“Understood!”
The forty-odd veteran soldiers whispered their agreement, using the cover of night to slip into their hiding spots.
Wild Dog Slope was a sizable area, and this group of bandits had never been much of a threat before. Their discipline was extremely lax, and their vigilance was low. Aside from two sentries posted on the path up the mountain, there were no patrols in their hideout.
The remaining bandits were gathered in a wooden shed, gambling until midnight before dispersing.
The next day, the bandits slept until mid-morning, ate something casually, and started gambling again.
The veterans stayed hidden until noon, and not a single bandit noticed the dozens of extra people on the mountain.
About a hundred metres from the shed where the bandits were gambling, there was a patch of bushes.
Unless someone looked closely, no one would suspect two people were hiding inside.
“Yesterday, seeing how rushed Mulang was when she left, I thought they’d attack Wild Dog Slope at dawn. Who knew they still haven’t shown up,” one of the veterans said, yawning and complaining. “If I’d known, we could’ve slept soundly and come today instead.”
They had travelled and hidden all night without sleep, and in the summer, the mosquitoes were relentless, biting them mercilessly in the bushes.
“Have you forgotten what Captain Zheng said? This is also Master Jin’s test for us,” his companion replied. “You’ve been to war before. Sometimes you fight for days and nights without sleep. One night, and you’re already complaining?”
“During last month’s training, I stayed hidden in the back hills for three days and nights without moving an inch. How could I not handle this?” the complaining veteran retorted.
“If you can handle it, then stop grumbling,” his companion warned. “And no talking while hiding. If you get me exposed, see how I deal with you when we get back!”
“I was just saying. Why’re you getting worked up?” the complaining veteran muttered. “You keep watch. I’ll rest for a bit. We’ll switch in half an hour.”
His companion didn’t object this time.
He didn’t know when the women’s team would make their move. If they delayed for three or four days, the veterans would be exhausted.
This was why Zheng Fang had arranged for them to hide in pairs, so they could take turns resting and conserve energy.
The veterans waited until night, when Qing Mulang finally arrived.
She didn’t launch an attack right away. Instead, she sent Ah Mei to take out the sentries, then quietly approached the bandits’ hideout.
Even then, the bandits were still in the shed, gambling wildly.
“What a disorganised bunch. And Master still wasn’t at ease,” Qing Mulang said, scoffing as she and her women’s team hid in the shadows. “Everyone, get your crossbows ready. Let’s start with a few volleys!”
“Yes!” The women took out their crossbows and aimed at the shed.
But just then, the gambling bandits suddenly grabbed wooden shields nailed together, completely blocking off the shed.
Several torches were thrown from the shed, igniting pre-prepared piles of grass, lighting up the surroundings brightly.
“Hahaha, Xihe Bay really sent people to attack us!”
“Boss, they’re here to die!”
“Hahaha, look, Boss, they’re all women!”
“Let me see. They are! The leader’s even pretty good-looking.”
“Boss was just saying yesterday he’d get the matchmaker to buy some women. Today, they’ve delivered themselves, saving us the money.”
“Hey, they’ve got a dozen sets of armour too. If we take them down, can I get one?”
“Their armour’s made for women, Night Cat. Don’t even think about it.”
…
Arrogant laughter echoed from the shed.
“We’ve been tricked!” Qing Mulang thought, her heart sinking. Before she could order a regroup, one of the women, nervous, pulled her trigger.
The other women were already on edge, and with someone taking the lead, the rest followed.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Dozens of crossbow bolts shot toward the shed.
But the bandits had already fortified the shed with shields, blocking all the arrows.
“Ouch, what kind of bows do they have?”
“I’ve never seen them before, but they’ve got power. They almost shot through two-inch-thick wood!”
“No wonder. Those are crossbows, good military stuff. Of course they’re powerful.”
“Take them down, and those goodies are ours!”
The bandits’ laughter grew even more brazen.
“They were prepared. Everyone, close in on me!” Qing Mulang shouted coldly. The women, finding their anchor, followed her orders and grouped together.
“Draw your swords!” Qing Mulang called again. The women hung their crossbows back on their waists and drew their long knives.
“You women, don’t bother. Just surrender and save yourselves the pain,” the bandit leader shouted from the shed.
“In your dreams!” Qing Mulang replied coldly. “Stay alert. Second formation, charge!”
The women hurriedly formed a triangular formation, knives outward, advancing step by step toward the shed.
“All flash and no substance!” the bandit leader sneered. “Brothers, do it!”
One bandit pulled a rope from a corner. The bandits grabbed parts of the rope like a tug-of-war, then yanked hard. A huge fishing net appeared from the flat ground, trapping all the women inside.
As the net was dragged back and forth, the women couldn’t stand, tumbling to the ground.
Two were even cut by their own knives.
The women, who had been so imposing moments ago, were now in disarray, unable to resist.
Qing Mulang stayed relatively calm, trying to cut the net with her knife.
But as she raised it, the net tightened suddenly, squeezing her and the other women together, unable to move.
This turn of events caught even Zheng Fang off guard. He turned to Monkey. “What’s going on? Didn’t you say you checked everything thoroughly?”
“That net must’ve been buried beforehand!” Monkey said, red-faced. “Last time I came, it looked like flat ground, so I didn’t check closely.”
“Old Zheng, now’s not the time for this. We need to save them!” the deputy said urgently.
“They’re not in immediate danger. Wait a bit,” Zheng Fang said, shaking his head, his eyes fixed ahead.
On the open ground, Qing Mulang, trapped in the net, felt bitter regret.
Before coming, she had reorganised the team and prepared several plans.
She thought she’d been cautious enough for a group of just over thirty bandits, but she had still underestimated them.
Jin Feng’s words echoed in her mind: “Never underestimate any enemy, or you’ll pay a bloody price!”
Qing Mulang was filled with regret, but it was too late.
The shields on the shed were removed, and the armoured bandit leader walked out, laughing loudly, followed by a group of bandits holding longbows or knives.
