pappabearbooks Chapter 387 The army sets off! To annihilate the Moon God Cult!
Chapter 387 The army sets off! To annihilate the Moon God Cult!
A female guard hurried in, her steps quick and light, making a soft rustling sound on the cobblestone path.
Her face was pale, her forehead was covered in sweat, and she was breathing rapidly, clearly having run all the way here.
She walked to the side of the moon goddess, bent down, and lowered her voice so low that only the two of them could hear it.
"My Lord, something terrible has happened!"
The moon goddess frowned slightly, a sense of unease passing through her heart.
Her fingers lingered on the rim of the glass for a moment before releasing them.
"What happened?"
The female guard raised her head, glanced at Xu Longxiang first, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something but then stopped.
The Moon Goddess waved her hand, her tone as indifferent as if she were talking about something trivial.
"It's alright. Young Master Xu is one of us, so please just say what's on your mind."
The female guard took a deep breath and said in a low voice:
"My Lord, the Qin army is about to attack!"
The moon goddess's heart stirred slightly, and a strange emotion flashed in her eyes.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
But her face remained expressionless; she simply picked up the silver cup and took a small sip.
She wasn't afraid at all originally.
She commanded an army of over 100,000, ten first-rank elders, and hundreds of thousands of followers. She didn't even consider the mere 50,000 troops of the Great Qin Dynasty a threat.
But now, those hundreds of thousands of soldiers are buried under the collapsed tunnels, and the bodies of the ten elders have been lost forever.
All she had left were untrained followers who were fanatical but incapable of fighting.
They alone are no match for the imperial court's elite troops.
Her only hope now is Xu Longxiang.
Hopefully, he can really stop Han Zhong and preserve the main strength of the Moon Goddess Sect.
Otherwise, the Moon Goddess Cult would have been seriously injured this time.
She put down the silver cup and looked calmly at the female guard.
"Understood. You may leave."
The female guard bowed and quickly left the courtyard.
The footsteps gradually faded away, disappearing into the depths of the bamboo forest.
The Moon Goddess turned her head and looked at Xu Longxiang.
A smile returned to the corners of her mouth, just the right amount, neither too deep nor too shallow.
"Young Master Xu, this time it all depends on you."
Xu Longxiang put down the silver cup, smiled and nodded.
The smile was composed, carrying a confident and assured air.
"Don't worry, leave it to me. I already told Han Zhong before I came."
The weight that had been hanging over the Moon Goddess's heart eased slightly.
Although it didn't land completely, it was much better than before.
After all, she believed that Xu Longxiang wouldn't make empty promises; if he dared to make a promise, he must have the ability to keep it.
She picked up the wine pot, poured a cup for Xu Longxiang, and then poured one for herself.
The wine poured from the spout, swirling in the silver cup, reflecting the smiles on their faces.
"but,"
Xu Longxiang picked up the silver cup, but didn't drink from it. He held it in his hand and looked at her face.
"In order to fool that tyrannical emperor, the Moon Goddess Cult still has to pay a price."
The moon goddess paused slightly, the rim of the cup touching her lips, but she did not drink.
Xu Longxiang continued, his voice soft but each word clear.
"Sacrificing a few unimportant but visible figures is the only way to dispel Qin Mu's suspicions. Otherwise, our plan might easily be exposed."
The Moon Goddess put down her silver cup and nodded.
There was no hesitation on her face, and even a hint of approval.
"Of course I know that. I'm all ready."
She raised her right hand and clapped it twice.
As the applause subsided, footsteps echoed from behind the bamboo grove beside the courtyard. Three men and two women emerged from the bamboo shadows, their steps steady and their expressions calm.
They wore white robes worn by high-ranking members of the Luna Cult, with silver crescent moons embroidered on the lapels.
A short sword hung at his waist, its scabbard inlaid with gemstones that gleamed with a cold light in the morning glow.
Their faces were expressionless, like five stone statues that had been sculpted for too long; there was no fear, no reluctance, not even a ripple of emotion in their eyes.
There was only a calm acceptance of death.
They walked up to the moon goddess, knelt down, and touched their foreheads to the ground.
The moon goddess looked at them, her gaze sweeping across each face.
Her voice was very soft and faint, as if she were talking about something extremely ordinary.
"The three of them,"
She pointed to the three men on the left, "They are all high-ranking members of the sect who frequently go out on missions. They have a high reputation among the people of the Moon Goddess Sect. The people all know them and know that they are the protectors of the Moon Goddess Sect."
Her finger moved toward the two women on the right.
"The two of them are the leaders of the branch altars, and they are equally renowned within the sect. The imperial spies must have their portraits."
She withdrew her hand, leaned back in her chair, and looked at Xu Longxiang's face.
"They are willing to die for my Moon Goddess Cult."
Xu Longxiang looked at the five calm faces, devoid of any fear, and his heart stirred slightly.
He had seen too many people who were afraid of death and too many people who clung to life. There were probably not many people who knelt here quietly, waiting for death to come.
He nodded.
"That would be best. Now we should discuss the details."
The moon goddess raised her hand and waved it gently.
The five men stood up and silently retreated to the side of the courtyard, standing with their hands at their sides like five silent stone pillars.
The moon goddess took out a scroll of silk painting from her sleeve and spread it on the stone table.
The silk painting is yellowed and worn at the edges, showing that it has been used for many years.
The map depicts the terrain of the Moon Goddess Cult's headquarters, surrounded by mountains with only a narrow mountain path leading to the outside world, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Her finger pointed to the entrance of the mountain path.
"The headquarters of the Moon Goddess Cult is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Han Zhong's 50,000 troops will most likely launch a frontal attack from here."
Her finger slowly moved up the mountain path and stopped at a spot marked "First Pass".
"I will have the followers set up defenses here, making it look like they are putting up a full-scale resistance. Prepare bows and arrows, rolling stones, and hot oil; make it look impressive. But they are not allowed to fight to the death. They should fight for a while and then retreat to the second pass."
Xu Longxiang looked at the silk painting and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table.
"As for Han Zhong, I will instruct him to slow down his attack. He will feign an attack on the first pass for half a day, giving you time to retreat."
The moon goddess nodded and moved her finger to the second checkpoint.
"I will arrange for those five people to be stationed here. They will personally supervise the battle at the pass, so that the followers will see that the protector and the altar master are both there, and the morale of the army will not waver."
Her finger continued to move upwards, stopping at the location of the base camp.
"Once the followers have retreated to the main camp, I will order them to evacuate through the secret passages. There are three secret passages: one leads to the valley behind the mountain, one leads to the river valley to the east, and one leads to the forest to the north. All three passages will be activated simultaneously, allowing for a dispersed evacuation to avoid being wiped out by the imperial army."
Xu Longxiang frowned slightly.
"Of the three secret passages, Han Zhong only knew about one. In his secret report to the court, he only mentioned the one that led to the canyon."
The moon goddess smiled, a smile tinged with mockery.
"That one is reserved for the imperial court. The other two are known only to me and a few core elders. Even the guardian altar masters don't know them."
A hint of approval flashed in Xu Longxiang's eyes.
This woman is indeed meticulous in everything she does.
"What about the other five people?" he asked.
The Moon Goddess's finger stopped at the second pass. "They won't retreat. They will fight to the death at the pass, killed by the imperial army."
Her voice was calm, as calm as if she were talking about what to eat tonight.
"After Han Zhong's army breaks through the second pass, they will find their bodies on the pass. At that time, Han Zhong can report to the court that the three protectors and two altar masters of the Moon Goddess Sect have been killed, the main force of the Moon Goddess Sect has been defeated, and the remnants have fled into the deep mountains and are being pursued."
Xu Longxiang tapped his fingers on the table twice more.
Will Qin Mu believe it?
The moon goddess smiled.
"Whether you believe it or not is not important. What is important is that Han Zhong has battle reports, corpses, and captured weapons and flags. What the court wants is an explanation, not the truth."
Xu Longxiang was silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Where did the main force of the Moon Goddess Cult hide after they withdrew?"
The moon goddess's finger moved to the northernmost part of the map, pointing to an area marked "Primitive Forest".
"Here. This dense forest covers hundreds of miles and is rarely visited by people. Even the imperial spies cannot enter. Years ago, I built several secret camps in the forest and stockpiled enough food and weapons to keep 20,000 people safe for half a year."
Xu Longxiang looked at the dense forest, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Twenty thousand men? The Moon Goddess Cult must have more than twenty thousand combat-ready soldiers."
The moon goddess gently tapped the silk painting with her finger.
"The other followers have dispersed to branch altars in various locations across the three prefectures and sixteen counties in the southwest. They were originally commoners; once they lay down their swords, they are ordinary citizens again. The imperial court cannot possibly search every single house. They will regroup once the storm has passed."
Xu Longxiang nodded, picked up the silver cup, and took a sip.
The wine was slightly cool and had a bitter taste, but it dispelled the last trace of doubt in his heart.
"And what about you, Moon Goddess?"
He set down his silver cup, his gaze falling on her face. "Where are you hiding?"
The moon goddess's finger stopped at a spot deep in the forest marked "Moon Goddess Cave".
"I will hide here. This secret passage leads directly into the cave, and no one knows the entrance except me."
Xu Longxiang stared at her for a long time.
His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but then he closed them again.
The moon goddess seemed to understand his gaze and smiled gently.
"Don't worry, Young Master Xu, I will be fine."
Xu Longxiang lowered his eyes, picked up the wine pot, and poured her another cup. "That's good."
The two drank another cup.
The wine entered my throat, and its warmth spread.
The morning light grew brighter, illuminating the silk painting on the stone table clearly.
Every mountain path, every pass, every secret passage is like a pattern carved on stone, clear and cold.
The moon goddess put away the silk painting, folded it neatly, and tucked it into her sleeve.
She looked up at Xu Longxiang, the smile on her lips fading slightly, replaced by a serious expression in her eyes.
"Young Master Xu, I'll need to trouble you to take care of Han Zhong as well."
Xu Longxiang nodded and stood up. "I'll go now."
He took two steps, then suddenly stopped without looking back.
His voice drifted from ahead, very soft, with a gentleness he himself didn't even realize.
"Take care, Su Xin."
The Moon Goddess watched his straight back, and saw his dark python robe fluttering gently in the morning breeze, and a smile slowly crept onto her lips.
"Young Master Xu is also one of them."
Xu Longxiang strode out of the courtyard, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.
The bamboo leaves rustled in the wind, as if whispering something.
The Moon Goddess sat on the stone bench, gazing at the empty courtyard gate and the cobblestone path where he had disappeared. The smile in her eyes slowly faded, replaced by a hint of mockery.
She picked up the silver cup, which was empty except for a few drops of amber-colored wine remaining on the cup wall.
She gently placed the silver cup on the table, stood up, and faced the five people on the side of the courtyard.
"Do you have anything else to say?"
The five people remained silent; none of them spoke.
After a long while, the middle-aged man on the far left stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed.
"We, your subordinates, are willing to die for our leader."
The other four bowed in unison, their voices unified and calm: "We are willing to die for our leader."
The moon goddess looked at them, her gaze sweeping across each face.
Her lips twitched slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded.
"Go. The second pass awaits you."