Chapter 367 (1/2)

Chapter 367: Frozen Wall

“When will the war ends, Nan Xun?” Jun Huang said, breaking the silence.

Nan Xun rested his chin over her head. “Soon.”

Jun Huang didn't question him. She hoped everything would be resolved soon. Then she would settle down in a quiet place with Nan Xun, leading a peaceful life with him. That was her idea of a happy ending.

They held each other for a long time until Nan Xun let go of Jun Huang and guided her to the bed. He covered her with a blanket.

“How is the plan going?” Jun Huang asked, staring at Nan Xun.

“I had a meeting with the officers. It seems that the snowfall would continue. We'll take action in a few days. However, we won't be able to scale down from the cliff in such harsh weather.”

Jun Huang nodded. They had to take the high ground back, but they weren't going to risk soldiers' lives unnecessarily. Nan Xun ma.s.saged her temples and murmured rea.s.surance to her, telling her to rest.

The snow did continue. While Nan Xun and his men were conserving strength, Ji Bo had been making preparations.

“Will this work, Gentleman Ji Bo?” the burly man asked with a hammer in his hand.

Ji Bo walked among the group. At the front, a few soldiers carved a path through the snow. The others walked along the path. Although the snow had been pushed to the side, every once in a while some of them would trip and fall.

As he spoke, the burly man hadn't forgotten to take care of the scholarly man, worried that his companion would fall. The scholarly man lifted his robe with a hand and put the other hand on the burly man's shoulder. They trudged through the snow with some difficulty.

“Of course it will,” Ji Bo said faintly and urged the others to hurry.

The burly man scratched his head. “Then why didn't you take more people with you?”

Ji Bo stopped, his gaze sweeping through everyone. “This plan is on a need-to-know basis.”

“He means there are spies in our ranks,” said the scholarly man. It was a statement rather than a question. His breaths fogged up the air, which made his face seem even paler. His forehead was covered in sweat.

Ji Bo gave them a noncommittal smile. “Don't tell anyone anything. I picked you to come with me because I trust you.”

He kept walking.

The scholarly man and his more strongly-built friend fell to the end of the group. He scoffed at Ji Bo's back. Whether he trusts us is another story. What's more important is that he can then kill everyone who knows about the plan if it's exposed.

The burly man didn't know what his friend was thinking. Noting the frown on his face, the burly man suggested that they took a short break. The scholarly man threw him a glance and said, “There's no need. Let's keep going.”

The burly man meekly kept pace with him.

They soon reached their destination – a lake that had been frozen over after the snowfall. No one knew how thick the ice was. They stayed some distance away.

Ji Bo knelt down to look at the water under the ice. He nodded to himself and beckoned the soldiers over. They cracked the ice with an ice pick and a hammer. A gust of cold air shot through the cracks.

“Fill the barrels with water and carry them back to the camp,” ordered Ji Bo.

“Won't the water freeze over on our way back?” asked the burly man.

Ji Bo gave him a look without a word. The scholarly man checked the barrels and huffed. The burly man hurried to his side. Inside each barrel was another barrel. The one outside was filled with oil. The burly man made the connections and slapped his forehead in realization.

“I didn't ask you here to be spectators,” Ji Bo said, looking up at them.

The burly man nodded and joined the scholarly man in filling the barrels with water. The soldiers would then carry the barrels back.

Ji Bo didn't stay for long. The burly man and the scholarly man stopped what they were doing.

The scholarly man looked at the high ground. The burly man asked, “What do you think he's doing?”

The scholarly man masked his doubtful look and shook his head.