52 Sneaking In
Jiang Ming looked at Zhou Wenxiu. The latter also shook her head in confusion. This kind of thing had never happened before.
Jiang Ming simply got up, walked out of the courtyard, and walked in the direction of the bell.
There were already many people in front of him, and there were also screams coming from within the crowd. Jiang Ming pushed through the crowd and walked forward. He suddenly saw a man tied to a tree being whipped.
“Mr. Dong?”
Jiang Ming looked at the burly figure who was tied up and was puzzled.
In front of Mr. Dong, Li Yong stood tall in full armor. His expression was stoic with a trace of ruthlessness. He fiercely whipped Mr. Dong again, causing his skin to split open, and he screamed repeatedly.
Jiang Ming looked at this scene and felt a little confused. Wasn’t the Old Snake Gang with the rebel army?
The other onlookers were also stunned, especially those who had come from the prefecture to take refuge. They did not know that the Shi family and the Old Snake Gang were in cahoots with the Green Mountain Army.
Ever since the Green Mountain Army had been stationed here, Mr. Dong had been extremely arrogant. Although they ignored him, he still acted high and mighty. He did not even care about first-class martial arts forces like the Tiger Hunting Village and the Wang family. There were even a few times when he deliberately tried to provoke Jiang Ming. How did the tables turn so suddenly?
Jiang Ming had originally planned to wait for the Green Mountain Army to enter the city or be defeated. During the chaos, he would go to Mr. Dong’s house and stab him.
“I gave you a chance, but you didn’t use it!” Jiang Ming shook his head internally. “You’ve really outdone yourself to get beaten up by your allies.”
At this time, Li Yong also stood up and cupped his fists to the people around him. He said in a clear voice, “My fellow villagers, the Green Mountain Army begs for your support. We will stomp out evil to return peace to the world and create a world where the people aren’t exploited and can live in peace and contentment.”
“Alright!”
“The Green Mountain Army is amazing!”
Before he could finish his speech, a wave of cheers sounded from the surroundings.
Li Yong smiled and continued, “I heard that Dong Daxiang privately collected medical taxes. He’s mean and vicious. It has stirred up a lot of public anger in Peace Town. Today, the Green Mountain Army will get rid of this evil on behalf of the people!”
“Alright!” The cheers of the villagers immediately rose. The Old Snake Gang had abused them for a long time.
Many people had already begun to feel that there was nothing bad about the Green Mountain Army. If they were in power, perhaps their lives would improve.
Mr. Dong screamed repeatedly and shouted hoarsely, “I’m from the Old Snake Gang. We’re the spies of the rebel army in Great Cloud City.”
Li Yong took the whip and casually cracked it. He sneered, “You’re about to die. However, you’re still talking nonsense.”
The other villagers were even more excited as they spat at Mr. Dong, “Why don’t you look in the mirror? Why would the Green Mountain Army collude with the Old Snake Gang?”
“That’s right. An evil force like the Old Snake Gang should have long been exterminated.”
Jiang Ming’s eyes darted around as he took in the scene. Was the Green Mountain Army using the Old Snake Gang and then destroying them after getting what they needed?
“As expected, the rebels aren’t innocent,” Jiang Ming ridiculed internally.
He could not be bothered to watch any longer and was about to turn around and leave when he heard Mr. Dong, who was still continuing to cry for mercy, suddenly shout madly when he saw Li Yong drawing his saber to kill him without a care.
“Just you wait! Our leader will break through to first class very soon. He will definitely avenge me!”
The cool metal glinted in the light, and a head fell to the ground.
The cheers were endless. Jiang Ming’s footsteps paused slightly before he continued to walk home.
“On the verge of breaking through to first class? This means that he must have a first-class cultivation technique,” Jiang Ming noted.
In the afternoon, the news of Mr. Dong’s death spread throughout Peace Town. His head was stuck on a bamboo pole and hung high in the center of the town.
The rest of the Old Snake Gang members had also become outcasts. They would be beaten up the moment they were seen.
The door of the Shi family manor in Peace Town was tightly shut, and it seemed like no one was there.
Who would dare touch the Green Mountain Army? Although they were usually kind, they were also ruthless.
* * *
A month passed.
Early in the morning, Jiang Ming was sitting at the door with a bowl in his hand, waiting for the food to be served.
Li Yong came, but he brought a bell instead of a porridge pot.
“Everyone! The mayor of Great Cloud City has died!”
Li Yong’s words caused a wave of exclamations.
Jiang Ming’s eyes also flickered. The mayor had been staying safe in his residence, how could he have died? He was a first-class martial artist.
It seemed that after being besieged for a month, some people in the city finally could not bear it when they saw that the government had no reinforcements. Thus, they attacked the mayor’s residence.
Li Yong’s eyes were wild as he shouted, “The Green Mountain Army will break into the city in a few days. The officials in the city are used to exploiting you! Join the Green Mountain Army and set off with us tomorrow morning! Fight for what’s rightfully yours! Fight for a lifetime of glory, splendor, and wealth!”
Around them, many hot-blooded young people were already excited. This was a chance for them to turn the tables.
“I’ll sign up!”
“And me!”
In the blink of an eye, more than ten people raised their hands.
“Give them equipment! Follow me to fight the enemy!” Li Yong nodded with satisfaction.
Ah Fei weaseled into the crowd and whispered to Jiang Ming, “Ming, you’re so strong. Why don’t you join them?”
Jiang Ming glanced at him, “For what? What will I gain? The chaos has just begun. I’m going to hide in the mountains. You should stay put as well. This is different from snatching Miss Wang’s fish. Don’t even think about it.”
Jiang Ming knew that Ah Fei was not afraid of anything. After warning him, he turned around and left, as if he did not want to get into trouble.
When Ah Fei saw that Jiang Ming had left, the excitement in his eyes suddenly subsided. He came to his senses and trotted all the way home.
* * *
Jiang Ming was back in his house.
“I’m going to stay in the mountains for a while, so you can stay here. I’ve already told Wang Dong that the people in Tiger Hunting Village will take care of you. If you’re in big trouble, you can hide in Tiger Hunting Village.”
Jiang Ming said a few words to Zhou Wenxiu, then left with his herb basket.
“Chief Jiang, you’re going up the mountain again.”
Along the way, he met a few people he knew, and they all greeted him casually.
Everyone in Peace Town knew that Jiang Ming did not like trouble and preferred to live alone in the mountains, so no one paid much attention to him.
Deep in a cave in the mountain forest, Jiang Ming threw the herb basket into the depths of the cave. His blood Qi slowly circulated to his face, and in a moment, his features changed.
* * *
Late at night, outside Peace Town, inside the supply camp, a soldier with a green cloth wrapped around his head looked anxious. He walked into the forest to relieve himself.
Suddenly, he felt sleepy and fell to the ground.
A figure quietly appeared, picked him up, and retreated silently.
A moment later, the soldier reappeared from the darkness. He looked around and entered his tent.
In the huge tent, there were more than a dozen soldiers, and the smell of sweat was overpowering.
The soldier looked left and right expressionlessly, then found his own empty bunk. He lay down and fell asleep.