Chapter 314: Kill Them, Kill Them All!
The first wave of "returning rebels" to reach Gao Family Village arrived through Zhengjia Village, led by a man nicknamed "Bullwhip," a native of Chengcheng County.
He was a seasoned veteran, having joined the rebellion back in the seventh year of Tianqi. When Wang Er from Baishui County first rose up, Bullwhip had led over forty villagers to join, beginning a life of wandering insurgency. Later, after Cheng Xu executed Wang Er and displayed his head at the Chengcheng County city gate, the rebel forces' morale plummeted.
Bullwhip felt he couldn't survive in Chengcheng County anymore, so he fled to the neighboring Heyang County. After some time, he eventually joined "Overturning Mountain Moon." Just days prior, Overturning Mountain Moon had accepted the imperial amnesty, surprisingly transforming himself into the official Heyang Garrison Commander. He disbanded his forces, ordering most of his men to "return to their homes." Thus, Bullwhip was forced to embark on the road back to his native Chengcheng County.
Just beyond the slope before them lay Zhengjia Village, still within Chengcheng County.
Bullwhip's mind was consumed by one thought: What now?
Although the authorities had pardoned him for rebelling, returning home to farm? Don't be foolish! The great drought still ravaged the land; what crops could possibly grow? A subordinate sidled closer, whispering, "Boss, look. Zhengjia Village seems untouched by the disaster. You can see green crops growing in the fields on that slope."
Bullwhip looked ahead, and indeed, it was true!
One hundred sturdy border soldiers, shouting in unison, charged directly at these eight hundred bandits. Cheng Xu clapped Bullwhip heavily on the shoulder twice: "Instead of trailing after Overturning Mountain Moon, how about joining me? I guarantee you'll eat your fill, dress warmly, and even have excellent weapons and armor. Wouldn't that be ten times better than what you had with Overturning Mountain Moon?"
Bullwhip was startled by the sight of their military might and hastily agreed, "Yes! Yes!"
Everyone had gathered their strength, just waiting for Old Boss Mud Frog's command to strike simultaneously and begin a chaotic slaughter. At the same moment, eight hundred henchmen also drew their weapons, charging towards Lao Nanfeng's group. A subordinate whispered, "If we raid a village like this, we could surely earn quite a sum, couldn't we?"
Lao Nanfeng, just like Cheng Xu, brought out food and treated the eight hundred-plus individuals to a hearty meal. Then he asked if they wanted to join Gao Family Village, promising they would eat their fill and dress warmly from then on. Mud Frog, meanwhile, was certain his surprise attack would be a sure thing.
That sentence startled Bullwhip, making him jump. "Wait?" he exclaimed. "I thought you were an imperial general! Why does that sound like you're a bandit too? Which faction do you belong to? Wang Zuogua of Yichuan? Bu Zhan Ni of Luochuan?"
In front of the army stood a masked general, clad in mountain-patterned armor, who displayed a friendly demeanor toward them: "Are you from Overturning Mountain Moon's forces in Heyang? Returning home after accepting amnesty?"
Cheng Xu's tone immediately sank. "But if any of you still harbor criminal intentions," he warned, "then heh heh heh... the weapons in our hands aren't just for show."
However, Lao Nanfeng seemed to have prepared in advance. With a swift movement, he seized Mud Frog's knife-wielding hand and twisted it sharply. The blade spun, and with a wet thud, sliced back into Mud Frog's own neck.
That title didn't sound quite right to Bullwhip. Yet, he was overjoyed: "So, it's rained in our Chengcheng County?"
Lao Nanfeng "hmphed," then declared loudly, "Kill them! Kill every last one!"
The eight hundred men, having just eaten their fill and regained their strength, decided, after agreeing on their strategy, to launch a surprise attack with treacherous intent.
Cheng Xu chuckled softly. "Since you've accepted the amnesty," he said, "you are now law-abiding citizens. And for law-abiding citizens, there is food."
He waved his hand, and a cooking squad came forward, setting down a large, pre-prepared pot. Inside, cooked food emitted a fragrant, enticing aroma.
Even as the words spilled from his lips, Mud Frog's other hand, free and swift, whipped out a waist-saber and brought it down in a slash aimed directly at Lao Nanfeng's face.
Blood from Mud Frog's jugular artery spurted a full half-zhang away. Bullwhip, after carefully observing Cheng Xu's excellent equipment and magnificent military bearing, finally gritted his teeth and declared, "Alright, I'm joining."
Cheng Xu grinned, chuckling, "Heh heh. He Jiu, of Gao Family Village."
Bullwhip nodded. "These villagers have been wandering with me for over a year."
The eight hundred henchmen were only halfway through their charge when they all froze, stunned. Cheng Xu chuckled, "Heh heh. Aren't you all feeling lost? Back home, the great drought makes farming impossible, so you'd just be forced to rebel again, wouldn't you?"
Lao Nanfeng responded, "Exactly. Want to join us? You'll have food, clothes, and a very good life."
Here, another band of returning rebels arrived, their numbers far exceeding Bullwhip's group, totaling over eight hundred men. Their leader, nicknamed Mud Frog, was a fierce bandit formerly under Overturning Mountain Moon. Bullwhip remained speechless: "..."
A strange smile spread across Mud Frog's face. "Of course, no problem," he said. "We also want to live a good life."
Bullwhip wouldn't dare act rashly. That army was clearly not to be trifled with, and any lingering thoughts of rebellion within him simply withered away. He quickly instructed his dozens of henchmen to eat obediently and cause no trouble.
As they ate obediently, Cheng Xu approached, standing beside Bullwhip. "Are you their leader?" he asked.
Mud Frog, with one hand draped over Lao Nanfeng's shoulder, made them look like incredibly close brothers. "Brother Nanfeng," he began, "are you with Gao Family Village?"
Bullwhip felt a touch awkward, but he dared not deny his role. He quickly said, "No, no, we'll just go back and dutifully farm."
While feigning cordiality with Lao Nanfeng, Mud Frog discreetly turned his hand behind his back and made a throat-slitting gesture toward a subordinate. The subordinate, bewildered, mouthed back, "They're giving us food; are we really going to kill them?"
"Heh, instead of letting them bestow food upon us as charity," Mud Frog whispered back, "wouldn't it be better to kill them, seize the grain, and divide it among ourselves? Don't you agree?"
Bullwhip and his men were overjoyed.
Upon hearing that, the henchmen realized it made perfect sense.
The henchman understood. He quietly moved among the ranks of the returning rebels, whispering to each small squad to await "Big Brother's" signal. Then, they would rise up, attack, and kill everyone from this group claiming to be from Gao Family Village.
In front, an army suddenly appeared, seven hundred strong. It wasn't a small number, but their presence was terrifying. All seven hundred men were armored, all carried firearms, spears, hand crossbows, and other weapons; each one felt armed to the teeth. Weapons in hand, they covertly began to encircle Lao Nanfeng's group. Meanwhile, at Shijiagou...
Mud Frog laughed heartily. "Understood," he said. "We'll go to Gao Family Village in a bit." It was now early autumn in the second year of Chongzhen, and the fields of crops were almost ready for harvest, growing luxuriantly, making it obvious at a glance that a bountiful yield was imminent. "Anyway," Mud Frog continued, "we'll just rob whatever we see along the way, kill our way back home. That's what you call returning home in glory, hahahaha!"
Guilan: "You can't fool me. You know you can't farm."
Comments