Chapter 167: No Pursuit
Fang Wushang bristled with uncontrollable rage, itching to charge down the slope and confront Fan Shanyue.
But at that moment, Fan Shanyue had already decided to retreat.
While he hesitated, a messenger rushed up from behind: "Leader, terrible news! The Second and Third Leaders were ambushed by Xing Honglang. They're dead, all of them!"
Fan Shanyue was aghast, tears streaming down his face. "My second brother, my third brother!"
"Ahhh!" Fan Shanyue let out a howl of anguish, his face turned to the sky. Then, lowering his head, he roared, "Retreat!"
The bandit army began to fall back once more, scrambling down the slope in a chaotic rush.
Seeing their retreat, Fang Wushang was instantly overjoyed. "Pursue!"
His Deputy Military Inspector clung to him, frantically shouting, "No pursuit! No pursuit!"
"What is the meaning of this?" Fang Wushang demanded, seething. "Earlier, you held me back from charging down the slope, which was somewhat understandable. But now the bandits are retreating, and you're still stopping me?"
Fang Wushang froze.
He was the Military Inspector of Chengcheng County, not Heyang. Leading his troops into Heyang County territory would be an overreach of his authority. If he had powerful connections at court, it could be spun as a heroic pursuit, an exceptional feat worthy of great rewards. But if there were those who wished to undermine him, it would be seen as abandoning his jurisdiction, leading troops across a border, potentially plotting rebellion—a grave offense punishable by beheading.
Fang Wushang feared no bandit, but he dreaded the pens of civil officials, which could cut sharper than any blade.
His body rigid, he let out a long sigh. "Fine, no pursuit then."
The Deputy Military Inspector also breathed a sigh of relief. This new commander was such a hothead; it was truly difficult to rein him in. Compared to him, the previous commander, Cheng Xu, had been far more shrewd. He wouldn't have needed any persuasion; indeed, this entire tactic had been taught to the Deputy by Cheng Xu himself.
A wave of nostalgia washed over the Deputy for his former superior. *General Cheng, wherever your spirit may be, I hope you are well.*
"Ah-choo!" Cheng Xu sneezed.
"Clear the battlefield!" Fang Wushang barked, then settled down, leaving the rest to his men. His eyes tracked the bandit army as they slowly disappeared down the mountain, a gnawing frustration building in his chest.
As a soldier, to see his enemy so close, yet be forbidden from pursuit because of a mere county line, was infuriating beyond measure.
As they worked diligently, a soldier returned to report.
"General, we've discovered a large number of bandit corpses in the adjacent gully."
"In an adjacent gully?"
Fang Wushang was utterly bewildered. He quickly led his men over and immediately spotted the bodies of Suifengxiong and Erchun at the mouth of the ravine. Looking deeper into the gully, nearly a hundred more bandit corpses lay strewn haphazardly.
"Tsk! This must have been the work of the Gao Family Village Militia, then?"
"Most likely," the Deputy Military Inspector murmured, stepping closer. "The Gao Family Village Militia is far from simple. Back then, Wang Er himself launched a night raid on Gao Family Village, but he ended up severely wounded, and Zheng Yanfu and Zhong Guangdao lost their lives. Only... we know the truth of it. Officially, General Cheng Xu took all the credit."
Fang Wushang raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? It seems I gravely underestimated the Gao Family Village Militia last time."
Just as they spoke, voices echoed from the western slope of Zhengjia Village, and a large group emerged: the Gao Family Village Militia.
Cheng Xu, Xing Honglang, and the salt smugglers had already withdrawn. The militia members had shed their armor, handing it over to the smugglers to take back to Gao Family Village. Many were now in just their undergarments. Padi Tu, leading the column, approached Fang Wushang.
Padi Tu had been quite surprised to receive the "temporary command" order. He’d thought that, by seniority, Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu should have led the group. But then, he considered it: those two simpletons wouldn't know the first thing about acting. His own leadership, then, was perfectly understandable.
*Humph, this Rabbit Lord is a clever fellow; I'll certainly live up to the heavy responsibility Master has entrusted to me.*
Padi Tu sauntered up to Fang Wushang, feigning deference with a bow. "General Fang, you routed the bandits, did you? How formidable! We are deeply grateful to you."
Fang Wushang stared. *Wasn't this the dimwitted fool he'd tripped earlier? And he was leading the militia? What a joke!*
"Hmph!" Fang Wushang snorted. "Your militia certainly put up a decent fight, too. Those rolling logs and rocks, those were all prepared by you, weren't they? And those bandits crushed in the gully, was that your work as well?"
Padi Tu threw his head back and guffawed. "Hahaha, precisely! All these are this Rabbit's achievements! Hahaha, this Rabbit has repelled all these bandits and is now invincible under heaven!"
"Then why weren't you guarding the slope when I arrived?" Fang Wushang demanded.
"This Rabbit employed a tactical retreat to advance," Padi Tu declared. "It was to seek a better opportunity."
"Why don't you just admit you ran away?" Fang Wushang snapped, his anger flaring.
Padi Tu paused. "...Ran away? How could this Rabbit possibly run away?" He dramatically whipped out his rusty sword. "This Rabbit led his team to set an ambush outside the village, waiting for the bandits to charge up, so I could unleash my ultimate technique, 'My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword,' and slay them all!"
Fang Wushang shook his head. "I thought the Gao Family Village Militia had some real skill. It seems I merely overthought it. Your exaggerated boasting makes you seem like 'birds of a feather' with that Cheng Xu."
He couldn't be bothered with Padi Tu anymore, settling back onto the slope to watch the retreating bandit army.
Padi Tu grinned cheekily. Mission accomplished! Instructor He Jiu had just told him to "make a scene and spout nonsense" for a bit.
"Well, we're off then!" Padi Tu declared. "Got to get back to practicing our martial arts; we're terribly busy." He winked at the men behind him, and the whole group quickly began to slip away.
They'd barely taken two steps when the Deputy Military Inspector bellowed, "Hold on! What are you running for? Come lend a hand, help us bury these bodies!"
"This Rabbit only takes lives; he doesn't bury them!" Padi Tu retorted.
The Deputy Military Inspector didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Such a lackadaisical fellow was a rare sight; most common folk quaked with fear at the sight of an official. But this "Rabbit" certainly wasn't intimidated. "Enough with the nonsense! Get over here and help! If these bodies aren't buried, a plague will surely erupt, and your Gao Family Village will be the first to suffer!"
That threat startled Padi Tu. *Alright, alright, after taking lives, perhaps it's best to handle the burial too. Otherwise, if a 'rabbit plague' broke out, even this Rabbit Lord wouldn't be able to withstand it!*
And so, soldiers and villagers worked side-by-side, digging pits and burying corpses, a bustling scene of activity.
Seeing this, Li Daoxuan knew there was no need to watch any further. In this engagement, even without providing his more outrageous toy weaponry, his little people had performed admirably.
It seemed his approach was correct: fostering their self-reliance and watching them grow stronger was precisely what he, their divine caretaker, ought to be doing.
Right, time to head out and grab a set of comic books from his dad.
Oh, and before he left, he should remember to pick up that fish tank. It might come in handy later.
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