Chapter 291: You're Just Like an Official
"Boss, the buyer currently dealing with Wu Zimian appears to be Zao Ying, the notorious horse bandit from Yichuan."
At the mention of Zao Ying, Wang Zuogua's mind swiftly conjured the image of a formidable, battle-hardened woman. He let out a dismissive click of his tongue. "Ugh, no, I can't even dwell on that."
"That Zao Ying, she always fancies herself a righteous bandit, targeting only officials and leaving the common folk untouched." Wang Zuogua scoffed, "She's always looked down on us, claiming we coerce the people and aren't true heroes. I'd curse her mother... *cough*... but her mother probably isn't much to look at, so let's not bother. Since she doesn't consider us equals, we certainly won't treat her as one. Soon, we'll take her horses too."
His lieutenants all chuckled conspiratorially. "As you command!" they echoed.
Miao Mei, Feishan Hu, and Dahong Lang immediately dispersed.
Having long operated within Huanglong Mountain, they knew its terrain intimately. Leading their forces, they deftly encircled their target, sticking entirely to the deep ravines. The sky had already darkened, ensuring that anyone unfamiliar with the treacherous mountain would be utterly blind to their movements.
It wasn't long before Wang Zuogua's large army had completely encircled Duzhong Village.
Seeing this unfold, Li Daoxuan's brow furrowed in concern.
He quickly tapped the 'South' button on the diorama box. Xing Honglang and Cheng Xu, it turned out, were still four or five li away from Duzhong Village, arriving later than the others.
Li Daoxuan certainly didn't want them to foolishly blunder into the enemy's ambush. He was just about to send a warning...
Just then, two scouts returned from the vanguard. One was Lao Zhu, a subordinate of Xing Honglang, and the other, Shi Jian, hailed from the Gao Family Village Militia.
The two returned to Xing Honglang and Cheng Xu, delivering a swift report: "The situation ahead appears complicated. A bandit army has suddenly blocked the path between us and Duzhong Village... With night falling, visibility is poor, and we can't ascertain their true identity, but we suspect they might be Wang Zuogua's men from Yichuan."
A relieved, almost indulgent smile touched Li Daoxuan's lips. "Excellent. My little people are truly methodical, wisely sending scouts ahead to avoid any ambushes. Ah, it seems this 'Nanny Heavenly Lord' worried for nothing again!"
Cheng Xu's brows knitted. "Are they coming for us?"
"Not at all!" Shi Jian confirmed. "They appear to be targeting Wu Zimian."
Cheng Xu's eyes gleamed. "Oh? How intriguing!"
He turned, meeting Xing Honglang's gaze.
Xing Honglang let out a low chuckle. "General Instructor He, what brilliant scheme have you conjured?"
Cheng Xu chuckled, "Well, that's obvious, isn't it? We'll simply 'sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.' While the Heavenly Lord certainly isn't short on silver, the thought of me handing over thirty thousand taels to a scoundrel like Wu Zimian still leaves a sour taste in my mouth. If we could seize this chance, 'strike while the iron is hot,' and pull off a little 'dog-eat-dog' move... then we wouldn't have to spend a single tael! I'd be saving silver for the Heavenly Lord, and I'm sure he'd be delighted."
Xing Honglang arched an eyebrow. "General Instructor He, why is it that your approach to problems makes you seem more like a rogue than a true bandit?"
Cheng Xu feigned innocence. "Oh? Do I really?"
Xing Honglang scoffed. "I'll be blunt: you're just like an official!"
Cheng Xu recoiled. "Hold on, hold on! Every official in the land would protest that! Are you truly suggesting that officials are more like bandits than actual bandits?"
Xing Honglang challenged, "Aren't they, though?"
Cheng Xu hastily denied, "Not me, never! I'm an upstanding citizen, General Instructor He of Hejia Village. The Heavenly Lord himself can vouch for my character!"
Xing Honglang rolled her eyes. "There's no such place as Hejia Village in Chengcheng County."
Cheng Xu gave a nonchalant whistle. "Ah, well, regarding that... the moonlight truly is splendid tonight."
Xing Honglang chuckled, shaking her head. "That scoundrel!"
Still, she had no intention of opposing Cheng Xu's suggestion. While the Heavenly Lord certainly had no shortage of funds, using his money to purchase horses from a corrupt official felt profoundly wasteful. If they could save those tens of thousands of taels of silver, it would be far better spent on the common folk.
Xing Honglang declared, "In that case, let's proceed with this 'dog-eat-dog' strategy. The only unknown is the current situation in Duzhong Village—we don't know the enemy's numbers or their dispositions. If we act rashly, we risk being swallowed whole ourselves."
Cheng Xu's brow furrowed again. "Indeed! If the force blocking our path truly belongs to Wang Zuogua of Yichuan, then he undoubtedly knows the treacherous terrain of Huanglong Mountain far better than we do..."
He was mid-sentence when he suddenly felt himself collide with something invisible, landing with an undignified thump on his backside.
Yet there had clearly been nothing there moments before!
Cheng Xu quickly looked up, and there, floating above, was a small, strangely low-hanging cloud.
In that instant, understanding dawned on him: "Haha, the Heavenly Lord has arrived to assist us! His hand is right before us, though we cannot perceive it!"
Xing Honglang murmured, "Hmm?"
Cheng Xu, whose knack for 'divining the Heavenly Lord's will' was truly on par with a seasoned court official, immediately grasped the meaning of the hand's descent. He quickly began to scramble onto it.
Seeing his actions, Xing Honglang's own understanding dawned. "Ah, yes, that's right! Last time, when we battled Fan Shan Yao from Heyang, the Heavenly Lord lowered his hand and lifted you into the air to survey the terrain... Oh my... This time, can I join you?"
Cheng Xu waved her over, a grin spreading across his face. "The Heavenly Lord stopped treating you as an outsider long ago. Come on up, quickly!"
Xing Honglang's face lit up with joy. She quickly reached out, her fingers probing until they found the invisible hand's edge, then swiftly clambered aboard.
In moments, both found themselves seated comfortably in the palm of Li Daoxuan's hand.
He gently raised his hand, carrying them both, and they soared into the twilight sky...
The last vestiges of the setting sun were fading, and the sky grew progressively darker.
In the final, fading glow of dusk, Zao Ying had at last negotiated a price with Wu Zimian's retainers: thirty-two thousand taels of silver. Yet, Zao Ying had been hounded to this very spot by Hong Chengchou's men, and thus, she carried no silver of her own.
Even though she had agreed on the terms, she had no means to pay. Her mind raced, desperately trying to devise a way to appease Wu Zimian...
It was at this critical juncture!
From the eastern mountains, a solitary drumbeat reverberated, swiftly followed by a thunderous chorus of shouts: "Wang Zuogua of Yichuan and his entire band are upon you! Government soldiers, prepare to meet your end!"
Following that defiant cry, the forest erupted with a thunderous roar as an entire army surged forth.
At the vanguard were fierce, seasoned warriors, all clad in official military armor!
As it happened, in the wake of the Guyuan mutiny, many border troops had turned rogue, and government garrisons across various regions grew increasingly restless. Numerous unpaid soldiers deserted to join bandit armies, and subsequently, when post stations were disbanded, a large influx of former couriers also swelled the bandit ranks.
Wang Zuogua had readily absorbed many such former government soldiers into his ranks, dramatically boosting his army's combat effectiveness to an unprecedented degree. Now, whenever they clashed, Wang Zuogua's vanguard force presented itself as a bona fide, disciplined governmental army unit.
The instant these men burst from cover, Wu Zimian recoiled in shock. "Damn it, Wang Zuogua of Yichuan actually dared to show his face? Guards!"
"Seize him for this general, immediately!"
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