novelnext Chapter 9 Assassination
Chapter 9 Assassination
As soon as the four of them stepped out of the shed, the gust of wind outside began to sneak into their collars.
Liu Gao shivered from the cold.
"Dragging someone out of a straw hut in the middle of the night, it can't be anything good."
Yan Qi slung the bow over his shoulder and whispered, "Even if something good happens, it won't be your turn."
"Well, if that's how you put it, then I have something to say too."
As Liu Gao walked, he fastened his armor belt. "What if the central army is having extra food? I only had two bowls of porridge tonight, and my stomach is so empty, it'll rumble in the wind."
Lin Jun turned his face to the side and whispered, "Wang Tou doesn't look well, stop joking."
Mo Qin looked up.
Wang De, who was at the very front, was carrying a torch, and his pace was so fast that he was like a rabbit chasing a mountain.
Normally, he would curse with great force, but now he didn't utter a single word of nonsense, just silently leading the way.
There were more and more people around.
They weren't the only ones following behind.
They were all people transferred from other parts of the forward camp; each one looked capable of fighting, running, and doing manual labor.
Lin Jun added quietly, "The time to earn reputation has come."
"How so?" Mo Qin asked.
Lin Jun glanced around and said, "Look, those drawn are all formidable characters. It means we'll need manpower tonight."
Just then, Wang De turned around and interrupted their conversation: "Shut up! Listen up. Once we're at the central command, no looking around, no asking questions, and no interrupting. Tonight is the changing of the guard, not a show. Anyone who dares to open their mouth in the wrong place will be unable to open it again tomorrow morning."
Liu Gao pursed his lips, swallowed hard, and swallowed his words back.
As they walked further in, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
The gates opened and closed, the barricades were moved, the number of torches doubled, and the patrolling soldiers changed from two to three people per group.
When they reached the second gate, Wang De exchanged passwords with the old soldier guarding the gate.
"It's cold."
"Ice-induced cold."
"Though the weather is cold and our armor is cold, our hearts are not cold."
The old gatekeeper then lifted his spear to let them in.
Liu Gao lowered his voice: "Is it that troublesome?"
Mo Qin said in a low voice, "Night shift changes are stricter than daytime shift changes. Just recognizing faces isn't enough; faces can be mistaken, and people can fake it. Passwords, waist tags, and signal lights—missing any one of them is unacceptable. Especially in the central army, anyone who dares to skip this procedure is essentially offering their head to be chopped off."
Lin Jun added, "We need to remember this. If you answer even half a word wrong, just press the button."
Upon hearing this, Wang De coldly remarked, "At least the meals at the front camp weren't a complete waste."
Further ahead, dozens of people had already gathered outside the Central Military Training Ground.
Not just them.
People were temporarily drawn from the front camp, outer camp, firemen, and supply depot.
After a habitual observation, Mochin noticed a few guys with strange expressions.
His eyes are quite lively, and his posture is reserved; he's probably a player too.
Some people appear serious on the surface, but their eyes keep drifting towards the yamen tent.
Some people had their heads down, as if they weren't seeing anything, but in reality, their ears were perked up more than anyone else's.
The small text in the bottom right corner has already started to appear.
[Channel News: Has the Central Army really reassigned personnel?]
This wasn't a routine shift change; Li Rusong suspected there were Japanese spies in the camp.
[Japanese spies? How did these Japanese infiltrate?]
[Local spies, Korean defectors, military informants—which line can't you infiltrate? Do you really think ancient military camps are secret chambers?]
[Hilarious! Which is more valuable, the storyline of protecting the commander or the storyline of killing the commander?]
[Nonsense, of course it's the latter. How many Japanese soldiers is one Li Rusong worth?]
Are you all crazy? If you really kill him, the aid-to-North Korea line will collapse.
[It's more interesting when it crashes. If it crashes, we'll make a fortune.]
[Dongguan Akhal-Teke Horse: The winds are blowing against us tonight. Anyone who wants to remain neutral should stay away.]
[Wolong is Chengdu: Less nonsense, more observation.]
After reading the news, Mo Qin had a vague feeling that something big was about to happen.
I need to think carefully about what Wolong said.
Protecting Li Rusong might bring benefits.
Eliminating Li Rusong would force the Ming Dynasty to make a dramatic change in its aid to Korea, bringing even greater prestige and rewards.
For some players, there are no principles, only interests.
Han Shouyi then emerged from the firelight.
He was wearing a cotton armor, and his waist knife gleamed coldly under the lamp.
After coming out, he didn't waste any words. He looked everyone over before speaking:
"Commander Li has given the order: the central army will be given a fresh batch of new faces tonight."
The drill ground suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Han Shouyi continued, "There were two disturbances in the camp this afternoon, and bloodshed occurred again in the central army last night. Commander Li suspects that someone in the camp has sold their ears and eyes to the Japanese. The same faces have been used for too long, and it's easy to tell who knows whom and who they associate with. In that case, we'll change to new faces tonight."
He raised his hand and pointed towards the central army.
"Everyone, tonight you will not enter the inner tent, but only cover the outer perimeter. You are responsible for three things: guarding the way, changing shifts, and keeping watch on the relay of orders."
"Remember, when the central command relays orders at night, we need to recognize not only the person, but also their waist tag, password, and light signal. A messenger without a waist tag is a fake! Anyone who can only call out names but not the password is a fake! Anyone who dares to try and enter despite the incorrect light signal should be apprehended first, and we'll report it later if anything goes wrong!"
"besides..."
"Tonight, anyone who dares to wander around, anyone who dares to switch places without permission, anyone who dares to let someone pass by without authorization shall be considered an accomplice to the enemy."
As soon as he finished speaking, the tall, thin man took half an inch back, as if he remembered something, and then abruptly stopped.
Mochin understood.
Li Rusong suspected there was a mole in the army and temporarily pulled out a new face to fill the outer circle.
Although the new recruits are inexperienced, precisely because they are new, they don't have as many complicated relationships.
This trick isn't particularly clever, but it's very practical.
Lin Jun touched the back of Mo Qin's hand.
"He's here."
Mo Qin followed her gaze.
The curtain of the central command tent was lifted.
Two bodyguards came out first, followed by Li Rusong.
He wasn't wearing heavy armor, just a slightly worn dark-colored robe with a short jacket over it. His complexion wasn't good either, as if he had just finished something.
Upon seeing Li Shuai, the veterans around him instinctively straightened their backs.
Li Rusong was followed by Li Rubai.
The two brothers don't look very alike when they stand together, but their temperament is absolutely inherited.
Li Rubai had a colder demeanor and sharper eyes, and stood silently to the side.
Liu Gao stared at Li Rusong for a couple of seconds and muttered under his breath, "He's much thinner than I thought... He looks even more tired than our commander."
"Shut up."
Wang De gave a low shout.
Mo Qin's first impression was the same as Liu Gao's: he was physically and mentally exhausted.
As he walked under the lamp, Li Rusong scanned the group of people changing shifts.
Everyone looked down at the ground, and no one dared to look him in the eye for too long.
Then he asked Han Shouyi, "Have you explained the password clearly?"
"I've explained it clearly." Han Shouyi clasped his hands in a fist salute.
"What's the rotation order?"
"First, hand over the lights at the old post, then the plaque, then check the password. That's correct."
At that moment, Lin Jun's eyes narrowed.
She first looked at the camp entrance on the left.
There came a messenger walking briskly, with a wooden sign hanging from his waist and a small lamp in his hand, followed by two armored old soldiers.
There's nothing wrong with his movements, expression, and way of walking.
But Lin Jun only glanced at it before whispering, "That's not right."
Mo Qin turned his head: "What's wrong?"
"The light is wrong."
Lin Jun whispered, "When the central army changes guard at night, the messenger lantern is usually only covered by a white leather cover, to avoid confusion. This one is carrying a yellow lantern. Also, his waist tag is upside down."
Realizing something was about to happen, Mo Qin quickly looked over.
It really is!
The tag on the messenger's waist looked fine, but the direction of the rope buckle was reversed.
It looks more like it was just temporarily hung up.
"Should we report it?" Mochin asked.
Lin Jun stared at the man, his gaze never leaving him: "Act according to the situation."
As the two were talking, the messenger approached.
He first bowed to Han Shouyi, and then said, "Master Han, the password has been changed."
Li Rusong turned his head and said, "When did I change the password?"
The messenger reacted quickly, immediately adding, "Reporting to Commander Li, it was Second Master who just..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Jun rushed forward and shouted sharply.
"This man is an assassin!"
The messenger's expression immediately changed.
As if she had seen something, Lin Jun suddenly raised her hand and screamed:
"right!"
Mo Qin didn't have time to think; his body moved first.
He's someone who's survived the apocalypse; his actions are always one step ahead of his thoughts.
As soon as Lin Jun finished speaking, he crashed into Li Rusong.
The next moment, the dark figure stood up from behind the lamp stand on the right.
The bowstring vibrated.
The arrow went straight for Li Rusong's chest.
The distance was too close, and the speed was extremely fast!
As a result, Mo Qin only had time to pull Li Rusong half a step to the side, while simultaneously turning his own body.
With a soft "thud," the arrow pierced his left shoulder.
It really stung!
It was like a piece of red-hot iron piercing into flesh.
Li Rusong was also knocked off balance by the impact.
But he didn't fall!
Mo Qin felt someone support his side, the force was not strong, but it was very steady, it was Li Rusong who stood firm.
The next moment, Li Shuai gripped the hilt of his knife and looked in the direction from which the arrow had come.
Liu Gao was the first to react: "Brother Qin!"
The scene instantly descended into chaos.
The fake messenger drew a short blade from his sleeve and charged straight at Li Rusong.
Liu Gao usually looks simple-minded, but when he really puts his strength into it, he's like a black bear. He pounced on the assassin, knocking him and the assassin over. The two rolled around in a heap, and the short blade fell into the mud.
At the same time, a second figure moved behind the lamp stand on the right.
It was a man wearing Ming army cotton armor. He moved extremely fast. When he realized that his plan had been exposed, he turned around and retreated into the darkness.
Yan Qi didn't aim; he simply raised his hand and fired an arrow.
The arrow missed its target but became embedded in a wooden stake at the man's feet, causing him to pause.
"Left! Jump over the fence!"
One of the players standing at the edge of the crowd shouted.
Mo Qin turned his head and saw that the man had a shallow scar on the end of his left eyebrow.
Yan Qi's second arrow missed again.
But it still had an effect; the man hesitated for a moment.
Two bodyguards seized the opportunity to rush forward and block the road.
The scene was in complete chaos.
The spot where Mo Qin was shot in the shoulder with an arrow began to react, and half of his arm felt incredibly numb.
"Holy crap, it's a poisoned arrow!"
Gritting his teeth, Mo Qin broke the arrow, thinking it would be poisoned, but instead a surge of heat rushed up through the wound.
In the lower right corner of my field of vision, the small red characters for "the park" flashed by.
Toxin intrusion detected.
[Adapted for enhanced (incomplete) startup.]
[Toxicity analysis in progress...]
[Some of the toxicity has been absorbed.]
[Slightly improved antitoxicity.]
Mochin's eyelids twitched. What?
Do I still have this ability?
The next moment, he found that the poison swirled around on his shoulder, as if it was being blocked by something.
The fake messenger, who was wrestling with Liu Gao, was about to turn over and pick up his knife.
"Go to hell!" Mo Qin rushed over and kicked him in the wrist.
With a snap, the man screamed as the knife slipped from his hand.
Mo Qin grabbed his collar again and threw him to the ground.
The force was so great that the man immediately lost consciousness.
"Hold him down!"
Mo Qin shouted.
Liu Gao pinned the man to the ground and twisted his arms behind his back.
On the other side, Li Rubai, who was in the distance, made a move.
He snatched the spear from his guard and stabbed the assassin who was climbing over the fence.
The assassin was clearly skilled; he twisted his waist and narrowly avoided the spear tip, then pulled out a short arrow from his pocket.
"court death."
Li Rubai coldly uttered two words.
Before he finished speaking, his personal guards had already surrounded him.
The assassin was decisive; seeing that he couldn't escape, he suddenly reversed the short arrow and thrust it straight into his own throat.
But someone is faster than him!
Li Rubai thrust the shaft of his gun forward, pressing it against the man's elbow and deflecting the arrow by half an inch.
Half an inch is enough.
When the guards rushed up, one of them punched him in the temple, and he went limp on the spot, being pinned to the ground by several men.
From the moment Lin Jun noticed something was wrong to the moment both assassins were captured, only a dozen or so breaths had passed.
But in just those dozen or so breaths, everyone was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.
After the situation was brought under control, the wind, mixed with snow, was still blowing, but no one spoke.
Everyone is waiting...
When Li Rusong spoke.