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Chu Tang flicked sugar beans one by one, each bean claiming a life. Soon, the soldiers escorting the supplies firmly gained the upper hand and tied up the few remaining attackers.

The commanding officer saluted Chu Tang, “Thank you, noble hero, for your timely aid.”

Chu Tang did not come down, looking instead at the soldiers below. He asked, “Are you men of General Chen?”

“Yes,” replied the commanding officer.

Chu Tang’s gaze fell on a soldier standing behind the commanding officer, “Are you an insider?”

Thinking he was being accused, the commanding officer startled and was about to speak when the soldier he thought Chu Tang referred to suddenly bolted.

“Stop him!” The soldiers chased after the fleeing man, catching and binding him on the ground.

The fleeing soldier looked up at Chu Tang with venomous eyes, like a snake ready to strike from the bushes, “How did you figure it out?”

“I didn’t figure anything out; you ran on your own, didn’t you?” Chu Tang said innocently.

The fleeing soldier, “…” realized he had been too nervous!

Everyone, “…” Indeed, the hero hadn’t named anyone, merely asked a question.

Chu Tang clapped his hands together, sat up straight, and asked authoritatively, “Tell me, who is your master?”

“It’s Su Liangwei, a close associate of the eldest prince.” The fleeing soldier, seeing no way out and seeking some relief from his fate, revealed the information readily.

“Wasn’t the eldest prince already dead?” the commanding officer asked, puzzled.

“The eldest prince is dead, but his influence isn’t. Now all the eldest prince’s covert operations have been taken over by Su Liangwei, whose ambitions are even greater than those of the prince,” the fleeing soldier stated resentfully.

Chu Tang sighed inwardly; it seemed that eliminating the roots was necessary, “Where were you supposed to transport the supplies?”

“Ask them; I only worked as an insider,” the fleeing soldier said, resigned.

Chu Tang turned his gaze to the robbers, “Speak up, where was it being taken?”

The robbers, also despairing for their lives, confessed, “To a cave in the mountain to the right. We were to leave, and others would come to pick it up later.”

“Let’s move, lead the way.” Chu Tang descended from the tree and addressed the commanding officer, “Would you like to capture more bandits to establish merit?”

Recognizing the justice and prowess of the mysterious hero, the commanding officer agreed, feeling safe to follow his lead. If the hero had wanted to harm them, he could have collaborated with the robbers to wipe them out.

The commanding officer saluted, “At your command.”

Chu Tang rallied, “Everyone, put on the clothes of these robbers and follow me to the cave to wipe out the bandits.”

“Yes,” the soldiers quickly disguised themselves and instructed the robbers to lead the way while they followed, guarding the supplies.

The robbers had not lied. After a trek, they did find a cave. Following Chu Tang’s instructions, everyone placed the supplies inside the cave and then casually sat down to eat their dry rations.

On guard against any tricks from the robbers, they ate quickly, often choking on their food, a luxury given the circumstances.

Chu Tang shared his own jerky with everyone, “Eat up, it’s been a hard journey guarding these supplies.”

“Thank you, noble sir.” This hero seemed quite prepared, carrying jerky on him—they should consider doing the same in the future.

Amid the unusually calm atmosphere, after eating, the soldiers began to feel sleepy, worn out from the day’s march and with no rest.

Chu Tang, standing against a tree, looked up at the moon, which was particularly bright and full tonight, casting a serene glow everywhere.

It was mid-May already; he realized he had been out here for over five months.

The commanding officer offered Chu Tang a water skin, “Sir, would you like some water?”

Chu Tang shook his head, “I’m not thirsty.”

“Are you thinking of home, sir?” The commanding officer glanced at the moon, and as they spoke, a cloud drifted across, shading the moonlight and darkening the surroundings slightly.

“A bit,” Chu Tang nodded.

“May I ask where your home is?” the commanding officer asked, looking up at the now partially obscured moon.

“I’m from the capital,” Chu Tang replied.

“Under the emperor’s nose, that must be something. I’m from Liang City myself, where my family has lived for generations. Even though it’s nearby, I can hardly ever visit,” the commanding officer shared, a nostalgic smile crossing his face.

“The mission is crucial; once things stabilize in the eastern border, it’ll get better,” Chu Tang offered some comfort.

“The arrival of General Tang will surely restore the eastern border to its former prosperity,” the commanding officer said, filled with hope.

Does everyone trust Jinghong this much? Chu Tang smiled slightly, “He will do his best to help everyone.”

As they spoke, a tense atmosphere drifted over them, and the faint sound of rustling footsteps reached their ears, instantly alerting everyone.

The robbers had been knocked unconscious and were now seated by the cave entrance, leaning against the rock wall, feigning sleep under Chu Tang’s direction. His careful planning left no room for mistakes.

The footsteps halted right in front of Chu Tang, and a figure presented a token.

Chu Tang swiftly snatched the token, knocking the newcomer unconscious with a swift move. Seeing this, the others reacted and clashed with the newcomers.

Chu Tang knocked down his opponents one by one, joining the soldiers in the fray. Soon, the attackers were subdued, and the survivors were tied to tree trunks.

The leader, a man with a long face, glared at Chu Tang with intense hatred, his eyes nearly spitting fire, “You all dare to betray? Aren’t you afraid your master will kill your families?”

“So it was family threats!” Chu Tang remarked, “Is that how Su Liangwei controls you?”

Realizing his slip, the long-faced man panicked, “Who are you?”

“You don’t need to know who I am. Today, you either submit to me or die here!” Chu Tang stated flatly.

“Who are you people?” the long-faced man asked, his fear evident. He didn’t want to die; there were still many things he hadn’t enjoyed, much money he hadn’t spent. How could he just die?

“Where were you supposed to take the grain?” Chu Tang cut through the chatter, asking directly.

“To Shu City,” the long-faced man blurted out involuntarily, a wave of panic washing over him.

“And just like that, you were supposed to transport two hundred loads of grain to Shu City without raising suspicions? How were you planning to manage that?” Chu Tang mused aloud, wondering if the city gate officials had also been bribed.

“The grain was to be transported into the city under the guise of the city’s largest grain merchant, then sold at various stores. The money from the sales was to be divided among us all,” the long-faced man explained, the words tumbling out in his panic.

“That’s a clever scheme indeed,” Chu Tang noted, although he still found it baffling how they could be so at ease with their deeds.

And what about that second prince, stealing military arrows to sell—what was he thinking?

Chu Tang turned to signal the commanding officer and walked with him to a corner, “Take the grain back to the camp. The men there are probably waiting to cook. I’ll handle everything else.”

The commanding officer saluted Chu Tang, “May I ask the name of this noble hero?”