Chapter 79: Trap
Editor:Â Atlas Studios
Mu Yangling called the 54 chosen people to her side. The 18 broadswords and 10 sabers obtained after killing the Hus were distributed. The remaining people held kitchen knives, hoes, sticks, and other tools that they deemed suitable.
Mu Yangling said in a deep voice, âWhen we fight the enemies later, you can take the opportunity to seize their weapons. For now, make do. Remember, our mission is not to kill, but to lure the enemy away or delay them. Try your best to stay alive.â
Liu Xuan said in a low voice, âIsnât this still running for oneâs life?â
âYes, but you have to listen to my orders. No one is allowed to escape in a disorderly manner.â Mu Yangling turned around and said to Liu He, âVillage Chief, you still have to choose five to six people to report to the county. There are many villages along the way, and we arenât just saving people from our village. I wonder how the town is doing.â
The road they were taking now didnât pass through town. Thinking of the cavalry that had ambushed them just now, Liu He wasnât too optimistic about the situation in town.
In the end, Mu Yangling said goodbye to her father. âFather, donât tell Mother and Bowen about this. Just say that Iâm scouting ahead.â
Mu Shi nodded and touched his daughterâs head, his throat dry. It took him a while before he could speak again. âBe careful.â
Mu Yangling nodded, carried her dry food, and left with her men.
After watching them leave, Liu He and the rest followed Mu Yanglingâs instructions and chose six people to go to the county to report, with as little baggage as possible. The rest immediately rushed on their way.
Mu Shi did not dare to tell Shu Wanniang the truth, and only said that he had already sent someone to the county to report the situation, with Ah Ling leading the way.
Mu Yangling used a rock to draw a few paths on the ground, then said, âThereâs a fork in the road one mile ahead. To the east of that path is Luocong Mountain, and to the west is Jialing Lake. Thereâs no cover on Luocong Mountain, so itâs not beneficial to us. However, the trees beside Jialing Lake are dense. After luring the Hus all the way here, immediately run into the forest. How many people can survive depends on everyoneâs ability.â
Liu Xuan asked in a low voice, âWeâre just luring them over?â
âOf course not.â Mu Yangling glanced at them and said, âWe still have to do our best to eliminate them. Otherwise, just the 55 of us wonât be able to lure all the Hus behind us. We can only anger them so that they will persist in pursuing us. I know itâs very dangerous, but our parents, wife, and children are ahead. We have to take this risk.â
The selected people pondered for a moment before nodding in agreement.
âAlright.â Mu Yangling stood up and said, âThen letâs go make some preparations first.â Looking at the dense trees on both sides of the road, Mu Yangling could not help but rejoice. Fortunately, in ancient times, there was no lack of forests. Coincidentally, her forte lay in jungle warfare.
âWe are few in number, and you guys donât have any experience in killing enemies, so we have to use as many traps as possible.â Mu Yangling assigned the missions and asked Liu Xuan to bring Liu Li to the front to guard. As long as they saw the Hus, they were to immediately report it.
The Hus were nowhere in sight all the way until Mu Yangling and the others finished setting up the traps. They could not help but look at each other. Liu Zhuang felt uneasy. âCould they have changed their route?â
Mu Yangling carefully recalled the map of the nearby area, then said in a low voice, âUnless they retreat, they will have to pass by here to invade other villages.â If the Hus did retreat, it would naturally be a great blessing for them, but was that possible?
Mu Yangling didnât need to think to know that it was impossible. It wasnât easy for the Hus to go south. How could they retreat just like that?
âLetâs wait a little longer. If thereâs still no movement, weâll go ahead and take a look.â
Liu Zhuang couldnât help but breathe into his hands. It was already midnight, the coldest time of the day. Not only him, but everyone elseâs bodies also couldnât take it.
Mu Yangling turned around and said, âMove on the spot. That way, you wonât feel cold.â
Just then, Liu Xuan suddenly ran over with Liu Li, his face filled with grief and indignation. âAh Ling, the Hus are here.â
âHow many people?â
âMore than 50, but theyâre holding more than 20 unmarried girls and young wives. Ah Ling, they⊠theyâre all animals.â With that said, Liu Xuan couldnât help but hammer the ground.
As the nearby villages were all part of Seven Mile Village, every village nearby more or less had relatives in Nearhill Village. When they saw the pitiful state of those women and thought of the Husâ modus operandi, they felt a mix of grief and indignation.
Mu Yanglingâs expression was gloomy as she said in a low voice, âAlright, go and lay in ambush first. Iâll go lure them in.â
âWhat if we accidentally injure those women?â Liu Xuan asked.
âNo, the Hus wonât let those women charge in front. However, we still have to think strategically if we want to save them.â Mu Yangling thought of the nearby terrain, and remembered there was a place where they could hide people. Since they were going to be cannon fodder to lure the Hus away, they couldnât bring those women along. Otherwise, not only could they not save them, but it would also hurt them.
Mu Yangling got the men to lay in ambush while she stood at the entrance with a small bag on her back. The barbarians giggled as they came over with sabers. Behind them, there were two rows of women strung together with ropes, their clothes disheveled and their faces numb. Mu Yangling could not help but clench her fists. She finally knew why this group of Hus had only appeared now.
A cold glint flashed across Mu Yanglingâs eyes, but she quickly restrained her expression. The moment the Hus discovered her, she screamed, âMother, the Hus are here. Run!â
The Hus let out a strange cry, and the 20 or so people in front immediately raised their swords and started giving chase. The remaining 20 or so people laughed as they tightened the rope in their hands and pulled the women over to guard them.
Mu Yanglingâs nimble body shuttled through the forest as she squalled and led the way for them. When she turned around and saw the Hus chasing after her, she hid and quietly sneaked to Liu Yongâs side. Taking the broadsword from him, she whispered, âLead them here. Remember, donât show yourself. Do as I taught youâthree against one. After killing them, immediately hide and circle around this area. Iâll then bring Liu Xuan and Liu Li to save the women.â
Liu Yong nodded because he was the first to kill at Mu Shiâs order. Although the villagers were still unconvinced by him, they would listen to his orders.
Mu Yangling also thought highly of him. This person was ruthless, rational, and calm, which made him the best deputy candidate. Liu Xuan, Liu Zhuang, and the others could not compare to him.
Mu Yangling carried her bow and arrow, then quietly left with Liu Xuan and Liu Li. On the other side, Liu Yong saw that five Hus had already stepped into the range of the trap and that the others had also entered the range. With a wave of the cloth in his hand, a row of wooden thorns smashed down from the sky with a bang. Before the five of them could react, they were pierced like hedgehogs.
Seeing that the trap had succeeded, everyone was filled with confidence, and their initial nervousness slowly disappeared.
In contrast, the Hus started panicking. They were used to fighting on the grassland and were good at siege battles, but they rarely fought in the forest. They always had a fear of the unknown. Therefore, the leader of the barbarians decisively shouted, âRetreat! Quickly retreat!â
However, the panicked Hus accidentally stepped on the trap and fell into the pit filled with wooden thorns. Although they did not die, they were seriously injured.
At this moment, the Hus also knew that they had been deceived.
Liu Yong smiled coldly and said in a low voice, âThis is just the beginning.â
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