Narration System for the Journey of Martial Arts

Page 64

The old steward felt even more bitter and stammered, "This old servant doesn't know either. There should be a record in the manor. I'll go find it right away."

Zhu Changling scolded, "Then hurry up and go find it."

On the Wu family's side, the flag bearer, receiving no response, looked at the family head beside him, unsure what to do. Then he saw the Zhu family lord descend from the torch platform, offering no reply whatsoever.

The flag bearer was also bewildered, exchanging bewildered glances with the patriarch, unsure of what this meant. Did the Zhu Family Village no longer intend to fight?

Chapter 125 Master Wu knew what was going on; Habusa Hasatu had a plan.

Master Wu was taken aback for a moment, then seemed to understand something, and couldn't help but curse him as a good-for-nothing.

He stepped down from the torch platform and encouraged the guards, Wu Sheng and Yuan Fei...

"Take precautions and withstand the first wave of attack. If we can, there will be room for negotiation later; otherwise, none of us will survive!"

"As long as we can withstand the first wave of attacks, we can send people out to negotiate and see what they want."

"Don't worry, we and Zhu Family Village are mutually supportive, and we have a geographical advantage. Even if they divide their forces to attack, they won't be able to break in."

"You must immediately organize people to dismantle and saw open all the doors and wooden planks in the house to use as shields to block the arrows."

………………

Watching the two men go about their tasks, Master Wu spoke to the steward as he walked...

"Have the maids and servants take out all the white cloth from the storeroom, boil it in boiling water, then cut it up and dry it in the sun, in preparation for bandaging the wounds of the injured."

"Prepare strong liquor and wound medicine. Give the order to organize these servants. If anyone is injured, immediately carry them to the backyard for treatment. Tell them that the Wu family stands with them and will never back down."

After the old steward left, Master Wu hurriedly headed towards his bedroom. Once inside, his smiling face vanished, and his expression turned extremely unpleasant.

"What's going on? How's it outside?" Lady Wuhou asked worriedly as she sat at the table.

"The one leading outside seems to be Habusa Hasatu. I don't know what's gotten into him, he suddenly attacked. I'm still completely confused!" Master Wu said as he sat down.

He glanced at his youngest son, who was being held in his wife's arms, sighed, and suddenly muttered under his breath, "That good-for-nothing Zhu Changling, that idiot, that moron. How could I possibly expect anything from him?"

Seeing his wife's stunned expression, he smiled wryly and recounted what had just happened, saying...

“Now, we can’t count on that good-for-nothing Zhu Changling. If they can’t hold out, those bandits will never let us go once they’ve tasted blood.”

"Fortunately, our ancestors were wise, and the Wu family was not completely destroyed. We can still seek a glimmer of hope."

"Qingying is trapped in the Zhu family now, and I'm afraid there's no way to save her. I can't worry about her anymore. Let's take care of you and Chen'er first!"

After saying that, he got up and waved to his wife to follow him. When they arrived at the bedside, Master Wu lifted the quilt on the bed.

He pointed to a light ink-colored mark on the bed board and gestured for his wife to press it down.

Lady Wu was taken aback. Then, as if she had thought of something, she gently pressed down and a large hole appeared in the bed, revealing a tunnel.

Master Wu gave a wry smile and said...

"Our ancestors had taken precautions long ago, fearing that the Wu family might one day encounter uncontrollable danger. They specially prepared this escape route, but I never expected to have to use it!"

"This road leads straight to the foot of the back mountain. There is a bundle hanging in the vines on the left side of the cave entrance. Inside are a map, jewelry, gold leaves, and a land deed."

"Once you exit the tunnel, there's a small path. Follow the route on the map and take Chen'er away from here."

"Don't go to your mother's house. Money can be a powerful motivator. Without the Wu family, you might not be able to protect your mother and son."

"The land deed in the bundle is for a small house. Go there. If you hear any news of the Wu family being wiped out, flee to another place!"

"If we can get through this ordeal, I will go and bring you back."

Lady Wu's expression changed, and she clenched her hands, saying, "Then what about you, sir? Aren't you coming with us?"

Master Wu waved his hand and said...

"I can't leave. If I leave, morale will collapse, and we absolutely won't be able to hold on. I must not leave until the very end."

"If I stay, I can still have a glimmer of hope; if I leave, the Wu family's legacy will be completely destroyed."

"Don't worry, with this tunnel here, I'll definitely find a way to escape. Don't worry!"

After saying this, he ignored his wife's objections, pushed her and his illegitimate son into the tunnel, closed the mechanism, and hurriedly headed towards the front yard.

………………

"Master..." the guards along the way greeted him.

Master Wu nodded, picked up his sword, and went up to the torch platform, asking, "How was it?"

Looking around, more than 300 cavalrymen had surrounded the area about 20 feet away from the gate. They remained silent, neither speaking nor attacking.

Master Wu glanced at the list and was delighted to find that Habusa Hasatu was not among them. It seemed that the main attack was not coming from there, and there was still hope.

Then he became very troubled. To this day, he still doesn't know why Habusa Hasatu suddenly attacked. It's too strange. It seems like he's targeting the Zhu family.

"Take precautions. We won't go out until they fire arrows, and no one should make the first move," Master Wu instructed his men.

………………

The situation was completely different at Zhu Family Village. Habusa Hasatu personally led his troops. When he was still more than ten feet away from the gate, he waved his hand, and the cavalry behind him all drew their bows and shot arrows.

After a volley of arrows, screams erupted from behind the gate and courtyard wall. Only a few people thought to dismantle the gate panels to make shields; the rest foolishly carried long knives, which were of no use against the arrows.

"Jie Jie Jie..."

Habusa Hasatu laughed maniacally, and the cavalry behind him roared and laughed loudly at the gate of Zhu Family Village.

Behind Habusa Hasatu, a bandit named Jirige darted forward, his eyes darting around, and said…

"Chief, this group looks much easier to deal with than the Wu family. Why don't we give it another try? Maybe after two rounds of projectiles, these useless guys will collapse on their own."

"Charge in, and the Zhu family's wealth will be ours!"

Upon hearing this, the cavalrymen behind him were eager to try, and everyone looked at Habusa Hasatu with excitement.

Habusa Hasatu was taken aback, then a powerful blow knocked the hat off his head. He glanced around, and the laughter abruptly stopped.

Habusa Hasatu's expression turned serious, and he said...

"You've got to shake all that horse piss out of your heads, and you still think you're bandits!"

"We are respectable people, a regular army that collects protection money and safeguards the peace of this area. We are not bandits! We are not bandits! We are not bandits! How many times have I told you!"

"If we rob Zhu Family Village, we can get rich quick, but then what? After Zhu Family Village is gone, the Central Plains merchant caravans that do business here will also be gone. Who will we rob then?"

"Would you rather go somewhere else and live a life of homelessness, with your family, young and old, constantly on the move, facing the constant threat of starvation?"

“You bunch of fools! With Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor here, they are like a golden goose that lays golden eggs. We should keep them around, and the endless stream of gold and silver treasures will all be stored here by us.”

His words were so reasonable and well-founded that even Habusa Hasatu himself believed them.

He couldn't help but glance at a masked, head-down, helmeted man behind him, and sighed inwardly: "The boss really knows how to play the game. I even believe what he's saying."

These words calmed down the cavalrymen present. They thought it made sense, but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.

Jirige, who had just made the suggestion, changed his expression and then flattered, "Our leader is wise indeed. We will listen to you!"

Habusa Hasatu gave him a meaningful look and decided that this guy couldn't be kept; his team didn't need someone so smart.

Habusa Hasatu pointed at him with his riding whip and said, "Go, take Wei Bi's head, and tell Zhu Changling that his daughter stole my Fire Fox and injured my brother. Ten thousand taels of silver will settle the matter."

He held up two fingers and said, "Two quarters of an hour. If we don't see the money after two quarters of an hour, we will massacre the Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor."

P.S.: Thank you to Zhiyisi Daonian, thank you to Wo Bufeiqifu, thank you Feichongtian?, thank you to Wuyushushuren, thank you to Wu Nuzhu supporters, thank you to Molanmo from Gulang Hotel, thank you to Shuihanyue, thank you to the old slacker, thank you (●—●(?3[▓▓), thank you to Touzi with a prominent reputation, thank you everyone for your support!!

Finally, if you're urging me to update or sending virtual gifts, please give it a like. Thank you all for your support!

Chapter 126 Zhu Changling's Conspiracy Theory

The backyard of Zhu Family Village.

Zhu Weishi sat to one side with tears in her eyes, watching the doctor bandage her daughter's wound.

Zhu Changling looked at his daughter, who was sitting in a chair with a pale face, and Wu Qingying, who was lying unconscious on the bed, and his face was gloomy.

Now that the enemy has come knocking on their door, neither of them can explain why.

As for his daughter's claim that it was all for a fox, Zhu Changling thought it was utter nonsense. To make such a fuss over a fox? Did she really think his brain was made of mush?

………………

"Dong dong dong..."

Hearing the knocking, Zhu Changling felt annoyed, but he also knew that this was not a normal time and not a time to lose his temper.

"Take good care of them."

Zhu Changling left behind a sentence, without even glancing at the weeping Zhu Weishi, and turned to walk away.

What he needs is someone who can help him make decisions, or at the very least, someone who can reassure people, not someone who sits here crying and wailing.

At this moment, Zhu Changling felt a pang of nostalgia for his deceased wife.

Seeing the anxious look on the old steward's face, Zhu Changling breathed a sigh of relief, composed himself, and asked, "What is it?"

Seeing Zhu Changling regain his composure, the old steward also calmed down and said, "Master, it's confirmed. It's Habusa Hasatu's men. He's come in person! The envoy is in the main hall in the front courtyard."

Zhu Changling's face changed, turning red and then pale, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "How dare he? How dare a bandit like him?"

The old steward's expression tightened. He looked around to make sure no one was there before whispering a reminder: "Master, this is not the time to talk about these things. The envoy is still in the main hall!"

Zhu Changling glared at him, but knowing the principle of 'being at the mercy of others,' he composed himself and said seriously, 'Let's go to the front hall and meet this so-called envoy. He's just a bandit, and he thinks he's invincible!'

………………

Walking down the road, seeing the guards being carried by servants, Zhu Changling's face darkened. He asked, "Have they attacked?"

The old butler smiled wryly...

"It's less of an attack and more like a show of force!"

"When we were still more than ten feet from the gate, they launched a volley of arrows. We were unprepared, and many of us were injured because we didn't have any cover!"

"This old servant went to see for himself. It seems that Habusa Hasatu has no intention of attacking. There should be room for negotiation."

"Sir, let's hear what the bandits have to say now. If they have something to talk about, let's get them to leave first, and then we can discuss the future!"

Zhu Changling nodded without speaking. The two quickly walked to the main hall in the front courtyard and saw a headless corpse lying on the ground. The bandit was sitting casually in the main seat, with a little maidservant in his arms, her eyes filled with tears of fear.

Zhu Changling's face flushed red, and he gritted his teeth in anger, but dared not utter any harsh words. He sat down at the lower seat and waved his hand, signaling the maid to leave.

Ji Rige let out a strange "ga-ga" laugh, patted the little maid's bottom, and watched her run away in a panic, scrambling and rolling away, before laughing again.

"Master Zhu, it's really not easy to see you! Hehe, no, it's not Master Zhu anymore. I remember the Wei family is in charge of the Zhu family manor now!" Ji Rige chuckled strangely.

Zhu Changling's face darkened, and he suppressed his anger, saying, "What do you mean by that?"

Ji Rige pointed to the bundle on the table, and Zhu Changling waved his hand, signaling the steward to bring it over.

The old butler took it and opened it. Inside was a human head, eyes wide open, dead and unseeing. His heart skipped a beat. Upon closer inspection, he exclaimed, "It's Young Master Wei Bi!"

Jiri chuckled...

"This brat says he's already in charge of Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor, and he's going to host our chief on behalf of Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor. Hahahaha..."

"Of course, we don't care about the messy affairs of your Zhu family. What we care about is this brat, and the little girl from your Zhu and Wu families, who not only stole our prey, but also led people to kill our brothers."

"Zhu Changling, your Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor has grown incredibly bold! Absolutely outrageous! You don't take us seriously at all! I think you're tired of living!"

………………

Thinking of his daughter's intermittent words and the words of the bandit in front of him, Zhu Changling's mind raced, and he quickly figured out what was going on.

Damn it, what the hell is this about stealing prey? This is a trap, either a trap set by someone else for Zhu Wu Lianhuan Village, or a trap set by Habusa Hasatu to rob him.

The crucial question now is whether that dead bastard, along with the two children Zhu Jiuzhen and Wu Qingying, truly ordered the annihilation of Habusa Hasatu's men! That's the real issue.

Thinking of this, Zhu Changling's hatred for the Wei family reached its peak. He did not believe it was his daughter's fault; it must have been a scheme orchestrated by the Wei family.

The thought of Wei Bi wavering between two girls, his ambiguous relationship, makes one wonder if it's a trap set by the Zhu Wei family and the Wei family together? Are they planning to take over Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor?

Once this thought arose, Zhu Changling was filled with anxiety and fear due to the conspiracy theory. He was afraid that the Wei family had already made preparations to have Habusa Hasatu kill him and take over the businesses of the Zhu and Wu families.

"Is there some misunderstanding here?" Zhu Changling's tone softened considerably; he needed to appease Habusa Hasatu in order to plan for the future.

Ji Rige chuckled, "Zhu Changling, didn't your daughter escape with a bunch of good-for-nothings? What? You didn't even ask? You still don't understand what happened? Hahahaha..."

Zhu Changling snorted coldly, and with his right middle finger he tapped the table in front of him. With a 'smack', a large hole appeared in the solid wood table, and a pungent smell of burning wafted out.

Ji Rige's laughter abruptly stopped. He glanced at the hole in the table, then at Zhu Changling, who was calmly sipping his tea. He swallowed hard, his face turning grim...