Chapter 130: A Terrifying Night

After glancing at Hu Qi, Hu Tu finally addressed Master Liu:
"Master, there is no place for us here. Please grant us permission to leave."

However, Master Liu replied:
"Hu Tu, you have been the deputy commander of my household guards for a long time. You should know my character well. Why must you be so stubborn even now? If you want to prove yourself, I will naturally give you opportunities."

Hu Tu sneered and said:
"Master Liu, why must you continue like this? Your 'smile hiding a dagger' no longer works on me. Isn't it your goal to let Zhao Chengming and the others strip me of everything? Since that is the case, if this place will not harbor me, there are plenty of other places that will."

Master Liu slammed the table, stood up, and shouted angrily:
"Hu Tu, you are truly foolish! Do you really think those powerful aristocratic families hold you in such high regard? Do you think I am unaware that those families have been frequently sending people to curry favor with you? Do you honestly believe that any man who betrays his master for personal gain will be valued enough to enjoy wealth and luxury?"

Master Liu took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued:
"Furthermore, do not forget that in my manor, you are at the very least a deputy commander. Once you leave here and go to them, are you certain you can hold the same position?"

Hu Tu retorted angrily:
"Very well, Master. Since everything is out in the open, I will hide nothing. Yes, once I go to the Huang family, I may not be a deputy commander. But they have vast assets and influence; even if I am not a deputy commander, the scope of what I manage will be far greater than at the Liu manor."

Master Liu said:
"Good, very good. Go then! Take those who are like you and leave at once. Do not let me see you again."

Zhao Chengliang, who was standing nearby, immediately interjected:
"Hu Tu, you are really..."
But Master Liu stopped him from continuing. Hu Tu then led those who were willing to follow him and departed.

Fortunately, Hu Tu’s faction of guards was much weaker compared to the faction under Zhao Chengming. Moreover, since Hu Tu and his men had strongly resisted the new uniforms and equipment introduced by Zhang Desen and his team, they were not using modern weapons like the Hanyang rifles, relying instead on traditional cold weapons.

Furthermore, because of their resistance, none of them worked in the Unified Industrial Park, which reduced the risk of sensitive secrets being exposed by their departure. Consequently, Hu Tu’s departure did not cause the Liu manor to suffer any significant losses; it was merely a reduction in staff that could be easily replaced.

Zhao Chengliang, standing beside Master Liu, was furious and said to him:
"Master, this..."
Master Liu waved his hand to stop him and said:
"Do not worry. If such dross wants to leave, let them go. There is no use in being anxious. Besides, there are many things he should not know that he remains ignorant of, and that is enough."

Zhao Chengliang nodded and said:
"Understood!"

***

Although Zhao Chengliang still felt uneasy, Master Liu continued:
"Enough, stop thinking about it; it is useless. Send a telegram to the Hezhou branch immediately. Tell your brother and Zhang Desen about everything that happened here so they can prepare and quickly fill the vacancies. Do you understand?"

Zhao Chengliang replied immediately:
"Yes!" He then went off to carry out his orders.

...

In Hezhou City, the next morning, as Zhang Desen and the others were eating breakfast, Zhao Chengming rushed in and said to Zhang Desen:
"Captain..."

Zhang Desen waved his hand and said:
"No need for such formality. In private, use the old title, Brother Chengming."

Zhao Chengming said:
"Brother Desen, I just received a telegram from the Liu manor in Xidu. Yesterday, Deputy Commander Hu Tu betrayed us and left the manor with his faction of guards."

Zhang Desen was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said:
"Oh? What happened? Did this fellow find some new path to fortune? He was in such a rush."

Zhao Chengming replied:
"It is like this. The telegram my brother sent says..."
He proceeded to relay everything he had learned to Zhang Desen.

After listening, Zhang Desen remarked:
"That is not a catastrophic loss. People can be recruited again, and since he knows nothing of our critical secrets, he cannot shake our foundations. When heaven wants to rain and a mother wants to remarry—and I'll add, when a father wants to marry a stepmother—let them be."

Zhao Chengming wanted to laugh but held it back, saying:
"Indeed, Hu Tu will reap what he sows one day. However, Manager He Youcai told me something just now: we must not move around the city at night. If we absolutely must go out, we should stick to the outskirts and avoid entering the city."

Zhang Desen asked, puzzled:
"Why? Has the Prefect of Hezhou issued a curfew?"

Zhao Chengming replied:
"It is more than just a curfew issued by the authorities. There are other reasons..."
Zhao Chengming explained the recent events, leaving Zhang Desen astonished. He had not expected such a mysterious situation in the small city of Hezhou.

***

The situation was this: for a long time, people walking at night in Hezhou had been disappearing. Regardless of gender, anyone between the ages of 15 and 50 who went out after the second watch of the night would essentially vanish. Only the elderly were safe, unless they happened to encounter someone of the susceptible age who was in trouble.

These incidents occurred between the second watch and sunrise. During this time, anyone who went out would never return home. Consequently, if someone had urgent business, the elderly would sometimes disregard their own health and go out themselves to protect their children.

Of course, because the elders were frail, some children, unable to bear the thought of their elders suffering, would sneak out secretly when they had tasks to complete, only to disappear and never return, leaving their elders in grief.

This situation alarmed the authorities, who offered rewards for the capture of the culprits. However, many martial arts experts who took the bounty, as well as the bailiffs and soldiers sent by the government, all met the same fate: they vanished without a trace during their patrols.

Over time, rumors spread that these were not the deeds of men, but of ghosts. The authorities, sensing the horror of the situation and hoping to prevent further loss of life, imposed a strict curfew, forbidding anyone from going out between the second watch and dawn so that government forces could operate. The government also tried to recruit sorcerers to assist, but they, too, ended up disappearing.

As a result, Hezhou City became increasingly terrifying at night.

After hearing Zhao Chengming’s explanation, Zhang Desen asked:
"How far does this phenomenon extend outside the city?"

Zhao Chengming replied:
"The range seems to be confined to the city. Our warehouse outside the city is safe even if one goes out at night."

Zhang Desen said:
"It seems we need to meet these opponents. Hahaha!"

Zhao Chengming said:
"Brother Desen, you don't actually intend to go out at night to meet those culprits, do you? That is very..."

Zhang Desen raised his hand to stop him and asked:
"Brother Chengming, can you help me collect information on these mysterious culprits? I need to analyze the details before deciding on a plan. Of course, I am still going to meet those aristocratic families today."

Zhao Chengming said:
"That is no problem. In fact, the imperial court intends to send hundreds of soldiers to assist the Hezhou Prefect in capturing the culprits. By the way, there is one more thing regarding Wan Gu; it is truly infuriating."

Zhang Desen paused and said:
"Oh? Tell me."