Clouds and Moon Shadow

Chapter 168 Falling in Love?

Upon hearing this, Gu Chao drew his long sword from his waist and was about to turn around.

"Wait, something's fishy," Gu Yuanming suddenly realized that something was wrong at this moment.

Everything was too coincidental. Gu Qingyue happened to be fighting the bandits just as they approached, and then there was that whistle just now…

So what were so many bandits doing in the woods in the dead of night?

We can't possibly mobilize so many people just to intercept and kill Gu Qingyue.

Robbing grain supplies?

How many bandits were there?

"I didn't see clearly just now, but there were about fifty or sixty people nearby, and I could also hear fighting coming from the woods in the distance. As for the number of people, I'll go and investigate again," Gu Chao pondered the scene he had just witnessed.

"No need," Gu Yuanming understood what had happened in the blink of an eye.

He lowered his head and whispered a few words in Gu Chao's ear. Watching Gu Chao lead dozens of men away, Gu Yuanming dismounted and walked towards the carriage behind him.

Before half a cup of tea could be brewed, another group of men was dispatched to the mountains ahead.

Gu Yuanming personally guarded the grain and fodder by the roadside.

No matter what happens, the food supplies must not be compromised in any way.

Half an hour later, Gu Qingyue stood by the roadside, watching Mo Shaoshang sheath his sword, and said apologetically, "Thank you so much for tonight. Would you like to come with me?"

Gu Qingyue felt a little embarrassed. In the fight just now, Mo Shaoshang had at least held up half the sky.

During her fight with the bandits, she also witnessed Mo Shaoshang's ruthless skills, which were like those of a demon descended from heaven.

This man's martial arts skills are no less than mine; clearly, he is no ordinary businessman.

Of course, it's quite possible that he hasn't shown his true strength yet, after all, these bandits are really too weak.

Apart from a few ruthless leaders, the others were no match for them.

"Who is this?" Gu Chao asked curiously, standing next to Gu Qingyue.

"My friend, Young Master Mo," Gu Qingyue introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Gu Chao said, clasping his hands in greeting.

Upon hearing Gu Qingyue's introduction, Mo Shaoshang revealed his first smile of the night, a smile that reached his eyes and warmed his heart.

Her friend? He liked that description.

"No, I should also set off now. Farewell." Mo Shaoshang certainly wanted to stay with Gu Qingyue, but it was no longer convenient, so he naturally did not want to travel with the Great Chu army.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingyue did not try to stop her, after all, she had to return to the military camp.

It's really inconvenient to travel together now.

"Goodbye," Gu Qingyue said, bowing slightly.

Seeing Mo Shaoshang ride his horse far away, Gu Qingyue also mounted her horse and rode with Gu Chaochao towards the grain convoy.

By the moonlight, Gu Qingyue saw the grain convoy parked far away. She suddenly understood why Gu Yuanming had gone to Lizhou; it must be related to this batch of grain.

'Whoosh whoosh whoosh------' Before they even got close, the sound of sharp arrows piercing the air suddenly came from the woods by the roadside. A plume of smoke and fire flew past Gu Qingyue and Gu Chao and headed towards Gu Yuanming.

It's a rocket!

However, Gu Yuanming had driven the grain carts to a relatively hidden corner from the start, making it difficult for arrows fired from the mountain to hit them unless they came out of the forest and approached this corner.

Fortunately, they did not approach the forest where the bandits had appeared; it is likely that the Nanzhao soldiers had prepared a 'grand gift' for them there.

It was all thanks to Gu Qingyue's early warning.

"Be on guard—" Gu Yuanming's voice came from afar. Gu Qingyue and Gu Chao exchanged a glance, leaped off their horses, and rushed toward the direction from which the arrows had been fired in perfect unison.

Sure enough, there was an ambush in the mountains!

It is clear that Gu Qingyue's previous speculation was correct; the group's goal was to burn the grain supplies.

In the mountains and forests, where the arrows were fired, a dozen men in black, longbows in hand, hid in the trees, but they could not escape the eyes of Gu Qingyue and Gu Chao.

Gu Qingyue, dagger in hand, lunged at the nearest man in black.

A moment later, the sound of swords clashing echoed through the forest. The men in black were all skilled, but they were no match for Gu Qingyue.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the remaining men in black scattered like rabbits and fled into the depths of the mountains. Gu Qingyue and Gu Chao did not give chase, as protecting the supplies was the priority.

As soon as they left the forest, Gu Yuanming came to greet them.

Gu Qingyue took two quick steps and gave a brief account of what had happened that night.

Hearing that it was related to the bandits of Black Wind Stronghold, which was controlled by Pan Xiangye's men, the message was delivered to Black Wind Stronghold by a woman named Fox Girl.

She was secretly Pan Xiangye's woman, but publicly she was Prefect Li's concubine.

It sounds a bit convoluted, but it's actually quite obvious.

Pan Xiangye was naturally on the side of the Nanzhao people, while Prefect Li was actually a man of the Third Prince.

So, if Pan Xiangye and the Nanzhao people burned the grain and fodder tonight, and the investigation revealed that it was Li Zhifu's concubine who leaked the information, then it was naturally Li Zhifu and the Third Prince who did it.

Inevitably, Gu Yuanming and his group will have to pin the blame on Prefect Li and the Third Prince, and internal strife in the Great Chu will be unavoidable.

The Nanzhao Kingdom and Pan Xiangye reaped the benefits.

hateful!

Without needing to elaborate further, Gu Yuanming understood what had happened tonight after a little thought.

He turned back and ordered the escort team to continue, leaving Gu Chao to wipe out the remaining bandits and eradicate Black Wind Stronghold.

From then on, everyone became more cautious along the way, but things went relatively smoothly.

Three days later, Gu Qingyue followed Gu Yuanming's grain transport team to the vicinity of Meng County, which was relatively close to Nanchong Pass.

On this day, the group finally entered Meng County.

Mengxian County is basically a ghost town. There is a large army stationed here, and the defense is relatively tight, but the population is sparse and there are very few people on the streets.

Gu Qingyue looked around. She had heard before in Lizhou City that Meng County had a special product, which was well salt.

Although the production of well salt here is extremely low, the imperial court specially dispatched salt inspectors to supervise it, because the quality of the well salt here is very high and the brine is in excellent condition.

Therefore, Yu County was also a major center for many wealthy families in the surrounding states to purchase well salt.

Therefore, Yu County can be considered quite prosperous.

As you can see from the current situation, most shops on the street are closed, and when you walk into the residential area, most houses also have their doors tightly shut. It is unclear whether they are hiding inside and unwilling to come out or have already moved away.

Gu Qingyue sighed.

But who exactly is this Yue Zhiqi?

That's why the people of Yu County fled so early to avoid disaster.

Gu Qingyue and her group rested in a house that had been prepared in advance. It was said that this was originally the villa of a wealthy merchant, named "Wenxi Villa", which was famous for having several hot springs.

But now, the house is empty, and Gu Qingyue feels sorry for them for just leaving this big house behind.

By the time I finished washing up and getting ready, it was almost evening.

Gu Qingyue sat down at the desk by the window, took out her first-aid kit from her spatial storage, and began to carefully organize the medicines inside. She knew that a tough battle was coming soon, and she wondered how Mu Yun Chu was doing.

I heard from General Gu that he led his men to the vicinity of Nanchong Pass, but there has been no news yet.

Thinking of Mu Yun Chu, Gu Qing Yue always felt very uncomfortable. Was it because the other party had expressed his love, and she felt a little embarrassed and shy?

Gu Qingyue thought about it carefully and realized that it didn't seem so. Although she had never been in a relationship, she had seen quite a lot. Moreover, she didn't have the virtuous and gentle nature of a lady from an ancient noble family, nor did she adhere to the ideas of female virtue and precepts.

Why did she do that? Could it be that she herself had fallen for him?

Gu Qingyue, who was organizing the medicines, suddenly stopped, rested her chin on her hands, and began to stare blankly.

I recall his handsome, aloof face, broad shoulders, narrow waist, tall and slender figure, and the domineering and ruthless aura unique to military generals…

Moreover, he was skilled in martial arts and had an exceptional fighting ability. Gu Qingyue had to admit that this man perfectly matched the criteria she had always hoped for in a boyfriend.

If possible, dating would be nice, but that's all for now. As for marriage or a lifelong commitment, she hasn't even thought about it; that's too far off.