Chapter 208: Your Opponent is Me
The hunter was allowed into Bai Family Fortress, and upon seeing Zhao Sheng, he hurried over.
He'd genuinely been worried Zhao Sheng might have suffered some mishap down the mountain. Seeing him standing safe and sound inside Bai Family Fortress, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Sir, something terrible has happened! Something terrible!" he exclaimed.
Zhao Sheng asked, "What's wrong?"
The hunter reported, "The Night Scout from the Seventh Squad suddenly led his men up Huanglong Mountain from the west slope. Village Chief Xie ran to ask him what he was doing here, but he refused to say. Instead, he fixated on the grain Master Bai gave us and demanded we share it with him!"
Bai Yuan's brow furrowed deeply.
Cheng Xu, on the other hand, merely grunted.
Zhao Sheng lowered his head, thinking. "The Seventh Squad shouldn't have been on Huanglong Mountain. Their sudden arrival with us must mean they met with a setback elsewhere. Still, it's not bad timing. I just followed Master Bai and found an excellent place where we can settle down and make a living. We might as well invite the Seventh Leader to join us there."
With that, he prepared to leave the fortress and head back up the mountain.
Cheng Xu leaned in closer to Bai Yuan. "Has he seen Gao Family Village already?"
Cheng Xu muttered, "I don't think he'll live long enough to reach Gao Family Village."
Bai Yuan was startled. "Why not?"
Cheng Xu explained, "That Night Scout from the Seventh Squad—just by his title, you can tell he's a ruthless character."
Bai Yuan's brow furrowed. "Are you implying..."
Cheng Xu gave a slight nod. "A Night Scout is the title for an elite reconnaissance soldier. Every one of them is cunning, decisive, and utterly ruthless. Dian Dengzi, this frail scholar, is going up the mountain to invite that Night Scout to come down and live a peaceful life. What do you think will happen then?"
Bai Yuan countered, "What if that Night Scout also yearns for a peaceful life? Even soldiers sometimes long to lay down their arms and return to their fields."
Cheng Xu whispered, "If that man truly possessed such a temperament, why would he demand grain from the Qingjian County people the moment he set foot on the mountain? It's clear he's a troublemaker. The only reason he didn't outright turn hostile and seize the grain is probably his fear of Bu Zhan Ni! In any case, he certainly doesn't take Dian Dengzi seriously."
Bai Yuan considered this carefully. Indeed, wasn't it true? If this Night Scout had even a shred of goodwill towards Dian Dengzi, he wouldn't have encroached on his territory, much less demanded grain outright. He must have, from the very beginning, identified Dian Dengzi's group as the weakest among Bu Zhan Ni's seven squads, and thus came to exploit his vulnerable comrade, perhaps even planning to absorb Dian Dengzi's entire faction.
Thinking along these lines, Dian Dengzi's return to the mountain to persuade the Night Scout to embrace a peaceful life indeed seemed to bode ill for him.
Bai Yuan turned to him. "Instructor He, you seem quite experienced in such matters. What do you suggest we do?"
Cheng Xu gazed up at the mountaintop.
Up there were fifteen hundred bandits from the Seventh Squad, led by what was likely an elite border army scout. If he were to lead the Gao Family Village Militia and Bai Family Fortress retainers against them alone, their chances of victory would be less than twenty percent. There was an eighty percent chance he'd be meeting his ancestors.
However, Dian Dengzi Zhao Sheng was also on their side. Even if his three thousand men were a ragtag mob, having that many people charging forward alongside the Gao Family Village Militia and Bai Family Fortress retainers meant, by this calculation, a hundred percent chance of victory.
Cheng Xu chuckled, his gaze sweeping across the mountaintop. He saw no sign of his great-grandmother, which was a good thing.
In a battle he was certain to lose, Cheng Xu was as timid as an old dog.
In a battle he was certain to win, Cheng Xu was as brave as a god of war.
Cheng Xu declared in a deep voice, "I'll accompany Zhao Sheng up the mountain. You lead the Gao Family Village Militia and Bai Family Fortress retainers, and follow us stealthily under the cover of night. The moment you hear battle cries from the mountain, charge up immediately to provide support."
Bai Yuan agreed, "Understood!"
With their plan settled, Cheng Xu approached Zhao Sheng. "I'll accompany you up the mountain and guarantee your safety," he assured him.
Zhao Sheng looked back. The masked instructor was clad in cotton armor, a saber at his waist—clearly a formidable figure. Overjoyed, Zhao Sheng exclaimed, "Many thanks for your trouble, brave warrior!"
By then, evening had fallen. The sun was close to setting, casting the hillside in deep twilight, and visibility was poor.
Zhao Sheng, Cheng Xu, two subordinates, and the hunter—a team of five—quickly ascended the hillside.
Behind them, Bai Yuan waved his hand, leading the brave men of the Gao Family Village Militia. They stealthily slipped out of Bai Family Fortress, crouching low and using the cover of the field ridges to make their way to the foot of Huanglong Mountain. Bai Yuan knew the terrain here like the back of his hand, and they quickly ducked into a gully, then ascended the mountain along a concealed trail.
At the top of the hillside, the Night Scout was growing impatient. He had sent men to the Second Squad's camp several times to inquire, but each time was told their Second Leader hadn't returned. The Night Scout grew increasingly agitated with the wait.
Suddenly, a subordinate announced, "Dian Dengzi is back!"
The Night Scout's spirits lifted. He gave a few terse instructions to his men, then, taking a squad of his most trusted followers, strode towards the Second Squad's position.
"Well, well, Second Leader, where did you scurry off to find grain?" the Night Scout began, his tone dripping with mockery the moment they met. "With just four or five men, you wandered down the mountain? Aren't you afraid of being captured by government troops or the militia and dragged before an official?"
Dian Dengzi, utterly naive and oblivious to the villain's true nature, didn't even catch the sarcastic undertone. He replied with genuine cheer, "I found an excellent place down the mountain! A very wealthy village is willing to extend a helping hand, offering us a place to settle and even supplying us with grain. Seventh Leader, you've arrived at just the right time! Come with me to that village, and we can all live peacefully for a while."
"Oh?" The Night Scout mused. *A large quantity of grain... that means the village has abundant stores. Such a good place, one should just go and seize it! Why suffer the indignity of being dependent on others?*
The Night Scout's expression turned peculiar. "So you found a wealthy village, did you? Since they can provide us—" Dian Dengzi's heart skipped a beat. "They are being kind to us," he interrupted, "how can we just go and rob them?"
The Night Scout burst into laughter. "Hahahaha! What kind of world is this now, Second Leader? Don't pretend you're ignorant!"
Dian Dengzi's expression darkened. He realized he had been far too naive.
The Night Scout demanded, "Where is that village located?"
Dian Dengzi shook his head. "I cannot tell you."
The Night Scout sneered, "It seems, Second Leader, you intend to betray Elder Brother Bu Zhan Ni."
Dian Dengzi protested, "I'm not betraying anyone! I just want to live a peaceful life!"
The Night Scout roared, "Silence! That is betrayal!"
He suddenly bellowed, "Everyone just heard it! Dian Dengzi, the leader of the Second Squad, has the intent to betray Elder Brother Bu Zhan Ni! I, the Night Scout, leader of the Seventh Squad, will today act on behalf of Heaven and rid Elder Brother of this rogue!"
Dian Dengzi stammered, "I'm not... I didn't..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the Night Scout swiftly drew his saber and brought it down in a cleaving strike directly at Dian Dengzi's face.
The strike was both fierce and swift; even a seasoned martial artist would struggle to dodge it, let alone Dian Dengzi Zhao Sheng, this frail scholar, whose soul seemed destined for the underworld. But Cheng Xu, who had been standing half a step behind him, suddenly reached out and pulled Dian Dengzi aside. With his other hand, he swiftly drew his own saber, and with a clang, blocked the Night Scout's lightning-fast blade.
Cheng Xu chuckled, "Your opponent is me!"
Comments