Legend of The Young Master

Chapter 148: Can I just give up now?

Wuyi sat on the meditation cushion, feeling irritated.

"Who are you cursing?" Meiying inquired, offering what was likely intended to be a charming smile. Her attractiveness was somewhat marred by the lack of a woman's charm and her vague facial scar, giving her a somewhat fierce appearance.

He pondered sharing his thoughts with her; she was most loyal to him. But then he decided against it—just like Baijian, she was a brute in mind; he could not discuss things with her that he could with Jin or Yun Ming.

He placed his feet on the chilly stone floor. "Forget it. Could you fetch Dong for me? I need to get dressed."

She grinned mischievously. "I could help you get dressed."

"Whether you could or not isn't the issue; speed is," he replied, standing up in his inner robes. Meiying looked at him affectionately before exiting to call for Dong.

Dong and Jia arrived almost simultaneously—Dong holding clothes and Jia, still half-asleep, carrying a cup of hot wine. Wuyi dressed in the soft glow of the morning sun, with Jia clumsily assisting him with his robes and cloak. The process seemed to take twice as long as usual, briefly making him regret sending Meiying away.

Once ready, he descended the stairs to the courtyard and affectionately patted his horse, Haruki, on the nose. Donning a black mask, he vaulted onto Haruki's back.

As he rode through the narrow postern—having ordered the main gate to be closed for the time being—he realized that if no attack came, he would appear quite foolish. Then he remembered the massive specter, the mental image of the the specter visiting the fort sent a slight shiver down his spine.

He rode down the steep path, comfortably seated on Haruki, his trusted low-grade spirit beast. Behind him were Yuei, Meiying, Jia, and Jin, all fully armed. Reaching the base of the hill, he veered away from the bridge, heading west—not along the narrow path where he had previously encountered the demonic, but around the base of the fortress.

He circled the fortress at a leisurely pace, gazing upwards to assess the fortifications from an attacker's viewpoint. The fortress towered a hundred feet above him, appearing both grand and distant. In his mind, the statue of knowledge was making calculations for him.

As he passed the central citadel, the first ballista fired. The sound of its iron string snapping echoed for a moment before the projectile plummeted to the ground, landing with a heavy thud far to the west.

Wuyi turned to Yuei. "Place an orange flag where it landed, Yuei. They won't fire again until you do."

"Always me," Yuei muttered but complied.

The group continued their circuit around the fortress base. Two more ballistae fired, and each time, Wuyi sent Yuei to mark the landing spot with a flag.

"Seems like a tough place to crack," Meiying commented.

"Some of our enemies have wings," Wuyi responded. "But yes, with our warriors on the walls and all defenses in place, we should hold out until the people inside run out of supplies."

He looked past her. "We'll lose the Lower Town first, then the Bridge Castle. But help—either from the Lotus Sect or the king—will arrive before that."

With that, he leaned forward and led them at a slow canter across the fields towards the Bridge Castle.

Yun Ming greeted him at the tower gate, also fully clad in his Qi armor. Behind him on the bridge were a dozen heavy wagons filled with goods and around fifty men and women, all looking as pale as sheets. They were merchants.

"Here for the fair," Yun Ming explained, making a face. "Word has it, there are five more convoys on the way."

Wuyi glanced at Tianyu, who wore a concerned expression. "We haven't even brought in all the local farmers yet," Tianyu said. "Fifty more people, plus their wagons?"

"And I bet these merchants are not carrying any food," Wuyi added. "Most likely, their carts are filled with silks and luxury items, as they've come to trade for grain." He surveyed the area. "How many more can we accommodate, Yun Ming?"

Yun Ming squinted. "We can handle all of them, and maybe thirty more. However, we will need additional grain, salted meat, and other essentials. Water isn't an issue since we have the river."

Wuyi returned uphill to inform Lady Xueyan.

Soon a hefty wagon was hoisted from the underground storage, reassembled, and then filled to the brim with food and supplies. Teams of men carefully lowered it down the steep incline using gate winches, bit by bit.

As they bolstered the supplies at the lower fort, more merchants continued to arrive. Some were irate about the disruption in trade, while others appeared visibly frightened. Wuyi dispatched warriors to the base of the hill to try and pacify them. When that failed, he instructed them to send a delegation to Lady Xueyan at the fort.

Once everything was taken care of, he felt that the remaining work could be handled by his subordinates. Seeking some solitude, Wuyi retreated to his chamber. While he appreciated the profits his group generated, he was not fond of the minutiae of management. This was why he had delegated tasks so meticulously within his team. Y

His chamber was a modest room with direct access to the courtyard and two arched windows separated by a fluted column. With the windows open, a spring breeze wafted in, carrying the scent of wildflowers and jasmine, and offering a view that stretched fifteen leagues to the east over the low hills.

Jia had left a stack of scrolls detailing the account records of the group, which Wuyi, as the leader, was supposed to review. Instead, he removed his cloak and rested his elbows on the windowsill of the left window.

Footsteps signaled Jia's arrival. "Your armor," he said softly.

Wuyi turned to see two archers carrying a hefty wicker basket and Jia holding an armful of lumber. The archers debated over which peg fit where, while Jia, seemingly lost in thought, handed them the correct pieces—even when they asked for the wrong ones. Quickly, they assembled a rack for Wuyi's Qi armor.

This armor, while not striking in appearance to the high and mighty, was more than it seemed. Crafted from a blend of lesser spirit beast leather and ordinary metals, it was a practical choice. The beast leather, tough yet flexible, was interwoven with metal threads, creating a mesh that allowed Qi to flow through and fortify it.

It wasn't gear that would turn heads in the grand halls of power, but for Wuyi, it was perfect. It offered protection without pretense, suitable for someone who valued substance over show.

Jia meticulously arranged the armor on the wooden form. A well-organized armor rack could save crucial minutes when gearing up. Given that the fortress was now teeming with soldiers and refugees, Wuyi's chambers had also become his sleeping quarters.

Once the archers had left, the room fell silent, and Wuyi returned to his window.

"Is there anything else, Young Master?" Jia inquired.

"Well done, Jia," Wuyi replied.

Jia seemed startled. "I—well, Zhen did most of the work."

"All the more credit to you for acknowledging him," Wuyi observed.

Encouraged, Jia slowly moved to the right-hand window and leaned in. He took his time, as long as it had taken to build the armor rack. "We're fully stocked," he said cautiously.

"No fort in a war ever considers itself 'fully provisioned,'" Wuyi responded.

"So, what's next? Do we wait?" Jia asked.

"You do realize we're nearly the same age?" Wuyi questioned. Jia straightened up. "I apologize, but you hold seniority over me."

"I appreciate a good question, especially if it helps us think more clearly. I've got to strategize, you know. The next step involves something potent and impactful. It's a tactic often used by the Ancient Zeniths, mentioned in historical records but strangely absent from cultivation texts," Wuyi said.

Jia made a face, signaling to Wuyi that he sensed he was being teased. "Is it some kind of mystical art?"

"Not mystical art," Wuyi clarified. "But it's magical in its own way. We're well-prepared and fortified, and the enemy hasn't shown up yet. So, what's the next move?"

"Should we bring more commoners inside the walls?" Jia suggested.

"No, that's already taken care of," Wuyi responded.

"How about constructing additional defenses?"

"We don't have enough manpower for that," Wuyi paused. "But it's not a bad idea."

Jia seemed frustrated. "What about summoning deities for help?"

Wuyi thought for a moment. "No, although that would be interesting if I knew how."

Jia looked puzzled. "Then what? Build higher walls?"

"No," Wuyi said.

"Stock up on more arrows?" Jia tried again.

"Good thought, but no," Wuyi replied.

"Seek more allies?" Jia ventured.

Wuyi paused, looking toward the east. "We've already called upon our allies, but that's a solid suggestion. One I might consider later." He glanced at Jia, who was dressed in a stylish green robe. "But that's not it."

Jia sighed, "Can I just give up now?"