MMORPG: War God, You are Invincible Again
Chapter 439 - 193: The Trap

Chapter 439: Chapter 193: The Trap

The following day, at midday, Lu Hong took the signal flare given by Xie’an and left the domain of the Pasa family. The seemingly calm wasteland had in fact been densely outfitted with alert devices by the Pasa family’s careful management.

Unnoticed by the Pasa clan was no small feat. After some thought, Lu Hong decided to try his luck and pulled out the token given by Questasa. Sure enough, he managed to contact a Black Guard squad.

Following the directions from the token, the squad quickly arrived at Lu Hong’s side.

The ten-man squad knelt before Lu Hong, "Subordinates greet Baron Sir, Lord Bai said for us to lie in wait around the Pasa family domain, awaiting your summons."

"Mm, I know," Lu Hong nodded. He was quite satisfied with the backup arrangements made by Bai. He then said to the men, "I need to assist the empire’s troops to leave the Pasa family domain, but this area is filled with the Pasa family’s magic alert devices. Do you have a way to evacuate a hundred thousand men without triggering these alarms?"

The squad leader gave a wry smile, "Sir, this task you’ve arranged is quite the exhausting one."

Seeing that the other party did not immediately refuse, Lu Hong believed it was virtually settled: "It’s hard work, I know, but there’s no choice. I just have a feeling that Bo Heng of the Pasa family harbors ill will towards the empire’s troops."

"As long as it’s a task arranged by you, Sir, we will strive to accomplish it," said the squad leader as he proceeded to delegate the task.

It wasn’t difficult to remove a single magic alert device, but to clear a path on a vast wasteland wide enough for a hundred thousand people was no small feat. They had to search for possible alert devices and dismantle them. The ten men estimated it would take three days to complete and weren’t sure if they would miss any.

"How long do you think it will take?" Lu Hong asked.

After contemplating, the squad leader replied, "To be safe, five days, because we do not know how far the Pasa family has placed these magic alert devices. It’s very likely that their alerts extend into the territories of the next family’s domain."

"That won’t do," shook Lu Hong’s head, "you have less than a day. The empire’s troops will soon emerge from the Pasa family’s domain, and we must move quickly."

"If that’s the case, then you might as well clear a path through brute force," the squad leader offered his view.

"Wouldn’t that be exposing ourselves?" Lu Hong immediately rejected the idea.

"No, you can destroy several magic alert devices in different directions. That way, the Pasa family wouldn’t know from which direction the empire’s troops left."

"Moreover, the ten of us can also help, creating some false battle traces to confuse the Pasa family’s surveillance. After all, the situation in Soaring Cloud City is escalating and dragging most forces from the Dragon Valley into it."

Ah, considering the squad leader’s analysis, it did seem rather reasonable.

"Then we’ll do as you suggest." Lu Hong decided to act immediately, but he didn’t plan to use his "Qi and Blood" here. He also didn’t intend to invoke the power of the Holy King, since "Qi and Blood" was too distinctive and Lina had seen the Holy Light’s power before. Fortunately, he still had a second profession.

Switching to the Great War Master profession, the War Holy Sword landed in his hand.

Without caring for the surrounding magic alert devices, destruction was the only goal.

The Black Guard joined the fray, and eleven people bombarded the poor wasteland mercilessly.

At the same time, Lu Hong fired the signal flare, and Xie’an promptly arrived with his troops.

"What on earth are you doing?" Upon seeing Lu Hong toiling away on the wasteland, Xie’an said incredulously, "Are you destroying the Pasa family’s alert devices?"

"Yes," Lu Hong wiped the sweat from his forehead, "we have no choice; they’re wealthy and set up alert devices recklessly."

"Idiot!" Xie’an cursed irritably, "With your flagrant destruction, wouldn’t the Pasa family send someone to investigate? Also, couldn’t this be done faster if a hundred thousand people worked on it together instead of just you? What a waste of time!"

After chiding Lu Hong, Xie’an immediately issued an order; a hundred thousand men spread out and advanced in a sweeping motion.

After hearing Xie’an’s rebuke, Lu Hong realized he might be right. Indeed, why not wait for the army to arrive and then destroy the alert devices together? He felt like a fool. With that thought, Lu Hong turned to the befuddled Black Guard beside him, who seemed to have come to the same realization.

"Cough, cough!" Lu Hong coughed lightly and stepped forward, clapping the others on the shoulder: "Don’t blame yourself; I was too anxious. We’ll think things through more thoroughly next time."

They had advanced less than ten miles when Xie’an, deeming it too slow, decided to abandon the clearing of magic alerts altogether, "Everyone move at full speed, forget about those things."

"Why?" Lu Hong asked curiously, "Wouldn’t that make it easier for the Pasa family to detect us?"

Xie’an ignored Lu Hong. A perfectly good plan had been blown by this brute’s actions, "From when you started destroying the magic devices until now, a whole hour has passed. If the Pasa family had sent a small force to investigate, I might be a bit more reassured. At the very least, we could capture those Pasa soldiers and take them with us. But from the start until now, the Pasa family has made no move; there are only two possibilities."

"Which two?" Lu Hong pressed.

Xie’an glanced at Lu Hong, "Figure it out yourself!"

"Figure it out yourself, then," he thought silently.

Lu Hong wasn’t stupid; he simply preferred not to overtax his brain when simple solutions could save mental effort.

As they marched quickly with Xie’an, Lu Hong also quickly caught on. He sought confirmation from Xie’an, "I know now. The first possibility is that the Passa family already knows it’s us trying to escape, but they don’t care, so they haven’t sent anyone to check."

Xie’an nodded, "And the other possibility?"

"The other possibility is that the Passa family knows we are trying to escape and wants to capture us all in one fell swoop. They would need to gather more troops because they are aware of our military strength. If the Passa family shows up, they will be fully prepared."

"Correct," Xie’an said with satisfaction, "In any case, it’s very likely that the Passa family has guessed that we have destroyed the Magic alarm device. Since we’re exposed, we might as well not hide it. In case they are currently gathering troops to surround us, we need to quicken our pace, or we’ll fall right into their encirclement."

Lu Hong chuckled, "That’s why you’re the general, you’ve got the brains."

"Alright, go and keep an eye on the Black Guards. If you notice anything unusual, tell me immediately."

"No problem."

As they marched, ten Black Guards activated their Eyes of the Sky, paying close attention to their surroundings and remaining vigilant against any unknown ambushes.

Fortunately, their escape proceeded smoothly without any incidents, surprisingly enough.

Ten days after Xie’an led the army away from the Passa family, Ji Tong knocked on Bo Heng’s study door, "Family Head, did you call for me?"

"Come in," Bo Heng set down his calligraphy brush and asked the man before him, "Where did Xie’an flee to?"

"Reporting to the Family Head, based on our analysis, they should have fled to the Dream Marsh."

It turned out the Passa family had thorough knowledge of the movements of the Empire’s army!

"Dream Marsh," Bo Heng nodded with satisfaction, "That’s exactly what I wanted."

"Yes, the Dream Marsh is a place of no return. I really wonder who advised them to hide there."

Bo Heng glanced at Ji Tong who had spoken, "Order the Iron Soul Army, show no mercy!"

"Understood!" Ji Tong took the order, and though he was supposed to leave, he seemed hesitant.

Bo Heng immediately asked, "Is there something else?"

Ji Tong pondered for a long time before speaking, "Family Head, is there some secret in Dragon Pond? I always feel that the rising conflicts in Soaring Cloud are being pushed by someone in the shadows."

"You need not know this, go now," Bo Heng waved his hand, dismissing him.

Then he sat back down, opened a blank piece of silk and dipped his brush in ink, writing:

Although there were some unexpected events, overall, the plan has been very successful. Baron Yitian is not dead; I presume you have met him. Leading the Empire’s army into the Dream Marsh aligns perfectly with my wishes. However, Baron Yitian’s strength is peculiar, and I hope that you will extend your aid to prevent him from entering the Dream Marsh. We need to avoid all risks. In addition, West must have noticed our schemes. There is no need to worry about the battle in Soaring Cloud; I will do my best to contain it. The plan proceeds as usual, but I’m unsure whether Cain meets the criteria. If not, we will need to find another powerful individual to serve as a puppet. Please oversee this matter promptly. I look forward to joining forces with you, becoming intertwined, and ruling the world together!

After writing the letter succinctly, Bo Heng carefully dried the ink, folded it, and placed it in an envelope before writing several large characters:

Respectfully from Bo Heng, personally to commence.

After finishing the writing, he tapped the table lightly three times.

Shortly after, one of the Black Guards arrived.

"Deliver this letter to our lord, and do not delay. Be quick."

"Yes, I shall obey!"

If Lu Hong were here, he would have easily recognized this man as one of the Black Guards who had rescued Lina from Wu Erfu’s dungeon that day!