frightfiction Chapter 369 Design
Chapter 369 Design
Hu Zheng, an insignificant eighth-rank official in the Ministry of Rites, was able to stand out this time and be selected to participate in the important diplomatic mission to the Wei Dynasty. He undoubtedly had a strong family background to support him.
Everyone knows that this mission is a heavy responsibility. If he can successfully complete the mission and return safely, his promotion to the head of the Ministry of Rites will be a foregone conclusion.
In addition, he has such a rare experience of being an envoy to the Wei Dynasty. As long as he acts prudently in the future and does not make serious mistakes, his career path will be bright and his future is promising.
But fate is often so strange. Hu Zheng never expected that his career, which was once as bright and full of hope as the rising sun, would now be as fleeting as gorgeous fireworks and would soon vanish into thin air.
Even he is going to die because of it.
This really proves the saying that one must die before achieving success!
In despair, Hu Zheng noticed that the team had no intention of moving forward after the incident.
Looking at the solemn atmosphere around him, Hu Zheng secretly guessed that they were most likely waiting for their execution before setting out on their journey again.
This thought was like a heavy yoke, tightly wrapped around his neck, suffocating him.
Just when Hu Zheng felt hopeless, an unexpected discovery, like a ray of light, instantly ignited his deep desire to survive.
He quietly observed that the soldiers guarding him, although they appeared to be alert, did not keep a close watch on him, perhaps because they believed that he was just a weak scholar.
This discovery instantly made Hu Zheng's heart perk up.
A scene of escape quickly came to his mind, and he secretly thought that if he could escape successfully, then everything could still be salvaged.
As long as we can return to Yongguo, with the help of our family's strong connections, this matter can be resolved.
So Hu Zheng suppressed his inner excitement and panic, pretended to be calm, calmed down, and concentrated on observing the soldiers' patrol routes and patterns.
As time passed, his eyes became sharper and sharper, not missing any subtle movements or time points.
Before long, Hu Zheng successfully found the flaws in the soldiers' patrol line.
He discovered that every once incense stick of time, the soldiers responsible for outer patrol would pass by here, and the soldiers guarding him would also follow these patrolling soldiers and leave for a short time.
Someone will be responsible for guarding him again until the next patrol soldiers arrive.
This means that during the short interval of this incense stick, the place where he is will be unattended. If he can accurately grasp this period of time, it is not impossible for him to escape successfully.
However, driven by a strong desire to escape, Hu Zheng's thinking became narrow and one-sided, and he completely ignored an extremely critical issue.
Why did Captain Yang, who has always been rigorous and disciplined in his military management, make such a serious mistake in this guarding mission?
…
Behind a sand dune not far from Hu Zheng, Li Zhi, Duan Heng, Zhang Wenchu, Jia Zhen, Nangong Wen and Chen Hua gathered together as if they were plotting something important.
Nangong Wen frowned slightly, lowered his voice and asked cautiously: "Do you think Hu Zheng will really choose to escape?"
Duan Heng curled his lips in disdain, and snorted coldly, "Humph, he is now doomed. Now that he has finally got a chance to escape, if he doesn't run, does he really intend to stay and wait to die? If it were me, I would definitely run!"
Chen Hua nodded slightly, and then continued with a serious expression: "That being said, the loophole we set up is too obvious. No matter how flustered Hu Zheng is, can he really not notice the strangeness?"
After hearing this, Li Zhi showed a confident smile on his face and chuckled, "Think about it, this is his last straw. When a person is in a desperate situation, even if he has doubts in his heart, he will try with a fluke mentality. As long as there is a possibility of escape, he will not give up easily."
"I understand this."
Zhang Wenchu stared at Li Zhi with sharp eyes and asked, "But the key is, how can you be sure that he will come back to continue destroying the water source after escaping? This is the key purpose of our plan."
Li Zhi shook his head helplessly, his expression calm: "I'm not sure, but we don't have a better way at the moment, so we can only give it a try. And I have a feeling that he will definitely come back."
Nangong Wen blinked and continued to ask: "What if he really doesn't come by then, should we send someone to catch him back?"
Duan Heng smiled sinisterly, with a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes, as if he was not looking at a person, but a lamb to be slaughtered: "Without our team, he simply can't survive in this deserted desert. Without water and food, how long can he last?"
After hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Although Duan Heng's words are cruel, they are also an indisputable fact.
In this vast desert, without water and food, it would be difficult for ordinary people, even for those who practice cultivation, to survive for six or seven days.
The scorching sun, the burning sand, and the endless thirst are enough to completely drain away any will to live.
After Li Zhi and others made the arrangements, they waited quietly, and everything happened just as they expected.
Hu Zheng really couldn't suppress his desire to survive. He took advantage of that brief opportunity and sneaked out of the camp carefully like a cat stealing fish.
Although his figure looked awkward and clumsy, he surprisingly did not attract the attention of the patrolling soldiers.
Even though Hu Zheng had been gone for a long time, the entire camp was still as quiet as a sleeping beast. There was no panic or noise at all, as if no one had noticed his escape at all.
This tranquility lasted until night fell quietly like ink.
The moonlight was like water, sprinkling on the desolate desert, covering the camp with a layer of silver gauze.
At this moment, a dark shadow sneaked into the camp silently like a ghost.
The black shadow moved erratically and walked lightly, trying to avoid the patrolling soldiers and ran straight towards the water source.
However, just as he was about to approach the target, the black shadow suddenly stopped, as if it was fixed by an invisible force and could not move.
In an instant, the entire camp was like a firework that had been ignited, and was instantly lit up by torches as bright as day.
The flickering firelight illuminated the stern faces of the soldiers. They quickly gathered around and surrounded the black shadow.
When everyone looked closely, they saw Hu Zheng standing in the center of the encirclement, his face distorted and hideous, his eyes red, and he exuded a strange aura.
Zhang Wenchu locked his eyes with Hu Zheng, then turned to look at Li Zhi and asked, "What should we do next?"
Li Zhi looked solemn as he slowly walked forward and came to Hu Zheng who was being hugged by the little ghost.
He raised his hand slightly and gently tapped Hu Zheng's eyebrows with his index finger.
In an instant, a powerful Qi surged out from his fingertips, and Hu Zheng's body trembled violently as if he was electrocuted. Then a sharp and piercing scream broke out, breaking the silent night sky.
Then, an illusory shadow suddenly broke free from Hu Zheng's body, like a wisp of green smoke, trying to escape in the chaos.
Fortunately, Li Zhi was prepared. His remaining four little ghosts quickly surrounded the shadow and trapped it in the middle.
However, he did not expect that the phantom was so ferocious. Facing the encirclement of the four little ghosts, it not only showed no fear, but instead, like an enraged beast, it launched a fierce attack directly towards the encirclement, trying to force its way out.
Li Zhi's four little devils were overwhelmed by its fierce attack for a while, and the encirclement began to loosen a little.
Fortunately, Li Zhi was not fighting alone.
At this critical moment, Zhang Wenchu snorted softly and muttered: "Wind Prison!"
In an instant, a powerful hurricane rose out of nowhere and swept over with a roar. The hurricane carried sand and rocks, like a giant dragon with bared fangs and claws, and directly wrapped the phantom tightly in it.
It was not until this time, with the help of the bright firelight and flying dust, that Li Zhi and his team finally saw the true face of the phantom.