I Rely on the Collapse of the Character Setting to Survive in the Hands of the Male Lead Chapter 162

Chapter 162

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With everything ready, Chu Lishu used a poisoned needle to end the life of the Second Master.

Watching the Second Master truly dead, Dai Heng’s emotions were somewhat turbulent.

“Four years ago, the two brothers entered the mountain a few months earlier than our siblings,” Dai Heng said. “I heard from the old folks before that, originally, this was just a small mountain fort. However, the patriarch brought in several hundred people, all strong and young warriors. Later, they gradually took in more people, and in no time, the fort expanded to the present scale. After our old fort leader, who took us in, passed away, they took control of the Wu Xin Fort. Up until now, it’s just a large mountain fort with many people. Initially, they only robbed wealthy merchants passing by, seeking wealth without taking lives and maintaining a bottom line. However, everything changed since the Master came to provide counsel and strategy.”

“Of course, things would change because they are spies sent by the Tianheng Country, probably looking for opportunities to cause trouble for the Great Zhou and monitor the movements of the capital city,” Chu Lishu said, not hiding the truth as they were about to cooperate.

Dai Heng, who was reminiscing about the past, was suddenly dumbfounded. His eyes widened, and he was greatly shocked. The hostility in his whole body couldn’t help but leak out. “They are people from the Tianheng Country, are you sure?!”

Both Chu Lishu and Lin Qingyang nodded.

“Tianheng! No wonder… no wonder…”

“Tianheng Country and the Great Zhou are arch-enemies, and the number of lives lost between them is countless. Especially for families like Dai, who were former soldiers, they naturally have hot-blooded feelings. Just hearing about Tianheng instinctively makes me uncomfortable,” Dai Heng muttered to himself.

“Doesn’t the patriarch know? Why would they allow people from the Tianheng Country… They probably don’t know,” Dai Heng speculated.

“At the very least, they must know the consequences of plundering relief supplies and poisoning the refugees,” Lin Qingyang sarcastically remarked.

Dai Heng’s expression did change, “We don’t agree with this. We haven’t been involved in these matters. Staying here is just a way to repay their kindness. Helping them in a fight is the last thing we’ve done for this place. We thought they would realize the danger, abandon the supplies, and leave. But unexpectedly, not only did they capture hostages, but they also wanted to continue the resistance. They are truly mad.”

“They were originally afraid, but money has its power. They seized the relief supplies, which are now the most valuable. As long as they can ensure a safe escape, they will certainly dare to take the risk,” Chu Lishu explained slowly.

“How can we ensure that especially when things have escalated to this point?”

“So there must be other escape routes. If even the people from the mountain fort don’t know about it, it means you are excluded from their escape routes. Perhaps you are just pawns on their escape path.”

Dai Heng’s expression changed, “That makes sense. It’s a situation where everyone is trying to save themselves. Mutual utilization.”

Lin Qingyang suddenly realized, “Didn’t they always wear masks? Maybe it’s to leave themselves an exit. Even if they fight, others won’t know what they look like. Once they successfully escape, they won’t be wanted. Does that mean anyone from your fort who isn’t wearing a mask is someone they have abandoned?”

Dai Heng shook his head, “No since we joined the fort and first met them, they often wore masks. They rarely revealed their true faces, especially to newcomers, and recently, they’ve been keeping the masks on all the time.”

Did I guess wrong? Lin Qingyang looked somewhat embarrassed as he glanced at Chu Lishu.

Chu Lishu, with a hint of disdain, cast a glance at the Second Master, then said, “At least one of your speculations is correct. Those wearing masks are their own people. Naturally, if they escape, they will only take their own with them, making it convenient to evade capture later. However, the reason they initially wore masks was because they were feeling guilty.”

“I know they are deserters, and it’s certain that they are feeling guilty, but is it necessary for them to wear masks in public? Are they that timid?” Dai Heng asked in confusion.

“Do you know where these deserters come from?” Chu Lishu inquired.

Dai Heng hesitated for a moment, his expression turning somewhat grim, “It’s said that they were… soldiers who were defending the city when Tianheng invaded.”

Many soldiers abandoned the city during that chaotic time. The situation was such that all soldiers became like ants under the iron cavalry, with no orders, no command, and few who could bravely sacrifice themselves for the city. Those who managed to escape were considered lucky.

Although the Dai siblings despised the behavior of deserters, they didn’t stand on a moral high ground to criticize. Since they were not on the same side, they coexisted without delving into each other’s past.

“It seems they’ve found a very reasonable disguise for themselves,” Chu Lishu’s voice gradually turned cold, and his tone became icy.

“Isn’t it?” Dai Heng asked.

“They should be deserters from the bloody battle at Tongjia Pass years ago,” Chu Lishu said in a casual tone, revealing the most chilling information.

Dai Heng was more shocked than when he heard about the identity of the Master earlier. He seemed to stagger back a step. “How can you be so sure? You just arrived, didn’t you?”

“Traces of the past, combined with the timeline, can lead to a judgment. Only the deserters from that battle would fabricate an identity of being deserters from another place because they knew the difference in guilt even among deserters. The casualties behind them were not comparable to those who abandoned the city. In that battle, there were no survivors; if they were alive, many would seek their lives. Naturally, they wouldn’t dare to admit it,” Chu Lishu explained.

Surviving a battlefield like that, they must have known a lot. How could some spare their lives? So even as deserters, they couldn’t be the ones from that battle.

Lin Qingyang had known this earlier, but the atmosphere still made his heart sink.

Dai Heng’s eyes almost went vacant as he recalled the past of his family’s destruction. He muttered, “They are actually deserters from that battle! Father always said there was something wrong with it, that Crown Prince wouldn’t make such a mistake. So, it’s true…”

“Hehe, who knows? The escape of a small group of people can’t influence the overall situation. Maybe he did make a big mistake,” Chu Lishu remarked casually.

Dai Heng looked at Chu Lishu, his emotions complex. He didn’t have the admiration for Yuan Ran like his father and sister, as he was still young back then.

Suddenly, Lin Qingyang’s tone became serious. “Don’t say that.”

He didn’t like it when Chu Lishu habitually belittled himself every time he brought up that matter.

Chu Lishu paused, looking at Lin Qingyang. Seeing his serious expression and protective stance towards Yuan Ran, the chilling feeling in his heart quickly dissipated. He complied, “Okay, I won’t say it.”

Dai Heng, observing their interaction, couldn’t hold back and said, “I… I was still young back then and didn’t understand the situation. I only knew that our Dai family repays kindness. That’s why we suffered collateral damage. But my sister has always believed that Crown Prince is a good person.”

Chu Lishu turned to look at Dai Heng, appearing contemplative as if he had already figured out the other’s identity. After all, Dai Heng had inadvertently revealed too much.

“Let’s not talk about the past for now. The current situation is that the patriarch and the Master each have their own plans. We need to further divide them and let them turn against each other,” Chu Lishu explained, instructing Dai Heng on certain matters. Dai Heng nodded repeatedly.

Having heard everything, Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu. Chu Lishu patted the back of Lin Qingyang’s hand and said, “Go on. I’ll be fine.”

Lin Qingyang nodded and left with Dai Heng.

As soon as the two left, Lu Yi and Lu Shi descended.

Chu Lishu addressed directly, “Lu Shi, follow Lin Qingyang and ensure his safety.”

Having witnessed various intense climax one after another, both of them were rendered speechless in front of their master. Eventually, even Lu Shi could only go to protect Lin Qingyang with complicated feelings.

Meanwhile, the patriarch left the wedding banquet and arrived at a special prison cell. Inside the cell, there was a well, and above the well, there was an iron frame. The iron chain hanging from the iron frame happened to reach into the well.

The patriarch approached and pulled up the nearby lever. Soon, the iron chain was slowly raised, revealing a person whose hands were bound by the iron chain, dripping wet from head to toe, pulled up from the well.

As the patriarch inspected, a violent cough erupted suddenly. The person hanging looked up slowly, and a nonchalant smile lingered on their lips, “Oh, you’re back?”

The patriarch squinted, “Young Master Yue is indeed fortunate. This well connects directly to the underground water, and it’s both cold and deep. Since drowning can’t kill you and freezing can’t kill you either…”

“Yeah, thanks to the divine protection. The fortune tellers even said I have a long life ahead. Moreover, if the patriarch truly wanted me dead, wouldn’t it be better to just cut this chain? Clearly, it’s an attempt to intimidate me.”

“You are indeed clever.” The patriarch swung a whip suddenly, and Yue Chen’s body already had more than one whip mark. Yue Chen groaned. “Don’t hit me; let’s continue chatting. They say that even in death, one should die with style. Killing someone should also be done with taste, right?”

The patriarch was infuriated by Yue Chen’s attitude. He abruptly whipped him again, but seeing the other still talking and laughing as if nothing happened, he felt it was pointless to continue.

“Not bad, the little genius from the Yue family has quite the demeanor. I am curious about what kind of torment is effective on you. Do we need to capture and kill Huo Luo in front of you?”

“That’s probably impossible; you don’t even know where he is.”

“Hehe, I thought you two would be inseparable like when you were kids. How come he’s not risking his life to rescue you? It seems brotherly affection is just superficial.” The patriarch sneered.

“I say, Uncle, you really hold grudges. It was just when Huo Luo and I accidentally stumbled upon you disrupting military discipline in the military camp when we were kids, and we reported it. Do you still need to remember it till now?”

The patriarch was instantly furious. “If it weren’t for you two, my brother and I wouldn’t have been transferred to the military camp, and we wouldn’t have…”

Yue Chen squinted slightly and remarked, “That’s right, how did you end up participating in the bloodbath at Tongjia Pass and becoming a deserter who betrayed the Crown Prince? Bearing the weight of so many lives. Therefore, I would say the punishment back then was too lenient. People like you should be permanently expelled from the military.”

“Shut up!” The patriarch was truly infuriated this time, his eyes bulging from beneath the mask. The Battle of Tongjia Pass was an incident he would never dare to mention.

“Oh, why so angry again? If you had been expelled from the military, you and your brother might be doing quite well right now,” Yue Chen continued with a smile.

However, the patriarch seemed to have a different perspective. His face looked extremely unpleasant as he glared fiercely at Yue Chen.

Yue Chen pressed on, “Why the hostility? Speaking of which, why did you become a deserter back then? If you had fought alongside the Crown Prince and achieved military merits, you could have enjoyed a lifetime of prosperity.”

“How could a battle that seemed impossible to win…” the patriarch couldn’t help but say.

Yue Chen’s eyes flashed, “Why impossible to win? That’s the Crown Prince. Even Huo Luo says he’s the best at warfare.”

“But that still can’t…” the patriarch was about to speak when suddenly there was a commotion outside. Yue Chen’s expression changed slightly, and they heard someone reporting at the door, “Patriarch, it’s bad news. The Second Master’s courtyard is on fire, but no one has seen the Second Master coming out.”

“What? This rascal, he’s probably going to die in bed!” The patriarch cursed loudly, directly waved his hand, the lever loosened and rotated continuously, and Yue Chen instantly fell down with a splash sound soon after.

When the room returned to calm, suddenly there was the sound of water and footsteps kicking against the rock wall. In an instant, two people emerged from the well.

Huo Luo held Yue Chen by the well.

“Tsk, got beaten for nothing. I would have known if it were just a bit more!”

Huo Luo remained silent, drew his knife, and was about to cut the iron chain.

“Alas, still can’t…”

“Shut up!” Huo Luo glared at Yue Chen with almost furious eyes, “I’ve spared you once. Don’t push it too far, or I’ll break your legs!”

Watching Huo Luo’s eyes almost turning red with anger, Yue Chen hesitated for a moment and awkwardly said, “I just wanted to know the truth from back then. Don’t you want to know? We’ve been investigating for so long, and finally, there’s someone who can tell us.”

“You’ve said it yourself, Chu Lishu knows the truth. Just ask him. Why go around asking this scoundrel? And sacrifice yourself.”

“It’s not interesting if I don’t find out on my own, and… it’s not convenient to ask Chu Lishu directly about such matters. He might not reveal the whole truth. Well, let me try one more time, just once… or else… I’ll threaten you!”

Not mentioning it was fine, but as soon as this topic came up, Huo Luo was furious. Without saying a word, he cut through the chain, stood up straight, and said, “If you have the guts, go ahead and threaten! I’ll break your hand!”

Yue Chen finally fell silent, realizing the joke had gone too far. Muttering, he said, “Breaking hands and feet, you really aren’t gentle with me at all.”

“You have the nerve to say that!” Huo Luo’s face turned red as he scolded Yue Chen. Remembering Yue Chen’s previous actions, he really wanted to strangle him. This guy, when he gets anxious, dares to do anything, bullying people at will. What was he thinking, and how could he dare to use such a threatening approach? What was he even trying to achieve?

In fact, Huo Luo had found this place two hours ago. He had watched the patriarch leave from here and should have followed him. However, he had an instinctive feeling that Yue Chen would be in this room.

When he saw the situation inside the room, he immediately had a bad premonition. He hurriedly reached out to pull the iron chain, but it was heavy, as if someone was hanging from it.

Huo Luo’s heart sank, and without caring about anything else, he jumped down immediately.

With a splash, just as he surfaced from the water, Huo Luo felt someone.

“Oops, what’s going on? Why is another one coming down? It’s crowded here, you know?”

Still with that irritating tone and attitude, Huo Luo instinctively grabbed the person he had found, and only then did the suspended heart settle down. It seemed the person was fine with such a strong vitality.

“Hey…” Yue Chen thought he was about to be pulled underwater, especially since after falling down, the chain’s length was just enough to avoid being completely submerged. The water below was bone-chilling, and he had managed to find a way to avoid being soaked in icy water. He didn’t want to continue descending.

Suddenly, Yue Chen felt a very familiar embrace. Surprised, he exclaimed, “Huo Luo?”

Huo Luo, confirming the person, didn’t say a word. He quickly brought Yue Chen back up.

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