Chapter 77: Colonel Tu Feiyun |
According to the original plan, the two sides should have drawn things out a little longer, luring Swarm Nest Stronghold's chief to make his move in person, after which the soldiers lying in ambush outside would have closed in from all sides, sealing off every escape route and annihilating the entire gang on the spot.
But no one had anticipated that Boss Tang's merchant caravan would have such overwhelming combat power. Not only was there that massive figure crashing through everything in his path, cutting down gods and demons alike, there were also archers positioned at height, raining arrows down on the bandits from above.
The whole thing collapsed in an instant.
The defeat came so quickly that the chief never showed himself at all. The authorities were now pursuing the fleeing bandits, though whether they could capture or kill the ringleader remained to be seen. If that rather legendary chief managed to escape, it wouldn't be long before he could raise another force.
That would make the whole situation very troublesome.
Boss Tang felt rather helpless about it. They hadn't communicated any of this to him in advance, which clearly showed a lack of trust, though that was understandable. The combat strength of his merchant caravan was genuinely excessive by any normal standard.
Without exaggeration, if he actually wanted to cause trouble, his group posed a threat ten times greater than Swarm Nest Stronghold.
Distrust aside, he had stepped in to help and driven off the bandits. How could the blame possibly be laid at his feet?
Squire Zhao felt even more helpless. The whole thing had gone sideways.
There are a thousand days in which a thief may act, but no man can guard against a thief for a thousand days.
Of course, this was all hindsight. He had neither the nerve to refuse the authorities' arrangement nor the ability to stop Swarm Nest Stronghold from coming to raid the town. If they had been completely unprepared tonight, it wouldn't even be a question of guarding against thieves for a thousand days. A thousand days from now, the grass on their graves would already be three feet tall.
The local townspeople of Blue Stone Platform fell into a state that was equal parts relief and shock.
Relief that the bandits had been driven off. Don't assume that because the bandits looted the Zhao family they would leave you alone. Robbing the neighbors on the way was simply something done as a matter of course.
The shock was directed at their county magistrate. Was he really this sharp and capable? This impressive?
He was using schemes and stratagems now?
If he was this capable all along, how come none of us ever knew?
This question, which lingered in everyone's mind, was answered on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month.
Black-armored cavalry surged into Blue Stone Platform like a tide.
The chief of Swarm Nest Stronghold, whose name Li Qiuchen still didn't know, was said to have been quite a legendary figure in his own right. But none of that mattered anymore.
His head was mounted on the tip of a long spear, held high in the air.
On his bloodied and mangled face, an expression of disbelief, terror, and despair still remained.
Blue Stone Platform fell silent as a tomb. Everyone only dared watch from a distance, not even daring to breathe too loudly.
Because this was not the first time this unit had come.
The last time they had visited, they had cleanly and efficiently wiped out the remnants of the Medicine Master cult led by the Mohe the Perfected Being.
This time, they had completely annihilated Swarm Nest Stronghold, the gang of hardened criminals that had plagued the region for years.
The young general at the front wore iron armor over his face, carried a refined steel lance, bore a massive bow of gold-threaded iron construction across his back, and rode a dark-coated horse with white hooves, tall and imposing in stature. All the black-armored cavalry followed behind him in perfectly uniform formation, moving without a sound.
Even an outsider with no military knowledge could see that these men had undergone long and grueling military training.
Without question, this was an elite force.
This time, Li Qiuchen stood in a safer position among the crowd.
His gaze fell on the carved lacquer quiver hanging at the young general's waist.
Those distinctively shaped arrow fletching, looking so very familiar, had to be one of a kind with no other like them anywhere.
The moment Li Qiuchen recognized those arrows, he knew Swarm Nest Stronghold's chief had died without grievance.
This person was an extreme, obsessive fanatic. Back then he had chased Li Qiuchen, a mere bystander with no involvement, for several hundred li without stopping. Without the help of the Mountain God's talismans, Li Qiuchen still had no idea how he would have managed to shake off that pursuit.
Li Qiuchen's brow furrowed slightly. Without drawing attention to himself, he shifted to place Liu Da in front of him.
It was fortunate that his target this time was not Li Qiuchen himself.
When the sky falls, the tall ones carry it.
Squire Zhao stood at the entrance to his own home, craning his neck in anticipation, tears already prepared, only to find that the young general didn't spare him so much as a glance. After making a circuit of the town, the general turned his horse around and rode directly to surround the inn where Boss Tang was staying.
Sheriff Ma Tiancheng hurried over to make introductions, but was stopped by the young general raising his lance. A blood-soaked head rolled to a stop at Boss Tang's feet.
"I am Tu Feiyun, Colonel of the Vanguard Camp of the Tiger King Army, under the command of the Blackwater Garrison."
Boss Tang glanced down at the head by his feet and felt a quiet resignation settle in his chest.
Whether it was meant as a show of dominance or a provocation, the other man had made it plain he was here for him specifically.
"This humble one is Tang Anshi. My respects to General Tu."
"I don't know who at the border let you through, but looking at you, you don't seem like an ordinary merchant minding his own business."
Tu Feiyun's tone was cold and his gaze sharp.
Boss Tang sighed and said, "The general misunderstands. There are no regulations at the border forbidding foreign peoples from entering. As long as proper travel documents are submitted and sufficient taxes are paid, we are not given trouble. As for the matter of bringing a larger number of attendants, that is primarily because the nature of my business is rather particular, and substantial protection is genuinely necessary."
"What business are you in?"
"To answer the general, I have brought back a considerable quantity of mineral goods that are specialty products of the Border Wilds on this trip."
As he spoke, Boss Tang reached into his coat and produced a rectangular metal ingot, holding it out with both hands and presenting it respectfully before Tu Feiyun.
"Garnet gold?"
Tu Feiyun took the ingot and weighed it in his hand, his tone carrying a trace of surprise, "No wonder... What else do you carry?"
"Rose gold, Xuanshuang jade, cold iron, and Qingming iron, among others."
Tu Feiyun gave a noncommittal nod, tossed the ingot back to Boss Tang, and said coldly, "You conduct your business honestly and I will guarantee your safety throughout Yun County. But if you entertain crooked ideas and do things you shouldn't, I can equally guarantee that no one in your entire caravan will escape past the Blackwater."
Boss Tang was somewhat puzzled. That garnet gold ingot, while not on par with true gold, was still worth a considerable amount. You clearly know your materials. Why did you toss it back?
Was it that this small gesture of goodwill wasn't worth your attention, or was it that your military discipline was strict and you took nothing from the people?
But this was not the moment to dwell on such things.
"Please set your mind at ease, General. I will strictly discipline my escort guards, keep to my proper place, and conduct business with great care."
"Good."
Tu Feiyun gave a nod, turned his horse around, and rode off with the cavalry behind him.
He had only gone a couple of steps when he suddenly reined in his horse, turned his head, and looked directly at Li Qiuchen where he stood among the crowd.
"Boy, why were you staring at my arrows just now?"
Are you serious?
Li Qiuchen was genuinely startled. He had been staring at the arrows, not at the man himself, so how had he known?
What, was it now illegal to glance in someone's direction?
Of course, he couldn't say any of that out loud, not unless he was mentally prepared to be chased for another three hundred li.
"To answer the commander, I had never seen arrows that long before. I found them novel."
Li Qiuchen had no choice but to play dumb.
Tu Feiyun gave a slight nod, and appeared to dismiss his suspicion.