Chapter 97: 94 Calculation, Part 2

The next morning, early.

Zhang Rongfang had just arrived at the government office for assembly when he received the order.

The envoy mobilized all but one team from the Ministry of Justice to go to Hundred Silver Valley outside the city to search for the fugitive.

In addition, part of the Thousand Households garrison and most of the state’s officials were dispatched as well.

Nearly a thousand people, teams marching out through the city gates, began their search near Hundred Silver Valley.

The grand scale drew many citizens to watch the spectacle inside and outside the gates.

Many sought out officials at various levels to inquire about the situation.

Even Zhang Rongfang was approached by Chen Hansheng and Liu Han, seeking information.

At this moment, inside Hundred Silver Valley.

In dense, straight pinewoods.

Teams of men scattered among the trees, slowly moving towards the depths of the valley.

These groups were led by skilled individuals, followed by ordinary officials and soldiers, advancing in groups of five towards the valley.

In the frontmost team, Ouyang Jianrong carried a knife in one hand and a shield in the other, cautiously moving forward.

Beside him was Qian Huanzhong, captain of the fifth team of the Ministry of Justice.

They were naturally accompanied by numerous team members from the fifth team.

Compared to ordinary officials, the elites of the Ministry of Justice possessed superior overall strength.

Therefore, once granted authority, Ouyang Jianrong immediately rallied this force.

Soon, Ouyang Jianrong halted, gazing at a gray silhouette ahead that had reappeared.

“You really are still here!”

That person sighed, saying no more. Just slowly lifted the weapon in his hand.

It was a black iron bow crafted entirely from metal!

Swoosh!

A sharp, piercing sound exploded.

The black arrow shot forth, spanning a hundred meters, piercing a team member’s chest fiercely, driving him back and pinning him to a tree trunk.

“Charge!! All of you!!” Ouyang Jianrong shouted harshly.

The rest of the team, shocked by the initial ambush, hesitated fearfully.

“Anyone who doesn’t charge will face extinction of their family clan! Everyone will die! Charge!!” Ouyang Jianrong fiercely kicked a person beside him, flipping him to the ground.

“Capture Huang Yuzhen and be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver! Earn promotion by three grades!!”

Ouyang Jianrong shouted loudly.

The thousand tael reward was enticing enough, but the promise of a three-grade promotion turned the eyes of those nearby red with greed.

In the Great Spirit, such a promotion meant immediate rise to an official rank!

Though it was the lowest official position, it was a status that could be passed through generations!

It represented the foundation of one’s family for a lifetime! As long as no major mistakes were made, an official rank could bring prosperity for generations!

Under a recommendation and inheritance-based selection system, an official rank was arguably the most effective key to transcending social classes.

With that, the remaining team members of the fifth squad rushed toward Huang Yuzhen with reddened eyes.

They lifted round shields, crouched forward, protecting their heads, and charged ahead.

Some raised bows to counterattack from behind.

But the difference in skill was too great.

Amid dodging, Huang Yuzhen drew three arrows simultaneously and strung them.

Thwang!!

The arrows transformed into black streaks, piercing the shoulders of three men simultaneously.

Their round shields could cover most of their bodies, but their shoulders still showed slightly.

That small exposure was enough for Huang Yuzhen to seize as a flaw, disabling three men in one move.

“Kill him for me!!” Ouyang Jianrong’s roar erupted in the woods. He stared at the immobile captain Qian Huanzhong.

“Those who don’t charge! Behead them!”

Captain of the fifth squad, Qian Huanzhong, feeling his scalp tingle, had no choice but to advance.

Soon after, bodies and severely injured soldiers littered the woods.

Huang Yuzhen, gasping for air, hadn’t yet caught his breath when another group charged in.

These were members of the second and sixth squads, mingled with a team of officials, driven forward by Ouyang’s threats.

Crossbow arrows flew continually, forcing Huang Yuzhen to take cover behind tree trunks.

But even so, his occasional counterattack—a sudden triple arrow burst—continued to inflict heavy casualties on the attackers.

Additionally, he had previously laid some makeshift traps within the woods.

Soon, the attacking numbers dwindled by more than half, several leaders shot dead on the spot, leaving the remaining men intimidated.

“Charge for me! Or don’t blame this officer for being ruthless!”

Ouyang Jianrong held the knife, leading over a dozen individuals selected recently from a supervisory detachment, blocking anyone trying to flee.

He had already realized that Huang Yuzhen hadn’t rested properly in the past two days, with prior injuries gradually worsening.

At present, his strength was not like before.

Almost… almost…

The great achievement was near completion!

Thud!

Finally, a crossbow arrow grazed Huang Yuzhen’s shoulder, staggering him.

Blood splattered.

Huang Yuzhen’s face turned pale, turning to flee.

Yet soon, he felt numbness and itching spreading from the wound on his shoulder.

“Is there poison?!”

He quickly pulled out a small bottle from a pouch around his waist, trying to pour its contents.

But after a few attempts, the bottle remained empty, not a pill inside.

The antidote for the poison had been completely used up by now.

His gaze dimmed, speeding through the forest, reaching the bottom of the valley, he slipped into a small cave built from large stones.

The cave was somewhat dark, where a girl about thirteen or fourteen was resting.

Her face was fatigued, wearing a set of dirty, ragged short clothes and long pants.

The material appeared to be silk and rayon, partially covered with silver fox fur.

Suffice it to say, this grade of material wasn’t something ordinary families could afford.

A piece of silver fox fur could make clothing worth at least several dozen taels of silver, demonstrating its precious value.

The girl’s features were delicate, young though she was, carrying the hint of charm.

Seeing Huang Yuzhen enter, she quickly stood up.

“Uncle Zhen! Are you hurt?!” she exclaimed softly.

“It’s nothing….” Huang Yuzhen felt the poison on his shoulder subtly spreading. “This place is no longer safe, we must move swiftly!”

“Okay!” The girl nodded quickly and started packing her belongings.

“Where’s the knife?” Huang Yuzhen asked.

“It’s here.” The girl fetched a jade-green long knife from the corner.

The blade was green, with a rainbow sheen on the edge, the hilt wrapped in unknown animal fur, coarse in appearance. A black tassel dangled from the end.

“In a moment, I’ll use the box. Be careful not to come out.” Huang Yuzhen softly instructed.

“Okay!” The girl nodded resolutely.

“Only two boxes left, but don’t worry, soon someone will come to get you.” Huang Yuzhen stroked the girl’s head, smiling.

“Then Uncle Zhen will leave with me!” The girl declared seriously.

“Mm.” Huang Yuzhen nodded.

Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly.

“They’re coming. I’ll go deal with them first. You stay hidden here. Wait for me to come back, and then we’ll leave.”

“Okay!”

*

*

*

At this moment outside Hundred Silver Valley,

Zhang Rongfang and his team of nine were spreading out in the forest to block off the routes.

This Hundred Silver Valley was connected in all directions, linking to both Qingding Mountain and Red Mountain, and also to a Jade Ribbon River.

To completely surround it was simply impossible.

For martial arts experts, these seemingly steep slope forests on both sides were actually not that difficult.

Therefore, everyone could only try their best to block most of the escape routes.

In the pine forest, the moist and cold air was mixed with the faint smell of fungal mildew.

The distinct pine resin smell of the pine trees was slightly pungent.

“Captain Zhang, Teams Five, Two, and Six have all been deployed to the front. There’s still no news. Something feels off…” Liu Han whispered a reminder as he approached.

“No rush.” Zhang Rongfang remained composed, his rank had already reached the Eighth Grade, and he could hear the periodic cries of agony coming from the front.

Obviously, the situation was unfavorable.

In this situation, he would have the team wait as long as they could.

Moreover, he was perplexed that just two fugitives had drawn in so many people, yet they still hadn’t been captured.

This was simply unbelievable!

Even if the special envoy Ouyang Jianrong couldn’t command the higher-ranked experts, with so many people piled on, those experts should have been taken care of by now.

Soon, another team of men was called away by the order officer.

Zhang Rongfang watched the team leave, his mind turning over the possibilities continuously.

Soon after, the orders finally came.

“Team Eight, Team Nine, follow me!”

The order officer arrived quickly.

“Move out!”

Zhang Rongfang had nothing more to say and led his men along with Team Eight’s captain.

More than thirty men dashed along, encountering injured and dead being carried back mid-way.

The sight of each injured body sent chills down their spines.

Soon, they reached the edge of the forest, arriving at the wide pebble beach by the Jade Ribbon River.

This was the valley of Hundred Silver.

The steep slopes and cliffs on either side looked like a funnel. A river rapidly flowed through the center.

There were riverbanks on both sides of the river.

Teams of men were surrounding a small stone house on the riverbank.

Bows and crossbow arrows lay scattered all over the ground.

Around the little house, there were huge boulders taller than a person serving as cover.

Charging in at once, at most a dozen people could advance simultaneously.

No wonder Ouyang Jianrong only sent in one team at a time.

Upon arrival, Zhang Rongfang instantly saw Team Six’s captain, Qiu Hantao, who was no longer breathing.

This previously silent man was now wide-eyed, dead with resentment.

Half of his head was crushed in by a heavy blow, blood oozing out of his seven orifices, an abysmal sight.

The hearts of the group sank.

“Team Eight, charge!” Ouyang Jianrong’s cold voice commanded from behind the supervisory team.

At this moment, only three of the supervisory team were left by his side.

The others had perished in the previous sudden counterattack.

Just a moment ago, Huang Yuzhen, driven to desperation, suddenly threw a box outside. As it exploded, countless tiny iron caltrops shot out.

In an instant, at least ten people charging forward were blown apart, with more being injured.

Even the supervisory team, standing somewhat further away, was struck by the poisonous iron caltrops, losing more than half of their number.

At this moment, the men of Team Eight were hesitating to advance.

The captain, Fan Yu, wore a grim expression, but with the arrow nocked on the string, he had no choice but to shoot; to flee in front of so many would be to disobey a military order, and in the Great Spirit, that would warrant the extermination of one’s family.

He cautiously held a round shield in front of him, slowly leading the team closer.

Thwack thwack thwack!

In an instant, three iron arrows shot out from behind a boulder.

Three men fell to the ground.

Silhouettes flashed quickly. The crossbow arrows couldn’t catch up.

With the arrows spent, the pebbles on the ground became the biggest threat.

In the hands of a high-rank expert, the pebbles were almost as deadly as the arrows.

In a blink, amidst the sound of thuds, most members of Team Eight fell one after another, unable to put up any resistance.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Almost turning the surrounding riverbank red.

Thud!

Suddenly, there was a muffled sound.

Fan Yu, the captain of Team Eight, fell to the ground with an iron arrow straight through his forehead, his body twitching before he stopped breathing.

But Ouyang Jianrong didn’t care; he had already heard Huang Yuzhen’s heavy gasping.

These elite experts were indeed stronger than ordinary officials.

Huang Yuzhen would have to spend even more effort to kill them all.

“Team Nine, charge for me!”

He continued his gaze toward Team Nine.

Zhang Rongfang looked at a box lying on the ground.

His heart sank.

The traces of the explosion around that box were extremely obvious, with all being purple-black iron caltrops.

It was clear at a glance that these caltrops were highly toxic.

Such terrifying hidden weapons. If the enemy had more…

Charging in like this without heavy armor would be tantamount to suicide!

“Sir, are we just supposed to charge like this? Without switching to heavy gear for a siege?” he turned to suggest to Ouyang Jianrong.

“I ordered you to charge!” Ouyang Jianrong didn’t even look at him, his eyes still fixed on the stone house.

“If they have another of those black boxes, wouldn’t we be dying in vain!?” Zhang Rongfang said solemnly.

Judging by the box’s range and toxic potency, even if he was at the Ninth Grade, without equipment to block it, charging in would only result in his death.

“Military orders are as unyielding as mountains. I am currently in command with the city official’s order; I am the commander!”

Ouyang Jianrong immediately turned his gaze, fixed it on Zhang Rongfang.

“Even if it means death, you must charge for me?!”

“Hmm?? Sir, are you forcing me…” Zhang Rongfang lowered his head, rage building inside him, a fierce glint in his eyes.

“Three seconds, charge or face family extermination, choose one.” Ouyang Jianrong coldly stated.

Clang.

He drew his waist knife, pointing it at Zhang Rongfang.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep