Chapter 39.5: The Rabbit Hunter's Warning (2/2)

Three days later.

In some uninhabited land south-west of the capital city, two tents stood pitched. A little distance away from the tents, a young man, a scholar judging by his general appearance, sat stoking a fire inside a fire pit. A small kettle hovered suspended over the fire pit and contained a concoction of some kind. An inviting smell extended out of the kettle as its contents boiled with furious fervour.

After waiting for a few more minutes, Wuzhi grabbed a branch and used it to pull the kettle away from the fire. He then set it down on an unoccupied rock next to him and waited for it to cool. Being done with the breakfast for that morning, he then turned his head and amusedly gazed at the downcast stable boy sitting hunched near him.

"Oh, don't be so downcast, Pedro. Look up! Look at what a wonderful day it is shaping up to be." The young scholar spoke a few words of consolation.

In response, the crestfallen stable hand made a non-committal grunt and nodded. The depressed expression on his face, however, spoke volumes of how unenthused he was about undertaking this journey.

Moments later, Pedro raised his head and cast an imploring look at Wuzhi. With a voice tearing with confusion and pleading, he asked, "Sir Wuzhi, why did you suddenly ask me to join you in your travel?"

"Hoho!" Wuzhi chuckled. "I wonder why."

Hearing that same teasing answer for the hundredth time, Pedro fervently wished to choke Wuzhi to death. Not only was he kidnapped by the scholar-looking youth but he wasn't even offered a reason as to why he was kidnapped!

'Ahh! What did I do wrong!? What did I do to provoke this unreasonable man!?' Pedro cried within his heart. 'Surely, he can't be so petty to take revenge for accidently being rude to him that day in the stable? What sort of petty person remembers such a little slight!?!'

Pedro sincerely wished to return to the comfort of the imperial stable. Sure, being a stable hand was neither a glorious nor honourable station, however, Pedro enjoyed the job for what it was. He loved caring for animals and the job rewarded him for doing so. In the young stable hand's mind, he was living his dream.

It was only that, in a cruel twist of fate, he had come across a devil who had turned his dream into a nightmare!

'Why did I not leave for lunch that day!? Why did I foolishly stay back in the stables!? Why must the heavens be so cruel to me!!?' Alas, the stable hand could only curse the unfairness of his fate.

For all his complaints, Pedro did not dare speak them out in front of the young scholar. While his kidnapper had been amiable for the most part, he did not know when that demon would suddenly have a change of heart and force him into painful cruelty. Therefore, as much as the stable hand hated being here, he did not dare be disobedient towards his master.

Meanwhile, having waited for the meal to sufficiently cool, Wuzhi poured the kettle onto two plates, splitting It equally between himself and Pedro. He then seasoned the meal with a bunch of spices that he had borrowed from the imperial kitchen. Upon finishing the garnishes, Wuzhi handed the other plate to Pedro before beginning to eat his own.

In these past months, aside from doing his training and tutoring the boy emperor, Wuzhi had come to develop a hobby of his own – Cooking.

Ever since tasting that divine meal at the Mu Household, the young scholar had come to realise that the apex of mortal pleasure resided in food. Therefore, whenever time permitted him, Wuzhi hung around the imperial kitchen and practised his culinary skills. He made friends with the chefs, sought their advice sincerely, and began exploring the [Food Path].

And the result of all that practice was reflected in the bowl upon his hands.

The breakfast that Wuzhi had cooked was a simple meat jerky stew. The stew was decent and flavourful, and quite honestly, not a bad showing for a newbie who had learnt the basics of cooking for less than two months.

Of course, the meal was leagues and leagues away from the divine meal that he had once tasted. However, Wuzhi once again firmed himself to one day recreate that divine taste and feel it on his tongue for a second time. Until then, he would strive to grow his skill and ability.

With both men silently keeping to themselves, no conversation happened around the fire pit. Wuzhi slowly tasted each spoonful while making mental notes to himself while Pedro silently ate and made a conscious effort to not piss off the petty scholar.

It was around halfway through the meal that a change occurred. The two youths felt a slight tremble in the earth underneath their feet.

Pedro, being a stable hand that took care of horses, was more than familiar with this tremble. It was a quake born from the strutting of horses. Multiple horses. Hundreds of horses!

Just as he was about to speak out his thoughts, he felt the petty scholar's hand clamp his mouth. Wuzhi signalled the stable hand to remain quiet and gestured for him to hide. The scholar himself led with his actions, keeping only a small portion of his head above the rock to spy on distant movements.

Under the watchful eye of Wuzhi and Pedro, a massive army numbering tens of thousands galloped away in the distance. No banners were flown by its members. However, a simple look at their armour and clothing revealed that they were not part of the empire.

While Pedro watched with confusion and horror, Wuzhi drew on his knowledge and quietly muttered. "Duke Auberville's forces." He then traced the direction of their heading and continued. "They are heading towards the capital city."

Pedro had his face turn pale at that answer. While he was no military man, even he knew that the capital city, Caroxtel, was severely under-guarded at this moment. After all, he had been there when an officer from the army had come to the imperial stable to draw a few hundred horses! A simple deduction of facts revealed that the empire's army had left the city for some purpose.

Spending a few minutes, each of which felt endless, in frightful stillness, Pedro eventually felt the young scholar remove his hand from his mouth. Almost immediately, the stable hand latched onto the scholar's sleeves and begged.

"Sir Wuzhi! We need to immediately head back and warn the capital city! They need to learn about this information."

Shaking his head, Wuzhi evenly replied, "It's meaningless. Even at a causal count, the enemy numbers over twenty-thousand troops. I'm afraid that the capital city lacks the forces to guard against the siege of such a force."

"But! Then!" Pedro's mind scattered as ominous thoughts started filling his mind.

"Only by recalling the empire's army from its campaign will we stand a chance at resisting this force. However, judging by the dates," Wuzhi trailed his words, "they must be at least two weeks away while the enemy is less than a week from the gates of the capital city."

His words cast a depressive spell upon the atmosphere. Wuzhi fell quiet and lost himself to his thoughts while Pedro quaked and quivered with his entire body as he imagined the scene of the enemy entering the capital city.

Without a standing army to guard it, the city would be helpless in facing the enemy's slaughter.

Minutes later, just when Pedro almost lost his mind to his depreciative thoughts, Wuzhi spoke out. "Pedro, you must listen to me. The situation is not yet entirely hopeless. There is still a way to turn it around and only you can do it!"

Wuzhi's words were akin to casting a lifeline to drowning man. Pedro instantly sobered up and hurriedly asked, "Please do tell me, Sir Wuzhi! I am willing to do anything!"

Retrieving a sealed envelope from his coat, Wuzhi handed it to the young stable hand. Wearing a mask of utmost seriousness, Wuzhi strictly instructed. "You must carry this letter and head north-east. Do not stop or rest until you come across a massive army encampment flying our empire's banners. Once you reach it, you must call yourself a messenger and meet with the emperor."

"Explain to the emperor what you say here today. Do not exaggerate or lie. You must be precise with your words! Once you're done recounting, hand this letter to the emperor and speak this message to him."

Wuzhi recited a message which Pedro firmly etched onto his mind. Once they were done, the scholar evenly said, "Leave now, Pedro. There is no time to waste!"

"Understood, Sir Wuzhi!" Pedro saluted, gathered this stuff, and immediately rode out on his horse.

Left alone, Wuzhi cryptically stared at the sky with an even expression. His face held an expression of solemnity. A few moments of silence later, he staidly spoke. "Even with all my preparations, the empire finds itself at a precipitous cliff. Will it stand or fall, lies in the hands of men."

Coldness stepped into his voice and expression as he finished.

"The young raven is not to be underestimated."