Chapter 159: The Bandit Army's Might
“The Heyang bandits are here!” Old Zhang cried out, running into the village.
His shouts instantly terrified the ordinary villagers, especially the "short-term workers" who had only recently arrived at Gao Family Village.
These newcomers hadn't experienced the Battle of the Supreme Bright King or the Night Raid on Bai Family Fortress.
They weren't aware that the Heavenly Lord, known for fiercely protecting his own, would intervene during battles. Panic seized them, and many immediately scurried back into their plastic houses, trembling with fear inside.
Cheng Xu, too, was startled. In truth, he had never witnessed the Heavenly Lord's intervention himself. Though it seemed the Heavenly Lord had acted when he was nearly killed by the Imperial Guards, the landslide and his own frenzied laughter at the time meant he hadn't fully grasped how he was saved.
Regardless, he had to take charge.
Cheng Xu leaped forward in a flash, intercepting Old Zhang: “The bandits are here? How far away? Roughly how many?”
Old Zhang replied, “The bandit army is climbing up the east slope, still four or five li of mountain road from Zhengjia Village. The numbers aren't clear yet. I came ahead to report, to give the village time to prepare.”
Cheng Xu quickly calculated in his mind. Four or five li uphill was a long climb. From Zhengjia Village to Gao Family Village was another six li of paved road. The bandits wouldn't arrive anytime soon; there was at least more than two hours of preparation time.
The more than one hundred militiamen instantly dashed home to equip themselves. The first forty-six recruits already had Cotton Armor, which they donned. Gripping Repeating Crossbows, slinging quivers of arrows, and hefting long spears with wooden shafts and iron tips, they were quickly armed and arrayed.
Those who joined later didn't have full armor, only a few plates sewn into critical areas of their cotton jackets for protection, but they did have Repeating Crossbows, arrows, and wooden-shafted spears with iron tips.
While they armed themselves, Cheng Xu loudly called out, “Solar Cars, quickly! Take me to Zhengjia Village!”
Two new drivers scrambled over, fumbling to start the Solar Cars.
As Cheng Xu was about to board, Xing Honglang came running down the slope, followed by thirty or forty of her salt smuggler subordinates. “Instructor He, wait for me! I'll come with you to check on the bandits.”
Cheng Xu stated, “This concerns Gao Family Village.”
Xing Honglang chuckled wryly, “My men say they saw that dolt.”
She raised her injured arm. “This injury on my arm? I owe it all to that dolt.”
At this, Cheng Xu said no more. He jumped onto the Solar Car and gestured to Xing Honglang.
Xing Honglang glanced at the strange vehicle, then told her subordinates, “Everyone, get in! Come with me.”
The salt smugglers responded in unison, “Yes, Boss!”
With that, she too swiftly boarded the solar bus, followed by a large crowd of salt smugglers who crammed themselves inside.
“What a strange vehicle, it holds so many!”
“It's incredible! We all got on, and it still fits us!”
“Look, it's moving!”
“Really, this thing can move with so many people inside!”
The salt smugglers were utterly astonished, marveling like wide-eyed villagers in a grand new world.
The Solar Car started, rolled onto the paved road, and quickly reached Zhengjia Village. Xing Honglang and Cheng Xu jumped out, telling the drivers, “Both of you, hurry back to Gao Family Village. The militia should be geared up by now. Bring them over too.”
With that, the two began running towards the top of the eastern slope.
At the top of the slope, Old Zhu and two Gao Family Village Militia rookies had been continuously monitoring the eastern slope. As the two commanders arrived, they immediately whispered, “What's the situation?”
Old Zhu pointed downhill: “Boss, look!”
Both leaders looked down the eastern slope. What they saw sent a shock through them: a massive bandit army, stretched into a single long serpent-like line along the narrow mountain path, slowly climbing.
Cheng Xu and Xing Honglang spoke almost simultaneously: “Eight thousand men!”
After speaking, they exchanged glances, both seeing concern reflected in the other's eyes.
Too many!
Cheng Xu couldn't help but mutter, “How can there be so many? A few months ago, when Wang Er of Baishui rebelled, he only had a few hundred men. When the Supreme Bright King started his uprising, it was only a little over a thousand. It's been less than half a year, and now the bandits appear in thousands? It makes no sense.”
Xing Honglang also frowned. “I ran into that dolt a few days ago, and he only had three hundred men.
My brothers and I scattered them with one charge. How are there so many again in the blink of an eye? It seems Gao Jie, the Mountain Harrier, and Sui Feng Tai have joined forces with him.”
Listening to their discussion, Li Daoxuan couldn't help but sigh softly: This is just the beginning. As the situation spirals out of control, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, will emerge. Eventually, Li Zicheng will command a million soldiers.
This is still the early stage of the peasant uprising; they're only a few thousand strong. Don't panic yet; you'll have even more reason to later.
Xing Honglang whispered, “Instructor He, what do you think?”
Cheng Xu glanced down and saw several elderly women among the bandit ranks, leaning on staffs, slowly climbing the mountain.
If you've already seen elderly women, why are you still asking me what I think?
His heart pounding, he couldn't help but curse under his breath: “Blast it! The Gao Family Village Militia isn't even fully trained yet, just over a hundred men. Even with your thirty or forty, it won't make a difference. We need to retreat.”
Xing Honglang also felt a retreat was necessary. As they were about to turn back, the roar of the solar buses sounded, and two Solar Cars arrived at Zhengjia Village, one after the other.
The first bus was driven by Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu, carrying half of the militia.
The second bus was driven by the two new drivers, transporting the other half.
The entire militia had arrived!
Upon reaching the location, they looked around and spotted Instructor He crouching at the top of the east slope, observing below. They quickly ran over.
Gao Chuwu, seeing Xing Honglang, lowered his head and said pitifully, “I...”
Xing Honglang cut him off: “Enough chatter, I don't have time for this.”
Zheng Daniu, however, stood beside Cheng Xu, peered over the slope, and chuckled twice after a quick look: “Isn't this a great chance to smash them with rocks? Even I, clumsy as I am, know we have the advantage of terrain.”
Cheng Xu rolled his eyes at him: “The bandit army's might is too great; we cannot confront them directly. We should avoid provoking them,
and withdraw smoothly. We still have time to return to Gao Family Village and organize all the villagers to retreat to the county town. If we start throwing rocks, it will only slow down our retreat. While we're throwing, they'll reach the mountaintop, and we won't have time to take the villagers with us.”
Zheng Daniu argued, “We can't run! If we run, the village's wheat fields will be ruined. We have to block them.”
Cheng Xu reiterated, “Didn't you hear me? The bandit army's might is too great; we cannot confront them directly.”
Zheng Daniu persisted, “With the Heavenly Lord's blessing, how could we possibly not confront them?”
Cheng Xu questioned, “Does the Heavenly Lord also handle battles?”
Zheng Daniu replied, “Yes! The Heavenly Lord has given us catapults, grand cannons...”
Hearing this, Cheng Xu's eyes lit up. He looked down at the slope again, and the elderly woman he had seen climbing the mountain instantly vanished, transforming into light.
Do you believe in light?
Epic music swelled, and Cheng Xu, the Battle God of Chengcheng, was resurrected with full health and stats. He waved his hand: “Everyone, prepare large rocks! On my command, we'll smash them to smithereens!”
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