Chapter 1470 – Strike Nie Liang, Attack Yang Tao, Sword Pointing to the World (Ten)
“Tsk, this Nie Liang is quite tough.”
Jiang Pengji had sent scouts multiple times for information but had hardly any substantial gains, with quite a few scouts executed after revealing their identities.
It’s important to know that the scouts under Jiang Pengji’s command were all highly trained elites; even if discovered by the enemy, they could escape at the first opportunity. The fact that they couldn’t escape only meant that Nie Liang’s side had a very strong attitude, unwilling to let a single enemy scout slip away.
Qi Guanrang shook his jade fan and said, “Based on the information the scouts have been relaying, Nie Liang seems ready to take action soon.”
Jiang Pengji rested her chin on her hand, “Whether he takes action or not, we’re going to have to move. What’s the difference?”
Just as they were talking, someone reported from outside the tent, and Jiang Pengji hurriedly let the person in.
“What news do we have this time?”
She shook out a piece of cloth and skimmed through it rapidly.
Qi Guanrang inquired with his eyes while Jiang Pengji handed him the cloth and added, “Though this message isn’t from the frontline, it’s still greatly related to the Nie Clan. A group of scouts detected over a hundred horsemen approaching the Nie encampment from the rear, and their identities are mysterious.”
As Jiang Pengji relayed the information, Qi Guanrang read the contents of the cloth word for word in silence.
To avoid revealing their identities, the scouts couldn’t get too close and could only hide in the mountains and forests to observe carefully. Based on their extensive experience, they gauged the enemy’s size through the hoofprints, footprints, leftover food, and campfires left behind.
Unfortunately, due to the limitations of their situation, they couldn’t determine the enemy’s identities.
Qi Guanrang neatly folded the cloth and asked, “Does our Lord have any insights?”
According to the scouts’ reports, the group consisted of only about a hundred people, but each guard was an elite unit carefully nurtured by aristocratic families, not only experienced in combat but also highly skilled in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance. Otherwise, the scouts could have gotten even closer.
These elite units were quite different from regular soldiers; they were essentially private troops.
Jiang Pengji had trained many such troops in her early years, which became the foundation of her conquests.
“From the looks of it, this should be a unit raised by the Nie Clan. They sent over a hundred elite guards, but who they are escorting remains a mystery.” Though she said this, her heart furrowed slightly, “The scouts said the ones sitting in the carriage are two young men…”
Qi Guanrang said, “At this moment, they are likely Nie Liang’s confidants or direct relatives.”
Jiang Pengji smiled, “No matter their identities, won’t we know if we send someone to test the waters? This group is taking a secluded and quiet country road for safety, even willing to take a longer route. Their hesitation makes it convenient for us to act—”
She was always swift in her actions, so under the cover of night, she dispatched over a hundred men to quietly circumvent the Nie encampment and plan to intercept the group.
Due to the difficulty of traveling at night, even if Nie Qing and the others were in a hurry, they couldn’t push too hard, so they could only send people to create a temporary resting area. Out of caution, the guarding soldiers took turns in shifts, with three groups alternating through the three night segments to conserve energy.
To minimize their exposure, Nie Qing and Nie Yang shared a carriage, and the two lived together during the journey.
Nie Qing took great care of his younger cousin, accommodating him all the way, to the extent that even the system felt “soft-hearted.”
【He treats you so well; will you, in turn, become soft-hearted towards him in the future?】
Nie Yang half-closed his eyes, and in the darkness, he could barely see the outline of Nie Qing lying beside him. His mood remained unusually calm.
He sneered inwardly, 【You’ve accompanied me for many years, but if one day you become an obstacle, I won’t show mercy.】
This indirectly answered the system’s question.
Before the system could respond, Nie Yang lazily said, 【It’s late; don’t bother me.】
System: 【……】
It knew that as Nie Yang grew, he became more ambitious and less manageable, even daring to threaten it?
The system felt a surge of anger but could only hold back for the time being, not wanting to confront Nie Yang now.
Around fifteen minutes later, the now-quiet system spoke again.
Nie Yang’s expression turned sour; just as he had finally worked up some drowsiness, the system’s irritating interruption disrupted the mood. The system explained quietly, 【I didn’t mean to disturb your beautiful dream, but there is enemy activity approaching two miles away.】
Nie Yang instantly woke up, all traces of sleep vanishing.
He pretended to have been startled awake from a nightmare, his nostrils flaring, breathing heavy, and cold sweat beading on his forehead, his eyes reflecting lingering fear.
Next to him, Nie Qing had been in light sleep due to worry about their father, and was easily jolted awake by Nie Yang.
“Ah Yang, what happened?”
Nie Qing grabbed an outer garment and draped it over his shoulders, lighting a fire starter to find Nie Yang in a panic, his expression thick with fear.
He understood, “Ah Yang had a nightmare?”
Nie Yang clutched his wrist, speaking in a hoarse voice, “Brother, quickly wake everyone up; something big has happened!”
Nie Qing looked confused, asking, “What happened?”
Nie Yang spoke rapidly, “Just now, I had a horrifyingly realistic nightmare. I dreamt that outside the carriage there were shadowy figures and the sounds of killing, plus some people broke in with knives; brother, to protect me, you were accidentally wounded by the attackers, bleeding everywhere…”
Nie Qing chuckled, “But brother is perfectly fine; where are the enemies?”
Nie Yang moistened his dry lips with his tongue, voice hoarse, “This dream truly is ominous; brother, it’s better to believe in its existence than its absence.”
Nie Qing pondered for a bit; out of concern and affection for his cousin, he said, “Don’t panic; I’ll have people on guard right away.”
Nie Yang played the role of the frightened little bunny while secretly asking the system, 【How many people are coming?】
The system provided an exact number.
【One hundred and twelve, they should be Liu Xi’s ambush troops.】
【A hundred plus? Clearly well-prepared! Wait, that’s not right—】 Nie Yang’s expression grew increasingly cold. “How did Liu Xi’s spies discover us? Why didn’t you give any warning along the way?”
Scouts are human; they can use the terrain to conceal their movements, but the system is different.
Nie Yang had ample reason to suspect that the system had discovered the enemy but deliberately withheld the information.
As expected—
The system replied, 【Just a few ants; you don’t need to be informed about such trivial matters; after all, they don’t pose a threat to your life.】
Nie Yang scoffed, “Today, that threat has arrived.”
If the enemy had sent not a hundred and twelve men, but two or three hundred, taking advantage of a sneak attack, what would the outcome be?
The system chuckled, “Host, you are blessed, this is just a small disaster for you, not a life-threatening situation.”
Upon hearing this, Nie Yang felt a wave of anger rise, grinding his teeth with a squeak.
How could he not hear the veiled threats the system was issuing, warning him?
Nie Yang sneered, “You’d better pray this time it turns out to be a false alarm.”
