Jin Feng was familiar with Wild Dog Slope. It wasn’t far from Xihe Bay, and he had heard of bandits appearing there a few times before, though their scale was small, even smaller than the Cat Mountain bandits back in the day.
Now, Jin Feng had over a hundred people under his command, including the veteran soldiers and Qing Mulang’s women’s team. Even without relying on catapults or heavy crossbows, their sharp long knives and rapid-fire individual crossbows could easily wipe out an equal number of bandits.
The Wild Dog Slope bandits couldn’t possibly be unaware of this.
Yet, not long after Jin Feng’s group had eliminated the Iron Pot Mountain bandits, the Wild Dog Slope bandits dared to boast about collecting grain taxes. Jin Feng instinctively felt something was off.
So, he decided to first investigate the background of the Wild Dog Slope bandits.
“Monkey was already sent out before we came. We should have results soon,” Zhang Liang replied.
“Brother Liang, you always handle things with such experience.”
Jin Feng glanced at Qing Mulang.
Qing Mulang scratched her head awkwardly.
Monkey had been a scout in the Iron Forest Army, skilled at reconnaissance and gathering intelligence. That very night, he returned to Iron Pot Mountain.
The gathering hall built by the Iron Pot Mountain bandits hadn’t been torn down by Jin Feng; he had converted it into a meeting room.
Now, Jin Feng, Zhang Liang, Zheng Fang, Iron Bull, and Qing Mulang were all gathered there.
“What’s the situation? Have you figured out how many bandits are at Wild Dog Slope?” Zhang Liang asked first.
“Thirty-seven in total,” Monkey replied.
“Just over thirty people, and they dare to talk about collecting grain taxes?” Zheng Fang asked. “Monkey, could some of them be hiding?”
“Old Zheng, you’re underestimating me,” Monkey said, shooting Zheng Fang an annoyed glance. “I scouted the entire Wild Dog Slope. I even checked the chest of money hidden under their leader’s bed.”
“Impressive!”
Zheng Fang gave Monkey a thumbs-up, then asked, puzzled, “If they only have thirty-some people, where do they get the guts to collect grain taxes? What are they relying on?”
Due to years of war, the people of Da Kang were quite fierce. The Iron Pot Mountain bandits had only dared to collect grain taxes because of their numbers and ability to easily slaughter a village.
With just over thirty people, the Wild Dog Slope bandits could be wiped out by any decent-sized village with proper preparation, without Jin Feng’s group even needing to act.
“The Iron Pot Mountain bandits started as a small group and grew bit by bit. Maybe they’re thinking the same thing?” Qing Mulang said. “These days, too many people are willing to take risks. What if they’re gambling on it?”
“That’s possible,” Monkey nodded. “I asked around. This time, the Wild Dog Slope bandits only circled Zhou Family Village, robbed a few households at the entrance, and left without daring to harm any villagers. It didn’t feel like a robbery; it was more like they were showing off their strength, trying to recruit people.”
“Monkey, did you notice anything unusual?” Jin Feng asked, nodding but still feeling the situation wasn’t that simple.
“I was just getting to that,” Monkey said. “I used to escort caravans with friends and saw the Wild Dog Slope bandits once. Back then, they wore tattered clothes, their weapons were a mess, and seven or eight of them didn’t even have knives, just wooden sticks.
But today, they all had brand-new long knives. The leader and second-in-command even had a set of armour.
On top of that, I saw over a dozen longbows and several bundles of arrows in their storeroom.”
“No wonder Wild Dog Slope dares to make big claims with just thirty-some people. Someone’s backing them,” Zheng Fang said angrily. “Looks like some big shot in the county has their eye on Iron Pot Mountain’s territory.”
In these times, money meant manpower, just like Jin Feng’s veteran team.
As long as you were willing to spend, plenty of people were ready to risk their lives.
“Now that the Iron Pot Mountain bandits are gone, all it takes is some money to equip a bandit group with weapons and recruit people. Once they grow strong enough to collect grain taxes, it’s a hugely profitable deal. No surprise those big shots are tempted,” Zhang Liang said. “We just don’t know which one is making the move.”
“Master, what do we do?” Zheng Fang looked at Jin Feng.
“The Wild Dog Slope bandits are clearly testing our limits. If we ignore them, they’ll only get bolder,” Jin Feng said coldly after a moment’s thought. “Those who bare their teeth, we break them! No matter who’s behind them, if they show themselves, we cut them down. Treat it as training for our team.”
“Right, they’re just bandits. Even if we kill them all, we’re in the right!” Qing Mulang clenched her fist. “Master, can I go to Wild Dog Slope now?”
In Da Kang, where women outnumbered men, Jin Feng had strongly supported Qing Mulang’s women’s team with the intention of using it in the future.
Combat was the only way to test warriors. Their ability could only be proven through real fighting.
Jin Feng thought for a moment and nodded. “You can.”
“Thank you, Master!” Qing Mulang jumped up excitedly and started to leave.
“It’s already dark. Go tomorrow,” Zheng Fang called out.
“This is our women’s team’s first battle. I need to go back and prepare properly,” Qing Mulang said, grabbing Ah Mei and rushing down the mountain.
“Master, Mulang is too impulsive. She’ll get herself into trouble. Why didn’t you stop her?” Zheng Fang asked, concerned.
“Yeah, the women’s team only finished off enemies last time, never facing a real battlefield. The new and veteran recruits haven’t even bonded properly. Sending them to fight bandits now is too soon. It could lead to big problems,” Zhang Liang added.
“Mulang has dreamed of joining the army since she was a child, suppressed by her brother and father for years. Now that she’s finally built the women’s team, she’s desperate to prove herself. If I hold her back, she might sneak off with her team, which would be even more trouble,” Jin Feng said. “Old Zheng, make arrangements. Take forty men and lie low at Wild Dog Slope first. If anything unexpected happens, you step in and take out the bandits.”
“I knew Master had a backup plan,” Zheng Fang said with a smile. “Don’t worry, Master. I’ll make sure all the girls come back safely.”
“No need for that,” Jin Feng shook his head. “I supported Mulang’s women’s team, not for it to be a toy. It’s meant to be used in the future.
This bandit group is small, perfect for them to get some experience. If they don’t face any major danger, don’t intervene. A setback will help Mulang clear her head.”
“Understood,” Zheng Fang nodded and left.
Soon, forty veteran soldiers, armed with various weapons, headed to Wild Dog Slope overnight.
The bandits had chosen Wild Dog Slope as their hideout, and the terrain was naturally treacherous, making it hard to climb.
But stealth was a mandatory skill for the veterans. Led by Monkey, they easily bypassed the only sentry post and slipped silently into the bandit hideout via the back cliff.
“This operation isn’t just about testing the women’s team’s combat skills. Master also wants to test our stealth abilities,” Zheng Fang whispered. “Everyone, stick to the positions Monkey assigned on the way. No one moves without my signal. Understood?”
