CHAPTER 70: CHAPTER 70: REBELLION

"Brother Chen, remember to run quickly, and never come back."

After giving those instructions, Wu Mountain couldn’t afford to rest. He covered himself tightly again and left hurriedly.

He had to leave promptly; if he ran into the government office’s people, they would surely know that he was the one who tipped off Chen Mo. To go this far, he felt he had done all he could.

By the time Chen Mo collected his thoughts, Wu Mountain was already far away.

To say he wasn’t nervous would be untrue, but for some reason, there was also a surge of inexplicable excitement in his heart.

Killing officials and launching a rebellion was a crime punishable by the extermination of nine families.

But according to the books, when Third Han kills officials, at most Han Anniang would be implicated. After all, Han Anniang was a daughter married out of the family, and thus her husband wouldn’t be counted, let alone him, the brother-in-law.

However, judging from the current situation and the words Wu Mountain just said, he feared he would be included too.

Nonetheless, even if he wasn’t included, he wouldn’t let the government office’s people take his sister-in-law away.

His sister-in-law was so beautiful that should she fall into the hands of the government office, her fate would be predictable.

"Enough, damn this court, might as well rebel."

Chen Mo made up his mind, but he didn’t simply rush into the city with just one person and a saber.

According to Yi Qianchi, Lower Three Grades Martial Artists aren’t invulnerable to swords and spears. The city has thousands of official soldiers, and heading into the city alone would be no different than walking into a trap. He needed a proper plan.

Attacking the county by oneself was simply impossible. Li Yunlong had so many people helping him back then.

"Brother Mo, what’s happening?" Zhang River asked, seeing Chen Mo’s grim expression for the first time.

"Something big has happened, Brother Shui, quickly go prepare your clothes and money, make it look like you’re escaping, then get down into the tunnel. I’ll talk to you in the tunnel," Chen Mo said to Zhang River.

Upon hearing this, Zhang River’s expression changed, and he immediately rushed home without stopping.

...

In the cellar.

Chen Mo had just tidied up the house and brought Han Anniang and Song Min into the cellar, lighting a candle, when Zhang River’s family arrived.

Zhang River’s family of five, his wife Liu Clan, along with Mr. Zhang, Lady Zhang, and their son, nicknamed Bangtou, five years old.

"Brother Mo, what exactly happened, even you can’t handle it?" Liu Clan, who also called Chen Mo "Brother Mo," looked with a trace of confusion.

Han Anniang and Song Min also looked at Chen Mo in confusion.

Chen Mo explained what Wu Mountain had told him, and to bring Zhang River on board, he also mentioned that the matter of Brother Shahu had been leaked.

Zhang River was stunned.

The most panicked was Han Anniang. Her face changed instantly, as if struck by lightning, muttering, "How could this be?"

Her naturally frail nature left her completely shaken by the sudden occurrence, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed, "Uncle, it’s my fault for dragging you into this, my fault..."

She couldn’t fathom how things had turned this way.

Life had clearly begun to look up, yet such an incident had suddenly occurred.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo sighed, and seeing Han Anniang’s tear-stained face, disregarded the gaze of others, embraced her, and comforted, "Sister-in-law, don’t cry, it’s alright, it’s alright..."

Liu Clan, seeing this, hurriedly took the children and the two elders to their living area.

In the cellar, separate living areas for the two families had already been prepared.

Chen Mo wiped Han Anniang’s tears and asked about Third Han.

Han Anniang softly began to narrate.

Han Anniang’s father had two brothers, Han Er and Han San.

Han Er drowned while fishing in Dadong Lake.

Han San was a ruffian and scoundrel, yet he was brawny and strong, left living off of Han Anniang’s father’s family, Han Da.

Later, when Han Da went to the mountain to gather herbs, he was bitten by a venomous snake and died untreated.

Han Anniang’s mother was a chronically ill woman as well.

With Han Da gone, Han San bullied Han Da’s orphaned daughter and widow, seized his land and home.

Mrs. Han died from sheer anger.

Later, Han San brazenly decided to sell Han Anniang to the Chen Family.

At the time, Han Anniang was a maiden and an outstanding beauty.

Chen Family’s Chen Da was gravely sick in bed and needed to marry for good fortune; everyone knew that marrying a daughter to the Chen Family meant being a widow for life, so no normal family would send their daughter to such a fate.

Moreover, Han Anniang was not incapable of being married off, nor was she unwanted.

However, Han San coveted the Chen Family’s bride price and forcibly sold Han Anniang to them.

Because of Han San’s actions, Han Anniang never returned to visit her family.

She seldom mentioned her family’s affairs to Chen Mo either.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo gently patted Han Anniang’s back, silently sympathizing with her plight.

He also understood that his sister-in-law’s frail nature was a result of her family environment.

...

Meanwhile.

In a cave in Daze Mountain.

Three or four hundred people were gathered there.

These people were the commoners who were on Impatiens Road, the ones who killed the officials. Now, describing them as deserters seemed more fitting.

Originally, there were about 1,500 people, but in the end, lacking unity, after killing the officials, many dispersed or fled.

Among these three or four hundred, about twenty were from Da Han Village in Qingtian County; the rest were from villages outside Pingting County.

Among these three or four hundred, the people from Da Han Village were the leaders, simply because they were united.

Although the weather had warmed up, it was still somewhat cool, especially as the sun began to set.

Among these three or four hundred people, everyone carried a slightly anxious expression on their faces. After all, they were honest farmers who had never done anything outrageous in their lives; fear was inevitable under such circumstances.

"No... no, I must leave, I didn’t kill any officials, killing officials is your fault, I will report to the government."

Under such heavy psychological pressure, a young man couldn’t bear it anymore, angrily yelling at Third Han’s group before attempting to run out of the cave.

Third Han frowned, rushed forward, kicked the young man down, and then bent over to punch him, saying, "Damn you, you filthy wretch, reporting to the government? You think stating you didn’t kill officials means you didn’t? Do you think the government will believe you?"

Speaking thus, Third Han straightened up, glanced at the panicked crowd, and said, "I know you didn’t kill any officials; I am the one who killed them. But what does that change? Will the government believe you? Why are you running if you didn’t kill?

You were all supposed to go to Impatiens, but now you’re fleeing, letting the government know will have you treated as deserters, which is a capital offense the same. And even if you made it to Impatiens now, there’s no time left, missing the timing is equally a capital offense, can you afford that?"

Third Han was clad in the armor stripped from the centurion he killed, the armor and official saber still stained with blood.

With his shouting, the people in the cave quieted somewhat.

ps: Ho ho ho, the rebellion is underway.