Chapter 126: Burning the Provisions, Flushing Out the Enemy

The other two chimed in, "We will also entrust ours to our big brother."

"Fine, then!" The man who had been sitting across from them deflated like a punctured ball, his head drooping as he slumped into his seat.

A flicker of cunning danced in the young lad’s eyes, and a wicked smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. Quietly, he replaced the roof tile and vanished into the darkness of the night.

"Luring the tiger away from the mountain, are we? Pretending to surrender, are we? Tomorrow, I shall show you what it means to beat the grass and startle the snake."

The following day, a massive fire broke out in the southernmost major city near Yancheng. Flames licked the sky and black smoke billowed; word had it that the city lord’s military camp had been incinerated. Fortunately, the fire was brought under control in time, and the camp suffered only the loss of a few tents.

A middle-aged man stood by the ruins, his brow slightly furrowed. Though his face remained impassive, his heart was in turmoil: "The Chu family army really did come to burn the provisions. They are nothing but bandits! Thank goodness I discovered them in time! This won't do; this place is too dangerous..."

Thinking this, the man turned and ordered his attendant: "Go and summon the lords of the three nearby cities."

"Yes, sir!" The attendant scurried off.

Before long, the three city lords arrived in a flurry. The young lad, hidden in the distance, crept closer to the four men, step by step.

"Brother, why did you summon us so urgently?" asked a rugged man, looking completely bewildered.

The "big brother" wiped the sweat from his brow, still shaken. "My dear brother! It was just as you predicted; the Chu family army is no different from a band of brigands. Luckily, it was only a false alarm."

At these words, the three men exchanged shocked glances. Had the Chu family army already launched an offensive against them? They were horrified.

The big brother patted the man who had been sitting across from him the previous night and said earnestly, "It is fortunate that you had the foresight to feign weakness early on. Today, I shall entrust all of my provisions to you. You must hide them well."

The man cupped his hands, speaking with righteous fervor: "Rest assured, brother. You can trust me to handle this!"

"Good," the big brother nodded, relieved.

The remaining two looked at each other, nodded, and said in unison, "We, too, shall entrust our provisions to you."

The man straightened his shoulders, standing tall, and patted his chest. "I will not fail your expectations. I shall continue to feign weakness and provide you with supplies. Even if the Chu family army turns the world upside down, they will never find them. In time, they will inevitably be forced to retreat."

Chu Junhan sneered, turned, and vanished from the eaves.

***

Inside the main camp of the Chu family army, Tang Chen saw the young lad return and immediately hurried over with concern. "How was it, Junhan? Did you get any information?"

Chu Junhan flashed a wicked, charming smile, sat down in the main seat, and took a sip from a teacup. With eyes lowered and swirling the tea, he calmly uttered a single word: "Wait!"

"Wait?" Tang Chen looked puzzled. They could not afford to delay! Every day they waited, they consumed vast amounts of provisions. With their supplies already running low, if they did not secure more or capture the next city soon, they would be forced to withdraw and rethink their strategy.

"No, we cannot retreat!" Tang Chen shook his head, looking at the lad with a pleading expression. "Junhan, stop keeping me in suspense. Tell me why we are waiting. I have no confidence in this, and I am deeply anxious..."

Chu Junhan smiled gently, set down the teacup, lifted his eyes to look at the other, and raised an eyebrow. "We wait for the provisions of all four cities to be gathered in one place. Then, we shall strike them when they least expect it!"

"Gathered in one place? What brilliant scheme did you use to make them consolidate their supplies?"

One had to realize that the provisions of four cities were no small amount! If they managed to seize them, they would have enough to conquer several more cities!