106: Xuanhua City

The next morning, Lin Yue woke up early and waited, with Xiao Yang standing beside him.

Not long after, She Jian came to call him. The three walked to the entrance of the Encampment and found that three other people were already waiting there.

The three stood beside a carriage. On top of the carriage was a steel cage, and Lu Bu, shackled, was imprisoned inside.

“Greetings, General She Jian!” The three cupped their hands in salute simultaneously.

She Jian nodded.

Lin Yue used the Art of Recognizing People to take a look. The three were all members of the Meng clan: Meng Long, Meng Hu, and Meng Fang, who had shouted at the Nuzhen Tribe when She Jian had led his troops against them previously.

All three were Third-rate Military Generals, serving as Great Wall Legion Captains, assisting She Jian in this escort of Lu Bu.

“The importance of this escort goes without saying. Keep your eyes sharp. We should reach Xuanhua City before tonight,” She Jian said.

“Understood!” The three responded in unison!

“Depart!” She Jian waved his hand, and the group rode forward, followed by thirty thousand Golden Fire Cavalry!

Due to the presence of the carriage and the need to guard against bandit attacks, the group's speed was not fast.

By the time the scorching sun was directly overhead, they had barely covered half the journey.

“The entire army will rest for half an hour!” She Jian ordered. If they continued like this, the men might endure, but the warhorses would soon be exhausted.

Subsequently, everyone led their warhorses to the river, carefully washed their muzzles, and cooled them down. Then, only one squad of men was left to patrol the surroundings, while the rest found shady spots to rest.

Lin Yue took out a water flask from his spatial ring and handed it to She Jian, Xiao Yang, and the three Meng-named captains.

“No need!” Meng Long and Meng Hu stiffly shook their heads and refused, while Meng Fang smiled and accepted it: “Thank you, Brother Lin!”

“Where did you get cold water?” She Jian asked after taking a sip.

“I put a water bladder full of cold water in my spatial ring,” Lin Yue said with a smile.

Time seemed to stand still within the spatial ring. Ever since Lin Yue discovered this phenomenon, he had made full use of it; otherwise, marching under the scorching sun without cold water would have been truly unbearable.

“Giving you a spatial ring is truly a waste,” She Jian grumbled discontentedly, then sealed the water bladder and put it into his own spatial ring.

“General, should we give some to Lu Bu?” Lin Yue asked.

She Jian looked at Lu Bu, who was parched and in the prisoner cart, and after a moment of thought, said, “Give him some. No matter what, he is a peerless fierce general of this era; he should be given the respect he deserves.”

“Understood!” Lin Yue responded, taking out a water bladder from his spatial ring and walking towards Lu Bu.

“Have some water.” Lin Yue extended the water bladder into the prisoner cart, offering it to Lu Bu.

Lu Bu looked up at Lin Yue upon hearing him, and said, “Thank you.”

Seeing that Lu Bu’s hands were shackled, Lin Yue unscrewed the water bladder. Lu Bu opened his mouth wide, but a lot of water still flowed down his chin onto his clothes.

Lu Bu’s throat bobbed up and down continuously, and soon the water bladder was empty.

Lu Bu watched the last drop of water enter his mouth before closing it.

“Thank you. May I ask for the General’s name?” Lu Bu asked gratefully.

“It’s nothing. My name is Lin Yue,” Lin Yue said, then pushed the prisoner cart forward until it stopped under the shade of a tree.

Lin Yue clapped his hands and walked back to his original spot to rest, as usual opening the regional chat panel to see if anyone was planning to hijack the prisoner cart.

After looking around, no one had such courage. Some players who had joined the rebels were now captured and became prisoners, while the remaining ones were currently fleeing in all directions, but some guilds were still recruiting on the panel.

Having a place to settle down was very rare now; the guilds could be said to have profited greatly from this wave, as many players sought their protection.

Lin Yue looked at the coordinates posted by the guilds and thought it was unnecessary to report them. They had no grievances with him, and reporting them would make him seem too despicable.

“Depart!” She Jian said.

“Depart!” Meng Fang shouted, using his special skill. The thirty thousand Golden Fire Cavalry formed a line, like a crawling giant dragon slowly rising, advancing towards Xuanhua City.

The journey was uneventful, and they finally arrived safely at the city just as the sun was setting.

Outside the city, civil and military officials were already waiting to welcome She Jian and his group. As soon as they arrived, the city gates were opened.

“Meng Long, Meng Hu, you two may return now. I will proceed with Meng Fang,” She Jian said to the two.

“Understood!

Then This humble general will immediately return to Zhuolu City!” The two responded.

“Thank you!” She Jian cupped his hands.

“This humble general’s duty!” The two said, then led the thirty thousand Golden Fire Cavalry to turn their horses around and return to Zhuolu City.

“Hehe, This humble general thanks the General. Being with them makes This humble general uncomfortable,” Meng Fang said with a laugh.

“You are all brothers of the clan; how can your personalities be so different?” She Jian said with a smile.

“Those two have been stone-faced since childhood, while This humble general is a scoundrel,” Meng Fang chuckled.

“Let’s enter the city!” She Jian said.

The four followed the people of Xuanhua City into the city, heading towards the Heavenly Tier Teleportation Array.

Outside the Heavenly Tier Teleportation Array, people waiting to use the array gathered, making it very noisy.

“When can we teleport? I’ve been waiting for an hour!”

“Hurry up! If you delay my business, can you afford to compensate me?”

People in the crowd constantly expressed their dissatisfaction. The Heavenly Tier Teleportation Array would no longer be open to commoners in a few hours; to teleport again, they would have to wait until tomorrow!

“The County Magistrate is here!” a Soldier shouted.

Then they saw the Xuanhua City County Magistrate leading a group of people to the teleportation array, immediately realizing that an important person had arrived! They instantly fell silent, suppressing their dissatisfaction.

“Who is that person?” someone in the crowd asked curiously.

“Who else could it be? It’s those rebel leaders from Zhuolu County, relying on their martial arts to commit evil, causing the people to suffer!”

“It must be him. I heard that the rebels suffered a great defeat yesterday, and their commander was captured. It seems he’s being escorted to Xianyang City to be beheaded and displayed to the public!”

“That’s how it should be! Being torn apart by chariots is too good for him!

My neighbor’s daughter married there. Originally, they had great harvests every year, and the land yielded well, so they lived well in those years!

But who knew the rebels occupied the place? Her husband was captured to join the rebels, and the surrounding neighbors all fled to the mountains. She was afraid her husband wouldn’t find her when he returned, and since her husband joined the rebels, she thought the rebels would spare her family, so she didn’t leave.

Who knew that a few days later, a Foreman took a fancy to her and dragged her to the rebel camp.

Later, her husband died in battle, and she suffered all sorts of humiliation. She endured, dragged her body back home, and found her two children, who had just turned two, had starved to death at home!

She couldn’t bear such a shock and immediately threw herself into the river!

Now, her father is taking her two older brothers all the way to the downstream of the river to try and retrieve her body for burial, but they don’t know if they’ll even find it.” Someone said regretfully.

Lin Yue also heard this for the first time and looked at Lu Bu, only to see Lu Bu also looking incredulous!

He had spent his days drinking and reveling, neglecting the management of his lower-ranking military generals, and couldn’t believe they would do such beastly things behind his back!

“These rebels, they’ve lost all conscience!” an old woman cursed, throwing the egg in her hand at Lu Bu!

In a fit of public indignation, countless eggs and vegetable leaves flew towards the prisoner cart!

Lin Yue and Meng Fang, however, quickened their pace, pulling the prisoner cart, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire, while Lu Bu remained expressionless, letting them throw eggs and vegetable leaves without dodging.

Zhou Yang’s heart remained unsettled after hearing this, and he followed silently alone.

They continued until they reached the Heavenly Tier Teleportation Array, where Soldiers were stationed, and only then did the crowd stop throwing eggs, though they continued to curse incessantly.

“General, please!” The County Magistrate said with a smile, gesturing.

“Thank you,” She Jian said, stepping into the teleportation array first, with Meng Fang, Lin Yue, and Zhou Yang dragging the prisoner cart closely behind.

“Close your eyes,” She Jian reminded.

“Teleportation Array activated!

Destination: Imperial Capital, Xianyang City!”