“Boss, bad news, the second-in-command has been killed!”
The short bandit rushed up Cat Mountain, shouting hysterically.
His cries quickly drew a crowd of bandits.
“What’s all the racket!”
A burly man stepped out of the hut, frowning and scolding, “Speak clearly, what’s wrong with the second-in-command?”
“The second-in-command was killed!”
“Explain properly, what exactly happened!”
The boss, irritated, kicked the short bandit.
“The second-in-command took me and a few others, including Little Black, to gamble in Lijiawan. But just as we descended the mountain, three men ambushed us. The second-in-command only said a few words before they killed him!”
The short bandit said, “They told me to come back and deliver a message. That’s how I escaped with my life.”
“What message did they send?”
“The robbers said they want this mountain and told us to leave…”
The short bandit answered cautiously.
“How many of them were there?” the boss asked.
“Three!”
“And how many of you?”
“Five, including me…”
“Five of you couldn’t take down three of them?”
The boss furrowed his brow.
Though he and the second-in-command didn’t always get along, he knew the man’s skills. The second-in-command was quite capable, and even the boss wasn’t sure he could beat him in a fight. Then there was Little Black, the second-in-command’s top fighter, also a strong contender. How could they have been defeated so badly?
“Boss, those three were deserters. They were ruthless, attacking without warning.”
The short bandit explained, “The second-in-command was still talking when they struck. He didn’t even have time to react.”
“So they ambushed him.”
The boss nodded slightly, “Are you sure they were deserters?”
“They wore tattered soldier’s robes, carried notched army knives, and were merciless. They killed the second-in-command and Little Black without blinking.”
The short bandit said, “People like that are definitely deserters!”
“Damn them!”
The boss feigned anger, though inside he was almost gleeful.
Every year, Dakang saw many deserters, some fleeing from fear of battle, others escaping punishment after a lost fight. For deserters, becoming bandits was often their only path. Cat Mountain, just a few hundred miles from the front lines and surrounded by mountains to the south, saw many deserters pass through, some even trying to seize the mountain. But deserters rarely banded together, fearing military crackdowns, so those who challenged Cat Mountain were usually killed.
“Old Five, gather the men to avenge the second-in-command!”
The boss roared furiously, “Move quickly, don’t let those deserters escape!”
No matter how much he clashed with the second-in-command, with him dead, the boss had to put on a convincing show.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The bandit camp echoed with urgent gong sounds.
Soon, dozens of bandits assembled, following the boss down Cat Mountain, each armed with machetes, spears, or other weapons.
They soon reached the spot where the second-in-command was ambushed. His body, along with the others, lay discarded like dead dogs by the roadside, stripped bare.
The deserters were nowhere to be seen.
“Where are they?”
The boss grabbed the short bandit by the collar.
“I don’t know!”
The short bandit shrank back, “Maybe they ran off…”
“Split up and search. Find out which way they went!”
With a wave of his hand, the boss divided the dozens of bandits into four teams, each searching a different direction for the deserters’ tracks.
At that moment, a faint rustle came from the surrounding woods.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
The boss and the leaders of the four teams all fell, struck by arrows!
“Stand still, or we shoot to kill!”
A sharp shout came from the distant woods.
The bandits froze in shock. Some stood dumbfounded, others fled in panic, while the quick-witted sought cover. But Qinghuai had chosen this ambush site deliberately: the surrounding area was flat, with no rocks or trees for cover.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!…
Six more fell, all those trying to escape.
“I said, stand still, or you die!”
Zhong Wu’s voice rang out again from the woods.
“Listen, if they catch us, we’re dead. There are only a few of them. If we all run, they…”
The short bandit tried to rally the others to flee, but before he could finish, an arrow struck his neck.
Blood sprayed.
Clutching his neck, he couldn’t stop the blood gushing out. His strength faded quickly. Within seconds, he collapsed, motionless.
“Anyone else want to run?”
Zhong Wu shouted.
Now, no bandit dared move.
In a head-on fight, some might have rushed forward in a frenzy, but they hadn’t even seen their enemy. How could they fight? This wasn’t a battle; it was suicide!
Zhong Wu signaled behind him, and a coil of rope flew from the bushes, landing at the feet of a bandit on the edge.
“Tie them up!”
Zhong Wu shouted from the bushes.
Tie up their own? The bandit hesitated.
The next second, he didn’t need to hesitate. An arrow pierced his neck.
“You, tie them up.”
Another arrow landed by the second bandit’s feet, “Tie them tight!”
Terrified, the bandit grabbed the rope and began tying up the others without a word. The rest didn’t resist, letting themselves be bound tightly.
Only then did Zhong Wu emerge from the woods, tying up the last bandit.
On the mountain, Qinghuai stretched lazily, “Good thing these bandits lack patience, or we’d have had to sleep here tonight. Sir, let’s go down and take a look.”
“Lord, there are dozens of bandits, and we’re only a few. Weren’t you afraid they’d swarm us?”
Jin Feng asked, still shaken.
“If they had that kind of courage, they wouldn’t be bandits.”
Qinghuai said confidently, “Besides, with the repeating crossbows you made, even if they rushed us, they wouldn’t stand a chance against Zhong Wu.”
As Qinghuai’s personal guards, Zhong Wu and the others were elite soldiers handpicked from thousands in the Iron Forest Army. After recent training, they had mastered the crossbows, their speed and accuracy nearly matching Zhang Liang’s. Against a group of untrained bandits, a few men with alternating shots made escape nearly impossible.
Jin Feng was genuinely impressed, giving a thumbs-up, “Impressive!”
A glimpse reveals the whole. No wonder Qinghuai, so young, earned a marquis title through military merit. He was a genius at leading troops. The plan seemed simple: Zhang Liang spread rumors to lure out the second-in-command, Zhong Wu posed as a deserter to kill him, drawing out the boss and the remaining bandits. Then, an ambush was set to take them down.
Easy to say, but incredibly hard to execute. One misstep could have ruined everything. Yet Qinghuai succeeded, wiping out Cat Mountain’s bandits with just a few guards, all while staying atop the mountain, watching the show.
What was strategic mastery? This was it!
He trusted his men completely, predicted the bandits’ habits and psychology with precision, and executed a seamless, interconnected plan.
Jin Feng saw a new side of Qinghuai: confident, composed, and calm.
