Chapter 114: Open Schemes and Hidden Plots

Chu Yun waved his hand, saying, "In war, one does not execute the messenger! If you kill him, it means we are forced to engage in battle, which would lead to the deaths of many in Chu Family Town."

"Oh, my apologies, Lord Earl. I didn't understand that," Huang Daniu quickly apologized and stepped back.

Chu Yun smiled slightly to show it was fine. Although Huang Daniu was a bit reckless, his willingness to charge headfirst into trouble made him quite likable.

Seeing Huang Daniu retreat, Huang Tiangui breathed a sigh of relief. He had been genuinely terrified of that tall, burly man. Huang Tiangui turned his gaze back to Chu Yun and chuckled, "Heh, Chu Yun, I thought you saw our Witch Doctor Sect’s army pressing down on you and were merely toying with me. So, it turns out you plan to hole up in the city and refuse to fight!"

"Defending the city without engaging—a decent strategy. But I wonder, how long can the food supplies in Chu Family Town last? To deal with you, we cut off your grain supply ten days ago. Surely, you cannot have much left now, can you?"

Chu Yun smiled. "Heh, no food? Medical Officer Huang, do you know which meal of the day this is for us?"

Huang Tiangui asked instinctively, "Which meal?"

Chu Yun turned to the crowd and said, "Tell the Medical Officer which meal this is for us today."

The people immediately answered in unison, "This is our third meal of the day!"

Huang Tiangui retorted, "Three meals? I had heard rumors that Chu Yun eats three meals a day and forces his subjects to do the same, but to think it’s actually true! I didn't expect that even with your food running out, you’d still be eating three meals a day. Are you in such a hurry to die? Or are you just filling your bellies before you hit the road, so you don't become hungry ghosts?"

Chu Yun shook his head. "Heh, Medical Officer Huang, are you a fool? Or has water seeped into your brain? If we were truly running out of food, how could we possibly be eating three meals a day?"

With that, he gestured, "Come, let us take the Medical Officer to see our granaries and observe how much food we have left."

The crowd was stunned. No one could understand why Chu Yun would let Huang Tiangui see their granaries and allow the Witch Doctor Sect to know their true reserves. However, they trusted Chu Yun and did not question him. They followed him, escorting Huang Tiangui toward the storage buildings.

Upon arriving at the granary, Huang Tiangui looked at the endless stacks of grain bags. His face turned pale, and he shook his head incessantly. "How is this possible? How can you still have so much grain? The soil in Chu Family Town is barren; you’ve always needed to buy food from outside. We already instructed the local grain shop owners and Viscount Lin Yang, who provides your supplies, to cease all shipments to you. How can you still have this much?"

Chu Yun laughed, "Heh, I knew long ago your sect would come for me. How could I not have prepared the grain in advance?" He naturally would not betray Cheng Qiong and Jiang Lin.

Seeing Chu Yun’s confidence, Huang Tiangui did not harbor much suspicion, as they all viewed Chu Yun as a highly intelligent man and assumed he had planned for this. For a moment, he was speechless. He realized that with such vast reserves and the strategy of hunkering down, Chu Yun would never be persuaded to join the Witch Doctor Sect.

Finally, Huang Tiangui huffed, "Chu Yun, don't think that just because you have food, our sect has no way to deal with you. Even if your supplies last until the harvest and we are forced to withdraw for now, we will return to attack once the harvest is over. Furthermore, we will sever every supply line; not a single grain will enter this town. We shall see how long you can hold out then."

Having delivered his threat, he turned to leave. After a few steps, he realized he had wandered outside the protection of his two soldiers and scurried back, complaining, "What are you doing? Why aren't you sticking by my side to protect me? Know that if I die, your heads will roll as well!"

The two soldiers quickly closed in to shield him. Seeing this, Chu Yun couldn't help but laugh. "Haha, Medical Officer Huang, walk slowly! Since I intend to defend the city and refuse to fight, I won't kill you. Why are you so afraid? Hahaha!"

Hahaha! Hahaha!

Hearing this and seeing Huang Tiangui’s pathetic state, the crowd burst into laughter.

Once Huang Tiangui had left the city, Yang Liu’er couldn't resist asking, "Husband, why did you let the Witch Doctor Sect know exactly how much food we have?"

The crowd looked at Chu Yun in anticipation. Though they trusted him, his actions were truly puzzling.

Chu Yun smiled slightly. "Heh, naturally, it is because only when they know how much I have will they truly believe that I intend to hole up and refuse to fight!"

The crowd was stunned. Yang Liu’er exclaimed, "Husband, are you saying you intend to engage them?"

They all stared at Chu Yun, even more confused.

Chu Yun nodded with a smile. "Actually, I did intend to just defend the city. But last night, while I slept, I dreamed of my Immortal Master. He said that since the Witch Doctor Sect has bullied me so relentlessly, he must personally intervene, using his celestial arts to teach them a lesson and show them I am not to be trifled with."

The crowd was overjoyed. Having seen Chu Yun transform from a street rogue into someone so capable, they knew his master must be a powerful deity.

Yang Liu’er laughed happily, "Haha, that is wonderful! If Husband's Immortal Master is going to intervene, then we have nothing to worry about."

The people breathed a collective sigh of relief, filled with anticipation, eager to see what kind of celestial magic the master would unleash upon the Witch Doctor Sect.

At the hour of the rat, Chu Yun awoke. In the dim light, he looked at the soundly sleeping Yang Liu’er and breathed a sigh of relief. He slipped out of bed, dressed, led a horse from the stables, and rode to the city gates.

"Greetings, Lord Earl!" the guards said, bowing as they recognized him.

"Open the gates. I must leave," Chu Yun commanded with a slight nod.

The guards were dumbfounded. They couldn't fathom why Chu Yun would leave at this hour. Was he fleeing? But that didn't seem like his character. If he were going to run, he would have done so long ago. Without further suspicion, they opened the gate, adding with concern, "Lord Earl, please be careful. Not only is the enemy army outside, but there are wild beasts roaming the area."