm definitely not going, and you can't hold me here. Try if you don't believe me. If we reach the exit ahead and there are more people, you'll have even less chance. Otherwise, what might have worked could end with us going our separate ways."
With that, Li Yan channeled his spiritual energy. A torrent of immense force erupted from his body, pressing down on Liu Chengyong.
Liu Chengyong felt a mountain-like pressure bearing down on him, as if struck by lightning. Just as he was about to mobilize his internal energy to resist, the pressure vanished completely, leaving him weightless and empty.
Li Yan knew that both Hong Linying and Ji Wenhe would want to control him, and he needed to leverage Hong Linying's power to execute his plan.
Now, Li Yan had to involve Hong Linying, but he couldn't afford to fall into his clutches. This was only the beginning of his plan, and meeting Hong Linying wasn't the right move yet. He needed to secure his freedom first.
He had already used Hong Linying as a cover for his secret maneuver, successfully evading Ji Wenhe's surveillance. He had anticipated this situation, though he hadn't known when it would arise. Now that he had reached this critical point and understood his circumstances, he bet that Liu Chengyong wouldn't dare make a move at the alley entrance, fearing it might attract Ji Wenhe's attention.
Hong Linying had undoubtedly instructed Liu Chengyong to avoid drawing attention. This made this spot the perfect place for a showdown. Li Yan suddenly gathered all his spiritual energy and unleashed it as a wave of pressure. Even he wasn't entirely confident in this bluff.
Liu Chengyong was no ordinary man, he was a seasoned military expert with formidable combat skills. Yet Li Yan now relied solely on spiritual energy to intimidate him, alternating between releasing and withdrawing it to create the illusion of being a high-level inner energy expert of the martial world. This forced Liu Chengyong to hesitate, unsure of Li Yan's true strength, while Li Yan kept calling him "Brother Liu" in a mix of soft and hard tactics.
Liu Chengyong felt his body alternating between weightlessness and heaviness, his heart filled with shock.
How could Brother Li have become so formidable? Liu Chengyong wondered. In just a few months, his inner energy has surpassed mine by several times over. How did he achieve such rapid progress?
Sensing the oppressive force of Li Yan's internal energy, Liu Chengyong concluded he stood no chance against him. He had no idea Li Yan was merely a paper tiger, possessing immense magical power but lacking any real combat experience.
Liu Chengyong wouldn't have thought that way. In the martial world, few sects neglected both internal and external cultivation. While practicing internal energy, they also honed martial techniques.
He assumed that since Strategist Ji had imparted such profound internal energy cultivation to Li Yan, he must have also taught him lethal combat methods. This realization sent a chill down Liu Chengyong's spine.
"Heh, Brother Li, your skills are truly impressive. I fear I cannot fulfill this command," Liu Chengyong said with a bitter smile.
"Brother Liu, to be honest, the item I'm giving you is exactly what the Marshal needs. Once you deliver it, he'll consider your mission complete and won't trouble you further. But this is all I can do for now."
Li Yan spoke earnestly.
Liu Chengyong looked into Li Yan's eyes, sensing he wasn't lying. He sighed.
"Then this is the only way. Let's just hope I don't end up taking a beating from the military discipline rods!"
He felt utterly frustrated. He couldn't possibly overpower Li Yan alone, and involving more people would ruin everything, spreading the news and making all his previous caution pointless.
"Then let's go."
Li Yan pointed forward, and Liu Chengyong let out a long sigh before stepping ahead.
"Brother Li, you don't need to be so cautious about everything. Would I really stab you in the back?"
"Heh heh heh... Brother Liu, what are you saying? I'm not familiar with the roads, and without a token or Tiger Tally, how would I ever get through the gates?"
The two continued their banter as they hurried forward...
Moments later, at the alley's mouth, Liu Chengyong watched Li Yan's figure vanish as he raced toward the North Gate. He sighed again, then patted the porcelain bottle and letter tucked inside his robe. His heart pounding with anxiety, he turned toward the Marshal's Manor.
(Chapter End)