"Grandfather, you know Xing’er and the others. This is Ji Hong from Chen Cang. I owe my rescue this time to Brother Ji’s help."
Su Xing’er had been living in the county mansion for nearly half a year, so her grandfather knew her. Cai Shiqin spared the introductions and focused on Ji Hong. Then he turned to Ji Hong and the others and continued, "Brother Ji, Xing’er, this is my grandfather, the second elder of the six houses of Lin Chu County Mansion, Cai Yuheng."
"Greetings to Second Elder Yuheng!"
The Cai lineage in Lin Chu County had a total of seven branches, each led by one of Prefectural Governor Cai Qiuyang’s seven most outstanding sons. Each branch had three elders to manage the disciples of the lineage. For Cai Yuheng to be an elder and second in rank, he naturally had some power.
Though Cai Shiqin was young, his seniority was not low. He was of the eighth generation of the Cai Family. Cai Yuheng was his grandfather, thus he was of the sixth generation. The head of the sixth house was Cai Yunbo, and Cai Yuheng, although seemingly old, was actually Cai Yunbo’s great-grandson.
Su Xing’er and her three siblings had not met Cai Yuheng before, but having lived in the Governor Mansion for so long, they had heard of his name and quickly bowed in salute; knowing the elder was a Xianyang Level strongman, Ji Hong naturally followed suit in greeting.
"From Chen Cang..."
"Junior Ji Hong, apprentice of Adviser Chen Wanhe of Yanling County of Chen Cang!"
Seeing Cai Yuheng appraise him, Ji Hong quickly introduced himself.
"Disciple of Chen Wanhe, indeed a promising student from a renowned mentor. In my early years, I had dealings with your master several times. Many thanks to young brother for rescuing Shiqin. I shall prepare a generous gift to visit and express my gratitude in person later on!"
Cai Yuheng looked incredibly solemn and disregarded the disparity in status, offering Ji Hong a slight bow in return.
"Please, elder, there’s no need for such courtesy!"
A Xianyang Level strongman bowing to him scared Ji Hong considerably. As he hastily waved his hands to decline, his impression of Cai Yuheng and Cai Shiqin improved significantly.
Cai Yuheng, however, was indifferent, and after giving a dismissive wave, remembered something else and quickly asked Cai Shiqin, "Qin’er, I heard you joined the Young Prince’s team; Qifeng, Yuwan, Zizheng, and Shiyan, were they...?"
Seeing the somber look on his granddaughter’s face, Cai Yuheng didn’t finish his question, finding his answer within and sighed heavily.
"It was expected. At the beginning of the month, Prefectural Governor Yu Chuo personally drove away the Mysterious Ice Old Monster. The Four Great manderies dispatched twenty Xianyang Levels to b this region, but after half a month’s search, they found only over a hundred people; the same happened at Chen Cang with just over a hundred survivors as well.
This trial was indeed a heavy loss for the two vassal towns..."
Listening to Cai Yuheng’s words, the six people slightly furrowed their brows.
More than a month ago, they had an inkling that many would die in this trial, reckoning at most six or seven-tenths, but hearing Cai Yuheng’s words now, it seemed over eight-tenths perished, meaning more than eight hundred people?
These more than eight hundred people weren’t just mon folk; they were the most talented disciples from the four manderies and three cities of the Cai lineage, plus the best batch from the Six Clans of Cai Qiu.
Though they were unclear of the situation at Chen Cang, they assumed it was no different.
To think they all perished in this inexplicable cold wave!
Such a catastrophic loss meant the top talents of Cai Qiu and Chen Cang vassal towns nearly lost an entire generation...
Cai Shiqin first showed sorrow, but turning to see Su Xing’er’s worried expression, she immediately asked, "Grandfather, what’s the situation at Zhenyuan Camp?"
Her father, Cai Tianzheng, was a colonel in the Silver Scale Army, so not only Su Xing’er but Cai Shiqin also fretted over the situation at Zhenyuan Camp during this period.
Hearing this question, Cai Yuheng’s face immediately showed a hint of sorrow.
Seeing her grandfather’s expression, Cai Shiqin immediately understood; recalling her grandfather mentioning searching for her with only two uncles, her face turned pale.
"This year, the Deceitful Monsters of the Blood Miasma Plain launched a full counterattack. Both vassal towns fell into their trap. On the third day, during daylight, the outer armies of the Miasma Area and Zhenyuan Camp were simultaneously attacked by the Beast Tide. The Trial Camp’s fifty thousand troops immediately went to assist Zhenyuan, leaving you trial disciples unattended.
The Beast Tides at Zhenyuan Camp and the Miasma Area’s periphery were vast and seemingly endless. Deploying troops from the vassal towns was too slow, forcing us to seek military aid from Chen Cang...
As Cai Yuheng narrated everything that happened a month and a half ago, Cai Shiqin, Su Xing’er and her siblings, along with Ji Hong, all understood.
The Beast Tide was driven by the Deceitful Monsters. Believing in the principle of mutual survival, knowing the armies of Cai Qiu were encircled, Chen Cang immediately sent reinforcements.
Yet, the moment the reinforcements moved, they fell into the Deceitful Monsters’ cunning trap.
Chen Cang had established a similar camp, Tuoyuan Camp, on its side of the Blood Miasma Plain, housing an army equivalent to Cai Qiu’s, also twenty thousand. Sending ten thousand troops to aid Cai Qiu left it with only half.
When the ten thousand troops from Chen Cang reached Zhenyuan, the Beast Tide at Cai Qiu immediately began to retreat. Then the Tuoyuan Camp was promptly surrounded by a Beast Tide whose scale surpassed that faced by Cai Qiu, totaling more than thirty thousand beasts.
It was then that the two vassal towns suddenly realized that Chen Cang was the true target of the Deceitful Monsters. When they learned that the Trial Zone was ravaged by a cold wave, both vassal towns had no time to spare; they each dispatched five Xianyang Levels while everyone else focused on rescuing Chen Cang’s Tuoyuan Camp.
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