Chapter 1471 – Attacking Nie Liang and Yang Tao, Sword Pointing to the World (11)
Though not sure what kind of monster the System was, Nie Yang certainly wasn’t heartless.
How could he allow some strange creature to invade his brain without any precautions?
Soon after the System appeared, Nie Yang made thorough preparations.
After all, the former abbot of Baoan Temple in Zhong Zhao was the royal endorser Master Liu Ru, a true expert of the world beyond.
Nie Yang had once used the excuse of accompanying the women of the family to visit Master Liu Ru at Baoan Temple. That monster dared not show itself, unaware that the young Nie Yang had already devised schemes and precautions, not to mention what hidden cards he held.
The System felt uneasy but comforted itself that Nie Yang was just a mere mortal, so it had no reason to be afraid.
In the midst of their conversation, Nie Qing had already dismounted from the carriage and summoned the nightwatchmen to remind them to remain vigilant until dawn to prevent ambushes. The group felt suspicious, but since it was Young Master Nie Qing’s command, they could not question it and had to comply.
“Can you sleep easy now?” Nie Qing re-entered the carriage, gently smiling, “A Yang should sleep first, your brother will keep watch over you.”
Nie Yang secretly clenched the thin blanket; to avoid revealing any cracks, he had to comply with Nie Qing’s persuasion.
Seeing his cousin fall asleep, Nie Qing lit an oil lamp and picked up a hefty book to read attentively.
Not long after, just as he turned a couple of pages, he suddenly heard a violent shout from outside.
“Who goes there!”
As soon as the sentry’s voice fell, Nie Qing heard the sound of a blade slicing into flesh, blood splattering loudly on the ground, soon followed by the thud of a heavy object hitting the ground. His face turned pale, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the thick book. Just as he lay down, Nie Yang shot up.
“Brother—”
Nie Yang’s profile was flickering under the orange candlelight, but the fear in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.
Nie Qing said, “A Yang, stay calm! It’s not the time to get out of the carriage; wait until things outside settle down, don’t go out and make trouble.”
Both had learned sword techniques, but how could that compare to the combat ability of the guards?
If they hurried to get out and check the situation, it would merely add to the burden of the guards. Nie Qing took up his sword, ready to defend, with the sounds of clashing enemies and battle cries ringing in his ears. The atmosphere was tense and grave; even sweat pooled in his palms.
“Brother, we— we won’t…”
Nie Yang’s eyes reddened from fear, glistening with moisture.
Nie Qing reassured him, “Since heaven allowed A Yang to have such a prophetic dream, it shows that heaven is on our side too.”
The fierce fighting lasted about fifteen minutes. Since they had the advantage in numbers and were well-prepared, the enemy’s surprise attack held little benefit. Seeing their situation worsening, the attackers ordered their remaining troops to retreat swiftly, and the guards feared it was a trick and didn’t dare pursue too aggressively.
“Lord, the enemy has retreated!”
Upon hearing this, Nie Qing’s grip on his sword slowly relaxed, dropping it to the ground with a clatter.
“What about our casualties?” Nie Qing asked.
The guards were also uncertain; the night was too dark, and during the chaotic battle, neither side could distinguish each other. Now that the fighting had ceased, the casualties hadn’t been tallied yet. However, based on his observations, their losses were heavy; half the troops were down, and most of the remaining ones were wounded. In this state, it was indeed unwise to linger in the wild, and the guards suggested making a night march to reach the main camp as soon as possible.
They were still unaware of the enemy’s situation, not knowing if the attack would be a one-time event or a continuous wave.
Nie Qing considered this and said gravely, “Immediately distribute medicine to the injured soldiers; after a brief rest, let’s set out.”
If they didn’t tend to the injuries and inadvertently ran into the enemy, they would just be delivering warmth to them.
“Understood!”
Nie Qing breathed a sigh of relief and said to Nie Yang, “Thanks to you, A Yang, for the warning. Otherwise, my life would have been lost here.”
Nie Yang replied, “You’re too kind, brother. If it weren’t for your protection, I would have been dead long ago.”
His warning to Nie Qing was certainly not to save him but merely to save his own life.
The crisis passed, and Nie Yang sneered inwardly, 【Let’s have a good talk.】
System: 【…Huh?】
Did this mortal mean to threaten him?
Who’s afraid of who, huh!
If he didn’t show some color, would the System think it was just a cheap laborer to be used at will?
The night raid’s failure was unexpected for Jiang Pengji; according to the soldiers who returned, it seemed the enemy had been prepared.
However, this prediction wasn’t something they had from the start, but rather a temporary decision.
Jiang Pengji stroked her chin and said, “Have you figured out who those two inside the carriage are?”
The soldier replied, “They were extremely cautious, not stepping outside even once.”
Jiang Pengji snorted, “Quite clever, knowing not to cause trouble.”
After a moment’s thought, she said, “You all worked hard tonight; go treat your wounds first, and we’ll discuss rewards later.”
The soldiers looked chagrined.
Having failed to accomplish their lord’s task, they had no face to receive rewards.
Jiang Pengji dismissed them and was about to rub her temples when Wei Ci walked out from behind the screen.
“Lord, I suspect those two are very likely—”
Jiang Pengji interrupted, “Nie Liang’s heirs… a big fat fish. I underestimated the situation; I should have sent more people.”
If a martial artist of exceptional skill, like Qin Gong, had been sent, it wouldn’t be impossible to take down Nie Qing and Nie Yang.
Wei Ci said, “Why say such dispiriting words? Knowing that more people increases the risk of exposure and draws the enemy’s wariness.”
Jiang Pengji rested her chin in thought, “Even so, it truly is a pity.”
Wei Ci added, “I’m more concerned about something; according to our soldiers, the enemy seemed to become vigilant only temporarily—”
Jiang Pengji’s thoughts turned, and she suddenly recalled Nie Yang—
It was said he was the host of a fragment of the System.
If he were with the troop, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to predict the enemy’s movements in advance.
She said, “Forget it; let Nie Liang drink this cup. I wonder how shocked and furious he will be once he finds out?”
Jiang Pengji’s goal was to send Nie Liang off to the netherworld early.
If she could conveniently take down Nie Qing, that would be an extra gain. If not, she wouldn’t feel too regretful.
Wei Ci sighed lightly, “He’s sure to be furious.”
Whether Nie Liang lived or died didn’t concern Wei Ci; he only cared about his elder brother Wei Ying, who had passed away in despair in his previous life.
Unfortunately, the two brothers stood on opposite sides; some matters were destined to end up unsatisfactory.
The next day, the fierce sun climbed overhead, and Nie Qing and the others successfully rendezvoused with Nie’s army.
“Did the Young Master encounter an ambush?”
Wei Ying, sent by Nie Liang to receive Nie Qing, saw the depleted troops and was horrified.
Due to the bumpy journey, Nie Qing hadn’t slept much the night before, and faint shadows of fatigue were evident under his eyes.
He addressed Wei Ying, “Last night, we were indeed ambushed by a wave of bandits, but A Yang had a nightmare that woke him, so we didn’t suffer total annihilation.”
Wei Ying asked, “Could the Young Master elaborate?”
Nie Qing recounted what had happened the previous night, highlighting Nie Yang’s contributions to leave a good impression on Wei Ying.
