#341 - Chapter 341 The Red Lotus Cult Attacks

Just as Cheng Feng stood on the high pavilion of the Hongmen Pharmacy, gazing at the prosperous and peaceful scene inside and outside Lianshan Prefecture, his heart filled with endless anticipation for the future of Hongmen, Wang Hu's hurried footsteps and heavy breathing broke the tranquility.

"Sect Leader, something terrible has happened!" Wang Hu's expression was grave, his eyes revealing unprecedented tension and worry. "I have just received definite news that the Red Lotus Sect has assembled a large army and is heading towards Lianshan Prefecture, intending to seize the city!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Feng's heart tightened suddenly, as if a huge rock was pressing down on his chest.

The Red Lotus Sect, a notorious cult in the Great Zhou Dynasty, organized rebellious armies, known for their cruelty, bloodthirstiness, and vicious methods, had influence in many places, repeatedly provoking wars and leaving countless people homeless.

Now, they were actually targeting Lianshan Prefecture, which was undoubtedly a major test for Cheng Feng.

When the nest is overturned, can any eggs remain intact?

"Is the news reliable?" Cheng Feng asked in a deep voice, trying to calm the fluctuations in his heart.

"Absolutely!" Wang Hu took out a secret letter from his pocket and handed it to Cheng Feng. "This is intelligence sent by my informant in Blackwood Prefecture. It also contains the Red Lotus Sect's marching route. They are advancing from the east, with the first stop being the outermost Qiyuan County, and the second stop being our Qingxi County."

Cheng Feng took the secret letter and quickly scanned it, his brow furrowing.

In the end, Hongmen was organized by himself, so it wasn't like he had any national sentiments.

But as the person behind Hongmen, Cheng Feng naturally had the responsibility to help Hongmen through this difficult time.

But once the rebel army arrives, with war raging everywhere, can Hongmen really be protected?

"Pass down the order," Cheng Feng's voice was firm and powerful, "All Hongmen disciples are to immediately enter a state of concealment, strengthen their disguises, and prepare to retreat. At the same time, send out scouts to closely monitor the movements of the Red Lotus Sect.

In addition, notify the members in the four major counties and surrounding villages to prepare and retreat to the prefecture city at any time."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu immediately obeyed and left. The entire Hongmen instantly became busy, and a tense but orderly atmosphere permeated the air.

Cheng Feng stood alone on the high pavilion, gazing at the dark clouds gradually approaching in the distance.

"Large-scale battles are simply not something Hongmen can shoulder. Now, the best policy is naturally to retreat."

When Cheng Feng re-examined the current situation, he realized that his ideas might have been too simple and direct.

Hongmen disciples are all locals. It would be fine if they were all alone.

Unfortunately, that's not the case. If they have families, they will inevitably have to take action.

Inside the Qingxi County government office, the atmosphere was unusually tense. Madam Liu sat in the study, holding a secret letter from her family tightly in her hand, the anxiety between her brows difficult to conceal.

Carefully considering the words in the letter, the Red Lotus Sect's army was fully prepared and aimed directly at Lianshan Prefecture, and Qingxi County was prominently located at the second stop on their attack route, which made Madam Liu deeply feel the urgency of the situation.

"The Red Lotus Sect is indeed not a fuel-efficient lamp, they have been secretly preparing, and now they have finally revealed their fangs." Madam Liu thought to herself, repeatedly flipping through the secret letter in her hand, each word seeming to weigh a thousand pounds.

Relying solely on the existing defense force of Qingxi County, wanting to resist the Red Lotus Sect's attack was undoubtedly a pipe dream. Therefore, she must take immediate action to leave herself a way out.

Thinking of this, Madam Liu quickly got up and instructed the maid beside her: "Quickly go and notify Master, and tell him that I have a very urgent matter to discuss with him, and ask him to come to the backyard to find me immediately."

Upon hearing this, the maid did not dare to delay in the slightest and hurriedly obeyed and left. Madam Liu then quickly walked towards the backyard, already having a preliminary response strategy in her mind.

In a secluded hut in the backyard, Madam Liu anxiously waited for Master's arrival. Master, as the magistrate of Qingxi County, bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the peace of the people. If he were to flee rashly, he would definitely not have a good end.

And she herself, as the magistrate's wife, naturally could not escape the fate of being beheaded.

Soon, Magistrate Master rushed over, his round belly bouncing up and down, quite amusing, his face full of fatigue but difficult to conceal his worry.

Upon seeing this, Madam Liu quickly greeted him and handed him the secret letter in her hand,

"Master, the Red Lotus Sect's army is about to attack Lianshan Prefecture, and Qingxi County is their only way. We must take action as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable." Madam Liu said in a firm tone.

Magistrate Liu took the secret letter, read it carefully, frowned, and said after a moment of silence: "What Madam said is very true, this matter is of great importance, we must immediately convene officials to discuss countermeasures and ask the imperial court for help.

"Master, that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about us."

Looking at the appearance of his wife, Magistrate Liu understood: "Are you afraid that the county town can't resist the Red Lotus Sect's attack?"

Madam Liu said solemnly: "In the entire county town, apart from Wang Tieshan of the Iron Mountain Martial Arts Hall, who is suspected to be in the early stage of Bone Refinement, and the old master of the Li family, who is also in the early stage of Bone Refinement, plus the county party secretary who has just broken through not long ago, plus you, there are only four in the early stage of Bone Refinement,

The Red Lotus Sect can defeat the Great Zhou's regular border army repeatedly, how can ordinary martial artists be able to do it?

Calculating it this way, what are the chances of Qingxi County winning?

Listening to his wife's words, Magistrate Liu's eyes flickered uncertainly.

In the deep hall of the Qingxi County government office, an urgent and solemn meeting was being held in full swing. Under the bright lights, Magistrate Liu and a group of officials sat around a table, each person's face filled with solemnity and determination towards the impending crisis.

Madam Liu sat behind a screen, listening in. Although the secret letter in her hand had been put down, the sense of urgency still lingered in everyone's hearts.

Magistrate Liu took the lead in breaking the silence. His eyes were like torches, and after scanning the entire room, he said in a deep voice: "The fate of Qingxi County is now in our hands. The threat of the Red Lotus Sect cannot be ignored, we must take immediate action and formulate an effective response strategy."

As Magistrate Liu's words fell, a lively discussion immediately broke out in the conference room.

The officials expressed their opinions one after another. Some proposed strengthening the city's defenses and enhancing the city's defense capabilities; others suggested urgently recruiting militiamen to strengthen the city's defense forces; and others put forward valuable suggestions from the perspectives of material reserves and information transmission.

After a series of intense discussions and consultations, a comprehensive and thorough response plan gradually took shape. The plan not only covered multiple aspects such as military defense, material allocation, and information transmission, but also particularly emphasized the importance of stabilizing the people's hearts and unity.

At the end of the meeting, Magistrate Liu placed high hopes on everyone: "Each of us is a guardian of Qingxi County. In the face of this crisis,

We must unite as one and overcome difficulties together. I believe that as long as we work together and fight bravely, we will definitely be able to protect our homeland!"

As the magistrate's words fell, the atmosphere in the conference room became more firm and powerful.

However, after the meeting, Magistrate Liu looked at his wife and said: "Madam, how is the retreat prepared?"

Madam Liu said solemnly: "I have already arranged for people to move the wealth out of the city. As long as we find an opportunity, we can leave directly."

The tense expression on Magistrate Liu's chubby face eased.

The county captain, who had left the door, naturally prepared the defense matters at full speed, but the well-known patriarchs in the county town exchanged glances.

They all instructed the coachman in unison: "Go to Hongyun Tower."