Chapter 316: Absolutely No Need to Fear Them
The militia responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"
Upon hearing that it wasn't a death order, Cheng Xu breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew! That's great! It means if there's danger, I can retreat. I don't have to fight Wang Zuogua to the death. Heh, my safety has greatly improved..."
Grandma Great-Grandma suddenly looked ten years younger, turning into a mischievous ten-year-old girl. She no longer played with ribbons but landed on the ground, giggling and running around the field, even darting to the paddy ridges to catch loaches.
The little Grandma Great-Grandma was so adorable!
"Alright, let's march out," Gao Yiye declared loudly. "The Heavenly Lord's decree has been delivered. Now, for my own words: I wish you all triumphant victories."
Cheng Xu's spirits lifted. "Depart!"
The thousand militiamen began to set out. They first arrived at the train station, boarded a train for Bai Family Fortress, and then entered Huanglong Mountain from there.
Once they entered the mountains, they wouldn't be back in just a few days. The mountains were high and the forests dense, crisscrossed with ravines. Finding Wang Zuogua in there would be difficult enough; exterminating him even harder. And it was unknown when they would return.
Xing Honglang stood on a distant hillside, watching the army march into the mountains. The heavily armored figure leading the Armored Grenadier Battalion was Gao Chuwu. She silently watched Gao Chuwu's back recede further and further.
Xing Honglang turned her head and saw Zao Ying. She quickly suppressed the girlish expression on her face and scoffed, "Worried about what? What is there to worry about? I'm not worried about anyone."
Zao Ying laughed, "That simpleton Gao Chuwu is quite clumsy, you know. If you don't look after him, I'd really worry he'd wander off."
Xing Honglang's expression instantly showed a hint of urgency, but she quickly forced herself to regain control. "He's not Padi Tu. Although he's clumsy, he's very obedient; he won't run off."
Zao Ying burst into hearty laughter. "You're flustered, you're flustered! I told you to go with them, didn't I?"
Xing Honglang shook her head. "I can't go. When it comes to bandit suppression, one more or one less of me won't make a difference. I have more important things to do. The women in the county town have woven a batch of embroideries; I need to transport them to Xi'an to sell to the nobles and officials. The Heavenly Lord said this is a very important matter, related to the 'liberation of women's productivity' or something, I don't really understand..."
Zao Ying said, "No matter how important it is, it can't be more important than your own man, can it?"
Xing Honglang rolled her eyes. "He's not my man! He's not!"
Zao Ying burst into laughter. "This is fun, teasing Leader Xing is truly amusing."
Xing Honglang couldn't stand being teased any longer. She quickly changed the subject. "Aren't you in charge of the Gao Family Village Cavalry Battalion? Why do you have time to chat awkwardly with me here? Aren't you participating in this battle?"
"Of course not!" Zao Ying laughed. "I'm cavalry. Fighting in the mountains isn't cavalry's strength. Enough about that, let's talk about Gao Chuwu again."
Xing Honglang couldn't fend her off. She turned and ran.
Zao Ying chased after her, calling out, "Leader Xing, don't run! Did Gao Chuwu make any promises before he set off? Like, he'd come back and marry you after the battle?"
Xing Honglang's face flushed crimson, and she panicked. "No, absolutely not! How could such a promise be made? It would be fatal! Don't follow me anymore, I don't want to talk to you."
Zao Ying said, "Oh, come on, just chat with me..."
Xing Honglang retorted, "No talking, no talking! I am a proud outlaw; I never discuss romantic matters."
Zao Ying countered, "Well, I'm also an outlaw, and I specialize in discussing romantic matters."
The two women, built like gorillas, were speaking such gentle words. One fleeing, one chasing, they quickly ran off into the distance.
Huanglong Mountain, Northeastern Ridge.
In a hidden valley, hid a bandit army totaling twelve thousand men.
Wang Zuogua's forces from Yichuan County.
Although the total number was twelve thousand, in reality, over six thousand were old, weak, sick, or disabled. The truly capable fighting force was only a little over five thousand.
Those six thousand-plus old, weak, sick, and disabled individuals spent their days digging for roots, stripping tree bark, gathering wild fruits, and catching rabbits, pangolins, and rats...
Meanwhile, the more than five thousand able-bodied fighters would occasionally raid Yichuan County, northeast of Huanglong Mountain, burning, killing, and looting. Just like the Liangshan outlaws in *Water Margin* would attack Zhujia Village one moment, Hujia Village the next, and then Lijia Village, they attacked villages everywhere and plundered grain.
Yichuan County was tormented by them. Several times, troops were dispatched to encircle and suppress them. Wang Zuogua and the government forces fought several major battles in places like Yaozhou City, Yizhou, Sanshui, and Han City. Every battle, he encountered Hong Chengchou, and in every battle, Hong would thoroughly beat him down. Yet each time, he managed to escape one step ahead of a complete rout, losing battle after battle but never truly being eliminated.
Hong Chengchou was also thoroughly vexed by this fellow.
At this moment, Wang Zuogua sat in his tent, his left arm wrapped around a young lady from a gentry family, whom he had forcibly abducted, while his right hand gestured casually. He was chatting with Miao Mei, Fei Shanhu, Da Honglang, and others about where they would raid next.
A bandit scout ran in from outside and reported, "Chief, Bai Family Fortress from Chengcheng County has suddenly dispatched an army of a thousand men into Huanglong Mountain. It looks like they might be coming for us."
It turned out that ever since Wang Zuogua's assassination attempt on Bai Yuan failed, he had been continuously sending people to monitor Bai Family Fortress, seeking an opportunity for the next assassination attempt on Bai Yuan.
So, when the militia entered the mountains from Bai Family Fortress, he immediately received the news.
Wang Zuogua sneered, "It seems Bai Family Fortress wants to avenge the assassination attempt on their master, eh? Hah! They stole my military horses, so what if I sent people to assassinate him? Isn't that perfectly reasonable? What right does he have to be dissatisfied?"
Miao Mei, the second-in-command, sneered from beside him. "That man named Bai is far too arrogant, isn't he? Huanglong Mountain is our territory; even the authorities don't dare to enter lightly. How dare a mere militia come looking for trouble with us? Only a thousand men, what the hell is there to fear?"
Fei Shanhu frowned, a hint of worry in his eyes. "Their firearms seem very powerful. During the last battle to seize military horses, when those strange bombs exploded, our men fell in droves."
Da Honglang scoffed, "Such powerful firearms consume a lot of gunpowder. Even the imperial soldiers can't equip them in large numbers. How could a mere Bai Family Fortress have many? Last time, we were just startled. If we fight again this time, I won't fear them one bit."
Wang Zuogua nodded. "Exactly! It's impossible for them to have many of those powerful firearms. They probably only have a dozen or so arquebuses and a few strange bombs. Fighting on our home turf, there's absolutely no need to fear them. Find a place with good terrain, set up an ambush, and wipe out Bai Family Fortress's people in one go. Then we'll counterattack Bai Family Fortress and strip it bare."
The others chorused, "Good!"
Just then, an unfamiliar voice spoke up beside them, "Chiefs... I have something to say."
The others turned their heads. The speaker was a newly joined fellow from Mizhi County, nicknamed "The Dashing General."
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