Ex-Wife is a Big Villainess
Chapter 541 - 276: Summoning the New Red Bull_3

Chapter 541: Chapter 276: Summoning the New Red Bull_3

"Not just that, there are also some rebels."

Li Nanshuang spoke while caressing the ox horn.

Niu Niu seemed quite displeased about being touched arbitrarily by a girl, shook its head, and the nose ring jingled.

Rebels?

Jiang Shouzhong was taken aback.

Only then did he recall that on their way, apart from seeing some soldiers’ corpses, he hadn’t encountered any living rebels.

At this moment, a square-faced man dressed in armor approached.

It was Mr. Zhao from the former Qingzhou Mountain Camp.

"Master Jiang."

Mr. Zhao’s sharp gaze measured Jiang Shouzhong and he asked, "Lord Ran said that you provided the map?"

Jiang Shouzhong nodded, "Indeed."

He had expected Mr. Zhao to inquire about the provenance of the map, but instead, without going into detail, Mr. Zhao cupped his fists in thanks towards Jiang Shouzhong:

"Zhao is grateful to Master Jiang for saving my subordinates and other surviving civilians. If there is ever anything in the future that I, Old Zhao, can assist Master Jiang with, please do not hesitate to command me."

It was clear that Mr. Zhao was a man of sentiment.

Previously, at the Jinse Pavilion, Jiang Shouzhong had held a poor impression of him due to a misjudgment. Now, with the misunderstanding cleared up, he felt rather remorseful.

Mr. Zhao blamed himself, "Originally I didn’t believe it, fearing it was a trap, so I specially dispatched people to investigate, which led to some delay. Because of this, some people who could have been saved weren’t, and that’s my fault."

Jiang Shouzhong consoled him, "Given the current chaos in Qingzhou, Mr. Zhao’s caution was warranted. However, I would like to know, why are the rebels here? And what about General Yang, who instigated the unrest?"

Upon the inquiry, Mr. Zhao appeared conflicted and spoke softly:

"Yang Wufu suddenly went mad, for some reason, and killed many of his subordinates, which caused the rebels to fall apart. Because I knew quite a few of the former generals, I tried my best to bring them here.

At present, the only rebels I can control number just over ten thousand. As to the whereabouts of Yang Wufu, I have no idea."

Suddenly went mad?

Jiang Shouzhong frowned.

It seemed that Yang Wufu had heard of Liu Wuxu’s death and was greatly mentally affected by it.

Jiang Shouzhong didn’t quite know how to judge the man, he sighed and asked Mr. Zhao, "Mr. Zhao, the passage marked on the map, have you sent someone to check it out? Is it possible to leave the city through it?"

Mr. Zhao nodded and said, "The trusted man I just sent to investigate has returned, and he says we can get out."

At this, Jiang Shouzhong let out a sigh of relief.

He had truly feared that the Crown Prince and his men might have destroyed the passage after leaving through it.

Jiang Shouzhong immediately said, "Mr. Zhao, time is of the essence. Regardless of whether you believe what I’m about to say or not, I can only give you the choice."

"You mean to say, the court does not intend to let the people of Qingzhou survive, right?"

Unexpectedly, Mr. Zhao spoke up directly.

Jiang Shouzhong was stunned and stared at him with knotted brows, "How do you know that?"

Mr. Zhao said self-mockingly, "Earlier, He Benquan secretly sent me a letter, informing me of what would happen here next in Qingzhou, but I didn’t believe it, so..."

The man was filled with regret.

Jiang Shouzhong had a moment of realization.

No wonder Mr. Zhao had shown that expression when he saw Liu Wuxu at the Jinse Pavilion.

Clearly, at that time, the man was internally conflicted, unsure whether to believe it or not.

Gazing at Mr. Zhao, who was mired in self-blame, Jiang Shouzhong consoled, "Who would believe that under those circumstances? This isn’t your fault."

He glanced at the survivors and said,

"Now that Mr. Zhao is aware of the truth, I won’t say much more. The Dazhou army will soon enter the city, and I hope Mr. Zhao can escort these surviving civilians out of the city..."

"But where can we go?" Li Nanshuang asked from the side.

Jiang Shouzhong was stumped.

Indeed, where could these people go?

He had actually planned to have Mr. Zhao escort these people directly to the Capital, to stand outside and sicken Zhou Chang, challenging him to play the executioner once more.

The court would then have no choice but to properly settle them, holding its nose all the while.

But this plan was too naive.

Not to mention whether they could reach Qingzhou without issues, even if they arrived in the Capital, with Zhou Chang’s temperament, he might temporarily placate the survivors, but what about later?

Settling scores after the harvest was the Emperor’s favorite activity.

"Head into the Ten Thousand Mountains, to Dead Man Island!"

Mr. Zhao said in a grave tone.

Jiang Shouzhong was shocked, "Is that feasible?"

Mr. Zhao’s face showed worry, but then he slowly clenched his fist:

"I can’t guarantee it’s absolutely feasible, but it’s the best solution.

First, Qingzhou is very close to the Ten Thousand Mountains. With the sixteen thousand troops I currently control, I can block the pursuers and escort these survivors inside.

Second, that is the Demon Clan’s territory, and Dazhou wouldn’t dare to trespass recklessly.

Third, Dead Man Island is the only place within the Demon Clan’s territory controlled by Demon Cultivators, those who practice using Demon Energy. In plain terms, they are still part of the Human Clan.

The current protector of Dead Man Island is an old acquaintance of mine. I once saved his life, and I believe he will help me.

Moreover, a former Island Master of Dead Man Island had hoped to turn it into a Human Clan location, shedding his Demon Clan identity.

Especially during the period of the Demon Clan’s extinction, Dead Man Island was once occupied by the remnants of the former dynasty, and they stored plenty of food and supplies there, as well as fertile fields ready for cultivation.

Fourth, Dead Man Island is south of the Cliff of the Vanished Immortals, with dangerous terrain. It’s adjacent to the South Sea Holy Sect in the north and borders the Dead Sea in the west... As long as we hold fast there, Dazhou will be helpless against us, even if they use their naval forces..."

Listening to Mr. Zhao, Jiang Shouzhong secretly marveled.

This guy was indeed talented.

In such a short time, he had thought of a viable escape route.

If it weren’t for knowing this man’s innocence, one might think he had secretly plotted this all along.

"Then let’s implement this plan, and I will entrust these people to Mr. Zhao," Jiang Shouzhong immediately decided.

But Mr. Zhao bitterly smiled, "The plan sounds easy enough, but there are many difficulties. How many of these civilians do you think will believe Dazhou intends to slaughter them, and will they be willing to flee with us?

Moreover, to successfully enter the Ten Thousand Mountains and reach Dead Man Island, we must pass through the Sky Demon Sect’s territory.

To my knowledge, the Sect Master of the Sky Demon Sect, Qu Hongling, is not easy to provoke. So, persuading the Sky Demon Sect when the time comes will be problematic."

——

[Author’s Note: To avoid misunderstandings, I want to clarify in advance, I hope everyone’s tastes are normal. Creatures like mice and oxen are tool-like companions; don’t think about making Jiang do unforgivable things to them, which is not allowed and should not be done.

Also, to avoid hitting anyone’s sensitive spots, the Demons in the Zodiac Map will all be female. So, even if they are female, the protagonist cannot mess around.

For instance, there will be a rabbit later that transforms into a cute rabbit lady. When writing that part, everyone keep calm, and don’t say things like "If the rabbit is so cute, why not do something?" etc.]

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