Chapter 238: A Way Out Of Despair! Mind Your Own Business! Requesting Monthly Tickets
Captain Sun’s corpse lay on the ground, the fresh blood gushing from his chest a stark contrast to the account books scattered on the ground, stained with blood.
A deathly silence fell upon the cave for a moment, leaving only the crackling of the torches and Song Zhong’s heavy breathing.
Zhang Biao, holding his handgun, cautiously scanned the cave entrance, confirming there were no new movements. He then quickly stepped forward and picked up the crucial package containing the account books.
He clutched it tightly, then turned to look at Song Zhong, whose face was ashen and shoulder injured.
“Old Song, are you alright?”
Zhang Biao asked as he tucked the account books inside his coat.
Song Zhong gritted his teeth and shook his head, staring fixedly at Captain Sun’s corpse, filled with disbelief and heartache:
“Just a flesh wound… I’m fine. It’s just… Sun Wang… he was with me for seven years!”
“Seven years of life and death, I treated him like a brother! How could he…”
“When did he join your men?”
Zhang Biao interrupted his emotional outburst, asking calmly.
Now was not the time for sentimentality.
Song Zhong forced himself to calm down, trying to recall:
“I can’t recall the exact date, but he was transferred under my command around the 20th year of Hongwu.”
“He was an orphan, with no family in the Imperial Guard, but he was diligent and skilled, so I gradually promoted him…”
Suddenly, Song Zhong remembered something else, his expression growing even more grim:
“Last year, his wife and children went to her parents’ home for a visit, and the boat they were traveling on capsized unexpectedly, with no remains found… I even drank with him all night to comfort him…”
“Now that I think about it, he must have already arranged his escape route then, sending his family away to hide!”
Zhang Biao gave a cold smile, his tone laced with sarcasm: “It seems your so-called ‘ironclad’ Imperial Guard has long been riddled with infiltrators.”
Hearing this, a complex expression of shame and anger flashed across Song Zhong’s face. He was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice:
“Sir, you may not know, but during the Hongwu Dynasty, when selecting Imperial Guards, besides the sons of meritorious officials and elite soldiers, they also recruited individuals from respectable backgrounds or with special skills, even… descendants of convicts, for control purposes.”
“The backgrounds of some individuals are indeed difficult to ascertain completely, inevitably leading to loopholes.”
After listening, a flash of inspiration struck Zhang Biao. He suddenly squatted down and began to tear at Captain Sun’s clothes.
“Sir, what are you doing?” Song Zhong asked, confused.
“Let’s see if he has that kind of tattoo on him!”
Zhang Biao’s hands did not stop, and he quickly pulled open Captain Sun’s upper garment.
Near the location of his chest, close to the bullet wound, there was a large patch of irregular scar tissue on the skin, its color slightly different from the surrounding area.
The scar was clearly recent, appearing to be the result of intentionally destroying something with a corrosive agent or branding iron.
Although the original pattern was no longer recognizable, the scar itself, which was an attempt to conceal, spoke volumes.
“As expected!”
Zhang Biao’s gaze was sharp as a knife:
“That mysterious organization has begun to erase their tracks! They foresaw potential exposure, so they preemptively ordered these hidden moles to destroy their markings!”
He then recalled the words Captain Sun had shouted before his death.
【 I am just a pawn the Prince placed by your side! 】
“Prince…”
Zhang Biao slowly stood up and met Song Zhong’s gaze, both seeing a deep chill in each other’s eyes.
Although they had previously suspected that a certain Prince might be the mastermind, the impact of this suspicion being personally confirmed by a core member of their own side before death was still immense.
The energy and far-reaching plans of this ‘Prince’ were simply astonishing.
Not only could he infiltrate Grain Transport and Garrison systems, but he had also planted such deep and crucial moles within the Imperial Guard, the Emperor’s personal army.
“This Prince… is too terrifying.”
Song Zhong’s voice was slightly dry.
At this very moment—
“Kill—!”
A deafening roar of battle suddenly erupted from outside the cave.
This was followed by the clanging of weapons and shouts of agony.
“Bad! They’re fighting outside!” Song Zhong’s face changed drastically.
Zhang Biao’s eyes sharpened: “It was the gunshot just now! It gave them the signal! If Captain Sun failed, they would immediately launch an assault!”
The two no longer had time to analyze. They immediately grabbed the strong bow and leather armor, which served as evidence, and Zhang Biao tightly secured the account books, preparing to rush out of the cave.
However, as they approached the cave entrance, before they could even see the situation outside—
“Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!”
Several sharp arrows, whistling through the air, accurately shot towards the spot where they had just appeared, embedding themselves deeply into the stone walls and ground of the cave entrance!
Fortunately, Song Zhong was experienced. The moment he heard the twang of a bowstring, he yanked Zhang Biao hard, and they tumbled back into the cave’s cover in a disheveled state.
“Damn it! The cave entrance is blocked!”
Zhang Biao spat, his heart sinking.
The sounds of fighting outside grew louder.
Clearly, the Imperial Guards left to guard the cave entrance were engaged in a fierce battle with a numerically superior enemy, and judging by the sounds, they were being pushed back.
“Sir! Sir Song!”
An Imperial Guard, covered in blood, scrambled back into the cave, an arrow still stuck in his shoulder, shouting hoarsely:
“We can’t hold on! There are too many people outside! At least three times our number! And they’re all skilled fighters!”
Despair!
True despair!
Traitors had just been dealt with internally, strong enemies surrounded them externally, the cave entrance was sealed by gunfire, and their own casualties were heavy.
Zhang Biao leaned against the cold rock, clearly hearing his heart pounding violently.
He glanced at the account books in his embrace, which felt like a hot potato, then looked at the remaining Song Zhong and a few battle-scarred subordinates beside him.
Song Zhong, clutching his shoulder, his face pale, but his eyes still firm:
“Sir, the account books must not be lost! I will lead the brothers to protect you and fight our way out!”
“A frontal assault is suicide!”
Zhang Biao flatly rejected the idea. His mind raced under the pressure of life and death, his gaze sharply sweeping the interior of the cave.
The firelight flickered, illuminating the jagged, strange rocks on the cave walls and the not-yet-cold corpse of Captain Sun on the ground.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on the tin box where he had found the account books earlier. He then looked at the scattered wooden boxes containing the strong bow and leather armor on the ground, and an extremely bold, even crazy, idea took shape in his mind.
“Old Song!”
Zhang Biao grabbed Song Zhong’s arm, his eyes flashing with a desperate light: “We can’t leave through the cave entrance!”
“Then from where…”
Song Zhong was taken aback.
Zhang Biao pointed to a darker area deeper within the cave:
“This cave can’t possibly have only one exit! Even animals know to leave themselves a way out. Geng Zhong hid the stolen goods, would he not leave himself an escape tunnel?!”
Song Zhong’s eyes lit up, but then dimmed again: “But… there’s no time to search! We can’t hold out much longer outside!”
“No need to search!”
Zhang Biao’s tone was decisive, with an almost savage confidence: “Let’s take a gamble!”
He stopped explaining and quickly issued orders:
“Drag Captain Sun’s and that brother’s bodies near the cave entrance, and bring these open boxes to the entrance! Create the illusion that we are still holding our ground inside!”
“After that’s done, everyone, take the remaining military equipment and torches, and follow me to the deepest part of the cave!”
Although they didn’t understand what Zhang Biao intended to do, they had no other choice at this moment and could only obey.
Soon, the cave entrance was hastily arranged, giving the impression that someone was still stubbornly resisting.
Zhang Biao quickly took out a thin, transparent thread and pulled it taut around the boxes, then took out a pear-shaped black object, tied it to the thread, and carefully placed it in a corner of the boxes.
After finishing, he, along with Song Zhong and the remaining four or five men, holding torches, unhesitatingly rushed towards the unknown dark depths of the cave.
Behind them, the sounds of battle and screams from the direction of the cave entrance grew closer. The enemy had clearly broken through the outer defenses and were about to storm into the cave.
Their time was running out.
On the other side, outside Black Wind Gully, deep within the dense forest.
A man with a ‘scarred face,’ blending into the shadows like a rock, calmly observed the cave entrance not far away.
The ferocious scar on his face appeared even more menacing in the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves.
He was surrounded by over a dozen skilled men in black. Among them, two lean scouts with movements like civets were particularly noticeable.
These were the same black-clad men who had tracked Zhang Biao and the others last time, known as the ‘Shadow Twin Killers.’
“A musket was fired inside once, followed by only scattered arrows of resistance.”
A subordinate responsible for surveillance reported in a low voice: “Captain Sun did not come out, it seems he failed.”
The scarred-face man’s eyes showed no fluctuation, only a slight nod.
He looked up at the sky, calculating rapidly in his mind.
“Reinforcements from the Imperial Guard will be dispatched from the nearest garrison. Even with the fastest response, it will take at least an hour to reach this place.”
His voice was hoarse and deep: “We still have time.”
The leader of the ‘Shadow Twin Killers,’ a man with eyes as fierce as an eagle’s, interjected:
“Boss, that firearm in Zhang Biao’s hand is extremely powerful, its sound like thunder, and it kills instantly. Captain Sun probably met his end because of it.”
“They are now trapped in the cave, with only two choices: either hold out and wait for reinforcements, or… find an escape route we don’t know about.”
The second of the ‘Shadow Twin Killers,’ a pale, thin man, added:
“The cave entrance is narrow, easy to defend and difficult to attack. A frontal assault would result in too many casualties. But if they truly have a rear exit, they must be preparing to break out now.”
The scarred-face man remained silent for a moment, his sharp gaze sweeping over the cave entrance.
Only a few scattered arrows were shot from there, and the resistance had clearly weakened.
“Captain Sun failed, Zhang Biao must be on high alert. Holding out for reinforcements is the inferior option; they cannot afford to wait.”
The scarred-face man made his judgment, his tone icy:
“They are more likely feigning strength to cover their real breakout attempt!”
“Or… there’s something else within the cave!”
He hesitated no longer and waved his hand sharply:
“Attack! But be careful of Zhang Biao’s firearm! Twin Killers, you lead your men to fire at the cave entrance with your firearms, test the situation!”
“Yes!”
The ‘Shadow Twin Killers’ acknowledged the order and immediately signaled to several subordinates behind them.
Two of them took out two strangely shaped firearms with long barrels from their backs and began preparing to fire.
Although these firearms were slow to load, and their range and accuracy were far inferior to Zhang Biao’s Glock handgun, they still possessed considerable lethality at close range.
“Aim at those boxes and cover at the cave entrance!”
The leader of the ‘Shadow Twin Killers’ ordered.
“Bang! Bang!”
Two muffled gunshots echoed through the valley, and lead bullets whistled towards the wooden boxes and rocks piled at the cave entrance, splattering wood chips and stone fragments.
However, there was no reaction from inside the cave entrance, apart from the disturbed debris.
No screams, no return fire, not even a human sound.
A dead silence.
This unusual silence made the scarred-face man frown deeply.
“Could it be… they really escaped through another way?”
The second of the ‘Shadow Twin Killers’ asked doubtfully.
A hot-headed black-clad man couldn’t help himself, spitting:
“Who cares! We’ll know once we go in and check! Maybe those two muskets just took everyone inside down!”
Saying this, without waiting for the scarred-face man’s order, he bravely charged towards the cave entrance, holding his steel knife and crouching low.
He approached cautiously, using the tip of his knife to prod open a splintered wooden box hit by the musket, and peered inside.
In the dim light filtering in from outside, he seemed to see scattered boxes and faintly the shape of someone lying down.
“Boss! It looks like there’s no movement inside! Maybe they’re all dead…”
His heart filled with joy, he pulled open a broken box and shouted back towards the scarred-face man and the others.
However, the instant he uttered the word ‘dead’!
“Rumble—!”
An earth-shattering roar suddenly erupted from deep within the cave!
As if the earth itself had split open, the entire gully trembled!
Centered on the cave entrance, a massive wave of air, mixed with flames, smoke, and debris, violently erupted outwards like a volcanic eruption!
The black-clad man who had just been speaking, before he could even scream, was instantly torn to shreds and thrown outward like he had been hit by an invisible giant hammer, his limbs and body fragments scattering everywhere, mixed with stones and earth!
The terrifying shockwave followed closely behind!
The scarred-face man, the ‘Shadow Twin Killers,’ and the other black-clad men standing a short distance away felt an irresistible immense force hit their chests, their ears ringing.
Several people closer spat blood and collapsed on the ground.
The cave entrance groaned under the explosion, large rocks thundered down, and dust billowed up, instantly burying more than half of the entrance.
“Cough… ugh…”
The scarred-face man staggered to his feet, his face covered in dirt, his ears still ringing.
He looked in disbelief at the collapsed and still-smoking cave entrance, his face showing a look of utter shock for the first time.
The ‘Shadow Twin Killers’ were in an even more pathetic state, lying on the ground, coughing violently, their eyes filled with fear and lingering terror.
They never imagined that Zhang Biao had not only not run but had prepared such a vicious and resolute ‘gift’ for them in their moment of desperation!
This was not the kind of disturbance that ordinary firearms could cause!
This was clearly… a massive explosion caused by the detonation of a large amount of gunpowder!
“Where… where did he get gunpowder from?!”
The eldest brother of the ‘Shadow Twins’ voice trembled as he asked the shock in everyone’s hearts.
Scarface did not reply; he merely stared fixedly at the ruins, his face ashen.
He seemed to understand.
Zhang Biao, that madman, had exploited their eagerness to reclaim the evidence, using those boxes as a diversion to secretly set up such a trap.
He must have gathered the small amount of gunpowder confiscated earlier, or seized from the garrisons, to create this fatal explosive device.
And that reckless subordinate had become the final death knell that detonated this deadly trap.
“Zhang Biao… you madman! You devil!”
Scarface spat out these words through clenched teeth, his body ice-cold.
At this moment, the second brother of the ‘Shadow Twins’ asked with a trembling voice, “Boss… Boss, what do we do now?”
Scarface glanced fearfully at the cave entrance, then at the corpses on the ground, and said in a deep voice:
“Deal with the bodies first, don’t leave any traces, then search for an exit nearby! If they dared to do this, they must have found a way out!”
“Yes!”
The ‘Shadow Twins’ exchanged glances and immediately obeyed.
Meanwhile.
Deep within the cave, behind a narrow, slippery, and clearly force-opened hidden crevice by Zhang Biao and his men, Zhang Biao listened to the muffled explosions and faint screams from behind him, a cold and weary smile curving his lips.
“Heh… this welcome gift should keep them busy.”
“Sir, what was that black thing just now?”
Song Zhong couldn’t help but ask.
Zhang Biao glanced at him and replied nonchalantly, “Mind your own business when it comes to underworld matters!”
With that, he waved his hand without another word: “Let’s go! There’s only one of those things, they’ll be chasing us soon!”
Upon hearing this, the Imperial Guards exchanged glances.
But their awe for the mysterious ‘Lord Zhang’ only deepened.
As they continued deeper into the cave, the path underfoot became increasingly rough, and the air was filled with the musty smell of dampness and an indescribable chill emanating from the depths of the earth.
“Sir, it looks like the path ends ahead!”
After an unknown amount of time, an Imperial Guard, holding a torch and leading the way, exclaimed with despair.
Illuminated by the torchlight, the path ahead was a moss-covered rock face, seemingly the end of the cave.
Song Zhong’s heart sank to the bottom.
Zhang Biao, however, did not panic. He raised his torch, carefully observing the rock face ahead, as well as the sides and the ground.
“It can’t be completely sealed.”
Zhang Biao’s tone was so calm it was almost cold: “Search carefully! Look for cracks, traces of water, airflow!”
He crouched down, touching the ground with his hand, feeling an extremely faint, almost imperceptible current of air.
His gaze finally settled on a spot at the bottom of the rock face, half-concealed by several seemingly casually scattered stones.
The moss there seemed less dense than nearby, and its growth pattern was somewhat peculiar.
“Move these stones!” Zhang Biao immediately ordered.
Two Imperial Guards stepped forward and laboriously moved the heavy stones.
As the stones were moved, a dark crevice, just large enough for one person to crawl through, was revealed.
A more distinct, cool breeze, carrying the muddy scent of earth, blew out from the crevice.
“There’s wind! It’s a way to survive!” Song Zhong exclaimed with pleasant surprise.
“Quick! Get in!” Zhang Biao, without hesitation, was about to lower himself first.
“Sir, let me go first!”
An Imperial Guard rushed forward and was the first to crawl into the crevice to investigate.
A moment later, his voice echoed from within, with a slight reverberation: “Sir! The space inside seems larger, we can walk!”
Salvation from despair!
Everyone’s spirits soared, and they immediately crawled into the crevice one by one.
Song Zhong, enduring his shoulder injury, followed closely behind Zhang Biao.
The crevice was initially extremely narrow, just wide enough for a person, but after a few dozen steps, it indeed opened up, revealing an underground passage, whether natural or simply modified by human hands.
Although still narrow and low, it allowed people to walk with bent backs.
“Hurry! They’ll soon realize we’re not in the cave!” Zhang Biao urged.
The group dared not delay, following the dark, winding passage, guided by the faint light of their torches, stumbling forward.
After an unknown amount of time traveling in the darkness, a faint glimmer of daylight finally appeared ahead.
“An exit! It’s an exit!”
Someone whispered with suppressed excitement.
Everyone quickened their pace, approaching the source of the light.
It was also an exit cleverly concealed by vines and weeds, extremely well-hidden, located on the mountainside on the other side of Black Wind Gully.
Zhang Biao motioned for everyone to be silent, carefully pushed aside the vines, and looked outside.
The sky outside was already bright, the mountains and forests were quiet, and the birds sang in the tranquil mountains, as if the life-and-death struggle just moments ago had been a nightmare.
However, the distant clamor faintly heard from the direction of the gully served as a reminder that the danger had not yet passed.
“Temporarily safe.”
Zhang Biao whispered, “But we can’t stay long, they’ll surely search the mountains!”
Song Zhong looked at Zhang Biao, his face filled with relief from surviving and admiration: “Sir, how did you know there was definitely a way out?”
Zhang Biao patted the stiff account books in his arms and tugged at the corner of his mouth:
“For someone like Geng Zhong, having multiple escape routes is instinctual. He dared to bring things here to destroy them, which means this place was safe enough.”
“But even the safest place has its moments of insecurity, so he absolutely would have left himself an escape route.”
“And I just happened to win the gamble.”
Having said that, he surveyed the four remaining people beside him, all injured and looking exhausted.
“Take a headcount, treat your wounds, we must leave here immediately and find a safe place to make further plans.”
Half an hour later, in a derelict temporary hunter’s cabin deeper in the mountains, the survivors finally found a moment of respite.
Counting them, out of the more than ten elites who entered the cave with them, only Zhang Biao, Song Zhong, and three battle-weary Imperial Guards remained.
Those left to guard the cave entrance had likely met a grim fate.
The price was heavy.
Zhang Biao sat leaning against the cold earthen wall and cautiously took out the blood-stained account books again.
Under the firelight, the verification symbols of the Imperial Granary and the records pointing to the princes seemed particularly glaring.
“Old Song, we are now targets of public criticism.”
Zhang Biao’s voice was somewhat hoarse: “Those outside who want to kill us and seize the account books are likely sent by that unknown ‘Prince’.”
Song Zhong nodded grimly: “And our forces are severely depleted. With such important evidence, it’s as difficult as scaling the heavens to return safely to Yingtian Prefecture.”
He glanced at Zhang Biao: “Sir, should we find a place to hide the account books and travel light to draw away the pursuers?”
“No!”
Zhang Biao flatly refused:
“The account books must remain in our possession! Hiding them is riskier, and without the account books, even if we return to the Capital City, we’ll have no proof and might even be framed!”
He pondered for a moment, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes: “We cannot return directly to Yingtian. The target is too big, and checkpoints along the way could be controlled by them.”
“Then where do we go?” an Imperial Guard asked.
Zhang Biao’s gaze turned westward, and he slowly uttered a place name: “Wuchang!”
“Wuchang?”
Song Zhong was startled: “That’s Prince Chu’s territory, and… didn’t we deliberately spread rumors earlier about investigating Prince Chu?”
“Precisely because we spread the rumors, they might think we won’t go! This is called feinting and striking!”
Zhang Biao analyzed: “Prince Chu, Zhu Zhen, has a low profile among the princes, and his fiefdom is relatively stable.”
“More importantly, Wuchang is a vital land and water transportation hub, and information flows freely there!”
“We can use the channels there to find a way to deliver the contents of the account books and our findings back to the Capital in the safest way possible!”
He looked at Song Zhong: “Old Song, do you have anyone in the Wuchang Garrison system whom you absolutely trust?”
Song Zhong thought carefully and nodded solemnly:
“Yes! Chen Qianxiang, the Commander of the Wuchang Garrison, is a brother I’ve risked my life with, absolutely reliable!”
“Good!”
Zhang Biao slapped his thigh: “We’ll go to Wuchang! We’ll use it as a base!”
“On one hand, we’ll try to transmit the information, and on the other, we’ll see if we can find any more clues about other princes, or that mysterious organization, from Prince Chu!”
He put away the account books, stood up, and his gaze swept over the exhausted men:
“Rest for an hour, treat your wounds, replenish your energy. Then we’ll take a detour south and head straight for Wuchang!”
“Yes!”
In this desperate situation, Zhang Biao once again pointed the way, rekindling hope in their hearts.
Before long, Zhang Biao walked out of the wooden hut again, gazing at the layered mountains in the distance. The mountain wind blew across his face, covered in dust and bloodstains.
He touched the account books in his arms, then felt the Glock pistol in his embrace, which had few bullets left.
Old Zhu, you wait, I’ll send you a big gift!
…
Seeking monthly tickets~
