I Rely on the Collapse of the Character Setting to Survive in the Hands of the Male Lead Chapter 157

Chapter 157

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【Ding, Main Mission 2, Mission 7: Assist the male lead in obtaining the support of Yue Chen and Huo Luo.】

As Lin Qingyang processed the unfolding events, he listened to the voice echoing in his mind.

“Did Chu Lishu send you here? Are you also heading to the military camp?” Lin Qingyang asked in bewilderment.

“We? We came out from the military camp.” Yue Chen’s eyes rolled, and he said with a moment of speechlessness, “Qingyang, you didn’t get lost, did you? Are you looking for Chu Lishu at the military camp?”

Huo Luo, accompanied by Mu Huichun, walked over, and his gaze towards Lin Qingyang was also full of inquiries. “Going further up leads to the road to Wu Xin Fort. The military camp is in the direction going downhill.”

Huo Luo pointed in the direction they had come from. Lin Qingyang and Mu Huichun looked in that direction and then exchanged glances. Mu Huichun squinted, and Lin Qingyang awkwardly chuckled, suddenly realizing, “Chu Lishu isn’t in the military camp?”

If the navigation is directing them towards Wu Xin Fort, then is Chu Lishu in Wu Xin Fort?!

Sure enough, Yue Chen provided the answer the next moment. “So, you really don’t know anything. Well done, Lin Qingyang. Even getting lost leads you to Chu Lishu’s location. Is this called a spiritual connection? I’m impressed!”

Lin Qingyang suddenly found it hard to speak. “What is going on here?”

Huo Luo, without teasing, said directly, “When we arrived at the military camp, we heard that Chu Lishu and the others were all captured by Wu Xin Fort.”

So, the two of them explained their journey. In the beginning, they were just bored and wanted to join in the excitement.

Chu Lishu seemed to anticipate their arrival and privately notified them, mentioning some issues in the mountains. He couldn’t divert his attention to investigate, so he asked them to help discreetly.

However, when they arrived, they initially intended to meet Chu Lishu, only to find a sudden change in the situation here. Three princes – two captured, one missing. Chu Lishu and Xu Wenze were both captured due to a surprise attack on the military camp.

They had no choice but to come up and investigate on their own.

Upon arriving, they discovered numerous mechanisms and trees planted in a pattern of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams. It would be incredibly challenging for an ordinary person to find a way in. Fortunately, Yue Chen was quite knowledgeable in this area, and with Huo Luo’s formidable martial arts skills, their actions were relatively smooth. However, they had some uncertainties about the hiding places in the fort, which caused a delay and led to the encounter with Lin Qingyang.

After Yue Chen finished explaining, seeing Lin Qingyang’s uneasy expression, he patted him on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry. Chu Lishu is so clever; nothing will happen. Since they are captives, there’s no reason for them to be easily killed.”

Lin Qingyang could only nod in silence.

He naturally knew that Chu Lishu was fine; otherwise, the system would have already been clamoring. However, the deviation from the original plot was a bit too much, making Lin Qingyang feel very uneasy.

In the original plot, Chu Lishu should have stayed in the military camp to guide the overall situation. Everything would proceed according to the plan he and Prime Minister Li discussed. Although Wu Xin Mountain had various tricks, it couldn’t withstand the numerous soldiers and the strategic guidance from Chu Lishu and Zhao Cheng behind the scenes.

Chu Lishu also ordered Lu Yi and Lu Shi to follow Yuan Ye and the Third Prince separately, ensuring that they were captured. Within three days, Wu Xin Fort was conquered. The Eldest Prince rescued Yuan Ye and the Third Prince, captured over a dozen prisoners, and Chu Lishu even secretly released two captives from the shadows. The final fate of the captured prisoners was decided by the Emperor’s order.

Chu Lishu successfully completed his plan.

In the original plot, Yue Chen and Huo Luo initially harbored suspicions about Chu Lishu’s identity. They followed him and witnessed his abilities. Together, they attacked Wu Xin Mountain, encountered certain individuals, confirmed Chu Lishu’s identity, fully pledged their loyalty, leading to a mission in this scenario.

Now, Yue Chen and Huo Luo have actually been assisting Chu Lishu for a while, but they haven’t formalized their allegiance yet. Chu Lishu hasn’t given them the opportunity, keeping a reserve. Hence, the mission is not considered complete.

But now, Chu Lishu is inside the fort? Goodness, when did the storyline of this mission become so chaotic and challenging?

“You got lost on the way up. What should we do now? Can you safely go back down?” Yue Chen waved his hand, seeming a bit embarrassed.

Lin Qingyang was about to say that he wouldn’t go down, but suddenly, Mu Huichun pulled the sleeve of Lin Qingyang’s clothes.

Lin Qingyang just realized that Mu Huichun was still with them. It would be more appropriate to ensure Mu Huichun’s safety first. Suddenly, Mu Huichun spoke up, “There’s a smell of blood. Are there corpses or severely injured people nearby?”

The faces of everyone changed. Huo Luo immediately fell silent, listening intently. Suddenly, his expression changed, and he swiftly moved in a direction.

Not long after, he shouted, “Come over.”

Everyone hurried over, only to see Huo Luo dragging a person up from a mountain ditch.

The person was covered in bloodstains and dirt from head to toe.

“External injuries, poisoned,” Mu Huichun instinctively assessed.

As Lin Qingyang and Yue Chen saw the person for the first time, they felt something strange. When Huo Luo laid the person flat on the ground, revealing the dirty face, both of them gasped.

They had unexpectedly found the missing Eldest rince!

Lin Qingyang quickly asked Mu Huichun to save him.

Mu Huichun leisurely took the pulse and inserted several silver needles into the Eldest Prince’s body.

“How is it?” Lin Qingyang asked. If the situation was critical, he would have to use the medicine from the system Exchange Shop.

“External injuries are minor issues; the crucial point is the poisoning. If there’s an ample supply of medicine in the military camp, I can detoxify him tonight, and he’ll wake up full of life tomorrow morning. If we leave him here, he’ll succumb to the poison by tomorrow morning.”

“We can’t let him die,” Yue Chen’s tone became serious.

Lin Qingyang also nodded, “Mu Huichun, we’re counting on you.”

Mu Huichun shrugged, indicating his willingness.

“Who is this?” Yue Chen scrutinized the unfamiliar young man.

“He’s a little divine physician encountered by the refugees. It was him who discovered someone poisoning the disaster victims, leading to a severe outbreak of dysentery. If not for him, everyone in the refugee settlement would probably have died.”

Both Yue Chen and Huo Luo looked surprised.

“Poisoning? You brought him here; is it related to Wu Xin Mountain?” Yue Chen quickly deduced.

Lin Qingyang quickly explained the situation.

Yue Chen’s face turned grim, “It seems there’s really a hidden secret above. This is clearly targeted at our Great Zhou’s efforts to manage the disaster. We must investigate thoroughly.”

Huo Luo stated directly, “Let’s send them down first and then continue our investigation up here.”

Yue Chen immediately said, “You go ahead and take them down. I’ll stay nearby to observe. Once you come back up, I might not have the energy to go up again.”

“Tsk, your energy. I’ll carry you up if needed. Can’t leave you alone,” Huo Luo stated directly.

“No need to worry about me,” Yue Chen replied.

“It’s not about worrying; it’s about preventing you from running around and causing trouble,” Huo Luo impatiently expressed, showing clear distrust towards Yue Chen’s words.

Yue Chen was about to retort, but then he heard Lin Qingyang speak up, “I’ll stay behind with Big Brother Yue. That should be fine, right? I had no intention of going down anyway.”

Yue Chen hit the nail on the head, saying, “Indeed, we plan to rescue Chu Lishu later, but it’s not suitable for you. I don’t think Chu Lishu wanted you to come in the first place.”

In such a situation, joking aside, it was necessary to be with the male lead. Moreover, when did his actions become completely controlled by Chu Lishu in the eyes of others? Was the male lead his guardian now, just like Cousin Liu, Yue Chen, and Huo Luo?

“The premise is that he stays safely in the camp, but it’s not the case now,” Lin Qingyang said.

“It’s dangerous up there, and I can only ensure the safety of one person,” Huo Luo stated bluntly.

“I don’t need your protection. I’ll be careful, hide, and act accordingly. At worst, I’ll be one more person captured. I can still provide coverage for you during critical moments. This is all I can do, but it’s definitely not useless. Besides, I have a natural talent for finding Chu Lishu,” Lin Qingyang said earnestly, making statements that were hard to believe.

Huo Luo initially wanted to refuse, having witnessed Chu Lishu’s concern for Lin Qingyang. If something happened to him, Huo Luo instinctively felt that it wouldn’t be good.

However, Yue Chen intervened, raised an eyebrow, and seeing Lin Qingyang’s determined look, he knew that even if they refused, Lin Qingyang would take action secretly. After all, their relationship was such that it was impossible to stop him forcibly. It seemed safer to have him join their mission.

“Looks like we have to take you along,” Yue Chen couldn’t help but tease, “It really is a case of ‘friendship stronger than gold.'”

Lin Qingyang looked at Yue Chen speechlessly. Why was he casually using idioms?

“Hey,” Huo Luo frowned.

However, Yue Chen decisively said, “Huo Luo, carry the Eldest Prince on your back, take this young physician with you. Using light footwork skills, you’ll get there quickly. Send them to the military camp, then come back to meet us. With Lin Qingyang around, I won’t act recklessly. Go quickly and return quickly.”

Huo Luo, breathing stagnant, felt compelled to obey whenever Yue Chen spoke in an unquestionable tone. Although there was much dissatisfaction in his heart, he eventually hoisted the Eldest Prince on his back and, carrying Mu Huichun, prepared to go down the mountain.

Before leaving, Mu Huichun threw a vial to Lin Qingyang, “This can cure all poisons. Don’t die; I’m counting on you to find the person I’m looking for.”

Lin Qingyang didn’t have time to express gratitude as Mu Huichun was taken away.

“Find who?” Yue Chen asked.

Lin Qingyang shook his head, indicating that he didn’t know. He glanced at the medicine, thinking of saving some points. He wanted to share it with Yue Chen, but Yue Chen said he had detoxifying medicine with him. After all, when Chu Lishu notified them, he mentioned that there were many poisonous substances on the mountain. Lin Qingyang insisted on giving it to him. Considering detoxification, the Eldest Prince and others must have brought plenty of antidotes with them. Since they still got poisoned, it proved that the detox pills available in the capital were not effective. The ones given by Mu Huichun should be more potent.

Yue Chen also thought it made sense and accepted the medicine.

Then, they began a careful investigation of the surrounding mechanisms. Lin Qingyang assisted while curiously inquiring about the situation leading to the attack on the mountain and how it ended up with this outcome.

Having visited the military camp, Yue Chen and the others naturally learned about the situation and explained it to Lin Qingyang.

Lin Qingyang was dumbfounded. “What exactly are the Crown Prince and the Third Prince up to?”

“Heh, fortunately, both I and Huo Luo didn’t choose them from the beginning; otherwise, we would be infuriated to death,” Yue Chen spoke with a displeased expression when referring to them.

“I think recently Yuan Ye felt pressured by the Eldest Prince everywhere, making him anxious. So, he wanted to take a risk and get rid of the Eldest Prince. After all, accidents happen, and even if the Eldest Prince really died here, the blame could be shifted to Wu Xin Fort. However, unexpectedly, the Third Prince also wanted to take advantage of the situation. Since no one had predicted the strangeness of Wu Xin Fort, and the three of them had refused to cooperate, they fell into a trap. They stole the chicken without securing the rice.”

Lin Qingyang listened, feeling quite speechless. It was true that plans couldn’t keep up with changes.

“They are foolish to be unclear about internal and external troubles. They should think, would the Eldest Prince be easily killed by them? If Yuan Ye was suppressed more ruthlessly earlier, he would have been intimidated and wouldn’t dare to act recklessly.”

Lin Qingyang instantly became a little stunned, understanding why Yuan Ye and the Third Prince suddenly changed their actions. Could it be because of the Jing Rouyin incident?

Since Yuan Ye’s reputation was not damaged and he didn’t face the risk of being deposed, he was in a better position than the Third Prince. However, due to the previous Spring Plowing incident, he was slightly behind the Eldest Prince. Given the Crown Prince’s personality, he would indeed take risks when he was slightly behind, but if the situation was completely unfavorable, he would shrink back and wait for an opportunity.

This led to today’s changes, and the Third Prince was purely taking advantage of the situation, trying to fish in troubled waters.

Indeed, it’s like a chain reaction!

At this moment, after finishing his scolding, Yue Chen also shifted his attention and said, “These mechanisms are becoming more interesting. It seems like I know why Chu Lishu asked us to come here. He’s impressive to discover anomalies after just one or two investigations. I had to be reminded by him to pay special attention.”

“What?” Lin Qingyang asked.

Yue Chen turned to Lin Qingyang with a smile and said, “There may be people from Tianheng Country in Wu Xin Fort.”

Lin Qingyang took a sharp breath. Tianheng Country, aren’t they the mortal enemies of the Great Zhou?! Hold on, when did characters from Tianheng Country appear in this plot?

“If they are people from Tianheng Country, then the poisoning of the victims and the looting of relief supplies can be explained. It’s not just a simple attempt at robbery,” Yue Chen’s expression gradually became serious. “They want to create chaos, incite the emotions of the refugees, and it could lead to a rebellion among them…”

“Do they want to attack this place?” Lin Qingyang exclaimed.

“Who knows, but causing chaos, wearing down the country’s strength, is highly likely,” Yue Chen analyzed. “It seems we must quickly capture Wu Xin Mountain.”

Lin Qingyang felt uneasy. So in the original plot, it was because the male lead quickly defeated Wu Xin Fort, reclaimed the supplies, that even if the refugee camp outside the capital was lost, it didn’t lead to a rebellion among all the refugees in the Great Zhou.

The original plot didn’t mention the factor of Tianheng Country in this paragraph at all, probably because it was irrelevant to the main plot. However, the male lead, being so intelligent, must have discovered something that made Yue Chen come over to investigate. He was orchestrating everything from the military camp at that time, so he probably didn’t pay much attention to this matter. He was more focused on satisfying his revenge plan. As for the grudge against Tianheng Country, he would settle that later. In fact, he wouldn’t care much about what happened here.

Now the situation is much more complex than Lin Qingyang knew.

Suddenly, an alert sounded in his mind again. Lin Qingyang was surprised; the mechanisms around here had already been destroyed, so it couldn’t be an issue with the mechanisms. Could it be that there was someone nearby?

Lin Qingyang quickly pulled Yue Chen and said, “Let’s go, there’s danger.”

Yue Chen hadn’t reacted yet when he was dragged by Lin Qingyang to the place where the Eldest Prince had been hiding before.

Yue Chen was about to ask a question when he heard footsteps. He looked at Lin Qingyang in surprise. This level of alertness was something only martial arts experts like Huo Luo possessed. How did Lin Qingyang manage to do it?

Soon, more than a dozen people rushed over. They seemed to be following the Eldest Prince and, upon discovering issues with the mechanisms here, carefully investigated. However, their hiding place was relatively far away, so they were temporarily safe.

“Strange, why are they wearing masks? And their behavior, how…” Yue Chen observed stealthily and muttered to himself.

Lin Qingyang was truly amazed by Yue Chen’s boldness. Now, they should obediently hide to stay safe.

Lin Qingyang tried to pull Yue Chen down, but Yue Chen instead showed a tendency to move upward. Suddenly, Yue Chen lowered his head and smiled at Lin Qingyang.

This smile highlighted Yue Chen’s handsome appearance, but Lin Qingyang felt a sense of unease. Indeed, the next moment, Yue Chen spoke, “Tell Huo Luo that I’m taking the initiative now.”

Before a single word could be uttered, Yue Chen skillfully dodged Lin Qingyang’s attempt to grab his hand, climbed out of the mountain ditch, and suddenly ran towards another direction, immediately attracting the attention of the enemies.

Lin Qingyang cursed inwardly, understanding why Huo Luo was so concerned about him.

Soon, the enemies captured Yue Chen.

Yue Chen remained calm and said, “I am sent by the court for negotiations. I want to meet your leader. My identity is known to anyone from the capital to your village; I am Yue Chen of the Yue family.”

Lin Qingyang watched nervously as the masked individuals hesitated for a moment and ultimately had to escort Yue Chen up the mountain. Before leaving, Yue Chen gave him a reassuring glance.

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