Chapter 82 - Spotting and Stalking the Target (1/2)

Chapter 82: Spotting and Stalking the Target

Beads of scalding sweat were streaming down his cheeks. Ling Zhang was sweating buckets from somewhat hot medicated bathwater and scorching steam. Though this was the second time that he had taken a medicated bath, he still found the numbness, itch and pain exceptionally unbearable, as if numerous ants were gnawing at his heart. He clenched his fists. His fingertips had deeply sunk into his palm. Fortunately he had no sharp nails. Otherwise his palms would have been mangled and b.l.o.o.d.y by now.

This was such a miserable experience.

Ling Zhang gritted his teeth to prevent any groan from escaping his lips, as if that would be a signal that would throw him into a breakdown.

Yuwen Tong, whose palms were pressed against Ling Zhang’s back, was continuously injecting warm energy into his body, expanding his meridians bit by bit. He was also sweating profusely.

“Hang in there.”

Seeing that Ling Zhang was suffering from the process, Yuwen Tong couldn’t help encouraging him.

The first time was the most painful, but the second time was the most intolerable.

Only by enduring the first two times accustoming himself to the effects of the medicine would Ling Zhang feel less miserable.

Finally, it was over. Not surprisingly, Ling Zhang pa.s.sed out again when he abruptly relaxed his concentration.

Like the last time, Yuwen Tong carried him out of the bathing pool, helped him change his clothes and then left.

Since Xia Feng had already seen this kind of thing happen once, he had been quiet from start to finish. After Yuwen Tong left, he stayed in the ante-room.

When Ling Zhang was asleep, something unusual happened outside the Prefecture Encampment as well.

“Elder Brother w.a.n.g, we got company.”

Liu Yi hiding outside the Prefecture Encampment pushed w.a.n.g Dashan who was sleeping soundly beside him. Though w.a.n.g Dashan seemed to be in a deep sleep, he woke up immediately after Liu Yi touched him, and his eyes lit up. “They arrived?”

“Yeah.” Liu Yi pointed in a direction. “There.”

w.a.n.g Dashan craned out of the cover and, as expected, saw half a dozen tough hombres, who were dressed like common residents but walking very like bandits, go to the entrance of the encampment, show the guards something like an ID plate and then enter the encampment swaggeringly.

“Young Master was right. These guys indeed come here tonight!”

w.a.n.g Dashan stared at the Prefecture Encampment with piercing eyes, trying to figure out what those people did in there. Pity his eyesight was not that good, so he angrily gave up.

“There’s no need to be anxious, Elder Brother w.a.n.g. Don’t let fretfulness cloud your judgement. Since young master only bade us stalk those bandits, all we need to do is follow them closely after they come out. The Prefecture Encampment is heavily guarded. Even if we manage to sneak in, we won’t be able to eavesdrop on them.”

“I know. I’m angry because as the commander of the Prefecture Guards, Zhang Chong is so unruly as to let those bandits into the encampment with no misgivings whatsoever. He’s in thorough collusion with bandits!”

“Haven’t I informed you of this long ago? Why are you still so indignant?”

“Because now I saw it with my own eyes.”

Speechless with resignation, Liu Yi ignored him and re-concentrated his attention on the front gate of the Prefecture Encampment, waiting for those bandits to come out.

On a branch of a tree in the distance sat a man in black against the trunk, leisurely chewing a cracker half of which was between his lips. Compared with vigilant w.a.n.g Dashan, he literally seemed to be on an outing.

“Those two morons,” after hearing the conversation between Liu Yi and w.a.n.g Dashan, the man in black sneered. “They had the nerve to say that they were here to spy on people. I’ve been spying on you for several days, yet you didn’t spot me even once. If it weren’t for that I have orders from Marshal not to let Childe Ling know about this, I would have taught you a lesson long ago.” Neither Liu Yi nor w.a.n.g Dashan was aware that there was someone else who was staking out the Prefecture Encampment like they were. Finally, after about two hours, those bandits went out of the encampment, every one of whom was walking with a rolling gait. Manifestly they had drunk a lot of wine!

“Zhang Chong entertained these bandits at a banquet. As the Commander of the Prefecture Guards, he brought such a shame on the Great Yue.”

“Stop cursing and follow them.”

Liu Yi gave w.a.n.g Dashan a pull and followed those bandits. Gradually, they walked further away from the front gate of the Prefecture Encampment into a pitch-dark wood, where they saw that those bandits found their horses and were about to ride away.

“Hurry. Hurry. Pursue them,” Liu Yi anxiously urged.

“How the f.u.c.k are we supposed to do that? They got horses. You are going to run after them?” w.a.n.g Dashan cursed in an undertone, running rapidly.

Running side by side with him, Liu Yi said, “They’ve just drunk wine, so they can’t ride fast.”

“Well, lucky for us, they’ve just drunk wine.” w.a.n.g Dashan broke out in a cold sweat. ‘If these bandits had not drunk wine, would we be able to catch them up with our average lightness skills?’ he wondered.

“We’ve got to prepare horses next time.” w.a.n.g Dashan made a belated suggestion which was clearly a pointless afterthought.

Liu Yi speechlessly flicked a glance at him.

Like Liu Yi said, these bandits, having drunk much wine, didn’t dare to ride fast. They progressed slowly, talking dirty and laughing along the way.

After an hour.

“This direction… ” By moonlight, w.a.n.g Dashan looked around. “They’re heading for Qi County?”

“Is there anything special about Qi County?” Liu Yi asked him.